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A new newt species, Hypselotriton huanggangensis sp. nov., is described based on nine specimens collected from Huanggangshan Mountains, Yanshan County, Jiangxi, China. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by the combination of nine external characters: (1) obvious black patches with clear boundaries on the whole body; (2) ground color of the dorsal body tan; (3) ground color of venter bright orange; (4) skin rough; (5) vertebral ridge weak; (6) fingers and toes overlapping when forelimb and hindlimb adpressed towards each other along body; (7) postocular orange spot absent; (8) small white warty glands around the eye; (9) two discontinuous longitudinal lines formed by white warty glands from neck to lateral parts of tail. Molecularly, the new species forms an independent clade with strong support in the phylogenetic trees of the genus based on the mitochondrial locus of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene fragments. The new species distinctly differs from H. fudingensis by differences in its body measurements, vertebral ridge, dorsal black patches, and ventral black patches. Furthermore, the new species and H. fudingensis are geographically isolated by a series of high mountain ranges, including the Wuyishan and Jiufengshan Mountains. The number of Hypselotriton species is now 11.

Nitrate products are widely used in manufacturing as crucial raw materials and fertilizers. The traditional nitrate synthesis process involves high energy consumption and emission, thereby opposing the goals of zero-carbon emission and green chemistry. Thus, a sustainable roadmap for nitrate synthesis that uses green energy input, clean N sources, and direct catalytic processes is urgently required (e.g., developing a novel photosynthesis system). Here, we synthesized TiO2-supported atomically dispersed Cu species for N2 photofixation to nitrate in a flow reactor. The optimized photocatalyst yielded a high nitrate photosynthesis rate of 0.93 μmol h−1 and selectivity of ∼90%, which is superior to most of the values reported thus far. Further, experimental results and in-situ investigations revealed that the atomically dispersed Cu sites in the as-designed sample significantly enhanced the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers, adsorption and activation of reactants, and the formation of chemisorbed NOx intermediates, thereby realizing the excellent photofixation of N2 to nitrate.

Bifunctional photocatalysis for biomass conversion and fuel production not only utilizes abundant and renewable biomass resources, but also obtains high‐energy fuels while obtaining fine chemicals. It is a green, clean, efficient, low‐cost, and high‐value strategy, which is conducive to achieving carbon neutralization, carbon cycle, and solving energy and environmental problems. However, very few literatures have classified and analyzed the bifunctional photocatalysis of biomass. On the basis of latest research progress, the bifunctional photocatalysts based on the classification of biomass transformation coupled with fuel production (hydrogen production or CO2 reduction) by mainly using biomass conversion rate, biomass value‐added product yield, fuel (H2, CO) production rate, and so on as evaluation indicators are reviewed. The reaction mechanisms, development status, and prospects of bifunctional photocatalysts are analyzed, summarized and prospected. This review helps to better understand photocatalysts in a biomass transformation and fuel production bifunctional route.

Selective and efficient electrochemical conversion of cheap and abundant biomass derivatives into high‐value‐added products can provide a way to store large‐scale renewable intermittent energy such as wind energy, solar energy, etc. Although a large amount of research is devoted to developing highly efficient catalysts or disclosing the reaction processes, there are always challenges of conversion rate and selectivity, and the relevant comprehensive and in‐depth discussion is relatively scarce. This review introduces the basic principles and reaction processes from the charge transfer pathway of biomass electrochemical conversion. Then, for the design of the anode, the representative work is summarized and discussed in detail from the point of view of material adjustment, theoretical calculations, and in situ characterizations. Finally, insights for further optimization of the reaction systems are put forward. It is believed that this review provides guidance for the selection, design, and application of materials for high‐value‐added organic electrochemical synthesis.

Summary: While photocatalytic technology has brought additional opportunities and possibilities for the green conversion and sustainable development of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers, the low activation efficiency of the molecular N2 has impeded its further application feasibility. Here to address the concern, we designed an amorphous molybdenum hydroxide anchored on the ultrathin magnesium-aluminum layered double hydroxide (Mo@MgAl-LDH) nanosheets for benefiting the N2 photofixation to NH3. With the aid of the designed amorphous Mo(V) species, the pristine MgAl-LDH exhibited a considerable performance of nitrogen photofixation under visible light irradiation (NH3 production rate of 114.4 μmol g−1 h−1) due to the improved N2 activation efficiency. The work demonstrated a feasible strategy for nitrogen photofixation using amorphous Mo(V) species, which may also deliver a novel inspiration for the development of amorphous photocatalysts toward the photoactivation of molecular N2.

