Green Energy&Environment

CO₂ utilization and fixation in biomass-derived furanics conversion: Thermochemical and electrochemical pathways

Saeideh Gharouni Fattah, Sabah Karimi, Shaoyu Yuan, Zheng Li, Mohammad Jalal Zohuriaan-Mehr, Lu Lin, Xianhai Zeng, Buxing Han

2026, 11(1): 1-22. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.09.011

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Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main greenhouse gas (GHG) released by human activities. The substitution of fossil resources by biomass as a bio-renewable resource, has significant potential to reduce GHG emissions. The approach to biomass, as the only true full-scale alternative to fossil resources, is progressing rapidly. Converting biomass into furanic compounds, as versatile platform chemicals for synthesizing a wide range of bio-based products is the cornerstone of sustainable technologies. The extensive body of this review combines the biomass valorization to furanic compounds by CO₂ utilization and furanic compounds conversion by CO₂ fixation. These processes can be strategically applied through both ‘thermochemical’ and ‘electrochemical’ pathways, by utilizing CO₂ from the atmosphere or industrial emission point and returning it to the natural carbon cycle. In the thermochemical pathway CO₂ acts as a carbon source (carboxylation and polymerization) or active reaction assistant in the biomass conversion (CO₂-assisted conversion), without altering its oxidation state, facilitating the synthesis of valuable products and polymers. Conversely, in the electrochemical pathway, CO₂ can be used as a carbon source (electrocarboxylation) to give the corresponding carboxylic acid, or it can undergo reduction, yielding methanol, carbon monoxide (CO), formic acid, and analogous compounds, while on the other side, furanic compounds undergo oxidation yielding high-value-added chemicals. Finally, potential future research directions are suggested to promote CO₂ utilization and fixation in the valorization of biomass-derived furanic compounds, and challenges facing further research are highlighted.

The need to consider regional supply chains and water usage in H₂–steel transition

Peng Peng, Tae Lim, Fabian Rosner, Hanna Breunig, Prakash Rao, Arman Shehabi

2026, 11(1): 23-35. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.08.002

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The iron and steel industry is one of the largest contributors to U.S. and global greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen can act as a promising reducing agent and clean energy carrier to decarbonize this sector, and has received significant attention in terms of process modelling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment in recent years. Policy incentives, hydrogen storage and transportation, and water stress levels are key factors that require significantly more consideration in order to realize hydrogen's potential to decarbonize this industry. This review demonstrates the need for a systematic understanding and critical assessment of these areas, and their profound impacts on the decarbonization of the iron and steel sector. Furthermore, hydrogen and water supply face competition from other hard-to-decarbonize sectors, which should be considered on national and regional levels. Lastly, future research should also consider the impact of other environmental factors and hydrogen leak when deploying hydrogen at scale for industrial decarbonization.

Advancements in synthesis strategies and environmental application of FAU-type zeolite: Bibliometric-driven review

Lin Chen, Bingqing Xu, Siying Wang, Shan Ren, Fan Yang, Wei Zhang, Yuanpei Lan, Chaoyi Chen, Junqi Li, Yanbing Su

2026, 11(1): 36-61. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.10.003

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FAU zeolites have emerged as multifunctional materials with broad applications in catalysis and adsorption, owing to their hierarchical pore architectures, elevated specific surface areas, and adjustable extra-framework cationic sites. This review provides a critical overview of recent advances in FAU zeolite research with emphasis on their roles in environmental pollutant mitigation. A bibliometric analysis was performed to ascertain worldwide research trends, cooperation networks, and principal theme areas. Strategies for synthesis and functionalization, including crystallization pathways, one-pot methods, and post-synthetic modifications, were systematically evaluated for their capacity to tailor structural and physicochemical properties. Environmental applications were discussed in detail, particularly in heavy metal extraction, CO₂ capture, and catalytic NO_x reduction. Despite these advances, challenges persisted, notably restricted chemical stability under extreme pH conditions, scalability obstacles from laboratory to industrial production, and the necessity for enhanced catalytic efficiency. By integrating fundamental understanding with application-oriented perspectives, this review identifies existing knowledge gaps and delineates future directions for the rational design of FAU zeolites toward sustainable environmental remediation.

