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Abstract: We report a new route to prepare polyaniline (PANI) microtubes via supercritical (SC) CO2/aqueous interfacial polymerization. The synthesis is based on the well-known chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in an acidic environment, with ammonium peroxydisufate (APS) as the oxidant, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant was used as the template. The main feature of this route is that the monomer (aniline) which is dissolved in SC CO2 phase, slowly polymerized at the interface of SC CO2 and aqueous solution to form the PANI microtubes. The morphologies, phase structure, composition and some properties of PANI microtubes were characterized by TEM, SEM, XRD, IR, XPS UV–vis and SYSTEM DM digital multimeter, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metal sulfides are considered excellent materials for oxygen evolution reaction because of their excellent conductivity and high electrocatalytic activity. In this report, the NiS-Cu2S composites were prepared on copper foam (NiS-Cu2S-CF) using a facile synthetic strategy. The scanning electron microscopy results confirmed that the NiS nanoneedles were successfully grown on Cu2S nanoflakes, greatly increasing the active sites. Particularly, the optimized 15% NiS-Cu2S-CF composite demonstrated excellent oxygen evolution activity with a small overpotential of 308 mV@20 mA cm−2, which is significantly smaller than that of noble metal-based electrocatalysts and other NiS-Cu2S-CF composites. The enhanced oxygen evolution activity is attributed to the unique morphology that can provide ample active sites, rich ion-transfer pathways, and the synergistic effect between NiS and Cu2S, which can boost the electron transfer rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, sub 10 nm MoS2 nanoflakes are successfully in situ grown on graphitic‐carbon‐nitride (MoS2/g‐C3N4) through a hydrothermal strategy. The scanning electron microscopy result indicates that the thickness of the MoS2 nanoflakes is less than 10 nm, which can boost the transport rate of the photoproduced charge during the photodegradation process. Transmission electron microscopy result clearly shows that an excellent interfacial heterojunction is formed between g‐C3N4 and MoS2, which will significantly improve the stability of catalysts. Particularly, the optimal 8% MoS2/g‐C3N4 product displays significantly enhance catalytic performance and excellent long‐term photodurability. These superior photocatalytic properties are attributed to the excellent interfacial heterostructure between MoS2 and g‐C3N4, which extends the visible light absorption range, suppresses the recombination, and improves the transfer rate of photoproduced charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High open‐circuit voltage (Voc) organic solar cells (OSCs) have received increasing attention because of their promising application in tandem devices and indoor photovoltaics. However, the lack of a precise correlation between molecular structure and stacking behaviors of wide band gap electron acceptors has greatly limited its development. Here, we adopted an asymmetric halogenation strategy (AHS) and synthesized two completely non‐fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs), HF‐BTA33 and HCl‐BTA33. The results show that AHS significantly enhances the molecular dipoles and suppresses electron‐phonon coupling, resulting in enhanced intramolecular/intermolecular interactions and decreased nonradiative decay. As a result, PTQ10 : HF‐BTA33 realizes a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.42 % with a Voc of 1.232 V, higher than that of symmetric analogue F‐BTA33 (PCE=10.02 %, Voc=1.197 V). Notably, PTQ10 : HCl‐BTA33 achieves the highest PCE of 12.54 % with a Voc of 1.201 V due to the long‐range ordered π–π packing and enhanced surface electrostatic interactions thereby facilitating exciton dissociation and charge transport. This work not only proves that asymmetric halogenation of completely NFREAs is a simple and effective strategy for achieving both high PCE and Voc, but also provides deeper insights for the precise molecular design of low cost completely NFREAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The kinetics of V(V) extraction from H 2 SO 4 medium by primary amine N1923 were investigated using the single falling technique. • The extraction rates of V(V) under the certain operating conditions were calculated and determined. • The parameters of extraction kinetics, such as Δ H ±, Δ S ± and Δ G ±, were investigated and calculated. • The change characteristics of the mass transfer coefficient were analyzed according the different extracted conditions. Abstract The kinetics of V(V) extraction from acidic sulfate medium by primary amine N1923(RNH 2) dissolved in sulfonated kerosene has been investigated using a falling single drop technique. The time of drop formation and coalescence was determined and considered for