Boosting Peroxymonosulfate Activation via Co-Based LDH-Derived Magnetic Catalysts:A Dynamic and Static State Assessment of Efficient Radical-Assisted Electron Transfer Processes

Heterogeneous catalysts promoting efficient production of reactive species and dynamically stabilized electron transfer mechanisms for peroxomonosulfates(PMS)still lack systematic investigation.Herein,a more stable magnetic layered double oxides(CFLDO/N-C),was designed using self-polymerization and high temperature carbonization of dopamine.The CFLDO/N-C/PMS system effectively activated PMS to remove 99%(k=0.737 min^(-1))of tetracycline(TC)within 10 min.The CFLDO/N-C/PMS system exhibited favorable resistance to inorganic anions and natural organics,as well as satisfactory suitability for multiple pollutants.The magnetic properties of the catalyst facilitated the separation of catalysts from the liquid phase,resulting in excellent reproducibility and effectively reducing the leaching of metal ions.An electronic bridge was constructed between cobalt(the active platform of the catalyst)and PMS,inducing PMS to break the O-O bond to generate the active species.The combination of static analysis and dynamic evolution confirmed the effective adsorption of PMS on the catalyst surface as well as the strong radical-assisted electron transfer process.Eventually,we further identified the sites where the reactive species attacked the TC and evaluated the toxicity of the intermediates.These findings offer innovative insights into the rapid degradation of pollutants achieved by transition metals in SR-AOPs and its mechanistic elaboration.

Dual-Functional Electrode Promoting Dendrite-Free and CO_(2) Utilization Enabled High-Reversible Symmetric Na-CO_(2) Batteries

Sodium-carbon dioxide(Na-CO_(2))batteries are regarded as promising energy storage technologies because of their impressive theoretical energy density and CO_(2)reutilization,but their practical applications are restricted by uncontrollable sodium dendrite growth and poor electrochemical kinetics of CO_(2)cathode.Constructing suitable multifunctional electrodes for dendritefree anodes and kinetics-enhanced CO_(2)cathodes is considered one of the most important ways to advance the practical application of Na-CO_(2)batteries.Herein,RuO2 nanoparticles encapsulated in carbon paper(RuCP)are rationally designed and employed as both Na anode host and CO_(2)cathode in Na-CO_(2)batteries.The outstanding sodiophilicity and high catalytic activity of RuCP electrodes can simultaneously contribute to homogenous Na+distribution and dendrite-free sodium structure at the anode,as well as strengthen discharge and charge kinetics at the cathode.The morphological evolution confirmed the uniform deposition of Na on RuCP anode with dense and flat interfaces,delivering enhanced Coulombic efficiency of 99.5%and cycling stability near 1500 cycles.Meanwhile,Na-CO_(2)batteries with RuCP cathode demonstrated excellent cycling stability(>350 cycles).Significantly,implementation of a dendrite-free RuCP@Na anode and catalytic-site-rich RuCP cathode allowed for the construction of a symmetric Na-CO_(2)battery with long-duration cyclability,offering inspiration for extensive practical uses of Na-CO_(2)batteries.

Li intercalation in an MoSe_(2) electrocatalyst:In situ observation and modulation of its precisely controllable phase engineering for a high-performance flexible Li-S battery

Sophisticated efficient electrocatalysts are essential to rectifying the shuttle effect and realizing the high performance of flexible lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs).Phase transformation of MoSe_(2) from the 2H phase to the 1T phase has been proven to be a significant method to improve the catalytic activity.However,precisely controllable phase engineering of MoSe_(2) has rarely been reported.Herein,by in situ Li ions intercalation in MoSe_(2),a precisely controllable phase evolution from 2H-MoSe_(2) to 1T-MoSe_(2) was realized.More importantly,the definite functional relationship between cut-off voltage and phase structure was first identified for phase engineering through in situ observation and modulation methods.The sulfur host(CNFs/1T-MoSe_(2))presents high charge density,strong polysulfides adsorption,and catalytic kinetics.Moreover,Li-S cells based on it display capacity retention of 875.3mAh g^(-1) after 500 cycles at 1 C and an areal capacity of 8.71mAh cm^(-2) even at a high sulfur loading of 8.47mg cm^(-2).Furthermore,the flexible pouch cell exhibiting decent performance will endow a promising potential in the wearable energy storage field.This study proposes an effective strategy to precisely control the phase structure of MoSe_(2),which may provide the reference to fabricate the highly efficient electrocatalysts for LSBs and other energy systems.

