Journal Of The American Chemical Society Research Articles

Bibliometric analysis of Sci-Hub downloads by Egyptian researchers

In this study we present an in-depth bibliometric analysis of Sci-Hub downloads by Egyptian researchers based on the 2017 download log file. The study reveals that Egyptian researchers heavily rely on Sci-Hub, generating a substantial 1,357,526 download requests in 2017, with 65% of these occurring outside regular working hours. Cairo emerges as a central hub for this activity, contributing 81.58% of total downloads. Journal articles constitute the majority of downloads at 82.36%, followed by conference papers (12.89%). A discernible trend shows a preference for recent papers published between 2012 and 2017, highlighting the demand for up-to-date research. The analysis also highlights prominent publishers, including IEEE, Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer, as preferred sources for Egyptian researchers. “Journal of the American Chemical Society” and “Journal of Applied Physics” stand out among accessed journals, while IEEE-associated conferences, notably “IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting,” dominate conference paper downloads. Examining journal accessibility via the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) reveals that 62.84% of journals are accessible, with Science Direct as the leading provider (28.37%). However, a significant gap emerges as 87.39% of downloaded conference papers remain inaccessible through EKB. Furthermore, a semantic analysis highlights recurring themes such as “systems,” “review,” “analysis,” “treatment,” “power,” and “energy,” reflecting the key research areas of Egyptian researchers. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into Sci-Hub’s role in supplementing Egyptian researchers’ resource access and underscores the need for comprehensive resource coverage and accessibility enhancements.

Partial Replacement of Manganese in Sodium Manganese Hexacyanoferrate for Long-Life Sodium-Ion Cathode Materials

Among the various cathode active materials for Na-ion batteries Prussian Blue Analogs (PBA) are a promising candidate. From a cost and sustainability perspective, Na2Mn[Fe(CN)]6 (NaMnHCF) is of particular interest due to its high potential and superior electrochemical performance.[1] However, it suffers from poor cycling stability which is believed to be partly due to structural distortions caused by the Jahn-Teller effect of oxidized Mn3+ and dissolution of Mn in the electrolyte.[1,2] An alternative PBA like Na2Fe[Fe(CN)]6 (NaFeHCF) does not have these issues, but operates at a lower average potential of about 3.15 V versus Na+/Na during discharge (versus 3.45 V for NaMnHCF).[3] Therefore, in this study, the systematic replacement of Mn is investigated to find an optimum of high potential and good cycling stability.[4] As an example, Figure 1 shows the voltage curves for the first C/20 cycle in sodium half cells with Na2Mn[Fe(CN)]6 (green) or Na2Mn0.8Fe0.2[Fe(CN)]6 (blue). The material with the higher Fe content clearly shows a second, lower plateau and an overall lower potential.The materials were compared in terms of their electrochemical properties and characterized by SEM, XRD, ICP-OES and TGA. References Song, J., Wang, L., Lu, Y., Liu, J., Guo, B., Xiao, P., ... & Goodenough, J. B. (2015). Journal of the American Chemical Society, 137(7), 2658-2664.Xu, C., Ma, Y., Zhao, J., Zhang, P., Chen, Z., Yang, C., ... & Hu, Y. S. (2023). Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 62(13), e202217761.Wang, L., Song, J., Qiao, R., Wray, L. A., Hossain, M. A., Chuang, Y. D., ... & Goodenough, J. B. (2015). Journal of the American Chemical Society, 137(7), 2548-2554.Chen, X., Xia, Y., Fang, X., Zhang, K., Xiong, Y., & Jian, Z. (2022). Journal of Materials Science, 57(29), 14015-14025. Figure 1

(Invited) Modeling of the Electric Double Layer (EDL) at Li/SEI/Electrolyte Interfaces

Liquid electrolytes, consisting of salts, solvents, and additives, must form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) to ensure the performance and durability of lithium(Li)-ion batteries. However, the electric double layer (EDL) structure near charged surfaces is still unsolved, despite its importance in dictating the species being reduced for SEI formation near a negative electrode. Recently, we have developed an interactive Molecular Dynamics -Density Functional Theory -data statistics (MD-DFT-data) model to investigate the reduction reactions of multicomponent electrolytes within the EDL. We will illustrate the effect of EDL on SEI formation in two essential electrolytes, the carbonate-based electrolyte for Li-ion batteries and the ether-based electrolyte for batteries with Li-metal anodes. Our results reveal that the role of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive differs drastically in the two electrolytes as an SEI modifier to form the beneficial F-containing SEI component (e.g., LiF). The competition among the cations, anions, and various species in the solvents with a charged surface at different temperatures can all jointly determine the EDL structure and therefore the SEI compositions. [1]While the classical Poisson–Boltzmann EDL model developed for fully solvated ions face new challenges in high-concentration liquid electrolytes (HCE), localized high-concentration liquid electrolytes (LHCE) as well as solid electrolytes (SE), new theoretical developments are required. We will introduce a new DEL model in SE and SEI by solving the DFT-informed Poisson–Fermi–Dirac equation and demonstrate how it can be used for interlayer thickness design. [2][1] Wu, Q.S, McDowell, M.T., & Qi, Y., Journal of the American Chemical Society 145 (4), 2473-2484 (2023)[2] Swift, M.W., Swift, J.W. & Qi, Y. Modeling the electrical double layer at solid-state electrochemical interfaces. Nat Comput Sci 1, 212–220 (2021)

