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The degradation of organic pollutants by transition metal activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) has important application value in the field of advanced oxidation. MnO2/SiC composite catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method on the surface of silicon carbide (SiC), which was used to activate PMS to degrade and remove methylene blue (MB) from water. The results show that MnO2 is uniformly attached to the surface of SiC in the form of particles, and the removal rate of MB by MnO2/SiC-PMS system reaches 99% within 40 min. The MnO2/SiC-PMS system can achieve high degradation efficiency of MB over a wide pH range (5.0~9.0), while 5 mmol/L Cl- and NO3- had no significant effect on the MnO2/SiC-PMS system. Phosphate and bicarbonate have quenching effect on oxidative free radicals, leading to a decrease in the degradation efficiency of MB in the MnO2/SiC PMS system. The results of free radical quenching experiments indicate that plays a major role in the MnO2/SiC-PMS system. In addition, MnO2/SiC has good recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing green trade barriers from developed nations, particularly the EU, based on product carbon footprints, China's renewable energy industries confront significant challenges in transitioning towards sustainability and low carbon emissions. This study delves into the carbon footprint of China's renewable infrastructure, evaluating wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and lithium batteries across varied decarbonization scenarios, emphasizing both production and international trade transportation. The initial findings for 2022 indicate baseline carbon footprints of 990,701 kg CO2-eq/MW for wind turbines, 2994.97 kg CO2-eq/kWp for PV panels, and 67.53 kg CO2-eq/kWh for batteries. Projections for 2050 suggest that decarbonization advancements could slash these footprints by up to 36.1% for wind turbines, 76.7% for PV panels, and 72.5% for batteries, closely mirroring the EU's 2050 low-carbon benchmarks. Considerable carbon footprints from both domestic and international transportation have been quantified, underscoring the importance of logistic decarbonization. Based on these results, it is concluded that China's steadfast commitment to a sustainable and climate-ambitious development path can provide globally competitive, low-carbon renewable infrastructure after 2030. The study advocates for a collaborative approach to product decarbonization across international trade, as opposed to erecting barriers, to effectively contribute to global climate objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor performance of Zn electrode in aqueous electrolytes prevents the practical application of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). Here, 2‐Pyrrolidinone (Pr) is introduced into conventional ZnSO4 electrolytes as additive and only 3 vol.% addition (Pr−to−H2O volume ratio) enables boosted performance. The Pr molecules are preferentially adsorbed on the surface of Zn electrodes to promote the uniform deposition of Zn ions and modulate the solvation structure of Zn2+ to inhibit the side reactions. As a result, the Zn electrode is boosted to run over 1200 h during charge/discharge cycling processes and delivers high average coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9 % under 1 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2. Even under harsh testing conditions of 20 mA cm−2 and 20 mAh cm−2, Zn electrode still run over 100 h, which is much longer than that at pristine electrolyte (25 h). Moreover, the Zn||MnO2 full cells with the Pr additive exhibit a high capacity of 201 mAh g−1 and good capacity retention of 89 % after 550 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comprehensively evaluates the dynamic effects on China's environment and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a temporary improvement in air quality. Furthermore, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the atmosphere in China were 36% lower than in the week after last year's Lunar New Year holiday, but this also led to an economic downturn. Moreover, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) decreased significantly. During the back-to-work period, the economy recovered and there was an increase in energy consumption, and CO2, NO2 emissions sharply increased to pre-lockdown levels. In the post-lockdown period, the AOD was lower than that of the same period last year. This study can provide reference for environmental policy making, as it demonstrates to what extent the control of pollution sources can improve air quality. Precise emission reduction and regional joint prevention and control are important and effective means for the prevention and control of O3 pollution. The health and economic benefits of COVID-19 pandemic control measures are incalculable. And this can provide an effective scientific basis and theoretical support for the prevention and control of air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]