Preface to Special Issue on Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The 70th anniversary of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has been celebrating in various ways through the year of 2019. DICP was established with the name of Scientific Research Institute of Dalian University on March 19, 1949, which is even a little earlier than the foundation of the People's Republic of China (October 1, 1949). Since then, the name of the institute has changed several times in order to fulfill the assigned regional and national research mission. In 1970, the institute was named as the “Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences”.

Special Issue: In celebration of the 70th anniversary of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics(DICP) is a comprehensive chemical engineering research institute with strong international reputation, which has made significant contributions to national economic construction, national security and the progress of science and technology(S&T).

History of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and the Friendship between China and Japan in catalysis

This article presents a history of the origins of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Abbreviated as DICP) and relates the recent friendship between China and Japan in the field of catalysis. Although the official beginning of DICP is in 1949 with the birth of the People’s Republic of China, there are earlier roots that went back to the defeat of Russia by Imperial Japan in 1905. This began a period of occupation and exploitation of Northest Asia by Japan which did not end until its defeat by Allied forces in 1945. During the period of occupation, a laboratory was created called the Central Research Laboratory of the South Manchurian Railroad Company, which was staffed by the best and brightest researchers from Japan, and was able to develop new processes in chemicals and synthetic fuels that fed the Japanese Imperial forces. Between 1945 and 1949, Dalian was administered by the Soviet Union, and the removable equipment from the Laboratory was taken. In this period one individual stood out, the Laboratory Director Marusawa Tsuneya, who risked his life to preserve the scientific records and staff of the institute, and then stayed in Dalian for ten years after the Second World War to help China rebuild its capabilities. The Central Research Laboratory is still preserved as the Old Campus of DICP.The origin of the friendship between China and Japan in catalysis can be traced to Professor Morikawa Kiyoshi, who worked in the Central Research Laboratory and helped commercialize a shale coal liquefaction process. Upon his return to Japan he became Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and in 1975 organized the first visit by Japanese academics to China. This was reciprocated in visits to Japan in 1977 and 1980 by top researchers such as Zhang Dayu, Min Enze, Tsai Khirui, Lu Jiaxi, and Lin Liwu. This resulted in numerous contacts between individuals, which multiplied geometrically. Notably among these were the personal interactions between Guo Xiexian, the Vice-Director of DICP and Tamaru Kenzi, a Professor at the University of Tokyo, which led to a friendship lasting decades and encompassing generations. In 1981, Guo Xiexian organized the first China-Japan-USA Symposium in Dalian, assisted by Tamaru Kenzi, which was attended by over 90 scientists. This meeting was a big success, and was to lead to the organization of many other multi-country conferences, further promoting exchanges. It culminated with the hosting of China of the 16th International Congress on Catalysis in 2016 in Beijing, with Li Can as President.Today DICP is a sprawling organization with over 1300 permanent staff, and is one of the powerhouses of catalysis in the world. From 2000, it has been led by Directors Bao Xinhe, Zhang Tao, and Liu Zhongmin. The Institute is making enormous contributions to research and producing cutting-edge technology, and its future is bright.

Electrochemical reconstruction of non-noble metal-based heterostructure nanorod arrays electrodes for highly stable anion exchange membrane seawater electrolysis

Direct seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production has been regarded as a viable route to utilize surplus renewable energy and address the climate crisis.However,the harsh electrochemical environment of seawater,particularly the presence of aggressive Cl^(-),has been proven to be prone to parasitic chloride ion oxidation and corrosion reactions,thus restricting seawater electrolyzer lifetime.Herein,hierarchical structure(Ni,Fe)O(OH)@NiCoS nanorod arrays(NAs)catalysts with heterointerfaces and localized oxygen vacancies were synthesized at nickel foam substrates via the combination of hydrothermal and annealing methods to boost seawater dissociation.The hiera rchical nanostructure of NiCoS NAs enhanced electrode charge transfer rate and active surface area to accelerate oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and generated sulfate gradient layers to repulsive aggressive Cl^(-).The fabricated heterostructure and vacancies of(Ni,Fe)O(OH)tuned catalyst electronic structure into an electrophilic state to enhance the binding affinity of hydroxyl intermediates and facilitate the structural transformation into amorphousγ-NiFeOOH for promoting OER.Furthermore,through operando electrochemistry techniques,we found that theγ-NiFeOOH possessing an unsaturated coordination environment and lattice-oxygen-participated OER mechanism can minimize electrode Cl^(-)corrosion enabled by stabilizing the adsorption of OH*intermediates,making it one of the best OER catalysts in the seawater medium reported to date.Consequently,these catalysts can deliver current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm-2for boosting OER at minimal overpotentials of 245and 316 mV,respectively,and thus prevent chloride ion oxidation simultaneously.Impressively,a highly stable anion exchange membrane(AEM)seawater electrolyzer based on the non-noble metal heterostructure electrodes reached a record low degradation rate under 100μV h-1at constant industrial current densities of 400 and 600 mA cm-2over 300 h,which exhibits a promising future for the nonprecious and stable AEMWE in the direct seawater electrolysis industry.