Unraveling the regulation rules of vanadium-site cation substitution for Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode materials toward high energy density sodium-ion batteries

Yi-Meng Wu, Jing-Yu Wang, Hao-Tian Guo, Peng-Fei Wang, Zong-Lin Liu, Yan-Rong Zhu, Jie Shu, Ting-Feng Yi

2026, 11(1): 62-104. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.10.009

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NASICON-type Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃(NVP) materials are seen as highly promising cathode materials in the field of sodium-ion batteries due to their low cost, a solid three-dimensional skeleton and good theoretical capacity, as well as high ionic conductivity. Nevertheless, the problem of low intrinsic electronic conductivity and energy density has limited the practical application of the materials. To address this issue, the relevant research team has successfully achieved remarkable research results through unremitting exploration and practical innovation. In this work, the crystal structure, ion migration mechanism and sodium storage mechanism of NVP cathode materials are systematically reviewed, with a focus on summarizing the latest progress of V-site doping modification research, classifying and exploring V-site doping from the perspectives of electronic structure, lattice strain and entropy, and briefly describing the optimization mechanism of V-site doping on electrochemical performance. In addition, the challenges and prospects for the future development of NVP cathode materials are presented, which are believed to provide new thinking for the design and development of high-performance NVP cathode materials and contribute to the large-scale application of sodium-ion batteries.

Efficient cyclohexane dehydrogenation over Pt/B–ZrO₂ for H₂ production

Lipeng Guo, Jihui Yao, Xiaojun Bao, Haibo Zhu

2026, 11(1): 105-118. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.09.010

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The efficient storage and release of H₂ are pivotal for the advancement of hydrogen energy technologies. Cyclohexane, as a promising liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), provides a safe and practical solution for H₂ storage. However, the performance limitations of dehydrogenation catalysts have hindered the rapid development of LOHC technology. In this study, we successfully developed boron-modified Pt/ZrO₂ catalysts, which exhibit exceptional catalytic performance in cyclohexane dehydrogenation. The optimal boron content is determined to be 0.5 wt.%, with the Pt/0.5B–ZrO₂ catalyst achieving high turnover frequency (TOF) of 10,627.3 mol_H₂·mol_Pt⁻¹·h⁻¹ and benzene selectivity of 99% at 295 °C. The catalyst also demonstrates H₂ evolution rate of 908 mmol·g_Pt⁻¹·min⁻¹ and low deactivation rate of 0.0043 h⁻¹. Remarkably, the catalyst displays outstanding stability and regeneration performance, maintaining its activity without significant loss during a 60-h dehydrogenation reaction and retaining a cyclohexane conversion of 77.2% after 10 consecutive cycles. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including XPS, CO-FTIR, NH₃-TPD, H₂-TPD, Benzene-TPD, and Py-IR, reveals that boron modification reduces the electron density of Pt, generating abundant electron-deficient Pt atoms. These electron-deficient Pt atoms enhance H₂ adsorption and accelerate benzene desorption, effectively preventing coke formation from deep benzene dehydrogenation, which is responsible for the high catalytic performance of the Pt/0.5B–ZrO₂ catalyst. These findings offer a valuable strategy for optimizing dehydrogenation catalysts in LOHC technologies, addressing a critical bottleneck in the development of this essential energy storage solution.

