Next‑Generation Green Hydrogen: Progress and Perspective from Electricity, Catalyst to Electrolyte in Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Green hydrogen from electrolysis of water has attracted widespread attention as a renewable power source.Among several hydrogen production methods,it has become the most promising technology.However,there is no large-scale renewable hydrogen production system currently that can compete with conventional fossil fuel hydrogen production.Renewable energy electrocatalytic water splitting is an ideal production technology with environmental cleanliness protection and good hydrogen purity,which meet the requirements of future development.This review summarizes and introduces the current status of hydrogen production by water splitting from three aspects:electricity,catalyst and electrolyte.In particular,the present situation and the latest progress of the key sources of power,catalytic materials and electrolyzers for electrocatalytic water splitting are introduced.Finally,the problems of hydrogen generation from electrolytic water splitting and directions of next-generation green hydrogen in the future are discussed and outlooked.It is expected that this review will have an important impact on the field of hydrogen production from water.

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Photo-oxidation of Thiophene by O_2 Adsorbed on Molecular Sieves

Photochemical oxidation of thiophene in n-octane/water extraction system using O2 as oxidant was studied. The reaction mechanism ofthiophene oxidation was proposed. Results obtained here can be used as the reference for the oxidative desulfurization of gasoline because thiophene is one of the main components containing sulfur in fluid catalytic cracking gasoline. Thiophene dissolved in n-octane was photodecomposed and removed into the water phase at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. A 500 W high-pressure mercury lamp （main wave length 365 nm, 0.22 kW/m） was used as light source for irradiation, and air was introduced by a gas pump to supply O2. Thiophene can be photo-oxidized to sulfone, oxalic acid, SO4^2-, and CO2. The desulfurization yield of thiophene in n-octane is 58.9% under photo-irradiation for 5 h under the conditions of air flow at 150 mL/min and V（water）：V（n-octane）=1：1. It can be improved to 92.3% by adding 0.15 g zeoliteartificial into 100 mL reaction system, which is the adsorbent for O2 and thiophene. And under such conditions, the photo-oxidation kinetics of thiophene with O2/zeoliteartificial is first-order with an apparent rate constant of 0.5047 h^-1 and a half-time of 1.37 h. The sulfur content can be depressed from 800 μL/L to less than 62 μL/L.

Promise and challenge of vanadium-based cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have got wide attention with the increasing demands for energy resource recently.It has a number of merits compared with lithium-ion batteries,such as enhanced safety,low cost and environmental friendliness.Vanadium-based materials have been developed to serve as the cathodes of ZIBs for many years.But there are also some challenges to construct high performance ZIBs in the future.Herein,we reviewed the research progress of vanadium-based cathodes and discussed the energy storage mechanisms in ZIBs.In addition,we summarized the major challenges faced by vanadium-based cathodes and the corresponding ways to improve electrochemical performance of ZIBs.Finally,some excellent vanadium-based cathodes are summarized to pave the way for future research in ZIBs.

Arylpiperazine derivatives of diphenylsulfide:Synthesis and evaluation for dual 5-HT_(1A)/SSRI activities

The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of arylpiperazine derivatives of diphenylsulfide with dual 5- HT1A/SSRI activities are reported. The target compounds exhibit low to moderate 5-HT transporter affinity and moderate to high 5- HT1A affinity, Compound 13a shows moderate dual activities and is a promising lead compound for further structure-activity relationships studies.

UV light absorbers executing synergistic effects of passivating defects and improving photostability for efficient perovskite photovoltaics

Metal halide perovskite-based solar cells(PSCs) have rapidly-increased power conversion efficiency(PCE)exceeding 25% but poor stability especially under ultraviolet(UV) light. Meanwhile, non-radiative recombination caused by diverse defects in perovskite absorbers and related interfaces is one of the major factors confining further development of PSCs. In this study, we systematically investigate the role of 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole(UVP) additive in perovskite layers. By adjusting the amount of doped UVP, the quality of perovskite absorbers is significantly improved with enlarged grains, longer lifetime and diffusion length of charge carriers. Furthermore, UVP not only reduces defects for less nonradiative recombination, but also matches energy level alignment for efficient interfacial charge extraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that N-donor of UVP molecule coordinates with undercoordinated Pb^(2+) on the surface. Interestingly, UVP incorporated in PbI_(2) protects the perovskite by absorbing UV through the opening and closing of the chelating ring. Eventually, the UVP treated PSCs obtain a champion PCE of 22.46% with remarkably enhanced UV stability, retaining over 90% of initial PCE after 60 m W/cm^(2) strong UV irradiation for 9 h while the control maintaining only 74%. These results demonstrate a promising strategy fabricating passivated and UV-resistant perovskite materials simultaneously for efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics.

