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An unprecedented catalyst-free formylation of amines using CO2 and hydrosilanes was developed. The solvent plays a vital role in promoting the interaction of amines with hydrosilanes and subsequent CO2 insertion, thus facilitating the simultaneous activation of N–H and Si–H bonds. Based on relevant mechanistic studies, a plausible mechanism involving a silyl carbamate intermediate is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic Sn complexes were successfully incorporated to chitosan by solid phase synthesis methodology. The polymer-supported catalysts exhibited promising catalytic performance for the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The influence of reaction temperature, reaction time, the amount of catalyst used, and solvents on the catalytic activity was investigated systematically. Notably, the catalysts can be prepared in large scale in a simple manner with low-cost materials and also can be recycled for times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Montmorillonite (MMT) supported Sn catalyst was prepared by ion-exchange technique. Ketones are oxidized by 30% hydrogen peroxide in n-butanol and transformed into the corresponding lactones with very high selectivity catalyzed by Sn–montmorillonite. The catalyst can be prepared in large scale in a simple manner without the utilization of any expensive materials and can be recycled. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An environmentally benign and selective Baeyer–Villiger oxidation system is introduced. Palygorskite-supported Sn complexes were prepared by a simple procedure. Cyclic ketones and acyclic ketones were oxidized by hydrogen peroxide in a reaction catalyzed by palygorskite-supported Sn complexes, affording corresponding lactones or esters with selectivity for the product of 90–99%. The influence of the solvents, reaction temperature, the amount of catalyst used and the reaction time on the catalytic activity and product selectivity were investigated in detail. The catalyst is cheap, easy to be prepared in large scale and can be recycled. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Palygorskite-supported Sn complexes were prepared by a simple procedure. Cyclic ketones and acyclic ketones were oxidized by hydrogen peroxide in a reaction catalyzed by palygorskite-supported Sn complexes, affording corresponding lactones or esters with selectivity for the product of 90–100%. The catalysts can be recycled for several times without significant decline in catalytic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ongoing pursuit of cost-effective approaches for synthesizing transition metal sulfide heterostructure oxygen evolution electrocatalysts, with the objective of optimizing active site exposure and stabilizing spatial framework, remains a significant challenge. In this study, self-supported bimetallic iron-nickel sulfide (Fe 1-x S-NiS/NF) nanosheet heterostructures were successfully fabricated in situ on nickel foam through the direct sulfurization of bimetallic carbonate precursors. The effects of sulfurization temperature and Fe content on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of the catalyst are investigated, and the best conditions are found to be 350 °C and 2 mmol, respectively. As expected, the optimized catalyst demonstrates remarkable OER performance in an alkaline solution with low overpotentials of 235 mV and 333 mV at high current densities of 50 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the catalyst shows long-term stability lasting for 35 h at 60 mA cm−2 with a negligible shift in the polarization curve observed even after 2000 cyclic voltammetry cycles, while also exhibiting good structural preservation. The current study has the potential to offer valuable insights into the fabrication of electrocatalysts based on metal sulfide heterostructures. A simple hydrothermal-sulfurization strategy was adopted to fabricate series of self-supported iron-nickel sulfide nanosheet heterostructures catalysts with excellent OER performance. [Display omitted] • Self-supported Fe 1-x S-NiS/NF nanosheets were synthesized by sulfurization of carbonates. • Effects of sulfurization temperature and Fe content on the OER performance are investigated. • The Fe 1-x S-NiS/NF-2 catalyst exhibits excellent OER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐nitrogen‐carbon single‐atom catalysts (M─N─C SACs) exhibit outstanding catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, these catalysts still face the dual challenges of low density and low utilization of active sites in practical applications. Hence, a simultaneous modulation strategy to construct high‐density and accessible Co‐N4 sites on nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (CoH SA/NC), is reported. As expected, the optimized CoH SA/NC catalyst exhibits superior ORR activity with a half‐wave potential value of 0.874 V, outperforming that of the benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Importantly, the mass activity and turnover frequency of CoH SA/NC are 14.7 and 13.3 times higher than that of low‐density Co single atom catalyst (CoL SA/NC), respectively. Structural characterization and density functional theory (DFT) reveal that the porous structure and the high dense Co‐N4 sites synergistically improve the ORR performance, in which the high dense Co‐N4 sites induced a redistribution of the d orbital, resulting in dz2 orbital has enough electron to interact with the OOH* specie, thereby facilitating the kinetic process of ORR. Moreover, CoH SA/NC‐based Zn–Air Battery (ZAB) also showed excellent device performance, including a high‐power density (191.7 mW cm−2), high specific capacity, and outstanding stability (250 h), significantly superior to benchmark Pt/C‐based ZABs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polystyrene-bound-2,2′-bipyridine-nickel-L (where L = 2,2′-bi-pyridine, oxine and 1,10-phenanthroline) complexes were synthesized and characterized by IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, TG-DTA, ICP and routine elemental analysis. The complexes have been shown to catalytically oxidize cyclohexene in the presence of molecular oxygen and in the absence of solvent at 70°C, without the use of any special oxidant or coreductant. When cyclohexene is oxidized, 2-cyclohexen-1-ol, 2-cyclohex-en-1-one and 2-oxygen-heterodicyclo[4.1.0]heptane were produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Atmospheric water harvesting through reticular materials is an innovation that has the potential to change the world. Here, this study offers a technique for creating a solar-powered hygroscopic polymer material for atmospheric water harvesting with the reticular materials. The results show that the porous hygroscopic polymer materials can achieve high performance with high vapor capture (up to ac. 28.8–49.7 mg/g at 28–38 %RH and 25 ℃), rapid photothermal conversion efficiency (up to 32.2 ℃ within 15 min under 1000 W/m−2 light at 25 ℃), a low desorption temperature (lower than 40 ℃), and an effective water release rate. Besides, the material also has excellent water-retention properties, which can effectively store desorbed liquid water in polymer networks for use by vegetation during water demand periods. The strategy opens new avenues for atmospheric water-harvesting materials, which will hopefully solve the global crisis of freshwater shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polylactic acid was synthesized from commercial available cheap aqueous lactic acid (85%–90% w/w) using succinic anhydride and SnCl2·2H2O as catalyst in the absence of organic solvents. As a result, polylactic acid with a molecular weight of 60000 was prepared in 10 h. The new procedure is much simple, cheap and outstanding in that