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Tunable Selectivity

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the core reaction in electrocatalysis systems such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electro-generation. The ORR reaction mechanism has two possible pathways, namely, two-electron (2e−) or four-electron (4e−) processes that enable a reduction of oxygen into H2O2 or water (H2O), respectively. Both paths are useful where the former can provide on-site direct production of H2O2 and the latter is desired in fuel cells and batteries since it enables higher energy efficiency. Optimal ORR electrocatalyst should exhibit high activity, selectivity, stability, and low cost. Carbon materials modified with heteroatoms (e.g. nitrogen (N)) are considered potential alternatives for costly noble metal catalysts including Pt for ORR in fuel cells, and Au for the ORR to H2O2 (1,2). The typical synthesis procedure for the porous nitrogen-doped carbons (N–C) is based on the single or multiple pyrolysis steps of nitrogen-rich carbon precursor. The reactions required a pyrolysis step at the temperature range of 500-1200 °C and timing of one to tens of hours. Such processes showed a highly negative environmental impact due to high energy consumption. The production of 1 ton of activated carbon from lignocellulosic biomass feedstock requires 669.83 kWh (equivalent to an emission of 62.78 tons of CO2) (3). The synthesis of the N–C by microwave (MW) irradiation can reduce energy usage and ensure a more environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach. This procedure necessitates non-transparent materials to electromagnetic waves that can convert MW energy into heat and simultaneously enable the carbonization of the starting material.This work investigated the electrocatalytic activity towards ORR for N–C–MW catalysts derived from polyaniline (PANI) prepared in a one-step MW carbonization approach. PANI was selected due to two reasons: (i) N–C made by thermal pyrolysis of PANI showed improved electrocatalytic activity toward ORR where both the 4e− and the 2e− electron transfer pathways are feasible depending on the nature of active sides (4), (ii) PANI displayed good MW adsorption properties (5). The work aimed to identify the influence of the MW reaction condition on the resulting structure of the N–C–MW and the direction of the ORR. The N–C–MW samples were prepared under MW power of 450 and 800 W and time of 70, 140 and 210 s. The ORR activity of N–C–MW samples was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in the alkaline media (O2-saturated 0.1 M KOH). The experiment was performed in a three-electrode configuration composed of a rotating ring (Pt)–disk (glassy carbon) electrode (RRDE), a graphite rod as the counter electrode and a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) as the reference electrode. An influence of catalyst loading on disk electrode (0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/cm2) was analyzed. All investigated MW reaction conditions resulted in the formation of porous disordered carbon structures with nitrogen and oxygen functionalities confirmed by X-ray photon-electron spectroscopy. The shorter time (70 s) and lower power (450 W) of MW treatment resulted in the formation of structures with a low carbonization rate and simultaneously a relatively poor catalytic activity for ORR (an onset potential of ∼0.65 V vs RHE). The samples carbonized under moderate (power of 450 W and 800 W, time of 140 s) and severe (power of 450 W, time of 210 s) reaction conditions showed higher selectivity to H2O2 or water H2O, respectively. The selectivity of 80 % to H2O2 was achieved for the N–C–MW-800W-140s sample at the potential of 0.6 V vs RHE at the catalyst loading of 0.05 mg/cm2. The results showcase the potential of MW carbonization in producing ORR electrocatalysts with diverse functionalization, leading to modified reaction selectivity that can be utilized in various electrocatalytic applications. Acknowledgments The research leading to these results was supported by the Johannes Amos Comenius Programme, European Structural and Investment Funds, project 'CHEMFELLS V‘ (No. CZ.02.01.01/00/22_010/0003004). References Yang, S. et al., Toward the decentralized electrochemical production of H2O2: A focus on the catalysis. ACS Catalysis, 2018.Bouleau, L. et al., Best practices for ORR performance evaluation of metal-free porous carbon electrocatalysts. Carbon, 2022.Wang, YX. et al., Quantifying environmental and economic impacts of highly porous activated carbon from lignocellulosic biomass for high-performance supercapacitors. Energies, 2022.Silva, R. et al., Efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction: Polyaniline-derived N- and O-doped mesoporous carbons. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013.Oyharçabal, M. et al., Influence of the morphology of polyaniline on the microwave absorption properties of epoxy polyaniline composites. Composites Science and Technology, 2013. Figure 1

Operando Surface X-Ray Diffraction Studies of Co Oxide Catalyst Films for Electrochemical Water Splitting

The need for environmental friendly and sustainable energy conversion has triggered renewed interest into the electrochemical and photoelectrochemical splitting of water. A key challenge in this field is the development of economically viable electrocatalyst materials for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Transition-metal oxide catalysts, in particular the cobalt (hydr)oxide materials, have been found as promising candidates, since they are earth-abundant, efficient and scalable over a wide range of electrochemical conditions [1]. They present good catalytic properties and stability in alkaline solution under ambient conditions. Although a wide variety of different catalysts with rather diverse nanoscale morphologies have been synthesized and studied, the atomic scale surface structure usually is still unknown or poorly defined. This makes it difficult to compare their electrocatalytic activity and correlate it with ab initio theoretical studies, which hinders the development of clear structure-reactivity relationships and unambiguous determination of the OER reaction mechanism.We presentsystematic comparative studiesof structurally well-defined, 18-35nm thick Co3O4 films, prepared by electrodeposition or physical vapor deposition (PVD) on Au(111), Au(100) and Ir(100) single crystals. In all cases a well ordered epitaxial Co3O4(111) arrangement results, but the film morphology differs substantially, as shown by AFM and surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD). In order to elucidate the quantitative relationship between the catalyst surface structure and the OER reactivity, synchrotron-based operando SXRD and electrochemical measurements were performed simultaneously under reaction conditions, using a dedicated operando cell which allows massive gas evolution and current densities of up to 150 mA/cm2 [2,3].We find that the Co3O4(111) layers prepared by PVD on Ir(100) stay perfectly stable in the pre-OER and OER potential regime, whereas all electrodeposited films exhibit reversible changes in the oxide structure and oxidation state, in agreement with a previous study of Co3O4 catalysts [2]. Specifically, we observe the reverse formation of an ultrathin X-ray-amorphous CoOx(OH)y skin layer above 1 V vs. RHE and the gradual buildup of tensile lattice strain in the underneath, remaining Co3O4 layer with increasing potential. These structural changes occur for all electrodeposited samples, albeit to a different extent, depending on the film morphology [3]. Studying the relationship between the effective thickness of this skin layer and the OER reactivity, we found clear evidence that the entire skin layer is a three dimensional OER zone, which strongly exceeds one monolayer.Our results suggest that even subtle changes of the surface morphology have large influence on the OER activity of the Co3O4 catalyst, which may be expected also for other spinel-type transition metal oxides. On the one hand, this reveals that great care as to be taken in comparing the OER activity of differently prepared catalysts. On the other hand, these observations may provide a base for targeted preparation of highly reactive oxide catalysts.[1] C. C. L. McCrory et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society 2015, 137, 4347.[2] F. Reikowski, et al., ACS Catalysis, 2019, 9, 3811.[3] T. Wiegmann, et al., ACS Catalysis, 2022, 12, 256.

On Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Developing cost-effective and large-scale energy storage systems (ESSs) has been an important topic over the past years in order to implement efficient utilization of renewable electricity generated from sources like solar, wind, geothermal and tidal energy (1). Since the commercialization in 1991, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in portable electronics, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage devices (2). However, there is an increase in demand for alternative energy sources based on abundant and low-cost materials due to the limited reserves and high costs of lithium compounds. In this context, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received great attention because of their similarities to LIBs and the large abundance (2.3%) on earth, and low cost of sodium compounds (3). However, the energy density of most SIBs are lower that of LIBs, primarily due to the larger ionic radius and higher mass of Na+ ion compared to Li+ ions, as well as the lower electrochemical potential of sodium cells relative to lithium cells (4). Many efforts have been devoted to the development of high-performance cathode materials, including layered transition metal oxides, Prussian blue analogues (PBAs), sulfates, phosphates and pyrophosphates. Polyanionic compounds, in particular, are considered as promising cathode materials with regard to their high working voltage, structural stability, thermal stability and small volume change upon cycling (5). For example, iron phosphate-based materials have gained attention inspired by LiFePO4 for LIBs. However, the olivine NaFePO4 is predominantly produced through an ion exchange process (6). The maricite NaFePO4 is electrochemically inactive due to the lack of Na migration channels within its structure. On the other hand, Na2FeP2O7 shows long cycle life and structural stability with a low capacity because of its single electron diffusion process. Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) (NFPP) combines the benefits of both phosphate and pyrophosphate, offering potential advantages such as low-cost, environmental friendliness, high average working voltage (~ 3.1 V vs. Na+/Na), favorable theoretical capacity (129 mAh g-1), low volume change (< 4%) due to its open framework composed of [Fe3P2O13] layers connected by (P2O7)4- groups with 3D ion channels and low activation barriers for Na+ transport as well as structural and thermal stability. However, NFPP is susceptible to the formation of impurities such as NaFePO4 and Na2FeP2O7, which can arise from the synthesis temperature and adopted reaction materials, potentially restricting the electrochemical performance of NFPP. Additionally, the inherent insulating characteristics of the (PO4)3- group in NFPP may result in reduced electronic conductivity and slow ion diffusion, which hinders its practical application (7, 8). Therefore, various strategies have been developed to enhance conductivity such as nanosizing, carbon coating and metal ion doping.NFPP can be synthesized by various methods like solid-state, sol-gel, spray drying and combustion. In this study, we present our results on employing both sol–gel and combustion methods with distinct synthesis parameters. The structure, morphology and particle size of NFPP are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The electrochemical performance of NFPP cathodes is investigated in both half- and full-cells via galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling tests. Keywords: sodium-ion batteries, cathode material, iron-based mixed phosphate, sol-gel synthesis, large scale M. Armand and J. M. Tarascon, Nature, 451, 652 (2008).J. B. Goodenough and K.-S. Park, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135, 1167 (2013).B. Dunn, H. Kamath and J.-M. Tarascon, Science, 334, 928 (2011).M. H. Han, E. Gonzalo, G. Singh and T. Rojo, Energy & Environmental Science, 8, 81 (2015).P. Barpanda, L. Lander, S.-i. Nishimura and A. Yamada, Advanced Energy Materials, 8, 1703055 (2018).K. T. Lee, T. N. Ramesh, F. Nan, G. Botton and L. F. Nazar, Chemistry of Materials, 23, 3593 (2011).X. Wu, G. Zhong and Y. Yang, Journal of Power Sources, 327, 666 (2016).H. Kim, I. Park, S. Lee, H. Kim, K.-Y. Park, Y.-U. Park, H. Kim, J. Kim, H.-D. Lim, W.-S. Yoon and K. Kang, Chemistry of Materials, 25, 3614 (2013).

Effect of Cations on Electrocatalytic CO2-to-Methanol Conversion by Heterogenized Molecular Catalyst

Catalytic benefit and role of electrolyte cations for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction have recently received significant research attention. It has been experimentally and theoretically demonstrated that cations can stabilize the key intermediate species, for example, *CO2 –, through mid- or short-range electrostatic interactions, facilitating the CO2 activation step.1-2 However, to date, these discussions are mostly limited to CO2-to-CO conversion (a two electron/proton transfer reaction) and electrostatic stabilization of reaction intermediate species.In present work, we show that cations play a crucial role in further reducing CO2 to methanol. We found that cations engage as a promoter in the rate determining step of the CO2-to-methanol conversion, which involves a proton-coupled electron transfer, beyond the first CO2 activation step. For this study, heterogenized molecular catalyst with a cobalt single site (Co-N4) was employed, achieving ~25% methanol selectivity at –0.78 V vs. RHE. Through an isotope labeling experiment (13CO2 reduction reaction), we validated that methanol is produced by the CO2 reduction reaction. Furthermore, electrolytes with different cation species and concentrations were tested in a systematic manner to investigate the promoting effect of cations on methanol production. In addition, using deuterated electrolytes, we studied kinetic isotope effect, proposing a reaction pathway for CO2-to-methanol conversion on the cobalt single site. Our findings offer new insights into the beneficial effect of cations on electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction kinetics besides their widely acknowledged stabilizing effect. Our discovery also opens up new research directions where non-covalent interactions between electrolyte species and reaction intermediates are utilized to enhance electrocatalytic production of a desired product in CO2 reduction reaction beyond two-electron transfer products.In this talk, I will discuss the promoting effect of cations on the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol and conclude by proposing potential strategies to further improve the electrocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion.References Monteiro, M. C. O.; Dattila, F.; Hagedoorn, B.; García-Muelas, R.; López, N.; Koper, M. T. , Absence of CO2 electroreduction on copper, gold and silver electrodes without metal cations in solution. Nature Catalysis 2021, 4 (8), 654-662.Resasco, J.; Chen, L. D.; Clark, E.; Tsai, C.; Hahn, C.; Jaramillo, T. F.; Chan, K.; Bell, A. T., Promoter Effects of Alkali Metal Cations on the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139 (32), 11277-11287.

