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Operators in the main control room of a nuclear power plant have a crucial role in supervising all operations, and any human error can be fatal. By providing operators with information regarding the future trends of plant safety-critical parameters based on their actions, human errors can be detected and prevented in a timely manner. This paper proposed a Sequence-to-Sequence (Seq2Seq)-based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to predict safety-critical parameters and their future trends. The PCTran was used to extract data for four typical faults and fault levels, and eighty-six parameters were selected as characteristic quantities. The training, validation, and testing sets were collected in a ratio of 13:3:1, and appropriate hyperparameters were used to construct the Seq2Seq neural network. Compared with conventional deep learning models, the results indicated that the proposed model could successfully solve the complex problem of the trend estimation of key system parameters under the influence of operator action factors in multiple abnormal operating conditions. It is believed that the proposed model can help operators reduce the risk of human-caused errors and diagnose potential accidents.

Frataxin deficiency in Friedreich’s ataxia results from transcriptional downregulation of the FXN gene caused by expansion of the intronic trinucleotide guanine-adenine-adenine (GAA) repeats. We used multiple transcriptomic approaches to determine the molecular mechanism of transcription inhibition caused by long GAAs. We uncovered that transcription of FXN in patient cells is prematurely terminated upstream of the expanded repeats leading to the formation of a novel, truncated and stable RNA. This FXN early terminated transcript (FXN-ett) undergoes alternative, non-productive splicing and does not contribute to the synthesis of functional frataxin. The level the FXN-ett RNA directly correlates with the length of the longer of the two expanded GAA tracts. Targeting GAAs with antisense oligonucleotides or excision of the repeats eliminates the transcription impediment, diminishes expression of the aberrant FXN-ett, while increasing levels of FXN mRNA and frataxin. Non-productive transcription may represent a common phenomenon and attractive therapeutic target in diseases caused by repeat-mediated transcription aberrations.

Both Sn addition and pre-ageing are known to be effective in maintaining the artificial ageing potential after natural ageing of Al–Mg–Si alloys. In this study, the combined effects of Sn addition and pre-ageing at 100 °C or 180 °C on natural secondary ageing and subsequent artificial ageing of an alloy AA6014 were investigated using hardness, electrical resistivity, differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy characterizations. It is found that pre-ageing can suppress natural secondary ageing and improve the artificial ageing hardening kinetics and response after 1 week of natural secondary ageing in both alloys with and without Sn addition. The effect of pre-ageing at 100 °C is more pronounced in the Sn-free alloy while the combination of pre-ageing at 180 °C and adding Sn shows superiority in suppressing natural secondary ageing and thus avoiding the undesired hardening before artificial ageing. Moreover, when natural ageing steps up to 8 h are applied before pre-ageing at 100 °C, the effect of pre-ageing in Sn-added alloy can be further improved. The influence of Sn on vacancies at different ageing temperatures is discussed to explain the observed phenomena. Graphical abstract

Grain boundary (GB) plasticity dominates the mechanical behaviours of nanocrystalline materials. Under mechanical loading, GB configuration and its local deformation geometry change dynamically with the deformation; the dynamic variation of GB deformability, however, remains largely elusive, especially regarding its relation with the frequently-observed GB-associated deformation twins in nanocrystalline materials. Attention here is focused on the GB dynamics in metallic nanocrystals, by means of well-designed in situ nanomechanical testing integrated with molecular dynamics simulations. GBs with low mobility are found to dynamically adjust their configurations and local deformation geometries via crystallographic twinning, which instantly changes the GB dynamics and enhances the GB mobility. This self-adjust twin-assisted GB dynamics is found common in a wide range of face-centred cubic nanocrystalline metals under different deformation conditions. These findings enrich our understanding of GB-mediated plasticity, especially the dynamic behaviour of GBs, and bear practical implication for developing high performance nanocrystalline materials through interface engineering., Grain boundary can change its structure upon deformation. Here, the authors show that during this process, grain boundary mobility can be tuned dynamically via a self-stimulated twinning process.

