Chemical Inertness Research Articles

Modulating Ion Behavior by Functional Nanodiamond Modified Separator for High-Rate Durable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered widespread attention due to their promising development and application prospects. However, progress of AZIBs has been hindered by zinc (Zn) dendrites and side reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface (EEI). In particular, the large and uneven pores of commercial glass fiber (GF) separators lead to nonuniform Zn2+ transport, which causes side reactions. In this study, we employed nanodiamonds (NDs) to regulate the separator pore structure and utilized its surface oxygen-containing functional groups to control the Zn2+ transport properties. Due to their excellent chemical inertness, superhardness, ultrahigh thermal conductivity, and abundant surface functional groups, NDs modified GF separators for dendrite-free and high-performance AZIBs. Experimental outcomes demonstrate that Zn||Zn symmetric cells using NDs-GF separators exhibit regular charge-discharge profiles, minimal fluctuations, and an ultralong cycling lifespan of nearly 1800 h under a current density of 5 mA cm-2 with a capacity density of 1 mAh cm-2 and 240 h under a high current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a capacity density of 10 mAh cm-2. The Zn||MnO2 full cells using NDs-GF separators showcase a high retention after 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1. This research proposes a modification method for developing advanced separators in AZIBs technology.

Supercritical CO2 in the Development of Highly Efficient Composite Cathodes for Li-S Batteries.

Conventional Li-S battery cathode synthesis routes are time-consuming, energy-intensive, use toxic solvents, and yet fail to effectively confine sulfur into carbon matrices, reducing the cathode efficiency. Supercritical CO₂ (scCO2) presents notable benefits as a "green solvent" due to its affordability, chemical inertness, recyclability, non-flammability, and non-toxicity. It eliminates the need for energy-intensive post-heat treatments, providing a more sustainable and efficient option. CO2 in supercritical state gains unique gas-like and liquid-like properties that enable precise sulfur loading, uniform encapsulation, and improved sulfur-carbon interactions, which enhance conductivity and reaction kinetics. Recent studies show that cathodes prepared using scCO2 exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance, including long-term cycling stability and high coulombic efficiency. The versatility of scCO2 in infiltrating various host architectures also makes it suitable for a wide range of cathode designs. Despite its tremendous potential, this advanced synthesis technology is often overlooked in textbooks, underscoring the need for awareness within the research community. This review highlights the remarkable features of scCO2 and examine up-to-date research progress, focusing on its application in developing high-performance carbon/sulfur composite cathodes. An application-focused audience would benefit from a summary of this review, as they reveal new Li-S cathode synthesis technologies that haven't been widely explored or discussed.

Improved Piezocatalytic Performance of Cs/KNN Decorated with CuS Nanoparticles for Dye Degradation

Niobate materials have garnered significant interest in recent years due to their potential applications across various fields. As a special property, piezoelectric catalysts based on niobate remain underexplored, primarily due to their chemical inertness and low piezoelectric activity. The development of niobate catalysts with stable and efficient properties continues to pose challenges in the fields of chemistry and materials science. In this study, a novel 30%CuS/0.21%Cs/KNN composite has been successfully synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method by depositing CuS nanoparticles on the external surface of 0.21%Cs/KNN cube. By controlling the loading amount of CuS, the catalytic degradation activity of title composite for methyl green MG reached the highest point of 99.5% under low‐power ultrasound (50 W), which is much higher than that of 0.21%Cs/KNN (7.5 times) and CuS (5.5 times). In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrochemical tests demonstrated that the composites have good piezocatalytic properties. This work provides a meaningful strategy for promoting piezoelectric catalytic degradation using material compounding.