Photocatalysis, a critical strategy for harvesting sunlight to address energy demand and environmental concerns, is underpinned by the discovery of high-performance photocatalysts, thereby how to design photocatalysts is now generating widespread interest in boosting the conversion efficiency of solar energy. In the past decade, computational technologies and theoretical simulations have led to a major leap in the development of high-throughput computational screening strategies for novel high-efficiency photocatalysts. In this viewpoint, we started with introducing the challenges of photocatalysis from the view of experimental practice, especially the inefficiency of the traditional “trial and error” method. Subsequently, a cross-sectional comparison between experimental and high-throughput computational screening for photocatalysis is presented and discussed in detail. On the basis of the current experimental progress in photocatalysis, we also exemplified the various challenges associated with high-throughput computational screening strategies. Finally, we offered a preferred high-throughput computational screening procedure for photocatalysts from an experimental practice perspective (model construction and screening, standardized experiments, assessment and revision), with the aim of a better correlation of high-throughput simulations and experimental practices, motivating to search for better descriptors.

Abstract The selective oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE) is attracting increasing attention as a method for ethylene production. Typically, thermocatalysts operating at high temperatures are needed for C–H activation in ethane. In this study, we describe a low temperature (

Abstract Photocatalytic two-electron oxygen reduction to produce high-value hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is gaining popularity as a promising avenue of research. However, structural evolution mechanisms of catalytically active sites in the entire photosynthetic H2O2 system remains unclear and seriously hinders the development of highly-active and stable H2O2 photocatalysts. Herein, we report a high-loading Ni single-atom photocatalyst for efficient H2O2 synthesis in pure water, achieving an apparent quantum yield of 10.9% at 420 nm and a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 0.82%. Importantly, using in situ synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy we directly observe that initial Ni-N3 sites dynamically transform into high-valent O1-Ni-N2 sites after O2 adsorption and further evolve to form a key *OOH intermediate before finally forming HOO-Ni-N2. Theoretical calculations and experiments further reveal that the evolution of the active sites structure reduces the formation energy barrier of *OOH and suppresses the O=O bond dissociation, leading to improved H2O2 production activity and selectivity.

Abstract The widespread use of polyolefin plastics in modern societies generates huge amounts of plastic waste. With a view toward sustainability, researchers are now seeking novel and low-cost strategies for recycling and valorizing polyolefin plastics. Herein, we report the successful development of a photothermal catalytic recycling system for transforming polyolefin plastics into liquid/waxy fuels under concentrated sunlight or xenon lamp irradiation. Photothermal heating of a Ru/TiO2 catalyst to 200–300 °C in the presence of polyolefin plastics results in intimate catalyst-plastic contact and controllable hydrogenolysis of C-C and C-H bonds in the polymer chains (mediated by Ru sites). By optimizing the reaction temperature and pressure, the complete conversion of waste polyolefins into valuable liquid fuels (86% gasoline- and diesel-range hydrocarbons, C5-C21) is possible in short periods (3 h). This work demonstrates a simple and efficient strategy for recycling waste polyolefin plastics using abundant solar energy.

Abstract Methane as the main component in natural gas is a promising chemical raw material for synthesizing value‐added chemicals, but its harsh chemical conversion process often causes severe energy and environment concerns. Photocatalysis provides an attractive path to active and convert methane into various products under mild conditions with clean and sustainable solar energy, although many challenges remain at present. In this review, recent advances in photocatalytic methane conversion are systematically summarized. As the basis of methane conversion, the activation of methane is first elucidated from the structural basis and activation path of methane molecules. The study is committed to categorizing and elucidating the research progress and the laws of the intricate methane conversion reactions according to the target products, including photocatalytic methane partial oxidation, reforming, coupling, combustion, and functionalization. Advanced photocatalytic reactor designs are also designed to enrich the options and reliability of photocatalytic methane conversion performance evaluation. The challenges and prospects of photocatalytic methane conversion are also discussed, which in turn offers guidelines for methane‐conversion‐related photocatalyst exploration, reaction mechanism investigation, and advanced photoreactor design.

The king ratsnake (Elaphe carinata) of the genus Elaphe is a common large, non-venomous snake widely distributed in Southeast and East Asia. It is an economically important farmed species. As a non-venomous snake, the king ratsnake predates venomous snakes, such as cobras and pit vipers. However, the immune and digestive mechanisms of the king ratsnake remain unclear. Despite their economic and research importance, we lack genomic resources that would benefit toxicology, phylogeography, and immunogenetics studies. Here, we used single-tube long fragment read sequencing to generate the first contiguous genome of a king ratsnake from Huangshan City, Anhui province, China. The genome size is 1.56 GB with a scaffold N50 of 6.53M. The total length of the genome is approximately 621 Mb, while the repeat content is 42.26%. Additionally, we predicted 22,339 protein-coding genes, including 22,065 with functional annotations. Our genome is a potentially useful addition to those available for snakes.