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is a severe multisystem disease caused by transcriptional repression induced by expanded GAA repeats located in intron 1 of the Frataxin (FXN) gene encoding frataxin. FRDA results from decreased levels of frataxin; thus, stabilization of the FXN mRNA already present in patient cells represents an attractive and unexplored therapeutic avenue. In this work, we pursued a novel approach based on oligonucleotide-mediated targeting of FXN mRNA ends to extend its half-life and availability as a template for translation. We demonstrated that oligonucleotides designed to bind to FXN 5′ or 3′ noncoding regions can increase FXN mRNA and protein levels. Simultaneous delivery of oligonucleotides targeting both ends increases efficacy of the treatment. The approach was confirmed in several FRDA fibroblast and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal progenitor lines. RNA sequencing and single-cell expression analyses confirmed oligonucleotide-mediated FXN mRNA upregulation. Mechanistically, a significant elongation of the FXN mRNA half-life without any changes in chromatin status at the FXN gene was observed upon treatment with end-targeting oligonucleotides, indicating that transcript stabilization is responsible for frataxin upregulation. These results identify a novel approach toward upregulation of steady-state mRNA levels via oligonucleotide-mediated end targeting that may be of significance to any condition resulting from transcription downregulation.

Power level control is one of the critical functions in the instrument and control system of nuclear power plants (NPPs). In most power level control systems of NPPs, the power level or average neutron flux in reactor cores provided by out-of-core neutron sensors are usually measured as feedback of power control systems, while, as critical measuring devices, there is a risk of damage to out-of-core neutron sensors. For improving the operation reliability of NPPs under the neutron sensors’ failure, a power control system based on power observer is developed in this work. The simulation based on NPP simulator shows the power control system based on the observer is effective when neutron sensors fail.

We describe a protocol for the precise integration of exogenous DNA into user-defined genomic loci in cultured cells. This strategy first introduces a promoter and a lox site to a specific location via a Cas9-induced double-strand break. Second, a gene of interest (GOI) is inserted into the lox site via Cre-lox recombination. Upon correct insertion, a cis-linked antibiotic resistance gene will be expressed from a promoter introduced into the genome in the first step assuring selection for correct integrants. Last, the selection cassette is excised via a Flp-FRT recombination event, leaving a precisely targeted GOI. This method is broadly applicable to any exogenous DNA to be integrated, choice of integration site, and choice of cell type. The most remarkable aspect of this versatile approach, termed "CasPi" (cascaded precise integration), is that it allows for precise genome targeting with large, frequently complex, and repetitive DNA sequences that do not integrate efficiently or at all with current genome targeting methods.

BACKGROUND Up to 70% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer have a relapse after primary therapy. New agents and approaches are urgently needed to avoid or slow down this recurrence. OBJECTIVES To investigate the efficacy of PARP inhibitors (PARPis) as maintenance treatment in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer. SEARCH STRATEGY PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that compared PARPis with placebo as first-line maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers extracted data. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) and risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. MAIN RESULTS PARPis were associated with significant improvement of progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AeOC) (HR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.40-0.71; P

Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have increasing demand to improve safety and reliability of air compressors with various fault diagnosis methods. Fault diagnosis methods may provide early fault warning information for air compressors rapidly and give a reference for maintenance, especially for the serious faults affecting security strongly. In this work, a method framework of fault diagnosis system based on the Vibration Observation Window (VOW) for air compressors is proposed. The VOW constructs a dynamic vibration tensor which presents the operating state of air compressors according to the real time vibration data, strengthens the association among the monitoring data in spatial domain and time domain. Thus, dynamic characteristic, which reflects the fault information, can be contained in the dynamic vibration tensor explicitly. For proving the advantage of VOW method, we compare the performance between the fault diagnosis system with VOW and the fault diagnosis system without VOW based on different hardware environments: embedded computer, and high speed Industrial PC. The results show that the VOW method can both improve the performance of the vibration fault diagnosis system of NPPs in different hardware environments.

