Recent advances in graphene-based phase change composites for thermal energy storage and management

Energy storage and conservation are receiving increased attention due to rising global energy demands.Therefore,the development of energy storage materials is crucial.Thermal energy storage(TES)systems based on phase change materials(PCMs)have increased in prominence over the past two decades,not only because of their outstanding heat storage capacities but also their superior thermal energy regulation capability.However,issues such as leakage and low thermal conductivity limit their applicability in a variety of settings.Carbon-based materials such as graphene and its derivatives can be utilized to surmount these obstacles.This study examines the recent advancements in graphene-based phase change composites(PCCs),where graphene-based nanostructures such as graphene,graphene oxide(GO),functionalized graphene/GO,and graphene aerogel(GA)are incorporated into PCMs to substantially enhance their shape stability and thermal conductivity that could be translated to better storage capacity,durability,and temperature response,thus boosting their attractiveness for TES systems.In addition,the applications of these graphene-based PCCs in various TES disciplines,such as energy conservation in buildings,solar utilization,and battery thermal management,are discussed and summarized.

Highly Active Interfacial Sites in SFT-SnO_(2) Heterojunction Electrolyte for Enhanced Fuel Cell Performance via Engineered Energy Bands:Envisioned Theoretically and Experimentally

Extending the ionic conductivity is the pre-requisite of electrolytes in fuel cell technology for high-electrochemical performance.In this regard,the introduction of semiconductor-oxide materials and the approach of heterostructure formation by modulating energy bands to enhance ionic conduction acting as an electrolyte in fuel cell-device.Semiconductor(n-type;SnO_(2))plays a key role by introducing into p-type SrFe_(0.2)Ti_(0.8)O_(3-δ)(SFT)semiconductor perovskite materials to construct p-n heterojunction for high ionic conductivity.Therefore,two different composites of SFT and SnO_(2)are constructed by gluing p-and n-type SFT-SnO_(2),where the optimal composition of SFT-SnO_(2)(6∶4)heterostructure electrolyte-based fuel cell achieved excellent ionic conductivity 0.24 S cm^(-1)with power-output of 1004 mW cm^(-2)and high OCV 1.12 V at a low operational temperature of 500℃.The high power-output and significant ionic conductivity with durable operation of 54 h are accredited to SFT-SnO_(2)heterojunction formation including interfacial conduction assisted by a built-in electric field in fuel cell device.Moreover,the fuel conversion efficiency and considerable Faradaic efficiency reveal the compatibility of SFT-SnO_(2)heterostructure electrolyte and ruled-out short-circuiting issue.Further,the first principle calculation provides sufficient information on structure optimization and energy-band structure modulation of SFT-SnO_(2).This strategy will provide new insight into semiconductor-based fuel cell technology to design novel electrolytes.

Development of Asymmetric Convection in a Tropical Cyclone under Environmental Uniform Flow and Vertical Wind Shear

Idealized numerical simulations have been carried out to reveal the complexity in the development of asymmetric convection in a tropical cyclone(TC)under the influence of an environment with either uniform flow,vertical wind shear(VWS),or both.Results show that rainwater is enhanced to the right of the motion in the outer rainband,but such enhancement occurs in the upshear-left area of the inner-core region.Additionally,due to the asymmetries introduced by environmental flow,wavenumber-1 temperature and height anomalies develop at a radius of~1000 km in the upper levels.A sub-vortex aside from the TC center encompassing the wavenumber-1 warm center appears,and asymmetric horizontal winds emerge,which,in turn,changes the storm-scale(within 400 km)VWS.Deep convection in the inner core closely follows the changing storm-scale VWS when its magnitude is larger than 2 m s^(-1) and is located downshear of the storm-scale VWS in all the experiments with environmental flow.In the outer rainbands,the maximum boundary layer convergence is mainly controlled by the direction of motion and is located in the rear-right quadrant.These results extend upon the findings of previous studies in three aspects:(1)The discovery of the roughly linear combination effect from the uniform flow and large-scale VWS;(2)The development of upper-level asymmetric winds on a 1000-km scale through the interaction between the TC vortex and environmental flow,resulting in changes in the storm-scale VWS pattern within the TC area;(3)The revelation that TC asymmetric convection closely aligns with the direction-varying storm-scale VWS instead of the initially designated VWS.

