Upcycling plastic wastes into value-added products via electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis

Plastic,renowned for its versatility,durability,and cost-effectiveness,is indispensable in modern society.Nevertheless,the annual production of nearly 400 million tons of plastic,coupled with a recycling rate of only 9%,has led to a monumental environmental crisis.Plastic recycling has emerged as a vital response to this crisis,offering sustainable solutions to mitigate its environmental impact.Among these recycling efforts,plastic upcycling has garnered attention,which elevates discarded plastics into higher-value products.Here,electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic treatments stand at the forefront of advanced plastic upcycling.Electrocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic treatments involve chemical reactions that facilitate electron transfer through the electrode/electrolyte interface,driven by electrical or solar energy,respectively.These methods enable precise control of chemical reactions,harnessing potential,current density,or light to yield valuable chemical products.This review explores recent progress in plastic upcycling through electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic pathways,offering promising solutions to the plastic waste crisis and advancing sustainability in the plastics industry.

Valorization of Camellia oleifera oil processing byproducts to value-added chemicals and biobased materials: A critical review

The C.oleifera oil processing industry generates large amounts of solid wastes,including C.oleifera shell(COS)and C.oleifera cake(COC).Distinct from generally acknowledged lignocellulosic biomass(corn stover,bamboo,birch,etc.),Camellia wastes contain diverse bioactive substances in addition to the abundant lignocellulosic components,and thus,the biorefinery utilization of C.oleifera processing byproducts involves complicated processing technologies.This reviewfirst summarizes various technologies for extracting and converting the main components in C.oleifera oil processing byproducts into value-added chemicals and biobased materials,as well as their potential applications.Microwave,ultrasound,and Soxhlet extractions are compared for the extraction of functional bioactive components(tannin,flavonoid,saponin,etc.),while solvothermal conversion and pyrolysis are discussed for the conversion of lignocellulosic components into value-added chemicals.The application areas of these chemicals according to their properties are introduced in detail,including utilizing antioxidant and anti-in-flammatory properties of the bioactive substances for the specific application,as well as drop-in chemicals for the substitution of unrenewable fossil fuel-derived products.In addition to chemical production,biochar fabricated from COS and its applications in thefields of adsorption,supercapacitor,soil remediation and wood composites are comprehensively reviewed and discussed.Finally,based on the compositions and structural characteristics of C.oleifera byproducts,the development of full-component valorization strategies and the expansion of the appli-cationfields are proposed.

Reactive ball-milling synthesis of Co-Fe bimetallic catalyst for efficient hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to value-added hydrocarbons

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2) using renewable hydrogen not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions,but also provides industrial chemicals.Herein,a Co-Fe bimetallic catalyst was developed by a facile reactive ball-milling method for highly active and selective hydrogenation of CO_(2) to value-added hydrocarbons.When reacted at 320℃,1.0 MPa and 9600 mL h^(-1) g_(cat)^(-1),the selectivity to light olefin(C_(2)^(=)-C_(4)^(=)) and C_(5)+ species achieves 57.3% and 22.3%,respectively,at a CO_(2) co nversion of 31.4%,which is superior to previous Fe-based catalysts.The CO_(2) activation can be promoted by the CoFe phase formed by reactive ball milling of the Fe-Co_(3)O_(4) mixture,and the in-situ Co_(2)C and Fe_(5)C_(2) formed during hydrogenation are beneficial for the C-C coupling reaction.The initial C-C coupling is related to the combination of CO species with the surface carbon of Fe/Co carbides,and the sustained C-C coupling is maintained by self-recovery of defective carbides.This new strategy contributes to the development of efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO_(2) to value-added hydrocarbons.

