Bimetallic catalysts consisting of nickel and one alkali or alkaline-earth metal (Na, K or Ba) on alumina support have been tested in the cyclic CO2 capture and subsequent methanation. The best performance was attained with a different material for cyclic tests (K-Ni/Al) than for Sabatier reaction (Ba-Ni/Al). In cyclic tests, the methane productivity shows different dependence with the temperature for each alkali and alkaline-earth metal. For temperature of 300 °C or above, the dual functional materials show stable cyclic performance when the capture is performed both from 5% CO2 in Ar and from simulated flue gas containing also O2 and H2O. Using the later feed, the CH4 productivity diminish reversibly compared to oxygen free conditions and nickel metal oxidises significantly. K-Ni/Al exhibited the best cyclic performance in terms of CH4 productivity and stability, which is associated to the highest reducibility of oxidised nickel species and the lowest formation of unreducible carbonates.

Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for breast cancer patients. Interstitial fluid (ISF) shows promise for early disease screening, but its extraction for biomarker detection is challenging. To address this, we designed a microneedle (MN) patch for minimally invasive and rapid ISF extraction through materials engineering, which could improve cancer detection, ease the burden on medical resources, and increase patient compliance. Via UV crosslinking, the water absorbing moiety, acrylic acid (AA), can be polymerized and crosslinked with gelatin methacrylate (GelMA). The resulting GelMA-AA MN (G-A MN) can rapidly extract different analytes. One piece of G-A MN patch can aspirate about 1.29 mg (≈ 1.29 µL) of ISF from mice within 60 s. We further applied G-A MN for breast cancer screening in the 4 T1 orthotopic mice breast cancer model and genetically engineered breast cancer model. By measuring the tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and glycoantigen CA15-3, G-A MN could detect the cancer occurrence earlier than other standard screening methods, including blood tests, ultrasound, or micro-CT. Furthermore, earlier diagnosis led to timely chemotherapy treatment and resulted in prolonged survival in the mice 4 T1 breast cancer model. In conclusion, G-A MN enabled rapid ISF extraction for biomarker analysis in a minimally invasive manner. G-A MN facilitated detection outperformed other common diagnostic methods, representing a promising alternative breast cancer screening strategy.

Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) emerges as prospective cathode for sodium ion batteries. However, the poor electronic and ionic conductivity hinders its development. Traditional synthesis methods only allow ex-situ bonding between the NVP grains and carbon-based substrate, leading to unstable combination. Herein, a simultaneous modification strategy to optimize the morphological features and crystal construction of NVP system is proposed. The in-situ synthesized framework consisting of NVP and high conductive carbon nano fibers (CNFs) can efficiently elevate the electrochemical performance. A distinctive pearl necklace-shaped heterostructure is successfully constructed by electrospinning and carbon-thermal reduction routes. The necklace substrate is derived from the CNFs, possessing the unique unidimensional morphology and bridging well with each other to build a high conductive network. The Zn2+-substituted NVP grains with nano size are grown on the surface of the substrate. The shortened size provides short pathway for Na+ migration, resulting in the improved kinetic characteristics. Furthermore, the substitution of Zn2+ generates p-type doping to introduce favorable hole carriers, enhancing the ionic conductivity. The reduced band gap and migration energy barrier of Na+ for Zn2+ doped NVP is demonstrated by DFT calculations. Accordingly, the modified Zn0.07-ES-800 sample releases a high capacity of 117.5 mA h g−1 at 0.1C. It delivers a capacity of 92.3 mA h g−1 at 100C and maintains 72.7 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the Zn0.07-ES-800//Zn0.07-ES-800 full cell shows a high capacity of 94.4 mA h g−1 at 0.1C and keeps 80 mA h g−1 at 1C with a high retention of 95% after 70 cycles.

