Poly(ethylenimine)-assisted synthesis of hollow carbon spheres comprising multi-sized Ni species for CO_(2) electroreduction

Electrochemical CO_(2) reduction to produce value-added chemicals and fuels is one of the research hotspots in the field of energy conversion.The development of efficient catalysts with high conductivity and readily accessible active sites for CO_(2) electroreduction remains challenging yet indispensable.In this work,a reliable poly(ethyleneimine)(PEI)-assisted strategy is developed to prepare a hollow carbon nanocomposite comprising a single-site Ni-modified carbon shell and confined Ni nanoparticles(NPs)(denoted as Ni@NHCS),where PEI not only functions as a mediator to induce the highly dispersed growth of Ni NPs within hollow carbon spheres,but also as a nitrogen precursor to construct highly active atomically-dispersed Ni-Nx sites.Benefiting from the unique structural properties of Ni@NHCS,the aggregation and exposure of Ni NPs can be effectively prevented,while the accessibility of abundant catalytically active Ni-Nx sites can be ensured.As a result,Ni@NHCS exhibits a high CO partial current density of 26.9 mA cm^(-2) and a Faradaic efficiency of 93.0% at-1.0 V vs.RHE,outperforming those of its PEI-free analog.Apart from the excellent activity and selectivity,the shell confinement effect of the hollow carbon sphere endows this catalyst with long-term stability.The findings here are anticipated to help understand the structure-activity relationship in Ni-based carbon catalyst systems for electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction.Furthermore,the PEI-assisted synthetic concept is potentially applicable to the preparation of high-performance metal-based nanoconfined materials tailored for diverse energy conversion applications and beyond.

A cascade of in situ conversion of bicarbonate to CO_(2) and CO_(2) electroreduction in a flow cell with a Ni-N-S catalyst

Combination of CO_(2) capture using inorganic alkali with subsequently electrochemical conversion of the resultant HCO_(3)^(-)to high-value chemicals is a promising route of low cost and high efficiency.The electrochemical reduction of HCO_(3)^(-)is challenging due to the inaccessible of negatively charged molecular groups to the electrode surface.Herein,we adopt a comprehensive strategy to tackle this challenge,i.e.,cascade of in situ chemical conversion of HCO_(3)^(-)to CO_(2) and CO_(2) electrochemical reduction in a flow cell.With a tailored Ni-N-S single atom catalyst(SACs),where sulfur(S)atoms located in the second shell of Ni center,the CO_(2)electroreduction(CO_(2)ER)to CO is boosted.The experimental results and density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the introduction of S increases the p electron density of N atoms near Ni atom,thereby stabilizing^(*)H over N and boosting the first proton coupled electron transfer process of CO_(2)ER,i.e.,^(*)+e^(-)+^(*)H+^(*)CO_(2)→^(*)COOH.As a result,the obtained catalyst exhibits a high faradaic efficiency(FE_(CO)~98%)and a low overpotential of 425 mV for CO production as well as a superior turnover frequency(TOF)of 47397 h^(-1),outcompeting most of the reported Ni SACs.More importantly,an extremely high FECOof 90%is achieved at 50 mA cm^(-2)in the designed membrane electrode assembly(MEA)cascade electrolyzer fed with liquid bicarbonate.This work not only highlights the significant role of the second coordination on the first coordination shell of the central metal for CO_(2)ER,but also provides an alternative and feasible strategy to realize the electrochemical conversion of HCO_(3)^(-)to high-value chemicals.

