Mechanism of high Li-ion conductivity in poly(vinylene carbonate)-poly(ethylene oxide)cross-linked network based electrolyte revealed by solid-state NMR

Solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)have become increasingly important in advanced lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to their improved safety and mechanical properties compared to organic liquid electrolytes.Cross-linked polymers have the potential to further improve the mechanical property without trading off Li-ion conductivity.In this study,focusing on a recently developed cross-linked SPE,i.e.,the one based on poly(vinylene carbonate)-poly(ethylene oxide)cross-linked network(PVCN),we used solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)techniques to investigate the fundamental interaction between the chain segments and Li ions,as well as the lithium-ion motion.By utilizing homonuclear/heteronuclear correlation,CP(cross-polarization)kinetics,and spin-lattice relaxation experiments,etc.,we revealed the structural characteristics and their relations to lithium-ion mobilities.It is found that the network formation prevents poly(ethylene oxide)chains from crystallization,which could create sufficient space for segmental tumbling and Li-ion co nductio n.As such,the mechanical property is greatly improved with even higher Li-ion mobilities compared to the poly(vinylene carbonate)or poly(ethylene oxide)based SPE analogues.

Potential industrial applications of photo/electrocatalysis: Recent progress and future challenges

Nowadays,the rapid development of the social economy inevitably leads to global energy and environmental crisis.For this reason,more and more scholars focus on the development of photocatalysis and/or electrocatalysis technology for the advantage in the sustainable production of high-value-added products,and the high efficiency in pollutants remediation.Although there is plenty of outstanding research has been put forward continuously,most of them focuses on catalysis performance and reaction mechanisms in laboratory conditions.Realizing industrial application of photo/electrocatalytic processes is still a challenge that needs to be overcome by social demand.In this regard,this review comprehensively summarized several explorations in thefield of photo/electrocatalytic reduction towards potential industrial applications in recent years.Special attention is paid to the successful attempts and the current status of photo/electrocatalytic water splitting,carbon dioxide conversion,resource utilization from waste,etc.,by using advanced reactors.The key problems and challenges of photo/electrocatalysis in future industrial practice are also discussed,and the possible development directions are also pointed out from the industry view.

High-Performance and Flexible Co-Planar Integrated Microsystem of Carbon-Based All-Solid-State Micro-Supercapacitor and Real-Time Temperature Sensor

With the rapid development of flexible and portable microelectronics,the extreme demand for miniaturized,mechanically flexible,and integrated microsystems are strongly stimulated.Here,biomass-derived carbons(BDCs)are prepared by KOH activation using Qamgur precursor,exhibiting three-dimensional(3D)hierarchical porous structure.Benefiting from unobstructed 3D hierarchical porous structure,BDCs provide an excellent specific capacitance of 433 F g^(-1)and prominent cyclability without capacitance degradation after 50000 cycles at 50 A g^(-1).Furthermore,BDC-based planar micro-supercapacitors(MSCs)without metal collector,prepared by mask-assisted coating,exhibit outstanding areal-specific capacitance of 84 mF cm^(-2)and areal energy density of 10.6μWh cm^(-2),exceeding most of the previous carbon-based MSCs.Impressively,the MSCs disclose extraordinary flexibility with capacitance retention of almost 100%under extreme bending state.More importantly,a flexible planar integrated system composed of the MSC and temperature sensor is assembled to efficiently monitor the temperature variation,providing a feasible route for flexible MSC-based functional micro-devices.

Creation of cytochrome P450 catalysis depending on a non-natural cofactor for fatty acid hydroxylation

Cytochrome P450 enzymes catalyze diverse oxidative transformations at the expense of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH),however,their applications remain limited largely because NADPH is cost-prohibitive for biocatalysis at scale yet tightly regulated in host cells.A highly challenging task for P450 catalysis has been to develop an alternative and biocompatible electrondonating system.Here we engineered P450 BM3 to favor reduced nicotinamide cytosine dinucleotide(NCDH)and created non-natural cofactor-dependent P450 catalysis.Two outstanding mutants were identified with over 640-fold NCDH preference improvement and good catalytic efficiencies of over15,000 M^(-1)s^(-1)for the oxidation of the fatty acid probe 12-(para-nitrophenoxy)-dodecanoate.Molecular docking analysis indicated that these mutants bear a compacted cofactor entrance.Upon fusing with an NCD-dependent formate dehydrogenase,fused proteins functioned as NCDH-specific P450catalysts by using formate as the electron donor.Importantly,these mutants and fusions catalyzed NCDH-dependent hydroxylation of fatty acids with similar chain length preference to those by natural P450 BM3 in the presence of NADPH and also similar regioselectivity for subterminal hydroxylation of lauric acid.As P450 BM3 and its variants are catalytically powerful to take diverse substrates and convey different reaction paths,our results offer an exciting opportunity to devise advanced cell factories that convey oxidative biocatalysis with an orthogonal reducing power supply system.

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.

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.