Catalyst design and structure control for photocatalytic refineries of cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals

Lignocellulosic biomass is the largest renewable hydrocarbon resource on earth.Converting cellulose,one of the major components of lignocellulose,powered by solar energy is a promising way of providing lowcarbon-footprint energy chemicals such as H_(2),HCOOH,CO,and transportation fuels.State-of-the-art biorefineries target the full use of biomass feedstocks as they have a maximum collection radius of 75-100 km,requesting efficient and selective photocatalysts that significantly influence the outcome of photocatalytic biorefineries.Well-performed photocatalysts can harvest a broad solar spectrum and are active in breaking the chemical bonds of cellulose,decreasing the capital investments of biorefineries.Besides,photocatalysts should control the selectivity of cellulose conversion,originating target products to level down separation costs.Charge separation in photocatalysts and interfacial charge transfer between photocatalysts and cellulose affect the activity and selectivity of cellulose refineries to H2 and carbonaceous chemicals.To account for the challenges above,this review summarizes photocatalysts for the refineries of cellulose and downstream platform molecules based on the types of products,with the structure features of different types of photocatalysts discussed in relation to the targets of either improving the activity or product selectivity.In addition,this review also sheds light on the methods for designing and regulating photocatalyst structures to facilitate photocatalytic refineries of cellulose and platform molecules,meanwhile summarizing proposed future research challenges and opportunities for designing efficient photocatalysts.

Catalytic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals and fuels

In the search of alternative resources to make commodity chemicals and transportation fuels for a low carbon future,lignocellulosic biomass with over 180-billion-ton annual production rate has been identified as a promising feedstock.This review focuses on the state-of-the-art catalytic transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into value-added chemicals and fuels.Following a brief introduction on the structure,major resources and pretreatment methods of lignocellulosic biomass,the catalytic conversion of three main components,i.e.,cellulose,hemicellulose and lignin,into various compounds are comprehensively discussed.Either in separate steps or in one-pot,cellulose and hemicellulose are hydrolyzed into sugars and upgraded into oxygen-containing chemicals such as 5-HMF,furfural,polyols,and organic acids,or even nitrogen-containing chemicals such as amino acids.On the other hand,lignin is first depolymerized into phenols,catechols,guaiacols,aldehydes and ketones,and then further transformed into hydrocarbon fuels,bioplastic precursors and bioactive compounds.The review then introduces the transformations of whole biomass via catalytic gasification,catalytic pyrolysis,as well as emerging strategies.Finally,opportunities,challenges and prospective of woody biomass valorization are highlighted.

Design Principles and Mechanistic Understandings of Non-Noble-Metal Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries

Zinc-air batteries(ZABs)are promising energy storage systems because of high theoretical energy density,safety,low cost,and abundance of zinc.However,the slow multi-step reaction of oxygen and heavy reliance on noble-metal catalysts hinder the practical applications of ZABs.Therefore,feasible and advanced non-noble-metal elec-trocatalysts for air cathodes need to be identified to promote the oxygen catalytic reaction.In this review,we initially introduced the advancement of ZABs in the past two decades and provided an overview of key developments in this field.Then,we discussed the work-ing mechanism and the design of bifunctional electrocatalysts from the perspective of morphology design,crystal structure tuning,interface strategy,and atomic engineering.We also included theoretical studies,machine learning,and advanced characterization technologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure-performance relationship of electrocatalysts and the reaction pathways of the oxygen redox reactions.Finally,we discussed the challenges and prospects related to designing advanced non-noble-metal bifunctional electrocatalysts for ZABs.

