Engineering g-C_(3)N_(4)based materials for advanced photocatalysis:Recent advances

Photocatalysis driven by abundant yet intermittent solar energy has considerable potential in renewable energy generation and environmental remediation.The outstanding electronic structure and physicochemical properties of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4)),together with unique metal-free characteristic,make them ideal candidates for advanced photocatalysts construction.This review summarizes the up-to-date advances on g-C_(3)N_(4)based photocatalysts from ingenious-design strategies and diversified photocatalytic applications.Notably,the advantages,fabrication methods and limitations of each design strategy are systemically analyzed.In order to deeply comprehend the inner connection of theory–structure–performance upon g-C_(3)N_(4)based photocatalysts,structure/composition designs,corresponding photocatalytic activities and reaction mechanisms are jointly discussed,associated with introducing their photocatalytic applications toward water splitting,carbon dioxide/nitrogen reduction and pollutants degradation,etc.Finally,the current challenges and future perspectives for g-C_(3)N_(4)based materials for photocatalysis are briefly proposed.These design strategies and limitations are also instructive for constructing g-C_(3)N_(4) based materials in other energy and environment-related applications.

Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

Multilevel carbon architecture of subnanoscopic silicon for fast‐charging high‐energy‐density lithium‐ion batteries

Silicon(Si)is widely used as a lithium‐ion‐battery anode owing to its high capacity and abundant crustal reserves.However,large volume change upon cycling and poor conductivity of Si cause rapid capacity decay and poor fast‐charging capability limiting its commercial applications.Here,we propose a multilevel carbon architecture with vertical graphene sheets(VGSs)grown on surfaces of subnanoscopically and homogeneously dispersed Si–C composite nanospheres,which are subsequently embedded into a carbon matrix(C/VGSs@Si–C).Subnanoscopic C in the Si–C nanospheres,VGSs,and carbon matrix form a three‐dimensional conductive and robust network,which significantly improves the conductivity and suppresses the volume expansion of Si,thereby boosting charge transport and improving electrode stability.The VGSs with vast exposed edges considerably increase the contact area with the carbon matrix and supply directional transport channels through the entire material,which boosts charge transport.The carbon matrix encapsulates VGSs@Si–C to decrease the specific surface area and increase tap density,thus yielding high first Coulombic efficiency and electrode compaction density.Consequently,C/VGSs@Si–C delivers excellent Li‐ion storage performances under industrial electrode conditions.In particular,the full cells show high energy densities of 603.5 Wh kg^(−1)and 1685.5 Wh L^(−1)at 0.1 C and maintain 80.7%of the energy density at 3 C.

Studies of an event-building algorithm of the readout system for the twin TPCs in HFRS

The High-energy Fragment Separator(HFRS),which is currently under construction,is a leading international radioactive beam device.Multiple sets of position-sensitive twin time projection chamber(TPC)detectors are distributed on HFRS for particle identification and beam monitoring.The twin TPCs'readout electronics system operates in a trigger-less mode due to its high counting rate,leading to a challenge of handling large amounts of data.To address this problem,we introduced an event-building algorithm.This algorithm employs a hierarchical processing strategy to compress data during transmission and aggregation.In addition,it reconstructs twin TPCs'events online and stores only the reconstructed particle information,which significantly reduces the burden on data transmission and storage resources.Simulation studies demonstrated that the algorithm accurately matches twin TPCs'events and reduces more than 98%of the data volume at a counting rate of 500 kHz/channel.

