Zhengping Hao

The upcycling of plastic waste into renewable chemicals offers a pathway toward carbon resource recovery and reduced environmental pollution. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrogenolysis can produce aromatic hydrocarbons, cycloalkanes, or a mixture of both, while achieving selective control over the reaction pathway remains challenging. Herein, we report a TiO ₂ (P25)‐supported bimetallic Ru─Ni alloy catalyst (RuNi/P25) that can directly upgrade PET into cycloalkanes in 84.9% yield with 100% selectivity among the liquid products under mild reaction conditions (230 °C, 1.5 MPa H ₂ ). The outstanding performance of RuNi/P25 mainly originates from the electron‐rich Ru species, which play a key role in activating hydrogen and C─O bonds. The formation of the RuNi alloy facilitates electron transfer from Ni to Ru, thereby accelerating the hydrogenation rate of the benzene ring and promoting the catalytic activity for converting PET to cycloalkanes. The strategy of constructing a RuNi alloy presented in this work affords a promising approach for the development of highly effective catalysts, which can be applied in the valorization of aromatic plastic wastes and biomass‐derived feedstocks.

The separation of aromatic compounds from cyclic aliphatics has drawn decades of attention from researchers. Adsorption-based separation, an energy-saving recovery technology, can be efficiently carried out on various adsorbents. Developing cost-effective adsorbents with good selectivity and batch preparation capability is an inevitable trend. Carbon molecular sieves (CMSs) are promising, but controlling the pore size distribution is a major limitation. In this work, a series of phenolic resin-based fibrous CMSs with a concentrated distribution of ultramicropores and conjugated sp2 carbon structures was synthesized by regulating electrospinning and heat treatment. Experimental and computational studies indicate that SCF2–1000 exhibits an adsorption amount ratio of 6.8 in static adsorption, comparable to those of reported framework materials and zeolites. In equimolar benzene/cyclohexane breakthrough experiments, it achieves a high adsorption amount ratio of 11.4 and a long separation window of 2000 min g–1. FCF-1H demonstrates a dynamic adsorption selectivity factor of 30.14 and a long separation window of 8300 min g–1 in a 1:9 toluene/methylcyclohexane separation experiment. The short-range and concentrated ultramicropores allow rapid, selective adsorption and easy regeneration without decline. This work offers a feasible pathway toward separating and purifying mixed gases containing aromatics and their hydrogenation products in industrial processes.

High‐entropy oxides (HEOs) show great promise in heterogeneous catalysis due to their unique structural properties. However, stabilizing the amorphous structure of HEOs under high‐temperature conditions remains challenging. Herein, we propose a thermodynamic synergy‐driven strategy to construct the long‐range disordered structure in HEO, achieving the preservation of defect‐rich sites with high thermal stability. By integrating multiple metal elements with substantial atomic size differences, we construct an amorphous MnFeCoNiCuYZrO _x HEO (MYZrO _x ‐a), in which the high configurational entropy creates a thermodynamic barrier against amorphous‐to‐crystalline transition. This strategy also demonstrates both universality and scalability for synthesizing thermally stable amorphous HEOs. Combined experimental characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that MYZrO _x ‐a retains short‑range disorder and abundant defect sites even after calcination at 600°C. Moreover, the stabilized high‑valence metal–oxygen vacancy (M ^δ+ –O _v ) pairs facilitate the activation of C─H bonds and oxygen species, endowing MYZrO _x ‐a with exceptional methane combustion activity and durability, with stable performance exceeding 200 h even under high‑humidity conditions. This work underscores the pivotal role of configurational entropy in designing amorphous HEOs and expands their potential for advanced thermocatalytic applications.

Persulfate‐based advanced oxidation processes, involving those driven by peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate have attracted increasing attention for the degradation of persistent organic contaminants in water treatment. Compared with conventional hydroxyl radical–dominated systems, persulfate activation can generate a wider spectrum of reactive species, including sulfate radicals, hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, high‐valent metal–oxo species, and surface‐mediated reactive species. While this mechanistic diversity provides opportunities for efficient pollutant degradation, the simultaneous presence of multiple pathways often leads to complex reaction networks and obscures mechanistic interpretation. Recent studies therefore emphasize controlling, rather than maximizing, reactive species generation by steering the system toward a dominant pathway. This review summarizes recent progress in regulating persulfate activation pathways through both catalyst design and reaction environment. Intrinsic strategies, such as heteroatom doping, defect engineering, coordination modulation, and nanoconfinement, regulate the electronic structure of catalysts and determine the preferred activation mode. Extrinsic factors, including water matrix composition, external fields, and pollutant properties, can further shift the balance between radical and non‐radical pathways. Understanding these regulation mechanisms provides guidance for designing more predictable and selective systems for environmental remediation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose substantial environmental and health hazards. Adsorption is a crucial VOCs control technology, and the advancement of adsorbents is highly dependent on precise characterization via both static and dynamic adsorption measurements. Theoretically, a specific conversion relationship should exist between these two measurement methods. However, due to discrepancies in focus and testing conditions, the differences in adsorption capacities obtained by the two methods often vary considerably and lack regularity. In this study, a quantitative framework was established to bridge the gap between static and dynamic adsorption capacities by correlating them under identical partial pressures. Results indicate that the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity (Q_ds) is ca. 0.93 times the static adsorption capacity (Q_s) at the matched partial pressure (Q_ds= 0.93 × Q_s). Additionally, the dynamic penetration capacity (Q_dp) is systematically related to Q_ds through the slope (k) of the adsorption isotherm. Furthermore, by normalizing partial pressures (P/P₀), a unified predictive equation (Q_dp= (1-0.15 × k) × Q_ds) was derived. This equation can predict the concentration-dependent evolution of penetration capacity directly from equilibrium isotherms, effectively eliminating temperature effects and ensuring universal applicability. This research establishes a universal approach for calculating dynamic adsorption performance from static isotherm data, which can guide the development of tailored adsorbents for various industrial scenarios.

