The dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a key process for valorizing CO 2 and CH 4 , yet the catalyst longevity is limited by severe coking at low temperature. Among various catalysts studied, NiAl-based systems have been a long-standing research focus due to their inherent advantages. However, their practical application has been perpetually hampered by vulnerability to coke formation. This study investigates the effect of varying the Ni 0 /Ni 2+ ratio (from NiAl 2 O 4 ) in a 5 wt.% Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, while controlling particle size and Ni dispersion, on coke resistance under conditions where carbon formation is thermodynamically favored, i.e., 600 o C, CH 4 :CO 2 :N 2 = 25:25:10, GHSV = 150 L g cat -1 h -1 . Using in situ XANES, we established that a catalyst formulation, Ni 0 /NiAl 2 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 , with 32.5% Ni 0 and 67.5% Ni 2+ achieves the highest performance. Comprehensive pulse experiments and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) provides insights into the reaction mechanism, wherein CH x * (* adsorbed) species from CH 4 dissociation on Ni 0 are rapidly oxidized by the surface O* from NiAl 2 O 4 to form HCO 3 * and CO 3 * intermediates. Simultaneously, the CO disproportionation route to coke is suppressed. In contrast, a catalyst lacking this optimized interface readily promotes coke deposition. Coke-resistant low-temperature dry reforming of methane is achieved by precisely tuning the Ni 0 /NiAl 2 O 4 interfacial structure on Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. An optimized catalyst with 32.5% Ni⁰ and 67.5% Ni 2+ enables rapid oxidation of CH x * intermediates into bicarbonate and carbonate species, suppressing carbon accumulation under thermodynamically unfavorable conditions. • Ni 0 /NiAl 2 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 enables coke-resistant low-temperature DRM. • Optimal 32.5% Ni 0 on Ni 0 /NiAl 2 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 maximizes the catalytic stability. • CH x species are oxidized into bicarbonates by active oxygen species. • CO disproportionation is effectively suppressed. • Stable DRM performance is achieved at 600 °C under 150 L g cat -1 h -1 .

Development of urban fire risk index based on fire damage weighting methodologies and AI analysis of meteorological factors

The wafer-scale synthesis of magnetic two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) remains a critical challenge due to their metastability and the rapid oxidation of metallic precursors, which block conventional sulfurization routes. Chromium disulfide (CrS2), in particular, is highly attractive for spintronic applications because of its robust room-temperature ferromagnetism, yet its wafer-scale growth has remained elusive. Here, we report a universal strategy using ZnS-derived sulfur monomers to overcome the chemical reaction barrier imposed by native oxide layer, enabling the selective formation of crystalline CrS2 films across 2-in. wafers. The resulting films exhibit excellent uniformity, controllable thickness, and robust ferromagnetism above room temperature. Beyond CrS2, this method demonstrates broad application by yielding wafer-scale VS2, MnS, FeS2, CoS2, and the ternary CrCoS4 with comparable quality. Our results establish a versatile and scalable synthesis platform for 2D magnetic TMDCs, opening a pathway toward their integration in advanced spintronic devices.

Feedstock-dependent oxidation and immobilization of As(III) by iron-modified biochars: The role of intrinsic lignin in enhancing electron transfer.

Understanding the efficacy of wildfire mitigation policies is a clear first step toward curbing wildfire losses during an urban conflagration. In this study, we used a validated model to quantify the impact of the spatial distribution of the combined management of open-space vegetation and mitigation of the home ignition zone (HIZ) on the resulting fire boundary and damage to the built environment in the Palisades area of Los Angeles, California. Fuel management in open-space involves reducing vegetation density by a specific percentage to emulate vegetation thinning and prescribed burning. HIZ mitigation involves hardening building features and removing defensible space fuel. For each type of intervension, we employed both random and targeted strategies to quantify their effectiveness in reducing the fire boundary and mean relative vulnerability of buildings. When combined vegetation management and HIZ mitigation are applied randomly, we observed a maximum reduction in mean relative vulnerability of 57%, while targeted strategies result in a maximum reduction of 78%. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining mitigation strategies in reducing damage caused by urban conflagrations.

