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The alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a promising avenue for producing clean fuels and storing intermittent energy. However, challenges such as excessive OH− consumption and strong adsorption of oxygen‐containing intermediates hinder the development of alkaline OER. In this study, we propose a cooperative strategy by leveraging both nano‐scale and atomically local electric fields for alkaline OER, demonstrated through the synthesis of Mn single atom doped CoP nanoneedles (Mn SA‐CoP NNs). Finite element method simulations and density functional theory calculations predict that the nano‐scale local electric field enriches OH− around the catalyst surface, while the atomically local electric field improves *O desorption. Experimental validation using in situ attenuated total reflection infrared and Raman spectroscopy confirms the effectiveness of the nano‐scale and atomically electric fields. Mn SA‐CoP NNs exhibit an ultra‐low overpotential of 189 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and stable operation over 100 hours at ~100 mA cm−2 during alkaline OER. This innovative strategy provides new insights for enhancing catalyst performance in energy conversion reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is crucial to addressing environmental crises and producing chemicals. Proton activation and transfer are essential in CO2RR. To date, few research reviews have focused on this process and its effect on catalytic performance. Recent studies have demonstrated ways to improve CO2RR by regulating proton transfer dynamics. This Concept highlights the use of regulating proton transfer dynamics to enhance CO2RR for the target product and discusses modulation strategies for proton transfer dynamics and operative mechanisms in typical systems, including single‐atom catalysts, molecular catalysts, metal heterointerfaces, and organic‐ligand modified metal catalysts. Characterization methods for proton transfer dynamics during CO2RR are also discussed, providing powerful tools for the hydrogen‐involving electrochemical study. This Concept offers new insights into the CO2RR mechanism and guides the design of efficient CO2RR systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom‐doping in metal‐nitrogen‐carbon single‐atom catalysts (SACs) is considered a powerful strategy to promote the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), but the origin of enhanced catalytic activity is still elusive. Here, we disclose that sulfur doping induces an obvious proton‐feeding effect for CO2RR. The model SAC catalyst with sulfur doping in the second‐shell of FeN4 (Fe1−NSC) was verified by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Fe1−NSC exhibits superior CO2RR performance compared to sulfur‐free FeN4 and most reported Fe‐based SACs, with a maximum CO Faradaic efficiency of 98.6 % and turnover frequency of 1197 h−1. Kinetic analysis and in situ characterizations confirm that sulfur doping accelerates H2O activation and feeds sufficient protons for promoting CO2 conversion to *COOH, which is also corroborated by the theoretical results. This work deepens the understanding of the CO2RR mechanism based on SAC catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium (Ru)‐based catalysts, with considerable performance and desirable cost, are becoming highly interesting candidates to replace platinum (Pt) in the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The hydrogen binding at Ru sites (Ru−H) is an important factor limiting the HER activity. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) simulations show that the essence of Ru−H binding energy is the strong interaction between the 4dz2 orbital of Ru and the 1s orbital of H. The charge transfer between Ru sites and substrates (Co and Ni) causes the appropriate downward shift of the 4dz2 ‐band center of Ru, which results in a Gibbs free energy of 0.022 eV for H* in the RuCo system, much lower than the 0.133 eV in the pure Ru system. This theoretical prediction has been experimentally confirmed using RuCo alloy‐nanosheets (RuCo ANSs). They were prepared via a fast co‐precipitation method followed with a mild electrochemical reduction. Structure characterizations reveal that the Ru atoms are embedded into the Co substrate as isolated active sites with a planar symmetric and Z‐direction asymmetric coordination structure, obtaining an optimal 4dz2 modulated electronic structure. Hydrogen sensor and temperature program desorption (TPD) tests demonstrate the enhanced Ru−H interactions in RuCo ANSs compared to those in pure Ru nanoparticles. As a result, the RuCo ANSs reach an ultra‐low overpotential of 10 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 20.6 mV dec−1 in 1 M KOH, outperforming that of the commercial Pt/C. This holistic work provides a new insight to promote alkaline HER by optimizing the metal‐H binding energy of active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically dispersed transition metal sites have been extensively studied for CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) to CO due to their robust CO2 activation ability. However, the strong hybridization between directionally localized d orbits and CO vastly limits CO desorption and thus the activities of atomically dispersed transition metal sites. In contrast, s‐block metal sites possess nondirectionally delocalized 3s orbits and hence weak CO adsorption ability, providing a promising way to solve the suffered CO desorption issue. Herein, we constructed atomically dispersed magnesium atoms embedded in graphitic carbon nitride (Mg‐C3N4) through a facile heat treatment for CO2RR. Theoretical calculations show that the CO desorption on Mg sites is easier than that on Fe and Co sites. This theoretical prediction is demonstrated by experimental CO temperature program desorption and in situ attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. As a result, Mg‐C3N4 exhibits a high turnover frequency of ≈18 000 per hour in H‐cell and a large current density of −300 mA cm−2 in flow cell, under a high CO Faradaic efficiency ≥90 % in KHCO3 electrolyte. This work sheds a new light on s‐block metal sites for efficient CO2RR to CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) through two‐electron (2 e−) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an on‐site and clean route. Oxygen‐doped carbon materials with high ORR activity and H2O2 selectivity have been considered as the promising catalysts, however, there is still a lack of direct experimental evidence to identify true active sites at the complex carbon surface. Herein, we propose a chemical titration strategy to decipher the oxygen‐doped carbon nanosheet (OCNS900) catalyst for 2 e− ORR. The OCNS900 exhibits outstanding 2 e− ORR performances