State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil

The review summarizes transition metal-based bimetallic MOFs and their derived materials as electrocatalytic materials for the OER. The mechanisms of the OER as probed by DFT calculation and<italic>in situ</italic>characterization techniques are also discussed.

Monodispersed nickel phosphide nanocrystals (NCs) with different phases were successfully synthesized. The Ni₅P₄ NCs, with a solid structure, exhibited higher catalytic activity than the Ni₁₂P₅ and Ni₂P NCs.

Sulfur-doped carbon dots were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method and exhibited high fluorescence quantum yield (67%) and exceptional emission behavior.

Heteroatom-doped carbon dots (CDs), due to their excellent photoluminescence (PL) properties, attracted widespread attention recently and demonstrated immense promise for diverse applications, particularly for biological applications. The objective of this feature article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in the research and development of heteroatom-doped CDs and a detailed description of the influence of single or co-doping heteroatoms on their PL behavior. The most recent understanding and critical insights into the PL mechanism of heteroatom-doped CDs are also highlighted. Moreover, potential bio-related applications of heteroatom-doped CDs in biosensing, bioimaging, and theranostics are also reviewed. This state-of-the-art review will provide a platform for understanding the intricate details of heteroatom-doped CDs, a summary of the latest progress in the field, and related applications in biology and is expected to inspire further developments in this exciting class of materials.

Here we show that the introduction of N into a carbon surface facilitates the hydrogen-bonding interactions between the carbon surface and CO2 molecules, which accounts for the superior CO2 uptake of the N-doped activated carbons. This new finding challenges the long-held viewpoint that acid–base interactions between N-containing basic functional groups and acidic CO2 gas are responsible for the enhanced CO2 capture capacity of N-doped carbons.

The urgent demand for clean energies and rapid development of modern electronic technologies have led to enthusiastic research on novel energy storage technologies, especially for supercapacitors.

The surface chemistry and pore structure of porous carbons determine its application. The surface chemistry could be modified by various methods, such as, acid treatment, oxidization, ammonization, plasma, microwave treatment, and so on. In this paper, the modification methods were illustrated and compared, some new methods also reviewed. The surface chemical functional groups were determined by the treatment methods, the amminization could increase its basic property while the oxidization commonly improved its acids. In the end, the commonly characterization methods were also mentioned. Some interesting patents are also discussed in this article. Keywords: Porous carbon, surface chemical groups, modification, characterization

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based thermosensitive hydrogels demonstrate great potential in biomedical applications. However, they have inherent drawbacks such as low mechanical strength, limited drug loading capacity and low biodegradability. Formulating PNIPAM with other functional components to form composited hydrogels is an effective strategy to make up for these deficiencies, which can greatly benefit their practical applications. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive observation about the PNIPAM-based composite hydrogels for biomedical applications so as to guide related research. It covers the general principles from the materials choice to the hybridization strategies as well as the performance improvement by focusing on several application areas including drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound dressing. The most effective strategies include incorporation of functional inorganic nanoparticles or self-assembled structures to give composite hydrogels and linking PNIPAM with other polymer blocks of unique properties to produce copolymeric hydrogels, which can improve the properties of the hydrogels by enhancing the mechanical strength, giving higher biocompatibility and biodegradability, introducing multi-stimuli responsibility, enabling higher drug loading capacity as well as controlled release. These aspects will be of great help for promoting the development of PNIPAM-based composite materials for biomedical applications.

Conversion of propane or isobutane from natural/shale gas into propene or isobutene, which are indispensable for the synthesis of commodity chemicals, is an important environmentally friendly alternative to oil-based cracking processes.

The HER catalytic efficiency of cobalt phosphide-based catalysts can be enhanced significantly by adjusting crystalline phase and carbon species structures.

Catalytic ozonation relies on the direct oxidation by ozone (O3) and indirect oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from activated ozone molecules, and the technique has been recognized as one of the most promising remediation technologies in water decontamination. Functional nanocarbon materials have been extensively exploited as heterogeneous catalysts to drive catalytic ozonation because of the environmental-benign process, easy applicability, and high efficiency. Nevertheless, the bottlenecks in the processes are the economical production of high-performance and robust carbocatalysts and the debatable oxidation regimes. Different active sites have been suggested in engineered nanocarbons, and the corresponding mechanisms of the carbocatalytic ozonation are ambiguous including the evolution of various ROS, occurrence of radical and nonradical reaction pathways, selectivity toward organics, and tunable oxidation capacity. In this Review, we will showcase the roadmap of the development of reaction-oriented carbocatalysts and clarify the arguments in the mechanisms of the intrinsic active sites, identification of ROS, reaction intermediates, and oxidation pathways in carbocatalytic ozonation. We will provide critical comments and innovative strategies on the mechanistic investigations in carbon-based ozonation from the molecular level (electronic structures) to macroscale (kinetics), by deliberate radical screening/capture techniques, advanced characterizations and in situ analysis, and theoretical computations. More importantly, the critical issues and future directions will be proposed in the rational material/system design, mechanistic exploration, and the implementation of this powerful technology in catalytic oxidation and real wastewater treatment.