Boron Nitride Nanostructures (BNNs) Within Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Electrochemical Platform for Hydrogen Sensing and Storage

Boron nitride nanostructures (BNNs), including nanotubes, nanosheets, and nanoribbons, are renowned for their exceptional thermal stability, chemical inertness, mechanical strength, and high surface area, making them suitable for advanced material applications. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by their porous crystalline structures, high surface area, and tunable porosity, have emerged as excellent candidates for gas adsorption and storage applications, particularly in the context of hydrogen. This paper explores the synthesis and properties of BNNs and MOFs, alongside the innovative approach of integrating BNNs within MOFs to create composite materials with synergistic properties. The integration of BNNs into MOFs enhances the overall thermal and chemical stability of the composite while improving hydrogen sensing and storage performance. Various synthesis methods for both BNNs and MOFs are discussed, including chemical vapor deposition, solvothermal synthesis, and in situ growth, with a focus on their scalability and reproducibility. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying hydrogen sensing and storage are examined, including physisorption, chemisorption, charge transfer, and work function modulation. Electrochemical characterization techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charge–discharge, are used to analyze the performance of BNN-MOF systems in hydrogen storage and sensing applications. These methods offer insights into the material’s electrochemical behavior and its potential to store hydrogen efficiently. Potential industrial applications of BNN-MOF composites are highlighted, particularly in fuel cells, hydrogen-powered vehicles, safety monitoring in hydrogen production and distribution networks, and energy storage devices. The integration of these materials can contribute significantly to the development of more efficient hydrogen energy systems. Finally, this study outlines key recommendations for future research, which include optimizing synthesis techniques, improving the hydrogen interaction mechanisms, enhancing the stability and durability of BNN-MOF composites, and performing comprehensive economic and environmental assessments. BNN-MOF composites represent a promising direction in the advancement of hydrogen sensing and storage technologies, offering significant potential to support the transition toward sustainable energy systems and hydrogen-based economies.

Spectrometers of Neutrons and Fast Atoms of Tokamak Thermonuclear Plasma Based on CVD Synthesized Diamond Single-Crystal Films

High radiation resistance, chemical inertness, the ability to operate at elevated temperatures, high mobility and efficiency of charge-carrier collection are important properties of diamond for designing detectors and spectrometers of ionizing radiation. Currently, diagnostics of neutrons and neutral particle fluxes based on diamond detectors for the ITER thermonuclear reactor are justified and developed. This work presents the results of a Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy study of the electronic quality of synthesized epitaxial diamond films obtained by vapor deposition in a hydrogen and methane mixture in the ARDIS reactor on boron-doped single-crystal diamond substrates. To confirm their electronic quality, detectors have been made from films selected by spectrometric methods and the charge collection efficiency and energy resolution have been measured when irradiated with alpha particles from a 241Am source and 14.7 MeV fast neutrons from the ING-07T2 neutron generator.

Electrochemical Corrosion Resistance of Al2O3–YSZ Coatings on Steel Substrates

Ceramic materials as coatings are known to have very good corrosion resistance properties compared to metallic or organic coatings, regardless of environmental conditions. The following samples were used for the experiments: an initial steel substrate and Al2O3 + YSZ (12.5%; 25% and 37.5% wt) atmospheric plasma spray-coated samples. The open circuit potential showed similar average values for all samples coated with ceramic layers, which were slightly higher than the potential of the original uncoated sample. The corrosion current densities (icorr) of all plasma jet sputter-coated systems were very similar and significantly lower than those of the original material. Corrosion rates were much lower in the coated systems due to the chemical inertness of the ceramic coatings, particularly alumina- and zirconia-based coatings. It was observed that ceramic layers improve the corrosion resistance of the metallic material, especially at higher percentages of YSZ in the plasma spray-deposited complex layer. The porosity of the sputter-deposited layers reduced their corrosion resistance due to the contact between the electrolyte solution and the metal substrate created by the interconnection of the pores. The complex equivalent electrical circuit chosen for the analysis of the values led to results in accordance with the experimental parameters.

Asymmetric Charge Distribution in Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters for Boosted CO2 Reduction Catalysis.