Primary explosives are essential energy transfer materials in explosive systems. At present, heavy metal-containing materials, such as lead azide (LA), are still the most widely used primary explosives. Copper azide (CA)-based primary explosives are considered as promising replacements for LA. However, there has little advancement in the high initiation performance and high safety of CA-based primary explosives because of the absence of the relevant theories and structural models. Herein, we report [Cu(N3)(2-bmttz)]n 1 with the exceptionally remarkable initiating capability and high safety. Performance tests indicated only 5 mg of 1 can successfully ignite the commercial secondary explosive RDX, as 1/6 priming charge of LA, demonstrating 1 is possibly the most efficient primary explosive known to date. Moreover, 1 possesses the rarely low impact sensitivity (IS = 2.5 J), which is comparable to that of LA and better than most of reported CA-based candidates. Both experimental and theoretical studies have shown that passivation of high-energy primary explosives can be achieved through the coordination between functional ligands and azide ions, in which azide ions without repulsive steric clashes only act as energetic building blocks. This work offers a new insight for designing high performance primary explosives for applications in advanced explosive systems.

A novel solar photo-Fenton strategy based on the simultaneous supply of Fe3+-NTA, H2O2 and NaOCl has been proven, for the first time, to meet the more restricted disinfection requirements set by the EU 2020/741 Regulation on wastewater reuse. Operational settings near to real conditions were considered to encourage future operationalization at full-scale. This novel approach, operating in continuous flow mode, has proceeded to effectively reduce Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and MS2 coliphage, along with total coliforms (TC) and Enterococcus faecalis load, with total inactivation levels ≥ 5 log-units for E. coli, E. faecalis, and MS2, 4 log-units TC and 3.5 log-units C. perfringens. Despite validation targets for coliphages (≥6 log-units) and C. perfringens (≥5 log-units) were not attained, it appears feasible by lightly increasing NaOCl concentration. Additionally, the remaining E. coli load in the photoreactoŕs effluent was within the strictest EU 2020/741 monitoring threshold (≤10 CFU/100 mL). Therefore, the rearrangement of oxidants concentration should be further explored, as this new strategy is shown as a promising technology to address the challenge disinfection presented for full-scale operation. This showing a high potential to produce water that complies with the highest EU 2020/741 standards (Class A), with no additional adjustments required to produce water within the Classes with fewer restrictions (B, C, and D).

This work identifies the phenomena relevant to designing and operating highly efficient plasma reactors for water treatment applications using a simple plasma-liquid system featuring laminar, unidirectional fluid flow in contact with the plasma phase. The reactor performance was established by treating caffeine under various combinations of plasma-liquid contact area and liquid flow velocity.The plasma-liquid contact area was the most significant contributor to caffeine degradation. A complex, nonlinear effect of fluid flow on caffeine degradation was observed for a constant plasma area. The experimental data suggested two caffeine transport modes disambiguated using a transient diffusion–reaction model with interfacial adsorption. Two distinct rate-limiting contaminant transport regimes were identified depending on the solution-plasma contact time: diffusion on the timescale of the plasma discharge period (milliseconds) and diffusion on a liquid flow timescale (seconds). A simple criterion for estimating the optimal contact time for pulsed plasma reactor operation was developed based on the modeling insights.Model-based lower and upper bounds for the maximum contaminant degradation rates were established and compared to the observed performance of plasma reactors reported in the literature. Most reactors with flat plasma-liquid interfaces performed within the predicted bounds, suggesting contaminant mass transport is the rate-limiting process in the overall degradation. Furthermore, the area-normalized degradation rate can be used to determine the rate-limiting process for a given reactor configuration and compare performance between different plasma reactors. These findings have significant implications for the design and scale up of plasma reactors for water treatment applications.