Artificial photosynthesis for high-value-added chemicals:Old material,new opportunity

Solar energy utilization has drawn attention due to ever-increasing environmental and energy issues.Photoelectrochemical(PEC)and photocatalytic(PC)water splitting for hydrogen production,which is the most popular and well-established solar-to-chemical conversion process,has been studied thoroughly to date but is now facing limitations related to low conversion efficiency.To resolve this issue,research in PEC cells or photocatalysts has recently aimed to produce alternative value-added chemicals by modifying their redox reactions,which potentially enables high economic reward to compensate for the low efficiency.Here,various kinds of redox reactions that decouple classic water splitting reactions to produce value-added chemicals via PEC and PC processes are introduced.Successful coupling of CO_(2) reduction,O_(2) reduction and organic synthesis with either water oxidation or water reduction is comprehensively discussed from the perspective of basic fundamental and product selectivity in terms of the band structure of materials,cocatalyst design,and thermodynamics and kinetics of the reactions.Throughout the review,future challenges and opportunities are suggested with respect to the redesigned artificial synthesis,which might be an alternative development for the commercialization of PEC or PC value-added chemical production technologies in the near future.

Food processing wastewater purification by microalgae cultivation associated with high value-added compounds production——A review

Microalgae have been considered as an efficient microorganism for wastewater treatment with simultaneously bioenergy and high value-added compounds production.However,the high energy cost associated with complicated biorefinery(e.g.microalgae cultivation,harvesting,drying,extraction,conversion,and purification)is a critical challenge that inhibits its large-scale application.Among different nutrition(e.g.carbon,nitrogen and phosphorous)sources,food processing wastewater is a relative safe and suitable one for microalgae cultivation due to its high organic content and low toxicity.In this review,the characteristic of different food wastewater is summarized and compared.The potential routes of value-added products(i.e.biofuel,pigment,polysaccharide,and amino acid)production along with wastewater purification are introduced.The existing challenges(e.g.biorefinery cost,efficiency and mechanism)of microalgal-based wastewater treatment are also discussed.The prospective of microalgae-based food processing wastewater treatment strategies(such as microalgae-bacteria consortium,poly-generation of bioenergy and value-added products)is forecasted.It can be observed that food wastewater treatment by microalgae could be a promising strategy to commercially realize waste source reduce,conversion and reutilization.

Influence of Pt/Ru anodic ratio on the valorization of ethanol by PEM electrocatalytic reforming towards value-added products

The ethanol electro-reforming process was studied over PtRu/C catalysts synthesized by the modified polyol method with different compositions.In particular,this work reports the influence of anodic Pt:Ru ratio(5:1,2:1 and 1:2)on the organic product distribution(acetaldehyde,acetic acid and ethyl acetate)and pure hydrogen generation at different current densities operation levels.Physicochemical characterization of the catalysts was made by X-ray diffraction(XRD),temperature-programmed reduction(TPR)and N_(2) adsorption-desorption measurements.XRD patterns showed that Ru is introduced into the Pt structure,forming an alloy between both metals.Also,the degree of alloy was higher by increasing the Ru amounts.From TPR profiles Pt was found to be properly reduced while Ru was both in metallic state and forming RuO2.The electrochemical behaviour of each catalyst towards ethanol electroreforming process was investigated through electrochemical techniques in a half cell and a single proton exchange membrane(PEM)cell systems.An intermediate Pt:Ru ratio was found to result in high current density and electrochemical surface area(ECSA)values along with lower amounts of adsorbed species.Also,Ru addition seems to diminish the degree of degradation of the catalyst.Based on characterization and in agreement with essays carried out in a PEM cell at mild conditions(80℃ and 1 atm),PtRu/C 2:1 anode provided the best electrocatalytic results in terms of current density(740 mA cm^(-2)),hydrogen production and selectivity toward acetic acid(up to 15%apart from acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate)while requiring the lowest energy consumption.

Brief analysis on value-added tax transformation and its influence on enterprises

From Jan. 1st, 2009, the value-added tax transformation will be performed in all industries around the country. Based on value-added tax types and retrospection of reform practices, this article analyzes the background of the national value-added tax transformation and points out the influence of full implementation of the value-added tax transformation on various enterprises.

