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Constructing highly efficient ultra-small nanomaterials to achieve nitrogen reduction without sacrificing reagents or additional photosensitizers is still challenging. Herein, one-step solvothermal method was used to tune Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 to the quantum dots (QDs), so as to tune the active sites on the surface and achieve the optimization of the energy band structure. Benefiting from quantum size effect and electron back-donation mechanism of surface oxygen vacancies, the improved charge migration and optimized molecular nitrogen activation in Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 QDs can be achieved, triggering excellent photocatalytic nitrogen fixation behavior. The ammonia generation rate over Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 QDs is up to 334.8 µmol g−1 h−1 in pure water, 12.2 times higher than the bulk counterpart. The density functional theory revealed that the rate-limiting step energy barrier during the nitrogen fixation reaction can be lowered by oxygen vacancy engineering. This work would provide new insights into the synthesis of defect-state quantum dots and nitrogen photoreduction reactions. [Display omitted] In pure water, the photo-generated electron enriched in the oxygen vacancies of Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 quantum dots trigger the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation reaction. • Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 QDs are first applied for nitrogen fixation, achieving an ammonia yield of 334.8 µmol g−1 h−1 in pure water. • By adjusting to the quantum size, more oxygen vacancies are released in the Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 structure. • The construction of oxygen vacancies optimizes the band structure and reduces the rate-limiting step energy barrier during the nitrogen fixation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were prepared by the glucose assisted exfoliation of the bulk g-C3N4. • The product retained the basic structure and optical properties of g-C3N4 and is fully characterized. • The product showed excellent photocatalytic performance in the visible region, which was 4 times better than the bulk. • The introduction of ultrathin structure changed the H2O2 generation pathway from a two-step single-electron reduction to a one-step two-electron reduction. Photocatalytic generation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) is a sustainable technique to realize the solar-energy conversion. Here, ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) nanoplates with thickness of 1–3 nm was introduced for the efficient H 2 O 2 production. The as-obtained nanoplates demonstrated the H 2 O 2 production rate of 43.07 μmol g−1 h−1 and about 4 times as high as the pristine g-C 3 N 4. Experimental results reflected that the ultrathin morphology offered an increased surface area, more active sites, smaller charge transfer length and stronger redox ability than that of the bulk counterparts. Moreover, the introduction of ultrathin structure switched the H 2 O 2 production pathway from a two-step single-electron reduction to a one-step two-electron reduction route. This study offered the deep elucidation of the influence of ultrathin structure on the photoactivity of semiconductor photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-atom MoN 2 site was introduced into COF to construct Mo-COF materials for photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 at atmosphere concentration to high added value hydrocarbons products (C x H y), such as CH 4 and C 2 H 4. [Display omitted] • COF with single-atom MoN 2 site was successfully prepared. • Single-atom MoN 2 site COF with showed excellent performance of photocatalytic reduction of CO 2. • The mechanism of single-atom MoN 2 site improving performance was revealed. The application of covalent organic framework (COF) for photocatalytic CO 2 conversion has received more and more attention. However, it is still a challenge for photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 with atmosphere concentration to high added value hydrocarbons products (C x H y) such as CH 4 and C 2 H 4. Here, integrating the advantages of micropore structure and single atom catalysis, we introduced single- atom MoN 2 sites into COF to construct Mo-COF materials. The aberration-COrrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF- STEM) confirms that Mo single atom on COF. Mo-COF can reduce CO 2 to C x H y under visible light with a selectivity of 42.92 % and C 2 H 4 product was found for the the first time. In-situ fourier transform infrared spectrometer (In situ FT-IR) and theoretical calculation showed that the introduction of single-atom MoN 2 sites is the key to improving the catalysis performance. It also provides a new idea for converting CO 2 into high added value C x H y products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mesoporous g-C 3 N 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T x (MCT) was prepared. • MCT showed highly photocatalytic activity for CO 2 reduction. • The photocatalytic mechanism was researched. Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction reactions (CO 2 RRs) are of significant interest for its application prospects in energy field and CO 2 removal in air. Herein we report mesoporous g-C 3 N 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T x (MCT) as a highly active photocatalyst in CO 2 reduction reactions. We have found that mesoporous structures are compatible with high speed electronic transmission systems and demonstrate that MCT enables the excellent separation of electrons and holes. Mesoporous g-C 3 N 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T x (MCT) shows a production of CH 4 (2.117 μ m o l · g - 1 · h - 1 ), which is 2.4 times than that of mesoporous g-C 3 N 4 (MC). Large contact area of the catalyst has numerous adsorption sites for CO 2 as a result of the catalysts' mesoporous structures. The MCT catalyst also possess an efficient separation of the charge carriers due to the high speed electronic transmission system of MXene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bi 3 O 4 Cl/g-C 3 N 4 vdW heterojunction is successfully fabricated. • The vdW force accelerates the charge separation at the Bi 3 O 4 Cl and g-C 3 N 4 2D/2D interface. • Bi 3 O 4 Cl/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructures exhibit apparently raised photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. • This strategy contributes to engineering Bi-based vdW heterojunctions for satisfactory solar energy conversion. The van der Waals (vdW) heterojunction formed between two-dimensional materials can break the anisotropy of the electron beam and is an effective method to improve the photocatalytic performance. Herein, vdW heterostructure is successfully constructed between layered Bi 3 O 4 Cl and 2D g-C 3 N 4 for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. The weak vdW interaction enables Bi 3 O 4 Cl/g-C 3 N 4 with desirable moderate bandgap and built-in electronic field, which can efficiently separate the electron-hole pairs. As a result, Bi 3 O 4 Cl/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructures exhibit better photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity compared with pure Bi 3 O 4 Cl and g-C 3 N 4. The optimized Bi 3 O 4 Cl/20%g-C 3 N 4 possesses the highest CO 2 conversion efficiency with CO and CH 4 generation rate of 6.6 and 1.9 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively. This work not only reports an effective reference for vdW heterojunction system based on Bi-based and g-C 3 N 4 semiconductors, but also contributes to engineering vdW heterojunctions for satisfactory solar energy conversion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Heterojunctions of S-doped g-C 3 N 4 and N-doped MoS 2 were constructed. • New chemical bonds between S-doped g-C 3 N 4 and N-doped MoS 2 were formed. • NMS/SCN exhibited enhanced photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity. Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions of S-doped g-C 3 N 4 (SCN) and N-doped MoS 2 (NMS) were constructed by a one-step thermal polycondensation method in Ar atmosphere using thiourea and ammonium tetrathiomolybdate as starting materials. X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed the formation of new N-Mo and C-S-Mo bonds between SCN and NMS and enhanced NMS purity. The as-prepared NMS/SCN with an NMS ratio of 19.3 wt% showed the highest photocatalytic activity. Within 4 h of illumination, its H 2 generation rate reached 658.5 μmol/g/h, which was about 23 and 38 times higher than that of pure SCN (28.8 μmol/g/h) and NMS (17.4 μmol/g/h), respectively. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), surface photovoltage spectrum (SPV), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and electrochemical tests revealed the extended visible light absorption and enhanced photo-generated carrier separation of the formed S-scheme heterojunction. The mechanism and driving force of charge transfer and separation in S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts are investigated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A noble-metal-free g-C 3 N 4 /α-Ni(OH) 2 is fabricated through hydrothermal method. • α-Ni(OH) 2 promotes the adsorption and activation of O 2 and oxygen atoms. • g-C 3 N 4 /α-Ni(OH) 2 reveals excellent photocatalytic NO removal without NO 2 generation. • This find provides a fresh insight for the control of toxic byproduct. Photocatalytic NO x removal is regarded as a promising technique for air purification in recent years. However, NO x removal process usually accompanies with toxic NO 2 generation, leading to serious secondary pollutant and limiting its practical application. Herein, a noble-metal-free g-C 3 N 4 /α-Ni(OH) 2 photocatalyst was fabricated through hydrothermal method. The introduction of α-Ni(OH) 2 microspheres combines with g-C 3 N 4 , resulting in an enlarged surface area from 35 to 95 m2/g, while the unique structure of α-Ni(OH) 2 broadens visible-light response range and accelerates photogenerated charge carriers transfer. More importantly, the H atoms of α-Ni(OH) 2 improve the adsorption and activation of O 2 and oxygen atoms to promote NO and NO 2 oxidized to nitrate. Consequently, g-C 3 N 4 /α-Ni(OH) 2 shows enhanced NO removal ratio of 51.3% without any toxic NO 2 generation, indicating its great potential for air purification. Our results provide fresh insight into the design of highly efficient and safe photocatalyst for toxic byproduct control in the application of environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The MnS/In 2 