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Graphical abstract Highlights • The organic matter was from terrestrial and marine sources in SW sub-basin of SCS. • TOC, total n-alkanes, TFA decreased from the margins to the center of the sub-basin. • Correlation of TOC and TFA shows a balance of ocean production and deposition rates. Abstract Information about ocean evolution and material-energy exchange between the ocean and surrounding continents can be preserved in marine sediments. The Southwest Sub-basin, located among the Xisha Islands, the Zhongsha Islands, and the Nansha Islands, is an ideal tectonic unit to analyze the sedimentary environments of the South China Sea. In this paper, the distribution patterns of lipid biomarkers and their compound-specific stable carbon isotopes in surface sediments from the Southwest Sub-basin of the South China Sea were analyzed. Lipid biomarkers are composed of different proportions of aliphatic hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, alcohols and series of sterols, indicating that the organic matter of the Southwest Sub-basin was derived from marine bacteria, algae and terrestrial higher plants. The average concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) in the study samples was 0.5 ± 0.16%. TOC, total n -alkanes, and total carboxylic acids (TFA) decreased gradually from the margins to the center of the sub-basin, whereas the content of total n- alkanols increased. The spatial distribution trends resulted from varying water depths and the contribution of terrestrial organic matter. The concentration of TFA and the TFA/TOC revealed that the accumulation of organic matter in this area was generally low. The strong correlation between TOC and TFA of surface sediments in the study area may be related to a balance between the ocean production and ocean deposition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis gas (syngas) fermentation is a biological carbon fixation process through which carboxydotrophic acetogenic bacteria convert CO, CO2, and H2 into platform chemicals. To obtain an accurate overview of the syngas fermentation research and innovation from 2012 to 2022, a systematic search was performed on Web of Science and The Lens, focusing on academic publications and patents that were published or granted during this period. Overall, the research focus was centered on process optimization, the genetic manipulation of microorganisms, and bioreactor design, in order to increase the plethora of fermentation products and expand their possible applications. Most of the published research was initially funded and developed in the United States of America. However, over the years, European countries have become the major contributors to syngas fermentation research, followed by China. Syngas fermentation seems to be developing at "two-speeds", with a small number of companies controlling the technology that is needed for large-scale applications, while academia still focuses on low technology readiness level (TRL) research. This systematic review also showed that the fermentation of raw syngas, the effects of syngas impurities on acetogen viability and product distribution, and the process integration of gasification and fermentation are currently underdeveloped research topics, in which an investment is needed to achieve technological breakthroughs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of N‐substituted amines is one of the key transformations in synthetic chemistry and chemical industry, because amines are ubiquitous in the syntheses of agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, flavorings, fragrances, and advanced materials. In order to realize the clean and economic synthesis of N‐substituted amines, several aspects should be concerned. 1) The application of alkyl halides as alkylation reagents should be replaced by alcohol and alkane; 2) the employment of amines as nitrogen sources can be replaced by nitrobenzene, nitrile and ammonia; 3) the application of environmentally benign and low‐cost starting materials, such as CO2, HCHO, biomass resources, for the nitrogen‐containing chemicals synthesis should be established; and 4) economic, green and efficient catalyst should be developed for the above transformations. In this account, we describe our results in the clean and economic synthesis of N‐substituted amines with amine, ammonia, nitrobenzene or nitrile as nitrogen sources and alcohol, alkane or CO2, HCHO, CO, and biomass resources as alkylation or carbonylation reagents. What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? Efficient and economic heterogeneous catalyst for catalytic amination. How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers? I got my introduction to fine chemical synthesis with heterogeneous catalyst during the post‐graduate and post‐doctor periods. Till now, the clean and economic synthesis of some fine chemicals still remains a big problem in China. Therefore, our group has been concentrating on catalyst design and preparation for amination since 11 years ago. Typically, we want to explore some novel catalyst systems to bridge the heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. What is the most important personality for scientific research? I think the originality and creativity are very important for the scientific research. What are your hobbies? What's your favorite book(s)? Reading and walking. I like to read history books. How do you keep balance between research and family? Although it is difficult, I try to keep a balance between research and family. Who influences you mostly in your life? My Ph.D. supervisor, Prof. Youquan Deng, and postdoctoral collaborating advisor, Prof. Matthias Beller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]