Multiple Tin Compounds Modified Carbon Fibers to Construct Heterogeneous Interfaces for Corrosion Prevention and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Currently,the demand for electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorbing materials with specific functions and capable of withstanding harsh environments is becoming increasingly urgent.Multi-component interface engineering is considered an effective means to achieve high-efficiency EMW absorption.However,interface modulation engineering has not been fully discussed and has great potential in the field of EMW absorption.In this study,multi-component tin compound fiber composites based on carbon fiber(CF)substrate were prepared by electrospinning,hydrothermal synthesis,and high-temperature thermal reduction.By utilizing the different properties of different substances,rich heterogeneous interfaces are constructed.This effectively promotes charge transfer and enhances interfacial polarization and conduction loss.The prepared SnS/SnS_(2)/SnO_(2)/CF composites with abundant heterogeneous interfaces have and exhibit excellent EMW absorption properties at a loading of 50 wt%in epoxy resin.The minimum reflection loss(RL)is−46.74 dB and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth is 5.28 GHz.Moreover,SnS/SnS_(2)/SnO_(2)/CF epoxy composite coatings exhibited long-term corrosion resistance on Q235 steel surfaces.Therefore,this study provides an effective strategy for the design of high-efficiency EMW absorbing materials in complex and harsh environments.

A distributed modeling approach to water balance implications from changing land cover dynamics in permafrost environments

There is 78%permafrost and seasonal frozen soil in the Yangtze River’s Source Region(SRYR),which is situated in the middle of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.Three distinct scenarios were developed in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)to model the effects of land cover change(LCC)on various water balance components.Discharge and percolation of groundwater have decreased by mid-December.This demonstrates the seasonal contributions of subsurface water,which diminish when soil freezes.During winter,when surface water inputs are low,groundwater storage becomes even more critical to ensure water supply due to this periodic trend.An impermeable layer underneath the active layer thickness decreases GWQ and PERC in LCC+permafrost scenario.The water transport and storage phase reached a critical point in August when precipitation,permafrost thawing,and snowmelt caused LATQ to surge.To prevent waterlogging and save water for dry periods,it is necessary to control this peak flow phase.Hydrological processes,permafrost dynamics,and land cover changes in the SRYR are difficult,according to the data.These interactions enhance water circulation throughout the year,recharge of groundwater supplies,surface runoff,and lateral flow.For the region’s water resource management to be effective in sustaining ecohydrology,ensuring appropriate water storage,and alleviating freshwater scarcity,these dynamics must be considered.

Merging polymers of intrinsic microporosity and porous carbon-based zinc oxide composites in novel mixed matrix membranes for efficient gas separation

Mixed matrix membranes(MMMs)have demonstrated significant promise in energy-intensive gas separations by amalgamating the unique properties of fillers with the facile processability of polymers.However,achieving a simultaneous enhancement of permeability and selectivity remains a formidable challenge,due to the difficulty of achieving an optimal match between polymers and fillers.In this study,we incorporate a porous carbon-based zinc oxide composite(C@ZnO)into high-permeability polymers of intrinsic microporosity(PIMs)to fabricate MMMs.The dipole–dipole interaction between C@ZnO and PIMs ensures their exceptional compatibility,mitigating the formation of non-selective voids in the resulting MMMs.Concurrently,C@ZnO with abundant interconnected pores can provide additional low-resistance pathways for gas transport in MMMs.As a result,the CO_(2) permeability of the optimized C@ZnO/PIM-1 MMMs is elevated to 13,215 barrer,while the CO_(2)/N_(2) and CO_(2)/CH_(4) selectivity reached 21.5 and 14.4,respectively,substantially surpassing the 2008 Robeson upper bound.Additionally,molecular simulation results further corroborate that the augmented membrane gas selectivity is attributed to the superior CO_(2) affinity of C@ZnO.In summary,we believe that this work not only expands the application of MMMs for gas separation but also heralds a paradigm shift in the application of porous carbon materials.