S 3 -MoS 2 composites were successfully prepared by a smart defect-induced growth strategy for the first time. • The MoS 2 can selectively grow on the MnS of MnS/In 2 S 3 composite, and thus forming a double-interface-structure. • The MnS/In 2 S 3 -MoS 2 exhibits the best visible-light-driven photocatalytic H 2 S splitting efficiency reported to date. • This work provides an elegant strategy for anchoring cocatalysts on metal sulfide composites. In this work, the unsaturated-sulfur-edge-rich (U S -rich) MoS 2 was successfully introduced in MnS/In 2 S 3 composites by a smart S-vacancies-induced strategy. The surface chemical state analysis, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra confirm that the MoS 2 with rich U S can selectively grow on the MnS of MnS/In 2 S 3 composites resulting in the formation of a typical double-interface-structure. The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) test confirms that the U S -rich MoS 2 processed superior proton reduction activity. Moreover, the superb charge transfer efficiency from MnS to MoS 2 and remarkable HS− adsorption performance were verified by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. As a result, the novel MnS/In 2 S 3 -MoS 2 (denoted as MI-M) is the state-of-the-art non-noble-metal visible light driven photocatalysts with H 2 evolution rate of 124 μmol h-1 from H 2 S which is 4.5 times higher than that of the pristine MnS/In 2 S 3 heterostructure. The corresponding apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) at 400 nm is as high as 72%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Facet engineered Ag 3 PO 4 /Al 2 O 3 were fabricated via a facile wet impregnation-precipitation method. • Ag 3 PO 4 {111}/Al 2 O 3 shows higher adsorption/activation of O 2 /H 2 O and photocatalytic performance for NO removal. • The •O 2 − and •OH radicals are identified to play a critical role in NO oxidation. • I n-situ DRIFTS study reveals that NO is completely mineralized into nitrate. The immobilization of a photocatalyst on a proper support is pivotal for practical environmental applications. Herein, as a rising visible light photocatalyst, different facet-engineered Ag 3 PO 4 {111}, Ag 3 PO 4 {110}, Ag 3 PO 4 {100} and irregular Ag 3 PO 4 were first immobilized on mesoporous Al 2 O 3 , then applied for photocatalytic removal of ppm-leveled NO under visible light illumination. Photocatalytic performances for NO removal by these immobilized Ag 3 PO 4 were found to be highly facet-dependent, showing the degradation kinetics in the order of Ag 3 PO 4 {111} tetrahedra > Ag 3 PO 4 {110} rhombic dodecahedra > Ag 3 PO 4 {100} cubes > irregular Ag 3 PO 4. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to investigate the difference in the catalytic activity of Ag 3 PO 4 /Al 2 O 3 with exposed {111}, {110}, and {100} facets. The experimental characterization and theoretical calculations all confirm that the {111} facets with high surface energy can not only facilitate adsorption/activation of O 2 and H 2 O but also be beneficial to the generation of •O 2 − and •OH radicals, which result in significantly enhanced activity for NO oxidation. A modified band diagram showing diff ;erent degrees of band edge bending can explain these observations. A reaction pathway study based on both in situ FT-IR and molecular-level simulation of NO adsorption and transformation indicates that this Ag 3 PO 4 {111}/Al 2 O 3 can efficiently adsorb NO and transform it into harmless nitrate products via NO → NO+ and NO 2 + → nitrate or nitrite routes. The present work reveals the facet-dependent radical formation mechanisms of Ag 3 PO 4 /Al 2 O 3 , and also provides new perspectives for promoting environmental applications of immobilized photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced oxidation processes employing peroxymonosulfate (PMS) show significant promise for wastewater treatment. However, PMS activation typically relies on energy- and chemically intensive techniques due to its relatively low reactivity. Hence, the exploration of novel and energy-efficient approaches, such as the piezoelectric effect, for PMS activation is of paramount importance. Herein, we prepared a piezoelectric material (CoMn 2 O 4 ) via a simple hydrothermal method followed by calcination. The degradation experiments of tetracycline (TC) demonstrated that CoMn 2 O 4 exhibited excellent performance under ultrasound, the apparent rate constant k is 0.191 min -1 , and its degradation rate reached 83.63% after 10 min. Piezo force microscopy (PFM) tests confirmed that CoMn 2 O 4 exhibited a piezotronic effect under ultrasound. In situ electron paramagnetic resonance ( in situ EPR) tests revealed that PMS could be activated to form hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) and sulfate radicals (SO 4 •- ) under ultrasound, which are active species for TC degradation. Consequently, CoMn 2 O 4 effectively activated PMS into • OH and SO 4 •- active species, enabling the effective TC degradation. Moreover, biotoxicity experiments using germination tests showed that CoMn 2 O 4 was capable of effectively degrading TC, thereby reducing environmental toxicity. This work not only provides mechanistic insights into piezoelectric material-activated PMS for pollutants degradation but also establishes a basis for the application of piezoelectric materials in pollutant degradation.

