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The non-uniform ion deposition of zinc anodes forming zinc dendrites and the side reactions hinder the large-scale application of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs). Herein, a functional SPSF@PMIA (SP) separator is reported to achieve a dendrite-free and stable zinc anode by regulating the uniform deposition of zinc ions. The SP separator with micro–nano-sized porosity provides more ion paths and facilitates the deposition of zinc ions. At the same time, the –SO3− in repelling anions and the negatively charged –CO–NH– are susceptible to electrostatic attraction with zinc ions, which allows the selective passage of zinc ions and directs its orderly deposition on the zinc anode surface. As a result, zinc anodes equipped with SP separators showed extremely long cycle life (over 1000 h), low voltage hysteresis (58 mV at 1 mA cm−2) and high coulombic efficiency (97.8%). In addition, the SP separator reduces the nucleation overpotential of zinc ions, which greatly alleviates anodic corrosion and promotes homogeneous nucleation of zinc ions. More importantly, the SP separator has excellent ionic conductivity and wide applicability, which can be configured with different electrolytes and different combinations of cathode materials, and shows outstanding reversibility over thousands of cycles. This work shows that the use of separators to regulate ion deposition is an effective strategy to achieve dendritic free zinc anodes and provides a new perspective for research into developing long-life, high-stability, and low-cost separators for ZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, biomass carbon materials have gained wide attention from many scholars as TiO2 carrier materials to improve photocatalytic activity due to their renewable, green, low-cost, and high-efficiency advantages. In this study, TiO2/carbonized waste rabbit fibers (TiO2/CRFs) nanocomposites with the hierarchical microporous/mesoporous structure were fabricated by a combination of carbonization, immersion, and calcination methods using tetrabutyl titanate as the titanium source and waste rabbit hair as the carbon source. The properties and catalytic activity of TiO2/CRFs composite were evaluated based on several characterization techniques and methylene blue (MB) photodegradation studies. The results showed that the degradation of MB by TiO2/CRFs could reach 98.1% after 80 min of solar irradiation. Moreover, TiO2/CRFs still maintained high photocatalytic activity after five cycles of degradation tests, exhibiting good stability and reusability. The improved photocatalytic performance of TiO2/CRFs materials is attributed to the natural carbon and nitrogen element doping of TiO2/CRFs and its morphology, which reduces the compounding of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and narrows the TiO2 band gap, while the multiple reflections of visible light in the pore channels enhance the visible light absorption of the materials. Furthermore, the large specific surface area provides abundant reaction sites for adsorbed reactants. This paper provides the experimental basis for the application of waste rabbit biomass carbon composites in photocatalytic degradation field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for safer electrical energy storage has stimulated the pursuit of alternative advanced batteries. Aqueous Zn ion batteries (ZIBs) are receiving increasing attention due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the long-standing issues of low coulombic efficiency (CE) and poor cycle life of Zn anodes, influenced by dendrites and side reactions (hydrogen evolution and corrosion), have seriously hindered their practical application. Here, we begin with issues encountered by Zn metal in aqueous electrolytes (dendrites, hydrogen evolution and corrosion) and analyze its formation processes and mechanisms. Then, recent advances in advanced material and structural designs based on different battery components to suppress Zn dendrites and side reactions are summarized in detail, including designing anode structures, modifying the electrolyte, optimizing the separator and developing polymer electrolytes. Finally, opinions on current challenges and perspectives on future research directions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity for effective wastewater treatment and purification has grown as a result of the increasing pollution issues brought on by industrial and municipal wastewater. Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology stands out when compared to other treatment methods because of its high efficiency, environmental friendliness, small footprint, and ease of maintenance. However, the development and application of membrane bioreactors has been severely constrained by the higher cost and shorter service life of these devices brought on by membrane biofouling issues resulting from contaminants and bacteria in the water. The nanoscale size of the electrospinning products provides unique microstructure, and the technology facilitates the production of structurally different membranes, or the modification and functionalization of membranes, which makes it possible to solve the membrane fouling problem. Therefore, many current studies have attempted to use electrospinning in MBRs to address membrane fouling and ultimately improve treatment efficacy. Meanwhile, in addition to solving the problem of membrane fouling, the fabrication technology of electrospinning also shows great advantages in constructing thin porous fiber membrane materials with controllable surface wettability and layered structure, which is helpful for the performance enhancement of MBR and expanding innovation. This paper systematically reviews the application and research progress of electrospinning in MBRs. Firstly, the current status of the application of electrospinning technology in various MBRs is introduced, and the relevant measures to solve the membrane fouling based on electrospinning technology are analyzed. Subsequently, some new types of MBRs and new application areas developed with the help of electrospinning technology are introduced. Finally, the limitations and challenges of merging the two technologies are presented, and pertinent recommendations are provided for future research on the use of electrospinning technology in membrane bioreactors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)