Enabling High-Performance Sodium Battery Anodes by Complete Reduction of Graphene Oxide and Cooperative In-Situ Crystallization of Ultrafine SnO_(2)Nanocrystals

The main bottleneck against industrial utilization of sodium ion batteries(SIBs)is the lack of high-capacity electrodes to rival those of the benchmark lithium ion batteries(LIBs).Here in this work,we have developed an economical method for in situ fabrication of nanocomposites made of crystalline few-layer graphene sheets loaded with ultrafine SnO_(2)nanocrystals,using short exposure of microwave to xerogel of graphene oxide(GO)and tin tetrachloride containing minute catalyzing dispersoids of chemically reduced GO(RGO).The resultant nanocomposites(SnO_(2)@MWG)enabled significantly quickened redox processes as SIB anode,which led to remarkable full anode-specific capacity reaching 538 mAh g^(−1)at 0.05 A g^(−1)(about 1.45 times of the theoretical capacity of graphite for the LIB),in addition to outstanding rate performance over prolonged charge–discharge cycling.Anodes based on the optimized SnO_(2)@MWG delivered stable performance over 2000 cycles even at a high current density of 5 A g^(−1),and capacity retention of over 70.4%was maintained at a high areal loading of 3.4 mg cm^(−2),highly desirable for high energy density SIBs to rival the current benchmark LIBs.

Seamless Stitching of Redox Windows to Enable High-Voltage Resilient Solid Sodium Ion Batteries

While sulfide solid electrolytes such as Na_(11)Sn_(2)PS_(12)can allow fast transport of Na+ions,their utilization in solid sodium ion batteries is rather unsuccessful since they are not electrochemically compatible to both high-voltage cathodes and sodium metal anode.In this work,we devise an effective approach toward realizing solid sodium ion batteries,using the Na_(11)Sn_(2)PS_(12)electrolyte and slurry-coated NASICON-type Na_(3)MnTi(PO_(4))_(3)@C as high-voltage cathode,highly beneficial for low processing cost and high content/loading of active cathode matter.We report that through significantly improved integrity of electrolyte-cathode interface,such solid sodium ion batteries can deliver outstanding cycling and rate performance,with a charge voltage resilience up to 4.1 V,a high cathode discharge capacity of 128.7 mAh g^(-1)against the Na_(3)MnTi(PO_(4))_(3)@C in cathode is achieved at 0.05 C,and capacity retention ratio of 82%with a rate of 0.1 C is realized after prolonged cycling at room temperature.Besides,we demonstrate that such a solid sodium ion battery can even perform at a sub-zero Celsius temperature of-10℃,when the conventional control cell using liquid electrolyte completely fail to function.This work is to offer a dependable avenue in engineering next generation of safe solid ion batteries based on highly sustainable and much cheaper material resources.

The Nature of Active Sites for Plasmon-Mediated Photothermal Catalysis and Heat-Coupled Photocatalysis in Dry Reforming of Methane

Solar energy-induced catalysis has been attracting intensive interests and its quantum efficiencies in plasmon-mediated photothermal catalysis(P-photothermal catalysis)and external heat-coupled photocatalysis(E-photothermal catalysis)are ultimately determined by the catalyst structure for photo-induced energetic hot carriers.Herein,different catalysts of supported(TiO_(2)-P25 and Al_(2)O_(3))platinum quantum dots are employed in photo,thermal,and photothermal catalytic dry reforming of methane.Integrated experimental and computational results unveil different active sites(hot zones)on the two catalysts for photo,thermal,and photothermal catalysis.The hot zones of P-photothermal catalysis are identified to be the metal-support interface on Pt/P25 and the Pt surface on Pt/Al_(2)O_(3),respectively.However,a change of the active site to the Pt surface on Pt/P25 is for the first time observed in E-photothermal catalysis(external heating temperature of 700℃).The hot zones contribute to the significant enhancements in photothermal catalytic reactivity against thermocatalysis.This study helps to understand the reaction mechanism of photothermal catalysis to exploit efficient catalysts for solar energy utilization and fossil fuels upgrading.