Thioacetamide Additive Homogenizing Zn Deposition Revealed by In Situ Digital Holography for Advanced Zn Ion Batteries

Zinc ion batteries are considered as potential energy storage devices due to their advantages of low-cost,high-safety,and high theoretical capacity.However,dendrite growth and chemical corrosion occurring on Zn anode limit their commercialization.These problems can be tackled through the optimization of the electrolyte.However,the screening of electrolyte additives using normal electrochemical methods is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Herein,a fast and simple method based on the digital holography is developed.It can realize the in situ monitoring of electrode/electrolyte interface and provide direct information concerning ion concentration evolution of the diffusion layer.It is effective and time-saving in estimating the homogeneity of the deposition layer and predicting the tendency of dendrite growth,thus able to value the applicability of electrolyte additives.The feasibility of this method is further validated by the forecast and evaluation of thioacetamide additive.Based on systematic characterization,it is proved that the introduction of thioacetamide can not only regulate the interficial ion flux to induce dendrite-free Zn deposition,but also construct adsorption molecule layers to inhibit side reactions of Zn anode.Being easy to operate,capable of in situ observation,and able to endure harsh conditions,digital holography method will be a promising approach for the interfacial investigation of other battery systems.

Corrigendum to“Towards a business model for second-life batteries:Barriers,opportunities,uncertainties,and technologies”[J.Energy Chem.78(2023)507–525]

In the Acknowledgments Section,please replace“Shell oil”for“TotalEnergies”.The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.For the sake of clarity(“Shell oil”should be removed and in boldblack“TotalEnergies”inserted),this section should say:The authors would like to thank Moura Batteries for the financial support.

Nondestructive and active interrogation system for special nuclear material:proof of principle and initial results

Herein,we employ the threshold energy neutron analysis(TENA)technique to introduce the world's first active interrogation system to detect special nuclear materials(SNMs),including U-235 and Pu-239.The system utilizes a DD neutron generator based on inertial electrostatic confinement(IEC)to interrogate suspicious objects.To detect secondary neutrons produced during fission reactions induced in SNMs,a tensioned metastable fluid detector(TMFD)is employed.The current status of the system's development is reported in this paper,accompanied by the results from experiments conducted to detect 10 g of highly enriched uranium(HEU).Notably,the experimental findings demonstrate a distinct difference in the count rates of measurements with and without HEU.This difference in count rates surpasses two times the standard deviation,indicating a confidence level of more than 96% for identifying the presence of HEU.The paper presents and extensively discusses the proof-of-principle experimental results,along with the system's planned trajectory.

Fuel cell performance assessment for closed-loop renewable energy systems

Fuel cells and electrolysis are promising candidates for future energy production from renewable energy sources. Usually, polymer electrolyte fuel cell systems run on hydrogen and air, while the most of electrolysis systems vent out oxygen as unused by-product. Replacing air with pure oxygen, fuel cell electrochemical performance, durability and system efficiency can be significantly increased with a further overall system simplification and increased reliability. This work, which represents the initial step for pure H;/O;polymer electrolyte fuel cell operation in closed-loop systems, focuses on performance validation of a single cell operating with pure H;/O;under different relative humidity（RH） levels, reactants stoichiometry conditions and temperature. As a result of this study, the most convenient and appropriate operative conditions for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack integrated in a closed loop system were selected.

Recent Advances in Structural Optimization and Surface Modification on Current Collectors for High‑Performance Zinc Anode:Principles,Strategies,and Challenges

The last several years have witnessed the prosperous development of zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs),which are considered as a promising competitor of energy storage systems thanks to their low cost and high safety.However,the reversibility and availability of this system are blighted by problems such as uncontrollable dendritic growth,hydrogen evolution,and corrosion passivation on anode side.A functionally and structurally well-designed anode current collectors(CCs)is believed as a viable solution for those problems,with a lack of summarization according to its working mechanisms.Herein,this review focuses on the challenges of zinc anode and the mechanisms of modified anode CCs,which can be divided into zincophilic modification,structural design,and steering the preferred crystal facet orientation.The possible prospects and directions on zinc anode research and design are proposed at the end to hopefully promote the practical application of ZIBs.