Structure, synthesis, and catalytic properties of nanosize cerium-zirconium-based solid solutions in environmental catalysis

Nanosize cerium-zirconium solid solution(CZO)with a special fluorite structure has received an increasing research interest due to their remarkable advantages such as excellent oxygen storage capacity and great flexibility in their composition and structure.By partial metal(including rare earth,transition,alkaline earth or other metal)doping into CZO,the physicochemical properties of these catalytic materials can be controllable adjusted for the study of specific reactions.To date,nanosize CZO has been prepared by co-precipitation,sol-gel,surfactant-assisted approach,solution combustion,micro-emulsion,high energy mechanical milling,etc.The advent of these methodologies has prompted researchers to construct well-defined networks with customized micromorphology and functionalities.In this review,we describe not only the basic structure and synthetic strategies of CZO,but also their relevant applications in environmental catalysis,such as the purification for CO,nitrogen oxides(NOx),volatile organic compounds(VOC),soot,hydrocarbon(HC),CO2 and solid particulate matters(PM),and some reaction mechanisms are also summarized.

An Ammonia-Hydrogen Energy Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality:Opportunity and Challenges in China

1.Opportunities and a bottleneck in the hydrogen energy industry Hydrogen(H_(2))is a carbon-free energy carrier with a wide range of application scenarios that was first emphasized in the Report on the Work of the Government in 2019 in China.In March 2021,President Xi Jinping reiterated that China pledges to achieve the goals of peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Simulation and energy performance assessment of CO_2 removal from crude synthetic natural gas via physical absorption process

The paper presents an energy performance assessment of CO2 removal for crude synthetic natural gas （SNG） upgrade by Selexol absorption process. A simplified process simulation of the Selexol process concerning power requirement and separation performance was developed. The assessment indicates that less pressure difference between crude SNG and absorption pressure favors the energy performance of CO2 removal process. When both crude SNG and absorption pressures are 20 bar, CO2 removal process has the best energy performance. The optimal specific power consumption of the CO2 removal process is 566 kJ/kgCO2. The sensitivity analysis shows that the CO2 removal efficiency would significantly influence the total power consumption of the removal process, as well as higher heating value （HHV） and CO2 content in SNG. However, the specific power consumption excluding crude SNG and SNG compressions changes little with the variance of CO2 removal efficiency. If by-product CO2 is compressed for CO2 capture, the process would turn into a CO2-sink for the atmosphere. Correspondingly, an increase of 281 kJ/kgCO2 in specific power consumption is required for compressing the separated CO2.

Roles of Bioenergy and Green Hydrogen in Large Scale Energy Storage for Carbon Neutrality

1.Roles of biomass and bioenergy in solar energy storage Biomass comprises plant-based material,for example,wood,microalgae,energy crops,and agro-forestry residues,as well as organic waste from industries,farms,and households,and plays a key role in solar energy capture and storage.

Theory-oriented screening and discovery of advanced energy transformation materials in electrocatalysis

Various metal-based electrocatalysts from nanocrystals,to clusters and single-atoms,have been well-discovered towards high-efficient power devices and electrocatalytic conversion.To accelerate energy transformation materials discovery,developing high-throughput DFT calculations and machine-learning techniques is of great necessity.This review comprehensively outlines the latest progress of theory-guided design of advanced energy transformation materials.Especially,we focus on the study of single atoms in various power devices,such as fuel cell(oxygen reduction reaction,ORR;acid oxidation reaction;alcohol oxidation reaction),and other reactions for energy-related electrocatalytic conversion of small molecules,such as H_(2)O_(2)evolution reactions(2e−ORR),water splitting(H_(2)evolution reaction/O_(2)evolution reaction,HER/OER),N2 reduction reaction(NRR),and CO_(2)reduction reactions(CO_(2)RR).Firstly,the electronic structure,interaction mechanism,and reaction activation path are discussed to provide an overall blueprint in electrocatalysis and batteries mentioned above.Thereafter,the experimental synthesis strategies,structural recognition,and electrocatalytic performance for the advanced energy transformation materials are figured out.Finally,some viewpoints into the current issues and future design concept of the advanced energy transformation materials are provided.