A rechargeable aluminum-ion battery exhibits outstanding perofrmance due to the rationally designed CoSe₂-based cathode material.

CuCl-based ionic liquid was synthesized by mixing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride with purified anhydrous CuCl, and its structures were studied using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). It was determined that Cu(I) anionic species such as CuCl2-, Cu2Cl3-, and Cu3Cl4- existed in the ionic liquid, and these anions were moisture-insensitive and stable in air. CuCl-based ionic liquid exhibited remarkable desulfurization ability in the desulfurization of gasoline when used as an extraction absorbent. The effectiveness of sulfur removal may be attributed to the π-complexation of Cu(I) with thiophene, which shows promise as an approach for the deep desulfurization of motor fuel.

A facile two-step method has been used to synthesize binary Ni–Fe sulfides supported on nickel foam (NF) as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Exploring high-performance zeolite-supported metal catalysts is of great significance. Herein, we develop a strategy for fabricating isolated single metal atomic site catalysts in Y zeolite (M-ISAS@Y, M = Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Co, Ni, Cu) by in situ separating and confining a metal–ethanediamine complex into β-cages during the crystallization process followed by thermal treatment. The M-ISAS are stabilized by skeletal oxygens of Y zeolite, and the crystallinity, porosity, and large surface area are well inherited in M-ISAS@Y. As a demonstration, acidic Pt-ISAS@Y is used for n-hexane isomerization involving consecutive catalytic dehydrogenation/hydrogenation on Pt-ISAS and isomerization on Brønsted acid sites. The turnover frequency value of Pt-ISAS reaches 727 h–1, 5 times more than Pt nanoparticles (∼3.5 nm), with a total isomer selectivity of more than 98%. This strategy provides a convenient route to fabricate promising zeolite-based M-ISAS catalysts for industrial applications.

One-pot extraction combined with the metal-free photochemical aerobic oxidative deep-desulfurization of fuels in deep eutectic solvents was successfully achieved.

Several SBA-15 silica materials with different pore structures were synthesized and functionalized with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). The as-prepared materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TG, FT-IR, and N2 physisorption techniques followed by testing for CO2 capture using a N2 stream containing 15.1 v/v% CO2 in the temperature range of 30−75 °C. The results showed that the CO2 adsorption capacity linearly increased with the total pore volume of the SBA-15 phases in the tested temperature range (R2 > 0.94). Temperature also showed a strong influence on CO2 adsorption capacity. SBA-15 material with the largest pore volume (1.14 cm3 g−1) exhibited the largest CO2 adsorption capacity (105.2 mg g−1 adsorbent) with 15.1 v/v% CO2 in N2 at 75 °C and atmospheric pressure. Pore size was found not to be the main factor influencing the CO2 adsorption capacity of these PEI-modified SBA-15 materials. Adsorption−desorption cycles (12) revealed that the adsorbents with PEI loaded inside the pore channels were found to be quite stable, as they retained their CO2 adsorption capacity with many cycles.

have driven researchers to improve the coking and sintering resistance of Pt catalysts, and to find new non-noble metal and environment-friendly catalysts. As for the development of the reactor, it should be noted that low operation pressure is beneficial for improving the single-pass conversion, decreasing the amount of unconverted alkane recycled back to the reactor, and reducing the energy consumption of the whole process. Therefore, the research direction of reactor improvement is towards reducing the pressure drop. This review is aimed at introducing the characteristics of the dehydrogenation reaction, the progress made in the development of catalysts and reactors, and a new understanding of reaction mechanism as well as its guiding role in the development of catalyst and reactor.

During the various applications of MOFs, the photoluminescence properties of MOFs have received growing attention, especially for nitroaromatics (NACs) sensing. In this highlight, we summarize the progress in recent research in NACs sensing based on MOFs and sensing applications for nano-MOF type materials and MOF film.

Nickel phosphide nanoparticles decorated on carbon nanotubes were synthesized by <italic>in situ</italic> thermal decomposition for the first time. The Ni₂P/CNT nanohybrid exhibits high activity and stability for hydrogen evolution.