Multi-scale nanofiber filter-based TENG for sustainable enhanced PM_0.3 filtration and self-powered respiratory monitoring

Mengtong Yi, Nan Lu, Yukui Gou, Pinmei Yan, Hong Liu, Xiaoqing Gao, Jianying Huang, Weilong Cai, Yuekun Lai

2026, 11(1): 119-130. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.05.001

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Interpretable machine learning analysis on CO₂ adsorption and separation capacity of biochar under multi-scenario conditions

Jialiang Dong, Ruikun Wang, Yulong Xie, Fuyan Gao, ShiTeng Tan, Zhenghui Zhao, Qianqian Yin, Eric J. Hu

2026, 11(1): 131-147. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.07.001

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Biochar has been widely recognized as a promising solid CO₂ adsorbent with economic and ecological benefits. Industrial CO₂ emissions originate from diverse sources, while the pore structure and chemical functional groups of biochar exhibit varying degrees of influence on CO₂ adsorption and separation performance under different adsorption conditions. Therefore, exploring the matching relationship between the physicochemical properties of biochar and its adsorption and separation performance at different adsorption conditions is essential for the development and optimization of carbon-based adsorbents. This study selected the high-performance extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithm from various algorithms and utilized it to develop CO₂, N₂, CH₄ adsorption prediction models. Based on this, coupled prediction models were developed for CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ adsorption selectivity. Furthermore, feature importance and partial dependence analysis were performed using SHAP values. The results indicate that during CO₂ adsorption, the influence of the pore structure of biochar outweighs that of its chemical composition. Specifically, the pore structure of 0.4–0.6 nm is the most important property influencing CO₂ adsorption at low and medium pressure (0–0.6 bar), and the pore structure of 0.6–0.8 nm, as well as the specific surface area contribute the most at high pressure (0.6–1 bar). During CO₂ selective separation, the CO₂/N₂ mixture is primarily separated through the selective adsorption of CO₂ by nitrogen functional groups. In contrast, for CO₂/CH₄ mixtures, pore structure < 1 nm plays a more critical role in determining adsorption selectivity. In addition, molecular simulation studies further revealed the adsorption filling mechanisms of CO₂ molecules within different pore sizes and functional groups. Finally, nitrogen-doped biochar was synthesized using de-alkalize lignin as the precursor, KOH as the activating agent, and urea as the nitrogen dopant. CO₂, N₂, and CH₄ isothermal adsorption experiments were conducted, and the experimental results confirmed that the developed prediction models exhibit high accuracy (R² > 0.9).

Advancing battery safety system: Introducing eutectic hydrated salt composite phase change materials with two stage thermal storage properties

Wensheng Yang, Zhubin Yao, Xinxi Li, Canbing Li, Ya Mao, Xiaoyu Zhou, Wei Jia, Yuhang Wu, Weifu Xu, Rui Liang, Xiaozhou Liu, Lifan Yuan, Zhizhou Tan

2026, 11(1): 148-168. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.05.011

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To address the challenge of balancing thermal management and thermal runaway mitigation, it is crucial to explore effective methods for enhancing the safety of lithium-ion battery systems. Herein, an innovative hydrated salt composite phase change material (HSCPCM) with dual phase transition temperature zones has been proposed. This HSCPCM, denoted as SDMA10, combines hydrophilic modified expanded graphite, an acrylic emulsion coating, and eutectic hydrated salts to achieve leakage prevention, enhanced thermal stability, cycling stability, and superior phase change behavior. Battery modules incorporating SDMA10 demonstrate significant thermal control capabilities. Specifically, the cylindrical battery modules with SDMA10 can maintain maximum operating temperatures below 55 °C at 4 C discharge rate, while prismatic battery modules can keep maximum operating temperatures below 65 °C at 2 C discharge rate. In extreme battery overheating conditions simulated using heating plates, SDMA10 effectively suppresses thermal propagation. Even when the central heating plate reaches 300 °C, the maximum temperature at the module edge heating plates remains below 85 °C. Further, compared to organic composite phase change materials (CPCMs), the battery module with SDMA10 can further reduce the peak thermal runaway temperature by 93 °C and delay the thermal runaway trigger time by 689 s, thereby significantly decreasing heat diffusion. Therefore, the designed HSCPCM integrates excellent latent heat storage and thermochemical storage capabilities, providing high thermal energy storage density within the thermal management and thermal runaway threshold temperature range. This research will offer a promising pathway for improving the thermal safety performance of battery packs in electric vehicles and other energy storage systems.

