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Magnetic C-C@Fe3O4 hollow microspheres were prepared by using aerosol-based Fe3O4@C-SiO2 core-shell particles as templates. The magnetic double-shelled microspheres efficiently worked as carriers to load Pt nanoparticles, thus making the catalyst recyclable and reusable.

[Display omitted] • Highly exposed isolated FeN 5 sites are embedded in N-doped carbon frameworks. • FeN 5 exhibits a maximum FE CO of 98% and over 95% from −0.4 to −1.0 V vs. RHE. • The axial coordinated N modulates the d -band center and facilitates CO desorption. • FeN 4 and axial coordinated N act synergistically to boost CO 2 -to-CO conversion. Electrochemical CO 2 conversion offers a sustainable approach to alleviate the energy crisis but remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, atomically dispersed FeN 5 sites anchored on N-doped carbon matrix templated by zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) are facilely synthesized for efficient catalyzing CO 2 reduction. The FeN 5 single-atom catalyst (Fe-SA/ZIF) presents the Faradaic efficiency of 98% at −0.7 V vs. RHE and over 95% in a wide potential range from −0.4 to −1.0 V vs. RHE, surpassing most of the reported single-atom catalysts for CO 2 RR. Further density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the outstanding activity of FeN 5 sites mainly originates from the lowered d -band center modulated by the out-of-plane coordinated pyridinic N, which reduces the CO adsorption energy from −1.71 to −1.49 eV compared to FeN 4 moieties. Thus, the synergistic effect between FeN 4 sites and the coordinated pyridine offers new insight in designing outstanding electrocatalysts for multiple applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MMMs based on Pebax-1657 and microporous CNs were successfully prepared. • CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity were improved with CNs addition. • Microporous CNs with accessible inner channels provided low-resistance transport channels for CO 2. • The CNs-600(0.5 wt%)/Pebax MMMs showed the best CO 2 permeability and selectivity. We investigated the use of microporous carbon nanospheres (CNs) as fillers to prepare mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for permeable and selective CO 2 separation. CNs with a uniform size of 650 nm and unique amorphous structure were characterized by SEM and XRD. The N content of CNs with different carbonization temperatures was determined by XPS. The surface area and micropore size of the samples could be easily adjusted by varying the carbonization temperature; in particular, increasing the carbonization temperature improved both parameters. At 600 °C, the particles (CNs-600) exhibited a higher N content and narrower micropores, which ensured higher affinity and enhanced capture of CO 2 molecules. Thus, CNs-600/Pebax MMMs exhibited superior CO 2 separation performances compared to other CNs-based MMMs. Furthermore, when the loading of CNs-600 was 0.5 wt%, the MMMs exhibited the best CO 2 /N 2 separation properties, with a 39.51% improvement compared to pristine Pebax membranes. These outstanding performances are attributed to the fact that microporous CNs with accessible inner channels can provide a low-resistance transport pathway to gas molecules. Moreover, the strong interaction between CO 2 and the pore walls, along with the high N content, enabled an effective separation of CO 2 from other gas molecules. Importantly, the CNs-600/Pebax MMMs displayed superior CO 2 /N 2 selectivity compared to previously reported Pebax-based MMMs with other fillers. The proposed CNs, with microporous structure and high N content, may represent a promising alternative for the fillers of MMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]