the start material is aqueous lactic acid; the catalytic system is environmentally benign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of small organic molecules that have different molecular structures with the same luminescent core, which produces fluorescence, phosphorescence or delayed fluorescence, is fascinating. Of course, the regulation of elaborate chemical structures is a reliable way to achieve these emission properties. In this study, five carbazole derivatives with different functional groups were obtained via C–N coupling reactions: Cz–C8, Cz–C8–Br, Cz–C8–OH, Cz–C8–Tu and Cz–C7–COOH. Our results reveal that small differences in functionalized tail groups can produce a huge contrast in photoluminescence behavior. Obviously, more polar tails, such as −Tu and −COOH, contribute more to high-performance organic room temperature phosphorescent materials. The non-polar tail of –H favors delayed fluorescence, while the mid-polar group of –OH enables phosphorescence and delayed fluorescence in Cz–C8–OH. These two different behaviors can be artificially modulated by external stimuli, such as photoactivation and thermal annealing. A study of the internal mechanism shows that intermolecular interactions and the molecular aggregation state are the main factors affecting the photoluminescence performance. Finally, advanced applications in the fields of data encryption, data storage, and anti-counterfeiting are illustrated using time-resolved techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using bimetallic complexe to construct adjacent structure of atomic clusters and single atoms, which performs well in ORR and Zn-air batteries. [Display omitted] Electrocatalysts are useful in lowering the energy barrier in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, a catalyst with neighboring Fe single-atom and cluster is created by adsorbing a bimetallic Fe complex onto N -doped carbon and then pyrolyzing it. The resulting catalyst has good performance and a half-wave potential of 0.89 V. When used in Zn-air batteries, the voltage drops by only 8.13 % after 145 h of cycling. Theoretical studies show that electrons transfer from neighboring clusters to single atoms and the catalyst has a lower d-band center. These reduce intermediate desorption energy, hence improving ORR performance. This work demonstrates the capacity to adjust the catalytic properties through the interaction of diverse metal structures, which helps to design more efficient catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter arterial embolization has been used clinically for the treatment of intermediate to advanced unresectable tumors, which is a complex procedure and may pose other risks. In order to achieve an efficient and simple therapeutic diagnostic method for tumors, this paper is based on the fact that the fluorescence properties of AIE fluorescent molecules are similar to those of pH-responsive polyamino acid materials undergoing a "sol–gel" phase transition in a tumor micro-acid environment, and two polyamino acid materials, PGTTC and PGCLTGCL, were linked with TPA derivatives of AIE fluorescent molecules to obtain catheter-free embolic agents, PGTTC-DCDPP-2TPA and PGCLTGCL-DCDPP-2TPA. In tumor fluorescence imaging experiments in tumor-bearing mice, both were enriched at the tumor 72 h after injection and that of the PGCLTGCL-DCDPP-2TPA was stronger, moreover, the tumor cells were suppressed and necrotic after 25 days. Therefore, this pH-responsive noninterventional embolization combination therapeutic diagnostic system has good prospects for application in the field of combined therapeutic diagnostic multifunctional platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing need of clean energy demand, the development of efficient and green electrocatalysts for water electrolysis plays an irreplaceable role in the realization of large-scale production of hydrogen. Herein, an original iron modulated heterogeneous VN/V 3 O 4 /Co 5 · 47 N nanoparticles (FVOCN) is successfully synthesized using hydrothermal technique and in situ pyrolysis protocol. Through a series of characterization, it is found that the addition of iron in VN/V 3 O 4 /Co 5 · 47 N (VOCN) can significantly regulate the electronic structure and make it have better electrochemical oxygen evolution activity in 1 M KOH solution as opposed to the VOCN. The catalyst is obtained at the sintering temperature of 600 °C has the best performance, which only requires a lower overpotential of 270 mV to attain the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and superior to commercial IrO 2. The method of introducing iron into vanadium-based, cobalt-based nitrides and vanadium-based oxides can broaden the research content of new electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts and provide a reference idea for the development of energy industry. [Display omitted] • Iron-doped VN/V 3 O 4 /Co 5 · 47 N nanoparticles were synthesized via coprecipitation, hydrothermal and partial nitriding methods. • FVOCN-600 has a rich heterogeneous interface, which can provide more active sites and accelerate the transfer between electrons. • FVOCN-600 shows excellent performance and stability for OER in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of porous crystalline polymeric materials constructed by linking organic small molecules through covalent bonds. COFs have the advantages of strong covalent bond network, adjustable pore structure, large specific surface area and excellent thermal stability, and have broad application prospects in various fields. Based on these advantages, rational COFs design strategies such as the introduction of active sites, construction of conjugated structures, and carbon material composite, etc. can effectively improve the conductivity and stability of the electrode materials in the field of batteries. This paper introduces the latest research results of high‐performance COFs electrode materials in alkali metal‐ion batteries (LIBs, SIBs, PIBs and LSBs) and other advanced batteries. The current challenges and future design directions of COFs‐based electrode are discussed. It provides useful insights for the design of novel COFs structures and the development of high‐performance alkali metal‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been used to treat advanced and unresectable tumors, whose treatment is complex and may involve other risks. Here, inspired by the acid and reductive microenvironment of the solid tumors, a new approach for noninvasive and targeted intravenous embolization and chemotherapy is developed. The method was based on a series of acid microenvironment-responsive polypeptides poly[(L-Glutamic acid -ran-L-Tyrosine) -b-L-Threonine-b-L-Cysteines]s, PGTTCs.) to construct the reduction-responsive chemoembolic agent by grafting modified paclitaxel (HS-PTX) to sulfhydryl side groups on PGTTCs for noncatheter targeted-embolization, which effectively improved the solubility of paclitaxel. HS-PTX could release in the presence of glutathione (GSH) due to disulfide bond disruption in vitro, and the results of tumor-bearing mice experiments showed that these polypeptides could effectively target to the tumor, embolize the tumor supply vessels rapidly and release paclitaxel in tumor sites. By comparing the therapeutic effect of embolization therapy only with that of embolization combined with chemotherapy, the chemoembolization agent showed excellent effect of embolization chemotherapy in subcutaneous tumor models, and cured tumor in mice within 20 days. Therefore, this polypeptide is expected to be a favorable candidate for effective catheterless inteavenous embolization combined with chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic water splitting provide promising pathways for converting electricity and light