Tailoring local structures of atomically dispersed copper sites for highly selective CO_(2) electroreduction

Atomically‐dispersed copper sites coordinated with nitrogen‐doped carbon(Cu–N–C)can provide novel possibilities to enable highly selective and active electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reactions.However,the construction of optimal local electronic structures for nitrogen‐coordinated Cu sites(Cu–N_(4))on carbon remains challenging.Here,we synthesized the Cu–N–C catalysts with atomically‐dispersed edge‐hosted Cu–N_(4) sites(Cu–N_(4)C_(8))located in a micropore between two graphitic sheets via a facile method to control the concentration of metal precursor.Edge‐hosted Cu–N_(4)C_(8) catalysts outperformed the previously reported M–N–C catalysts for CO_(2)‐to‐CO conversion,achieving a maximum CO Faradaic efficiency(FECO)of 96%,a CO current density of–8.97 mA cm^(–2) at–0.8 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),and over FECO of 90%from–0.6 to–1.0 V versus RHE.Computational studies revealed that the micropore of the graphitic layer in edge‐hosted Cu–N_(4)C_(8) sites causes the d‐orbital energy level of the Cu atom to shift upward,which in return decreases the occupancy of antibonding states in the*COOH binding.This research suggests new insights into tailoring the locally coordinated structure of the electrocatalyst at the atomic scale to achieve highly selective electrocatalytic reactions.

Enabling heterogeneous catalysis to achieve carbon neutrality: Directional catalytic conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids

The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emissions has exacerbated the deterioration of the global environment,which should be controlled to achieve carbon neutrality.Central to the core goal of achieving carbon neutrality is the utilization of CO_(2) under economic and sustainable conditions.Recently,the strong need for carbon neutrality has led to a proliferation of studies on the direct conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids,which can effectively alleviate CO_(2) emissions and create high-value chemicals.The purpose of this review is to present the application prospects of carboxylic acids and the basic principles of CO_(2) conversion into carboxylic acids through photo-,electric-,and thermal catalysis.Special attention is focused on the regulation strategy of the activity of abundant catalysts at the molecular level,inspiring the preparation of high-performance catalysts.In addition,theoretical calculations,advanced technologies,and numerous typical examples are introduced to elaborate on the corresponding process and influencing factors of catalytic activity.Finally,challenges and prospects are provided for the future development of this field.It is hoped that this review will contribute to a deeper understanding of the conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids and inspire more innovative breakthroughs.

High-efficiency sodium storage of Co_(0.85)Se/WSe_(2) encapsulated in N-doped carbon polyhedron via vacancy and heterojunction engineering

With the advantage of fast charge transfer,heterojunction engineering is identified as a viable method to reinforce the anodes'sodium storage performance.Also,vacancies can effectively strengthen the Na+adsorption ability and provide extra active sites for Na+adsorption.However,their synchronous engineering is rarely reported.Herein,a hybrid of Co_(0.85)Se/WSe_(2) heterostructure with Se vacancies and N-doped carbon polyhedron(CoWSe/NCP)has been fabricated for the first time via a hydrothermal and subsequent selenization strategy.Spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy confirms the phase interface of the Co_(0.85)Se/WSe_(2) heterostructure and the existence of Se vacancies.Density functional theory simulations reveal the accelerated charge transfer and enhanced Na+adsorption ability,which are contributed by the Co_(0.85)Se/WSe_(2) heterostructure and Se vacancies,respectively.As expected,the CoWSe/NCP anode in sodium-ion battery achieves outstanding rate capability(339.6 mAh g^(−1) at 20 A g^(−1)),outperforming almost all Co/W-based selenides.

Demonstration of a small‐scale power generator using supercritical CO_(2)

The supercritical CO_(2)(sCO_(2))power cycle could improve efficiencies for a wide range of thermal power plants.The sCO_(2)turbine generator plays an important role in the sCO_(2)power cycle by directly converting thermal energy into mechanical work and electric power.The operation of the generator encounters challenges,including high temperature,high pressure,high rotational speed,and other engineering problems,such as leakage.Experimental studies of sCO_(2)turbines are insufficient because of the significant difficulties in turbine manufacturing and system construction.Unlike most experimental investigations that primarily focus on 100 kW‐or MW‐scale power generation systems,we consider,for the first time,a small‐scale power generator using sCO_(2).A partial admission axial turbine was designed and manufactured with a rated rotational speed of 40,000 rpm,and a CO_(2)transcritical power cycle test loop was constructed to validate the performance of our manufactured generator.A resistant gas was proposed in the constructed turbine expander to solve the leakage issue.Both dynamic and steady performances were investigated.The results indicated that a peak electric power of 11.55 kW was achieved at 29,369 rpm.The maximum total efficiency of the turbo‐generator was 58.98%,which was affected by both the turbine rotational speed and pressure ratio,according to the proposed performance map.