3D assembled carbon materials, featuring unique hierarchical porosity and interconnected channels, are essential for the advancement of emerging zinc-air batteries (ZABs). In this study, nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) co-doped 3D carbon nanoholes (N/S-CNHs) are synthesized through a straightforward procedure involving self-assembly followed by carbonization. This process utilizes a hybrid of self-assembled covalent triazine framework and sodium lignosulphonate (CTF@LS) as a multifunctional precursor. The resulting N/S-CNHs exhibit a distinctive nanoholes microstructure composed of interwoven carbon nanoclusters, which facilitates efficient ion and electron transport during the electrocatalytic process. The incorporation of N and S atoms intriguingly alters the wetting properties of the catalyst microenvironment, thereby significantly facilitating the transfer of key intermediates and their interaction with the electrolyte. Consequently, the optimized N/S-CNH-900 demonstrates remarkable electrocatalytic activity for the ORR (E 1/2 = 0.86 V vs RHE), surpassing the performance of state-of-the-art Pt/C electrocatalyst. Theoretical calculations reveal that the synergistic effect of N and S heteroatom doping significantly enhances *OOH desorption and its transformation to O*, thereby markedly accelerating the ORR process. Furthermore, both liquid and quasi-solid ZABs equipped with the N/S-CNH-900 cathode exhibit improved peak power density and specific capacity relative to those employing commercial Pt/C catalysts., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The incorporation of nitrogen into carbon materials is a strategy that effectively boosts their catalytic potency. Herein, a nitrogen-enriched carbon substance, designated as CN 0.6 , was synthesized from melamine, serving as a precursor. This substance has been established to act as an efficient catalyst devoid of metals for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). At a temperature of 25 °C, a concentration of 0.05 g/L CN 0.6 along with 1 mM PMS suffices to achieve the complete degradation of concentrated tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in a short period of 4 min. This enhanced catalytic performance is attributed to the optimal level of nitrogen doping, which elevates the pyrrolic nitrogen content and introduces additional defects characterized by an I D / I G ratio of 1.02. These factors collectively augment the adsorptive capacity for PMS and create a greater number of active sites to facilitate its activation. The dominance of a nonradical electron transfer mechanism in the CN 0.6 /PMS system has been confirmed through a series of analyses, including radical identification, quenching tests, and electrochemical assessments. Employing high-resolution liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the investigation identified three potential degradation routes for TC. Furthermore, the intermediates produced are determined to possess reduced toxicity in comparison to TC. The findings of this study offer a approach to the synthesis of highly efficient nitrogen-doped, metal-free catalysts, presenting a promising strategy for the degradation of environmental pollutants.

The wide and continuous usage of glyphosate in the environment poses a serious threat to biological systems. Besides the accumulation of glyphosate in vivo , a growing body of research has revealed that aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), the main degradation intermediate of glyphosate, has significant environmental and biological influences by inducing chromosome aberration of fish and canceration of human erythrocyte. Therefore, the development of new strategies avoiding the generation of the toxic AMPA intermediate during the full degradation of glyphosate is becoming of high importance. Herein, we provide a mini-review that includes the most recent advances in the selective degradation of glyphosate avoiding the generation of AMPA in the last several years from 2018. The developments of the selective degradation of glyphosate, highlighting its synthesis and selective degradation mechanism, are summarized here. This review intends to attract more attention from researchers toward this area and to emphasize the recent developments of selective degradation of glyphosate in highlighting future challenges., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

The intelligent construction of non-noble metal materials that exhibit reversible oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with bifunctional electrocatalytic performance is greatly coveted in the realm of zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a crafted structure-amorphous MnO 2 lamellae encapsulated covalent triazine polymer-derived N, S, P co-doped carbon sphere (A-MnO 2 /NSPC) is designed using a self-doped pyrolysis coupled with an in situ encapsulation strategy. The customized A-MnO 2 /NSPC-2 demonstrates a superior bifunctional electrocatalytic performance, confirmed by a small ΔE index of 0.64 V for ORR/OER. Experimental investigations, along with density functional theory calculations validate that predesigned amorphous MnO 2 surface defects and abundant heteroatom catalytic active sites collectively enhance the oxygen electrocatalytic performance. Impressively, the A-MnO 2 /NSPC-based rechargeable liquid ZABs show a large open-circuit potential of 1.54 V, an ultrahigh peak power density of 181 mW cm -2 , an enormous capacity of 816 mAh g -1 , and a remarkable stability for more than 1720 discharging/charging cycles. Additionally, the assembled flexible all-solid-state ZABs also demonstrate outstanding cycle stability, surpassing 140 discharging/charging cycles. Therefore, this highly operable synthetic strategy offers substantial understanding in the development of magnificent bifunctional electrocatalysts for various sustainable energy conversions and beyond., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

We prepared BiOCl, BiO(ClBr), BiO(ClBrI), and BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ] materials using a simple coprecipitation method. It was found that adjusting the number of anions in the anion layer was conducive to adjusting the band structure of BiOX and could effectively promote the migration and separation of photogenerated carriers, thus improving the photocatalytic activity. We first selected methyl orange (MO) as the study pollutant and compared it with BiOCl, BiO(ClBr), and BiO(ClBrI). The first-order kinetic constants of MO degradation by BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ] increased by 90.3, 33.9, and 3.1 times, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue by BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ] was 89.5%, indicating the excellent photocatalytic performance of BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ]. The stability of BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ] was demonstrated through cyclic experiments and XRD analysis before and after the reaction. The photocatalytic degradation of MO by BiO[ClBrI(CO 3 ) 0.5 ] showed that h + and 1 O 2 were the main active oxidizing species and •O 2 - was the secondary active substance. Overall, our work provides new ideas for the synthesis and degradation of organic pollutants by using two-dimensional anionic high-entropy materials.