Self-Assembled Junctions of 2D Single-Layer Semiconductors:A Potential Way toward Advanced Photocatalysis

Recently,Zhao et al.have reported achieving impressive solar water splitting efficiency,using self-assembled heterojunctions between two-dimensional(2D)near-single-layer carbon nitride nanosheets.^([1])What the authors did not realize was that their optical absorbance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),as summarized in Zhao et al.:^([1])figure 1,indicated that their 2D nanosheets were free of Fermi level pinning(FLP).

Three-dimensional Porous Networks of Ultra-long Electrospun SnO_2 Nanotubes with High Photocatalytic Performance

Recent progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology creates new opportunities in the design of novel SnO2 nanomaterials for photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical. Herein, we firstly highlight a facile method to prepare threedimensional porous networks of ultra-long SnO2 nanotubes through the single capillary electrospinning technique.Compared with the traditional SnO2 nanofibers, the as-obtained three-dimensional porous networks show enhancement of photocurrent and photocatalytic activity, which could be ascribed to its improved light-harvesting efficiency and high separation efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Besides, the synthesis route delivered three-dimensional sheets on the basis of interwoven nanofibrous networks, which can be readily recycled for the desirable circular application of a potent photocatalyst system.

In situ sulfur-doped graphene nanofiber network as efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for polysulfides redox reactions in lithium–sulfur batteries

The major challenge for realistic application of Li-S batteries lies in the great difficulty in breaking through the obstacles of the sluggish kinetics and polysulfides shuttle of the sulfur cathode at high sulfur loading for continuously high sulfur utilization during prolonged charge-discharge cycles.Here we demonstrate that large percentage of sulfur can be effectively incorporated within a three-dimensional(3D)nanofiber network of high quality graphene from chemical vapor deposition(CVD),through a simple ball-milling process.While high quality graphene network provided continuous and durable channels to enable efficient transport of lithium ions and electrons,the in-situ sulfur doping from the alloying effect of ball milling facilitated desirable affinity with entire sulfur species to prevent sulfur loss and highly active sites to propel sulfur redox reactions over cycling.This resulted in remarkable rate-performance and excellent cycling stability,together with large areal capacity at very high sulfur mass loading(Specific capacity over 666 mAh g-1after 300 cycles at 0.5 C,and areal capacity above 5.2 mAh cm-2at 0.2C at sulfur loading of 8.0 mg cm-2 and electrolyte/sulfur(E/S)ratio of 8μL mg-1;and high reversible areal capacities of 13.1 m Ah cm-2 at a sulfur load of 15 mg cm-2 and E/S of 5μL mg-1).

Confining sulfur in intact freestanding scaffold of yolk-shell nanofibers with high sulfur content for lithium-sulfur batteries

Nanostructure design holds great potential in fabricating sulfur electrodes that host a high sulfur loading and still attain high electrochemical utilization for the developing of high-energy-density lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries. In this contribution, we introduce the yolk-shell structure into a freestanding carbon nanofibers film and construct a complete hollow yolk-shell Ti O2/carbon nanofibers@void@TiN@carbon(TiO2-CNFs@void@Ti N@C) composite. With inherent double conductive network and strong adsorption capability for polysulfides, the Ti O2-CNFs@void@Ti N@C composite can not only provide sufficient electrical contact for the insulating sulfur, but also effectively entrap polysulfides for prolonged cycle life. As a result, an excellent capacity retention ratio of 60.9% after 1000 cycles at 1 C as well as a high capacity of688.5 mA h g^(-1) at 5 C rate is accomplished with the cells employing Ti O2-CNFs@void@TiN @C as a cathode substrate for sulfur. Moreover, the TiO2-CNFs@void@Ti N@C composite, with a high S mass loading of9.5 mg cm^(-2), delivers a superb areal capacity of 8.2 mAh cm^(-2).