Exploring the impact of Nafion modifier on electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction over Cu catalyst

Nafion as a universal polymer ionomer was widely applied for nanocatalysts electrode preparation.However,the effect of Nafion on electrocatalytic performance was often overlooked,especially for CO_(2)electrolysis.Herein,the key roles of Nafion for CO_(2)RR were systematically studied on Cu nanoparticles(NPs)electrocatalyst.We found that Nafion modifier not only inhibit hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)by decreasing the accessibility of H_(2)O from electrolyte to Cu NPs,and increase the CO_(2)concentration at electrocatalyst interface for enhancing the CO_(2)mass transfer process,but also activate CO_(2)molecule by Lewis acid-base interaction between Nafion and CO_(2)to accelerate the formation of^(*)CO,which favor of C–C coupling for boosting C_(2)product generation.Owing to these features,the HER selectivity was suppressed from 40.6%to 16.8%on optimal Cu@Nafion electrode at-1.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),and as high as 73.5%faradaic efficiencies(FEs)of C_(2)products were achieved at the same applied potential,which was 2.6 times higher than that on bare Cu electrode(~28.3%).In addition,Nafion also contributed to the long-term stability by hinder Cu NPs morphology reconstruction.Thus,this work provides insights into the impact of Nafion on electrocatalytic CO_(2)RR performance.

Surface engineering of ZnO electrocatalyst by N doping towards electrochemical CO_(2) reduction

The discovery of efficient,selective,and stable electrocatalysts can be a key point to produce the largescale chemical fuels via electrochemical CO_(2) reduction(ECR).In this study,an earth-abundant and nontoxic ZnO-based electrocatalyst was developed for use in gas-diffusion electrodes(GDE),and the effect of nitrogen(N)doping on the ECR activity of ZnO electrocatalysts was investigated.Initially,a ZnO nanosheet was prepared via the hydrothermal method,and nitridation was performed at different times to control the N-doping content.With an increase in the N-doping content,the morphological properties of the nanosheet changed significantly,namely,the 2D nanosheets transformed into irregularly shaped nanoparticles.Furthermore,the ECR performance of Zn O electrocatalysts with different N-doping content was assessed in 1.0 M KHCO_(3) electrolyte using a gas-diffusion electrode-based ECR cell.While the ECR activity increased after a small amount of N doping,it decreased for higher N doping content.Among them,the N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalysts showed the best CO selectivity,with a faradaic efficiency(FE_(CO))of 92.7%at-0.73 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),which was greater than that of an undoped Zn O electrocatalyst(FE_(CO)of 63.4%at-0.78 V_(RHE)).Also,the N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst exhibited outstanding durability for 16 h,with a partial current density of-92.1 mA cm^(-2).This improvement of N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst can be explained by density functional theory calculations,demonstrating that this improvement of N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst comes from(ⅰ)the optimized active sites lowering the free energy barrier for the rate-determining step(RDS),and(ⅱ)the modification of electronic structure enhancing the electron transfer rate by N doping.

Multi-objective optimization and evaluation of supercritical CO_(2) Brayton cycle for nuclear power generation