The construction of heterojunctions is a prominent strategy for improving the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor nanoparticles. In this study, a novel visible-light-driven 2D/0D Bi2O3/MnO2 (BMO) Z-scheme heterojunction was fabricated through a facile room-temperature solution-phase synthesis scheme to achieve enhanced photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen (ACT). The BMO nanocomposite achieved 94.3% degradation efficiency at 0.0202 min−1 in 120 min, approximately 3.5 and 3.8 times higher than the degradation rate of the individual MnO2 and Bi2O3 photocatalysts, respectively. Based on electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and Mott-Schottky measurements, a Z-scheme heterojunction appeared between the Bi2O3 nanoflakes and MnO2 nanoparticles. The effective charge separation and electron transfer efficiency due to Z-scheme heterojunction and a narrow band gap of 2.10 eV were responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance. Further, the intermediates and end products of ACT degradation were identified, and plausible degradation pathways were established. Additionally, the performance of BMO in various real water matrices was evaluated. The degradation efficiency was highest in deionized water, followed by tap water, municipal, hospital, and pharmaceutical industry wastewater. Eventually, a mathematical model based on an artificial neural network has been developed to predict the photocatalytic process. Besides, the excellent photocatalytic performance of the BMO nanocomposite remained intact even after five consecutive cycles. The results of this study elicit crucial insights into synthesizing highly efficient and stable Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts to degrade emerging contaminants.

The utilization of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) has long been deemed promising for the application of state-of-the-art lithium metal metals (LMBs), but still severely impeded by the insufficient Li-ion transporting channels and inhomogeneous Li deposition. Herein, the design of single-ion conductors (PSLi) modified graphene oxide nanosheets (GO-PSLi)-reinforced PEO-based SPEs to address these long-standing issues is proposed. The electronegative sulfonate-rich groups with lithiophilic features on GO-PSLi surface not only effectively enhance the dispersion of nanoparticles within the PEO matrix, but also provide fast Li-ion diffusion pathways. Meanwhile, introducing PSLi chains is also favorable to highly reducing the crystallization of composite SPEs through hydrogen interactions derived from the desired amide functional groups. This, in turn, facilitates segmental relaxation of the PEO backbone, leading to accelerates the Li-ion migration. As a proof of concept, the as-prepared composite SPEs demonstrate a good ionic conductivity of 2.2 × 10−4 S cm−1 and a high lithium transference number of 0.53, significantly outperforming the pure PEO SPEs (1.0 × 10−4 S cm−1 and 0.28, respectively) at 60 °C. In addition, the symmetrical Li||Li cells based on the composite SPEs show excellent reversible lithium plating/stripping performances with dendrite-free uniform lithium deposition over 1100 h under a current of 0.1 mA cm−2 at 60 °C. The Li||LiFePO4 batteries also achieve an impressive capacity of 120.2 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 4C and deliver remarkable cycling abilities with 84.6% retention after 250 cycles under 1C at 60 °C. This study offers a facile and practical strategy to develop advanced composite PEO-based SPEs for safe and dendrite-free solid-state LMBs.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a potential environment-benign approach to stabilize biowaste and subsequently generate biomethane. The complete utilization of biowaste in AD relies on substrate composition, microbial activity, and abiotic stress factors (ASFs). The recent research trend on the ASFs applications (including salinity, micronutrients, micro-aeration, and organic substances) to improve digestibility and biomethanation from different feedstocks has increased. Previous reviews have emphasized only the effect of operational parameters (such as temperature, pH, digestion times, and co-substrates) on AD efficiency. However, no review discussed the recent ASFs application in AD. Thus, this review intends to fully cover the effects of ASFs on substrate digestibility, biomethanation, microbial shifts, functional enzymes, and metabolic pathways. Salinity stress was reported to enhance biomethane (by 13–49%), microbial abundance (Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina), enzymes (including hydrolases, dehydrogenases, and co-enzyme F420), and metabolic pathways (solute transfer and ATP synthesis) at the lab-scale. The micro-aeration stress enhanced biomethanation owing to increased activity of hydrolases, volatile fatty acids production/oxidation, and high sulfide mitigation (upto 90%) at both lab. and pilot-scale. Micronutrient stress improved biomethanation by 10–50% and 30–65% at the lab. and pilot-scale, respectively, due to high direct interspecies electron transport which increases the abundance of Methanobrevibacter and Methanosarcina. Antibiotics augmented the biowaste solubilization and biomethane production upto 70 and 46%, respectively. Binary ASFs application in AD also facilitated the feedstock digestibility and biomethanation. However, the integration of multiple ASFs to attain high biomethanation and a holistic understanding of synergistic mechanisms needs more research.