Enabling Argyrodite Sulfides as Superb Solid-State Electrolyte with Remarkable Interfacial Stability Against Electrodes

While argyrodite sulfides are getting more and more attention as highly promising solid-state electrolytes(SSEs)for solid batteries,they also suffer from the typical sulfide setbacks such as poor electrochemical compatibility with Li anode and high-voltage cathodes and serious sensitivity to humid air,which hinders their practical applications.Herein,we have devised an effective strategy to overcome these challenging shortcomings through modification of chalcogen chemistry under the guidance of theoretical modeling.The resultant Li_(6.25)PS_(4)O_(1.25)Cl_(0.75)delivered excellent electrochemical compatibility with both pure Li anode and high-voltage LiCoO_(2)cathode,without compromising the superb ionic conductivity of the pristine sulfide.Furthermore,the current SSE also exhibited highly improved stability to oxygen and humidity,with further advantage being more insulating to electrons.The remarkably enhanced compatibility with electrodes is attributed to in situ formation of helpful electrolyte–electrode interphases.The formation of in situ anode–electrolyte interphase(AEI)enabled stable Li plating/stripping in the Li|Li_(6.25)PS_(4)O_(1.25)Cl_(0.75)|Li symmetric cells at a high current density up to 1 mA cm^(-2)over 200 h and 2 mA cm^(-2)for another 100 h.The in situ amorphous nano-film cathode–electrolyte interphase(CEI)facilitated protection of the SSE from decomposition at elevated voltage.Consequently,the synergistic effect of AEI and CEI helped the LiCoO_(2)|Li_(6.25)PS_(4)O_(1.25)Cl_(0.75)|Li full-battery cell to achieve markedly better cycling stability than that using the pristine Li_(6)PS_(5)Cl as SSE,at a high area loading of the active cathode material(4 mg cm^(-2))in type-2032 coin cells.This work is to add a desirable SSE in the argyrodite sulfide family,so that high-performance solid battery cells could be fabricated without the usual need of strict control of the ambient atmosphere.

Tracking charge transfer pathways in SrTiO_(3)/CoP/Mo_(2)C nanofibers for enhanced photocatalytic solar fuel production

Photocatalytic solar fuel generation is currently a hot topic because of its potential for solving the energy crisis owing to its low cost and zero-carbon emissions.However,the rapid bulk recombination of photoexcited carrier pairs is a fundamental disadvantage.To resolve this problem,we synthesized a dual cocatalysts system of cobalt phosphide(Co P)and molybdenum carbide(Mo_(2)C)embedded on strontium titanate(Sr TiO_(3))nanofibers.Compared with those of pristine SrTiO_(3) and binary samples,the dual cocatalysts system(denoted SCM)showed a significant improvement in the hydrogen evolution and CO_(2) reduction performance.Further,the structure of SCM effectively promoted spatial charge separation and enhanced the photocatalytic performance.In addition,the Schottky junction formed between the SrTiO_(3) and cocatalysts enabled the rapid transfer of photoexcited electrons from SrTiO_(3) to the cocatalysts,resulting in effective separation and prolonged photoexcited electron lifetimes.The electron migration route between SrTiO_(3) and the cocatalysts was determined by in situ irradiation X-ray spectroscopy,and band structures of Sr TiO_(3) and the cocatalysts are proposed based on results obtained from UV-vis diffraction reflection spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.On the basis of our results,the dual cocatalysts unambiguously boosts charge separation and enhances photocatalytic performance.In summary,we have investigated the flux of photoexcited electrons in a dual cocatalysts system and provided a theoretical basis and ideas for subsequent research.

Recent Advances in Effective Reduction of Graphene Oxide for Highly Improved Performance Toward Electrochemical Energy Storage

The demand for high-quality graphene from various applications promotes the exploration of various synthesis methods such as chemical vapor deposition,chemical reduction of graphite oxide,liquid-phase exfoliation,and electrochemical exfoliation.Among those,chemical treatments for the production of reduced graphene oxide(RGO)dictate the current technologies for mass production of graphene powder.However,such conventional chemical reduction methods are rather ineffective in removing oxygen-containing functional groups from graphene oxide(GO),with resultant RGO products containing high level of structural defects.This leads to significantly damaged crystallinity and drastically lowered electric and thermal conductivity,which is probably the main bottleneck to limit the performance of RGO-based materials.Great efforts such as thermal reduction,microwave-irradiation reduction,or other novel reduction methods(e.g.,photoreduction)have been developed to repair defects in RGO materials.This perspective review is to outline the latest advances toward effective reduction of GO for significantly enhanced properties.We demonstrate that effectively repaired RGO with large specific surface area and highly improved crystallinity is key to highly improved electric and thermal conductivity,thus leading to significantly enhanced properties essential for chemical energy storage devices.

