Green Production Technology Research Articles

Ruthenium‐Induced Activation of Molybdenum‐Cobalt Phosphide for High‐Efficiency Water Splitting

AbstractAdvancing green hydrogen production technologies relies heavily on the development of highly efficient and durable bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting. Herein, this study reports the ruthenium‐modified hollow cubic molybdenum‐cobalt phosphide (Ru‐MoCoP) as exceptional performance electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Theoretical calculations and experimental results indicate that the incorporation of Ru not only serves as an efficient active site, but also adjusts the electronic structure and improves the reactivity of the original sites, as well as generates more phosphorus vacancies, which improves the electrical conductivity and exposes more active sites. Benefiting from the advantages triggered by the incorporation of Ru mentioned above, the Ru‐MoCoP delivers low overpotentials of 55 and 240 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively. Furthermore, the electrolyzer assembled with Ru‐MoCoP achieves a current density of 50 mA cm−2 at 1.6 V and can be operated stably for 150 h. Notably, the assembled two‐electrode system can be powered by a single commercial AA battery, accompanied with evident gas bubble evolution. This research proposes a promising strategy for the development of highly efficient bifunctional phosphide catalysts, aiming to achieve efficient energy conversion in a wide range of industrial applications.

Do Green Production Technologies Improve Household Income? Evidence from Rice Farmers in China

Revealing the behavioral decision-making mechanism and behavioral effects of farmers adopting green production technologies will help motivate farmers to actively adopt green production technologies, thereby promoting the development of green agriculture. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 607 Chinese rice farmers, while the endogenous switching regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors and behavioral effects of farmers adopting green production technologies. The results show that the adoption of green production technologies by farmers can significantly increase household income. Among the green production technologies, soil testing and formula fertilization technology has the greatest impact on farmers’ income, followed by straw returning technology and planting green manure. The main influencing factors of farmers adopting green production technologies are education level, cultivated land area, cultivated land fragmentation, soil fertility, and the distance between home and agricultural technology stations. The results of this study provide an empirical basis for relevant government departments to carry out agricultural technology extension work and formulate relevant policies.

Does Labor Aging Inhibit Farmers’ Straw-Returning Behavior? Evidence from Rural Rice Farmers in Southwest China

As a typical green production technology, straw return affects environmental pollution control and waste recycling. However, in reality, farmers are not active in returning straw to the field. This study constructed a theoretical analysis of farmers’ straw-returning behavior under the conditions of labor aging, socialization service, and environmental regulation. Based on the survey data from 540 households in the Province of Sichuan, we empirically study the relationship between labor aging and farmers’ straw-returning behavior by using the binary logistic regression model and explore the moderating effects of socialization service and environmental regulation on labor aging and straw-returning behavior. The results show that: (1) Aging laborers in rural households constitute a higher proportion, accounting for 29% of the rural household labor force. However, there is limited enthusiasm among farmers to adopt straw returning to the field, with only 65% of farmers adopting this technology. (2) The labor aging hinders farmers’ straw-returning behavior. Specifically, under other fixed conditions, the behavior of straw returning decreases by 0.647 units when the labor aging increases by one unit. (3) Socialization services and economic incentives can mitigate the adverse effects of labor aging on straw-returning behavior, while mandatory constraints do not. (4) The heterogeneity analysis shows that labor aging has a stronger inhibitory effect on straw-returning behavior when the land scale of farmers is lower than the average level and the area is not plain.