(Invited) In Situ Spectroscopy of Electrocatalytic and Photocatalytic Interfaces

We report various aspects of electrochemistry and photoelectrochemistry using in situ spectroscopy of electrode (metal) and photoelectrode (semiconductor) interfaces in situ under electrochemical working conditions. These spectroscopies include sum frequency generation (SFG), transient reflectance/absorption spectroscopy (TAS/TRS), and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, we monitor local electric fields using Stark-shifts of nitrile-functionalized silicon photoelectrodes.6 Using Graphene-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (GERS)-based Stark-shifts, we measure local electric fields and local charge densities at monolayer graphene electrode surfaces.1 We also measured the stacking dependence and Resonant interlayer excitation of monolayer WSe2/MoSe2 heterostructures for photocatalytic energy conversion.2 Using sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, we measure the voltage dependence of the orientation of D2O molecules at a graphene electrode surface, which is related back to the “stiffness of the ensemble”.3 In particular, we measured the “free OD” feature in the spectra, which corresponds to the topmost water molecule that is rotated up out of the bulk water solution and is, therefore, not hydrogen bonded. Using transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), we measure the lifetime of hot electrons photoexcited in plasmon resonant nanostructures.5 Using transient reflectance spectroscopy (TRS), we measure the photoexcited carrier dynamics in a GaP/TiO2 photoelectrode, as well as the electrostatic field dynamics at this semiconductor-liquid interfaces in situ under various electrochemical potentials.4 Here, the electrostatic fields at the surface of the semiconductor are measured via Franz−Keldysh oscillations (FKO). These spectra reveal that the nanoscale TiO2 protection layer enhances the built-in field and charge separation performance of GaP photoelectrodes. Shi, H.T., B.F. Zhao, J. Ma, M.J. Bronson, Z. Cai, J.H. Chen, Y. Wang, M. Cronin, L. Jensen and S.B. Cronin, Measuring Local Electric Fields and Local Charge Densities at Electrode Surfaces Using Graphene-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (GERS)-Based Stark-Shifts. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11, 36252-36258 (2019).Chen, J., C.S. Bailey, D. Cui, Y. Wang, B. Wang, H. Shi, Z. Cai, E. Pop, C. Zhou and S.B. Cronin, Stacking Independence and Resonant Interlayer Excitation of Monolayer WSe2/MoSe2 Heterostructures for Photocatalytic Energy Conversion. ACS Applied Nano Materials, DOI:10.1021/acsanm.9b01898 (2020).Montenegro, A., C. Dutta, M. Mammetkuliev, H.T. Shi, B.Y. Hou, D. Bhattacharyya, B.F. Zhao, S.B. Cronin and A.V. Benderskii, Asymmetric response of interfacial water to applied electric fields. Nature, 594, 62 (2021).Xu, Z.H., B.Y. Hou, F.Y. Zhao, Z. Cai, H.T. Shi, Y.W. Liu, C.L. Hill, D.G. Musaev, M. Mecklenburg, S.B. Cronin and T.Q. Lian, Nanoscale TiO2 Protection Layer Enhances the Built-In Field and Charge Separation Performance of GaP Photoelectrodes. Nano Letters, 21, 8017-8024 (2021).Yu Wang, Yi Wang, Indu Aravind, Zhi Cai, Lang Shen, Boxin Zhang, Bo Wang, Jihan Chen, Bofan Zhao, Haotian Shi, Jahan M. Dawlaty, and Stephen B. Cronin. In Situ Investigation of Ultrafast Dynamics of Hot Electron-Driven Photocatalysis in Plasmon-Resonant Grating Structures. Journal of the American Chemical Society. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12069 (2022).Haotian Shi, Ryan T. Pekarek, Ran Chen, Boxin Zhang, Yu Wang, Indu Aravind, Zhi Cai, Lasse Jensen, Nathan R. Neale, and Stephen B. Cronin. Monitoring Local Electric Fields using Stark Shifts on Napthyl Nitrile-Functionalized Silicon Photoelectrodes. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124, 17000-17005 (2020).

Cathodic Deposition of Thickness-Controllable ZIF-62 Film and Its Vitrification

Glass metal-organic framework (MOF) membrane is a newly developed material that is promising for separation works like ionic sieving and gas separation. Compared with its crystalline counterpart, the glass MOF membrane takes the advantage of its grain-boundary-free nature that greatly benefits the separation performance. However, the fabrication of the glass MOF membrane requires the pre-preparation of the mother crystalline MOF film, which remains a challenge. Taking the deposition of the iconic ZIF-62 (Zn-imidazole, melting point: 711 K) film as an example, this area remained silent until Jiang et al. reported the first example in 2018.1,2 They achieved the ZIF-62 deposition on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane by a solvothermal method. Nevertheless, this approach is limited by the low yield of the generated MOF crystals on the substrate and the time/energy-consuming process. To mitigate the existing dilemma, here we show an economic cathodic deposition approach to the preparation of ZIF-62 film with a controllable thickness. Thanks to the addition of hydrogen peroxide as a probase, the pure ZIF-62 film can be deposited without the co-deposition of metallic Zn. In the proposed deposition, a nucleation-Ostwald ripening-crystallization ternary process can be observed, which is different from the cathodic deposition of other MOF species like MOF-5. Also, it is found that the crystallinity of the deposited ZIF-62 film improves with the deposition temperature and the thickness of it can be well-tuned by the deposition time from a range of ~1 µm to ~15 µm. The cathodically deposited ZIF-62 film can be directly used as the mother material for the preparation of glass MOF membrane via a vitrification process. Systematic annealing experiments indicate that the heating temperature and dwelling time are crucial to the quality of the glass MOF membrane. At the optimized conditions (713 K, 4 hours), the dense and bulb-free glass MOF membrane with a flat surface can be obtained, which is ideal for separation works. Wang, Y.; Jin, H.; Ma, Q.; Mo, K.; Mao, H.; Feldhoff, A.; Cao, X.; Li, Y.; Pan, F.; Jiang, Z., A MOF glass membrane for gas separation. Angewandte Chemie 2020, 132 (11), 4395-4399. Bennett, T. D.; Yue, Y. Z.; Li, P.; Qiao, A.; Tao, H. Z.; Greaves, N. G.; Richards, T.; Lampronti, G. I.; Redfern, S. A. T.; Blanc, F.; Farha, O. K.; Hupp, J. T.; Cheetharm, A. K.; Keen, D. A., Melt-Quenched Glasses of Metal-Organic Frameworks. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2016, 138 (10), 3484-3492.