High-Voltage and Fast-Charging Lithium Cobalt Oxide Cathodes: From Key Challenges and Strategies to Future Perspectives

Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)with the“double-high”characteristics of high energy density and high power density are in urgent demand for facilitating the development of advanced portable electronics.However,the lithium ion(Li+)-storage performance of the most commercialized lithium cobalt oxide(LiCoO_(2),LCO)cathodes is still far from satisfactory in terms of high-voltage and fast-charging capabilities for reaching the double-high target.Herein,we systematically summarize and discuss high-voltage and fast-charging LCO cathodes,covering in depth the key fundamental challenges,latest advancements in modification strategies,and future perspectives in this field.Comprehensive and elaborated discussions are first presented on key fundamental challenges related to structural degradation,interfacial instability,the inhomogeneity reactions,and sluggish interfacial kinetics.We provide an instructive summary of deep insights into promising modification strategies and underlying mechanisms,categorized into element doping(Li-site,cobalt-/oxygen-site,and multi-site doping)for improved Li+diffusivity and bulkstructure stability;surface coating(dielectrics,ionic/electronic conductors,and their combination)for surface stability and conductivity;nanosizing;combinations of these strategies;and other strategies(i.e.,optimization of the electrolyte,binder,tortuosity of electrodes,charging protocols,and prelithiation methods).Finally,forward-looking perspectives and promising directions are sketched out and insightfully elucidated,providing constructive suggestions and instructions for designing and realizing high-voltage and fast-charging LCO cathodes for next-generation double-high LIBs.

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.

Realizing efficient electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural on a freestanding Ni(OH)_(2)/nickel foam catalyst

With the continuous improvement of solar energy production capacity,how to effectively use the electricity generated by renewable solar energy for electrochemical conversion of biomass is a hot topic.Electrochemical conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF)to biofuels and value-added oxygenated commodity chemicals provides a promising and alternative pathway to convert re-newable electricity into chemicals.Although nickel-based eletrocatalysts are well-known for HMF oxidation,their relatively low intrinsic activity,poor conductivity and stability still limit the poten-tial applications.Here,we report the fabrication of a freestanding nickel-based electrode,in which Ni(OH)2 species were in-situ constructed on Ni foam(NF)support using a facile ac-id-corrosion-induced strategy.The Ni(OH)2/NF electrocatalyst exhibits stable and efficient electro-chemical HMF oxidation into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid(FDCA)with HMF conversion close to 100%with high Faraday efficiency.In-situ formation strategy results in a compact interface between Ni(OH)2 and NF,which contributes to good conductivity and stability during electrochemical reac-tions.The superior performance benefits from dynamic cyclic evolution of Ni(OH)2 to NiOOH,which acts as the reactive species for HMF oxidation to FDCA.A scaled-up device based on a continu-ous-flow electrolytic cell was also established,giving stable operation with a high FDCA production rate of 27 mg h^(-1)cm^(−2).This job offers a straightforward,economical,and scalable design strategy to design efficient and durable catalysts for electrochemical conversion of valuable chemicals.

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.

Engineering the coordination structure of Cu for enhanced photocatalytic production of C_(1)chemicals from glucose

Photocatalytic decomposition of sugars is a promising way of providing H_(2),CO,and HCOOH as sus-tainable energy vectors.However,the production of C_(1)chemicals requires the cleavage of robust C−C bonds in sugars with concurrent production of H_(2),which remains challenging.Here,the photo-catalytic activity for glucose decomposition to HCOOH,CO(C_(1)chemicals),and H_(2)on Cu/TiO_(2)was enhanced by nitrogen doping.Owing to nitrogen doping,atomically dispersed and stable Cu sites resistant to light irradiation are formed on Cu/TiO_(2).The electronic interaction between Cu and nitrogen ions originates valence band structure and defect levels composed of N 2p orbit,distinct from undoped Cu/TiO_(2).Therefore,the lifetime of charge carriers is prolonged,resulting in the pro-duction of C_(1)chemicals and H_(2)with productivities 1.7 and 2.1 folds that of Cu/TiO_(2).This work pro-vides a strategy to design coordinatively stable Cu ions for photocatalytic biomass conversion.

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.

Ligand modulation of active center to promote lead-free Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction

Metal halide perovskites(MHP)are potential candidates for the photocatalytic reduction of CO_(2)due to their long photogenerated carrier lifetime and charge diffusion length.However,the conventional long-chain ligand impedes the adsorption and activation of CO_(2)molecules in practical applications.Here,a ligand modulation technology is employed to enhance the photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction activity of lead-free Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)microcrystals(MCs).The Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)MCs passivated by Oleic acid(OLA)and Octanoic acid(OCA)are used for photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction.The results show that the surface defects and electronic properties of Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)MCs can be adjusted through ligand modulation.Compared with the OLA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6),the OCA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)catalyst demonstrated a significant improvement in the catalytic yield of CO and CH_(4).The CO and CH_(4)catalytic yields of OCA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)reached 171.88 and34.15μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)which were 2.03 and 12.98 times higher than those of OLA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6),and the total electron consumption rate of OCA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)was 615.2μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)which was 3.25 times higher than that of OLA-Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6).Furthermore,in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra revealed the enhancement of photocatalytic activity in Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)MCs induced by ligand modulation.This study illustrates the potential of lead-free Cs_(2)AgInCl_(6)MCs for efficient photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction and provides a ligand modulation strategy for the active promotion of MHP photocatalysts.