Self-assembly of heterometallic (copper/sodium) complexes stabilized by phenylsiloxanolate and acetylacetonate ligands resulted in Cu8Na2-cage structures. Their unprecedented cage-like geometry features two peripheral Cu3 and one central Na-Cu2-Na linear fragments surrounded by two Si5-cyclic silsesquioxanes and four acetylacetonate ligands. To evaluate its catalytic performance, the Cu8Na2-precatalyst was explored in the oxidation of cyclohexane, selected as a model substrate, under a range of experimental conditions. The best results were obtained at 80 °C for 0.5 h under MW irradiation, affording ε-caprolactone (TON = 145, TOF = 290 h-1) along with cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, in an overall yield of 15%. These promising preliminary findings highlight the potential of the heterometallic Cu8Na2 system as an efficient and selective precatalyst for rapid MW-assisted single-pot oxidation, under mild conditions, of cyclohexane to ε-caprolactone, a compound with a marked industrial interest.

Manganese-52 (52 Mn, t 1/2 = 5.6 days) is an attractive positron-emitting isotope for integrated positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Its availability, however, is constrained by the challenge of achieving rapid, high-purity separation from cyclotron-irradiated chromium-52 (52Cr) targets. This study presents an ultrarapid, two-step purification strategy that couples potentiostatic anodic dissolution with single-column chelation ion chromatography. Electrochemical analysis indicates that the Mn target undergoes rapid oxidation and is dissolved as ammine complexes in an ammonium/ammonium chloride buffer (pH 8) at 0.7 V (vs Hg/HgO), whereas the Cr target remained almost passivated and trace Cr leached was precipitated on the target surface as Cr-(OH)3 under identical conditions. The sharp decrease in anodic current density, induced by the distinct dissolution behavior of Mn/Cr targets, provides a convenient real-time endpoint for assessing complete Mn dissolution. The resulting analyte was then loaded directly onto iminodiacetate resins (Diaion CR11) and eluted with HCl, converting the ammine complexes to hydrated Mn2+. Simulated experiments achieved a Mn chromatographic recovery of 98.65% with >99.99% purity within 30 min. This integrated approach offers significant advantages in processing speed and recovery yield over conventional methods, demonstrating high potential for the production of clinical 52 Mn.

Lead-free tin-based halide perovskites are attractive for flexible and environmentally benign optoelectronics, but their application is limited by the rapid oxidation of Sn2+ to Sn4+ and poor operational stability. Here, we report a flexible CsSnI3 nanowire photodetector that achieves both high near-infrared photoresponse and long-term stability through synergistic aluminium-substrate contact engineering and dipolar interface modification. A 0.2 mm anodized aluminium foil serves as the flexible substrate, where localized laser ablation exposes metallic aluminium regions that act as reductive sites, effectively suppressing Sn2+ oxidation during nanowire growth. Simultaneously, a polar interlayer of 3-fluoro-2-nitroanisole (3F-2NA) is introduced to improve energy-level alignment, suppress interfacial deprotonation, and enhance charge extraction. The resulting device exhibits a responsivity of 0.39 A W-1, a specific detectivity of 1.38 × 1013 Jones, and a wide linear dynamic range of 156 dB under 850 nm illumination. Moreover, the device retains over 85% of its initial photocurrent after 60 days under ambient laboratory conditions and maintains 94% after 1000 bending cycles. This work establishes an effective strategy for stabilizing Sn-based perovskites toward high-performance flexible optoelectronic devices.

Copper powders are essential components in electronics and manufacturing but suffer from rapid surface oxidation. Graphene encapsulation offers an effective protective strategy; however, conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods face challenges such as particle sintering, poor coverage due to inefficient precursor transport, and self-limited monolayer growth. Here, we report a scalable pulsed-pressure CVD strategy for kilogram-scale preparation of few-layer graphene-skinned copper powders. This method employs graphite powder as a physical spacer to prevent sintering, while a unique cyclic pressure modulation actively enhances precursor penetration throughout the powder bed. The resulting powders feature a conformal few-layer graphene skin (3-5 layers) with 98.2% surface coverage and high crystallinity. They exhibit exceptional oxidation resistance, showing an approximately 20‑fold lower oxygen uptake than bare copper after 30min at 190°C in air. The graphene-copper composites consolidated from these powders show an ∼8% higher thermal conductivity and an ∼3% higher electrical conductivity than pure copper. This work provides a viable pathway for large-scale production of high-performance graphene-metal composites, opening new opportunities for advanced conductive and thermal management applications.

Uranium mononitride (UN) is a promising advanced nuclear fuel, yet its deployment is hindered by rapid oxidation in hydrothermal accident scenarios. Current mitigation strategies compromise its advantageous properties. Here, using first-principles calculations within the framework of Hubbard-corrected density-functional theory, we reveal a facet-dependent oxidation resistance in UN that provides an intrinsic solution. We find that the N-terminated (111) surface is thermodynamically dominant over the commonly studied (100) facet under ambient conditions, exhibiting a remarkably low surface energy of 0.36 J/m2. More critically, oxygen adsorption is thermodynamically forbidden on this (111) facet (adsorption energy: +0.68 eV), in stark contrast to the strongly binding (100) surface (-1.57 eV). This inertness originates from a surface reconstruction that strengthens U-N bonding and induces a U5+-like electronic state. Our work establishes a foundational design principle: engineering a strong ⟨111⟩ texture is the key to fabricating oxidation-resistant UN fuels without sacrificing performance.