Unexpected Potential Dependent HER Behaviors of Cationic Phosphorus Doped WO3 Nanosheets

TMOs are generally considered as catalytically inert for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).[1] This unique property has promoted a wide variety of applications of TMOs, such as aqueous-based lithium ionic batteries, electrochromic smart windows, electrocatalysts and/or catalyst supports. However, hydrogen evolution as an undesired side reaction is commonly observed when they are used in aqueous-based supercapacitors and battery applications.[2] The unexpected HER mechanism for intrinsic TMOs has not been studied until very recently by McKone and Mpourmpakis groups.[3] With careful theoretical calculations, they clearly demonstrated that intrinsic WO3 is not HER active. Bulk hydrogen (H) intercalation into WO3 is a prerequisite for its catalytic activity toward HER. Applying electrochemical potential to WO3 primarily sets the bulk H stoichiometry of thus formed hydrogen bronzes HxWO3. The level of intercalation (x), precisely to say, the density of the intercalated hydrogen in the WO3, in turn determines the formation of W-H*, the bonding strength of W-H*, and their consumption to H2 (HER). Significant HER is only seen at potentials negative enough when x > 0.5. Beyond this intercalation level, HER is no longer dictated by potential-dependent activation energies, instead, is controlled by the density of the hydrogen intercalation on the surface of WO3 catalysts. In line with this extensive theoretical study, Augustyn group very recently experimentally demonstrated the dependence of HER activity of WO3 materials on their electrochemical insertion characteristics.[4] By including crystal water between the WO3 sheets, proton intercalation is greatly facilitated likely with a Grotthuss mechanism. Accordingly, the HER kinetics is largely improved with a large positive shift of the HER on-set potential. On the other hand, by inclusion of molecular pillars in the WO3 lattice to physically block proton intercalation, the HER activity of WO3 was largely inhibited. Recently, we developed a facile approach to cationically dope WO3 nanosheets with red phosphorus. The proton interaction and the associated HER behavior as a function of electrochemical potentials were carefully studied with multiple electrochemical techniques. Interestingly, we found that proton interaction is largely suppressed even without including molecular pillars in the P-doped WO3 lattice. At lower intercalation levels before the so-called “potential independent regime”, the HER kinetics is largely decreased, as expected, compared to the non-doped WO3 control sample. While in the “potential independent regime”, the HER kinetics is largely enhanced. Furthermore, including alkaline metal ions into the electrolyte, the HER kinetics is further suppressed as demonstrated by largely negatively shifted onset potentials and the increased Tafel slopes. Interestingly, in the “potential independent regime”, the HER kinetics is further drastically enhanced. Extensive structural characterization and theoretical calculations are undergoing to reveal the mechanism behind these interesting tunable potential dependent - proton interaction and HER behavior, which will be reported in this work. Understanding how heteroatomic doping could modulate proton interaction and HER behaviors of TMOs at atomic levels would provide practical guidance for designing more efficient and selective electrochemical catalysts for various catalytic reduction reactions, such as carbon dioxide reductions and nitrogen/nitrate reductions to valuable compounds.[1] Zhang, S.; Zhang, X.; Rui, Y.; Wang, R.; Li, X., Recent advances in non-precious metal electrocatalysts for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction. Green Energy & Environment 2021, 6 (4), 458-478.[2] Wang, R.; Mitchell, J. B.; Gao, Q.; Tsai, W.-Y.; Boyd, S.; Pharr, M.; Balke, N.; Augustyn, V., Operando Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals Mechanics of Structural Water Driven Battery-to-Pseudocapacitor Transition. ACS Nano 2018, 12 (6), 6032-6039.[3] Miu, E. V.; McKone, J. R.; Mpourmpakis, G., The Sensitivity of Metal Oxide Electrocatalysis to Bulk Hydrogen Intercalation: Hydrogen Evolution on Tungsten Oxide. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2022, 144 (14), 6420-6433.[4] Spencer, M. A.; Fortunato, J.; Augustyn, V., Electrochemical proton insertion modulates the hydrogen evolution reaction on tungsten oxides. The Journal of Chemical Physics 2022, 156 (6), 064704. Figure 1

Structural Transformations in Ni (Oxy)Hydroxide Host Structures Under Operating Conditions for Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts

The incorporation of Fe into the brucite-like Ni(OH)2 host structure increases significantly the catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).1 The resulting hydrotalcite-like crystalline structure is known as NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH). However, even the most active NiFe LDH catalyst still shows a considerable overpotential for the OER.2 Understanding the nature of the catalytic active sites and the catalytic mechanism in NiFe LDHs are key challenges to develop better OER electrocatalysts, as well as the fundamental understanding of the role of the Ni-based host structure.In this contribution, atomic-scale details of the catalytic active phase will be presented, showing that NiFe LDHs are oxidized under applied anodic potentials from as-prepared α-phases to activated γ-phases.3 The interlayer and in-plane lattice parameters of the OER-active γ-phase were obtained by performing wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements on NiFe LDH nanoplatelets during operating electrochemical conditions and were characterized by a contraction of about 8%. Operando WAXS was then performed for other selected catalysts belonging to the transition metal LDH family of materials. Structural similarities of the catalytically active phases will be highlighted. In addition, the structural transformations of β-Ni(OH)2 will be discussed, as potential host structure for novel multi-element catalysts. Also for Ni(OH)2, the γ-phase is found to be the catalytically active phase. However, the structural transformations are more complex, involving multiple limiting phases. Their structural stability is presented and the discussion supported by density functional theory calculations. References L. Trotochaud, S. L. Young, J. K. Ranney and S. W. Boettcher, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2014, 136: 6744-6753.F. Dionigi and P. Strasser, Advanced Energy Materials, 2016, 6 1600621.F. Dionigi, Z. Zeng, I. Sinev, T. Merzdorf, S. Deshpande, M. B. Lopez, S. Kunze, I. Zegkinoglou, H. Sarodnik, D. Fan, A. Bergmann, J. Drnec, J. Ferreira de Araujo, M. Gliech, D. Teschner, J. Zhu, W.-X. Li, J. Greeley, B. Roldan Cuenya and P. Strasser, Nat Commun, 2020, 11 2522.