energy into sustainable hydrogen energy. The rational design and preparation of electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic materials are of great significance for water splitting. Based on NiWO 4 , composite catalysts can significantly enhance the catalytic activity and performance of water splitting, especially in the fields of photocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen production, as well as overall water splitting. Due to its abundant active sites, excellent conductivity, and synergistic effects with other materials, the design and preparation of NiWO 4 -based composite catalysts are favored by researchers. Currently, there is little information available on the universality of catalytic materials in these three areas. This paper reviews the universality of NiWO 4 -based composite catalysts in the fields of electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic water splitting, as well as their universal applications in promoting hydrogen production, oxygen production, and overall water splitting, comprehensively elucidating the mechanism and application of NiWO 4 -based composite catalysts in water splitting and boldly envisioning their broad development prospects. • Hydrogen production have investigated by light, electricity, and photoelectricity chemical electrolysis. • Nickel tungstate-based composite materials are used as the suitable catalysts for hydrogen production. • The mechanisms and applications of NiWO 4 -based composite catalysts in water splitting are present in detail. • The superiority of NiWO 4 -based composite catalyst for water splitting are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and utilization of green renewable energy are imperative with the aggravation of environmental pollution and energy crisis. In recent years, the exploration of electrochemical energy storage systems has gradually become a research hotspot in energy. Among them, aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have progressively developed into highly competitive and efficient energy storage devices owing to their inherent safety, natural abundance, and higher theoretical capacity. However, the practical application of ZIBs suffers from the limitation of challenges such as the absence of proper cathode materials and the unavoidable zinc dendrites and side reactions of Zn anode. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an attractive class of electrode materials due to their inherent advantages, like structural designability, high stability, and ordered‐open channels, bestowing them with great potential to overcome the problems of ZIBs. In this review, we concentrate on the discussion of designed strategies of COFs applied to ZIBs. Furthermore, the methods of using COFs to solve the challenging problems of cathode development, anode modification, and electrolyte optimization for ZIBs are summarized. Finally, the existing difficulties, solution measures, and prospects of COFs for ZIBs applications are discussed. Our commentary hopes to serve as a valuable reference for developing COFs‐based ZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible self‐adhesive hydrogel sensors are attracting considerable concerns in recent years. However, creating a self‐adhesive hydrogel sensor with excellent mechanical properties remains to be challenging. Herein, a double‐sided self‐adhesive hydrogel capable of strain sensor with high strength is demonstrated by penetration strategy. The middle poly(acrylic acid)‐polyacrylamide/Fe3+ (PAA–PAM/Fe3+) tough layer endows the double‐sided self‐adhesive hydrogel with high mechanical properties, while the bilateral poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy) ethyl]dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide‐polyacrylamide (PSBMA–PAM) adhesive layers are used to ensure excellent adhesiveness on diverse substrates. The tough layer of the double‐sided self‐adhesive hydrogel sensor shows a strong interface bonding force against the adhesive layer. The double‐sided self‐adhesive hydrogel sensor enables excellent adhesiveness on diverse substrates. More importantly, it can accurately detect different strains and human motions as a self‐adhesive hydrogel strain sensor. This work manifests a new route of structural design to develop a self‐adhesive hydrogel sensor with excellent mechanical properties that is suitable for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for renewable energy, alkali metal‐ion (lithium/sodium/potassium‐ion) batteries play more and more important roles in the field of static storage and electrical vehicle industry. Novel anode materials with high reversible capacity, safety and long‐term cycling stability are desiderated to meet the ever‐growing demand for alkali metal‐ion batteries with high electrochemical performance. Antimony oxides (SbxOy) show electrochemical reaction activity with all of lithium, sodium and potassium, and are expected to be promising anode materials for alkali metal‐ion storage due to their high theoretical capacities, appropriate operating potential and excellent safety properties. This review is devoted to overview the research progress on reaction mechanism and improvements in electrochemical performance of antimony oxides for alkali metal‐ion storage, and look forward to their further prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyco-quantum dots (glyco-QDs) have attracted significant interest in bioimaging applications, notably in cancer imaging, because they effectively combine the glycocluster effect with the exceptional optical properties of QDs. The key challenge now lies in how to eliminate the high heavy metal toxicity originating from traditional toxic Cd-based QDs for in vivo bioimaging. Herein, we report an eco-friendly pathway to prepare nontoxic Cd-free glyco-QDs in water by the "direct" reaction of thiol-ending monosaccharides with metal salts precursors. The formation of glyco-CuInS2 QDs could be explained by a nucleation-growth mechanism following the LaMer model. As-prepared four glyco-CuInS2 QDs were water-soluble, monodispersed, spherical in shape and exhibited size range of 3.0–4.0 nm. They exhibited well-separated dual emission in the visible region (500–590 nm) and near-infrared range (~ 827 nm), which may be attributable to visible excitonic emission and near-infrared surface defect emission. Meanwhile, the cell imaging displayed the reversibly distinct dual-color (green and red) fluorescence in tumor cells (HeLa, A549, MKN-45) and excellent membrane-targeting properties of glyco-CuInS2 QDs based on their good biorecognition ability. Importantly, these QDs succeed in penetrating uniformly into the interior (the necrotic zone) of 3D multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) due to their high negative charge (zeta potential values ranging from − 23.9 to − 30.1 mV), which overcame the problem of poor penetration depth of existing QDs in in vitro spheroid models. So, confocal analysis confirmed their excellent ability to penetrate and label tumors. Thus, the successful application in in vivo bioimaging of these glyco-QDs verified that this design strategy is an effective, low cost and simple procedure for developing green nanoparticles as cheap and promising fluorescent bioprobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have emerged as robust electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries, but their electrocatalytic performance needs further improvements. Herein, well-controlled 3D flower-like CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C heterostructures are developed via a pyrolysis-phosphorization strategy, with 3D CeO 2 nanoflowers as promoters. The resultant CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C heterostructures exhibit high electrocatalytic activity in