Recently, atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) have been widely applied in CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), achieving exciting activity and selectivity and revealing structure-performance correlation. However, at present, the efficiency of CO2RR is still unsatisfactory and cannot meet the requirements of practical applications. One of the main reasons is the difficulty in CO2 activation due to the chemical inertness of CO2. Constructing symmetry-breaking active sites is regarded as an effective strategy to promote CO2 activation by modulating electronic and geometric structure of CO2 molecule. In addition, in the subsequent CO2RR process, asymmetric charge distributed sites can break the charge balance in adjacent adsorbed C1 intermediates and suppress electrostatic repulsion between dipoles, benefiting for C-C coupling to generate C2+ products. Although compared to single atoms, metal nanoparticles, and inorganic materials the research on the construction of asymmetric catalytic sites in metal NCs is in a newly-developing stage, the precision, adjustability and diversity of metal NCs structure provide many possibilities to build asymmetric sites. This review summarizes several strategies of construction asymmetric charge distribution in metal NCs for boosting CO2RR, concludes the mechanism investigation paradigm of NCs-based catalysts, and proposes the challenges and opportunities of NCs catalysis.

Fabrication of surface-carbonated boron nitride nanosheets and their application as water-based lubrication additives

As a typical two-dimensional layered material, hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) have high mechanical strength, good conductivity, and excellent lubrication performance, which have great potential as solid nano lubricant additives in tribology. When BNNS is used as a water-based or oil-based lubricant additive, its inherent chemical inertness and poor dispersion stability make it difficult to achieve optimal anti-friction and anti-wear performance. In this paper, a simple and efficient preparation method for obtaining hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (C-HPC-BNNSs) with surface carbonization modification and excellent dispersion stability in water-based lubricants was proposed. Using hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) as a modifier, a wet ball milling process combined with high-temperature carbonization treatment effectively reduced the thickness of BNNSs while uniformly modifying N-doped carbon layers on the surface of the nanosheets. Benefit from the smaller layer thickness of C-HPC-BNNSs, they exhibit excellent dispersion stability in the water-glycol solution and can maintain no significant agglomeration behavior for up to 30 days, which is the basis for the excellent lubrication performance of lubricant systems. In addition, the N-doped carbon layer modified on the surface is beneficial for enhancing the hydrophilicity of BNNSs and synergistically enhances the tribological properties of the material with BNNSs. The test results of the four-ball friction tester show that compared with the pure water-glycol solution and the water-glycol system with added C-HPC-BNNSs, the friction coefficient (COF) and wear volume of the system with added C-HPC-BNNSs could be as low as 0.095 and 1.99 × 10−4 mm3, respectively. This work has positive significance for the preparation, surface modification, and tribological application expansion of two-dimensional layered material BNNSs, which is conducive to further understanding the relationship between.

One-step synthesis of fluorine-functionalized intercalated graphene with adjustable layer spacing for both enhanced physical and chemical hydrogen storage

Graphene-based materials with large specific surface area, strong stability and easy adjustability attract considerable attention in the field of hydrogen storage; however, they suffer from poor hydrogen adsorption ability as direct physical adsorbents or limited modification effect as catalytic supporters of chemical hydrides, blamed to tightly stacked layer structure and chemical inertness. Structural engineering and functional decoration on graphene have been proven to be effective strategies for enhancing both physical and chemical hydrogen storage performances, but there is still lack of simple and flexible method to achieve their synergy. Here for the first time, we develop a fluorine-functionalized intercalated graphene with adjustable layer spacing by one-step solvothermal process, using fluorinated organic molecules as both intercalation and function agents. By the virtue of expanded interlayer and high-electronegative fluorine, it shows polarization-enhanced physisorption ability. Moreover, when using it as the supporter for LiBH4, the operation temperature, reaction kinetics and cyclic stability of the whole system are greatly improved, attributed to the intrinsic catalysis of carbonaceous materials and the destabilization induced by fluorine substitution. This work provides new views for structural and functional co-design in graphene derivate, and brings hope for their practical application for hydrogen storage.