Pricing and green inventory decisions for a supply chain system with green investment and carbon tax regulation

This paper proposes an integrated inventory model of a supply chain system consisting of a single manufacturer and single buyer under stochastic demand. The model considers carbon tax regulation to reduce supply chain operations' emissions. To comply with this regulation, the manufacturer invests in green production technologies and replaces the existing (conventional) facility with a green facility. Thus, the manufacturer can benefit by implementing a hybrid production system involving the simultaneous operation of a conventional and a green facility. The green facility requires higher production costs than the conventional facility, but its emissions are lower. The demand is stochastic and the average demand rate is influenced by the product selling price and green investment level. The goal of this research is to determine the optimal delivery lot, number of shipments, safety factor, selling price and investment level in order to optimize the joint total profit. An efficient algorithm is proposed to solve the problem and a numerical example is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. A sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impact of the model's key parameters on its behavior. The results show that green investments made by the manufacturer can effectively reduce the total emissions generated from the supply chain and increase the product's selling price. Furthermore, a hybrid system operated by the manufacturer is proven to control costs and emissions, especially in situations in which the replacement of production facilities must be performed gradually based on the available investment budget.

Machine learning-based prediction and optimization of green hydrogen production technologies from water industries for a circular economy

Currently, there exists a significant number of green hydrogen production (GHP) technologies based on scaling-up issues (SCUI). Optimal prediction and process optimization could be one of the most substantial SCUI of GHP. Machine learning (ML)-based prediction and optimization of GHP technologies from water industries for a circular economy (CRE) could be a plausible solution for these SCUI. We studied a detailed techno-economic and environmental feasibility study, which recommended proton exchange membrane (PEM) and dark fermentation (DF) as the most promising and environment-friendly technologies for GHP. Thus, the present investigation aims to apply different ML models to predict and optimize the GHP of DF and PEM technologies to solve the SCUI. The results revealed K-nearest neighbor and random forest are the best-fitted models to predict GHP for DF and PEM, correspondingly based on the regression co-efficient (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MEA). The permutation variable index (PVI) recommended that chemical oxygen demand (COD), butyrate, temperature, pH and acetate/butyrate ratio are the most influential process parameters in decreasing order for DF, while temperature, cell areas, cell pressure, cell voltage and catalysts loadings are the most effective process parameters for PEM in reducing order. The partial dependency analysis (PDA) demonstrated GHP increases with increasing COD values up to 10 mg/L, and the optimal temperature range in the DF process is between 25 and 30 °C. On the other hand, cell temperature up to 35 °C should be considered optimum for PEM, and 40–70 cm2 cell areas could produce a significant GHP. In summary, the present study underscores the potential of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) as promising techniques for optimizing GHP, ultimately addressing scaling-up challenges in large-scale industrial GHP production and ensuring a sustainable hydrogen economy (HE).

The Symbiotic Mechanism of the Influence of Productive and Transactional Agricultural Social Services on the Use of Soil Testing and Formula Fertilization Technology by Tea Farmers

In this investigation, we analyze data from 929 tea farmers across Shanxi, Sichuan, and Anhui provinces to elucidate the impact of productive and transactional agricultural social services on farmers’ adoption of soil testing and formula fertilization technology. Our perspective centers on the farmers’ standpoint and the underpinning mechanisms of these influences. Our findings delineate several key points: Both transactional and productive socialized services exert a positive influence on farmers’ decisions to adopt green production technologies, with the impact of productive socialized services being more pronounced than their transactional counterparts. The enthusiasm and the scale of adoption for green production technologies among farmers are positively impacted by both types of socialized services, a conclusion robust even when potential endogeneity and other statistical biases are corrected using IV Probit. The influence mechanism of transactional and productive social services operates symbiotically, primarily fostering trust, enhancing farmers’ tea price expectations and industry cognition, driving positive social evaluations, and motivating speculative behavior among farmers. Transactional and productive socialization services show varying propensities in promoting the adoption of soil testing and formula fertilization technology, depending on the farmers’ type, endowments, and income levels. Involvement in these agricultural socialization services enables farmers to bolster their income, improve technical proficiency and information-gathering capabilities, jointly participate in market competition, reduce market risks, and enhance their recognition and choice of green production technologies. This appears to be a crucial catalyst for the successful promotion of greener development and transformation within agriculture and rural areas.

