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Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries with similar working principles, cell structures, and material systems. However, attaining long‐term stability and high‐capacity performance of SIBs at ultrahigh rates remains a significant challenge due to the large ionic radius and slow kinetic behavior of Na+. Herein, a novel robust anode with a dual‐biomimetic gradient hierarchical architecture is proposed and provide a simple strategy to fabricate this sulfur‐doped mesoporous carbon concave hollow sphere/Ti3C2Tx MXene (SCMX) anode. In addition, Cu2S nanoparticles are in situ embedded into the SCMX architecture by electrochemical induction during the cycling process to act as active sites, which enhances the rate performance and cycling stability. Relying on its hybrid architecture and in situ formed Cu2S, this SCMX anode can achieve high ion accessibility, rich active sites, rapid charge transfer, and favorable structure stability, as disclosed by in/ex situ characterizations. As a result, it exhibits high reversible capacity (745.6 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), ultrahigh‐rate capability (380.5 mAh g−1 at 50.0 A g−1), and long cycling stability (98.2% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles at 80.0 A g−1). This work is anticipated to accelerate the development of high‐performance SIBs and offer distinctive inspiration for the design of electrode structures/systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rich literature on income inequality, its impact on entrepreneurship is inconclusive, especially regarding the effect of different structures of inequality. In this research, we endeavour to explain such a phenomenon by formalising the inequality of opportunity. Utilising micro‐level data from China, we argue that it is inequality of opportunity that is negatively correlated with people's engagement in entrepreneurship, and this conclusion is consistent under a series of robustness checks. Our heterogeneity analysis indicates that the association between inequality of opportunity and entrepreneurship is stronger for self‐employment than for bigger‐scale private companies. It is also the strongest in regions with the lowest GDP per capita, the lowest fiscal expenditures and the smallest tertiary sector. These results suggest that economic development quality, economic structure and public service are important factors that influence the correlations between inequality of opportunity (IO) and entrepreneurial activities. Finally, we seek to understand the channels through which IO may be linked to entrepreneurship. Our results find that IO may discourage engagement in entrepreneurship by depressing human capital accumulation, access to credit, social capital and risk taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the mass spectral characteristics and pollution sources of PM2.5 in winter in the southern suburbs of Xi' an, this study used an online single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer to conduct online monitoring of fine particulate matter single particles in Xi' an from November 2020 to February 2021. The PM2.5 obtained during the monitoring period was classified using an adaptive resonance neural network classification method, and the results showed that the percentages of elemental carbon, mixed carbon, organic carbon, K-rich, levoglucan, heavy metal, Na-rich, SiO3, and other were 29.31%, 7.95%, 16.35%, 25.04%, 12.29%, 3.83%, 2.05%, 2.99% and 0.19%, respectively. Using the positive matrix factor decomposition model method, the seven sources were obtained including coal combustion source, industrial process source, motor vehicle exhaust source, construction dust source, biomass combustion source, wind and sand dust source and other sources, with the contribution rates of 32.4%, 25.9%, 19.4%, 7.4%, 6.6%, 2.7% and 5.6%, respectively, which showed that coal combustion source, industrial process source and motor vehicle exhaust source are the main sources of fine particulate matter in winter. The treatment of fine particulate matter pollution in winter in the southern suburbs of Xi' an should be based on the treatment of bulk coal combustion and industrial process emission reduction, while strengthening motor vehicle pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series of α, β, γ, δ type MnO2 supported on LaMnO3 perovskite was developed by a one-pot synthesis route. Compared with α-MnO2, β-MnO2, γ-MnO2, δ-MnO2 and LaMnO3 oxides, all MnO2/LaMnO3 showed promotional catalytic performance for toluene degradation. Among them, α-MnO2/LaMnO3 holds the best active and mineralization efficiency. By the analysis of N2 adsorption-desorption, XPS and H2-TPR, it can be inferred that the improved activity should be ascribed to the higher proportion of lattice oxygen, better low-temperature reducibility and larger specific surface area. Besides, the byproducts from the low-temperature reaction of toluene oxidation were detected by a TD/GC-MS, confirming the presence of the intermediates. Combined with the in-situ DRIFTS, the catalytic degradation path of toluene oxidation has also been discussed in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is one of the first to quantitatively analyse the relationship between inequality of opportunity and social stability in the context of China. Utilizing Census data of 2005 and the data of recorded mass incidents, we find a positive and robust correlation between inequality of opportunity and the outbreak of mass incidents. Amongst different types of mass incidents, inequality of opportunity displays the most significant correlation with those involving the government and the public. We also identify the lack of trust and higher unemployment as two potential channels through which inequality of opportunity exerts impacts on the happening of mass incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO 2 conversion for hydrocarbon fuel production has been known as one of the most promising strategies for achieving carbon neutrality. Yet, its conversion efficiency remains unsatisfactory mainly due to its severe charge-transfer resistance and slow charge kinetics. Herein, a tunable interfacial charge transfer on an oxygen-vacancies-modified bismuth molybdate nanoflower assembled by 2D nanosheets (BMOVs) and 2D bismuthene composite (Bi/BMOVs) is demonstrated for photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. Specifically, the meticulous design of the Ohmic contact formed between BMOVs and bismuthene can allow the modulation of the interfacial charge-transfer resistance. According to density functional theory (DFT) simulations, it is ascertained that such exceptional charge kinetics is attributed to the tunable built-in electric field (IEF) of the Ohmic contact. As such, the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction performance of the optimized Bi/BMOVs (CO and CH 4 productions rate of 169.93 and 4.65 µmol g -1 h -1 , respectively) is ca. 10 times higher than that of the pristine BMO (CO and CH 4 production rates of 16.06 and 0.51 µmol g -1 h -1 , respectively). The tunable interfacial resistance of the Ohmic contact reported in this work can shed some important light on the design of highly efficient photocatalysts for both energy and environmental applications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Low redox ability and severe photocorrosion limit the photocatalytic activity of metal sulfides. Herein, step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction composited by diethylenetriamine (DETA) ammoniated MnS (α-MnS) and Bi 2 MoO 6 with Bi surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was successfully fabricated (Bi-5 %M/BMO). This special electron transport structure effectively suppresses the photocorrosion of α-MnS and makes photocatalysts with high redox ability. DETA was protonated to form positively charged ammonium ions and they are easy to combine with acid gas CO 2 , reducing the activation energy of CO 2 , building an efficient catalytic reaction system, and improving CO 2 reduction efficiency. The CO evolution rate of Bi-5 %M/BMO (61.11 μmol g -1 h -1 ) is 2.42, 7.89 and 5.01 times greater than that of 5 %M/BMO, pure α-MnS hollow spheres and Bi 2 MoO 6 , respectively. This indicates that Bi SPR effect can promote the separation of photon-generated electron-hole pairs dramatically. The ammoniated S-scheme heterostructure decorated with the SPR effect may provide a new perspective to design heterojunction., 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 © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)