Excitonic effects significantly influence the selective generation of reactive oxygen species and photothermal conversion efficiency in photocatalytic reactions; however, the intrinsic factors governing excitonic effects remain elusive. Herein, a series of single-atom catalysts with well-defined M 1 -N 3 C 1 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) active sites are designed and synthesized to investigate the structure-activity relationship between photocatalytic materials and excitonic effects. Comprehensive characterization and theoretical calculations unveil that excitonic effects are positively correlated with the number of valence electrons in single metal atoms. The single Mn atom with 5.93 valence electrons exhibits the weakest excitonic effects, which dominate superoxide radical (O 2 •- ) generation through charge transfer and enhance photothermal conversion efficiency. Conversely, the single Ni atom with 9.27 valence electrons exhibits the strongest excitonic effects, dominating singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) generation via energy transfer while suppressing photothermal conversion efficiency. Based on the valence electron number dependent excitonic effects, a reaction environment with hyperthermia and abundant cytotoxic O 2 •- is designed, achieving efficient and stable water disinfection. This work reveals single metal atom dependent excitonic effects and presents an atomic-level methodology for catalytic application targeted reaction environment tailoring.

Elaborating the specific reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the photocatalytic degradation of atrazine (ATZ) is of great significance for elucidating the underlying mechanism. This study provided conclusive evidence that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were the primary ROS responsible for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of ATZ, thereby questioning the reliability of widely adopted radical quenching techniques in discerning authentic ROS species. As an illustration, oxygen-modified g-C 3 N 4 (OCN) was prepared to counteract the limitations of pristine g-C 3 N 4 (CN). Comparative assessments between CN and OCN revealed a remarkable 10.44-fold improvement in the photocatalytic degradation of ATZ by OCN. This enhancement was ascribed to the increased content of C-O functional groups on the surface of the OCN, which facilitated the conversion of superoxide radicals (·O 2 - ) into hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), subsequently leading to the generation of ·OH. The increased production of ·OH contributed to the efficient dealkylation, dechlorination, and hydroxylation of ATZ. Furthermore, toxicity assessments revealed a significant reduction in ATZ toxicity following its photocatalytic degradation by OCN. This study sheds light on the intricate interconversion of ROS and offers valuable mechanistic insights into the photocatalytic degradation of ATZ.

It is highly desirable to fabricate transition bimetallic alloy-embedded porous nanocarbons with a unique nanoarchitecture for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in rechargeable zinc-air batteries. In this work, we introduce a template-assisted in situ alloying synthesis of FeNi alloy nanoparticle-decorated coral-like nanocarbons (FeNi-CNCs) as efficient OER/ORR dual-functional electrocatalysts. The present materials are produced through polycondensation of a covalent triazine framework (CTF), the coordination of Ni and Fe ions, and sequential pyrolytic treatment. Through the pyrolysis process, the nanolamellar FeNi-CTF precursors can be facilely converted into FeNi alloy nanoparticle-decorated nanocarbons. These nanocarbons possess a distinctive three-dimensional (3D) coral-like nanostructure, which is favorable for the transport of oxygen and the diffusion of electrolyte. As a result, FeNi-CNC-800 with the highest efficiency exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic performance and great durability. Additionally, it also can be assembled into rechargeable zinc-air batteries that can be assembled in both liquid and solid forms, offering a superior peak power density, large specific capacity, and outstanding reusability during charging/discharging cycles (e.g., 5160 charging-and-discharging cycles at 10 mA cm -2 for the liquid forms). These traits make it a highly promising option in the burgeoning field of wearable energy conversion.

Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction is considered to be an appealing way of alleviating environmental pollution and energy shortages simultaneously under mild condition. However, the activity is greatly limited by the poor separation of the photogenerated carriers. Ion doping is a feasible strategy to facilitate the charge transfer. In this work, Ni-doped Bi 4 O 5 I 2 photocatalyst is successfully fabricated using a one-pot hydrothermal method. A few doping levels appear in the energy band of Bi 4 O 5 I 2 after Ni doping, which are used as springboards for electrons transition, thus promoting photoexcited electrons and holes separation. As a consequence, a remarkably enhanced yield of CO and CH 4 (6.2 and 1.9 μ mol g -1 h -1 ) is obtained over the optimized Bi 4 O 5 I 2 -Ni15, which is approximately 2.1 and 3.8 times superior to pure Bi 4 O 5 I 2 , respectively. This work may serve as a model for the subsequent research of Bi-based photocatalysts to implement high-performance CO 2 photoreduction., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

With a view to using solar energy, the exploitation of near-infrared (NIR) light, which constitutes about 50 % of solar energy, in photocatalytic H 2 O 2 synthesis remains challenging. In this study, resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), which has a relatively low bandgap and high conductivity, is introduced for photothermal catalytic generation of H 2 O 2 under ambient conditions. Owing to the promoted surface charge transfer rate under high temperature, the photosynthetic yield reaches roughly 2000 μm within 40 min under 400 mW cm -2 irradiation with a solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiency of up to 0.19 % at 338 K under ambient conditions, exceeding the rate of photocatalysis with a cooling system by a factor of about 2.5. Notably, the H 2 O 2 produced by RF during photothermal process was formed via a two-channel pathway, leading to the overall promotion of H 2 O 2 formation. The resultant H 2 O 2 can be applied in situ for pollutant removal. This work offers a sustainable and economical route for the efficient formation of H 2 O 2 ., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Restrained by the uncontrollable cleavage process of chemical bonds in methane molecules and corresponding formed intermediates, the target product in the reaction of methane selective oxidation to methanol would suffer from an inevitable overoxidation process, which is considered to be one of the most challenging issues in the field of catalysis. Herein, we report a conceptually different method for modulating the conversion pathway of methane through the selective cleavage of chemical bonds in the key intermediates to suppress the generation of peroxidation products. Taking metal oxides, typical semiconductors in the field of methane oxidation as model catalysts, we confirm that the cleavage of different chemical bonds in CH 3 O* intermediates could greatly affect the conversion pathway of methane, which has a vital role in product selectivity. Specifically, it is revealed that the formation of peroxidation products could be significantly prevented by the selective cleavage of C-O bonds in CH 3 O* intermediates instead of metal-O bonds, which is proved by the combination of density functional theory calculations and in situ infrared spectroscopy based on isotope labeling. By manipulating the lattice oxygen mobility of metal oxides, the electrons transferring from the surface to the CH 3 O* intermediates could directionally inject into the antibonding orbitals of the C-O bond, resulting in its selective cleavage. As a result, the gallium oxide with low lattice oxygen mobility shows a 3.8% conversion rate for methane with a high methanol generation rate (∼325.4 μmol g -1 h -1 ) and selectivity (∼87.0%) under room temperature and atmospheric pressure in the absence of extra oxidants, which is superior among the reported studies (reaction pressure: <20 bar).