Research on the fabrication of high-quality patterned diamond using femtosecond laser

Diamond, known for its exceptional thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, is widely used in precision machining tools, MEMS, and electronic devices. However, because of its extreme hardness and chemical inertness, diamond machining is highly challenging. Femtosecond laser technology, with its high instantaneous energy and minimal heat-affected zone, has emerged as an effective method for the precision machining of diamond. This study explores the application of 1026 nm and 513 nm femtosecond lasers in diamond grooving. The experimental results indicate that with increasing laser energy density, both groove width and depth increase, accompanied by a rise in amorphous carbon and graphite contents, resulting in increased tensile stress and decreased crystallinity in the machined region. Notably, the 513 nm laser demonstrates higher precision, achieving narrower grooves suitable for fine machining of diamond. Molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data reveal that the formation of amorphous carbon and graphite phases is the primary mechanism for deep ablation, and no significant anisotropy is observed during the process, allowing for the uniform fabrication of micro-nanostructures. TEM analysis confirms the presence of amorphous carbon and nanocrystalline diamond at the groove bottom, indicating phase transformation and also the formation of nanoscale diamond particles in regions of concentrated femtosecond laser energy. This study provides experimental and theoretical support for the high-quality fabrication of micro-nano structures on diamond, with significant implications for its advanced applications.

Flexible silane‐functionalized boron nitride filled polymer composite with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation

AbstractBoron nitride (BN) has excellent thermal conductivity (TC), however, it exhibits high surface energy, strong chemical inertness, poor interface compatibility with polymer matrices, and difficulty in even dispersion within‐polymer matrix, preventive effective construction of TC pathways. Four kinds of modified boron nitride/polyurethane composites (BTPUC) were prepared by different silane‐functionalized BN with polyurethane (TPU). Among them, 3‐trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate (TMSPMA)‐functionalized BN demonstrated better interface compatibility with TPU, significantly improving the mechanical properties and TC of the composites compared to the other three functionalized BN addition. The BN@TMSPMA/PU exhibited good TC and mechanical properties, with a TC of 0.865 W/mK, a tensile stress and a tensile strain of 9.65 ± 1.40 MPa and 759.88 ± 67.93%, respectively. It also showed good electrical insulation properties and mechanical durability. Therefore, the as‐prepared BN@TMSPMA/PU have broad prospects as flexible thermal‐management materials.Highlights The composites are constructed by TMSPMA‐modified BN and polyurethane by NIPS. The composites show good mechanical properties and cyclic failure resistance. The composites exhibit good thermal conductivity and electrical insulation.

Optimisation of chemically assisted mechanical polishing process parameters for polycrystalline diamond based on photo-Fenton reaction

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) has ultra-high thermal conductivity and is suitable for use as a thermal substrate material for semiconductor power devices. However, the high hardness, good wear resistance and chemical inertness of PCD lead to low machining efficiency and poor machined surface quality. Chemically assisted mechanical polishing based on the photo-Fenton reaction enables efficient PCD processing and high surface quality. In this study, Box-Behnken response surface experiments were employed to investigate the influence of the photo-Fenton reaction polishing process parameters (H₂O₂ concentration, light intensity, polishing pressure and abrasive concentration) and their interactions on the polishing process. Regression equations were constructed to model the material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) and to optimise the process parameters. Finally, the polishing mechanism was analysed. The results demonstrated that the effects of polishing pressure, polishing pressure-abrasive concentration, abrasive concentration and H2O2 concentration on the material removal rate were statistically significant. Furthermore, the effects of polishing pressure, H2O2 concentration, abrasive concentration, polishing pressure-abrasive concentration, H2O2 concentration-light intensity and light intensity on the surface roughness were also found to be statistically significant. The optimal process parameters were identified as a light intensity of 150 mW/cm2, a H₂O₂ concentration of 15 wt%, a polishing pressure of 0.89 MPa, and an abrasive concentration of 5 wt%. These parameters yielded a material removal rate of up to 666.9 nm/h and a surface roughness of Ra 2.58 nm. The polishing mechanism of the photo-Fenton reaction on PCD can be described as follows: the photo-Fenton reaction produces •OH, which then oxidises the PCD surface to generate an oxide layer. This layer is subsequently removed by the mechanical action of the abrasive, and the oxidation and mechanical removal continue to occur on the exposed new PCD surface. It has been demonstrated that, under the condition of balance between the mechanical action and the chemical action, a better quality of the surface can be obtained. This paper offers further evidence in support of the use of the photo-Fenton reaction in the context of PCD polishing.