The architecture of petal-shaped CoS/CuS nanosphere materials for high-performance magnesium-ion battery cathode materials

Runjing Xu, Yuan Fang, Xin Gao, Han Xiao, Zhiyuan Zhang, Jiayun Zhang, Huinan Yu, Jiafeng Ruan, Fengmei Wang, Xinjie Li, Ya Chen, Xiaodong Chen, Lifeng Cui

2026, 11(1): 169-180. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.05.012

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Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) possess the merits of greater theoretical capacity, cheaper magnesium metal and not easily producing branched crystals, and greater safety. Therefore, the current researches mainly concentrate on the exploration of high-performance RMBs in the initial stage, but still face many gigantic challenges. Herein, petal-shaped nanorods CoS/CuS materials are successfully synthesized as RMBs cathode materials through a two-step metal sulfide template-free solvent-thermal synthesis method, which can effectively improve the reaction kinetics due to the petal-like nano-structure and provide rich electrochemically active sites to decrease the transport barrier of Mg²⁺, thus contributing to the enhancement of the reaction kinetics of magnesium storage in RMBs. The electrochemical performance test illustrates that CoS/CuS composite nanomaterials can considerably improve the charging and discharging specific capacity of the batteries as well as the voltage of the batteries due to the existing synergistic effect between them. The specific capacity of CoS/CuS cathode still can still be maintained as high as 62.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles at 200 mA g⁻¹. And the specific capacity of this electrode material changes from 180.6 mAh g⁻¹ to 30 mAh g⁻¹ at the current densities from 100 mA g⁻¹ to 1000 mA g⁻¹, and when the current density is restored to 100 mA g⁻¹, the specific capacity gradually recovered to 178.6 mAh g⁻¹, which showed better rate performance and ultra-high cycling stability. This work highlights how the introduction of CuS into CoS nanostructures can benefit the reversibility and cyclicity of the magnesium storage reaction and offers an original and practical route for the modification of RMBs electrode materials with good electrochemical properties.

Cutting-edge aminated conjugated microporous poly(aniline)s enabled high-performance membrane for seawater uranium extraction

Xiaoxia Ye, Bingqing Huang, Xueying Chen, Yaping Wang, Zhihong Zheng, Yifan Liu, Yuancai Lv, Chunxiang Lin, Jian Huang, Jie Chen

2026, 11(1): 181-194. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.06.005

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The extraction of uranium from seawater via membrane adsorption is a promising strategy for ensuring a long-term supply of uranium and the sustainability of nuclear energy. However, this approach has been hindered by the longstanding challenge of identifying sustainable membrane materials. In response, we propose a prototypal hybridization strategy to design a novel series of aminated conjugated microporous polymer (CMPN)@collagen fiber membrane (COLM). These sustainable and low-cost membrane materials allow a rapid and high-affinity kinetic to capture 90% of the uranium in just 30 min from 50 ppm with a high selectivity of K_d > 10⁵ mL·g⁻¹. They also afford a robustly reusable adsorption capacity as high as 345 mg·g⁻¹ that could harvest 1.61 mg·g⁻¹ of uranium in a short 7-day real marine engineering in Fujian Province, even though suffered from very low uranium concentration of 3.29 μg·L⁻¹ and tough influence of salts such as 10.77 g·L⁻¹ of Na⁺, 1.75 μg·L⁻¹ of VO₃⁻ etc. in the rough seas. The structural evidence from both experimental and theoretical studies confirmed the formation of favorable chelating motifs from the amino group on CMPN-COLM, and the intensification by the synergistic effect from the size-sieving action of CMPN and the capillary inflow effect of COLM.