Photocatalysis provides an exciting solution to the current growing energy challenge. However, the activity and stability of photocatalysts are two important issues in photocatalytic applications. In this work, we have successfully developed an efficient and stable photocatalyst by loading ReS 2 nanoparticles onto a CdS/ZnS heterojunction. After loading ReS 2 , there is a strong interaction between the CdS/ZnS heterojunction and ReS 2 , which accelerates the photogenerated charge migration and effectively inhibits the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Accordingly, CdS/ZnS-ReS 2 displays excellent photocatalytic activity and stability with the highest hydrogen production rate of 10 722 μmol g -1 h -1 , which is approximately 178 times higher than that of the pure CdS and 5 times better than that of CdS/ZnS. This work not only facilitates solar energy conversion to improve photocatalytic activity and stability but also broadens the application of ReS 2 as a cocatalyst., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is an important green oxidizing agent for environmental protection and chemical production. In comparison to the traditional anthraquinone method, photosynthesis is a green and energy-saving process for H 2 O 2 production. To improve the stability and practical application value of the H 2 O 2 synthesized by photocatalysis, the H 2 O 2 photosynthesis should be conducted in pure water without involving any sacrificial reagents. In this regard, organic semiconducting catalysts pose as a suitable candidate for photocatalytic H 2 O 2 synthesis owing to their metal-free nature to prevent H 2 O 2 decomposition by the metal ions. In this Perspective, the H 2 O 2 photosynthesis history is firstly introduced, followed by a review of the organic semiconductor photocatalysts reported to date. Finally, the main problems to thwart the advances of current pure H 2 O-to-H 2 O 2 photosynthesis are discussed, followed by proposed solutions to address these issues in order to pave new ways for the development of highly efficient metal-free organic photocatalysts for sustainable pure H 2 O-to-H 2 O 2 conversion., (© 2022 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

TMEM204 (Transmembrane Protein 204) is a member of the TMEM family that regulates cell function and angiogenesis. Previous studies showed that TMEM204 is related to pancreatic cancer, but its roles in other cancers remain unknown. To reveal this relationship, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis by several online databases. The expression of TMEM204 was analyzed by Oncomine and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource2.0 (TIMER2.0). The prognostic potential of TMEM204 was evaluated by the GEPIA2, UALCAN, and Oncolnc. The methylation level of gene expression was analyzed by UALCAN, and the relationship between cancer and immune invasion was displayed by TIMER2.0. The Protein-Protein Interactions Network and functional analysis of TMEM204 and its related genes were conducted by STRING and Webgestalt. We found that TMEM204 expression was up-regulated and correlated with prognosis in multiple cancers. In liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), high TMEM204 expression was associated with a good prognosis, and with high infiltrating levels of CD8 + T and CD4 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and myeloid dendritic cells. In addition, the methylation level in LIHC was higher than in normal tissues. p53 signaling pathway and Fanconi anemia pathway were implicated by KEGG pathway analysis. These results indicate that TMEM204 is associated with the prognosis, methylation, and immune invasion of cancers, especially LIHC. TMEM204 may act as a prognostic marker of LIHC and its role in other cancers should be studied., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2022.)

Background: Fidgetin-like 1 (FIGNL1), a subfamily member of ATPases, is associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). FIGNL1 is involved in DNA repair. However, the latest study has indicated that FIGNL1 plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors., Methods: FIGNL1 expression was analyzed via Oncomine and GEPIA databases, and its prognostic potential was analyzed using OncoLnc, UALCAN, and GEPIA databases. Moreover, the promoter methylation of FIGNL1 was analyzed through the UALCAN database. FIGNL1-related gene network was found within STRING. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were investigated across WebGestalt. FIGNL1 correlation with cancer immune infiltrates was estimated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database., Results: We found that FIGNL1 is widely overexpressed in multiple human cancers, and its high expression was correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with kidney renal clear-cell carcinoma (KIRP), low-grade glioma (LGG) of brain and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Additionally, the promoter methylation level of FIGNL1 showed a statistical significance between normal and primary tissues in KIRP and LGG via the UALCAN (P < 0.0001). FIGNL1 expression was highly correlated with the infiltrating levels of CD8+ T and CD4+ T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and neutrophils in LIHC., Conclusions: In this study, the correlation of FIGNL1 expression with the prognosis, promoter methylation, and immune infiltrates in KIRP, LGG, and LIHC was revealed. These findings suggested that FIGNL1 promised to be a prognostic biomarker for KIRP, LGG, and LIHC., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The application of photocatalytic sterilization technology for the sterilization of water has been broadly studied in recent years. However, developing photocatalysts with high disinfection efficiency remains an urgent challenge. Tungsten trioxide with coexisting oxygen vacancies and carbon coating (WO 3- x /C) has been successfully synthesized toward the photothermal inactivation of Escherichia coli . Oxygen vacancies and carbon coating bring WO 3- x /C strong absorption in the infrared region and enhance the carrier separation efficiency. As a result, a higher sterilization rate is obtained compared to WO 3 . WO 3- x /C can completely inactivate E. coli under infrared light within 40 min through photothermal synergy process. During the process of inactivating bacteria over WO 3- x /C, E. coli is killed by the destruction of their cell membrane to decrease the activity of enzymes and release the cell contents, which can be ascribed to the efficient generation of reactive oxygen species (O 2 •- and • OH) and thermal effect. This work demonstrates a novel approach for engineering efficient and energy-saving catalysts for water sterilization.