In this work, the interlayer coupling dependent lithium intercalation induced phase transition in bilayer MoS2 (BL-MoS2) was investigated using an atomic-resolution annual dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope (ADF-STEM). It was revealed that the lithiation induced H → T' phase transition in BL-MoS2 strongly depended on the interlayer twist angle; i.e., the H → T' phase transition occurred in well-stacked H phase BL-MoS2 (with a twist angle of θt = 0°) but not for θt ≠ 0° BL-MoS2. The lithiated BL-MoS2 appeared in homophase stacking, either T'/T' or H/H (locally, no phase transformation) stacking, without any heterophase stacking such as H/T' or T'/H observed. This finding indicated the H → T' phase transition occurred via a domain-by-domain mode rather than layer-by-layer. Up to 15 types of stacking orders were experimentally identified locally in lithiated bilayer T'-MoS2, and the formation mechanism was attributed to the discrete interlayer translation with a unit step of (m/6a, n/6b) (m, n = 0, 1, 2, 3), where a and b were the primitive lattice vectors of T'-MoS2. Our experimental results were further corroborated by ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations, where the occurrence of different stacking orders can be quantitatively correlated with the variation of intercalated lithium contents into the BL-MoS2. The present study aids in the understanding of the phase transition mechanisms in atomically thin 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and will also shed light on the precisely controlled phase engineering of 2D materials for memory applications.

High-entropy alloys are a class of materials that contain five or more elements in near-equiatomic proportions1,2. Their unconventional compositions and chemical structures hold promise for achieving unprecedented combinations of mechanical properties3–8. Rational design of such alloys hinges on an understanding of the composition–structure–property relationships in a near-infinite compositional space9,10. Here we use atomic-resolution chemical mapping to reveal the element distribution of the widely studied face-centred cubic CrMnFeCoNi Cantor alloy2 and of a new face-centred cubic alloy, CrFeCoNiPd. In the Cantor alloy, the distribution of the five constituent elements is relatively random and uniform. By contrast, in the CrFeCoNiPd alloy, in which the palladium atoms have a markedly different atomic size and electronegativity from the other elements, the homogeneity decreases considerably; all five elements tend to show greater aggregation, with a wavelength of incipient concentration waves11,12 as small as 1 to 3 nanometres. The resulting nanoscale alternating tensile and compressive strain fields lead to considerable resistance to dislocation glide. In situ transmission electron microscopy during straining experiments reveals massive dislocation cross-slip from the early stage of plastic deformation, resulting in strong dislocation interactions between multiple slip systems. These deformation mechanisms in the CrFeCoNiPd alloy, which differ markedly from those in the Cantor alloy and other face-centred cubic high-entropy alloys, are promoted by pronounced fluctuations in composition and an increase in stacking-fault energy, leading to higher yield strength without compromising strain hardening and tensile ductility. Mapping atomic-scale element distributions opens opportunities for understanding chemical structures and thus providing a basis for tuning composition and atomic configurations to obtain outstanding mechanical properties. In high-entropy alloys, atomic-resolution chemical mapping shows that swapping some of the atoms for larger, more electronegative elements results in atomic-scale modulations that produce higher yield strength, excellent strain hardening and ductility.

The development of new materials with hierarchical frameworks and tailored band structures is an attractive approach to efficiently photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Here, we report a visible-light active calcium titanate (CaTiO3) photocatalyst with a hierarchical architecture constructed from single crystal nanowires, which was prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal reaction using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as structure directing agent. The hierarchical structure of the CaTiO3 samples involved single-crystal nanowires growing respectively along the [110], [1 1 ¯ 0] and [001] direction and intersecting each other perpendicularly which further featured a high specific surface area and oxygen vacancies. This material was able to split water into H2 under visible light irradiation. It was found that oxygen vacancies formed an impurity level at an energy level 0.95 eV below the conduction band acted as electron donors and promoted charge transport and separation.

It is very challenging to synthesize perovskite oxides with controlled morphology and defect states at the same time. In this work, the BaZrO3 hollow nanostructures with oxygen vacancies were facilely synthesized through one-step solvothermal method using ethylenediamine (EDA) as solvent. The as-synthesized BaZrO3 could split pure water into H2 without addition of sacrificial agent under UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic H2 production rate is about 15 times than that of the commercial BaZrO3 (BZO-C). It is believed that the presence of oxygen vacancies and the hollow morphology made contribution to the improvement of photocatalytic performance. This work provides a reference for microstructure and defect modification of photocatalysts at the same time to enhance the photocatalytic performance.

As a semiconductor, MgWO4 has a potential in photocatalytic applications; however, it has been overlooked in previous studies; in this study, it has been demonstrated that MgWO4 exhibits the ability to drive photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Compared to nanoparticle structures, MgWO4 nanoplates show an increased photocatalytic ability due to their higher specific surface area. Moreover, the formation mechanism of MgWO4 nanoplates has been discussed. An oriented attachment and ripening process is proposed for the formation of the MgWO4 nanoplates. This study demonstrates that MgWO4 can be considered a valuable photocatalytic material, and future studies should be focused on how to promote its photocatalytic conversion efficiency.