The supercritical CO_(2) Brayton cycle is considered a promising energy conversion system for Generation IV reactors for its simple layout,compact structure,and high cycle efficiency.Mathematical models of four Brayton cycle layouts are developed in this study for different reactors to reduce the cost and increase the thermohydraulic performance of nuclear power generation to promote the commercialization of nuclear energy.Parametric analysis,multi-objective optimizations,and four decision-making methods are applied to obtain each Brayton scheme’s optimal thermohydraulic and economic indexes.Results show that for the same design thermal power scale of reactors,the higher the core’s exit temperature,the better the Brayton cycle’s thermo-economic performance.Among the four-cycle layouts,the recompression cycle(RC)has the best overall performance,followed by the simple recuperation cycle(SR)and the intercooling cycle(IC),and the worst is the reheating cycle(RH).However,RH has the lowest total cost of investment(C_(tot))of$1619.85 million,and IC has the lowest levelized cost of energy(LCOE)of 0.012$/(kWh).The nuclear Brayton cycle system’s overall performance has been improved due to optimization.The performance of the molten salt reactor combined with the intercooling cycle(MSR-IC)scheme has the greatest improvement,with the net output power(W_(net)),thermal efficiencyη_(t),and exergy efficiency(η_(e))improved by 8.58%,8.58%,and 11.21%,respectively.The performance of the lead-cooled fast reactor combined with the simple recuperation cycle scheme was optimized to increase C_(tot) by 27.78%.In comparison,the internal rate of return(IRR)increased by only 7.8%,which is not friendly to investors with limited funds.For the nuclear Brayton cycle,the molten salt reactor combined with the recompression cycle scheme should receive priority,and the gas-cooled fast reactor combined with the reheating cycle scheme should be considered carefully.

Engineering of oxygen vacancy and bismuth cluster assisted ultrathin Bi_(12)O_(17)Cl_(2)nanosheets with efficient and selective photoreduction of CO_(2)to CO

The photocatalytic conversion of CO_(2)into solar‐powered fuels is viewed as a forward‐looking strategy to address energy scarcity and global warming.This work demonstrated the selective photoreduction of CO_(2)to CO using ultrathin Bi_(12)O_(17)Cl_(2)nanosheets decorated with hydrothermally synthesized bismuth clusters and oxygen vacancies(OVs).The characterizations revealed that the coexistences of OVs and Bi clusters generated in situ contributed to the high efficiency of CO_(2)–CO conversion(64.3μmol g^(−1)h^(−1))and perfect selectivity.The OVs on the facet(001)of the ultrathin Bi_(12)O_(17)Cl_(2)nanosheets serve as sites for CO_(2)adsorption and activation sites,capturing photoexcited electrons and prolonging light absorption due to defect states.In addition,the Bi‐cluster generated in situ offers the ability to trap holes and the surface plasmonic resonance effect.This study offers great potential for the construction of semiconductor hybrids as multiphotocatalysts,capable of being used for the elimination and conversion of CO_(2)in terms of energy and environment.

Continuous-flow electrosynthesis of urea and oxalic acid by CO_(2)-nitrate reduction and glycerol oxidation

Urea and oxalic acid are critical component in various chemical manufacturing industries.However,achieving simultaneous generation of urea and oxalic acid in a continuous-flow electrolyzer is a challenge.Herein,we report a continuous-flow electrolyzer equipped with 9-square centime-ter-effective area gas diffusion electrodes(GDE)which can simultaneously catalyze the glycerol oxidation reaction in the anode region and the reduction reaction of CO_(2) and nitrate in the cathode region,producing oxalic acid and urea at both the anode and cathode,respectively.The current density at low cell voltage(0.9 V)remained above 18.7 mA cm^(-2) for 10 consecutive electrolysis cycles(120 h in total),and the Faraday efficiency of oxalic acid(67.1%) and urea(70.9%)did not decay.Experimental and theoretical studies show that in terms of the formation of C-N bond at the cathode,Pd-sites can provide protons for the hydrogenation process of CO_(2) and NO_(3)^(-),Cu-sites can promote the generation of *COOH and Bi-sites can stabilize *COOH.In addition,in terms of glycerol oxidation,the introduction of Cu and Bi into Pd metallene promotes the oxidation of hydroxyl groups and the cleavage of C-C bond in glycerol molecules,respectively.