Cascaded Compression of the Size Distribution of Nanopores in Monolayer Graphene

Nanoporous graphene has shown great promise for membrane separations. Its atomic thickness, remarkable mechanical, chemical, and thermal robustness could enable ultrahigh-flux membrane processes addressing persistent challenges in a wide range of separation needs. On the other hand, molecular separations across nanoporous graphene rely dominantly on size-based mechanisms (e.g, size exclusion) that is highly sensitive to the nanopore size and size distribution of nanopore ensemble created on the graphene. However, among existing nanopore creation methods, the process of nanopore nucleation is often coupled with nanopore expansion, which results in a lognormal nanopore size distribution with a long tail. It remains a challenge to obtain both high density and narrow size distribution of nanopores in graphene. Here, we report a cascaded compression approach to engineering nanopores in monolayer graphene for molecular separations with the assistance of electrical control of chemical vapor deposition of graphene[1]. The formation of nanopores is split into many small steps, in each of which the size distribution of all the existing nanopores is compressed by a combination of shrinkage and expansion, and at the same time of expansion, a new batch of nanopores is created, leading to increased nanopore density by each cycle. As a result, high-density nanopores with a short-tail size distribution are obtained by the cascaded compression that show high rejection and ultrafast organic solvent nanofiltration exceeding the state-of-the-art.Reference[1] Wang J, Park J H, Lu A Y, et al. Electrical Control of Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 20

Modified Metal Organic Frameworks Supported Ni Single Atom Catalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Downsizing metal nanoparticle catalysts to form single-atom catalysts (SACs) has proven to be one of the best ways to enhance the catalysts’ activity and selectivity1-2 due to their unique characteristics such as nearly 100% atom utilization and well-defined active sites.3 However, the broad application of SACs in catalytic reactions is limited by their poor stability as they possess high surface energy and thus tend to aggregate and form nanoclusters or nanoparticles.4 To address this challenge, various supports such as metal oxides, carbon materials, and porous materials are widely used to stabilize the SACs.5 Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of porous crystalline materials, have proven to be an ideal candidate to support SACs owing to their high surface area, high porosity, and abundant potential anchoring sites.6 It has been shown that immobilizing SACs on MOFs, which forms MOF supported SACs, can integrate the unique properties of SACs and MOFs and led to remarkable catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability toward various catalytic reactions.6-8 Application of MOF supported SACs in photocatalysis, organic linkers of metal-organic frameworks act as photosensitive units,9 However most pristine metal-organic frameworks possesses poor light absorption properties due to wide band gap.9To enhance the light harvesting properties of the metal organic framework its organic linker is functionalized.10-11 In my poster presentation, I will present my work where post-synthetic modification of UiO-66-NH2 MOF linker with 3,4,9,10 perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PDA) an organic molecule with broad absorption edge,12and immobilization of Ni single atom catalyst on the zirconium cluster of the MOF was done. This resulted in enhanced optical properties and charge separation efficiency which was proved by a combination of UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoelectrochemical techniques, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Observed photophysical effects posed by the modifications of the UiO-66-NH2 were evaluated by photocatalytic hydrogen generation.References Yan, J.; Kong, L.; Ji, Y.; White, J.; Li, Y.; Zhang, J.; An, P.; Liu, S.; Lee, S.-T.; Ma, T., Single atom tungsten doped ultrathin α-Ni (OH) 2 for enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation. Nature communications 2019, 10 (1), 1-10.Jiao, L.; Jiang, H.-L., Metal-organic-framework-based single-atom catalysts for energy applications. Chem 2019, 5 (4), 786-804.Qiao, B.; Wang, A.; Yang, X.; Allard, L. F.; Jiang, Z.; Cui, Y.; Liu, J.; Li, J.; Zhang, T., Single-atom catalysis of CO oxidation using Pt1/FeO x. Nature chemistry 2011, 3 (8), 634-641.Xia, C.; Qiu, Y.; Xia, Y.; Zhu, P.; King, G.; Zhang, X.; Wu, Z.; Kim, J. Y.; Cullen, D. A.; Zheng, D., General synthesis of single-atom catalysts with high metal loading using graphene quantum dots. Nature chemistry 2021, 13 (9), 887-894.Wu, J.; Xiong, L.; Zhao, B.; Liu, M.; Huang, L., Densely populated single atom catalysts. Small Methods 2020, 4 (2), 1900540.Huang, H.; Shen, K.; Chen, F.; Li, Y., Metal–organic frameworks as a good platform for the fabrication of single-atom catalysts. ACS Catalysis 2020, 10 (12), 6579-6586.Qu, W.; Chen, C.; Tang, Z.; Wen, H.; Hu, L.; Xia, D.; Tian, S.; Zhao, H.; He, C.; Shu, D., Progress in metal-organic-framework-based single-atom catalysts for environmental remediation. Coordination Chemistry Reviews 2023, 474, 214855.Szilágyi, P.; Rogers, D.; Zaiser, I.; Callini, E.; Turner, S.; Borgschulte, A.; Züttel, A.; Geerlings, H.; Hirscher, M.; Dam, B., Functionalised metal–organic frameworks: a novel approach to stabilising single metal atoms. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2017, 5 (30), 15559-15566.He, J.; Wang, J.; Chen, Y.; Zhang, J.; Duan, D.; Wang, Y.; Yan, Z., A dye-sensitized Pt@ UiO-66 (Zr) metal–organic framework for visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production. Chemical communications 2014, 50 (53), 7063-7066.Elcheikh Mahmoud, M.; Audi, H.; Assoud, A.; Ghaddar, T. H.; Hmadeh, M., Metal–Organic Framework Photocatalyst Incorporating Bis(4′-(4-carboxyphenyl)-terpyridine)ruthenium(II) for Visible-Light-Driven Carbon Dioxide Reduction. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2019, 141 (17), 7115-7121.Hendrickx, K.; Joos, J. J.; De Vos, A.; Poelman, D.; Smet, P. F.; Van Speybroeck, V.; Van Der Voort, P.; Lejaeghere, K., Exploring lanthanide doping in UiO-66: a combined experimental and computational study of the electronic structure. Inorganic Chemistry 2018, 57 (9), 5463-5474.Yu, H.; Joo, P.; Lee, D.; Kim, B. S.; Oh, J. H., Photoinduced Charge‐Carrier Dynamics of Phototransistors Based on Perylene Diimide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Core/Shell p–n Junction Nanowires. Advanced Optical Materials 2015, 3 (2), 241-247.