Background In order to improve the selective separation performance of the membrane for Li+ and enhance the separation efficiency, a crown ether functionalized polysulfone membrane was prepared in this paper, and the Li+ was separated by electrodialysis process. Methods Chloromethylated polysulfone (CMPSf) was used as the base membrane, 4′-aminobenzo-12-crown-4-ether (AB12C4) was in-situ grafted onto the surface of CMPSf membrane to obtain the PSf-sg-AB12C4 membrane. The chemical structure of the membrane surface was characterized by ATR-FTIR and XPS. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the membrane were characterized by FESEM. The PSf-sg-AB12C4 membrane was used for selective separation of Li+ by membrane coupling with electric field. Fingings The results show that the CMPSf membranes and the PSf-sg-AB12C4 porous membrane have almost no selective separation performance for Li+, while the PSf-sg-AB12C4 dense membrane can selectively separate Li+. After optimizing the conditions of voltage, ion concentration and solution pH, the separation factor of the PSf-sg-AB12C4 dense membrane for Mg2+ to Li+ is up to 32.6. In addition, the separation factors of coexisting ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+ to Li+ are all higher than that of Mg2+ to Li+, suggesting that the PSf-sg-AB12C4 dense membrane is a promising material for selective separation of Li+ from brine.

In this paper we study mass relations of mirror nuclei in terms of Coulomb energies calculated by the microscopic relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory. An additional term corresponding to the Nolen-Schiffer anomaly is assumed to take the same form as the well-known empirical formula. The resultant root-mean-square deviations of these mass relations are typically less than 100 keV. Based on these relations, 61 unknown proton-rich nuclear masses are predicted for $18\ensuremath{\leqslant}A\ensuremath{\leqslant}87$ with positive two-proton separation energies and are tabulated in the Supplemental Material of this paper.

Macromolecular films are crucial functional materials widely used in the fields of mechanics, electronics, optoelectronics, and biology, due to their superior properties of chemical stability, small density, high flexibility, and solution-processing ability. Their electronic and mechanical properties, however, are typically much lower than those of crystalline materials, as the macromolecular films have no long-range structural ordering. The state-of-the-art for producing highly ordered macromolecular films is still facing a great challenge due to the complex interactions between adjacent macromolecules. Here, the growth of textured macromolecular films on a designed graphene/high-index copper (Cu) surface is demonstrated. This successful growth is driven by a patterned potential that originates from the different amounts of charge transfer between the graphene and Cu surfaces with, alternately, terraces and step edges. The textured films exhibit a remarkable improvement in remnant ferroelectric polarization and fracture strength. It is also demonstrated that this growth mechanism is universal for different macromolecules. As meter-scale graphene/high-index Cu substrates have recently become available, the results open a new regime for the production and applications of highly ordered macromolecular films with obvious merits of high production and low cost.

We describe a protocol for the precise integration of exogenous DNA into user-defined genomic loci in cultured cells. This strategy first introduces a promoter and a lox site to a specific location via a Cas9-induced double-strand break. Second, a gene of interest (GOI) is inserted into the lox site via Cre-lox recombination. Upon correct insertion, a cis-linked antibiotic resistance gene will be expressed from a promoter introduced into the genome in the first step assuring selection for correct integrants. Last, the selection cassette is excised via a Flp-FRT recombination event, leaving a precisely targeted GOI. This method is broadly applicable to any exogenous DNA to be integrated, choice of integration site, and choice of cell type. The most remarkable aspect of this versatile approach, termed “CasPi” (cascaded precise integration), is that it allows for precise genome targeting with large, frequently complex, and repetitive DNA sequences that do not integrate efficiently or at all with current genome targeting methods.