Molten salt construction of core-shell structured S-scheme CuInS_(2)@CoS_(2) heterojunction to boost charge transfer for efficient photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction

Weak redox ability and severe charge recombination pose significant obstacles to the advancement of CO_(2) photoreduction.To tackle this challenge and enhance the CO_(2) photoconversion efficiency,fabricating well-matched S-scheme heterostructure and establishing a robust built-in electric field emerge as pivotal strategies.In pursuit of this goal,a core-shell structured CuInS_(2)@CoS_(2)S-scheme heterojunction was meticulously engineered through a two-step molten salt method.This approach over the CuInS_(2)-based composites produced an internal electric field owing to the disparity be-tween the Fermi levels of CoS_(2) and CuInS_(2) at their interface.Consequently,the electric field facili-tated the directed migration of charges and the proficient separation of photoinduced carriers.The resulting CuInS_(2)@CoS_(2) heterostructure exhibited remarkable CO_(2) photoreduction performance,which was 21.7 and 26.5 times that of pure CuInS_(2) and CoS_(2),respectively.The S-scheme heterojunc-tion photogenerated charge transfer mechanism was validated through a series of rigorous anal-yses,including in situ irradiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,work function calculations,and differential charge density examinations.Furthermore,in situ infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations corroborated the fact that the CuInS_(2)@CoS_(2) heterojunction substan-tially lowered the formation energy of *COOH and *CO.This study demonstrates the application potential of S-scheme heterojunctions fabricated via the molten salt method in the realm of ad-dressing carbon-related environmental issues.

Kinetic-boosted CO_(2) electroreduction to formate via synergistic electric-thermal field on hierarchical bismuth with amorphous layer

Electrocatalytic converting CO_(2) into chemical products has emerged as a promising approach to achieving carbon neutrality.Herein,we report a bismuth-based catalyst with high curvature terminal and amorphous layer which fabricated via two-step electrodeposition achieves stable formate output in a wide voltage window of 600 mV.The Faraday efficiency(FE) of formate reached up to 99.4% at-0.8 V vs.RHE and it remained constant for more than 92 h at-15 mA cm^(-2).More intriguingly,FE formate of95.4% can be realized at a current density of industrial grade(-667.7 mA cm^(-2)) in flow cell.The special structure promoted CO_(2) adsorption and reduced its activation energy and enhanced the electric-thermal field and K^(+) enrichment which accelerated the reaction kinetics.In situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculation further confirmed that the introduction of amorphous structure is beneficial to adsorpting CO_(2)and stabling*OCHO intermediate.This work provides special insights to fabricate efficient electrocatalysts by means of structural and crystal engineering and makes efforts to realize the industrialization of bismuth-based catalysts.

Analysis of pressure response at an observation well against pressure build-up by early stage of CO_(2)geological storage project

To ensure a safe and stable CO_(2)storage,pressure responses at an observation well are expected to be an important and useful field monitoring item to estimate the CO_(2)storage behaviors and the aquifer parameters during and after injecting CO_(2),because it can detect whether the injected CO_(2)leaks to the ground surface or the bottom of the sea.In this study,pressure responses were simulated to present design factors such as well location and pressure transmitter of the observation well.Numerical simulations on the pressure response and the time-delay from pressure build-up after CO_(2)injection were conducted by considering aquifer parameters and distance from the CO_(2)injection well to an observation well.The measurement resolution of a pressure transmitter installed in the observation well was presented based on numerical simulation results of the pressure response against pressure build-up at the injection well and CO_(2)plume front propagations.Furthermore,the pressure response at an observation well was estimated by comparing the numerical simulation results with the curve of CO_(2)saturation and relative permeability.It was also suggested that the analytical solution can be used for the analysis of the pressure response tendency using pressure build-up and dimensionless parameters of hydraulic diffusivity.Thus,a criterion was established for selecting a pressure transducer installed at an observation well to monitor the pressure responses with sufficient accuracy and resolution,considering the distance from the injection well and the pressure build-up at the injection well,for future carbon capture and storage(CCS)projects.