Thermal Integration of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell Systems with External Heat Sources to Maximize Heat Recuperation and Exergetic Efficiency

Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role as an energy carrier in the future energy system. As the issue of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions has recently emerged, efforts are being made to change from a carbon-based energy society to a hydrogen-based energy society worldwide. Among several hydrogen production technologies, green hydrogen refers to hydrogen that does not generate carbon dioxide at all in production processes such as water electrolysis by using renewable energy. The hydrogen production through water electrolysis is more mature than other green hydrogen production technologies and is the most popular green hydrogen production method because it is easy to mass-produce with a modular structure. In particular, a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) system, which has the highest efficiency among electrolysis systems, is drawing significant attention.The high efficiency of SOEC systems originates from heat utilization for water electrolysis, which makes it critical to have optimal thermal integration. The SOEC systems operating at the high temperature above 700°C need a significant amount of thermal energy for steam generation and inlet gas heating. To deal with these thermal energy requirements, the internal heat recuperation and the external heat source integration with system components must be implemented in an effective manner. The thermal integration is the most important part of the SOEC system design. However, the majority of previous studies have concentrated on the performance of unit-cells and stacks, ignoring thermal energy consumption of the systems and heat integration.The purpose of this study is to explain the basis of thermal integration and to investigate the effects of internal and external thermal integration on the whole system performance. The basic concept of the thermal integration of SOEC system is presented while considering internal heat recuperation and coupling with external heat sources. By using temperature-heat transfer analysis, the procedure to design the optimal thermal integration of the SOEC system is described. Based on the proposed system, a parametric study with respect to stack operating conditions (i.e., stack inlet temperature, air utilization, steam conversion, hydrogen fractions) is conducted in order to elucidate their effect on the system level performance. Then, the effects of external heat sources such as steam injection, indirect heat transfer with hot fluids and heat supply by an electrical heater are examined, with pinch analysis and exergetic performance evaluation. The results show that high temperature external heat is not always a prerequisite for the SOEC system. The systematic comparison with several heat integration methods provides a clear guideline to maximize the exergetic efficiency when designing and operating SOEC systems. Through the analysis, this study provides understanding the internal and external characteristics of the thermal integration.

THE WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL IN COASTAL AREAS OF MERAUKE CITY

Energy transformation to new and renewable energy starts from the green economy, green technology, and green products. The electricity demand in 2060 reached 1942 TWh which was dominated by the industrial and transportation sectors. Electricity demand is supplied by 96% renewable energy and 4% new energy with a total capacity of 708 GW. Merauke city with a geographical location between 137-141 degrees and 5-9 degrees of 46,791.63 km2 is a flat area and has several coastal areas, namely : Lampu Satu beach, Payum beach, and Domande beach with a beach length of 846.36 km. The method used is Topographical analysis, Google map and ESDM one map. Merauke city has two potential areas for wind energy, namely plains with a green spectrum having wind speeds of 4-6 m/s while beaches coastal with a red spectrum wind speed exceeding 6 m/s. For an altitude of 50 meters from the ground at coordinates 141.59621 - 8.04586 degrees, green area with wind speed of 4.27 m/s, area of 0.99 km2 and Musamus University at coordinates 140.47110 - 8.103640 degrees, wind speed 4.97 m/s for an area of 0.99 km2. The point 141.563250 - 8.040420 degrees is placed on the . Lampu satu beach wind speed 8.04 m/s, Domande beach 6.56 m/s, Payum beach wind speed 6.75 m/s

The Effect of Industrial Agglomeration on Agricultural Green Production Efficiency: Evidence from China