with onset potential of 0.825 V (vs. RHE), mass activity of 14.5 A g−1 at 0.75 V (vs. RHE) and H2O2 production rate of 770 mmol g−1 h−1 in flow cell, surpassing most reported carbon catalysts. Through selective chemical titration of C=O, C−OH, and COOH groups, we found that C=O species contributed to the most electrocatalytic activity and were the most active sites for 2 e− ORR, which were corroborated by theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects at the surface and grain boundaries of metal–halide perovskite films lead to performance losses of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, organic cyano‐based π‐conjugated molecules composed of indacenodithieno[3,2‐b]thiophene (IDTT) are reported and it is found that their cyano group can effectively passivate such defects. To achieve a homogeneous distribution, these molecules are dissolved in the antisolvent, used to initiate the perovskite crystallization. It is found that these molecules are self‐anchored at the grain boundaries due to their strong binding to undercoordinated Pb2+. On a device level, this passivation scheme enhances the charge separation and transport at the grain boundaries due to the well‐matched energetic levels between the passivant and the perovskite. Consequently, these benefits contribute directly to the achievement of power conversion efficiencies as high as 21.2%, as well as the improved environmental and thermal stability of the PSCs. The surface treatment provides a new strategy to simultaneously passivate defects and enhance charge extraction/transport at the device interface by manipulating the anchoring groups of the molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeform optical surfaces are advantageous to optical designers, as they provide additional degrees of freedom for optimization. The loss of rotational symmetry, however, makes measurement of freeforms more challenging. Herein, advances in interferometric areal measurement of freeform optical surfaces, including null tests, non‐null tests, near‐null tests, and adaptive null tests, are reviewed. Some new developments, in the Hartmann test, deflectometry, and phase retrieval, as representatives of non‐interferometric areal measurement, are then presented. Overall, the focus is on single‐point‐probe‐based profilometry categorized into coordinate measurements and slope‐ or curvature‐based measurements. Innovative measurement technology is trying to bridge the gap between high accuracy and high dynamic range as freeform optical surfaces are finding more applications in visible and shorter‐wavelength optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the main bottleneck for the electrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen (H2), and the by‐product is worthless O2. Therefore, designing a thermodynamically favorable oxidation reaction to replace OER and coupling with value‐added product generation on the anode is of significance for boosting H2 generation under low electrolysis voltage. Herein, cobalt hydroxide@hydroxysulfide nanosheets on carbon paper (Co(OH)2@HOS/CP) are synthesized as bifunctional electrocatalysts to facilitate H2 production and convert methanol to valuable formate simultaneously. Benefiting from the influences/changes on the composition, surface properties, electronic structure, and chemistry of Co(OH)2, the as‐obtained electrodes exhibit very high selectivity for methanol to value‐added formate oxidation (MFO) and boost electrocatalytic performance with low overpotential of 155 mV for MFO and 148 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the integrated two‐electrode electrolyzer drives 10 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 1.497 V with united 100% Faradaic efficiency for anodic and cathodic reaction and continuous 20 h of operation without obvious decay. The electrocatalytic hydrogen production with the assistance of alternative oxidation by the robust electrocatalyst can be further used to realize the upgrading of other organic molecules with less energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two coordination complex emitters as well as host materials Be(PPI)2 and Zn(PPI)2 (PPI = 2-(1-phenyl-1 H-phenanthro[9,10- d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol) are designed, synthesized, and characterized. The incorporation of the metal atom leads to a twisted conformation and rigid molecular structure, which improve the thermal stability of Be(PPI)2 and Zn(PPI)2 with high Td and Tg at around 475 and 217 °C, respectively. The introduction of the electron-donating phenol group results in the emission color shifting to the deep-blue region and the emission maximum appears at around 429 nm. This molecular design strategy ensures that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) HOMO and LUMO of Be(PPI)2 and Zn(PPI)2 localize on the different moieties of the molecules. Therefore, the two complexes have an ambipolar transport property and a small singlet-triplet splitting of 0.35 eV for Be(PPI)2 and 0.21 eV for Zn(PPI)2. An undoped deep-blue fluorescent organic light-emitting device (OLED) that uses Be(PPI)2 as emitter exhibits a maximum power efficiency of 2.5 lm W−1 with the CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.09), which are very close to the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) blue standard (CIE: 0.14, 0.08). Green and red phosphorescent OLEDs (PhOLEDs) that use Be(PPI)2 and Zn(PPI)2 as host materials show high performance. Highest power efficiencies of 67.5 lm W−1 for green PhOLEDs and 21.7 lm W−1 for red PhOLEDs are achieved. In addition, the Be(PPI)2-based devices show low-efficiency roll-off behavior, which is attributed to the more balanced carrier-transport property of Be(PPI)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) presents a promising approach for combating periodontitis, an infectious disease triggered by bacteria. However, the hypoxic environment within periodontal pockets poses challenges for PDT efficacy. In this study, novel purine‐based C^N ligands are utilized to develop Ir(III) complexes with enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity for periodontitis treatment. The type I/II PDT performance of Ir(III) is greatly enhanced by the purine ligands, which leads to potent bactericidal and biofilm elimination efficacy. In a rat model of periodontitis, local application of these purine‐based Ir(III) complexes effectively achieves antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory effects while promoting tissue repair under clinical luminaire exposure. This PDT strategy utilizing purine‐based Ir(III) complexes circumvents the need for antibiotics and surgical intervention, emerging as a promising, non‐invasive approach for managing periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]