Atomic Layer Coated Al_(2)O_(3) on Nitrogen Doped Vertical Graphene Nanosheets for High Performance Sodium Ion Batteries

Heteroatom doped graphene materials are considered as promising anode for high-performance sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).Defective and porous structure especially with large specific surface area is generally considered as a feasible strategy to boost reaction kinetics;however,the unwanted side reaction at the anode hinders the practical application of SIBs.In this work,a precisely controlled Al_(2)O_(3)coated nitrogen doped vertical graphene nanosheets(NVG)anode material has been proposed,which exhibits excellent sodium storage capacity and cycling stability.The ultrathin Al_(2)O_(3)coating on the NVG is considered to help construct an advantageous interface between electrode and electrolyte,both alleviating the electrolyte decomposition and enhancing sodium adsorption ability.As a result,the optimal Al_(2)O_(3)coated NVG materials delivers a high reversible capacity(835.0 mAh g^(-1))and superior cycling stability(retention of 92.3%after 5000 cycles).This work demonstrates a new way to design graphene-based anode materials for highperformance sodium-ion batteries.

Self-consistent assessment of Li^(+) ion cathodes:Theory vs.experiments

Transition metal oxide cathodes such as layered Li Co O_(2),spinel Li Mn_(2)O_(4) and olivine Li Fe PO4 have been commercialized for several decades and widely used in the rechargeable Li-ion batteries(LIBs).While great theoretical efforts have been made using the density functional theory(DFT)method,leading to insightful understanding covering materials stability and functional properties,the lack of consistency in choices of functionals and/or convergence criteria makes it somewhat difficult to compare results.It is therefore highly useful to assess these established systems towards self-consistency,thus offering a reliable working basis for theoretical formulation of novel cathodes.Here in this work,we have carried out systematic DFT calculations on the basis of recently established framework covering both thermodynamic stability,functional properties and associated mechanisms.Efforts have been made in selfconsistent selection of exchange-correlation(XC)functionals in terms of dependable accuracy with affordable computational cost,which is essential for high-throughput first-principles calculations.The outcome of the current work on three established cathode systems is in very good agreement with experimental data,and the methodology is to provide a solid basis for designing novel cathode materials without using costing non-local exchange-correlation functionals for structure-energy calculations.

Accelerating directional charge separation via built-in interfacial electric fields originating from work-function differences

In this work,a hierarchical porous SnS_(2)/rGO/TiO_(2)hollow sphere heterojunction that allows highly-efficient light utilization and shortening distance of charge transformation is rationally designed and synthesized.More importantly,an rGO interlayer is successfully embedded between the TiO_(2)hollow sphere shells and outermost SnS_(2)nanosheets.This interlayer functions as a bridge to connect the two light-harvesting semiconductors and acts as a hole injection layer in the tandem heterojunction.The induced built-in electric fields on both sides of the interface precisely regulate the spatial separation and directional migration of the photo-generated holes from the light-harvesting semiconductor to the rGO hole injection interlayer.These synergistic effects greatly prolong the lifetime of the photo-induced charge carriers.The optimized tandem heterojunction with a 2 wt%rGO loading demonstrate enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for Rhodamine B(RhB)dye degradation(removal rate:97.3%)and Cr(VI)reduction(removal rate:97.09%).This work reveals a new strategy for the rational design and assembly of hollow-structured photocatalytic materials with spatially separated reduction and oxidation surfaces to achieve excellent photocatalytic performance.