calculating the V(V) transfer flux. The effects of aqueous pH, V(V) concentration and RNH 2 concentration on the revised V(V)-transfer flux(F ′) have been investigated with aim of obtaining the reaction orders for extraction rate. Activation energies (E a) of extracted reaction for the aqueous pH of 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 under the conditions of V(V) concentration of 0.24 mol/L, RNH 2 concentration of 0.24 mol/L, temperature of 298 ± 0.5 K and an atmospheric pressure, were −8.04, −9.57 and −12.45 kJ/mol, respectively. The Δ H ± for reactions under various operating conditions were also calculated according to the intercept of log(F ′ h / kT) versus (1/ T) plots. The details studies on the kinetics of V(V) extraction from simulated industrial aqueous solution are significant to optimize its separation technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a successful synthesis of porous TiO 2 monoliths decorated with unique nanoplate, nanoprism, and nanopyramid-shaped CdSe particles through a mild selenylation of CdO embedded inside porous TiO 2 monoliths via a hydrothermal method in a very controlled manner. Compared with pure TiO 2 , as-synthesized CdSe/TiO 2 photocatalyst not only enhances light absorption but also leads to a highly efficient charge-carrier separation. Particularly, the nanoplate-shaped 7% CdSe/TiO 2 photocatalyst (molar percentages of CdSe to TiO 2 is 7:100) exhibits an exceptional hydrogen evolution rate up to 3650 μmol h −1 g −1 without resorting to any noble-metal co-catalysts under visible-light irradiation owing to synergistic effects envisaged by a rational material design. Our results may provide a useful strategy to develop a highly-efficient visible-light-driven hydrogen production system via water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ARZIBs) are ideal for massive and longstanding energy storage applications because of their excellent security and low operation cost. Nevertheless, ARZIBs are subject to the severe corrosion reaction of zinc metal anodes that is derived from the thermodynamic unsteadiness of the zinc anodes in aqueous solution, as well as zinc dendrite growth originating from uncontrolled zinc deposition. Herein, we created a separator by coating a thin piece of polypropylene (PP) with a compound consisting of zinc trifluoromethanesulfonate [Zn(OTf)2] and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP). Consequently, the severe corrosion reaction of the zinc metal anodes and the profuse formation of zinc dendrites were effectively mitigated by the novel PP separator, which prolonged the lifetime of the zinc metal anodes. When a zinc metal plating layer was used with preferential (002) crystallographic orientation, the cyclic performance over 1100 h of the symmetrical Zn∥Zn battery based on the novel separator was steady. Additionally, the Zn∥MnO2 batteries exhibited an impressive specific capacity and competitive long durability of 75.5% over 500 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. With this work, we intend to set the standard for designing novel separators in the construction of advanced zinc anodes for high-performance ARZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface catalyst engineering can effectively improve the photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS) performance of semiconductor photoelectrodes. In situ surface functional treatments can effectively reduce interface defects and improve photogenerated carrier transport. In this study, FTO/Sn@α-Fe2O3/FeOOH photoanodes were modified with in situ sulfide/nitride/phosphide treatments to improve their PEC-WS performance. Compared with the pure α-Fe2O3 photoanode, the photocurrent densities of FTO/Sn@α-Fe2O3/FeOOH photoanodes after sulfide/nitride/phosphide treatments increased from 0.88 to 3.38 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE. The onset potential showed a cathode shift of 0.1 V. Photoelectrochemical analyses and theoretical calculation demonstrated that the surface engineering by sulfide/nitride/phosphide treatments can significantly reduce surface defects, enhance electrical conductivity and promote photogenerated carrier separation and transfer efficiency by regulating interface charge transfer, binding energy and internal electric field. The formation of an FeSx catalyst and N/P coordination complexes in the sulfide/nitride/phosphide processes on the surface of α-Fe2O3 photoanodes can effectively reduce photogenerated carrier recombination. This work provides experimental and theoretical support for surface structure design and improved photoelectric conversion performance of semiconductor photoelectrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most popular photoanode materials, hematite (α-Fe2O3) has obvious advantages in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS). However, it is difficult to achieve excellent PEC-WS performance without loading a cocatalyst serving as an electron/hole collector