Epitaxially Grown Ru Clusters-Nickel Nitride Heterostructure Advances Water Electrolysis Kinetics in Alkaline and Seawater Media

The epitaxial heterostructure can be rationally designed based on the in situ growth of two compatible phases with lattice similarity,in which the modulated electronic states and tuned adsorption behaviors are conducive to the enhancement of electrocatalytic activity.Herein,theoretical simulations first disclose the charge transfer trend and reinforced inherent electron conduction around the epitaxial heterointerface between Ru clusters and Ni_(3)N substrate(cRu-Ni_(3)N),thus leading to the optimized adsorption behaviors and reduced activation energy barriers.Subsequently,the defectrich nanosheets with the epitaxially grown cRu-Ni_(3)N heterointerface are successfully constructed.Impressively,by virtue of the superiority of intrinsic activity and reaction kinetics,such unique epitaxial heterostructure exhibits remarkable bifunctional catalytic activity toward electrocatalytic OER(226 mV@20 mA cm^(−2))and HER(32 mV@10 mA cm^(−2))in alkaline media.Furthermore,it also shows great application prospect in alkaline freshwater and seawater splitting,as well as solar-to-hydrogen integrated system.This work could provide beneficial enlightenment for the establishment of advanced electrocatalysts with epitaxial heterointerfaces.

Defect Engineering of Carbons for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

Sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies are a vital prerequisite for neutral future carbon.To this end,carbon materials with attractive features,such as tunable pore architecture,good electrical conductivity,outstanding physicochemical stability,abundant resource,and low cost,have used as promising electrode materials for energy conversion and storage.Defect engineering could modulate the structures of carbon materials,thereby affecting their electronic properties.The presence of defects on carbons may lead to asymmetric charge distribution,change in geometrical configuration,and distortion of the electronic structure that may result in unexpected electrochemical performances.In this review,recent advances in defects of carbons used for energy conversion and storage were examined in terms of types,regulation strategies,and fine characterization means of defects.The applications of such carbons in supercapacitors,rechargeable batteries,and electrocatalysis were also discussed.The perspectives toward the development of defect engineering carbons were proposed.In all,novel insights related to improvement in high-performance carbon materials for future energy conversion and storage applications were provided.

Recent Advances in Wide-Bandgap Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite Solar Cells and Tandem Application

Perovskite-based tandem solar cells have attracted increasing interest because of its great potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit set for single-junction solar cells.In the tandem architectures,the wide-bandgap(WBG)perovskites act as the front absorber to offer higher open-circuit voltage(VOC)for reduced thermalization losses.Taking advantage of tunable bandgap of the perovskite materials,the WBG perovskites can be easily obtained by substituting halide iodine with bromine,and substituting organic ions FA and MA with Cs.To date,the most concerned issues for the WBG perovskite solar cells(PSCs)are huge VOC deficit and severe photo-induced phase separation.Reducing VOC loss and improving photostability of the WBG PSCs are crucial for further efficiency breakthrough.Recently,scientists have made great efforts to overcome these key issues with tremendous progresses.In this review,we first summarize the recent progress of WBG perovskites from the aspects of compositions,additives,charge transport layers,interfaces and preparation methods.The key factors affecting efficiency and stability are then carefully discussed,which would provide decent guidance to develop highly efficient and stable WBG PSCs for tandem application.

Reviewing perovskite oxide sites influence on electrocatalytic reactions for high energy density devices

Batteries,fuel cells,and supercapacitors are electrochemical devices already on the market and still need a boost in kinetics to match the high energy density demand of applications.Perovskites have attracted the scientific community's attention in the last decade due to their electrocatalytic activity,chemical and structural properties,tunability,low cost,and scalability.Efforts have been made to understand the active sites and the operational mechanisms in perovskite oxides to shape them as an electrocatalyst in advanced energy devices.Understanding the role of perovskites is the key to engineering more controlled and efficient electrocatalysts via chemical synthesis,and there is still much to do.This review highlights the use of perovskites in different energy storage and conversion systems.The A,B,and A&B doping-site effects are analyzed to understand the opportunities and challenges related to this class of materials.In addition,the synthesis methods and the properties related to the doping site are described and summarized.