A general descriptor for guiding the electrolysis of CO_(2)in molten carbonate

Molten carbonate is an excellent electrolyte for the electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)to carbonaceous materials.However,the electrolyte–electrode-reaction relationship has not been well understood.Herein,we propose a general descriptor,the CO_(2)activity,to reveal the electrolyte–electrode-reaction relationship by thermodynamic calculations and experimental studies.Experimental studies agree well with theoretical predictions that both cations(Li^(+),Ca^(2+),Sr^(2+)and Ba^(2+))and anions(BO_(2)^(-),Ti_(5)O_(14)^(8-),SiO_(3)^(2-))can modulate the CO_(2)activity to control both cathode and anode reactions in a typical molten carbonate electrolyzer in terms of tuning reaction products and overpotentials.In this regard,the reduction of CO_(3)^(2-)can be interpreted as the direct reduction of CO_(2)generated from the dissociated CO_(3)^(2-),and the CO_(2)activity can be used as a general descriptor to predict the electrode reaction in molten carbonate.Overall,the CO_(2)activity descriptor unlocks the electrolyte–electrode-reaction relationship,thereby providing fundamental insights into guiding molten carbonate CO_(2)electrolysis.

A review of interaction mechanisms and microscopic simulation methods for CO_(2)-water-rock system

This work systematically reviews the complex mechanisms of CO_(2)-water-rock interactions,microscopic simulations of reactive transport(dissolution,precipitation and precipitate migration)in porous media,and microscopic simulations of CO_(2)-water-rock system.The work points out the key issues in current research and provides suggestions for future research.After injection of CO_(2) into underground reservoirs,not only conventional pressure-driven flow and mass transfer processes occur,but also special physicochemical phenomena like dissolution,precipitation,and precipitate migration.The coupling of these processes causes complex changes in permeability and porosity parameters of the porous media.Pore-scale microscopic flow simulations can provide detailed information within the three-dimensional pore and throat space and explicitly observe changes in the fluid-solid interfaces of porous media during reactions.At present,the research has limitations in the decoupling of complex mechanisms,characterization of differential multi-mineral reactions,precipitation generation mechanisms and characterization(crystal nucleation and mineral detachment),simulation methods for precipitation-fluid interaction,and coupling mechanisms of multiple physicochemical processes.In future studies,it is essential to innovate experimental methods to decouple“dissolution-precipitation-precipitate migration”processes,improve the accuracy of experimental testing of minerals geochemical reaction-related parameters,build reliable characterization of various precipitation types,establish precipitation-fluid interaction simulation methods,coordinate the boundary conditions of different physicochemical processes,and,finally,achieve coupled flow simulation of“dissolution-precipitation-precipitate migration”within CO_(2)-water-rock systems.

The Capture and Catalytic Conversion of CO_(2) by Dendritic Mesoporous Silica-Based Nanoparticles

Dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles own three-dimensional center-radial channels and hierarchical pores,which endows themselves with super-high specific surface area,extremely large pore volumes,especially accessible internal spaces,and so forth.Dissimilar guest species(such as organic groups or metal nanoparticles)could be readily decorated onto the interfaces of the channels and pores,realizing the functionalization of dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles for targeted applications.As adsorbents and catalysts,dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles-based materials have experienced nonignorable development in CO_(2)capture and catalytic conversion.This comprehensive review provides a critical survey on this pregnant subject,summarizing the designed construction of novel dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles-based materials,the involved chemical reactions(such as CO_(2)methanation,dry reforming of CH_(4)),the value-added chemicals from CO_(2)(such as cyclic carbonates,2-oxazolidinones,quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones),and so on.The adsorptive and catalytic performances have been compared with traditional silica mesoporous materials(such as SBA-15 or MCM-41),and the corresponding reaction mechanisms have been thoroughly revealed.It is sincerely expected that the in-depth discussion could give materials scientists certain inspiration to design brand-new dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles-based materials with superior capabilities towards CO_(2)capture,utilization,and storage.