Evolution trends and structural decomposition of China's green value-added over 40 years of reform and opening-up

China's 40-year history of reform and opening-up includes rapid economic development as well as pollution and environmental governance.Using a four-stage division,this study explores the evolution trend and structural decomposition of China's green value-added by constructing a non-competitive input-output table for environmental pollution from 1978 to 2017.The results indicate that pollution production coefficients increased continuously,and the green value-added index decreased.Additionally,the structural decomposition showed that investment and export were critical for economic growth during the period,though they were accompanied by serious pollution problems.The pollution generated by the raw material(represented by coal mining)and processing industries(represented by the textiles)were not controlled effectively.Pollution treatment for these industries should be strengthened in the future.The study has implications for government officials,policy makers,and academics.First,China should make green development a core concept for economic development,increase environmental pollution governance,develop a“green GDP,”incorporate the external costs of environmental pollution into the national economic accounting system.Second,it must change the investment and export structure as well as the traditional economic development pattern that exacerbates pollution.Specifically,the country should develop industries with low pollution and promote the export of industries producing high value-added products and increase green GDP per capita.Third,it should closely monitor the development of highly polluting industries.Upgrading technology to reduce pollution and strengthening pollution treatment will reduce the number of polluting industries and improve environmental governance efficiency.

PoC: An IMS-based Wireless Value-added Service

This article introduces the Push-to-talk over Cellular( PoC) service, a new mobile value-added service based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Its implementation scheme is discussed and its Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling exchange flow is described. Target user groups are predicted based on the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the PoC service. The article purports that the PoC system could undoubtedly be used as a platform for new services such as multimedia messaging, instant messaging, presence, and picture receiving and sending. Just like the short message service, the PoC service will help the terminal vendors, equipment vendors, content providers and operators setup a win-for-all industrial value chain.

Export Value-Added of China’s Manufacturing Sector:Estimation and Mechanism Analysis

Estimation of domestic and overseas value-added of manufacturing sector is an important and difficult subject for the science-based evaluation of a country＇s trade interests under global value chain. Traditional HIY approach overestimates the domestic value- added of export. Although Koopman＇s method made certain improvements, it cannot utilize traditional I/O matrix and direct input coefficient matrix under the condition of incomplete information. By creating GAMS model, this paper addresses the above-mentioned problems and employs an improved model for the estimation of variations in domestic and overseas value-added of Chinese exports between 2002 and 2012. Our results indicate that by neglecting the export of processing trade, HIY approach overestimates the domestic value- added ratio of Chinese exports. As more imported intermediate inputs have been used in the export of processing trade, the estimation result of this paper have corrected deviations in the forecast of overseas value-added ratio and its tendencies based on HIY method Further analysis of specific factors of domestic value-added of export led to the discovery that the domestic value-added of export of processing trade and mixed trade is highly vulnerable to the impact of international capital inflow. It can be seen that the improved method for the estimation of value-added has indeed corrected the deviations in the estimation of China＇s value-added. In conclusion, China should accelerate the development of export of non- processing trade and trade in high-end services, and balance the relationship of export between local firms and foreign-funded firms, with a view to improving trade dependence and increasing the trade status of Chinese manufaeturing firms in global value chain.

International Competitiveness of China’s Manufacturing Sectors:Estimation Based on Trade in Value-added