Recent advances based on Mg anodes and their interfacial modulation in Mg batteries

Magnesium(Mg)batteries(MBs),as post-lithium-ion batteries,have received great attention in recent years due to their advantages of high energy density,low cost,and safety insurance.However,the formation of passivation layers on the surface of Mg metal anode and the poor compatibility between Mg metal and conventional electrolytes during charge-discharge cycles seriously affect the performance of MBs.The great possibility of generating Mg dendrites has also caused controversy among researchers.Moreover,the regulation of Mg deposition and the enhancement of battery cycle stability is largely limited by interfacial stability between Mg metal anode and electrolyte.In this review,recent advances in interfacial science and engineering of MBs are summarized and discussed.Special attention is given to interfacial chemistry including passivation layer formation,incompatibilities,ion transport,and dendrite growth.Strategies for building stable electrode/interfaces,such as anode designing and electrolyte modification,construction of artificial solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)layers,and development of solid-state electrolytes to improve interfacial contacts and inhibit Mg dendrite and passivation layer formation,are reviewed.Innovative approaches,representative examples,and challenges in developing high-performance anodes are described in detail.Based on the review of these strategies,reference is provided for future research to improve the performance of MBs,especially in terms of interface and anode design.

Enhanced efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells by 2D perovskite vapor-assisted interface optimization

Organic–inorganic perovskites solar cells(PSCs)have attracted great attention due to their rapid progress in power conversion efficiency(PCE).However,there is still an enormous challenge to achieve both high efficiency and stability devices as the decomposition of perovskite materials under humid and light conditions.Herein,we demonstrate that high efficiency and stability of PSCs can be obtained by the reaction of three-dimensional(3D)perovskite with 1,4-butanediamine iodide(BEAI2)vapor.The incorporation of BEAI2 intensively promotes the crystallization of perovskite film with large grain size(~500 nm).Further characterization reveals that the post-treatment perovskite film delivered low interface trap density with long carrier lifetime(>200 ns),long carrier diffusion length(>600 nm)and large carrier mobility(>1.5 cm^2 V-1S-1).Solar cells employing such post-treatment films demonstrated 19.58%PCE without hysteresis.Moreover,the post-treatment devices can retain over 90%original efficiencies stored under ambient atmospheric conditions and exhibit better stability under 85℃and continuous illumination as a two-dimensional(2D)perovskite thin layer is formed on the surface/or at the grain boundaries of 3D perovskite.This study offers an effective way to obtain PSCs with high efficiency and stability.

Stable all-solid-state battery enabled with Li_(6.25)PS_(5.25)Cl_(0.75) as fast ion-conducting electrolyte

All-solid-state batteries(ASSB) with lithium anode have attracted ever-increasing attention towards developing safer batteries with high energy densities.While great advancement has been achieved in developing solid electrolytes(SE) with superb ionic conductivity rivalling that of the current liquid technology,it has yet been very difficult in their successful application to ASSBs with sustaining rate and cyclic performances.Here in this work,we have realized a stable ASSB using the Li_(6.25)PS_(5.25)Cl_(0.75) fast ionconducting electrolyte together with LiNbO_3 coated LiCoO_2 as cathode and lithium foil as the anode.The effective diffusion coefficient of Li-ions in the battery is higher than 10^(-12) cm~2 s^(-1),and the significantly enhanced electrochemical matching at the cathode-electrolyte interface was essential to enable long-term stability against high oxidation potential,with the LCO@LNO/Li_(6.25)PS_(5.25)Cl_(0.75)/Li battery to retain 74.12% capacity after 430 cycles at 100 μA cm-2 and 59.7% of capacity after 800 cycles at 50 μA cm^(-2),at a high charging cut-off voltage of 4.2 V.This demonstrates that the Li_(6.25)PS_(5.25)Cl_(0.75) can be an excellent electrolyte for the realization of stable ASSBs with high-voltage cathodes and metallic lithium as anode,once the electrochemical compatibility between cathode and electrolyte can be addressed with a suitable buffer coating.

Work Function and Electron Affinity of Semiconductors:Doping Effect and Complication due to Fermi Level Pinning

Semiconductors are a major category of functional materials essential to various applications to sustain the modern society.Most applied materials or devices utilizing semiconductors are enabled by interfaces or junctions,such as solar cells,electronic/photonic devices,environmental sensors,and redox hetero-catalysts.Herein,the author provides a critical commentary on photoemission measurement of the work function and,more importantly,the electron affinity of semiconductors essential for energy band diagram of heterojunctions.Particular effort is made towards addressing complications associated with Fermi level pinning due to surficial states of doped semiconductors.