Dengyu Chen

The rapid expansion of renewable energy and electrified systems is increasing the demand for safe, low‐cost, and resource‐sustainable energy storage. Rechargeable zinc‐air batteries are promising because they combine abundant Zn, aqueous electrolytes, and an air‐fed oxygen electrode, yet their long‐term reversibility is constrained by coupled oxygen reactions, Zn chemistry, species transport, interfacial evolution, and finite material inventories. This review develops an operating‐state‐resolved framework linking reaction‐pathway competition during discharge, charge, and rest with shared‐electrolyte transport, electrode reversibility, cross‐component coupling, inventory retention, and device reversibility. An evidence hierarchy distinguishes direct operando or component‐resolved observations from correlation, mechanistic inference, and cross‐system analogy, while practical evaluation is considered under explicit load, Zn utilization, electrolyte inventory, gas environment, cumulative output, maintenance, and failure boundaries. These elements are further integrated into reaction‐selectivity‐oriented cross‐component co‐design. The resulting framework specifies the evidence needed to attribute failure, compares cycling claims within declared load and inventory boundaries, and identifies conditions under which air‐electrode, electrolyte, and Zn‐interface modifications can remain compatible.

Rechargeable zinc batteries offer a promising route toward safe, low‐cost, and sustainable energy storage, but their practical application is hindered by nonuniform ion transport, parasitic interfacial reactions, and progressive structural degradation. Cellulose is attractive because its oxygen‐containing functional groups, hierarchical fibrous structure, and processable networks can be tailored for zinc anodes, electrolytes, separators, cathodes, and flexible devices. This Review discusses recent advances in cellulose‐based materials for mild aqueous zinc‐ion batteries and alkaline zinc‐air batteries, focusing on how chemical modification, nanoscale organization, pore structure, and wet‐state mechanics affect ion conduction, electrode/electrolyte contact, and structural retention. Particular attention is given to the evidence supporting proposed mechanisms and to the distinct reaction environments of the two systems, including Zn ²⁺ transport and plating/stripping in mild electrolytes, and OH ⁻ transport, zincate redistribution, ZnO evolution, and air‐electrode processes in alkaline cells. The Review also examines performance trade‐offs, component contributions in multicomponent systems, and the limits of comparisons across different testing conditions. By linking cellulose chemistry and architecture with chemistry‐specific battery requirements, it provides practical guidance for material selection, mechanism verification, and device‐oriented design, while identifying chemical durability, dimensional stability, feedstock consistency, standardized evaluation, and scalable manufacturing as priorities for future development.

Biomass is characterized by its diversity and wide availability. Co-pyrolysis technology is considered a promising approach for high-quality conversion and high-value utilization of biomass, representing a critical pathway toward environmental sustainability. This study selected rice husk and pine as representative herbaceous and woody biomass materials. Using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and Py-GC/MS, we systematically investigated the synergistic effects during co-pyrolysis, examined their underlying mechanisms, and analyzed changes in product distribution. The results indicate that the blend containing 30% rice husk exhibited the most pronounced synergistic effect. Specifically, the experimental char yield and pyrolysis activation energy were 9.7% and 10.5% lower than the theoretically calculated values, respectively. Both the blending ratio and heating rate were found to significantly influence these synergistic interactions. The observed synergy is attributed to the migration of alkali metals from rice husk ash, which enhances reaction rates and promotes specific pathways such as cellulose ring-opening cleavage and hemicellulose deacetylation. Consequently, the product distribution shifts toward lighter compounds, including aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. This study clarifies the central catalytic role of herbaceous biomass ash and highlights the critical function of alkali metal migration in regulating product selectivity, thereby providing theoretical support for efficient pyrolytic conversion.

This study explored the properties and pyrolysis characteristics of oxidatively torrefied cellulose to enhance biomass utilization and conversion. Cellulose was torrefied at 200–300 °C with oxygen concentrations of 0%–15%. The carbon content in cellulose could reach up to 53.06%, while the oxygen content decreased to 41.53% under the conditions of 300 °C and a 15% oxygen concentration. Meanwhile, its higher heating value (HHV) increased from 15.22 to 16.95 MJ/kg, improving the energy density and fuel quality. Both the carbon yield (CY) and energy yield (EY) of cellulose decreased noticeably with increasing oxygen concentrations at 300 °C, reaching minimum values of 46.33% and 51.05%, respectively, which were lower than the 64.5% and 71.85% observed under non-oxidative torrefaction. FTIR and XRD showed that higher temperatures and oxygen concentrations accelerated cellulose bond breaking and crystallinity disruption, enhancing thermochemical conversion. Oxidative torrefaction lowered the pyrolysis initiation temperature, with the most evident effect occurring at a 5% oxygen concentration of 300 °C. Increased oxygen concentrations altered pyrolysis products, with anhydrosugars rising then falling, and more furans, aromatics, and phenols produced. This study demonstrates that oxidative torrefaction effectively enhances the energy density of cellulose, showing promising potential for biomass utilization as a renewable fuel.

Photochemical synthesis and electrochemical catalysis: Group 10 metal nanoclusters were synthesized by a photochemical reduction–oxidation cascade method and showed structural stability, catalytic durability, and ring size-dependent activity to ORR.

The environment has been heavily contaminated with tetracycline (TC) due to its excessive use; however, activated carbon possessing well-developed pores can effectively adsorb TC. This study synthesized pinecone-derived activated carbon (PAC) with high specific surface area (1744.659 cm²/g, 1688.427 cm²/g) and high adsorption properties (840.62 mg/g, 827.33 mg/g) via hydrothermal pretreatment methods utilizing pinecones as precursors. The results showed that PAC treated with 6% KOH solution had excellent adsorption properties. It is found that the adsorption process accords with the PSO model, and a large amount of C=C in PAC provides the carrier for π-πEDA interaction. The results of characterization and the isothermal model show that TC plays a key role in the adsorption process of PAC. It is concluded that the adsorption process of TC on PAC prepared by hydrothermal pretreatment is mainly pore filling and π-πEDA interaction, which makes it a promising adsorbent for TC adsorption.