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.

Unique catalysis of Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst in CO_2 methanation: cooperative effect between Ni nanoparticles and a basic support

Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst （Ni-Al2O3-HT） exhibited a narrow Ni particle-size distribution with an average particle size of 4.0 nm. Methanation of CO2 over this catalyst initiated at 225℃ and reached 82.5% CO2 conversion with 99.5% CH4 selectivity at 350℃, which was much better than its impregnated counterpart. Characterizations by means of CO2 microcalorimetry and 27 Al NMR indicated that large amount of strong basic sites existed on Ni-Al2O3-HT, originated from the formation of Ni-O-Al structure. The existence of strong basic sites facilitated the activation of CO2 and consequently promoted the activity. The combination of highly dispersed Ni with strong basic support led to its unique and high efficiency for this reaction. Keywords

Highlights of the major progress in single-atom catalysis in 2015 and 2016

The idea that single metal atoms dispersed on a solid support can act as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst was raised in2011when single Pt atoms on an FeOx surface were reported to be active for CO oxidation and preferential oxidation of CO in H2.The last six years have witnessed tremendous progress in the field of single‐atom catalysis.Here we introduce the major achievements on this topic in2015and2016.Some particular aspects of single‐atom catalysis are discussed in depth,including new approaches in single‐atom catalyst(SAC)synthesis,stable gold SACs for various reactions,the high selectivity of Pt and Pd SACs in hydrogenation,and the superior performance of non‐noble metal SACs in electrochemistry.These accomplishments will encourage more efforts by researchers to achieve the controllable fabrication of SACs and explore their potential applications.

Electrochemical synthesis of catalytic materials for energy catalysis

Electrocatalysis is a process dealing with electrochemical reactions in the interconversion of chemical energy and electrical energy.Precise synthesis of catalytically active nanostructures is one of the key challenges that hinder the practical application of many important energy‐related electrocatalytic reactions.Compared with conventional wet‐chemical,solid‐state and vapor deposition synthesis,electrochemical synthesis is a simple,fast,cost‐effective and precisely controllable method for the preparation of highly efficient catalytic materials.In this review,we summarize recent progress in the electrochemical synthesis of catalytic materials such as single atoms,spherical and shaped nanoparticles,nanosheets,nanowires,core‐shell nanostructures,layered nanomaterials,dendritic nanostructures,hierarchically porous nanostructures as well as composite nanostructures.Fundamental aspects of electrochemical synthesis and several main electrochemical synthesis methods are discussed.Structure‐performance correlations between electrochemically synthesized catalysts and their unique electrocatalytic properties are exemplified using selected examples.We offer the reader with a basic guide to the synthesis of highly efficient catalysts using electrochemical methods,and we propose some research challenges and future opportunities in this field.

Engineering heterogenous catalysts for chemical CO_(2) utilization:Lessons from thermal catalysis and advantages of yolk@shell structured nanoreactors

The development of catalytic materials for the recycling CO_(2) through a myriad of available processes is an attractive field,especially given the current climate change.While there is increasing publication in this field,the reported catalysts rarely deviate from the traditionally supported metal nanoparticle morphology,with the most simplistic method of enhancement being the addition of more metals to an already complex composition.Encapsulated catalysts,especially yolk@shell catalysts with hollow voids,offer answers to the most prominent issues faced by this field,coking and sintering,and further potential for more advanced phenomena,for example,the confinement effect,to promote selectivity or offer greater protection against coking and sintering.This work serves to demonstrate the current position of catalyst development in the fields of thermal CO_(2) reforming and hydrogenation,summarizing the most recent work available and most common metals used for these reactions,and how yolk@shell catalysts can offer superior performance and survivability in thermal CO_(2) reforming and hydrogenation to the more traditional structure.Furthermore,this work will briefly demonstrate the bespoke nature and highly variable yolk@shell structure.Moreover,this review aims to illuminate the spatial confinement effect and how it enhances yolk@shell structured nanoreactors is presented.

Facile filling of metal particles in small carbon nanotubes for catalysis

A versatile wet chemistry method is developed for filling of subnanometer sized metal particles in carbon nanotubes with a diameter smaller than 1.5 nm. As an example, we showed that a confined bi-component Pd-V catalyst exhibit a higher benzene hydroxylation activity compared with that within multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Focus on the Morphology-Dependent Nanocatalysis Papers in Chinese Journal of Catalysis of the Year 2010

The size-dependent nanocatalysis has been well studied in the past three decades,while little concern is paid to the shape of the nanoparticles,which can greatly modify the reaction performance by selectively exposing specific crystal facets.This article highlights the recent progress on the morphology-dependent nanocatalysis published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis of the year 2010.This strategy should be workable in designing and preparing efficient nanocatalysts with tunable size and shape.