Ultrasonic-enhanced Cu(I)/Cu(II) nanointerfaces for sustainable ozone activation in green aluminum production: Atomic-level catalysis of organic waste degradation

Jianfeng Ran, Xu Sun, Jiaping Zhao, Shaoshuai Wei, Haisheng Duan, Ying Chen, Libo Zhang, Shaohua Yin

2026, 11(1): 195-210. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.07.007

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The accumulation of refractory organics in Bayer liquor (pH 14.4) critically compromises aluminum production efficiency and product quality, necessitating sustainable remediation strategies. Herein, we develop an ultrasonic-driven catalytic ozonation system with dynamically reconstructed CuO/Cu₂O heterointerfaces, achieving unprecedented efficiency in extreme alkaline wastewater treatment. Atomic-scale interface engineering endows the catalyst with hydrophilicity (contact angle: 6.1°) and 3.8–4.3 times higher oxygen vacancy density compared to single-phase catalysts. These properties facilitate efficient interfacial interactions with Bayer liquor and enable superior ozone activation through synergistic Cu(I)/Cu(II) redox cycling across the heterointerface. This interfacial synergy reduces ozone adsorption energy from 5.46 eV (Cu₂O) to 1.48 eV, driving the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via low-energy pathways. Under optimized conditions, the system achieves 57.82% TOC removal within 1.5 h with 2.3-fold faster kinetics than ozone–alone processes, while improving energy efficiency by 1.82–3.22 times per kWh over conventional thermal oxidation. Remarkable stability is demonstrated through 80.21% activity retention after 6 cycles, attributed to surface energy minimization (0.61 J m⁻²), alongside 67.91% hydroxyl radical (^•OH)-mediated degradation confirmed by quenching tests. In XPS, EEMs analysis, and ECOSAR modeling further elucidate the surface reconstruction mechanism and intermediate toxicity reduction. This work establishes an atomic interface design paradigm that bridges catalytic innovation with green metallurgy applications, offering a sustainable solution for industrial wastewater remediation aligned with circular economy principles.

Cu doping induced lattice distortion and oxygen vacancy formation in PbBiO₂Br: Band structure modulation enhances photocatalytic nitrogen fixation and pollutant degradation performance

Shude Yuan, Yekang Zheng, Yuxin Chu, Chuanqi Xia, Ruoyu Dong, Jiating Xu, Botao Teng, Ying Wu, Yiming He

2026, 11(1): 211-223. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.07.005

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Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation has emerged as a sustainable alternative for ammonia synthesis, playing a crucial role in alleviating energy shortages and environmental pollution. In this study, PbBiO₂Br was applied to photocatalytic nitrogen fixation for the first time, and its photocatalytic performance was effectively enhanced through Cu doping. The catalyst was synthesized via a simple reduction method, and its morphology, structure, and physicochemical properties were systematically investigated using various characterization techniques and density functional theory calculations. The results revealed that the incorporation of Cu²⁺ partially replaced Pb²⁺, inducing lattice distortion in PbBiO₂Br, promoting the formation of oxygen vacancies, and modifying its electronic band structure. Specifically, Cu doping led to a slight bandgap narrowing, a reduction in work function, and a significant upward shift in the conduction band position. These changes enhanced light absorption, facilitated charge carrier migration and separation, and improved the reduction ability of photogenerated electrons. Moreover, Cu doping promoted N₂ adsorption and activation. Consequently, the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance of Cu-doped PbBiO₂Br was significantly enhanced, achieving an optimal nitrogen fixation rate of 293 μmol L⁻¹ g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is 3.6 times higher than that of pristine PbBiO₂Br. Additionally, Cu–PbBiO₂Br also showed good activity in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB, with a degradation rate 4.6 times higher than that of PbBiO₂Br. This work offers new insights into the application of PbBiO₂Br in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation and offers valuable guidance for the development of highly efficient nitrogen fixation materials in the future.

