Xuebo Cao

Electrocatalytic urea synthesis from nitrate (NO3-) and carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is an emerging sustainable route that both produces urea and reduces environmental pollution. However, efficient electrochemical urea synthesis remains challenging due to the difficulty in simultaneously mediating two distinct reduction pathways and enabling effective C–N coupling at the electrode-electrolyte interface, which restricts both yield and reaction selectivity. In this work, we investigate how interfacial electron redistribution in Bi-Cu alloy electrodes regulates the electrochemical co-reduction process toward urea formation. Among a series of Bi–Cu compositions, the optimized Bi19Cu81 electrode delivers a urea yield rate of 34.1 mmol h-1 g-1 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 47.6% at -0.6 V vs. RHE in an H-type cell. Combined spectroscopic characterizations, electrochemical kinetic analyses, and DFT calculations reveal that moderate electron transfer from Bi to Cu at the alloy interface creates electron-enriched Cu sites and electron-deficient Bi sites. This electronic redistribution tailors the chemisorption energy of key intermediates at the solid-liquid electrochemical interface: electron-rich Cu sites favor CO2 adsorption and *CO intermediate formation, while electron-deficient Bi sites promote NO3- dissociation and *NO2 intermediate generation, balancing the activation kinetics of both reactant pathways. These findings demonstrate the critical role of interfacial electronic modulation in governing multi-reactant co-reduction and C–N coupling, providing an electrochemical interface-based design strategy for efficient urea electrosynthesis.

Developing solid adsorbents that combine efficient CO2 capture with low-energy regeneration remains a central challenge in practical carbon management. In particular, few material systems can integrate capture, controllable release, and downstream utilization within a single platform. Herein, we report an imidazole-functionalized carbon quantum dot-loaded dendritic mesoporous silica composite (EMI-C@SiO2) for CO2 capture, solar-driven release, and integrated utilization. In this composite, the dendritic silica framework provides accessible pore channels for mass transport and component loading, 2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole (EMI) creates CO2-philic adsorption environments, and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) impart rapid photothermal responsiveness. EMI-C@SiO2 exhibits enhanced CO2 uptake under both pure and diluted CO2 atmospheres and can be efficiently regenerated under mild light irradiation. In-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy measurement shows that CO2 is mainly weakly adsorbed under dry conditions, whereas humid conditions promote the formation of bicarbonate/carbonate-related species stabilized within the EMI-modified interfacial environment. In addition, the captured CO2 can be directly utilized in the cycloaddition of propylene oxide, demonstrating a proof-of-concept integration of capture, release, and conversion in a single material system.

The ocean holds 97% of the Earth's water and receives 60‐petawatt solar radiation each year. A multiple‐effect utilization of vast ocean resources and energy still faces significant challenges. Here, we demonstrate a water‐electricity co‐generation strategy for multiple energy conversion and full‐day electricity output. The co‐generator is fabricated by mixing an entropy battery (MEB) and a multi‐channel solar evaporator. The resultant coupled system can evaporate seawater at a rate of around 1.37 kg m ⁻² h ⁻¹ and elevate the salinity to 4.8 mol L ⁻¹ from an initial 0.5 mol L ⁻¹ under 1 sun condition. The autogenous salinity power is concurrently converted to electricity by MEB. Uniquely, after stopping the illumination and switching the hypersaline solution to fresh seawater, it leads to an inverted salinity power for MEB to discharge and generate electricity again. Such a strategy enables the system to deliver an average power density of 2.9 W m ⁻² and energy density of 229.7 kJ m ⁻² a day, far superior to existing MEB. Moreover, it indicates that blue energy can be harvested on the sea, not limited to certain river‐sea junctures. With further optimization of electrode materials, it is promising to consume the electricity via on‐site seawater electrolysis, achieving up‐conversion of low‐grade blue energy to green hydrogen.

Salinity gradient energy, which exists widely between two solutions with different concentrations, represents a substantial and renewable energy resource. Currently, harvesting the salinity gradient energy is largely confined to river estuaries, which significantly limits its applicability for island communities. To address this challenge, a three-compartment device that couples freshwater production with full-day electricity generation is developed, utilizing a carbonized biomass evaporator and electric double layer capacitive mixing technology. In the device, a rattan-based solar-driven interfacial evaporator continuously concentrates the seawater during solar-driven interfacial evaporation, establishing a sustained salinity gradient between the generated high-concentration brine and the original seawater. Concurrently, the salinity gradient energy is converted into electricity by the biomass-derived ion bridges and electrodes. The system can achieve a maximum peak power density of 19.47 mW·m-2 under a 10-fold concentration salinity gradient and 4.79 W·m-2 under a 1000-fold salinity gradient.

Metal‐CO ₂ battery represents a burgeoning CO ₂ utilization technology that combines CO ₂ reduction with electricity generation rather than power input, which holds promising applications in the future Mars exploration project. Existing metal‐CO ₂ batteries rely heavily on transition‐metal or heteroatom‐doped nanocarbon catalysts to activate CO ₂ , which remain challenges of corrosion susceptibility or uncontrollable doping configuration. Herein, it is proposed to design an electronically‐coupled nanocarbon/imidazole ensemble as the mediator to direct CO ₂ reduction in a Zn‐CO ₂ flow battery. The nanocarbon/imidazole donor–acceptor ensemble is fabricated by coupling butyl imidazole (BI) to a multi‐channel nanocarbon electrode (MCE). The pairing induces intermolecular electron transfer from MCE to the N ‐heterocycle of BI, thus creating an electron‐rich region over BI for efficient CO ₂ adsorption and activation. Therefore, under the mediation of the ensemble, the Zn‐CO ₂ flow battery can consume CO ₂ to co‐generate electricity and CO without the assistance of any transition‐metal or heteroatom‐doped nanocarbon catalysts. In the stimulated Mars atmosphere, the battery can deliver a maximum peak power density of 2.2 mW cm ⁻² and CO production rate of 3.927 mmol h ⁻¹ , comparable to its counterparts using advanced transition‐metal and heteroatom‐doped nanocarbon as the catalytic electrodes.

Ir-doped PdPtAuNiCu HEANs were rationally designed, synthesized, and fabricated in a flow cell fed by ethylene glycol. The cell delivered an industrial-level performance with >300 mA cm ⁻² under 0.724 V for >1200 hours.