High-throughput mechanistic study of highly selective hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks for electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks(HOFs),an emerging porous macrocyclic materials linked by hydrogen-bond,hold potential for gas separation and storage,sensors,optical,and electrocatalysts.Here,HOF-based electrocatalysts are rationally developed for nitrates reduction to ammonia,allowing not only to regulate wastewater pollution but also to accomplish carbon-neutral ammonia(NH_(3))synthesis.We preform high-throughput computational screening of thirty-six HOFs with various metals as active sites,denoted as HOF-M1,for nitrate reduction reaction(NO_(3)RR)toward NH_(3).We have implemented a hierarchical four-step screening strategy,and ultimately,HOF-Ti1 was selected based on its exceptional catalytic activity and selectivity in the NO_(3)RR process.Through additional analysis,we discovered that the d band center of the active metal sites serves as an effective parameter for designing and predicting the performance of HOFs in NO_(3)RR.This research not only showcases the immense potential of electrocatalysis in transforming NO_(3)RR into NH_(3)but also provides researchers with a compelling incentive to undertake further experimental investigations.

The key challenges and future opportunities of electrochemical capacitors

Electrochemical capacitors(ECs)with unique merits of fast charge/discharge rate and long cyclability are one of the representative electrochemical energy storage systems,possessing wide applications in power electronics and automotive transportation,etc.[1,2].Furthermore.

Hierarchically Structured Nb_(2)O_5 Microflowers with Enhanced Capacity and Fast-Charging Capability for Flexible Planar Sodium Ion Micro-Supercapacitors

Planar Na ion micro-supercapacitors(NIMSCs) that offer both high energy density and power density are deemed to a promising class of miniaturized power sources for wearable and portable microelectron-ics. Nevertheless, the development of NIMSCs are hugely impeded by the low capacity and sluggish Na ion kinetics in the negative electrode.Herein, we demonstrate a novel carbon-coated Nb_(2)O_5 microflower with a hierarchical structure composed of vertically intercrossed and porous nanosheets, boosting Na ion storage performance. The unique structural merits, including uniform carbon coating, ultrathin nanosheets and abun-dant pores, endow the Nb_(2)O_5 microflower with highly reversible Na ion storage capacity of 245 mAh g^(-1) at 0.25 C and excellent rate capability.Benefiting from high capacity and fast charging of Nb_(2)O_5 microflower, the planar NIMSCs consisted of Nb_(2)O_5 negative electrode and activated car-bon positive electrode deliver high areal energy density of 60.7 μWh cm^(-2),considerable voltage window of 3.5 V and extraordinary cyclability. Therefore, this work exploits a structural design strategy towards electrode materials for application in NIMSCs, holding great promise for flexible microelectronics.

Design,progress and challenges of 3D carbon-based thermally conductive networks

The advent of the 5G era has stimulated the rapid development of high power electronics with dense integration.Three-dimensional(3D)thermally conductive networks,possessing high thermal and electrical conductivities and many different structures,are regarded as key materials to improve the performance of electronic devices.We provide a critical overview of carbonbased 3D thermally conductive networks,emphasizing their preparation-structure-property relationships and their applications in different scenarios.A detailed discussion of the microscopic principles of thermal conductivity is provided,which is crucial for increasing it.This is followed by an in-depth account of the construction of 3D networks using different carbon materials,such as graphene,carbon foam,and carbon nanotubes.Techniques for the assembly of two-dimensional graphene into 3D networks and their effects on thermal conductivity are emphasized.Finally,the existing challenges and future prospects for 3D carbon-based thermally conductive networks are discussed.