both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Owing to the large specific surface area and enhanced electrical conductivity, the CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C-2 catalyst delivers a small overpotential (339.2 mV at 10 mA cm−2) for the OER and a high half-wave potential for the ORR, which are superior to its counterparts. More importantly, it also demonstrates robust stability in OER and ORR. The CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C-2-based rechargeable Zn-air battery yields large power density (150.0 mW cm−2), high energy density (871.3 Wh kg Zn −1), and excellent cycling stability. [Display omitted] • CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C heterostructures with rich oxygen vacancies have been developed. • Introducing CeO 2 improves the catalytic activity and long-term stability of CoP 3. • Such heterostructures possess enhanced OER and ORR activity and robust stability. • CoP 3 /CeO 2 /C-2 exhibits potential feasibility in rechargeable Zn-air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential to alleviate the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Herein, we report a simple and practical method to prepare non-precious metal catalysts, namely iron-modulated Ni3S2 (Fe-Ni3S2/NF) on nickel foam, by growing a Ni-MOF directly on 3D porous conductive nickel foam, followed by the formation of Ni-MOF-based Prussian blue analogs (Ni-MOF@PBA) via in situ cation exchange reactions, which are further sulfidated to iron-modulated Ni3S2. Based on a series of characterization results, it is confirmed that iron acts as a modulator at the Ni active site, leading to electron depletion, thereby modulating the electron spin state and optimizing the binding energy of key reaction intermediates, resulting in highly exposed active sites and acceleration of OER reaction kinetics. The synthesized Fe-Ni3S2/NF exhibits excellent activity in alkaline media, which needs overpotentials of only 232 mV and 287 mV to drive current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 50 mA cm−2, respectively. Additionally, Fe-Ni3S2/NF exhibits excellent stability for at least 24 h during the OER process. This work presents a rational design and synthesis of transition metal-based catalysts with nanocone structures, providing a new strategy for assembling advanced materials and insights for exploring various energy storage and conversion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Rational design of robust non‐noble electrocatalysts with numerous oxygen vacancies and highly reactive activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) towards Zn‐air batteries is extremely paramount yet challenging. Herein, a novel CeO2C2 nanoparticles self‐embedded in Fe, N co‐doped carbon nanofibers (CeO2C2@Fe‐N‐C) heterostructure catalyst has been prepared by the in‐site dual template assisted electrospinning technique and subsequent high temperature pyrolysis strategy. Thanks to the CeO2C2 with oxygen‐enriched vacancies and versatile Fe‐N‐C with rich reactive species and high conductivity, CeO2C2@Fe‐N‐C catalyst exhibits outstanding catalytic performance in the ORR process, and shows excellent methanol tolerance and cycle stability. In addition, CeO2C2@Fe‐N‐C delivers a nearly four‐electron transfer process in the process of oxygen reduction catalysis, providing a fast‐electrochemical kinetic rate, which makes it an efficient air cathode for the Zn‐air battery. Importantly, the Zn‐air battery fabricated with CeO2C2@Fe‐N‐C cathode achieves superior performance including large open‐circuit voltage (1.5 V) and high specific capacity (780 mAh·g–1 at 10 mA·cm–2) together with superior reversibility and cycling stability, outperforming commercial Pt/C catalyst. The present work introduces a new strategy to design and develop highly active non‐noble catalysts and highlights the synergy from heterostructure in oxygen electrocatalysis for advanced Zn‐air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sulfide electrolyte Li 10 SnP 1.8 Sb 0.2 S 12 has been successfully obtained by doping Sb into Li 10 SnP 2 S 12 , which shows a lower activation energy barrier of Li+ migration. [Display omitted] Li 10 SnP 2 S 12 (LSPS) has been regarded as a promising solid electrolyte because of its higher ionic conductivity and lower cost. In this work, P sites of LSPS are partially substituted with Sb by the solid-phase sintering method. A series of Li 10 SnP 2-x Sb x S 12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) solid electrolytes are prepared. Among them, the ionic conductivity of the Li 10 SnP 1.8 Sb 0.2 S 12 solid electrolyte reaches 2.43 mS cm−1. Through X-ray diffraction and refinement analysis, it is found that Sb successfully substituted part of P and increased the lattice constant. Through temperature-dependent alternating current impedance experiments and density functional theory calculations, it is found that the main reasons for the increase in ionic conductivity are the reduction of activation energy and the energy barrier of the Li+ migration path around Sb. The improved air stability of the electrolyte after Sb doping conforms to the Hard-Soft-Acid-Base theory. Furthermore, the assembled all-solid-state battery with Li 10 SnP 1.8 Sb 0.2 S 12 exhibits a high specific capacity and good cycling stability than LSPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary A series of nickel‐doped copper tungstate/oxygen‐rich TiO2 heterojunction‐constructed composites of xNi‐CuWO4/OTiO2 were successfully prepared to demonstrate the enhancement of the visible‐light photoactivity through promoting the photogenerated charge carrier separation efficiency. Of all these composites, 0.2Ni‐CuWO4/OTiO2 exhibits excellent and stable visible light photoactivity for the photooxidative coupling of benzylamine to the corresponding N‐benzyl‐1‐phenymethanimine (BPMI) in air atmosphere. The conversion of benzylamine and the selectivity to BPMI reach 97% and 99%, respectively. The catalyst shows good cyclability with the conversion of benzylamine decreasing just by 22% after being repeated six times with the well‐maintained selectivity of BPMI. The composite also exhibits excellent photo‐bactericidal ability, which greatly inhibits the reproducing of both the Gram‐positive bacteria (e.g., S. epidermidis) and Gram‐negative bacteria (e.g., E. coli). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electrochemical water splitting is a promising approach to produce hydrogen gas, but sluggish four-electron transfer of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) severely limits the overall energy conversion efficiency of water splitting. Herein, as an excellent OER electrocatalyst, a technique of synthesizing Fe doped CoNiSe 2 nanosheet (Fe-CoNiSe 2) whole series using CoFe prussian blue analog produced by Co-ZIF-L reaction as a template is proposed here. The introduction of iron ions promotes the redistribution of the cobalt-nickel charge density, which enhances the OER kinetics. In view of the abovementioned points, Fe-CoNiSe 2 /NF has excellent activity, electrocatalytic properties and excellent stability in alkaline media, which only demands a lower overpotential of 244 mV and 271 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and 50 mA cm−2, respectively. The material also exhibits excellent stability for at least 24 h during the OER process. This work may provide some new insights into the assembly of advanced and highly-active materials for a variety of other energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three pyridinium derivatives bearing alkyl chains of different lengths (C1, C8, and C18) that show aggregation‐enhanced emission were synthesized. These compounds can be used to detect ClO− ion as the reaction releases the fluorescent core with an increase in emission