Functional organic adlayers for controlling the adhesion strength of electrolessly deposited copper on super-engineering plastics

Effective metallization of super-engineering plastics such as liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and polyphenylene sulfides (PPS) via electroless deposition of copper thin films is an important step in the manufacturing of a wide range of devices. Copper deposition typically requires a pre-treatment step involving chemical and/or mechanical roughening to ensure high adhesion at the polymer/Cu interface; however such treatments are detrimental to patterns and topographic features of the polymer that possess µm resolution and/or high aspect ratio. Herein, we demonstrate that it is possible to regulate and improve adhesion of electrolessly deposited copper thin films at LCP and PPS materials via multilayer functionalization with aryldiazonium cations of a p-aminobenzoic acid precursor. We first demonstrate that aryldiazonium grafting conditions can be optimized to overcome the chemical inertness of LCP/PPS without resorting to harsh oxidative or mechanical treatments. We then show that the density of Ar-COOH groups can be regulated by modifying the number of functionalization cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies shows that this has a clear impact on the composition of the catalytic nanoparticle layer required for copper deposition. Adhesion strength studies demonstrate that such changes translate into improved adhesion strengths without any adverse effects on surface roughness. Control experiments with alternative chemical moieties suggest that specific chemical interactions between catalytic seeds and grafted carboxylate groups play an important role in the observed improved adhesion.

Novel surface characteristics observed during grinding of polycrystalline diamond

The use of diamond is ubiquitous in many engineering applications, yet its processing by conventional machining methods continues to pose challenges owing to its extreme hardness and chemical inertness. Grinding polycrystalline diamond workpieces is a viable commercial method used to obtain nanometric smooth and damage-free surfaces. In light of the novel experimentation work, this study shed light on the fundamental material challenges encountered during the nanoscale grinding of polycrystalline diamonds with resin-bonded diamond wheels. The experimental results revealed a strong influence of the grain orientation in affecting the paradigm of the material removal such that a particular orientation of diamond showed some “ripple” like surface structures that could not be smoothed even using the post-grinding plasma operation. The in-situ experimental analysis as well as the complementary molecular dynamics simulations involving the use of a long-range Screening bond order potential function offered new insights into the mechanism of “ripple formation” and CC bonds observed on the (110) oriented diamond surface. Furthermore, in-situ observation experiments revealed that the ripple-like structure followed periodic recurrence, suggesting that the material removal rate during the process of grinding is influenced periodically in a recurring manner.

The Fabrication of BiVO4/WO3/GaN Heterojunction and its Enhanced Water Splitting Performance

Abstract GaN has garnered significant attention for water splitting due to its excellent light absorption, carrier transport properties, and chemical inertness. However, its bandgap of 3.4 eV restricts absorption to the ultraviolet range. To address this limitation, narrow-bandgap semiconductors BiVO4 and WO3 were deposited on the GaN surface using the sol-gel method. Photoelectrochemical water-splitting tests revealed that the saturated photocurrent densities of GaN/BiVO4 and GaN/BiVO4/WO3 under full-spectrum illumination were 1.42 and 1.86 times greater than that of GaN alone, respectively. This improvement is attributed to the smaller bandgaps of BiVO4 and WO3, which significantly extend the spectral absorption range of GaN. Additionally, BiVO4 and WO3 form heterojunctions through energy alignment, and the built-in electric field at the heterojunctions accelerates the separation of photo-generated carriers, further enhancing energy conversion efficiency. The study also found that the BiVO4 and WO3 films exhibit a 2D flake morphology, providing larger surface areas that enhance light absorption and carrier transport, thereby improving water-splitting efficiency. Our research paves a new path for the application of GaN in water splitting.

