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The growing needs for sustainable and efficient energy sources have heightened interest in electrocatalytic water splitting (EWS), a promising method for hydrogen production as a clean and renewable energy carrier. EWS, which splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, faces efficiency challenges due to the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode. Developing effective electrocatalysts is essential to overcome these limitations. Among the various electrocatalysts studied, transition metal sulfides (TMSs) have garnered significant attention due to their low cost and abundant active sites. Despite the superior electrochemical performance of TMSs compared to other materials, their inherent low conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics remain major challenges. Recent advancements have focused on the in situ growth of TMSs on conductive substrates to enhance electron transfer and overall catalytic performance, eliminating the need for polymer binders and improving electrode stability. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the key aspects involved in the synthesis of in situ grown TMS electrodes, including the selection of TMS active materials, various substrates, and preparation strategies. The review then offers a comprehensive overview of different types of in situ grown TMS electrodes, with a focus on the most extensively researched materials: molybdenum sulfides, cobalt sulfides, nickel sulfides, and their composites. Finally, the limitations and future perspectives are discussed, highlighting potential directions for advancing the development of in situ grown TMS catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis‐induced dye degradation has garnered significant attention as an effective method for addressing wastewater treatment challenges. In our study, we employed a room‐temperature sonochemical method to synthesize piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles (BaTiO3: BTO) with varying levels of Li doping. This approach not only streamlined the sample preparation process but also significantly reduced the overall time required for synthesis, making it a highly efficient and practical method. One of the key findings was the exceptional performance of the Li‐doped BTO nanoparticles. With 20 mg of Li additive, we achieved 90 % removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye within a relatively short timeframe of 150 minutes, all while subjecting the sample to ultrasonic vibration. This rapid and efficient dye degradation was further evidenced by the calculated kinetic rate constant, which indicated seven times faster degradation rate compared to pure BTO. The enhanced piezoelectric performance observed in the Li‐doped BTO nanoparticles can be attributed to the strategic substitution of Li atoms, which facilitated a more efficient transfer of charge charges at the interface. Overall, our study underscores the potential of piezocatalysis coupled with advanced materials like Li‐doped BTO nanoparticles as a viable and promising solution for wastewater treatment, offering both efficiency and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis is attracting extensive attention in recent years because it can directly convert mechanical energy from the ambient environment (such as tiny vibrations and noise) into piezopotential for catalytic activities. Dyes are widely used in diverse industries, including paper, printing, and textiles, which cause serious environmental problems due to their persistence and toxicity. Unlike traditional catalysts that rely on chemical reactions to drive dye degradation, piezocatalysts offer a sustainable and cost‐effective alternative to breaking down complex molecules through creating highly reactive species, which have shown a significant promise in the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this review, the basic principles of piezocatalysis are first outlined, specifically describing two ubiquitous forms of driving force in nature. Following the catalytic mechanism, the current mainstream piezocatalytic materials are classified into two categories: organic and inorganic materials with detailed discussions. Moreover, after investigating and analyzing previous literature, effective strategies for improving piezocatalytic efficiency for dye degradation are systematically compared and summarized. In the end, current issues that need to be addressed in the future as well as potential research directions related to piezocatalysis are prospected. This work provides an insight into solving current issues to advance the piezocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation‐driven electricity generators have been proposed to generate electricity by water interacting with nanostructured materials. However, several proposed mechanisms, such as intrinsic gradient of polar functional groups principle and electrokinetic effect perspective, are in wide discrepancy. Here, through the combination of theoretical calculations involving time dimension on material's moisturizing process and experimental analyses, it is revealed the working principle through the water molecule triple roles in driving moisture electric generators (MEGs): 1) intrinsic H2O absorption on the material surface and splitting into hydroxy group and proton due to the polarizability of the material surface determined by the static electric potential of the materials. This process induces the electrochemical potential difference of the materials via the work function changes; 2) freely diffused protons derived from the H2O splitting work as the ions charge carriers; 3) via the hydrogen bond of the water molecules to drive charge carriers diffuse between opposite electrodes, maintaining the