Understanding how industrial agglomeration affects agricultural green production efficiency is essential for green agricultural development. This study uses the super-efficient Epsilon-Based Measure (EBM) model and Global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index to measure and analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and core sources of dynamics of agricultural green production efficiency in China by using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2020. It also empirically investigates the relationships between industrial agglomeration, land transfer, and agricultural production efficiency. By using fixed, intermediary, and threshold effect models, the internal links between industrial agglomeration, land transfer, and agricultural green production efficiency are examined. The findings indicate the following. (1) The green production efficiency of Chinese agriculture exhibits the regional characteristics of being “high in the west and low in the east, high in the south and low in the north” in terms of space; in terms of time, the overall trend is that green production technology efficiency is growing, with an average annual growth rate of 11.45%, and the growth primarily depends on the “single-track drive” of green technological progress. (2) Industrial agglomeration significantly affects agricultural green production efficiency, green technology efficiency, and green technology change; the corresponding coefficient values are 0.115, 0.093, and 0.022. (3) According to the mechanism-of-action results, land transfer mediates the effects of industrial agglomeration on agricultural green production efficiency, green technology efficiency, and green technology change. These effects have effect values of 28.48%, 27.91%, and 47.75%, respectively. (4) The threshold effect’s findings demonstrate a double threshold effect of industrial agglomeration on the green production efficiency of agriculture in terms of land transfer, with threshold values of 1.468 and 3.891, respectively. As a result, this study suggests adhering to the idea of synergistic development, promoting agricultural green development, strengthening the development of industrial agglomerations, promoting the quality and efficiency of industry, improving land-transfer mechanisms, and placing a focus on resource efficiency improvements, as well as other policy recommendations.

Recent trends in two-dimensional graphene derivatives-based composites: Review on synthesis, properties and applications

Owing to the unique properties of 2D graphene derivatives (2D GDs), their composites with other materials possess superior characteristics over other existing materials in the universe. Accordingly, 2D GDs-based composites have emerged as leading materials for substantial advancements of various technological industries such as energy, electronics, sensors, catalysis, environmental remediation, biomedical and structural sectors. Recently, numerous research innovations, have been developed for reliable production of 2D GDs-based composites with high quality, plentiful availability and competitive costs. The overall performance of 2D GDs-based composites is controlled by three main issues. First, the synthesis strategy of GD sheets, which determines the characteristic properties, quantity and cost of the 2D GD product. Second, the surface functionalization of GD sheets, which enhances the compatibility and chemical affinity between GD sheets and other materials within the composites. Finally, the processing method of the composite that strongly affects its microstructure, properties, productivity and cost. This makes such three processes, matters of great concern when designing 2D GDs-based composites for specific application. In this article, the structure, properties, synthesis and surface functionalization of 2D GDs are reviewed. Then, the review article discusses the research developments of 2D GDs-based composites with inorganic materials and polymers, in terms of preparation, properties and applications. Particular focus is placed on Green and/or clean production technologies. The recent research interest in the 2D GDs/multicomponent hybrid composites, with their distinctive multifunctional properties, is highlighted. Also, the new implemented applications of 2D GDs-based composites from 2021, are pointed out, as well as the currently running practical projects, which are proposing innovative futural applications prospects.

Development of a green fermentation strategy with resource cycle for the docosahexaenoic acid production by Schizochytrium sp.

The fermentation production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an industrial process with huge consumption of freshwater resource and nutrient, such as carbon sources and nitrogen sources. In this study, seawater and fermentation wastewater were introduced into the fermentation production of DHA, which could solve the problem of fermentation industry competing with humans for freshwater. In addition, a green fermentation strategy with pH control using waste ammonia, NaOH and citric acid as well as FW recycling was proposed. It could provide a stable external environment for cell growth and lipid synthesis while alleviating the dependence on organic nitrogen sources of Schizochytrium sp. It was proved that this strategy has good industrialization potential for DHA production, and the biomass, lipid and DHA yield reached to 195.8 g/L, 74.4 g/L and 46.4 g/L in 50 L bioreactor, respectively. This study provides a green and economic bioprocess technology for DHA production by Schizochytrium sp.

Scalable, Green, and Cost-Effective Carbonized Sand for Efficient Solar Desalination.