Silica nanofiber membrane with high reflectivity and low absorptivity for high-energy laser protection (29.0 kW/cm2)

To safeguard against high-energy continuous wave laser, the chosen strategy is a robust reflection to restrict heat generation instead of thermal protection. Based on this, the SiO2 nanofiber membranes (0.12 g/cm3) with nearly 100% reflectivity and an extremely low absorption coefficient, were fabricated by electrospinning under the optimal parameters and calcinating at 600-1000 °C. The membranes, with a thickness of 4 mm, exhibit the best laser protection property reported to date. Under laser irradiation of 29.0 kW/cm2, they remain intact and achieve a steady state after 10 s with a rear temperature of only 700 °C because the necessary conditions for excellent laser protection property—the absence of highly absorbing groups, moderate fiber stacking density, presence of fiber stacking structure, chemical inertness, and specific thickness—are all met. In addition, excellent mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 16.6 MPa (normalized value through equivalent solid materials for comparison purposes), a compressive strength of 0.07 MPa, and good bending performance, provide guarantees for their practical applications.

Metagenomic insights into nitrite accumulation in sulfur-based denitrification systems utilizing different electron donors: functional microbial communities and metabolic mechanisms

Sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SADN) offers new pathway for nitrite supply. However, sequential transformation of nitrogen and sulfur forms, and the functional microorganisms driving nitrite accumulation in SADN with different reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs), remain unclear. Desirable nitrite accumulation was achieved using elemental sulfur (S0-group), sulfide (S2--group) and thiosulfate (S2O32--group) as electron donors. Under equivalent electron supply conditions, S2O32--group exhibited a superior nitrate conversion rate (NCR) of 0.285 kg N/(m³·d) compared to S2--group (0.103 kg N/(m³·d)). Lower NCR in S2--group was attributed to sulfide strongly inhibiting energy metabolism process of TCA cycle, resulting in reduced reaction rates. Moreover, the NCR of S0-group (0.035 kg N/(m³·d)) was poor due to the chemical inertness of S0. Specific microbial communities were selectively enriched in phylum level, with Proteobacteria increasing to an astonished 96.27-98.49%. Comprehensive analyses of functional genus, genes, and metabolic pathways revealed significant variability in the active functional genus, with even the same genus showed significant metabolic differences in response to different RISCs. In S0-group, Thiomonas (10.0%) and Acidithiobacillus (5.1%) were the primary contributor to nitrite accumulation. Thiobacillus was the most abundant sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in S2--group (43.84%) and S2O32--group (18.92%). In S2--group, it contributed to nitrite accumulation, while in S2O32--group, it acted as a complete denitrifier (NO3--N→N2). Notably, heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria, Comamonas (12.52%), were crucial for nitrite accumulation in S2O32--group, predominating NarG while lacking NirK/S. Overall, this work advances our understanding of SADN systems with different RISCs, offering insights for optimizing nitrogen and sulfur removal.