internal circuit current flow. It is successfully unveiled that anatase TiO2 based materials for output voltage changes correlated to the domains' work function's difference, tuning by the surface adsorption species (H, Cl, OH) and anisotropic exposed crystal facets of the material. This work unveils MEG's general working principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a typical two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), has been widely used as an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work presented a facile electrodeposition method to fabricate binder-free Ni modified-MoS2, exhibiting superior HER catalytic performance under acidic conditions. The characterization results revealed that the as-deposited Ni–MoS2 samples have extended interlayer spacings after Ni intercalation into layered structure MoS2. The as-synthesized MoS2 with 5 at% Ni ion addition exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity with a low onset overpotential of 139 mV. The Ni0.05Mo0.95S2 sample also exhibits the slightest Tafel slope of 62 mV dec−1, suggesting a promoted Volmer-Heyrovsky process. Besides, a low overpotential of 215 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a high stability in H2SO4 solutions were also achieved. The excellent HER performance of the obtained material can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the formed Ni–Mo–S composition, abundant active sites and increased electrical conductivity. This work may contribute to the practical application of TMD-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of colon cancer is amongst the top three in the world. The tumour microenvironment plays an important role in the occurrence and development of colon cancer. Stromal cells and immune cells are the main components of the tumour microenvironment. Our study detected genes, which affected the infiltration of stromal, immune cells and the way they affected the prognosis of colon cancer patients. We found that the colon's immune system had a special way to affect the tumour microenvironment. Moderate infiltration of stromal and immune cells was proved to be important protective factors for colon cancer patients, which has not been found in other tumours. C3, C5, CXCL12, GNAI1, LPAR1, PENK, PYY, SAA1 and SST were the differential expression hub genes of moderate‐stromal and immune score group. They had a more significant correlation with tumour purity and infiltration of B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophage, neutrophil, democratic cells. The proteins encoded by C3, C5, CXCL12, GNAI1, PENK, PYY, SST were detected in colon cancer cells. These genes had the potential to become markers to predict the prognosis of patients with colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis-induced dye degradation has garnered significant attention as an effective method for addressing wastewater treatment challenges. In our study, we employed a room-temperature sonochemical method to synthesize piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles (BaTiO3: BTO) with varying levels of Li doping. This approach not only streamlined the sample preparation process but also significantly reduced the overall time required for synthesis, making it a highly efficient and practical method. One of the key findings was the exceptional performance of the Li-doped BTO nanoparticles. With 20 mg of Li additive, we achieved 90 % removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye within a relatively short timeframe of 150 minutes, all while subjecting the sample to ultrasonic vibration. This rapid and efficient dye degradation was further evidenced by the calculated kinetic rate constant, which indicated seven times faster degradation rate compared to pure BTO. The enhanced piezoelectric performance observed in the Li-doped BTO nanoparticles can be attributed to the strategic substitution of Li atoms, which facilitated a more efficient transfer of charge charges at the interface. Overall, our study underscores the potential of piezocatalysis coupled with advanced materials like Li-doped BTO nanoparticles as a viable and promising solution for wastewater treatment, offering both efficiency and environmental sustainability., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries (AZSBs) are emerging as prominent candidates for next-generation energy storage devices owing to their affordability, non-toxicity, environmental friendliness, non-flammability, and use of earth-abundant electrodes and aqueous electrolytes. However, AZSBs currently face challenges in achieving satisfied electrochemical performance due to slow kinetic reactions and limited stability. Therefore, further research and improvement efforts are crucial for advancing AZSBs technology. In this comprehensive review, it is delved into the primary mechanisms governing AZSBs, assess recent advancements in the field, and analyse pivotal modifications made to electrodes and electrolytes to enhance AZSBs performance. This includes the development of novel host materials for sulfur (S) cathodes, which are capable of supporting higher S loading capacities and the refinement of electrolyte compositions to improve ionic conductivity and stability. Moreover, the potential applications of AZSBs across various energy platforms and evaluate their market viability based on recent scholarly contributions is explored. By doing so, this review provides a visionary outlook on future research directions for AZSBs, driving continuous advancements in stable AZSBs technology and deepening the understanding of their charge-discharge dynamics. The insights presented in this review signify a significant step toward a sustainable energy future powered by renewable sources., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)