Geochemistry and Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Early Paleozoic S-type Granites in the Eastern Qilian Block,Northwest China

The Qilian Block(QB)is a Precambrian micro-continent located in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.Prevalent Lower Paleozoic granitic magmatic rocks crop out in the QB.A new integrated study of zircon U-Pb ages and systematic whole-rock geochemical data for the Xindian,Dongjiazhuang and Xiaogaoling granites in the eastern segment of the QB constrains their emplacement ages,petrogenesis,and regional evolutionary history.U-Pb dating reveals that the Xindian granite was emplaced 454 Ma,and both the Dongjiazhuang and Xiaogaoling granites were emplaced ca.440 Ma.Geochemical study shows that all granites belong to the high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic series and are S-type granites formed by partial melting of continental crust,mainly metagraywacke.We infer that these ca.454–445 Ma granites formed in a syn-collisional setting during the continental collisional between the Qaidam and Qilian blocks.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of Fluorine and Cerium Codoped Nano-TiO_2 Powders

Nano-F-/Ce3+/TiO2 particles were prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in a mixed CF3COOH-Ce(NO3)3-H2O solution. The photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue in aqueous solution was used to evaluate their photocatalytic activities. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersion X-ray spectrum (EDS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The results showed that F- and Ce3+ were doped into TiO2. The appropriate content of fluorine and cerium were 2.0% and 1.0% (atom fraction) respectively. The codoped nano-F-/Ce3+/TiO2 particles had higher BET specific surface area, smaller crystallite size and higher photocatalytic activity than those of undoped TiO2 particles.

Synthesis and Properties of Novel Luminescent Compounds Containing Triphenylamine and Bipyridine Units

Blue luminescent compounds T1―T4 containing triphenylamine donors,bipyridine acceptors and olefinic linkers were synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR,13 C NMR and high resolution mass spectrometry（HRMS）.Four compounds T1―T4 exhibit excellent solubility in common solvents and good film forming properties.Quantum chemical calculations show that compounds T1―T4 have asymmetric linear structures and the proper highest occupied molecular orbital（HOMO） levels.The UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of the four compounds in dilute chloroform solutions and on the solid films were measured.It reveals that compounds T1―T4 exhibit similar spectral behavior,suggesting that these compounds can form amorphous state in solid films.The calculated absorption and emission spectra of compounds T1―T4 are in good agreement with experimentally determined ones.Compounds T1―T4 have absolute fluorescence quantum yield above 17% in dilute chloroform solutions.Four compounds possess high glass-transition temperature（T g） exceeding 97 ℃ and the maximum T g is 155.28 ℃ for compound T3.Cyclic voltammetry measurements show that these compounds have proper HOMO levels in a range of-5.01―-5.13 eV for hole injection.The properties of compounds T1―T4 indicate that these compounds are candidates for the application in organic light-emitting devices（OLEDs） as hole-transporting materials（HTMs）.

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of New Cephalosporin Compounds

Five new cephalosporin compounds were designed and synthesized, and the antibacterial activities were evaluated by the standard serial 2-fold agar dilution method in vitro. The results showed that the activities of the compounds Ia and lb against ESBL E. coli and K. pneumoniae are comparable to those of Cefepime.