Insights into the regulation of electron exchange capacity on abiotic and biotic arsenic transformation in aquifers.

Methane (CH4) production is commonly associated with anaerobic microbial respiration, yet substantial CH4 production has been observed in aerobic surface waters, presenting the "aerobic methane paradox". Clarifying the mechanism behind aerobic CH4 production is essential for refining the global CH4 budget. Here, we demonstrate that sunlight-driven photochemical processes can effectively produce CH4 across various surface waters, including river, lake, and seawater. The CH4 formation rates ranged from 0.4 ± 0.1 to 0.7 ± 0.1 μmol/m2/h in the daytime, which were 2.3- to 3.9-fold higher as compared to those driven by the decomposition of organic matter by methanogenic archaea in the nighttime. Such aerobic CH4 production stems from the rapid oxidation of naturally abundant methyl donors (e.g., dimethyl sulfoxide) by a photochemically produced hydroxyl radical (•OH), which yields a methyl radical (•CH3) and subsequently leads to CH4 production. Simulations on CH4 productions across varying seasons, latitudes, altitudes, and regions at the global scale suggest that the photochemical processes contribute to 35.3-70.7% of marine CH4 emissions. Our study highlights a ubiquitous yet previously overlooked photochemical source of CH4 production in surface waters, shedding light on the "aerobic methane paradox", which has implications on the global CH4 budget.

Smartphone-assisted colorimetric sensor array based on trimetallic FeMnZn-NC nanozyme for the pattern recognition of antioxidants in fruit.

Differences in the transformation and sources of atmospheric particulate mercury forms during haze weather processes in inland and coastal metropolises.

Nα-Aroyl-N-aryl-phenylalanineamides (AAPs) are a class of antimycobacterial substances that inhibitthe RNA polymerase and are effective against various pathogenic andopportunistic mycobacteria, including Mycobacteriumtuberculosis, Mycobacterium abscessus, and Mycobacterium avium. Furtherdevelopment of these promising compounds, however, has been hinderedby their low microsomal stability, leading to insufficient bioavailability.The present study investigates the mechanism by which microsomal enzymesmetabolically degrade AAPs and identifies the resulting metabolitesusing LC-MS/MS. Rapid oxidation of the ortho-phenylenediaminestructure, present in various substances in this class, plays a keyrole in this process. Additionally, we demonstrated in vitro and in vivo that cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibitorssignificantly slow the degradation of AAPs. Identification of metaboliteswill inform further chemical modification of AAPs to achieve metabolicstability.

Study on fire damage and spalling characteristics of highway tunnel linings based on a thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling model

Risk factors for skin graft loss in burn patients: A six-year cohort study in non-intensive care unit settings.

Self-supported zeolite fibers with multiscale porosity boosting mass transfer and stability for environmental pollutants removal.

A polyphenol-engineered interfacial framework enables aeration-free electro-Fenton via localized oxygen enrichment.

Tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites have quickly emerged as essential absorbers for narrow-bandgap (NBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, their development is severely constrained by interfacial energy-level misalignment and chemical instability at the buried interface. This mismatch induces charge extraction barriers, while the rapid oxidation of Sn2 + creates deep trap states and detrimental p-type self-doping. Here, we propose novel redox-active self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as functional hole-transport layers (HTLs) using ferrocene (FC) derivatives, ferrocene acetic acid (FCAA) and ferrocene carboxylic acid (FCCA), showing better interfacial energetics and eliminating chemical defects via redox mediation. We found that the energy levels of FC-based SAMs align more closely with the Sn-Pb perovskite, promoting efficient hole extraction. Moreover, the reversible FC/FC+ redox process establishes a dynamic cycle, effectively suppressing the undesired oxygen- and light-inducing metallic Pb0 and oxidized Sn4+. FCAA, with a longer alkyl chain that enables stronger electron-donating and redox properties, shows superior to FCCA, achieving a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.8%, and retains 95.8% after 2000 hours of storage with significantly inhibited oxidized Sn species. This study proposes a novel functional HTL for Sn-Pb PSCs, providing a promising way for high-performance and stable all-perovskite tandem photovoltaics.