to promote photogenerated carrier separation. In this work, FTO/Sn@α-Fe2O3 photoanodes are modified with ZnCo-ZIF and ZnCoOOH bimetallic catalysts to obtain FTO/Sn@α-Fe2O3/Zn0.5Co0.5-ZIF and FTO/Sn@α-Fe2O3/Zn0.46Co0.54OOH photoanodes. Their photocurrent densities reach 2.6 mA cm−2 and 2.3 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE, respectively. The detailed mechanism studies demonstrate that both ZnCoOOH and ZnCo-ZIF can effectively decrease the transfer resistance, increase the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio and reduce the charge recombination of the α-Fe2O3 film, which synergistically improves the PEC-WS performance. Compared with ZnCoOOH, the ZnCo-ZIF exhibits better photogenerated carrier transfer efficiency and catalytic performance, which mainly can be attributed to the improved binding energy between the ZnCo-ZIF catalyst and the α-Fe2O3 film. This work provides a simple and feasible strategy for constructing bimetallic catalysts and deepens the understanding of different types of bimetallic catalysts for high-performance PEC-WS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) may have applications in macroscale energy storage on account of their advantages of high‐safety, cost‐effectiveness, and ecofriendliness. As a promising application, flexible quasi‐solid‐state AZIBs (FQAZIBs) can withstand mechanical deformation, and can act as favorable power supply devices for wearable electronics. As FQAZIBs are one of the most exciting and rapidly ongoing topics among aqueous batteries, it is critical yet timely to summarize the latest development in this field, providing the much‐needed guidance for the fabrication of FQAZIBs. In this review, the recent progress and rational design strategies for FQAZIBs from mechanisms, design principles, and applications are systematically presented. First, the energy storage and flexible mechanisms of FQAZIBs are illuminated in detail. Subsequently, the design philosophies of FQAZIBs are also systematically elucidated. Moreover, the latest progress and practical applications of FQAZIBs in wearable electronics are reviewed in detail according to various functions such as compressibility, stretchability, electrochromic ability, anti‐freezing ability, self‐healing ability, self‐charging properties, photodetecting function, shape memory, biodegradability, and actuated function. Finally, some applications and promising prospects in the research area of FQAZIBs are demonstrated to supply guidelines on the exploitation of their practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ternary organic solar cells based on two types of BTA-based small molecules BTA1 and SF-BTA1 as guest materials and a fused-BTA based polymer PE97 as host material were fabricated. • The ternary OSCs with BTA1 and SF-BTA1 achieved higher PCE of 17.01 % and 16.51 % than binary device (15.52 %). • Utilizing similar A unit to construct host polymer and guest molecule give a simple method to realize efficient ternary OSCs. The high-performance ternary strategy has made organic solar cells (OSCs) rapid development, but there have been no clear guidelines for screening effective third component. To investigate the correlation between the third component acceptor and the donor polymer structure, we herein utilized a D-π-A polymer PE97 containing fused benzo[ d ][1,2,3]triazole (BTA) as electron donor and eC9-2F as electron acceptor. Then we fabricated ternary devices by introducing two types of BTA-based small molecules as the third component, where BTA1 with a linear backbone skeleton and SF-BTA1 with a 3D backbone configuration. The addition of BTA1 and SF-BTA1 leads to higher power conversion efficiency than binary device, from 15.52 % (PE97:eC9-2F) to 17.01 % (PE97:eC9-2F:BTA1) and 16.51 % (PE97:eC9-2F:SF-BTA1), respectively. The comprehensive characterizations reveal that the formed up-shifted quasi-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital alloy acceptors, stronger crystalline and suitable phase separation lead to smaller energy loss, more balanced charge transport, contribute to the improved performance. Our work demonstrates that utilizing similar A unit to construct both host polymer and guest molecule may be a simple method to realize high-performance ternary OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has received extensive attention in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC‐WS). However, ZnO has a narrow absorption range for visible light, easy recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, and slow kinetics of surface water oxidation, limiting its further practical application. In this work, a FTO/TiO2/ZnO/NiO photoanode with a micro‐nano structure is built with ZnO as nanosheet clusters, TiO2 as the electron transport layer, and NiO for forming p‐n heterojunction between NiO and ZnO. This photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 1.91 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE, which is three