Nowadays, sweet and drinkable water shortage is a global issue which has attracted widespread attention. Desalination of seawater as the greatest source of water on our planet using solar energy as the most abundant and green energy source for producing fresh water can help us address this issue. Interfacial solar desalination is a state-of-the-art, sustainable, green, and energy-efficient method that has been studied lately. One of the key parameters for researching this method with reasonable efficiency is a photothermal material. Herein, carbon-coated sand was synthesized using abundant, green, and low-cost materials (sand and sugar), and its performance as a photothermal material is investigated and reported. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) system is introduced to develop the performance and efficiency of the system under real sun irradiation and natural circumstances. The salt rejection ability of the system is another important thing we should notice due to the high salinity of seawater that we want to desalinate. The superhydrophilic carbonized sand demonstrated a good evaporation rate of 1.53 kg/m2h and 82% efficiency under 1 sun irradiation and upright salt rejection ability, which exhibited its capability to be used in green solar-driven water vaporization technology for sweet water production. The effects of important parameters, including light intensity, wind speed, and environment temperature, on the evaporation rate using carbonized sand as a solar collector in a solar desalination system were studied in both laboratory and real systems.

Application of Organic Fertilizers Optimizes Water Consumption Characteristics and Improves Seed Yield of Oilseed Flax in Semi-Arid Areas of the Loess Plateau

Organic fertilizers are an important source of nutrients for improving farmland fertility. To explore high-yield, efficient and green production technology for oilseed flax in dryland agricultural areas, a field split plot experiment was conducted in the semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau in northwest China from April to August in 2020 and 2021. The study compared and analyzed the effects of different nutrient sources and their application rates on water consumption characteristics, grain yield and water use efficiency of oilseed flax. The main plots were fertilizer types (sheep manure, chicken manure and chemical fertilizer), while the subplots were fertilizer application rates (sheep manure: S1-12,500 kg·hm−2 and S2-25,000 kg·hm−2; chicken manure: C1-5800 kg·hm−2 and C2-11,600 kg·hm−2; chemical fertilizer: F1-N 112.5 kg·hm−2, P 75 kg·hm−2, K 67.5 kg·hm−2 and F2-N 225 kg·hm−2, P2O5 150 kg·hm−2, K2O 135 kg·hm−2). The results showed that compared with chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers significantly increased the soil water storage capacity of the 0–160 cm soil layer during the whole growth period of oilseed flax and significantly reduced water consumption. During two growing seasons, the application of 25,000 kg·hm−2 sheep manure significantly reduced water consumption during the seedling-bud period and green fruit period-maturity period of oilseed flax by 16.13% and 23.19% compared with CK, respectively. Thousand-grain weight, yield and water use efficiency were significantly increased by 14.70%, 48.32% and 61.29%, respectively. These results indicate that the application of 25,000 kg·hm−2 sheep manure can significantly increase soil water storage capacity of the 0–160 cm soil layer, reduce water consumption during the whole growth period of oilseed flax and thus improve grain yield and water use efficiency of oilseed flax. It is a suitable fertilization technology for the high-yield, efficient and green production of oilseed flax in the semi-arid areas of northwest Loess Plateau.

Triple-hurdle model analysis of aquaculture farmers’ multi-stage willingness to participate in green and healthy aquaculture actions in China: based on ecological cognition and environmental regulation perspectives