Belt and Road Initiative and China’s International Energy Cooperation

In terms of energy supply, the Belt and Road Initiative has accelerated China’s international cooperation and has shaped, via that cooperation, the focus upon clean energy and low-carbon innovation.Under the Belt and Road framework, the market will play an increased role as multilateral organizations engage in new models of international energy cooperation. As the largest energy consumer and public goods provider, China’s transition in energy cooperation will profoundly impact regional energy security and development. The economic growth of partners will also enhance results.

Multiphase Interfacial Regulation Based on Hierarchical Porous Molybdenum Selenide to Build Anticorrosive and Multiband Tailorable Absorbers

Electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorbing materials have an irreplaceable position in the field of military stealth as well as in the field of electromagnetic pollution control.And in order to cope with the complex electromagnetic environment,the design of multifunctional and multiband high efficiency EMW absorbers remains a tremendous challenge.In this work,we designed a three-dimensional porous structure via the salt melt synthesis strategy to optimize the impedance matching of the absorber.Also,through interfacial engineering,a molybdenum carbide transition layer was introduced between the molybdenum selenide nanoparticles and the three-dimensional porous carbon matrix to improve the absorption behavior of the absorber.The analysis indicates that the number and components of the heterogeneous interfaces have a significant impact on the EMW absorption performance of the absorber due to mechanisms such as interfacial polarization and conduction loss introduced by interfacial engineering.Wherein,the prepared MoSe_(2)/MoC/PNC composites showed excellent EMW absorption performance in C,X,and Ku bands,especially exhibiting a reflection loss of−59.09 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.96 GHz at 1.9 mm.The coordination between structure and components endows the absorber with strong absorption,broad bandwidth,thin thickness,and multi-frequency absorption characteristics.Remarkably,it can effectively reinforce the marine anticorrosion property of the epoxy resin coating on Q235 steel substrate.This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between interfacial engineering and the performance of EMW absorbers,and provides a reference for the design of multifunctional,multiband EMW absorption materials.

Absorption properties and mechanism of lightweight and broadband electromagnetic wave-absorbing porous carbon by the swelling treatment

Bioderived carbon materials have garnered considerable interest in the fields of microwave absorption and shielding due to their reproducibility and environmental friendliness.In this study,KOH was evenly distributed on biomass Tremella using the swelling induction method,leading to the preparation of a three-dimensional network-structured hierarchical porous carbon(HPC)through carbonization.The achieved microwave absorption intensity is robust at-47.34 dB with a thin thickness of 2.1 mm.Notably,the widest effective absorption bandwidth,reaching 7.0 GHz(11–18 GHz),is attained at a matching thickness of 2.2 mm.The exceptional broadband and reflection loss performance are attributed to the 3D porous networks,interface effects,carbon network defects,and dipole relaxation.HPC has outstanding absorption characteristics due to its excellent impedance matching and high attenuation constant.The uniform pore structures considerably optimize the impedance-matching performance of the material,while the abundance of interfaces and defects enhances the dielectric loss,thereby improving the attenuation constant.Furthermore,the impact of carbonization temperature and swelling rate on microwave absorption performance was systematically investigated.This research presents a strategy for preparing absorbing materials using biomass-derived HPC,showcasing considerable potential in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption.

Energy Transition Strategy of Chinese Oil&Gas Companies and their Green Financial Routes under the Carbon Neutrality Tendency(Ⅱ)

How should international oil and gas enterprises realize energy transformation through green financial instrumentsØrsted located in Denmark is taken as an example to elaborate the methods with which international oil and gas enterprises realize energy transformation by green financial instruments.Ørsted has transformed from fossil energy to clean energy since 2009,and has now become a wind power giant in Denmark,with an annual income of DKK 67.8 billion(USD 9.8 billion).During the whole transformation process,the company comprehensively applied internal and external green financial instruments to assist the transformation.