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO_2 codoped with fluorine and ferric

Nano-F-/Fe3+/TiO2 particles were prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in a mixed CF3COOH-Fe(NO3)3-H2O solution. The photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue in aqueous solution was used as a probe to evaluate their photocatalytic activities. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),energy dispersion X-ray spectrum(EDS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) surface area analysis. The results show that F-and Fe 3+ are doped into TiO2. The F-and Fe3+ doping can help to enhance the nano-TiO2 photocatalytic activity greatly. The appropriate codoping conditions for F-Fe are n(F)/n(TiO2)=2%,n(Fe)/n(TiO2)=0.05%,and the degradation rate of methylene blue at 1 h is improved from 73.2% to 87.5%. The codoped nano-F-/Fe3+/TiO2 particles have higher BET specific surface area,smaller crystallite size and higher photocatalytic activity than those of undoped TiO2 particles.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Biological Activity of(3S,8a R)-3-((1-Allyl-1H-3-indolyl)methyl)-hexahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione

A derivative of Brevianamide F,（3 S,8 a R）-3-（（1-allyl-1 H-3-indolyl）methyl）-hexahy-dropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, was synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. This compound crystallizes in orthorhombic system, space group P212121 with a = 9.59590（10）, b = 12.70430（10）, c = 14.5425（2） ?, V = 1772.86（3） ?3, Z = 4, μ（CuK α） = 0.712 mm-1, Dc = 1.279 g/cm3, 16019 reflections measured（9.24 o≤2θ≤147.28°）, 3524 unique（Rint = 0.0309, Rsigma = 0.0175） which were used in all calculations. The final R = 0.0567（I > 2σ（I）） and w R = 0.1411（all data）. The structure exhibits intermolecular hydrogen bonds typed O–H…O, leading to the formation of one-dimensional chains. The title compound was tested for inhibitory activity toward B-16, C6, RM-1 and BV-2 cancer cell lines.

Synthesis,Structure and Photoelectric Property of a 3D Supramolecular Zinc Coordination Polymer

Using a rigid azo ligand 4-[（8-hydroxy-5-quinolinyl）azo]-benzoic acid（H2 L）,a new supramolecular compound [Zn（L）（H2O）2]n（1） has been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction,infrared spectrum,elemental analysis,power X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis.Compound 1 crystallizes in monoclinic,space group C2/c with a = 30.372（8）,b = 11.415（3）,c = 9.248（3） A,β = 106.94（3）o,V = 3067.20（15）A3,C（16）H（13）N3O5Zn,Mr = 392.66,Z = 8,Dc = 1.701 Mg/m^3; F（000） = 1600,μ = 1.636 mm^-1,reflections collected：7290,reflections unique：2735,R（int）= 0.0282,R = 0.0351,wR（all data） = 0.0919,GOOF on F^2 = 1.036.Compound 1 exhibits a one-dimensional（1 D） zig-zag chain structure connected into a three-dimensional（3D） supramolecular network through hydrogen bonding interactions.Fluorescent property and electrochemical property were detected on compound 1.

Cascade equilibrium stage relaxation method by introducing equilibrium efficiency parameter

Optimizing multistage processes,such as distillation or absorption,is a complex mixed-integer nonlinear programming(MINLP)problem.Relaxing integer into continuous variables and solving the easier nonlinear programming(NLP)problem is an optimization idea for the multistage process.In this article,we propose a relaxation method based on the efficiency parameter.When the efficiency parameter is 1or 0,the proposed model is equivalent to the complete existence or inexistence of the equilibrium stage.And non-integer efficiency represents partial existence.A multi-component absorption case shows a natural penalty for non-integer efficiency,which can assist the efficiency parameter converging to 0 or 1.However,its penalty is weaker than the existing relaxation models,such as the bypass efficiency model.In a simple distillation case,we show that this property can weaken the nonconvexity of the optimization problem and increase the probability of obtaining better optimization results.

Oxidation of Cyclohexane Catalyzed by TS-1 in Ionic Liquid with Tert-butyl-hydroperoxide

An efficient and environmentally friendly procedure was described for easy product isolation for the oxidation of cyclohexane with tert-butyl-hydroperoxide catalyzed by titanium silicalite 1 （TS-1） in ambient-temperature ionic liquid [emim]BF4. Good yield and higher selectivity of products were found in the ionic liquid compared with in molecular solvent. The research results showed 13.2% conversion of cyclohexane, 97.6% cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone selectivity were obtained in ionic liquid under mild conditions of 90℃.