Implementing the action of green and healthy aquaculture is an important measure to ensure the stable and secure supply of crucial agricultural products and promote the green and high-quality development of the fishing industry in China. This article divides the willingness to participate in the green and healthy aquaculture actions (GHAAs) into three stages: whether to participate, mode of participation, and degree of participation based on the dynamic decision-making process of the farmers. Based on micro survey data of aquaculture households in Zhejiang Province, this paper applies the Triple-Hurdle model to analyze the effect of ecological cognition and environmental regulation on multi-stage participation willingness, with a particular emphasis on exploring the differences in participation willingness between two types of green aquaculture methods, traditional and emerging technologies. The results show that ecological cognition has a positive promoting effect on the willingness to participate in actions and the degree of willingness to participate in both types of technological methods, the constrained environmental regulation policies significantly positively affects the degree of willingness to participate in traditional technological methods, and the incentive environmental regulation policies significantly positively affects the willingness to choose emerging technological methods and its degree of willingness to participate. The analysis of the regulatory effect of environmental regulation shows that constrained regulation policies can enhance the willingness of high ecological cognition farmers to participate in actions, while incentive policies are helpful for high ecological cognition farmers’ adoption willingness of emerging green production technology. In addition, there are scale and intergenerational differences in the effects of ecological cognition and environmental regulation on farmers’ willingness to participate in actions.

Production Strategy and Technology Innovation under Different Carbon Emission Polices

Given that the production process in the manufacturing industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, many governments have implemented carbon emission-related policies to incentivize manufacturers to optimize their production process or invest in green production technology, with the aim of reducing their carbon footprint. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the effectiveness of carbon policies considering manufacturers always tend to prioritize economic profits in their actual operations. We compare the effects of three different carbon emission policies—carbon tax, cap-and-trade, and intensity target—on manufacturers’ production strategies and technology innovation investments, which include production and carbon emission quantities, price of goods and emission permit, and technological innovation of the production improvement and the emission abatement. The study results show that the intensity target policy increases the carbon market price and decreases the carbon emission rate. For the manufacturers with higher (lower) initial emission intensity, intensity target policy induces them to decrease (increase) production quantities and carbon emission quantities. For the technology innovation choice, cap-and-trade induces more incentive on production improvement technology innovation for manufacturers with lower initial emission intensity and carbon emission abatement technology innovation for manufacturers with higher level initial emission intensity.

A sustainable supply chain coordination model with an investment in green technology and electric equipment

This paper proposes a new mathematical model to examine a solution to a sustainable supply chain problem by investing in green production technology and electrical equipment for transportation and warehousing. This study integrated an inventory model involving a single vendor, a single distributor, and multiple retailers. The carbon emissions involving emissions from a vendor and retailers are incorporated in this paper. An algorithm solution is proposed to minimise the total cost to determine the optimal decision variables, i.e. the lot size, number of deliveries, safety factor, lead-time, and emissions. A numerical example is illustrated to validate the proposed model and provide insight into the relevant industry. The life cycle cost assessment of the electrical equipment is also discussed for managers to inform their decision-making. From the comparison results, the integrated scheme comprising electric-powered with green investment is lower than without green investment, fossil-fuel with green investment, and fossil fuel equipment only with a total cost saving of 0.68%, 3.28%, and 3.59%, respectively; lower-emissions of 39.69%, 42.22%, 27.46%, respectively; and lead-time reduction of 1.80%, 25.23%, 23.78%, respectively.

Unraveling ultrasonic assisted aqueous-phase one-step synthesis of porous PtPdCu nanodendrites for methanol oxidation with a CO-poisoning tolerance

The tailored design of tri-metallic Pt-based porous nanodendrites (PNDs) is crucial for green energy production technologies, ascribed to their fancy features, great surface areas, accessible active sites, and stability against aggregation. However, their aqueous-phase one-step synthesis at room temperature remains a daunting challenge. Herein, we present a facile, green, and template-free approach for the one-step synthesis of PtPdCu PNDs by ultrasonication of an aqueous solution of metal salts and Pluronic F127 at 25 ℃, based on natural isolation among nucleation and growth step driven by the disparate reduction kinetics of the metals and acoustic cavitation mechanism of ultrasonic waves. The resultant PtPdCu PNDs formed in a spatial nanodendritic shape with a dense array of branches, open corners, interconnected pores, high surface area (46.9 m2/g), and high Cu content (21 %). The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) mass activity of PtPdCu PNDs (3.66 mA/µgPt) is 1.45, 2.73, and 2.83 times higher than those of PtPd PNDs, PtCu PNDs, and commercial Pt/C, respectively based on equivalent Pt mass, which is superior to previous PtPdCu catalysts reported elsewhere, besides a superior durability and CO-poisoning tolerance. This study may pave the way for the controlled fabrication of ternary Pt-based PNDs for various electrocatalytic applications.