Facile Synthesis of Supported Ir-Based OER Electrocatalysts Via Sputtering

Hydrogen has been regarded as a promising energy carrier for renewable energy systems with net zero emissions [1]. However, the vast majority of industrial hydrogen has been produced from fossil fuels with high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions [2]. An emerging method for hydrogen production potentially free of greenhouse gas emissions (so-called green hydrogen) is water electrolysis coupled to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydropower, etc [3]. Among several water electrolysis technologies, proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are the most promising due to several inherent advantages [4]. However, the large amount of iridium (Ir) used in current PEMWEs versus the limited amount of Ir resource on earth impedes large-scale and sustainable deployment of PEMWEs [5]. Lowering the amount of Ir used to efficiently catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at PEMWE anodes might be achieved through the development of novel electrocatalysts.One strategy to reduce the Ir content of PEMWE anodes is to put Ir onto a support. This strategy can not only reduce the Ir content by improving Ir utilization in comparison with unsupported Ir-based electrocatalysts, but also decrease the Ir packing density [6]. Low Ir packing density is required for electrocatalyst layers with low Ir-contents to be sufficiently thick to ensure robust interfaces between the electrocatalyst layer and the porous transport layer (PTL) and membrane [7]. This strategy has two critical steps: (1) finding/developing a robust support and (2) depositing Ir onto the support with desired morphology with a method that is affordable, scalable, and manufacturable [8].Here we report a one-step deposition of Ir onto nanoscale tungsten-doped titanium dioxide (W-TiO2) powders via sputtering. Characterization shows that Ir is deposited onto the surface of W-TiO2 (Figure 1) in the mixed form of metallic Ir and Ir oxides with particle sizes smaller than 2 nm. The catalyst exhibits an OER mass activity twice that of Ir black in acidic media. Powder conductivity measurements confirm that the electrocatalyst is electrically conductive (~24 S/cm) despite the low conductivity of the W-TiO2 powders (~1×10-4 S/cm). Our study suggests that sputtering is a feasible deposition method for large-scale production of supported Ir-based OER electrocatalysts. Acknowledgement. This study is sponsored by internal funding from Plug Power. The sputter was done at Exothermics Inc., 14 Columbia Dr, Amherst, NH 03031 References [1] Hydrogen for Net-Zero. In A critical cost-competitive energy vector. Edited by. Hydrogen Council, McKinsey & Company; 2021.[2] IEA (2021), Global Hydrogen Review 2021, IEA, Paris (available via the Internet at: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-hydrogen-review-2021)[3] Emonts, B., Müller, M., Hehemann, M., Janßen, H., Keller, R., Stähler, M., ... & Kasselmann, S. (2022). A Holistic Consideration of Megawatt Electrolysis as a Key Component of Sector Coupling. Energies, 15(10), 3656.[4] Zhang, K., Liang, X., Wang, L., Sun, K., Wang, Y., Xie, Z., ... & Zou, X. (2022). Status and perspectives of key materials for PEM electrolyzer. Nano Research Energy, 1(3), e9120032.[5] Mittelsteadt, C. (Invited) Ir Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the PEM. ECS Meeting s MA2022-01, 1335-1335 (2022).[6] Bernt, M., Hartig‐Weiß, A., Tovini, M. F., El‐Sayed, H. A., Schramm, C., Schröter, J., ... & Gasteiger, H. A. (2020). Current challenges in catalyst development for PEM water electrolyzers. Chemie Ingenieur Technik, 92(1-2), 31-39.[7] Bernt, M., Siebel, A., & Gasteiger, H. A. (2018). Analysis of voltage losses in PEM water electrolyzers with low platinum group metal loadings. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 165(5), F305.[8] Jia, Q., Ghoshal, S., Li, J., Liang, W., Meng, G., Che, H., ... & Mukerjee, S. (2017). Metal and metal oxide interactions and their catalytic consequences for oxygen reduction reaction. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139(23), 7893-7903. Figure 1

Dynamic Surface Antifouling Materials

Comprehensive SummaryThe colonization of marine microorganisms, animals and plants on underwater surface forms marine biofouling. It has profound effects on marine industries. To solve the problem, we proposed a strategy of Dynamic Surface Antifouling (DSAF), i.e., continuously changing surfaces can effectively inhibit biofouling organisms landing and adhering, and developed degradable polymer based marine antifouling material. The degradation of polymer chain enables the surface dynamic or self‐renewing even on static conditions. The final degradation products of these polymers are low molecular weight molecules, and do not produce marine microplastics. Meanwhile, the degradable polymers act as carriers and controlled release systems for antifoulants, further improving the antifouling efficiency. This article reviews the development of dynamic surface antifouling materials.What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group?Synthesis of marine anti‐biofouling polymers.How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers?I happened to read a paper about marine biofouling on the internet three months later after I joined University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Its adverse effects on marine industry and marine activities shocked me very much! No doubt, it makes great significance for our country and society to solve the problem. It is a challenge, but I like challenge, and I decided to get into this field. Realizing that the key is to develop new polymer resin, I was confident that I was able to solve the problem with my polymer chemistry and physics background. Actually, it is not easy. I have spent about 20 years in this project since then.What is the most important personality for scientific research?Curiosity, interest, concentration and persistence. How do you keep balance between research and family?I make a plan and organization for everything so I can keep a balance between family and work.Who influences you mostly in your life?Prof. Ming Jiang and Prof. Chi Wu, who are my PhD and post‐doctor supervisors, respectively. They taught me how to do research and how to choose a significant subject.What is your favorite journal(s)?Macromolecules, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Physical Review Letters.Could you please give us some advices on improving Chinese Journal of Chemistry?The journal may publish more papers about applications of chemistry and history of chemistry.