times that of the pure ZnO photoanode (0.65 mA/cm2). The detailed mechanism investigations demonstrate that the introduced TiO2 can reduce the interface defects between ZnO and FTO, and Ti doping to ZnO improves the conductivity, which simultaneously reduces the bottom surface and bulk charge recombination. The constructed p‐n heterojunction further significantly increases the carrier transfer efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing new material systems simultaneously possessing high open-circuit voltage (V OC) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) has consistently been a focal research. Recently, our group successfully obtained a novel A-DA'D-A type shamrock-shaped NFA via utlizing a large conjugated acenaphtho [1,2-b]quinoxaline imide (AQI) unit as central core (A′ unit) and fluorinated 1,1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone (IC) as end groups, and the final molecule AQI4 exhibited a PCE of 18 % with a V OC of 0.95 V. To further extend the familly of shamrock-shaped NFAs and upgrade their photovoltaic properties, herein, another shamrock-shaped NFA containing non-halogenated end group IC was synthesized and named as AQI1. The reasonable cooperation of AQI and IC could facilitate to obtain an upshifted LUMO energy level, resulting in a decreased energy loss in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Using the classic p-type polymer PM6 and a benzotriazole-based linear polymer PE4 as donors, both devices can achieve high V OC of 1.06 V and 1.02 V respectively. Finally, PM6:AQI1 and PE4:AQI1 combinations realized PCEs of 11.3 % and 13.7 % respectively, suggesting that benzotriazole-based polymers might be better choice to blend with shamrock-shaped NFAs. These results indicate that shamrock-shaped NFAs with nonhalogenated end groups may be a feasible and potential design strategy to achieve low-cost and high- V OC OPVs. [Display omitted] • Shamrock-shaped NFA AQI1 containing non-halogenated end group IC was synthesized. • AQI1 exhibited higher LUMO energy level, enhanced luminescence and more ordered molecular stacking. • PM6: AQI1 and PE4: AQI1 combinations realized PCEs of 11.3 % and 13.7 % with high V OC of 1.06 V and 1.02 V, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new CTA-based-polymer PE97 with BDT-P2F as D unit was designed and synthesized. • PE97 realizes deep HOMO level and strong molecular stacking, which cause V OC , J SC and FF increase simultaneously. • PE97:eC9-2F-based devices obtain a high PCE of 15.5%, which exceeds PE93:eC9-2F-based devices (13.6%). Reasonable regulation of the structure-performance relationship is extremely crucial to enhancing the device performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). As a novel fused-benzotriazole (BTA) electron-accepting (A) unit, carbazolobistriazole (CTA) has excellent luminescent properties, and the alkyl chains on the three N atoms allow flexible modulation of polymer solubility. However, higher molecular energy levels and weak crystallinity restrict the enhancement of device performance. Herein, a new donor polymer PE97 with CTA as A unit and 4,8-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,5-difluorophenyl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT-P2F) as electron-donating (D) unit was designed and synthesized. In comparison with the first CTA-based polymer PE93 with 4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)-4-fluorothiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT-TF) as D unit, PE97 realizes stronger molecular stacking conducive to modulation of the active layer morphology and a deeper highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level, which are favorable to increase short-circuit current density (J SC) and open-circuit voltage (V OC) of OSCs. When paired with Y-series non-fullerene acceptor eC9-2F, PE97-based OSC devices have achieved a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.5 %, with a V OC of 0.81 V, a J SC of 25.3 mA cm−2, and a fill factor (FF) of 75.7 %, which figures significantly surpass efficiency (13.6 %) of PE93-based devices. These results indicate that the BDT-P2F unit can excellently modulate the optoelectronic properties of CTA-based polymers. This highlights the potential of the BDT-P2F as a promising D unit for polymers with weak crystallinity and limited electron-withdrawing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Porous nickel oxide (NiO) microflowers have been successfully synthesized by calcining a coordination microflower without any hard template, seed or using soft template. More importantly, porous NiO microflowers have been applied as effective electrochemical sensor of the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) and electrochemical supercapacitors. The effectively electrochemical GSH sensor of porous NiO microflowers in 0.1M HAc–NaAc (pH 5.0) solution was the first time evaluated. Moreover, the specific capacitance of porous NiO microflower was up to 1678.4Fg−1 at