intensity and change in absorption wavelength. The lowest detection limit of TPA‐Pyr‐18C was 6.04 μM. The length of the alkyl chain and resulting lipophilicity allowed the targeting of different subcellular structures. TPA‐Pyr‐18C could be used for staining yolk lipids in zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosheet materials have larger specific surface area and more active sites than bulk materials. In this paper, ultrathin graphite carbon nitride (UCN) nanosheets were first prepared by a multi-step calcination method, and then Bi 2 WO 6 nanoflowers were grown in-situ on the surface of UCN by a simple hydrothermal method to synthesize ultrathin graphite carbon nitride and bismuth tungstate composite (UCN/BWO). The synthesized catalyst was applied to the photocatalytic oxidative coupling of benzylamine (BA). After reacted 5 h under light in air atmosphere, BA was almost completely converted into N -benzylidenebenzylamine, which was 3.8 times higher than that of bulk graphite carbon nitride (BCN). The enhanced photocatalytic activity was not only attributed to the thin nanosheet structure of UCN which shortened the migration distance of photogenerated electrons, but also because the construction of Z -scheme heterojunction that inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers and improved the oxidation ability of the catalyst. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculation and photoelectric performance test, the existence of Z -scheme heterojunction was proved. Combined with the active species capture experiments, the pathway of electron transfer in the reaction process and the possible reaction mechanism were proposed. [Display omitted] • Ultrathin graphite carbon nitride (UCN) obtained by multi-step calcination. • Flower-like Bi 2 WO 6 grow in-situ on UCN and constructed the Z -scheme heterojunction. • UCN/BWO-50 can selectively oxidize benzylamine under mild conditions. • Band structure and electron transfer pathway of the materials are revealed. • Reaction mechanism is proposed by photoelectric properties and DFT calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnxV 2 O 5 ∙nH 2 O with oxygen-rich vacancies were synthesized in situ on carbon cloth (ZnVOH@CC) via a one-step hydrothermal method, which enables the reversible capacity and electronic conductivity of ZnVOH for aqueous Zn ion batteries. [Display omitted] • ZnVOH@CC cathode has excellent discharge specific capacity and cycle stability. • Zn2+/H 2 O interlayer expands layer spacing and enhances ion/electronic conductivity. • ZnVOH cathode has large specific surface area, accelerating electrolyte penetration. Vanadium oxides have become promising cathodes for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their low cost and high theoretical capacity. However, vanadium oxides suffer from the problems of low electrical conductivity and structural instability. To address the challenges, Zn x V 2 O 5 ·nH 2 O with oxygen-rich vacancies was synthesized in situ on carbon cloth (ZnVOH@CC) via a one-step hydrothermal method. The introduction of Zn2+ and oxygen vacancies is beneficial to enhance the structural stability and improve the Zn2+ diffusion rate. The pre-intercalated Zn2+/H 2 O acts as "pillars" to increase the interlayer spacing of vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5), weakening the electrostatic interactions between Zn2+ and the ZnVOH host lattice. Benefiting from the above advantages, the ZnVOH@CC composite was used as the cathode for AZIBs, which showed a high capacity of 464.9 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g, a large capacity of 208.1 mAh/g at 1.0 A/g after 1,000 cycles, and a good cycling stability at a high current density of 5.0 A/g after 10,000 cycles. In addition, the assembled ZnVOH@CC//Cu 2 Se full cell by matching ZnVOH@CC with Cu 2 Se also exhibits a high reversible capacity of 68 mAh/g at 1.0 A/g and 92.5 % capacity retention after 260 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn x Cd (1- x) S solid solution was constructed by introducing zinc ions in the process of hydrothermal synthesis of CdS. To further improve the catalyst activity, Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S was combined with graphene and MoS 2 , and then the Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO ternary composites were obtained. Its photocatalytic reactivity was evaluated by the catalytic oxidative coupling of benzylamine and the photocatalytic semi-dehydrogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ). When Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO was used in photocatalytic benzylamine oxidative coupling reaction, the conversion reached 95 % after 7 h and the selectivity of N -benzyl-1-phenylmethylimide (BPMI) was 99 %. It was further applied to the photocatalytic semi-dehydrogenation of THIQ, the conversion reached 96 % after 7 h reaction in O 2 atmosphere, and the selectivity of 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline (DHIQ) reached 99 %. The heterojunction between Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S and MoS 2 can effectively reduce the recombination efficiency of carrier. The introduction of graphene can increase the active site and promote the transfer of photogenerated electrons. The synergistic effect of MoS 2 and graphene makes Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S have outstanding photocatalytic performance. Cycling experiments show that the ternary composite photocatalyst of Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO have high stability and recyclability. The possible reaction mechanism of photocatalytic oxidative coupling of benzylamine and semi-dehydrogenation of THIQ was proposed by theoretical calculations and the active species capturing experiments. Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S photocatalyst was prepared by changing the ratio of metal ions to adjust the band gap. Then 2D graphene and MoS 2 were combined with 0D Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S nanoparticles by a simple hydrothermal method to obtain Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO ternary-composited photocatalyst. Due to the interaction between Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S and MoS 2 and the excellent conductivity of graphene, the synthesized catalyst has good photocatalytic activity of benzylamine oxidation coupling and THIQ semi-dehydrogenation. [Display omitted] • Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO ternary heterojunction is synthesized by hydrothermal method. • Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/MoS 2 /rGO shows superior activities to oxidize benzylamine and THIQ. • Heterojunction between Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S and MoS 2 promotes the separation of carriers. • RGO as a bridge of electron transport can accelerate the transfer of electrons. • Band structure and electron transfer pathway are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional inorganic flame-retardant magnesium hydroxide (MH) has since many years been dominating in flame-retardant applications. However, due to its poor compatibility with the epoxy resin matrix, it seriously affects the mechanical properties of the matrix. In the present study, MH has been organically modified to investigate the potential of a novel organic–inorganic hybrid as a flame-retardant curing agent (CEPPM-MH) for flame retardancy of epoxy resins. CEPPM-MH and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) were synergistically introduced into the epoxy thermosets to improve the fire resistance of the composites. For the S7 composite samples that contained 10% of APP and 10% of CEPPM-MH, the LOI was increased to 30.1. Also, the UL-94 test rating was increased to V-0, and the peak heat release rate (pHRR), total