Authorship, Citation, and Publication Characteristics Across 130 Years of the Journal of the American Chemical Society

ABSTRACT This article is a longitudinal bibliometric study of articles from six major universities published over 130 years of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). The Scopus API (Application Programming Interface) was used to download bibliographic metadata in multiple tables to create a relational database for automated data extraction and manipulation scripts to analyze publishing and citation indicators. The study examined several correlations between average number of institutional, non-institutional, single- and multiple-authored, and international authors per paper and citation counts; open access trends; and page count indicators. Also reported are the characteristics of highly cited papers and the average number of citations for articles.

An energetic Sn metal aqueous battery

Despite a promising prospect, aqueous batteries (ABs) are facing challenges of limited energy density (30∼100 Wh/kg). Metal anodes offer prospectively high energy with large voltage and specific capacity. However, the development of current metal anodes (e.g., Zn, Cu, Mn, Al, Fe, etc.) are impeded due to inevitable dendrite formation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reaction. Recently in Joule and Journal of the American Chemical Society, Meng, Chao, and their co-workers demonstrated novel paradigms of high-energy Sn-based aqueous batteries (SnABs), which show promising reversibility and durability of Sn metail anodes. Here, we present the development of Sn metal anodes and appraise critically the state-of-the-art strategies toward energetic SnABs. Despite a promising prospect, aqueous batteries (ABs) are facing challenges of limited energy density (30∼100 Wh/kg). Metal anodes offer prospectively high energy with large voltage and specific capacity. However, the development of current metal anodes (e.g., Zn, Cu, Mn, Al, Fe, etc.) are impeded due to inevitable dendrite formation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reaction. Recently in Joule and Journal of the American Chemical Society, Meng, Chao, and their co-workers demonstrated novel paradigms of high-energy Sn-based aqueous batteries (SnABs), which show promising reversibility and durability of Sn metail anodes. Here, we present the development of Sn metal anodes and appraise critically the state-of-the-art strategies toward energetic SnABs. A high-capacity Sn metal anode for aqueous acidic batteriesZhang et al.JouleMay 17, 2023In BriefSn metal with intrinsic advantages on capacity, redox potential, and kinetics can be well fitted into the acidic battery system as anode. Interfacial alloying regulation strategy is applied to optimize the deposition uniformity and prohibit Sn shedding during stripping/plating process, thus solving the “dead Sn” issue and improving the reversibility. With the innovation of reversible Sn anode, opportunities are provided to complete the puzzle of aqueous acidic battery construction and potentially lead to wider choices for energy storage. Full-Text PDF

Reimagining Wasserman’s catenane: A journey from past to present (1960–2023)

Over the past three decades, the development of analytical tools has enabled the study of increasingly complex mechanically interlocked molecules. The first synthesis of a [2]catenane, by Edel Wasserman in 1960, was controversial because it lacked experimental evidence. Recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Leigh and co-workers have re-examined this pioneering synthesis by using modern techniques to affirm its structure. Over the past three decades, the development of analytical tools has enabled the study of increasingly complex mechanically interlocked molecules. The first synthesis of a [2]catenane, by Edel Wasserman in 1960, was controversial because it lacked experimental evidence. Recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Leigh and co-workers have re-examined this pioneering synthesis by using modern techniques to affirm its structure.

Publications, our window on the chemical sciences

Since its inception in 1876, the American Chemical Society has played a crucial role in the communication of scientific information. In 1879, it began publishing its flagship scientific publication, the Journal of the American Chemical Society , and today ACS publishes more than 75 peer-reviewed journals related to chemistry. It also communicates to both members and nonmembers globally through various channels including the ACS Publications website, social media, the ACS website, and C&EN. The Society Committee on Publications (SCOP) has several tasks, but foremost is its role to review and assess the editorial quality and content of the ACS publication program. The membership of SCOP reflects the broad makeup of ACS in all its diversity. Each year, one member is appointed by the ACS president, another by the chair of the ACS Board of Directors, and any additional members are appointed jointly using advice from the Committee on Committees. The

Nucleic Acid‐Backboned Chimeric Polymers with Designable Physics and Chemistry

Comprehensive SummaryThe chain effect of polymer is the kernel of the precise synthesis of complex polymer compounds and the development of polymer science. Nucleic acids, a special type of polyester, can form supramolecular polymers via hydrogen bonds among corresponding bases. We focused on the precise control of polymer chains and proposed the concept of “nucleic acid‐backboned chimeric polymers” (NCPs). There are three important elements of NCPs, namely nucleic acid backbone, side group and intra‐/inter‐chain weak interactions. In this review, we expound how to realize the construction of intelligent DNA structures through the regulation of these three elements and the applications of NCPs in various fields. What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group?Nucleic acid‐backboned chimeric polymers, frame guided assembly and kinetically interlocking multiple‐units (KIMU) strategy.How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers?I was always interested in how life is organized from molecules since my college time. During my PhD, I started to realize the important roles of the natural polymers and their essential feature in chain effect. When I set up my own research group in 2005, I focused on the investigation in nucleic acid‐backboned chimeric polymers, which provide an optimal model for the study of precise controllable polymer synthesis, assembly and functions, benefiting the understanding of the life science.What is the most important personality for scientific research?Thinking deeply and working hard.How do you keep balance between research and family?I am always working hard when I work, but I always remind myself to enjoy my family and spare time.What are your favorite journals?Nature, Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Advanced Materials.What are your hobbies?Travel; cooking.