Efficient and green catalysis of cellulose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is currently a challenge that needs a breakthrough. In this study, a series of inexpensive (x)SO42-/HfO2 heterogeneous catalysts were prepared and exhibited superior catalytic performance for conversion of cellulose into HMF in the green water-tetrahydrofuran monophasic system (H2O-THF). An optimal HMF yield of 54% was acquired through detailed evaluation of reaction conditions. Various analyzes including ICP-OES, XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, XPS, TG, NH3-TPD and Py-FTIR were applied to inspected the physicochemical characteristics of the (x)SO42-/HfO2 catalysts. Meanwhile, the recyclability of the catalyst and the by-products generated during the reaction process were studied and captured, respectively. The results presented herein show that the catalytic system of (30%)SO42-/HfO2 catalyst combined with H2O-THF monophasic solvent is advanced, and it can be both green and efficient without the presence of other additives and promoters, and has great potential in the future.

Aqueous Zn metal battery is a promising energy storage system, but suffer the performance degenerating and safety risk stems from infinite volume change and notorious dendrite problem of Zn metal anode. Herein, a hydrogen-bonding crosslinking MXene aerogels with remarkable mechanical stability and zincophilic properties is developed for stabilizing the Zn metal anode. The 3D hydrogen bond cross-linked MXene scaffold (h-MXene) can against mechanical strain of long-term Zn plating and stripping. The zincophilic architecture with high conductivity and hierarchical porosity further largely reduces the potential polarization and guides uniform Zn deposition. Uptaking Zn metal into 3D h-MXene scaffold leads to a stable Zn metal anode with an ultra-long lifespan of 5000 cycles at an ultra-high current density (40 mA cm−2) in symmetrical batteries. When coupled with a MnO2 cathode, the assembled Zn@h-MXene-based full cell delivers an enhanced rate capability (1000 mA g−1) and cycling stability (>2000 cycles), demonstrating the potential of mechanically robust MXene-Based host for advanced Zn-metal batteries.

Supercapacitors (SCs) are a promising energy storage solution in the face of increasing demand for electrification. Development of efficient and low-cost electrode materials is critical to advancing high-performance SCs. Iron-rich materials have shown potential due to their flexible nanostructures, various nanocomposites, and cost-effective synthesis routes. This review summarizes recent progress on iron oxides/hydroxides, iron-based heteroatom compounds, and iron-based bimetallic compounds, focusing on their morphologies and potential applications in SCs. The conventional working principles and unique mechanisms of iron-based SCs are discussed, along with various techniques for enhancing their performance, such as defect engineering, construction of nanocomposite electrode structures, and electrolytes with Fe3+ and Fe2+ as redox agents. Finally, the review highlights effective strategies and future challenges of iron-based electrode materials for high-performance SCs. This comprehensive summary will be valuable for researchers and engineers interested in advancing the development of high-performance SCs using iron-based electrode materials.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. Conventional anti-algal methods are associated with low anti-algal efficiency, and absence of treatment of toxins released by algae. Therefore, it is essential to establish effective HAB prevention strategies. Artificial nanozymes have a great potential in combating HABs due to their unique catalytic properties. An ultra-small carbon dots nanozyme (VCN) with oxidase-like activity was synthesized in this study. VCN exerts its catalytic effect by catalyzing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from oxygen. VCN was utilized to inactivate hazardous marine algae based on its catalytic properties. It was found that VCN could rapidly remove more than 90% of harmful algae (Skeletonema costatum and Phaeocystis globosa) in just 4 h under environmental visible light. To the best of our knowledge, the algae removal efficacy is greater than that of previous reports. Additionally, VCN could attenuate the toxicity of toxins released by algae to counteract secondary pollution caused by algal fragmentation, which is important for practical applications in water pollution caused by algae. Collectively, under applicable and mild conditions, the VCN-presented enzyme activity can efficiently reduce HABs caused harmful pollution.