Elevated CO₂ levels in confined spaces such as large conference rooms and vehicle cabins (∼1000 ppm) increasingly compromise indoor air quality and human health, yet the development of solid adsorbents effective under such moderate concentrations remains challenging. Herein, we present a synergistic amine-bifunctionalization strategy to rationally engineer ZSM-5 zeolites for highly efficient CO₂ capture under indoor-relevant conditions. Surface silanization with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) generates stable anchoring sites while modulating pore accessibility, and subsequent tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) impregnation introduces a high density of chemically active amines. The resulting bifunctionalized ZSM-5 exhibits an exceptional CO₂ uptake of 7.82 mmol·g^-1 at ambient temperature, which is 2.1 times higher than that of pristine ZSM-5 (3.78 mmol·g^-1), together with rapid adsorption kinetics and outstanding regeneration stability over multiple cycles. Combined experimental characterization and density functional theory calculations reveal that the bifunctionalized interface promotes strong charge transfer and electronic coupling between CO₂ and surface amine sites, shifting the adsorption mechanism from weak physisorption on pristine ZSM-5 to chemisorption-dominated interactions accompanied by pronounced band gap narrowing. These results demonstrate a structure-electronic synergy that enables efficient CO₂ capture, providing mechanistic insights for the rational design of zeolite-based adsorbents for indoor air purification and confined-space carbon management.

Brewing is an understudied but influential source of VOC emissions in the food manufacturing industry. In this study, we conducted a first comprehensive analysis of process-based VOC concentration characteristics, ozone formation potential (OFP), secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP) and health risks in two typical breweries in Beijing that use malted barley, hops, water, and yeast. In Brewery A, 35 to 53 distinct VOC species were detected, with total mass concentrations ranging from 148.17 ± 18.64 µg m⁻³ to 15 225.91 ± 1912.51 µg m⁻³. Brewery B demonstrated comparable patterns, with 28 to 49 species detected at concentrations between 104.49 ± 8.48 µg m⁻³ and 10 368.87 ± 879.47 µg m⁻³. Process-stage analysis identified boiling and fermentation stages as the key stages with the highest VOC concentrations, dominated by oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) such as acetaldehyde, acetone, ethyl acetate, and 2-butanone, as well as the alkane isobutane. Atmospheric dispersion modeling (AERMOD) indicated negligible public health risks from organized stack emissions. In contrast, occupational health assessment revealed significant risks for workers from fugitive emissions, with the cumulative hazard index (HI) far exceeding the threshold. The OFP and SOAFP results, representing the secondary pollutant formation potential of the source mixtures, highlighted OVOCs and aromatics as priority control species for mitigating the secondary pollution potential. The findings demonstrate that VOC control strategies must be differentiated, with large-scale breweries prioritizing organized emissions, while small breweries urgently need to control fugitive emissions. This study aims to promote the implementation of VOC regulations and occupational health protection strategies within the brewing industry.

Catalytic oxidation technologies for industrial exhaust emissions (e.g., VOCs, CO, and NO_x) have gained significant attention due to the severe environmental and public health impacts. Recent advances highlight cobalt-based oxides as superior catalytic materials owing to excellent physicochemical properties, but the diverse compositions of industrial exhaust gases present significant obstacles in their practical applications. To develop rational design strategies for efficient cobalt-based oxides, exploring the structure-activity relationship (SAR) provides guidance for engineering structural properties to enhance performance. In this context, this review delves into how SAR impacts catalytic performance in exhaust gas purification through geometric structure modulation (size effects, morphology, and surface defect structures) and electronic structure modulation (Co-O bond strengths, d-band centers, coordination environments, and constrained structures). Furthermore, special attention is given to mechanistic studies combining reaction kinetic modeling, in situ spectroscopic characterization, and the effects of water vapor and SO₂ on catalytic oxidation processes. We further outline emerging synthetic strategies and ongoing challenges for the design of next-generation cobalt-based catalysts. This review provides guidance and inspiration for the development of high-performance cobalt-based oxides for exhaust gas purification.