From Traditional to Smart: Exploring the Effects of Smart Agriculture on Green Production Technology Diversity in Family Farms

The application of smart agriculture is increasingly becoming a critical force in transforming the traditional methods of agricultural production in China. This change, based on technological innovation, is essential to promoting a sustainable production system in family farms. This study is based on the resource orchestration theory to investigate how smart agriculture affects the diversity of green production technologies (GPTs) on family farms. Based on a sample of 563 family farms surveyed in 2022, this study utilizes propensity score matching (PSM) methods and instrumental variables to analyze the effect of smart-agriculture adoption on the diversity of GPTs on farms. The findings reveal that smart agriculture has significantly increased the diversity of GPTs on farms by 8.5%. Network consulting services, value-added products, and environmental monitoring services are potential impact mechanisms underlying the positive effects of smart agriculture on the diversity of GPTs on farms. Furthermore, the increased diversity of GPTs is more significant on purely plantation farms, farms without contract farming, and farms with high levels of mechanization.

Modulating Electronic Structure of PtCo-Ptrich Nanowires with Ru atoms for Boosted Hydrogen Evolution Catalysis.

Rational design and development of highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is of great significance for the development of green water electrolysis hydrogen production technology. Ru-engineered 1D PtCo-Ptrich nanowires (Ru-Ptrich Co NWs) are fabricated by a facile electrodeposition method. The rich Pt surface on 1D Pt3 Co contributes to the fully exposed active sites and enhanced intrinsic catalytic activity (co-engineered by Ru and Co atoms) for HER. The incorporation of Ru atoms can not only accelerate the water dissociation in alkaline condition to provide sufficient H* but also modulate the electronic structure of Pt to achieve optimized H* adsorption energy. As a result, Ru-Ptrich Co NWs have exhibited ultralow HER overpotentials (η) of 8 and 112mV to achieve current densities of 10 and 100mA cm-2 in 1m KOH, respectively, which far exceed those of commercial Pt/C catalyst (η10 =29mV, η100 =206mV). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that the incorporated Ru atoms possess strong water adsorption capacity (-0.52 vs -0.12eV for Pt), facilitating water dissociation. The Pt atoms in the outermost Pt-rich skin of Ru-Ptrich Co NWs achieve optimized H* adsorption free energy (ΔGH* ) of -0.08eV, boosting hydrogen generation.

The direction of promoting smallholders' adoption of agricultural green production technologies in China

Application of agricultural green production technologies (AGPT) is a vital measure to improve the quality of arable land and enhance the quality of agricultural products. The lack of motivation of smallholders has slowed the adoption of AGPT in China. To reveal the directions of promoting smallholders' adoption behavior of AGPT, this study analyzed smallholders on their green production behaviors by using zero-inflated poisson (ZIP) regression model with 454 rice planters in Hubei. The results found that smallholders joining in cooperatives and developing into family farms were the two main directions to influence their adoption of AGPT. For smallholders, cooperative membership is currently effective in enhancing their AGPT adoption, while family farm is not effective in promoting smallholders’ AGPT adoption. Smallholders are transformed into family farms by transferring into arable land, but the land fragmentation weakens their AGPT adoption. Thus, policy makers should guide smallholders to join in cooperatives to enhance their convenience of accessing to AGPT and establishing a stable land transfer mechanism to enhance the long-term investment. Meanwhile, it is necessary to strengthen the support for family farms and further improve the extension service system of AGPT.