Superwetting Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) anchored mesh with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities for efficient water purification

Superwetting materials have drawn unprecedented attention in the treatment of oily wastewater due to their preferable anti-fouling property and selective oil/water separation.However,it is still a challenge to fabricate multifunctional and environmentally friendly materials,which can be stably applied to purify the actual complicated wastewater.Here,a Ag/Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterostructure anchored copper mesh was intentionally synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method.The resultant mesh with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity was capable of separating various oil/water mixtures with superior separation efficiency and high permeationflux driven by gravity.Benefiting from the joint effects of the smaller band gap of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterojunction,inherent antibacterial capacity of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) and Ag nanoparticles,favorable conductive substrate,as well as the hierarchical structure with superwettability,such mesh presented remarkably enhanced degradation capability toward organic dyes under visible light irradiation and antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli(E.coli)and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)compared with the pure Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) coated mesh.Impressively,the mesh exhibited bifunctional water purification performance,in which organic dyes were eliminated simultaneously from water during oil/water separation in onefiltration process.More importantly,this mesh behaved exceptional chemical resistance,mechanical stability and long-term reusability.Therefore,this material with multifunctional integration may hold promising potential for steady water purification in practice.

Direct capture and separation of CO_(2) from air

Direct air capture(DAC)has attracted increasing interest and investment over the past few years.There are a fast-growing number of companies that entered the field and demonstrated DAC carbon removal setups and potential.However,current DAC methods are still based on solid absorbents or alkali solutions approaches which have low capture efficiency and low energy efficiency.This highlight proposed a promising CO_(2) capture technology,an electric energy driven closed-loop system for the direct removal of CO_(2) from ambient air which are based on two individual technologies:Polyam-N-Cu hybrid system promoted CO_(2) capture with ocean as anthropogenic CO_(2) sink and a chloride-mediated electrochemical pH swing system to remove CO_(2) from oceanwater.

Preface to Special Column on the 11^th National Conference on Environmental Catalysis and Eco-Materials(11^th NCECM 2018)

With the rapid development of economy and enhancement of people's awareness for environmental protection,environmental catalysis and eco-materials have become one of the most rapidly developing disciplines in the fields of catalysis and materials.Therefore,we organized the 11^th National Conference on Environmental Catalysis and Eco-Materials(11th NCECM 2018),which was held on July 20–23,2018 at Shenyang Normal University,Shenyang,Liaoning,China.

Water Environment Improvement of Zhongdong River by Water Diversion and Distribution in Hangzhou

As the development of city economy,Zhongdong River in Hangzhou was seriously polluted,with the worst water quality.In order to obtain the effect of water diversion and distribution from Qiantang River on the water quality of Zhongdong River,7-year continuous monitoring was conducted,which was at the fixed stations before and after the water diversion and distribution.After the water diversion project,the dissolved oxygen concentration of the river water was one to two times higher than before,and the ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus decreased by 60%and 65%,respectively.When increased the amount of water diversion,the dissolved oxygen concentration of the river water elevated by 13%,and the ammonia nitrogen,total phosphorus and potassium permanganate index decreased by 8%,3%and 14%,respectively.The reason for the river water pollution was contributed to the combined sewer system and riverway sludge,especially during the rainfall,the dissolved oxygen concentration of Zhongdong River sharply declined by 95%,while the ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus increased by 90%and 87%,respectively.The research results could provide theoretic basis for sustainable improvement of Zhongdong River water quality and river management department making the related regulations and policies.

Hyphae-mediated bioassembly of carbon fibers derivatives for advanced battery energy storage

Ingenious design and fabrication of advanced carbon-based sulfur cathodes are extremely important to the development of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries,which hold promise as the next-generation power source.Herein,for the first time,we report a novel versatile hyphae-mediated biological assembly technology to achieve scale production of hyphae carbon fibers(HCFs)derivatives,in which different components including carbon,metal compounds,and semiconductors can be homogeneously assembled with HCFs to form composite networks.The mechanism of biological adsorption assembly is also proposed.As a representative,reduced graphene oxides(rGOs)decorated with hollow carbon spheres(HCSs)successfully co-assemble with HCFs to form HCSs@rGOs/HCFs hosts for sulfur cathodes.In this unique architecture,not only large accommodation space for sulfur but also restrained volume expansion and fast charge transport paths are realized.Meanwhile,multiscale physical barriers plus chemisorption sites are simultaneously established to anchor soluble lithium polysulfides.Accordingly,the designed HCSs@rGOs/HCFs-S cathodes deliver a high capacity(1189 mA h g^(-1)at 0.1 C)and good high-rate capability(686 mA h g^(-1)at 5 C).Our work provides a new approach for the preparation of high-performance carbon-based electrodes for energy storage devices.