Solar-energy-driven CO 2 conversion into value-added chemical fuels holds great potential in renewable energy generation. However, the rapid recombination of charge carriers and deficient reactive sites, as two major obstacles, severely hampers the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity. Herein, a desirable surface halogenation strategy to address the aforementioned concerns over a Sillén-related layer-structured photocatalyst Bi 2 O 2 (OH)(NO 3 ) (BON) is demonstrated. The surface halogen ions that are anchored on the Bi atoms by replacing surface hydroxyls on the one hand facilitate the local charge separation, and, on the other hand, activate the hydroxyls that profoundly boost the adsorption of CO 2 molecules and protons and facilitate the CO 2 conversion process, as evidenced by experimental and theoretical results collectively. Among the three series of BON-X (X = Cl, Br, and I) catalysts, BON-Br shows the most substantially enhanced CO production rate (8.12 µmol g -1 h -1 ) without any sacrificial agents or cocatalysts, ≈73 times higher than that of pristine Bi 2 O 2 (OH)(NO 3 ), also exceeding that of the state-of-the-art photocatalysts reported to date. This work presents a surface polarization protocol for engineering charge behavior and reactive sites to promote photocatalysis, which shows great promise to the future design of high-performance materials for clean energy production., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Defect engineering is crucial in tailoring photocatalytic efficiency, but it suffers from uncertainty in determining the vacancy type and in which type of the vacancy can better promote the photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, Bi 2 S 3 nanorods with bismuth or sulfur vacancies were synthesized to investigate their distinct effects on the electronic structure, electron-hole separation characteristics, and near-infrared (NIR)-driven photocatalytic bacterial inactivation activity. Both bismuth and sulfur vacancies can enhance the light absorption ability of Bi 2 S 3 . However, the lifetime of photoinduced electrons is extended by bismuth vacancies but shortened by sulfur vacancies. Owing to these tendencies, Bi 2 S 3 with Bi vacancies fully inactivated 7 log E. coli cells within 40 min of NIR irradiation, displaying better NIR-driven photocatalytic bacterial inactivation efficiency than Bi 2 S 3 with S vacancies. This study discloses the defect-type-dependent photocatalytic behaviors, providing new insights into designing highly efficient photocatalysts., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitrides (P-g-C 3 N 4 ) have recently emerged as promising visible-light photocatalysts for both hydrogen generation and clean environment applications because of fast charge carrier transfer and increased light absorption. However, their photocatalytic performances on CO 2 reduction have gained little attention. In this work, phosphorus-doped g-C 3 N 4 nanotubes are synthesized through the one-step thermal reaction of melamine and sodium hypophosphite monohydrate (NaH 2 PO 2 ·H 2 O). The phosphine gas generated from the thermal decomposition of NaH 2 PO 2 ·H 2 O induces the formation of P-g-C 3 N 4 nanotubes from g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, leads to an enlarged BET surface area and a unique mesoporous structure, and creates an amino-rich surface. The interstitial doping phosphorus also down shifts the conduction and valence band positions and narrows the band gap of g-C 3 N 4 . The photocatalytic activities are dramatically enhanced in the reduction both of CO 2 to produce CO and CH 4 and of water to produce H 2 because of the efficient suppression of the recombination of electrons and holes. The CO 2 adsorption capacity is improved to 3.14 times, and the production of CO and CH 4 from CO 2 increases to 3.10 and 13.92 times that on g-C 3 N 4 , respectively. The total evolution ratio of CO/CH 4 dramatically decreases to 1.30 from 6.02 for g-C 3 N 4 , indicating a higher selectivity of CH 4 product on P-g-C 3 N 4 , which is likely ascribed to the unique nanotubes structure and amino-rich surface.

Bismuth-rich bismuth oxyhalides (Bi-O-X; X = Cl, Br, I) display high photocatalytic reduction activity due to the promoting conduction band potential. In this work, two Bi 5 O 7 I nanosheets with different dominant facets were synthesized using either molecular precursor hydrolysis or calcination. Crystal structure characterizations, included X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), field emission electron microscopy and fast Fourier transformation (FFT) images, showed that hydrolysis and calcination resulted in the dominant exposure of {100} and {001} facets, respectively. Photocatalytic data revealed that Bi 5 O 7 I-001 had a higher activity than Bi 5 O 7 I-100 for N 2 fixation and dye degradation. Photoelectrochemical data revealed that Bi 5 O 7 I-001 had higher photoinduced carrier separation efficiency than Bi 5 O 7 I-100. The band structure analysis also used to explain the underlying photocatalytic mechanism based on the different conduction band position. This work presents the first report about the facet-dependent photocatalytic performance of bismuth-rich Bi-O-X photocatalysts.