Aluminum batteries with imidazolium-based electrolytes present a promising avenue toward the post-lithium-ion battery era. A critical bottleneck is the development of reversible aluminum metal anodes, which is hindered by sluggish battery charge–discharge characteristics due to the reversible/irreversible side reactions on the anodic and cathodic sides. The indispensable discernment of the stripping-plating mechanisms at the electrode–electrolyte interface is not well explored due to the complexity of the various reactions occurring at the surface of the aluminum anode. Herein, a high-fidelity physics-based model is coupled with density functional theory to explain the stripping-plating mechanisms that occur on the surface of the aluminum anode at different current densities. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the experimentally validated physics-based model using a machine-learning Gaussian process regression model to identify the most significant parameters for the plating-stripping mechanism of aluminum. The electrodeposition of aluminum is controlled by both diffusion and kinetics and is limited by the kinetics of the electrochemical reactions at a high current density. This work highlights the assurance of combining models at different scales, machine learning algorithms, and experiments to analyze the behavior of complex electrochemical systems.

Chlorpyrifos (CPS) is an organophosphorus pesticide widely utilized in agricultural production. Much like other commonly used highly toxic and hazardous substances, is harmful to humans, plants, and animals. Thus, the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts that can monitor and detect levels of CPS in environmental samples is urgently required. This research describes a simple means of synthesizing Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) incorporated into MoSe2-Porous carbons (PCs) via a single-step hydrothermal reaction followed by chemical reduction. AuCN-MoSe2-PC coated Glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity, interfacial charge transfer ability (96 Ω), and cathode peak intensities at a low reduction wave potential (∼-0.74 V) for sensing CPS. The developed sensor exhibited a wide linear range from 5 to 185 nM, a rapid amperometric response of < 3 s, a low detection limit (0.15 nM), and ultra-sensitivity (27.027 μA nM−1 cm−2) for CPS at −0.74 V vs. Ag|AgCl than other reported modified electrodes. Furthermore, the sensor had excellent reproducibility, repeatability, reusability, and long-time stability (88 % activity retention after 1 month) with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of < 5% and exhibited remarkable tolerance for the detection of CPS in the presence of potentially interfering substances. The practical applicability of the sensor was tested for the quantitative analysis of trace CPS levels in paddy water, pond water, and seawater samples, and it demonstrated recoveries of 97.9 to 106.6% with RSDs below 5% (n = 3), which are comparable to the results of high-performance liquid chromatography.

The consumption of Se-rich foods is a highly effective means of augmenting a person’s intake of Se, which plays a critical role in human health; however, excessive Se consumption can be toxic. The determination of Se levels is therefore of paramount importance to ensure the safety of both the production and consumption of selenium-rich foods. In this study, a rapid and user-friendly method is developed for the analysis of selenium-rich foods wherein the detection process is similar to watching three-dimensional movies in a theater. A portable 3D-printed colorimetric device called the Detection THEATER (Time-saving, High-sensitive, Easy, Accurate, Telling, Economical, and Rapid) is first constructed for the rapid and visually accessible colorimetric analysis of samples in nonlaboratory settings. Subsequently, the Co-N-C nanozyme is doped with Pt to produce a Pt-Co-N-C nanozyme with superior peroxidase-like activity, which serves as the viewing glasses for signal amplification in the Detection THEATER. The Detection THEATER exhibits excellent sensitivity and accuracy, including a linear range of 0.5–1.2 μg/mL and a low detection limit of 0.026 μg/mL. The pretreatment of food samples is also optimized and simplified, thereby reducing processing times three-fold and enhancing accessibility and usability. The Pt-Co-N-C nanozyme-based Detection THEATER, demonstrated outstanding specificity and practicality, opening up a new avenue for the analysis of selenium-rich foods.

