The conversion of lignin, an important sustainable biopolymer, into clearly defined monomer compounds is both a significant and appealing challenge. However, this process configuration normally requires high temperatures, elevated H2 pressures, and a great amount of solvent used. To address these challenges, this study developed a highly effective catalytic system comprising Lewis-acidic organoboranes [(B(C6F5)3)] and triethylsilane (Et3SiH) to catalytically depolymerize lignin derived from wasted seed coats (macadamia, camellia, apricot, and walnut) into pyrocatechol/gallol derivatives (yield: 14.6-33.3 wt%) under ambient conditions. The analysis using GC-MS and 2D-NMR spectroscopy revealed that the βO4 bonds within lignin are notably severed after the depolymerization. Reactive screening of different βO4 mimics provides insights into understanding the mechanism of lignin depolymerization in the proposed system. Overall, our results indicated a green and sustainable approach for the production of pyrocatechol/gallol from biomass waste.

High-efficiency tandem solar cells require wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskites as the top absorber, yet such devices often suffer severe nonradiative recombination, voltage losses, and halide segregation. This work demonstrates that carefully controlling the deposition kinetics of the fullerene electron-transport layer (ETL) offers an elegant route to overcome these issues without complex passivation strategies. WBG perovskite solar cells using a FA0 .8Cs0 .2Pb(I0 .8Br0 .2)3 absorber were fabricatedin a p-i-n architecture with C60 ETLs deposited at three different evaporation rates. When the C60 deposition rate was slowed to 0.1 Å s-1, our devices achieve a 20.4% PCE with a relatively low Voc deficit (~0.48 eV) without complex molecular passivation, 2D/3D heterostructures, or multistep surface reconstruction. The improvement originates from suppressed nonradiative recombination and reduced shunt leakage: The slow-deposited C60 film yields a higher open-circuit voltage (~1.17 V), increased fill factor (80%), and reduced saturation current density and trap-state density compared with faster deposition. Photoluminescence, impedance spectroscopy, and transient photovoltage analyses reveal that slower deposition produces a compact and well-ordered C60 layer which minimizes trap-assisted recombination, decreases Urbach energy (16.68 meV), and lowers the ideality factor (n ≈ 1.33). Structural characterizations confirm improved C60 molecular interface and smoother morphology at slow deposition rates. This work provides a simple processing guideline for high-performance WBG perovskite solar cells and offers valuable insights for scalable tandem cell fabrication.

The alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key technology for hydrogen production, and polyoxometalates (POMs) have emerged as promising high-performance catalysts owing to their unique structural and physicochemical properties. This review summarizes the mechanism of alkaline HER, the structural features, HER-relevant properties, synthesis methods, and characterization techniques of POMs and places particular emphasis on recent advances in the application of POMs and POM-derived materials (e.g., nitrides, sulfides) to alkaline HER. We provide an in-depth analysis of structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of catalytic enhancement and present an outlook on future research directions to guide the design and industrial implementation of POM-based alkaline HER catalysts.

As global demand for electricity increases, the adoption of low-emission energy strategies becomes imperative for effective electricity generation. The abundance of unutilized low-grade energy in our environment has led to the development and implementation of hydrovoltaics (HVs) as a viable solution. In this article, we present a device using fluorinated graphene oxide (GO) and polyethylene glycol to efficiently harvest energy using HVs. By incorporating fluorine, hydrophilic GO became partially hydrophobic. Fluorine-incorporated GO with enhanced surface charge and polyethylene glycol was added to generate hydro-polymeric network that facilitates water transport. The device fabricated using a centimeter-sized silicone ice tray with top and bottom electrodes loaded with 40 mg of fluorinated GO, generates a streaming potential and current when exposed to water. A mere 20 µL of water on the top electrode yielded an open circuit voltage in a range of 250 mV, a short circuit current in a range of 100 µA, with an output power of 0.625 mW/g (11.16 µW/cm2). The same device yields a better power density of 1.33 mW/g (23.8 µW/cm2) under half-sun solar illumination and power density of 0.45 mW/g (8.5 µW/cm2) after 40 days. We validated the streaming potential and current of HV devices by comparing our experimental data with theoretical electrokinetic models of hydrodynamic flow. Furthermore, we explored the energy storage capacity of the same material, resulted in a significant increase in active sites, leading to a capacitance of 350 F/g with improved cyclic stability. The HV cell was also used to charge a coin cell made from the same material, presenting a novel approach for integrated systems. This article highlights the multifunctional applications of fluorinated GO, offering a promising avenue for sustainable power generation.

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have emerged as a transformative technology for large-scale energy storage, with growing research interest in developing cost-effective and durable systems. Here, we present a capacity recoverable RFB system that utilizes low-cost titanium/cerium species-Ti-Ce RFBs. A mixed-electrolyte design suppresses ion crossover, achieving the average energy efficiency of 86.02% at 30mA cm-2. Moreover, owing to the few side reaction and unique active ion complex structure with negative or neutral charge, the capacity of Ti-Ce RFBs after attenuation can be almost completely recovered by directly mixing the electrolyte. Remarkably, exceptional long-term stability over 3721 cycles (1886 h) at 50 mA cm-2 with average coulombic efficiency of 99.09% can be achieved by recovery regulation of mixing the electrolytes after attenuation. This design offers a simple but practical strategy to make Ti-Ce RFBs as a promising candidate for long-duration energy storage.