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most common inherited form of ataxia in humans. It is caused by severe downregulation of frataxin (FXN) expression instigated by hyperexpansion of the GAA repeats located in intron 1 of the FXN gene. Despite numerous studies focused on identifying compounds capable of stimulating FXN expression, current knowledge regarding cis-regulatory elements involved in FXN gene expression is lacking. Using a combination of episomal and genome-integrated constructs, we defined a minimal endogenous promoter sequence required to efficiently drive FXN expression in human cells. We generated 19 constructs varying in length of the DNA sequences upstream and downstream of the ATG start codon. Using transient transfection, we evaluated the capability of these constructs to drive FXN expression. These analyses allowed us to identify a region of the gene indispensable for FXN expression. Subsequently, selected constructs containing the FXN expression control regions of varying lengths were site specifically integrated into the genome of HEK293T and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). FXN expression was detected in iPSCs and persisted after differentiation to neuronal and cardiac cells, indicating lineage independent function of defined regulatory DNA sequences. Finally, based on these results, we generated AAV encoding miniFXN genes and demonstrated in vivo FXN expression in mice. Results of these studies identified FXN sequences necessary to express FXN in human and mouse cells and provided rationale for potential use of endogenous FXN sequence in gene therapy strategies for FRDA.

Excited states of $$^{109}\hbox {Ag}$$ have been investigated by in-beam $$\gamma $$ -ray spectroscopic techniques using the $$^{110}\hbox {Pd}$$ ( $$^{7}\hbox {Li}$$ , $$\alpha 4\hbox {n}$$ ) $$^{109}\hbox {Ag}$$ reaction at a beam energy of 46 MeV. The level scheme of $$^{109}\hbox {Ag}$$ is significantly extended with the addition of more than 20 new $$\gamma $$ transitions. For the positive-parity yrast band, it is extended to $$41/2^{+}$$ state and $$2\hbar $$ higher than the earlier work. A negative-parity band decaying to the yrast band by eleven new linking transitions is identified, and several E2 crossover transitions of this band are observed, thereby confirming the spin-parity assignment and the ordering of dipole transitions above the $$I^{\pi } = 17/2^{-}$$ level. Experimental total angular momenta, kinematical and dynamical moments of inertia, and B(M1)/B(E2) ratio for the negative-parity band are compared with the predictions of self-consistent titled axis cranking relativistic mean-field model. Based on the theoretical description and the observed characteristics, the negative-parity dipole band is suggested as a magnetic rotational band arising from shears mechanism.

Mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) have brought intriguing one-dimensional physics into the host 2D crystal. In this letter, we reported a chalcogen atom exchange route to induce MTBs into as-formed MoS2 monolayers via post-synthesis tellurium doping. Results from annular dark-field scanning transition electron microscope (ADF-STEM) characterizations revealed that tellurium substituted the sulfur sublattices of MoS2 preferentially around the edge areas. A large number of MTBs in a configuration of 4|4P-Te was induced therein. Analysis of the lattice structures around MTBs revealed that such a tellurium-substitution-induced MTB formation is an energy-favored process to reduce the strain upon a high ratio of tellurium doping.

A puzzle has long existed for the α-cluster content in the near-threshold 7.54-MeV state of Be10. A new measurement was conducted to measure the cluster-decay partial width of this state using the reaction Be9(Be9,Be*10→α+He6)Be8 at 45-MeV beam energy. Special measures were taken to reduce the strong near-threshold background. The neutron-decay strength was also obtained based on the threefold coincident measurement. A cluster-decay branching ratio of (4.04±1.26)×10−4 is obtained, resulting in a reasonably large α-cluster spectroscopic factor. The present Rapid Communication confirms the formation of the σ-bond molecular rotational band headed by the 6.18-MeV state in Be10.

The high-spin structure of $$^{109}\hbox {In}$$ was investigated with the $$^{100}\hbox {Mo}(^{14}\hbox {N},\, 5\hbox {n})^{109}\hbox {In}$$ fusion-evaporation reaction at CIAE, Beijing. Eleven new $$\gamma $$-rays of $$^{109}\hbox {In}$$ were identified, by which the bandheads of the $$\varDelta \textit{I}$$ = 2 rotational bands were confirmed. The configurations were assigned with the help of the systematic discussion. Furthermore, the rotational bands are compared with the tilted-axis cranking calculations based on a relativistic mean-field approach. The rotational bands involving the 1p1h excitation to the $$\pi d_{5/2}$$ and $$\pi g_{7/2}$$ orbitals are suggested as candidates for antimagnetic rotation based on the theoretical results.