heat release (THR), total smoke production (TSP), and peak CO production rate(pCOPR)were reduced by 86%, 53%, 69%, and 79%, respectively, as compared with the pure sample S1. In addition, the flexural strength and flexural modulus were found to be improved by 76.8% and 45.1%, respectively, in the flexural performance test. Furthermore, the organic–inorganic hybrid curing agent, which was prepared by modifying the magnesium hydroxide with water as the only solvent, could be introduced into epoxy resins as both curing agent and flame retardant, which not only effectively reduced the fire risk but also improved the comprehensive performance of the materials. This provides a new idea for the preparation of intrinsically flame-retardant epoxy resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of economical, durable, and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is essential for large-scale industrial water electrolysis. Here, a straightforward strategy is proposed to synthesize a series of nickel selenide nanosheets supported on nickel foam (NiSe 2 /NF) materials by directly selenizing nickel foam substrates at different temperatures under an inert atmosphere. When evaluated as electrocatalysts in OER, the optimal self-supported NiSe 2 /NF-350 shows an excellent performance in 1.0 M KOH medium with an overpotential of 458 mV at 100 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 45.8 mV dec−1, and a long-term stability for 36 h. Furthermore, the structural and compositional preservation for NiSe 2 /NF-350 after stability test was also verified by various characterizations. A quite simple selenization was adopted to prepare self-supported nickel selenide nanosheets/nickel foam materials with excellent OER performance. [Display omitted] • NiSe 2 /NF was prepared by a super simple selenization. • The method has low energy consumption and simple operation. • The NiSe 2 /NF-350 electrode demonstrates the excellent OER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-noble metal-based materials as low-cost hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are key materials for sustainable hydrogen energy production. Bismuth and antimony chalcogenides are among the hopeful candidates to achieve this goal. In this work, a V-doped Sb 2 Te 3 encapsulated Bi 2 Te 3 core-shell electrocatalyst (Bi 2 Te 3 /V x -Sb 2 Te 3) has been synthesized by a two-step solvothermal method. V doping adjusts the electronic structure of catalyst, dramatically enhances electric double layer capacitance (C dl) of the catalyst, decreases charge transfer resistance (R ct) of the catalyst and increases carrier concentration of the catalyst. Therefore, the V doping method increases the active sites on the surface of the material, and promotes the charge transfer and electron transport in the HER process. In addition, V doping can also adjust the hydrophilicity of the material surface, promote the release of hydrogen, and quickly re-expose the active sites. Bi 2 Te 3 /V x -Sb 2 Te 3 electrocatalysts exhibit brilliant HER activity and high stability in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. This study uses the strategy of V doping to control the electronic structure of materials, which will provide suggestions for the design and preparation for other high-activity catalysts. • The electronic structure of Sb 2 Te 3 is regulated by V doping. • The Bi 2 Te 3 /V 0.04 -Sb 2 Te 3 promotes the charge transfer and electron transport in the HER process. • The more hydrophilic Bi 2 Te 3 /V 0.04 -Sb 2 Te 3 surface also promotes HER performance. • Bi 2 Te 3 /V 0.04 -Sb 2 Te 3 has good stability in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quaternary ammonium salt functionalized methoxypolyethylene glycols-supported phosphotungstic acid catalyst was prepared and characterized using X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The immobilized phosphotungstic acid catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and selectivity, which was shown to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for catalyzing the esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols under mild conditions. The catalyst could be separated by simple separation and can be used six times without significant losing of catalytic activity and selectivity. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the majority of photocatalytic materials primarily consist of insoluble semiconductors, whereas soluble semiconductor materials have limited applications in photocatalysis. In this study, it is proposed for the first time to use the soluble semiconductor sodium molybdate (Na 2 MoO 4) as a sacrificial agent to fabricate a polyacrylic acid/sodium molybdate-Fe3+ hydrogel photocatalyst (PAA/Na 2 MoO 4 -Fe3+) through polymerization with Fe3+ ions and acrylic acid (AA) monomer. The hydrogel photocatalyst was thoroughly characterized and the results revealed that the presence of Na 2 MoO 4 in ionic form within the hydrogel significantly enhanced its adsorption capacity for pollutant molecules. Additionally, Fe3+ ions coordinated with -COOH (L) groups on PAA to form [Fe(L) 6 ]3+ ions, which acted as active sites of photocatalytic. Moreover, the PAA/Na 2 MoO 4 -Fe3+ hydrogel exhibited promising potential as a photocatalyst for the remove of dye pollutants (e.g. MB, MG, RhB and MO) from wastewater. Finally, we also explored and analyzed the photocatalytic mechanism of the hydrogel. It is noteworthy to conclude that the hydrogel possesses immense potential for the practical application of photocatalytic techniques in the treatment of dyes wastewater. [Display omitted] • PAA/Na 2 MoO 4 -Fe3+ hydrogel photocatalyst was fabricated via a simple one-pot synthesis method. • In the process of photocatalysis, we propose an innovative method using Na 2 MoO 4 as a sacrificial agent for the first time. • Complex [Fe L 6 ]3+ ions act as active centers for degrading different dye molecules. • Hydrogel can be widely applied in removing wastewater dyes (including MB, MG, RhB and MO) with easy separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of alloy-based catalysts is an effective approach to simplify the catalyst synthesis process for electrocatalysis. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is considered a key step in water splitting. By incorporating interface engineering design, electronic state optimization, and heteroatom doping, the electrocatalytic performance can be enhanced. In this study, a simple method was used to activate the NiFe foam (NIF) alloy substrate by acid etching, followed by in-situ S-doping of Cr via a hydrothermal method to synthesize S-Cr 0.6 @NiFe/NIF catalyst material. Its outstanding porous nanocoral-like structure not only provides abundant active sites but also exhibits superior catalytic water splitting performance, demonstrating superhydrophilic and superaerophobic characteristics. At a current density of 10 mA cm−2, only 262 mV overpotential is required to drive the OER (under basic conditions of 1 M KOH), with a low Tafel slope (71.6 mV dec−1) and a large electrochemical active surface area (ECSA = 85.25 cm2). After 80 hours of OER test, the current density of S-Cr 0.6 @NiFe/NIF shows negligible change. This study provides an attractive, effective, and feasible method for the in-situ growth design of alloy-based catalysts. [Display omitted] • In-situ growth of porous nano-coral structures on a foam NiFe alloy substrate. • Superhydrophilic/superoleophobic interfacial effects accelerate catalytic kinetics. • Special bubble transmission channel to ensure the structural stability of the catalytic process. • Excellent catalytic stability can maintain the catalytic performance for 80 h without attenuation. • S-Cr 0.6 @NiFe/NIF exhibits a low overpotential of only 262 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO 2) has garnered significant attention in photocatalysis field, but the wide bandgap and fast recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs severely hamper its extensive application. Herein, we present a novel biomass-assisted strategy to construct S-scheme heterojunction tin quantum dots-modified titanium dioxide@nitrogen, oxygen-containing biochar composite photocatalyst (Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar). The influence of pyrolysis temperature, biomass amount, and Sn content on adsorptive and UV-/Vis-photocatalytic performance of Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar were systematically optimized. The optimally-prepared catalyst displays a full light absorptive response feature and improved adsorptive and UV-/Vis-photocatalytic performance in the removal of high concentration methylene dye and tetracycline hydrochloride. The excellent performance of Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar is attributed to the enhanced synergic effects among many factors, such as multi-functions of each component, series size quantum effects of Sn QDs, heterojunctions, especially S-scheme heterojunction between Sn QDs and TiO 2. Furthermore, a plausible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. This study may provide a simple and sustainable approach for constructing environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and high-performance photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • S-scheme heterojunction within Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar was constructed by biomass-assisted strategy. • Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar shows excellent adsorptive and UV-/Vis-photocatalytic performance for removing organic pollutants. • Excellent performance is attributed to synergic effects including quantum size of Sn QDs and IEF of S-heterojunction. • Full light absorption spectrum of Sn QDs/TiO 2 @biochar is mainly ascribed to Sn QDs and biochar. • Preparation method is simple, efficient, cost-effective, environmental-friendly, and waste resources are reutilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology has attracted significant attention as an effective strategy to tackle the global shortage of freshwater resources. Work has focused on the use of hydrogel-based composite adsorbents in water harvesting and water conservation. The approaches adopted to make use of hygroscopic inorganic salts which subject to a "salting out" effect. In this study, we report the first use of modified UIO-66-NH 2 as a functional steric cross-linker and Sa-son seed gum was used as polymeric substrate to construct super hygroscopic hydrogels by free radical copolymerization. The maximum water uptake on SMAGs (572 cm3·g−1) outperforms pure UIO-66-NH 2 (317 cm3·g−1). Simultaneously, our first attempt to use it for anti-evaporation applications in an arid environment (Lanzhou, China) simulating sandy areas. The evaporation rate of the anti-evaporation material treated with 0.20 % super moisture-absorbent gels (SMAGs) decreased by 6.1 % over 64 h period under natural condition in Lanzhou, China. The prepared material can not only absorb liquid water but also water vapor, which can provide a new way for water collection and conservation technology. The design strategy of this material has wide applications ranging from atmospheric water harvesting materials to anti-evaporation technology. • We report the first use of modified UiO-66-NH 2 as a functional cross-linker to construct hygroscopic hydrogels. • The SMAGs can not only absorb liquid water but also water vapor. • The SMAGs was first attempted for anti-evaporation applications in an arid environment simulating a sandy area. • This strategy greatly expands the available monomers, crosslinking agents, and polymers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium hydroxide is a promising green flame retardant, but the amount of added material affects the mechanical properties of the matrix. Therefore, finding a proper ratio of the inorganic and organic flame retardants is still challenging. In this paper, a novel inorganic curing agent containing Mg, P, and N was synthesized and used in epoxy resin. Besides the curing function, it also exhibited excellent flame-retardant properties. When the addition amount was 20 wt%, the peak heat release and peak smoke generation were reduced by 75.7 and 64.1%, respectively, while its flexural strength and flexural modulus were increased by 79.9 and 61.22%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the carbon residue after combustion systematically, and the flame-retardant mechanism was discussed. The phosphorus-nitrogen inorganic flame-retardant curing agent reduced fire hazards and showed excellent comprehensive performance, having broad application prospects in the field of flame-retardant epoxy resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palygorskite, a natural, environmentally friendly and inexpensive fibrillar silicate clay mineral, was applied as a catalyst in the oxidation of alcohols in aqueous media. The oxidation transformation effectively proceeded in the presence of an environmentally benign oxidant Oxone�. Benzyl alcohols, benzhydrols, cyclic and aliphatic alcohols could be oxidized to their corresponding acids or ketones in moderate to high yield and good selectivity at 50 ˚C or 70 ˚C in 21 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The metalloid salt AlCl3, applied as catalyst for the oxidation of alcohol was presented. In water media, variety of alcohols, including inactive aliphatic alcohols, could be converted into corresponding carbonyl compounds with excellent conversion and selectivity. Especially, this green reaction system also exemplifies advances toward the domino synthesis alkenes in good yields (>52%) and perfect purity (>99%), and the reaction gave preferentially the E-isomer. The obvious advantages of the present protocol include green reaction media, wide functional group tolerance, convenient product isolation, as well as grams reaction scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An aminomethyl polystyrene resin supported tin complex (PS–Sn) catalyst was prepared by a simple procedure and found to be an active and selective catalyst for the Baeyer–Villiger (B–V) oxidation of cyclic and acyclic ketones including 2-adamantanone, 2-methylcyclohexanone, cyclohexanone, 2-tert-butylcyclohexanone, 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone, 4-methylcyclohexanone, 3-methyl-2-pentanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, and cyclopentanone using 30% hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ability of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) to absorb and retain a large amount of aqueous solution enables their applications in agriculture, medicine and water treatment. As a result, there were numerous studies reporting the present status and application prospects of raw materials and the mechanism of cross-linking agents. Conversely, there was a lack of research on the factors affecting SAP performance and the summaries of methods to improve performance. In this paper, a comprehensive and systematic review based on the structure and water absorption mechanism of SAPs was performed. The methods of improving the performance and main factors of the synthesis of SAPs, such as monomer, cross-linking agent, initiator, ion concentration, hydrophilic group, neutralization degree and particle size, were discussed. The improvement methods of salinity tolerance, reusability, water absorption and rate of SAP were explored. In addition, some applications and future research in SAPs are also discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic activity of a series of group VIII transition metal chlorides and