Based on trade in value-added, this paper has estimated the revealed comparative advantage （RCA） of China＇s various manufacturing sectors between 1995 and 2011 and compared with the RCA indexes measured using conventional aggregate accounting approach. Results indicate that： （1） the RCA index measured using conventional aggregate accounting approach has underestimated China＇s comparative advantage of labor-intensive sectors but overestimated China＇s comparative advantage in capital, knowledge and technology-intensive manufacturing sectors, giving rise to a serious misjudgment. （2） The RCA measured using value-added approach shows that in the industry chain layout of global manufacturing sectors, China＇s comparative advantage is still concentrated in labor-intensive manufacturing sectors but has signs of weakening; in capital, knowledge and technology-intensive sectors, China is yet to develop any significant comparative advantage; there are signs that China is developing comparative advantage in capital-intensive sectors yet China＇s comparative disadvantage in knowledge and technology-intensive sectors has no significant tendency to improve. This result not only helps correct the misjudgment of China＇s competitiveness in manufacturing sectors based on conventional aggregate accounting approach but offers important policy implications for setting strategic directions and policies for China＇s manufacturing transition and upgrade.

Operational mechanism of comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy efficient renovation project based on value-added life

The comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project cannot be separated from the scientific and effective evaluation mechanism.Based on the value-added life perspective,this paper analyzes the implementation subject,standard,system and principle of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project.It plans the process of comprehensive benefit evaluation,and builds a scientific and reasonable operation platform of evaluation system,with a view to promoting the effective implementation of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy-saving retrofits.

Distribution of Value-added Income of Collective Construction Land Entering the Market Based on the Subject Input Contribution and TOPSIS

In order to promote the revitalization and development of rural areas and protect the property rights of farmers,it is necessary to explore the reasonable distribution ratio of land value-added income in collective operating construction land.Under the existing land value-added income distribution model,the land value-added income obtained by the government is much greater than that of village collectives,and it is difficult for village collectives and farmers to enjoy greater benefits.This distribution model is not conducive to protecting the property rights of farmers.The results show that there was a positive correlation between land value-added income and land level,that is,the higher the land level was,the higher the value-added income and its ratio to the market transaction price were.According to calculation,the reasonable distribution ratio of the value-added income of collective operating construction land entering the market among the government,village collectives and farmers was 28.6%,51.1%,and 20.3%respectively.The actual land value-added income obtained by farmers was greatly improved compared with the current situation.In actual operation,this distribution mode has universal applicability.The reform of entering the market in the future also needs to raise the standards for entering the market,explore diversified interest protection channels,and strengthen the construction of rural collective management system.

Value-Added Tax （VAT） on Selected Financial Transactions

This paper deals with the approach to imposing value-added tax （VAT） on financial transactions. The VAT is a highly harmonized consumption tax within the European Union （EU）. VAT operational rules have been set down by the relevant directive of the Council of the EU. Under the directive, it is possible to select either exemption or taxation of financial transactions. Only the first option is permitted in the Czech Republic. Pros and cons of both models are described, in particular, the problems with determining the difference between financial transactions and other similar performance that must always be subject to tax. Potential lower VAT revenue or tax base assessment, as appropriate, seems to be crucial in the case of the taxation of financial transactions.

＂Add-ons＂ to the Value-Added of ELTs

Teacher evaluations intend to cultivate quality among teachers. However, since they are traditionally dependent on observers and their reports that are likely biased, the procedures probably effectuate discords among the calling-teaching professionals. An evaluation procedure that can ascertain fairness in the decisions about teacher retentions, terminations, promotions, and sanctions can capture the accordance of all teachers and teacher facilitators. This paper identifies the possibility of such an evaluation system that is built upon the existing value-added methods. Drawing upon the observations and recommendations by Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff （2012） on value-added methods of evaluation, and considering the uniqueness of ELTs （English Language Teachers） as it was observed by Borg （2006） and Lee （2010）, this paper describes the application of the value-added evaluation method, in gauging the quality of ELTs. The paper further explicates the vantages and conformities embodied in the procedure that could boost up the morale of ELTs as independent professionals of a creative art, and help them perform to their fullest potential

Value-added Evaluation System for Vocational School Students Construction and Practice Research

Student evaluation in the new era should be rooted in the educational macro background of"cultivating people by virtue"and comply with the overall policy orientation of educational evaluation reform.This research focuses on the construction and implementation of value-added evaluation system.Combined with the characteristics of vocational school students,this paper constructs a four-level index system and refines the student evaluation standards.The evaluation subjects are students,head teachers,teachers,parents and enterprise managers.Through the development of the related APP,it is convenient for each evaluation subject to input information,and finally use K-line chart to visually present the change process of the appreciation in students'literacy.A value-added evaluation system with strong timeliness,objectivity,motivation and operability is constructed.