Modeling and analysis of air combustion and steam regeneration in methanol to olefins processes

Light olefins is the incredibly important materials in chemical industry.Methanol to olefins(MTO),which provides a non-oil route for light olefins production,received considerable attention in the past decades.However,the catalyst deactivation is an inevitable feature in MTO processes,and regeneration,therefore,is one of the key steps in industrial MTO processes.Traditionally the MTO catalyst is regenerated by removing the deposited coke via air combustion,which unavoidably transforms coke into carbon dioxide and reduces the carbon utilization efficiency.Recent study shows that the coke species over MTO catalyst can be regenerated via steam,which can promote the light olefins yield as the deactivated coke species can be essentially transferred to industrially useful synthesis gas,is a promising pathway for further MTO processes development.In this work,we modelled and analyzed these two MTO regeneration methods in terms of carbon utilization efficiency and technology economics.As shown,the steam regeneration could achieve a carbon utilization efficiency of 84.31%,compared to 74.74%for air combustion regeneration.The MTO processes using steam regeneration can essentially achieve the near-zero carbon emission.In addition,light olefins production of the MTO processes using steam regeneration is 12.81%higher than that using air combustion regeneration.In this regard,steam regeneration could be considered as a potential yet promising regeneration method for further MTO processes,showing not only great environmental benefits but also competitive economic performance.

Tuning the electronic conductance of REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,Pr)by structural deformation

Hydride ion(H-)conductors have drawn much attention due to their potential applications in hydrideion-based devices.Rare earth metal hydrides(REH_(x))have fast H-conduction which,unfortunately,is accompanied by detrimental electron conduction preventing their application as ion conductors.Here,REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,and Pr)with varied grain sizes,rich grain boundaries,and defects have been prepared by ball milling and subsequent sintering.The electronic conductivity of the ball-milled REH_(x)samples can be reduced by 2-4 orders of magnitude compared with the non-ball-milled samples.The relationship of electron conduction and miscrostructures in REH_(x)is studied and discussed based on experimental data and previously-proposed classical and quantum theories.The H-conductivity of all REH_(x)is about 10^(-4)to 10^(-3)S cm^(-1)at room temperature,showing promise for the development of H-conductors and their applications in clean energy storage and conversion.

Activation of hematite photoanode synthesized at low temperature by W doping

1.Introduction Solar water splitting offers a promising approach for green hydrogen production[1].There are many ways to achieve solar water splitting,such as photocatalytic(PC)water splitting,photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting,and photovoltaicelectrocatalytic(PV-EC)water splitting[2].

High-performance and robust high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes with moderate microphase separation by implementation of terphenyl-based polymers

Acid loss and plasticization of phosphoric acid(PA)-doped high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)are critical limitations to their practical application in fuel cells.To overcome these barriers,poly(terphenyl piperidinium)s constructed from the m-and p-isomers of terphenyl were synthesized to regulate the microstructure of the membrane.Highly rigid p-terphenyl units prompt the formation of moderate PA aggregates,where the ion-pair interaction between piperidinium and biphosphate is reinforced,leading to a reduction in the plasticizing effect.As a result,there are trade-offs between the proton conductivity,mechanical strength,and PA retention of the membranes with varied m/p-isomer ratios.The designed PA-doped PTP-20m membrane exhibits superior ionic conductivity,good mechanical strength,and excellent PA retention over a wide range of temperature(80–160°C)as well as satisfactory resistance to harsh accelerated aging tests.As a result,the membrane presents a desirable combination of performance(1.462 W cm^(-2) under the H_(2)/O_(2)condition,which is 1.5 times higher than that of PBI-based membrane)and durability(300 h at 160°C and 0.2 A cm^(-2))in the fuel cell.The results of this study provide new insights that will guide molecular design from the perspective of microstructure to improve the performance and robustness of HT-PEMs.

Sustainable production of high-energy-density jet fuel via cycloaddition reactions

Developing an energy supply-chain based on renewable biomass holds great potential to build a low carbon society.High-energy-density(HED)jet fuel,featuring unique fused/strained cycloalkanes,is of great significance for volume-limited military aircrafts,as their high density and combustion heat can extend flight duration and increase the payload.Therefore,the exploration of biomass-based routes towards HED fuel has drawn much attention over the past decade.Cycloaddition reaction features rapid construction of various carbocycles in an atom-and step-economical fashion.This elegant strategy has been widely applied in the manufacture of sustainable HED fuel.Here we carefully summarize the progress achieved in this fascinating area and the review is categorized by the cycloaddition patterns including[4+2],[2+2],[4+4],and[2+1]cycloadditions.Besides,the energy densities of the as-prepared biofuels and petroleumbased fuels(conventional Jet-A and advanced JP-10)are also compared.This review will provide important insights into rational design of new HED fuel with different ring-types/sizes and inspire the chemists to turn those literature studies into practical applications in military field.