acetylides containing different phosphine ligands: ML2(C&z.tbnd6;CC6H5)2 and ML2Cl2 (M=Co, Ni, Pd and Pt; L=PPh3 and PBu3), towards polymerization of p-diethynylbenzene (p-DEB) is examined. The transition metals exert important effect on the catalytic activity of these complexes. The catalytic activity of these complexes falls in with the following order: Co>Ni>Pd>Pt. The catalytic properties of group VIII transition metal complexes are related to the electron configuration of metal elements. Cobalt and nickel chlorides and acetylides were found to be novel and efficient initiating systems for the polymerization of p-diethynylbenzene. The polymerization proceeds at room temperature to give soluble polymers with weight-average molecular weights as high as 2.2×104 in yields as high as 85%. The polymer obtained with these catalysts possesses a rich-trans extended π-conjugated polyene chain structure with the pendent groups of p-C6H4C&z.tbnd6;CH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] Rational design of non-precious metal catalysts for efficient oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER) is important for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Building highly ordered porous structures while maintaining their overall crystalline orderliness is highly desirable, but remains an arduous challenge. Here, we have synthesized bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on highly ordered three-dimensional (3D) polystyrene templates by controlling the nucleation process. The ordered macropores with 190 nm diameters were uniformly distributed on the as-prepared ZnCo zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZnCo-ZIF). Afterwards, 3D ordered micro- meso -macroporous Co-N-doped carbon polyhedrons (3DOM Co-NCPs) was developed by calcination. With the synergy of the highly dispersed Co N C catalytic sites and the distinct porous structure, the synthesized 3DOM Co-NCPs exhibit impressive bifunctional activity. Additionally, the 3DOM Co-NCPs-900 for Zn-air battery exhibits extraordinary power density, high energy density, and acceptable stability. This approach offers a useful strategy for the fabrication of highly efficient electrocatalysts with 3D ordered porous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of excellently performing electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low-cost and economical strategy is still struggling with an enormous challenge in electrochemical water splitting. In this work, a novel N-doped porous carbon substrate constructed heterojunction electrocatalyst (MoS2-MoP/NC) was fabricated by a simple and facile method. Based on the electronic interaction and synergistic effect between MoS2 and MoP phases, the fabricated MoS2-MoP/NC heterojunction catalyst exhibited excellent electrocatalytic ability. In addition, the N-doped porous carbon substrate had a good charge/mass-transfer ability, which could effectively facilitate electronic transmission or prevent the aggregation of MoS2-MoP nanosheets and improve the catalytic activity. The heterojunction catalyst significantly improved HER activity with a low overpotential of 83 and 103 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in a 1.0 M KOH and 0.5 M H2SO4 and Tafel slope of 59.38 and 59.20 mV dec−1 for HER, respectively. This work provides a simple, less expensive and efficient approach for constructing high-performance heterojunction catalysts for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photoactive porous material of GR/FeMIL-101 based on FeMIL-101 metal organic frameworks (MOFs) was successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. The structural and photoelectric properties of the GR/FeMIL-101 was analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, XPS, UV–vis DRS, FT-IR, PL and EIS methods. The photocatalytic performance for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol with GR/FeMIL-101 as catalysts was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the GR/FeMIL-101 nanohybrid had better photocatalytic performance than both of FeMIL-101 and the pristine MIL-101. It was further found that the incorporation of Fe and MIL-101 caused valence fluctuations of Fe3+/Fe2+ which improved the absorption of visible-light and increased the separation efficiency of photogenerated charges. In addition, the combination of FeMIL-101 and GR could further promote the transfer rate of the photoelectrons. The mechanism of the reaction revealed that ·O2− was the dominating active specie in this reaction through active species trapping experiments. Fe doped MIL-101/GR nanohybrid was successfully synthesized as an efficient photocatalyst for selective oxidation of alcohols under visible-light and shown a best conversion of 50%. Analyses revealed that Fe was successfully doped into the MIL-101, valence fluctuation of Fe2+/Fe3+ not only improved the visible-light absorption but also increased the separation rate of photoexcited carriers. Graphene further improved the transportation rate of electron (e-). Subsequently, the possible photocatalytic mechanism for the selective oxidation of alcohols was proposed. It was proved that superoxide radicals (·O2-) was the main active species when the reaction was performed under Oxygen atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational design of active and earth‐abundant catalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of particular significance for archiving highly efficient water electrolysis. Herein, a series of perovskite oxide quantum dots with abundant oxygen vacancies adhered on oxidized carbon nanotubes (LaNiXFe1‐XO3‐δ‐QDs/CNTs) were fabricated by simple sol‐gel and pyrolysis methods. The results indicate that the optimized LaNi0.3Fe0.7O2.759‐QDs/CNTs sample with adjust crystal structure, proper ratio of Ni to Fe, and desirable oxygen vacancy concentration shows a low overpotential (0.34 V at 10 mA/cm2), a low Tafel slope (74 mV dec−1), and excellent stability when it was evaluated as OER electrocatalyst. This work will shed light on the development of precious‐metal‐free catalysts with promoted catalytic performance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the synthesis of an environmentally friendly emulsion that can be used as a soil anti-water erosion material. SSPS-g-P(BA- co -MMA-co-AA) emulsions were prepared using free radical copolymerization with soybean soluble polysaccharide (SSPS), acrylic acid (AA), butyl acrylate (BA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The structure, thermal stability, and morphology were characterized using FT-IR,TG,SEM, and particle diameter analysis. The resistance to water erosion, compressive strength and water retention of emulsion-treated loess/laterite was studied and germination tests were conducted. The results demonstrated that the duration of washout resistance of loess with 0.50 wt% emulsion exceeded 99 h, and the water erosion rate was 56.0 % after 72 h, while the water erosion rate of pure loess is 100.0 % after 4 min;the duration of washout resistance of laterite with 0.50 wt% emulsion exceeded 2 h, which was 8 times longer than pure laterite;The compressive strengths of 0.5 wt% emulsion-treated loess/laterite were 3.5 Mpa and 5.8 MPa, respectively, which were 7 and 9 times higher than that of pure soil. The plant seeds germinated normally half a month after planting. These findings suggest that emulsions can be used to control soil erosion without affecting the germination of plant seeds. • An environmentally friendly and cost-effective emulsion is synthesised. • Emulsions are added to the soil to improve resistance to water erosion. • The emulsion does not affect the germination and growth of plant seeds. • It is of great importance to the sustainable development of the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]