Qinhe Pan

The pervasive prevalence of organic pollutants in water bodies presents major obstacles to traditional uranic recovery methods. Herein, a novel self-powered catalytic system has been developed, featuring a TGCNM heterojunction cathode paired with a carbon/chitin nanofilm nanoarray (CNF) and a silicon PVC photovoltaic (Si PVC) photoanode. This advanced assembly enables the concurrent reduction of U(VI), degradation of pollutants, and generation of electricity. The synergy between the functional groups and redox-active sites on the TGCNM heterojunction promotes efficient adsorption and stepwise reduction of U(VI), granting the system remarkable cycling stability and promising real-world applicability. When exposed to simulated sunlight, the system demonstrates impressive removal rates: 96.7% for UO₂²⁺ and 97.7% for bisphenol A (BPA). Additionally, U(VI) removal remains above 90.2% in various organic environments, illustrating strong resistance to interference. Even after five consecutive cycles, the system retains high performance (>93.9% for U(VI) and >94.3% for BPA). Under actual solar irradiation, removal efficiencies exceed 95.8% for both contaminants, underscoring its practical value. This study offers innovative perspectives on resource-focused strategies for remediating radioactive and organic-contaminated waters by integrating energy production and water treatment.

Cr(VI) poses a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health; in order to efficiently remove Cr(VI), a stable MOF@COF core-shell photocatalyst (MOF-808@TpAzo) was developed. Through a post-modification strategy, MOF-808 was functionalized with amino groups on its surface. Subsequently, the TpAzo-based covalent organic framework (COF) was grown in-situ on its surface, successfully yielding the core-shell structured MOF-808@TpAzo composite. Under highly acidic conditions, the MOF-808@TpAzo composite shows an excellent photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) performance, which is significantly better than that of its single component. Especially, as little as 5 mg of the catalyst, 99.42% of Cr(VI), was removed from the acidic simulated wastewater within 120 min, and the material exhibited excellent cycling stability. The highly effective catalysis is attributed to the heterojunction formed via the covalent connection between the MOF and COF components, promoting charge separation and transport. This work provides a new alternative for developing stable photocatalysts capable of the reduction of Cr(VI) in strongly acidic environments.

To mitigate the significant ecological and health threats posed by the pervasive discharge of emerging organic pollutants like antibiotics, developing robust, visible-light-responsive photocatalysts with high catalytic activity has emerged as a pivotal strategy for efficient wastewater remediation. Herein, a series of polyoxomolybdate-based viologen porous aromatic frameworks (PMo@VioPAFs) composites featuring hetero-motif structures were successfully synthesized via a mild self-assembly strategy. Driven by the strong electrostatic coupling between cationic VioPAF and anionic Keggin-type PMo clusters, the composite retains its structural integrity and delivers outstanding cycling stability. A key structural feature is the self-reduction property of viologen units, which induces the formation of low-valent molybdenum species, thereby multiplying available catalytic active sites. Furthermore, the hetero-motif heterostructure facilitates efficient separation and directional migration of photo-generated carriers. The optimized PMo@VioPAFs(2:1) exhibited superior photocatalytic performance, achieving >98% conversion of tetracycline within 50 min and total organic carbon removal efficiency reached nearly 80% within 90 min, significantly outperforming traditional POM-based systems. Mechanistic studies reveal a synergistic dual-site, dual-track reaction pathway, where direct hole-mediated oxidation and indirect radical-triggered (·O2− and ·OH) degradation coexist. This work provides a robust design template for high-efficiency, visible-light-active photocatalysts in recalcitrant wastewater treatment.

To summarize, we designed a light-sensitive MXene@g-C3N5 (MGN) composite was engineered to tackle U(VI) reduction and extraction under visible-light conditions. Herein, the electrophoretic coupled photo/electrocatalytic reduction converts highly soluble and toxic U(VI) species into U(IV), a far less soluble form that holds real potential for detoxifying uranium-contaminated matrix. The formed Z-scheme heterojunction, which boosts charge carrier migration and inherent redox capabilities of MGN, a point supported by thorough characterization work. As a result, MGN showed noticeably better photocatalytic performance and durability in the catalytic reduction of U(VI) in complex water system, spanning a initial concentrations, pH values, and cations and anions. Notably, nearly higher level of U(VI) removal attains 96.5% within a mere 30 min exposure towards visible light exposure by MGN. The electrochemical properties and exceptional stability enabled easy recycling and reuse of MGN. The reduced insoluble U(IV) can also be recycled from wastewater to zero toxic. Investigational findings, validated through computational results, suggest that the capacity of as-prepared MGN for photoreduction was systematically driven by photoexcited charge carriers upon uranium surface, whereas metal-free GN plays vital role as both adsorption and photocatalytic electron delocalizing channel with binding affinity towards the uranyl ions. Moreover, based on combination of experimental and theoretical observations, the specific active sites responsible for U(VI) interaction on the catalyst were explored, and a specific U(VI) reduction mechanism was proposed.

Atomic dispersed Fe-based catalysts (Fe-N-C) are a promising class of non-noble metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) materials. However, their practical application is severely limited by slow mass transfer and insufficient oxygen supply at device level, like the fuel cells. Herein, we report a rational design of a unique yolk-shell nanostructured catalyst (Fe-N-C_T) with triple-layer actives site distribution, exhibiting competitive ORR performance. Comprehensive characterization confirms its unique yolk-shell nanostructure, showing that the Fe-Nx moieties are atomically dispersed in the core, inner shell, and outer surface, significantly improving the active site density. Fe-N-C_T exhibits excellent ORR activity and stability in acidic media. Integration into an H₂-air fuel cell achieves a peak power density of 496 mW·cm⁻² and maintained stable operation with minimal voltage drop during 30,000 accelerated durability cycles. In-situ Raman spectroscopy and COMSOL simulations show that the unique yolk-shell structure acts as an oxygen reservoir, enriching O₂ molecules and reducing mass transfer polarization, thereby achieving excellent ORR performance at the device level.

This review summarizes the design strategies and sensing mechanisms of Ln-MOFs for highly sensitive and selective luminescence detection across environmental monitoring, biomedicine, food safety, and public security.

This review systematically summarizes the latest research progress on single-crystal polymetaloxoate-based metal–organic complexes in the selective oxidation of sulfides from a structural perspective.

For the HER in alkaline seawater, the ZIF/MP/CP-800 electrode can operate continuously for 12 000 min at 400 mA cm ⁻² .