Reducing voltage hysteresis of metal oxide anodes to achieve high energy efficiency for Li-ion batteries

In the past two decades,a lot of high-capacity conversion-type metal oxides have been intensively studied as alternative anode materials for Li-ion batteries with higher energy density.Unfortunately,their large voltage hysteresis(0.8-1.2 V) within reversed conversion reactions results in huge round-trip inefficiencies and thus lower energy efficiency(50%-75%) in full cells than those with graphite anodes.This remains a long-term open question and has been the most serious drawback toward application of metal oxide anodes.Here we clarify the origins of voltage hysteresis in the typical SnO2anode and propose a universal strategy to minimize it.With the established in situ phosphating to generate metal phosphates during reversed conversion reactions in synergy with boosted reaction kinetics by the added P and Mo,the huge voltage hysteresis of 0.9 V in SnO_(2),SnO_(2)-Mo,and 0.6 V in SnO2-P anodes is minimized to 0.3 V in a ternary SnO_(2)-Mo-P(SOMP) composite,along with stable high capacity of 936 mA h g^(-1)after 800 cycles.The small voltage hysteresis can remain stable even the SOMP anode operated at high current rate of10 A g^(-1)and wide-range temperatures from 60 to 30℃,resulting in a high energy efficiency of88.5% in full cells.This effective strategy to minimize voltage hysteresis has also been demonstrated in Fe2O3,Co3O4-basded conversion-type anodes.This work provides important guidance to advance the high-capacity metal oxide anodes from laboratory to industrialization.

Recent advances in paired electrolysis coupling CO_(2) reduction with alternative oxidation reactions

Electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)holds great promise in green energy conversion and storage.However,for current CO_(2) electrolyzers that rely on the oxygen evolution reaction,a large portion of the input energy is"wasted"at the anode due to the high overpotential requirement and the recovery of low-value oxygen.To make efficient use of the electricity during electrolysis,coupling CO_(2)RR with anodic alternatives that have low energy demands and/or profitable returns with high-value products is then promising.Herein,we review the latest advances in paired systems for simultaneous CO_(2) reduction and anode valorization.We start with the cases integrating CO_(2)RR with concurrent alternative oxidation,such as inorganic oxidation using chloride,sulfide,ammonia and urea,and organic oxidation using alcohols,aldehydes and primary amines.The paired systems that couple CO_(2)RR with on-site oxidative upgrading of CO_(2)-reduced chemicals are also introduced.The coupling mechanism,electrochemical performance and economic viability of these co-electrolysis systems are discussed.Thereby,we then point out the mismatch issues between the cathodic and anodic reactions regrading catalyst ability,electrolyte solution and reactant supply that will challenge the applications of these paired electrolysis systems.Opportunities to address these issues are further proposed,providing some guidance for future research.

Discovering exact,gauge-invariant,local energy–momentum conservation laws for the electromagnetic gyrokinetic system by high-order field theory on heterogeneous manifolds

Gyrokinetic theory is arguably the most important tool for numerical studies of transport physics in magnetized plasmas.However,exact local energy–momentum conservation laws for the electromagnetic gyrokinetic system have not been found despite continuous effort.Without such local conservation laws,energy and momentum can be instantaneously transported across spacetime,which is unphysical and casts doubt on the validity of numerical simulations based on the gyrokinetic theory.The standard Noether procedure for deriving conservation laws from corresponding symmetries does not apply to gyrokinetic systems because the gyrocenters and electromagnetic field reside on different manifolds.To overcome this difficulty,we develop a high-order field theory on heterogeneous manifolds for classical particle-field systems and apply it to derive exact,local conservation laws,in particular the energy–momentum conservation laws,for the electromagnetic gyrokinetic system.A weak Euler–Lagrange(EL)equation is established to replace the standard EL equation for the particles.It is discovered that an induced weak EL current enters the local conservation laws,and it is the new physics captured by the high-order field theory on heterogeneous manifolds.A recently developed gauge-symmetrization method for high-order electromagnetic field theories using the electromagnetic displacement-potential tensor is applied to render the derived energy–momentum conservation laws electromagnetic gauge-invariant.