Recent advances in spinel-type electrocatalysts for bifunctional oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

The demand for efficient and environmentally-benign electrocatalysts that help availably harness the renewable energy resources is growing rapidly. In recent years, increasing insights into the design of water electrolysers, fuel cells, and metal–air batteries emerge in response to the need for developing sustainable energy carriers, in which the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction play key roles. However, both reactions suffer from sluggish kinetics that restricts the reactivity. Therefore, it is vital to probe into the structure of the catalysts to exploit high-performance bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. Spinel-type catalysts are a class of materials with advantages of versatility, low toxicity, low expense, high abundance, flexible ion arrangement, and multivalence structure. In this review, we afford a basic overview of spinel-type materials and then introduce the relevant theoretical principles for electrocatalytic activity, following that we shed light on the structure–property relationship strategies for spinel-type catalysts including electronic structure, microstructure, phase and composition regulation,and coupling with electrically conductive supports. We elaborate the relationship between structure and property, in order to provide some insights into the design of spinel-type bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Kinetics of Esterification of 2-Keto-L-Gulonic Acid with Methanol Catalyzed by Cation Exchange Resin

The kinetics of esterification of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid with methanol in the liquid phase catalyzed by cation exchange resin, D001, was studied. The experiments were carried out in a stirred batch reactor at 318, 323, 328, 333, 338, 341 K under atmospheric pressure. It is found that the speed of rotating rate has no effect on the esterification rate in the range of 300-500 r/min and the effect of internal mass transfer resistance is not obvious. The effects of temperature and catalyst loading on the reaction rate were researched under the condition of eliminating the effect of diffusion. The rate was found to increase with the increase of the temperature and catalyst loading. The experimental data were correlated with a kinetic model based on the pseudo-homogeneous catalysis. The kinetic equation for describing the reaction catalyzed by cation exchange resin was developed. The experimental data are in good agreement with the model.

A Review on Applications of Layered Phosphorus in Energy Storage

Phosphorus in energy storage has received widespread attention in recent years. Both the high specific capacity and ion mobility of phosphorus may lead to a breakthrough in energy storage materials. Black phosphorus, an allotrope of phosphorus, has a sheet-like structure similar to graphite. In this review, we describe the structure and properties of black phosphorus and characteristics of the conductive electrode material, including theoretical calculation and analysis. The research progress in various ion batteries, including lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium–air batteries, and supercapacitors, is summarized according to the introduction of black phosphorus materials in different electrochemical applications. Among them, with the introduction of black phosphorus in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries, the research on the properties of black phosphorus and carbon composite is introduced. Based on the summary, the future development trend and potential of black phosphorus materials in the field of electrochemistry are analyzed.

The origin of sulfuryl-containing components in SEI from sulfate additives for stable cycling of ultrathin lithium metal anodes

In the light of wireless and non-fossil society based on portable electronics, electric vehicles, and smart grids, secondary batteries with higher energy density, faster charge, and safer operation are pursued persistently [1]. Nowadays, commercial lithium(Li)-ion batteries have been practically applied in our daily life. However,the energy density of Li-ion batteries based on intercalation chemistry is approaching to the theoretical value due to the limited specific capacity of graphite anode(372 mA h g-1) [2].

CNT modified by mesoporous carbon anchored by Ni nanoparticles for CO_(2) electrochemical reduction

The design of novel catalysts for efficient electroreduction of CO_(2) into valueadded chemicals is a promising approach to alleviate the energy crisis.Herein,we successfully modify the carbon nanotube by a layer of mesoporous carbon shell anchored by nickel(Ni)nanoparticles.Ni species effectively enable carbon deposition derived from pyrolysis of surfactant 1-hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide to form a mesoporous carbon shell.At the same time,Ni nanoparticles can be embedded in the mesoporous carbon shell due to the confinement effect.Owing to the dispersive Ni nanoparticles and N-doping active sites of mesoporous carbon,the as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibits exciting catalytic performance for the selective reduction of CO_(2) to carbon monoxide(CO)with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 98%at a moderate overpotential of−0.81 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode)and a high partial current density of 60 mA cm^(−2) in H-cell with an aqueous electrolyte.