Despite the increasing attention given to hydrochar as a soil improver, its impact on methane emissions in paddy soil remains unclear, particularly with regard to the use of hydrochar derived from different feedstocks. In this study, four types of hydrochar (rice straw, corn straw, poplar wood, and enteromorpha) were added to paddy soil. The addition of rice straw hydrochar had no significant effect on meathane emissions. However, corn straw and poplar wood hydrochar increased methane emissions by 17.78% and 18.68% respectively. In contrast, enteromorpha hydrochar reduced methane emissions by about 20.21%. These variations were attributed to differences in organic matter released by the hydrochar, influencing microbial community composition and activity. The inhibitory effect of Enteromorpha hydrochar on methane production are closely related to its high ash content and enrichment of Candidatus_Nitrososphaera, Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, and Rhodoplanes, associated with nitrification and denitrification. On the other hand, corn straw and poplar wood hydrochar promoted methane production through the enrichment of Geobacter, Anaerolinea, and Anaeromyxobacter, probably facilitating direct interspecies electron transfer with Methanosarcina. These findings underscore the significance of evaluating various hydrochar feedstocks for effective management of methane emissions in paddy soil.

The practical application of lithium metal batteries with high energy density are difficult to apply due to the problem of uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth with commercial liquid electrolytes. Herein, we designed a poly 1,3-dioxolane (PDOL) based quasi solid polymer electrolyte with in-situ polymerization. A small amount of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) provides cationic initiation center for the polymerization of dioxolane (DOL). Sulfolane (SL) were further introduced into the system as a cosolvent and the ionic conductivity was increased to 3.22 × 10-4 S cm-1followed with a high Li+ transfer number of 0.73 at room temperature. Trace amount of SbF3 was introduced to form a robustness inorganic-rich hybrid interface that reduces the decomposition of electrolyte components and retards the formation of lithium dendrites during cycling. The superior rate performance and stable 5C long cycle performance are obtained in LiFePO4||Li full cell owing to the interaction between Li+, SL and PDOL. This work expands the choice of components in quasi solid electrolytes to manufacture qualified LMBs with enhanced performance.

Despite the increasing number of studies related to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants, there is still a gap in the correlation between the operating conditions, such as the organic loading rate (OLR), and the intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) content, productivity and final recovery of the polymer. Therefore, this work aims to provide experimental data on PHA productivity and purity in view of scaling up the process to an industrial level taking into account process parameters. In view of that, three OLRs were applied during the selection of PHA-accumulating bacteria in sewage sludge. Then, the biomass was harvested and subjected to batch accumulation experiments at two organic loads per dosage by employing a tailor-made software to adopt an automated feed-on-demand strategy, which allowed for 30–56 h of accumulation tests in stand-alone mode. Finally, an improved protocol for PHA extraction has been applied. Experimental results show that the maximum PHA content (60% w/w) was achieved using the highest organic load per dosage during the accumulation test with the biomass selected at the highest OLR (1.8 g COD L−1 d−1). Also, the extraction protocol efficiency was proven with four samples with different PHA content, achieving recovery yield as high as 78 ± 3 % with a purity of 89 ± 2 %, thus demonstrating that the adopted strategy might be beneficial for industrial use.

The application and optimization of nano-composite energetic materials in the extreme and particular environment have become a subject of wide concern. Additionally, the design and selection of metastable intermixed composites (MICs) films in low pressure environment is the key problem to explore its future application. Here, 90 wt% high loading Al/CuO nanothermite films were prepared by a simple 3D direct writing approach. Four films with different thicknesses (66, 128, 152, 182 μm) were designed and their combustion properties were tested respectively. The low pressure combustion results show that the self-sustained burning rate of the film (thicker than 66 μm) can be adjusted and controlled in various air pressure environments (101–60 kPa). The self-sustained burning rate of film is affected by both thickness (66–182 μm) and air pressure (101–60 kPa). The lower the air pressure, the lower the burning rate. The greater the thickness, the higher the burning rate. The 66 μm film self-sustainedly burns at atmospheric pressure and extinguishes when the pressure was significantly reduced. The self-sustained combustion rates of the 128 and 152 μm film decreases with decreasing pressure until the pressure drops to 75 and 60 kPa respectively. The 182 μm film keeps self-sustained combustion in a manner of deflagration which is almost unaffected by air pressure, even when the pressure drops to 10 kPa. Simultaneously, it is found that the ignition temperature of the film is almost not affected by pressure. In addition, it is verified that the film has performances of excellent hydrophobic and combustion through air–water interface. These can cope with complex environmental humidity.