current density of 0.625Ag−1, and maintained about 99.7% at 6.25Ag−1 after 1000 cycles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fabrication of metal sulfides heterostructure is a promising strategy for enhancing catalytic activity. Herein, the MoS 2 /CuS heterostructure was successfully grown on carbon cloth (MoS 2 /CuS/CC) through an efficient method. The SEM results confirmed that the fabricated MoS 2 /CuS/CC composites have a flake morphology, which can not only improves the surface area but also offers ample surface catalytic active sites. Particularly, the optimized MoS 2 /CuS/CC-2 electrocatalyst showed a small overpotential of 85 mV@10 mA cm−2 and exceptional long-term cycling durability for hydrogen evolution in 1 M KOH. The outstanding catalytic activity is attributed to the fact that the combination of MoS 2 with CuS can greatly enhance the charge transport rate and improve the structural stability. These results suggest that the MoS 2 /CuS/CC heterostructure is a potential electrocatalyst for hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • Flakes-shaped MoS 2 /CuS/CC electrocatalysts were successfully fabricated. • The MoS 2 /CuS/CC electrocatalysts can offer ample surface catalytic active sites. • The MoS 2 /CuS/CC electrocatalyst shows low overpotential of 85 mV@10 mA cm−2 for HER. • The MoS 2 /CuS/CC electrocatalyst presents excellent long-term cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we employed a simple strategy to prepare MoS 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for water splitting. The characterization results showed that the nanoflower-like MoS 2 was successfully grown on porous TiO 2 and formed a robust MoS 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure. This special structure increases the surface area of the electrocatalyst and provides abundant channels for charge transfer, resulting in highly efficient catalytic properties of TiO 2. The electrochemical measurements show that the MoS 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure exhibits an excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in acidic electrolyte (a potential of ∼108 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 55 mV decade−1) and alkaline electrolyte (a potential of ∼127 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 59 mV decade−1), respectively. The superior HER activity may be due to the rationally designed MoS 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure, which significantly improves the separation and transport of charge carriers during the HER process. Image 1 • The nanoflower-like MoS 2 was successfully grown on porous TiO 2. • Such a unique structure can offer abundant carrier charges transfer channels. • The MoS 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure can result in superior HER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 ternary composites have been successfully synthesized by a simple approach. The SEM and TEM results demonstrate that MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 ternary composites have a porous structure, which can provide more active sites and mass charge transport pathways in a catalytic system. The optical measurement demonstrates that the MoS 2 and CdSe coexisted in the porous TiO 2 structure, which results in a wider visible light absorption than that of pure TiO 2. Most importantly, the photoelectrochemical measurement results demonstrate that such ternary composite catalysts exhibit a higher photocurrent performance than that of a binary composite and pure TiO 2 , owing to the strong synergistic effects among MoS 2 , CdSe, and TiO 2. These superior results show that MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 ternary composites is a promising choice for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Image 1 • Porous MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 photoanodes were prepared by a facile method. • Porous MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 photoanodes can enhance the light absorption and supply more surface reaction active sites. • Porous MoS 2 /CdSe/TiO 2 catalysts can significantly enhance the separate rate of the photogenerated charge carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, nanosheet-shaped CuS (NS CuS) is successfully grown on carbon cloth (CC) by a two-step route in combination with electrodeposition and hydrothermal treatment via in situ sulfidations of Cu 2 O and Cu with exposure to thiourea at 120 °C or 24 h. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry are performed to characterize the microstructure, morphology, composition, and crystal structure of the NS CuS CC samples. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the synthesized NS CuS CC electrocatalysts possess outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance and superior long-term durability in 1 M KOH electrolyte. In particular, the NS CuS CC synthesized via the electrodeposition process at an applied current of 1.5 mA shows a low overpotential for the OER (358 mV at 10 mA/cm2), which is close to that of commercial IrO 2 (346 mV at 10 mA/cm2). The exceptional OER property is ascribed to the NS CuS having a large surface area to offer abundant reaction active sites and to the CC network structures supplying more ions and charge transfer channels during the electrocatalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We report a successful fabrication of low-cost, high-efficient, structurally-rigid, porous WO 3 photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalysts using polystyrene as the template by a sol-gel method and a high-temperature annealing treatment. The scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface analysis results indicate that such WO 3 monoliths possess a porous structure and a large specific surface area, which can supply lots of photogenerated charge transfer pathways as well as more surface PEC active sites. Compared with a commercially available WO 3 , our highly porous WO 3 PEC catalysts show an excellent PEC water splitting activity. Particularly, the porous WO 3 photoanodes calcinated in the presence of oxygen atmosphere at 450 °C for 7 h show the best PEC performance exhibiting the photocurrent density of 0.97 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus reversible the hydrogen electrode and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency up to 48.9% at 420 nm in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte under AM 1.5 G irradiation. Such excellent PEC performance is due to the high porosity of the WO 3 , promoting the fast transfer and the separation rate of photogenerated carriers during the PEC water splitting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that both catalytic efficiency and stability are the two important parameters of photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen production reactions. However, light-driven hydrogen evolution based applications still suffer from sluggish reaction kinetics due to the lack of high-performance photocatalysts. In this paper, we successfully synthesized a ternary porous CdS/WO 3 /TiO 2 photocatalyst with high efficiency and stability via two-stage approach. The as-prepared samples are characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDS, TEM, XPS, and UV–Vis, respectively, which illustrated that the CdS and WO 3 moieties are in-situ formed inside the porous TiO 2 . Particularly, the photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution rate of such ternary 8% CdS/WO 3 /TiO 2 (molar ration of CdS:WO 3 :TiO 2  = 8:8:100) photocatalyst ranges up to 2106 μmol h −1  g −1 under visible-light irradiation, which is higher than that of pure TiO 2 and other binary (CdS/TiO 2 and WO 3 /TiO 2 ) porous photocatalysts. The superior H 2 evolution efficiency can be attributed to the coexistence of CdS and WO 3 in porous TiO 2 which can promote the interfacial charge transfer and separation as well as extend the light absorption up to the visible range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A Zn ions battery with outstanding cyclic performance based on protected electrodes was developed. • The protected anodedelivered stable plating/stripping cycling life of 1000 h in a symmetric battery. • The protected cathodedelivered superb capacity retention of 95.5% after 1000 cycles. Owing to the virtues of intrinsic safety, high theoretical capacity, rechargeable aqueous Zn ions batteries based on cobalt hexacyanoferrate (Co-HCF) cathode and Zn anode have sparked a lot of enthusiasm in the energy storage field recently. However, the issues of Zn anode (such as dendrites formation and sustained hydrogen evolution) and pulverization of Co-HCF cathode seriously restrict the practical application of Zn ions batteries. In this work, a protective layer coated on Zn anode to improve the stability of Zn anode and ensure uniform Zn deposition as well as a polymer layer coated on Co-HCF cathode to sustain the structural stability of Co-HCF. Benefiting from the merits of the protective layer both on the cathode and anode, the obtained Zn ions batteries provide a specific capacity (76.9 mAhg−1 at 0.1 Ag−1), outstanding rate capability (50.1 mAhg−1at 1 Ag−1), and outstanding cyclic stability (∼91.9 % after 1000 cycles at 1 Ag−1) compared to that of the traditional Zn//Co-HCF (∼62.5 %). Thus, this present work supplies a new way to construct high-performance Zn ions batteries with long cyclic life for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-thin porous PCN not only enhanced the specific surface area but also improved the oxygen capture ability, thereby leading to a great improvement in photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production and RhB degradation. [Display omitted] • Ultra-thin porous PCN with increased specific surface area and excellent oxygen-capture ability is prepared. • The modified PCN has excellent photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production