Grafting sulfonated triptycene-based hypercrosslinked polymers onto Bi₂WO₆ for enhanced adsorption and photoelimination of antibiotics

Yingxue Zhang, Wanjun Xu, Xiao Yang, Shihong Dong, Najun Li, Qingfeng Xu, Hua Li, Jianmei Lu, Dongyun Chen

2026, 11(1): 224-235. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.07.004

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Antibiotics, as an emerging pollutant due to their extensive use and difficulty in biodegradation, can cause harm to health through bioaccumulation. To address this, various photocatalysts have been developed for rapid antibiotic removal. However, their low concentrations limit mass transfer efficiency, resulting in suboptimal performance. Adsorption is crucial for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, a series of binary heterojunction catalysts (x% BWO@STHP) were synthesized, consisting of Bi₂WO₆ (BWO) grafted with sulfonated triptycene-based hypercrosslinked polymer (STHP). The high specific surface area of STHP, combined with π-π conjugation and ionic interactions with antibiotics, significantly enhances adsorption capacity. This facilitates effective contact between low-concentration pollutants in aqueous solutions and the active sites of the catalyst. The formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction between BWO and STHP facilitates photogenerated charge separation, and further significantly improves photocatalytic degradation performance. Specifically, the 20% BWO@STHP catalyst achieved rapid adsorption equilibrium for oxytetracycline (OTC), doxycycline (DOX), and tetracycline (TC) within 2 min and completely degraded them after 15 min of irradiation. Compared to pristine BWO, the photocatalytic reaction rate constants are significantly increased, being 9.69 times higher for OTC and 13.45 times higher for DOX. The catalyst exhibits excellent reusability and holds promising potential for practical applications.

Enhancing C–N bond formation in amine carbonylation through dual hydrogen bonding catalysis under mild reaction conditions

Xiang Hui, Jianhui Shi, Jiajun Zhang, Yan Cao, Huiquan Li, Peng He, Liguo Wang

2026, 11(1): 236-247. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.05.010

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The carbonylation of amines offers a promising route for synthesizing N-substituted carbamates with high atom economy. However, conventional catalysts exhibit limited catalytic efficiency, and the underlying proton transfer mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we reported a metal-free, room-temperature strategy utilizing 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) as a dual hydrogen bond catalyst to synergistically activate propylamine (PA) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). This green catalytic system achieves a 10-fold acceleration in reaction rate compared to other hydrogen bonding catalysts under mild conditions. This is enabled by dual hydrogen bonding of TBD with PA and DMC, which facilitates rapid proton transfer and stabilizes tetrahedral intermediates. Theoretical calculations confirm that the dual hydrogen bond system significantly lowers activation energy compared to single hydrogen bond analogs. Furthermore, it was revealed that the hydrogen bonding network within the product is the primary factor responsible for the sluggish reaction rate. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a dual hydrogen bond system in accelerating the carbonylation of amines and provides a green route to access carbamates.

Bio-inspired amino acid promoted nanofluidic ion transport and energy conversion in free-standing layered vermiculite-based membranes

Ruohan Feng, Chaoran Zhang, Di Zhang, Fang Song

2026, 11(1): 248-257. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.05.009

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Two-dimensional nanofluidic membranes have garnered considerable interest due to their potential for cost-effective osmotic energy harvesting. One promising approach to enhancing ion conductivity and selectivity is the incorporation of guest additives. However, the traditional host-guest configuration can undermine the structural integrity of nanochannels owing to the inconsistent size and shape of these additives. Drawing inspiration from the intricate design of biological protein channels, which utilize small amino acid molecules as guests, we have addressed this issue by incorporating glycine, a common amino acid, into a vermiculite membrane using a simple vacuum-assisted infiltration method. The resulting vermiculite-glycine membrane demonstrates 1.8 times greater ionic conductivity and twice the power density compared to pure vermiculite membranes. Analysis based on glycine content, coupled with spectroscopic examination, reveals that ion conductivity is linked to the distribution of glycine molecules across three specific sites within the membrane. This suggests that glycine molecules—whether confined in voids, adsorbed onto nanochannel surfaces, or intercalated within multilayered vermiculite nanoparticles—enhance nanofluidic ion transport by modulating surface and space charge density, as well as strengthening hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and steric effects. This work reveals the specific interactions between amino acids and vermiculite, offering a novel path for advancing nanofluidic composite membranes and highlighting critical considerations for the proposed strategy.