Based on the selectively complexing properties of crown ethers for metal ions, a chitosan-graft-benzo-15-crown-5 ether (CTS-g-B15C5)/non-woven fabric (NWF) composite membrane with sponge-like pore structure was prepared. A flow-through dynamic adsorption method was used to investigate the adsorptive separation performance for Pd2+. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that Pd2+ adsorption on the composite membrane was a spontaneous procedure in which the high temperature would benefit the adsorption. Moreover, the composite membrane showed excellent reusability after regeneration, and there was no obvious loss of adsorption amount after five cycles. Finally, the CTS-g-B15C5/NWF composite membrane retained high selectivity for Pd2+ in simulated nuclear wastewater.

Summary The conventional magnetotelluric (MT) inversions rely heavily on the initial model. In order to solve this problem, based on deep reinforcement learning, we propose in this paper an inversion method by deep Q-network. This method learns by continuously making mistakes in the sample space and finds the target solution. Numerical experiments show that the inversion result is better than the traditional inversion method and is less dependent of the initial model.

Ni-rich layered lithium transition metal oxides (LTMO) are regarded as one of the most potential candidates to usher in a new stage of the ultra-high available energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the severe capacity and voltage fading remain a big challenge on the practical application, while lacking of atomic scale evidence makes the performance degradation mechanism of Ni-rich LTMO essentially ambiguous. Here we report a more accurate study on the detailed structural transformation and chemical evolution processes upon cycling to shed light on the performance decay from the perspective of variation on the nature of the stoichiometric Ni-rich LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) cathode. A novel continuous structural evolution mechanism at atomic scale based on the migration of transition metal cations into lithium ion diffusion channels has been proposed to acquire a new insight into the energy decay behaviour of Ni-rich cathode. It is demonstrated that Ni would migrate from bulk to surface along with the irreversible reduction by virtue of the low diffusion barrier and the Ni concerntration gradient in lattice, resulting in the growth of structural restruction layer (SRL) throughout the whole charge/discharge processes and the ongoing performance decay. Thus, the future works on achieving higher available energy and longer cycle life for Ni-rich layered cathodes should focus on how to prevent the migration of transition metal ions.

Mapping the charge distribution in nano scale systems still is a difficult task, but is important to provide fundamental insights into the properties of materials. We demonstrate how in-line holography in transmission electron microscopy can be used to extract the charge distribution in the nanowire in a quantitative way. This technique can realize a fast acquisition of delicate charge variations. By taking advantage of the possibilities of in-situ electron microscopy, variations of the external field can be used to modulate the charge distribution. Because of the fast response to charge variations, this method provides an efficient probing tool for detecting dynamic charge redistribution.

Facet engineering to expose specific surfaces has received rapid growth attention to promote the photocatalytic performance. In this work, we reported that BaZrO3 nanocrystals with {001}/{011} facets and corresponding higher reducing capacity could effectively improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in pure water. The tuned electronic band structure arising from exposed specific {001}/{011} facets and the higher surface area are the main reasons to promote photocatalytic activity. The conduction band bottom for BaZrO3 nanocrystals with {001}/{011} facets synthesized by solvothermal method (denoted as BZO-HT) is about 0.31 eV higher than that of sample prepared by hydrothermal reaction (denoted as BZO-H). During the evaluation of photocatalytic activity in pure water, the H2 production rate for BZO-HT (27.80 μmol/g/h) is 9.4 times and six times higher than BZO-H and commercial BaZrO3 (denoted as BZO-C), respectively. This work provides a reference for other facets-related photocatalysts’ design for pure water reduction or splitting.

Intercalation of hybrid composites or molecules to form a new structure and promote photocatalytic activities was ignored in comparison with other common strategies, including doping, heterojunction, morphology control, or exploring co-catalysts. In this work, a new photocatalyst with a novel structure was prepared by a mild solvothermal reaction through incorporating ethanediamine (EDA) molecules into the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) interlayer. When EDA molecules are incorporated into the crystal structure of g-C3N4, forming the hybrid CN–EDA catalyst, not only its band structure changes from direct to indirect, but it also shows a higher reduction potential (higher conduction band energy). The novel hybrid structures, effects of organic molecules, and morphology play a key role in promoting the photocatalytic activity. Because of the diversity of components and corresponding tunable structures, constructing hybrid materials could be a novel and promising pathway in searching for a highly efficient...