Photothermal Fischer-Tropsch synthesis represents a promising strategy for converting CO into value-added chemicals. Here the authors report a Ru1Co single atom alloy catalyst for CO photo-hydrogenation to C5+ liquid fuels at ambient pressure, and confirm the role of Ru single atoms in promoting CO activation and C-C coupling whilst suppressing CH x * over-hydrogenation.

Abstract Photocatalytic water splitting is beneficial for the effective mitigation of global energy and environmental crises. Owing to multi‐exciton generation, impressive light harvesting, and excellent photochemical properties, the quantum dot (QD)‐based catalysts reveal a considerable potential in photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production compared with bulk competitors. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in QDs for photocatalytic H2 production by enumerating different synthetic and characterization strategies for QDs. Various QDs‐based photocatalysts are introduced and summarized in categories, and the role of different QDs in varied systems, as well as the mechanism and key factors that enhance the photocatalytic H2 generation performance, is discussed. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives in the exploration of highly efficient QDs‐based photocatalysts for innovative applications are highlighted.

Semiconductor‐based photocatalytic water splitting is one of the effective ways for future hydrogen (H2) production. However, the wide bandgap of most semiconductors severely limits the solar spectral absorption range, which seriously hinders their practical applications. Herein, porous N‐doped K2Nb2O6 nanocrystals with defective pyrochlore structure are rationally designed to extend the absorption range from ultraviolet to visible region around 550 nm by NH3 heat treatment. The obtained 6N–K2Nb2O6 shows the highest visible‐light activity with an H2 evolution rate of 20.4 μmol h−1 g−1. More detailed exploration demonstrates that NH3 heat treatment can promote the substitutional nitrogen doping in K2Nb2O6 crystals while accompanied by the formation of oxygen vacancies or Nb4+ species. The hybridization of N 2p and O 2p orbitals in the valence band (VB) of the nitrogen‐doped K2Nb2O6 makes the VB maximum move more negatively, whereas the conduction band minimum shifted more positively due to the role of defective Nb4+ species. Such a synergistic effect endows the samples with visible‐light absorption and greatly enhances charge separation and transfer efficiency, resulting in the excellent H2 production performance. This study provides additional insights into the understanding of the effect of nitrogen doping on photocatalysts with excellent visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic activity.

Abstract Fe‐N‐C catalysts represent very promising cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, owing to their outstanding activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), especially in alkaline media. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the design and synthesis of Fe‐N‐C catalysts rich in highly dispersed FeN x active sites. Special emphasis is placed on emerging strategies for tuning the electronic structure of the Fe atoms to enhance the ORR activity, and also maximizing the surface concentration of FeN x sites that are catalytically accessible during ORR. While great progress has been made over the past 5 years in the development of Fe‐N‐C catalyst for ORR, significant technical obstacles still need to be overcome to enable the large‐scale application of Fe‐N‐C materials as cathode catalysts in real‐world fuel cells.

Abstract Photocatalysis is an ideal and promising green technology to drive numerous chemical reactions for valued chemicals production under very mild conditions, thereby providing solutions to global energy and environment issues related to burning fossil fuels. Over the past decade, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), as the members in two‐dimensional materials family, have attracted much attention due to their many advantages in photocatalysis, such as facile synthesis, low cost and powerful tunability of composition. In this review, we provide a synthetic overview of recent research advances of LDH‐based photocatalysts, with the main discussion of the design strategies to improve their photocatalytic performance, including component control, defect engineering, hybridization, and topological transformation. Structure‐performance correlations and tailor‐made material synthesis strategies are elaborated to discuss how to realize high‐performance LDH‐based photocatalysts for three important reactions (i.e., water splitting, CO2 conversion, and N2 reduction) to generate desirable solar fuels. Further, the remaining challenges and future perspectives of LDH‐based photocatalysts are summed up, aiming to inspire brand new solutions for pushing forward the development of LDH‐based photocatalysis.

Abstract Heterogeneous catalysis is inseparable from interfacial mass transfer and chemical reaction processes determined by the structure and microenvironment. Different from high‐temperature thermochemical processes, photo‐ and electrocatalysis operated at mild conditions often involve both gas and liquid phases, making it important but challenging to characterize the reaction process typically occurring at the gas–liquid–solid interface. Herein, we review the scope, feasibility, and limitation of ten types of currently available technologies used to characterize interfacial wettability and mass transfer properties of various triple‐phase catalytic reactions. The review summarizes techniques from macroscopic contact angle measurement to microscopic environment electron microscopy for investigating the wettability‐controlled structure of triple‐phase interfaces. Experimental and computational methods in revealing the interfacial mass transfer process have also been systematically discussed, followed by a perspective on the opportunities and challenges of advanced characterization methods to help understand the fundamental reaction mechanism of triple‐phase catalysis.

Great advances have been made in CO2 electroreduction, however, the role of wettability-controlled interfacial structures remains poorly understood. Here, the authors apply confocal laser scanning microscopy to gain deeper understanding of these phenomena in gas diffusion electrodes.