Optimizing CO production in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction via electron accumulation at Ni sites in Ni₃ZnC_0.7/Ni on N-doped carbon nanofibers

Min Wang, Ge Bai, Luwei Peng, Lulu Li, Yadan Yu, Wenyi Li, Nianjun Yang, Daniil I. Kolokolove, Jinli Qiao

2026, 11(1): 258-268. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.04.010

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The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂RR) to valuable products presents a promising solution for addressing global warming and enhancing renewable energy storage. Herein, we construct a novel Ni₃ZnC_0.7/Ni heterostructure electrocatalyst, using an electrospinning strategy to prepare metal particles uniformly loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The incorporation of zinc (Zn) into nickel (Ni) catalysts optimizes the adsorption of CO₂ intermediates, balancing the strong binding affinity of Ni with the comparatively weaker affinity of Zn, which mitigates over-activation. The electron transfer within the Ni₃ZnC_0.7/Ni@CNFs system facilitates rapid electron transfer to CO₂, resulting in great performance with a faradaic efficiency for CO (FE_CO) of nearly 90% at −0.86 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a current density of 17.51 mA cm⁻² at −1.16 V versus RHE in an H-cell. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits remarkable stability, maintaining its crystal structure and morphology after 50 h of electrolysis. Moreover, the Ni₃ZnC_0.7/Ni@CNFs is used in the membrane electrode assembly reactor (MEA), which can achieve a FE_CO of 91.7% at a cell voltage of −3 V and a current density of 200 mA cm⁻² at −3.9 V, demonstrating its potential for practical applications in CO₂ reduction.

Upcycling FCC slurry via in-situ SiCl₄-catalyzed polycondensation: Constructing core–shell Si@C composites for high-stability lithium storage

Pengtao Fang, Haitao Song, Zhijian Da

2026, 11(1): 269-282. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2025.12.014

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Petroleum-based polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as by-products of petroleum, offer the advantages of abundant availability and high carbon content, making them ideal high-quality raw materials for the fabrication of carbon anode materials in lithium batteries (LIBs). This study presents a novel, dual-purpose strategy to fabricate hollow core–shell silicon-carbon composites (Si@Void@Cx) via the in-situ catalytic polycondensation of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) slurry. Unlike traditional synthesis routes employing metallic Lewis acids (e.g., AlCl₃, FeCl₃), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl₄) was used as a cleaner, bifunctional catalyst that avoids metallic contamination while facilitating the precise polymerization of the carbon matrix. This approach not only circumvents the integration of heteroatoms via the catalyst, but also simplifies the process flow, reduces energy consumption, and contributes to a greener, sustainable technology by enhancing the high-value utilization of FCC, benefiting both resource conservation and environmental protection. The optimized composite (Si@Void@C1) delivers a robust electrochemical performance, exhibiting a specific capacity of 601.9 mAh/g and maintaining electrode integrity with a negligible thickness expansion of only 7% after 1000 cycles. Si@Void@C1 capitalizes on the well-dispersed silicon (Si) nanoparticles and the intact hollow core–shell structure to effectively buffer against the volume expansion stress of Si, thus maintaining electrode structural integrity and achieving superior cycling performance. This work provides a scalable, sustainable pathway for transforming petrochemical byproducts into advanced energy storage materials.

2026 Vol. 11, No. 1

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