and rhodamin B (RhB) degradation activity. • After 5 h of producing H 2 O 2 , the H 2 O 2 production rate by the modified PCN doesn't reduce. The degradation of organic contaminants in water is a pressing issue that must be addressed·H 2 O 2 has a strong oxidation ability and is frequently used in environmental remediation as a reactive oxygen species in advanced oxidation technology. In this study, using supramolecular self-assembly method we synthesized carbon nitride (CN) with an ultra-thin porous structure. The optimally modified CN (CN-MCA-U-2.5), had excellent H 2 O 2 production activity under LED white light, with a rate of 377.06 μmol/(g × h), which was 12.09 times greater than that of CN. Furthermore, after 5 h under visible light irradiation, the H 2 O 2 yield of CN-MCA-U-2.5 was 1256.80 μmol/g. Furthermore, CN-MCA-U-2.5 also had excellent Rhodamin B (RhB) degrading activity. The degradation degree reached 88.50% in 30 min under the excitation of LED white light. The reaction pathway of H 2 O 2 for CN-MCA-U-2.5 was found to be a two-step single-electron O 2 reduction reaction, according to the mechanism analysis. O 2 and HO 2 were the major variables in the degradation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme amplification is most commonly used to develop electrochemical affinity biosensors. However, single amplification by enzyme labels is not sufficient for detecting an ultra-low analyte concentration. Moreover, some of enzymatic products, such as thiocholine and hydroquinone (HQ), show poor electrochemical signals and/or are unstable in air for long incubation periods. In this work, we reported two “outer-sphere to inner-sphere” electrochemical-chemical-chemical (ECC) redox cycling reactions triggered by thiocholine and HQ. By examining the effect of different redox mediators and reductants, we found that ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FcA) and tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) were the optimal redox mediator and reductant, respectively. In the redox cycling, FcA was regenerated by thiocholine or HQ after its electro-oxidization; thiocholine or HQ was also then regenerated by TCEP after its oxidation, thus enhancing the anodic current of FcA. To demonstrate the applications and analytical merits of the two redox cycling reactions in biosensing, thrombin was tested in a “sandwich” format with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as the enzyme labels. The detection limits were determined to be 5 ng L −1 and 0.5 ng L −1 with the thiocholine- and HQ-triggered redox cycling, respectively. The results will be valuable for developing enzyme-amplified electrochemical affinity biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel nanosized x-ZF/ZM-y zeolites for glycerol to aromatics (GTA) were synthesized by using ZIF-8 as a template. The crystallization time and ZIF-8 dosage were systematically studied to clarify the crystallization process, structural characteristics and physicochemical properties of the prepared x-ZF/ZM-y. The results indicated that the growth of x-ZF/ZM-y zeolites involved two stages: attachment-impregnation and crystallization. The addition of ZIF-8 could introduce the active Zn species (ZnOH+) and induce the formation of smaller HZSM-5 nanocrystals in x-ZF/ZM-y, which could effectively facilitate the dehydrogenation-aromatization and aldol condensation steps in GTA and enhance the coke resistance. Furthermore, the ZIF-8 dosage had important influences on the catalytic performances of x-ZF/ZM-y. In particular, the 0.45-ZF/ZM-48 with 0.45 g ZIF-8 dosage and 48 h crystallization time all existed as nanocrystals of 20–40 nm, and possessed a proper redistribution of acid sites, resulting in 59.5% total aromatics yield and 11 h catalyst lifetime over 0.45-ZF/ZM-48 owing to the synergistic effect among the ZnOH+, inter-crystalline mesopores and HZSM-5 nanocrystals. The best 0.45-ZF/ZM-48 catalyst showed excellent catalytic activity (59.5% aromatics yield) as well as high catalytic stability (11 h lifetime) in GTA reaction for the synergistic effect among active Zn species (ZnOH+), inter-crystalline mesopores and HZSM-5 nanocrystals. [Display omitted] • Nanosized x-ZF/ZM-y with active Zn, HZSM-5 nanocrystals and inter-crystalline mesopore were synthesized by addition of ZIF-8. • The introduced Zn species remarkably promote the catalytic activity of x-ZF/ZM-y in GTA reaction. • The smaller HZSM-5 nanocrystals and the inter-crystalline mesopores significantly enhance catalytic stability of x-ZF/ZM-y. • The crystallization time and ZIF-8 dosage had vital influences on the properties and catalytic performances of x-ZF/ZM-y. • The 0.45-ZF/ZM-48 shows superior performances for synergism among ZnOH+, inter-crystalline mesopores and HZSM-5 nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Performances of p-AP redox cycling using different reductants on gold surface are compared. [•] Background current decreases in order of