Building crack monitoring is of great value to the judgment of building safety. In this study, the digital image processing technology was studied and applied to the monitoring of building cracks. Crack images were collected by CCD camera, and then operations such as graying, correction, denoising and segmentation were carried out to obtain clear crack images. The obtained images were processed morphologically to further improve the quality. Finally, the width and length of cracks were calculated. In the case analysis, the results of 15 cracks measured by a microscope were taken as the standards and compared with the calculated results. The results showed that the results calculated in this study and the manual measurement results differed little, and the average errors of the width and length were 0.021 mm and 0.024 mm respectively, which suggested that the method proposed had a high reliability. The findings of this study provide a new idea for the further development of the building crack monitoring field and is conducive to the accurate assessment of building safety.

High‐performance water‐splitting electrocatalysts are needed by the energy sector for sustainable hydrogen production. Herein, it is demonstrated that the surface decoration of a nickel foam (NF) with porous Ni/Ni3S2 microsheets yields an electrode with high electrical conductivity and an abundance of accessible Ni0–Ni3S2 interfaces as active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In 1 m potassium hydroxide, Ni–Ni3S2/NF exhibits outstanding HER activity (an overpotential of 57 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2) and similarly impressive OER activity (a low overpotential of only 295 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm−2). A water electrolyzer constructed using Ni–Ni3S2/NF as the HER and OER electrodes exhibits a low cell voltage of only 1.57 V with no obvious performance loss over 30 h, outperforming devices based on expensive Pt/C and RuO2 catalysts. To the best of the author's knowledge, Ni–Ni3S2/NF is one of the best non‐precious metal electrocatalysts reported to date for overall water splitting.

Nitrate products are widely used in manufacturing as crucial raw materials and fertilizers. The traditional nitrate synthesis process involves high energy consumption and emission, thereby opposing the goals of zero-carbon emission and green chemistry. Thus, a sustainable roadmap for nitrate synthesis that uses green energy input, clean N sources, and direct catalytic processes is urgently required (e.g., developing a novel photosynthesis system). Here, we synthesized TiO2-supported atomically dispersed Cu species for N2 photofixation to nitrate in a flow reactor. The optimized photocatalyst yielded a high nitrate photosynthesis rate of 0.93 μmol h-1 and selectivity of ~90%, which is superior to most of the values reported thus far. Further, experimental results and in-situ investigations revealed that the atomically dispersed Cu sites in the as-designed sample significantly enhanced the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers, adsorption and activation of reactants, and the formation of chemisorbed NOx intermediates, thereby realizing the excellent photofixation of N2 to nitrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-atom catalysts are a promising class of catalytic materials, but general synthetic methods are limited. Here, the authors develop a ligand-mediated strategy that allows the large-scale synthesis of diverse transition metal single atom catalysts supported on carbon.

The lithium–sulfur battery is one of the next-generation rechargeable battery candidates due to its high theoretical energy density and low cost. However, the sluggish conversion kinetics of soluble lithium polysulfides into insoluble Li2S2/Li2S leads to low sulfur utilization, retarded rate responses, and rapid capacity decay. Here, we enhance the sulfur reduction kinetics by designing and synthesizing a lamellar-structured NiFeLDH and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite. The assembly of a two-dimensional NiFeLDH with rGO, which has high conductivity and electrocatalytic activity, significantly enhances the electrochemical steps of sulfur reduction. The S@NiFeLDH/rGO cathode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 1014 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and a capacity of 930 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. Even at a high current density of 1 C, the S@NiFeLDH/rGO could maintain a high capacity of 554 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles.

Gold nanoclusters are known to grow stepwise from gold-thiolate monomers and oligomers. Here, the authors find that the evolution of silver nanoclusters differs completely from that of gold: rather than following a bottom-up pathway, the clusters evolve from similarly-sized Ag-thiolate cluster intermediates.

Solar energy is a green and sustainable clean energy source. Its rational use can alleviate the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Directly converting solar energy into heat energy is the most efficient method among all solar conversion strategies. Recently, various environmental and energy applications based on nanostructured photothermal materials stimulated the re-examination of the interfacial solar energy conversion process. The design of photothermal nanomaterials is demonstrated to be critical to promote the solar-to-heat energy conversion and the following physical and chemical processes. This review introduces the latest photothermal nanomaterials and their nanostructure modulation strategies for environmental (seawater evaporation) and catalytic (C1 conversion) applications. We present the research progress of photothermal seawater evaporation based on two-dimensional and three-dimensional porous materials. Then, we describe the progress of photothermal catalysis based on layered double hydroxide derived nanostructures, hydroxylated indium oxide nanostructures, and metal plasmonic nanostructures. Finally, we present our insights concerning the future development of this field.