A Practical Study on Value-Added Assessment in Primary English Education

As a programmatic document to guide the reform of educational assessment,the“General Plan for Deepening the Reform of Educational Assessment in the New Era”clearly points out the requirement for exploring value-added assessment[1].In the process of exploring,Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System(TVAAS),which was implemented in Tennessee,United States in 1992,has a certain referential significance to the practice of assessment reform in primary English education[2].This study aims to build a value-added assessment model in line with China’s learning conditions by using big data and carry out pilot experiments in order to promote the development of educational assessment in primary schools.

Geomorphology-oriented theoretical framework and construction method for value-added DEM

Digital elevation model(DEM)plays a fundamental role in the study of the earth system by expressing surface configuration,understanding surface process,and revealing surface mechanism.DEM is widely used in analysis and modeling in the field of geoscience.However,traditional DEM has the defect of single attribute,which is difficult to support the research in earth system science oriented to geoscience process and mechanism mining.Hence,realizing the value-added data model on the basis of traditional DEM is necessary to serve digital elevation modeling and terrain analysis under the background of a new geomorphology research paradigm and earth observation technology.A theoretical framework for value-added DEM that mainly includes concept,connotation,content,and categories,is constructed in this study.The relationship between different types of value-added DEMs as well as the research significance and application category of this theoretical framework are also proposed.The following are different methods of value-added DEMs:(1)value-added methods of DEM space and time dimensions that emphasize the integration of the ground and underground as well as coupling of time and space,(2)attribute-based value-added methods composed of material(including underground,surface,and ground)and morphological properties,and(3)value-added methods of features and physical elements that consider geographical objects and landform features formed by natural processes and artificial effects.The digital terrace,slope,and watershed models are used as examples to illustrate application scenarios of the three kinds of value-added methods.This study aims to improve expression methods of DEMs under the background of new surveying and mapping technologies by adding value to the DEM at three levels of dimensions,attributes,and elements as well as support knowledge-driven digital geomorphological analysis in the era of big data.

Waste Cotton-Derived Fiber-Based Thermoelectric Aerogel for Wearable and Self-Powered Temperature-Compression Strain Dual-Parameter Sensing

The rapid development of the global economy and population growth are accompanied by the production of numerous waste textiles.This leads to a waste of limited resources and serious environmental pollution problems caused by improper disposal.The rational recycling of wasted textiles and their transformation into high-value-added emerging products,such as smart wearable devices,is fascinating.Here,we propose a novel roadmap for turning waste cotton fabrics into three-dimensional elastic fiber-based thermoelectric aerogels by a one-step lyophilization process with decoupled self-powered temperature-compression strain dual-parameter sensing properties.The thermoelectric aerogel exhibits a fast compression response time of 0.2 s,a relatively high Seebeck coefficient of 43μV·K^(-1),and an ultralow thermal conductivity of less than 0.04 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1).The cross-linking of trimethoxy(methyl)silane(MTMS)and cellulose endowed the aerogel with excellent elasticity,allowing it to be used as a compressive strain sensor for guessing games and facial expression recognition.In addition,based on the thermoelectric effect,the aerogel can perform temperature detection and differentiation in self-powered mode with the output thermal voltage as the stimulus signal.Furthermore,the wearable system,prepared by connecting the aerogel-prepared array device with a wireless transmission module,allows for temperature alerts in a mobile phone application without signal interference due to the compressive strains generated during gripping.Hence,our strategy is significant for reducing global environmental pollution and provides a revelatory path for transforming waste textiles into high-value-added smart wearable devices.