Thermochemical splitting of CO_(2) on perovskites for CO production: A review

Energy supply dominated by fossil energy has been and remains the main cause of carbon dioxide emissions,the major greenhouse gas leading to the current grave climate change challenges.Many technical pathways have been proposed to address the challenges.Carbon capture and utilization(CCU) represents one of the approaches and thermochemical CO_(2) splitting driven by thermal energy is a subset of the CCU,which converts the captured CO_(2) into CO and makes it possible to achieve closed-loop carbon recirculation.Redox-active catalysts are among the most critical components of the thermochemical splitting cycles and perovskites are regarded as the most promising catalysts.Here we review the latest advancements in thermochemical cycles based on perovskites,covering thermodynamic principles,material modifications,reaction kinetics,oxygen pressure control,circular strategies,and demonstrations to provide a comprehensive overview of the topical area.Thermochemical cycles based on such materials require the consideration of trade-off between cost and efficiency,which is related to actual material used,operation mode,oxygen removal,and heat recovery.Lots of efforts have been made towards improving reaction rates,conversion efficiency and cycling stability,materials related research has been lacking-a key aspect affecting the performance across all above aspects.Double perovskites and composite perovskites arise recently as a potentially promising addition to material candidates.For such materials,more effective oxygen removal would be needed to enhance the overall efficiency,for which thermochemical or electrochemical oxygen pumps could contribute to efficient oxygen removal as well as serve as means for inert gas regeneration.The integration of thermochemical CO_(2) splitting process with downstream fuel production and other processes could reduce costs and increase efficiency of the technology.This represents one of the directions for the future research.

Regulation of interlayer channels of graphene oxide nanosheets in ultra-thin Pebax mixed-matrix membranes for CO_(2) capture

For the application of carbon capture by membrane process,it is crucial to develop a highly permeable CO_(2)-selective membrane.In this work,we reported an ultra-thin polyether-block-amide(Pebax)mixedmatrix membranes(MMMs)incorporated by graphene oxide(GO),in which the interlayer channels were regulated to optimize the CO_(2)/N_(2) separation performance.Various membrane preparation conditions were systematically investigated on the influence of the membrane structure and separation performance,including the lateral size of GO nanosheets,GO loading,thermal reduction temperature,and time.The results demonstrated that the precisely regulated interlayer channel of GO nanosheets can rapidly provide CO_(2)-selective transport channels due to the synergetic effects of size sieving and preferential adsorption.The GO/Pebax ultra-thin MMMs exhibited CO_(2)/N_(2) selectivity of 72 and CO_(2) permeance of 400 GPU(1 GPU=106 cm^(3)(STP)·cm^(2)·s^(-1)·cmHg^(-1)),providing a promising candidate for CO_(2) capture.

Boosting CO_(2) photoreduction by synergistic optimization of multiple processes through metal vacancy engineering

The photoreduction of greenhouse gas CO_(2) using photocatalytic technologies not only benefits en-vironmental remediation but also facilitates the production of raw materials for chemicals.Howev-er,the efficiency of CO_(2) photoreduction remains generally low due to the challenging activation of CO_(2) and the limited light absorption and separation of charge.Defect engineering of catalysts rep-resents a pivotal strategy to enhance the photocatalytic activity for CO_(2),with most research on met-al oxide catalysts focusing on the creation of anionic vacancies.The exploration of metal vacancies and their effects,however,is still underexplored.In this study,we prepared an In2O3 catalyst with indium vacancies(VIn)through defect engineering for CO_(2) photoreduction.Experimental and theo-retical calculations results demonstrate that VIn not only facilitate light absorption and charge sepa-ration in the catalyst but also enhance CO_(2) adsorption and reduce the energy barrier for the for-mation of the key intermediate*COOH during CO_(2) reduction.Through metal vacancy engineering,the activity of the catalyst was 7.4 times,reaching an outstanding rate of 841.32μmol g(-1)h^(-1).This work unveils the mechanism of metal vacancies in CO_(2) photoreduction and provides theoretical guidance for the development of novel CO_(2) photoreduction catalysts.