Advances in nuclear detection and readout techniques

“A Craftsman Must Sharpen His Tools to Do His Job,”said Confucius.Nuclear detection and readout techniques are the foundation of particle physics,nuclear physics,and particle astrophysics to reveal the nature of the universe.Also,they are being increasingly used in other disciplines like nuclear power generation,life sciences,environmental sciences,medical sciences,etc.The article reviews the short history,recent development,and trend of nuclear detection and readout techniques,covering Semiconductor Detector,Gaseous Detector,Scintillation Detector,Cherenkov Detector,Transition Radiation Detector,and Readout Techniques.By explaining the principle and using examples,we hope to help the interested reader underst and this research field and bring exciting information to the community.

Sb-Cu alloy cathode with a novel lithiation mechanism of ternary intermetallic formation: Enabling high energy density and superior rate capability of liquid metal battery

Antimony(Sb) is an attractive cathode for liquid metal batteries(LMBs) because of its high theoretical voltage and low cost.The main obstacles associated with the Sb-based cathodes are unsatisfactory energy density and poor rate-capability.Herein,we propose a novel Sb_(64)Cu_(36)cathode that effectively tackles these issues.The Sb_(64)Cu_(36)(melting point:525℃) cathode presents a novel lithiation mechanism involving sequentially the generation of Li_(2)CuSb,the formation of Li_(3)Sb,and the conversion reaction of Li_(2)CuSb to Li_(3)Sb and Cu.The generated intermetallic compounds show a unique microstructure of the upper floated Li_(2)CuSb layer and the below cross-linked structure with interpenetrated Li_(2)CuSb and Li_(3)Sb phases.Compared with Li_(3)Sb,the lower Li migration energy barrier(0.188 eV) of Li_(2)CuSb significantly facilitates the lithium diffusion across the intermediate compounds and accelerates the reaction kinetics.Consequently,the Li‖Sb_(64)Cu_(36)cell delivers a more excellent electrochemical performance(energy density:353 W h kg^(-1)at 0.4 A cm^(-2);rate capability:0.59 V at 2.0 A cm^(-2)),and a much lower energy storage cost of only 38.45 $ kW h^(-1)than other previously reported Sb-based LMBs.This work provides a novel cathode design concept for the development of high-performance LMBs in applications for large-scale energy storage.

In situ and operando infrared spectroscopy of battery systems:Progress and opportunities

In situ and operando infrared spectroscopies are powerful techniques to support the design of novel materials for batteries and the development of new battery systems.These techniques can support the study of batteries by identifying the formation of new species and monitoring electrochemical energy stability.However,few works have employed these techniques,which can be used to investigate various materials,including systems beyond lithium-ion technology,in the research of batteries.Therefore,this review presents a comprehensive overview focusing on the main contributions of in situ and operando infrared spectroscopy for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)and other battery systems.These techniques can successfully identify the formation of species during the electrolyte reduction,electrode degradation,and the formation of the solid-electrolyte interphase(SEI)layer.From these outcomes,it is possible to conclude that this characterization approach should be employed as a protocol to overcome remaining issues in batteries,consequently supporting battery research.This review aims to be a guide on how infrared spectroscopy can contribute to monitoring battery systems and to lead researchers interested in applying this technique.

Metal-organic frameworks based single-atom catalysts for advanced fuel cells and rechargeable batteries

The next-generation energy storage systems such as fuel cells,metal-air batteries,and alkali metal(Li,Na)-chalcogen(S,Se)batteries have received increasing attention owing to their high energy density and low cost.However,one of the main obstacles of these systems is the poor reaction kinetics in the involved chemical reactions.Therefore,it is essential to incorporate suitable and efficient catalysts into the cell.These years,single-atom catalysts(SACs)are emerging as a frontier in catalysis due to their maximum atom efficiency and unique reaction selectivity.For SACs fabrication,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have been confirmed as promising templates or precursors due to their high metal loadings,structural adjustability,porosity,and tailorable catalytic site.In this review,we summarize effective strategies for fabricating SACs by MOFs with corresponding advanced characterization techniques and illustrate the key role of MOFs-based SACs in these batteries by explaining their reaction mechanisms and challenges.Finally,current applications,prospects,and opportunities for MOFs-based SACs in energy storage systems are discussed.