hydrazine, Na2SO3, NaBH4, NADH, cysteamine, and TCEP. [•] Chemical reaction rate with QI increases in order of NADH, TCEP, and cysteamine. [•] NADH, TCEP and cysteamine are suitable for p-AP redox cycling on gold electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] RE/ZrO2 (RE= Sm, Eu) nano-materials have been successfully synthesized. [•] Defect and electron structures determine the absorption properties on visible light. [•] Nano-sized Zr0.8Sm0.2O2−δ has good visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activities. [•] In the future, it can be used in wastewater treatment and environmental protection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The structurally similar ionic liquid precursors are explored for synthesis of inorganic particles by the microwave heating method. During the synthesis, the ionic liquid precursors have multi-functions such as reactant, solvent and template. Specifically it has good adsorbing property for microwave to result in a fast synthesis. It demonstrates that a wide variety of metal oxide or hydroxide particles with uniform size, morphology could be synthesized from tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) or tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAH) ionic liquid precursors by the microwave heating method. The formation mechanism of the synthesized particles is proposed based on the experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydrogen generation from electrical water splitting has become a greatly increasing requirement for energy systems, however, highly effective and durable electrocatalysts towards universal-pH hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remain a big challenge. Herein, we design and synthesize ruthenium di-phosphide (RuP 2) confined in carbon layers (RuP 2 -C) with a unique yolk-shell structure (RuP 2 -C@RuP 2 -C) from MOF. As expected, it not only exceeds the HER activity of Pt catalysts, with very tiny overpotentials at 10 mA cm−2 (9 and 17 mV in 1.0 M KOH and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , individually), but also has high stability. Besides, it also exhibits a low overpotential (40 mV) close to Pt catalysts and high stability in 1.0 M PBS, indicating that RuP 2 -C@RuP 2 -C (RPC@RPC) owns outstanding HER performance at all pH values. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results further unravel that the P-site on the surface of RPC@RPC possesses low hydrogen adsorption energy, beneficial for boosting the HER activity. [Display omitted] • Unique RuP 2 -C@RuP 2 -C core-shell catalysts are synthesized by Ru-MOF. • It shows high even surpassing Pt HER performance in alkaline and acidic media. • It needs overpotentials of 9/17 mV for HER in based/acidic media at 10 mA cm−2. • It also presents an ultralow overpotential of 40 mV very close to Pt in 1 M PBS. • DFT calculation proves it has a low hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mn/CoO x cocatalyst is obtained from facile high-temperature annealing of MOFs. • The synergic effect of Mn/Co improves the carrier extraction and transfer. • A heterojunction existing in α-Fe 2 O 3 can promote the carrier separation. • The high oxidation state of Mn and Co can facilitate the OH– transformation. Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3) photoanode is regarded widely as one of most promising photoanode candidates for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, while the poor surface reaction kinetics and severe charge recombination hinder its further application. Herein, a bimetallic Mn/CoO x film, prepared by high-temperature annealing of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), is designed as an efficient cocatalyst to modify α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanode (FTO/Sn@α-Fe 2 O 3 -Mn/CoO x) for PEC water oxidation. With an optimized content of Mn/CoO x cocatalyst, the FTO/Sn@α-Fe 2 O 3 -Mn/CoO x photoanode exhibits an excellent photocurrent density of 2.66 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V RHE , which is higher than that of CoO x (1.43 mA/cm2) or MnO x (1.86 mA/cm2) single-metal catalyst. The on-set potential achieves a remarkable cathodic shift of 0.11 V. The detailed mechanism studies demonstrate that the electron donation from Mn/CoO x cocatalyst to α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanode can obtain high oxidation state of Mn and Co to enhance photogenerated carriers separation efficiency, reduce recombination and facilitate the OH– transformation, which synergically increases the catalytic activities of FTO/Sn@α-Fe 2 O 3 -Mn/CoO x photoanode for PEC water oxidation. Furthermore, a heterojunction, formed by Mn/CoO x doping in the surface α-Fe 2 O 3 , can further enhance the photogenerated carriers separation efficiency. This work provides valuable guidance for the design and construction of bimetallic cocatalyst on various photoelectrodes for outstanding PEC water splitting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]