Advancing the sustainability of nanoparticle electrocatalyst synthesis requires reducing solvent waste without compromising catalytic performance. Here, we report a rapid, microwave-assisted colloidal synthesis of NiMo alloy nanoparticles in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMIM-NTf2), which serves as both reaction medium and recyclable solvent. NiMo nanoparticles with tunable compositions were obtained within 1 min at 230°C, with Ni0.86Mo0.14 giving the highest activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), achieving an onset potential of -129 mV, an overpotential at 10 mA cm-2 of -290 mV versus RHE in acidic electrolyte, and >99% Faradaic efficiency. The ionic liquid was recovered and purified via aqueous NH4OH extraction, removing over 99% of residual Mo species, and reused for up to five successive syntheses. Nanoparticles prepared in recycled BMIM-NTf2 retained comparable crystallinity, morphology, and catalytic activity, with stable HER performance over 45 h of electrolysis. These results demonstrate that ionic liquid recycling can improve the sustainability of the preparation of NiMo nanoparticle electrocatalysts while preserving performance and material integrity.

Bioelectrochemical methanation (BEM) can contribute to the energy transition by converting renewable electrical energy to synthetic methane, which can be transported and stored for prolonged periods of time in the natural gas grid. The BEM technology combines hydrogen production through water electrolysis and biomethanation in the same space. A major hurdle to commercializing the technology is its low productivity, which is largely caused by the low conductivity of the electrolytes. Increasing the conductivity of the catholyte by increasing the salt concentration is challenging because the biocatalyst, which facilitates the methanation, performs best within a certain salinity range. This work demonstrates that it is possible to utilize a highly productive biocatalyst outside of its optimum, at a higher salinity, and thus increase the performance of the bioelectrochemical system. The electrolyte design is further enhanced by switching the anion in the catholyte from chloride to sulfate. With the improved electrolyte design, a bioelectrochemical methanation system runs stably for multiple hundred hours and with a threefold increase in current density, showing a huge increase in performance. Furthermore, the formation of oxidative chlorine species is prevented, and thus, the fast degradation of materials is avoided. This brings the technology one step closer to commercialization.

The design and development of bioinspired coordination compounds are crucial for laying the foundation to deliver low-cost, energy-efficient materials that promote energy sustainability. In this work, isostructural copper complexes, Cu-LN2S2 and Cu-LN3S, in tune with the donor centers in the ligand backbone, (LN2S2 = 1,2-bis((pyridin-2-ylmethyl)thio)ethane and LN3S =N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-2-((pyridine-2-ylmethyl)thio)ethane-1-amine) have been prepared, structurally characterized, and evaluated for their electrocatalytic fate towards the sustainable hydrogen production activities in water. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography reveals that the copper centers in both complexes adopt a distorted square pyramidal geometry. Cu-LN2S2 exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance over Cu-LN3S in acidic aqueous media, achieving an outstanding turnover frequency (TOF) of 2.90 × 103 s-1 with 96% Faradaic efficiency. Detailed mechanistic insights, supported by spectroscopic, analytical, and DFT calculations, reveal divergent HER pathways: Cu-LN3S follows an ECEC mechanism, while Cu-LN2S2 operates via a CECE sequence. Protonation and reduction site analyses highlight the critical role of mixed hard-soft donor environments in modulating redox behavior and promoting hydride formation for efficient hydrogen production. The greater structural distortion arises from the higher number of sulfur donors in the ligand environment of Cu-LN2S2, which in turn promotes the formation of the observed coordination geometry feasible for sustainable electrocatalytic evolution of hydrogen in water.

A universal mechanochemical methodology is presented for the one-pot synthesis of two-dimensional hybrid nanomaterials. Exfoliation of bulk layered precursors and simultaneous formation of metallic nanoparticles anchored on their surfaces are achieved through ball milling. The process is operationally simple, solvent-free, and environmentally friendly, enabling the scalable preparation of diverse 2D-nanoparticle hybrids from readily available starting materials.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have received numerous attention due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, Zn metal suffers from uncontrollable dendritic Zn growth, H2 generation and Zn corrosion, etc., which seriously reduce the lifetime of aqueous zinc-metal batteries. To overcome these challenges, an artificial hydrophobic metal-organic framework (MOF)-based ion-conductive protective coating is constructed to stabilize the Zn metal anode for high-performance AZIBs. The hydrophobic pores in zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) provide channels for rapid Zn-ions migration, reduce the desolvation activation energy of Zn-ions, and facilitate Zn uniform deposition, inhibiting dendrite growth. Meanwhile, the outer layer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) around ZIF-8 prevents Zn metal from contacting water molecules, which suppresses H2 generation, Zn corrosion, and by-products formation. Thus, the lifetime of PDMS@ZIF-8-modified Zn anode extends over 1100 h at the current density/areal capacity of 2 mA cm-2/1 mAh cm-2, significantly longer than that of bare Zn (80 h). Meanwhile, the full cells paired with a VO2 cathode exhibit excellent long-term cycling stability, maintaining 82.3% capacity retention after 870 cycles at 3A g-1, which is much higher than that of bare Zn (61.3%). This facile strategy is applicable to other aqueous metallic batteries toward practical applications.