A multi-energy inertia-based coordinated voltage and frequency regulation in isolated hybrid power system using PI-TISMC

This paper proposes novel multi-energy inertia support for simultaneous frequency and voltage control of an isolated hybrid power system (IHPS). Multi-energy storage (gas inertia – hydrogen storage, thermal inertia – solar thermal storage, hydro inertia – gravity hydro storage, chemical inertia – battery energy storage) supported by demand side management (DSM) for simultaneous voltage and frequency regulation and backed by biodiesel generators, are the essential elements of IHPS. A novel control strategy of concurrent virtual droop control, virtual damping control, virtual inertia control, and virtual negative inertia control is proposed to utilise multiple inertia sources and to improve LFC and AVR performance effectively. The effective coordination of inertia sources in eradicating oscillations in IHPS, is aided by a developed cascaded proportional integral-tilt-integral-sliding mode (PI-TISMC) controller. The performance of PI-TISMC is compared with PID, PI-PID, and PI-SMC controllers. A maiden attempt has been done by training five diverse classes of optimization techniques to optimize the parameters of controllers in the present work. The results are evaluated in MATLAB and it is evident from the results that the performance of frequency control is improved by 6.5%, 7.8% and 3.4 s (over shoot, undershoot, and settling time). The performance of frequency control is improved by 6.5%, 7.8% and 3.4 s (over shoot, undershoot, and settling time). Similarly, the performance of voltage control is improved by 6.7%, 4.8% and 2.3 s (over shoot, undershoot, and settling time) by employing developed PI-TISMC controller and proposed concurrent inertia control. The combination exhibits superior performance in minimizing oscillations in IHPS due to variations in loading and solar insolation.

Construction of a cathodic MOF/FeOOH heterojunction for boosted Fe(Ⅲ) reduction in electro-Fenton processes

This study developed a self-supported MOF/FeOOH heterojunction cathode without binders for boosted Fe(Ⅲ) reduction in heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) processes. The electron transport channels from FeOOH to in-situ grown NH2-MIL-88B(Fe) were established through the spontaneous formation of an internal electric field (IEF), which enhanced the electrical conductivity and disrupted the chemical inertness of the Fe(Ⅲ) reduction. The MOF/FeOOH cathode increased sulfamethazine (SMT) removal up to 95.76 %, 2.5 times better than using PTFE as binders. After ten-consecutive degradation experiments, the Fe(Ⅱ) content at cathode surface increased from 39.23 % to 56.73 %. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and advanced characterization techniques demonstrated the efficient Fe(Ⅲ) reduction and H2O2 activation during the reaction. These results elucidate the promoting effect of modulating the “contact” between the catalyst and current collectors, as to provide a feasible and promising strategy for the development of efficient heterogeneous EF cathodes.

Hybridizing engineering strategy of decatungstate III: Transition metal modified carbon quantum dot-regulated photo-catalytic oxidation performance of decatungstate

The selective oxidation of hydrocarbons (RH) by dioxygen (O2) is a very important method for industrial production of bulk oxygen-containing compounds, However, due to the high chemical inertness of RH and O2, achieving this reaction under mild conditions still faces significant challenges. This paper discloses an efficient hybridizing engineering (HE) strategy of decatungstate (DT) with 3d transition metal ions (Mn+=Ni2+, Co2+ or Cu2+)-modified carbon quantum dots (Mn+/CQD) as the dopants. Compared to pure CQD, The Mn+/CQD can more efficiently combine with DT anion to fabricate a high-quality hybrid via electrostatic interactions, thereby bestowing the hybrid with an enhanced visible light response especially the separation efficiency of photo-generated charge pairs. Furthermore, the above hybridization effects of Mn+/CQD on DT anion can be fine-tuned and gradually improved with a change of the metal ion from Cu2+, Co2+ to Ni2+, along with a continuous enhancement of the hybrid's photo-catalytic efficiency in the visible light- triggered selective oxidation of ethylbenzene with O2 in acetonitrile. The best Ni2+/CQD-doped TBADT can achieve ca. 48% ethylbenzene conversion and 87.6% acetophenone selectivity in the presence of 2 M HCl, and it also shows a much higher photo-catalytic activity for the photo-oxidation of toluene, cyclohexane and benzyl alcohol compared to pure TBADT. The HE strategy with Mn+/CQD as the cationized hybridizers is much superior to that with pure CQD or Ni2+ as the hybridizer in hoisting the photo-catalytic performance of DT.