Tuning the product selectivity of dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation over WO_(x) modified Cu/SiO_(2) catalysts

Product selectivity and reaction pathway are highly dependent on surface structure of heterogeneous catalysts.For vapor-phase hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate(DMO),"EG route"(DMO→methyl glycolate(MG)ethylene glycol(EG)→ethanol(ET))and"MA route"(DMO→MG→methyl acetate(MA))were proposed over traditional Cu based catalysts and Mo-based or Fe-based catalysts,respectively.Herein,tunable yield of ET(93.7%)and MA(72.1%)were obtained through different reaction routes over WO_(x) modified Cu/SiO_(2) catalysts,and the corresponding reaction route was further proved by kinetic study and in-situ DRIFTS technology.Mechanistic studies demonstrated that H_(2) activation ability,acid density and Cu-WO_(x) interaction on the catalysts were tuned by regulating the surface W density,which resulted in the different reaction pathway and product selectivity.What's more,high yield of MA produced from DMO hydrogenation was firstly reported with the H_(2) pressure as low as 0.5 MPa.

Built defects of homogeneous junction to enhance the lithium storage capacity of niobium pentoxide materials

Niobium pentoxide(Nb_(2)O_(5))is deemed one of the promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)for its outstanding intrinsic fast Li-(de)intercalation kinetics.The specific capacity,however,is still limited,because the(de)intercalation of excessive Li-ions brings the undesired stress to damage Nb_(2)O_(5) crystals.To increase the capacity of Nb_(2)O_(5) and alleviate the lattice distortion caused by stress,numerous homogeneous H-and M-phases junction interfaces were proposed to produce coercive stress within theNb_(2)O_(5)crystals.Such interfaces bring about rich oxygen vacancies with structural shrinkage tendency,which pre-generate coercive stress to resist the expansion stress caused by excessive Li-ions intercalation.Therefore,the synthesized Nb_(2)O_(5) achieves the highest lithium storage capacity of 315 mA h g−1 to date,and exhibits high-rate performance(118 mA h g^(-1) at 20 C)as well as excellent cycling stability(138 mA h g^(-1) at 10 C after 600 cycles).

Regeneration of copper catalysts mediated by molybdenum-based oxides

Cu catalysts,known for their unparalleled catalytic capabilities due to their unique electronic structure,have faced inherent challenges in maintaining long-term effectiveness under harsh hydrogenation conditions.Here,we demonstrate a molybdenum-mediated redispersion behavior of Cu under hightemperature oxidation conditions.The oxidized Cu nanoparticles with rich metal-support interfaces tend to dissolve into the MoO_(3)support upon heating to 600℃,which facilitates the subsequent regeneration in a reducing atmosphere.A similar redispersion phenomenon is observed for Cu nanoparticles supported on Zn O-modified MoO_(3).The modification of ZnO significantly improves the performance of the Cu catalyst for CO_(2)hydrogenation to methanol,with the high activity being well maintained after four repeated oxidation-reduction cycles.In situ spectroscopic and theoretical analyses suggest that the interaction involved in the formation of the copper molybdate-like compound is the driving force for the redispersion of Cu.This method is applicable to various Mo-based oxide supports,offering a practical strategy for the regeneration of sintered Cu particles in hydrogenation applications.

Application of machine learning in perovskite materials and devices:A review

Metal-halide hybrid perovskite materials are excellent candidates for solar cells and photoelectric devices.In recent years,machine learning(ML)techniques have developed rapidly in many fields and provided ideas for material discovery and design.ML can be applied to discover new materials quickly and effectively,with significant savings in resources and time compared with traditional experiments and density functional theory(DFT)calculations.In this review,we present the application of ML in per-ovskites and briefly review the recent works in the field of ML-assisted perovskite design.Firstly,the advantages of perovskites in solar cells and the merits of ML applied to perovskites are discussed.Secondly,the workflow of ML in perovskite design and some basic ML algorithms are introduced.Thirdly,the applications of ML in predicting various properties of perovskite materials and devices are reviewed.Finally,we propose some prospects for the future development of this field.The rapid devel-opment of ML technology will largely promote the process of materials science,and ML will become an increasingly popular method for predicting the target properties of materials and devices.