Guangbo Chen

Homogeneous photocatalysis has greatly expanded the use of CO ₂ as a renewable one‐carbon (C1) feedstock in organic synthesis, yet, controlling sequential proton/electron transfer kinetics and recovering the photocatalyst remain challenging. Here, we report that semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) provide a visible‐light‐driven heterogeneous platform that directs CO ₂ activation toward either one‐electron radical anion (CO ₂ ^•– ) or carbon monoxide (CO). Regulating interfacial proton transfer kinetics governs the fates of surface‐bound CO ₂ ^•– intermediate. Slowing the first proton transfer prolongs CO ₂ ^•– lifetime, enabling its in situ interception by aromatic and aliphatic alkenes to afford carboxylic acids with exclusive β‐selectivity. Meanwhile, the remaining CO is used as an ex situ C1 feedstock in carbonylation reaction. Moreover, facilitating sequential proton transfer promotes the transformation of CO ₂ ^•– intermediate to CO, the diverse carbonylation reactions proceed with good to excellent yields. This strategy can also enable ¹³ C‐labeled product and gram‐scale synthesis. This work establishes QDs as a versatile and tunable heterogeneous platform for CO ₂ valorization in organic synthesis, offering complementary advantages over homogeneous systems for divergent C─C bond formation.

Homogeneous photocatalysis has greatly expanded the use of CO ₂ as a renewable one‐carbon (C1) feedstock in organic synthesis, yet, controlling sequential proton/electron transfer kinetics and recovering the photocatalyst remain challenging. Here, we report that semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) provide a visible‐light‐driven heterogeneous platform that directs CO ₂ activation toward either one‐electron radical anion (CO ₂ ^•– ) or carbon monoxide (CO). Regulating interfacial proton transfer kinetics governs the fates of surface‐bound CO ₂ ^•– intermediate. Slowing the first proton transfer prolongs CO ₂ ^•– lifetime, enabling its in situ interception by aromatic and aliphatic alkenes to afford carboxylic acids with exclusive β‐selectivity. Meanwhile, the remaining CO is used as an ex situ C1 feedstock in carbonylation reaction. Moreover, facilitating sequential proton transfer promotes the transformation of CO ₂ ^•– intermediate to CO, the diverse carbonylation reactions proceed with good to excellent yields. This strategy can also enable ¹³ C‐labeled product and gram‐scale synthesis. This work establishes QDs as a versatile and tunable heterogeneous platform for CO ₂ valorization in organic synthesis, offering complementary advantages over homogeneous systems for divergent C─C bond formation.

Selective photocatalytic CO ₂ ‐to‐C ₂ H ₄ conversion remains highly challenging because efficient C–C coupling is rarely achieved. Even when it is accomplished, it typically relies on delicate tailoring of metallic sites. Here, we demonstrate that red phosphorus (RP) can serve as an effective platform for feasible metal coordination, enabling highly selective C ₂ H ₄ production. Using Pt as a model (but not limited to Pt), we construct a single‐atom Pt‐P architecture on RP that achieves a C ₂ H ₄ production rate of 21.03 µmol g ⁻¹ h ⁻¹ with a selectivity exceeding 93% under visible‐light. Mechanistic studies show that the coordinated surface P atoms serve as the primary active sites and cooperate with Pt to mediate a more accessible C–C coupling pathway toward C ₂ H ₄ formation, unlike conventional Pt‐centered catalysis that mainly yields C ₁ products. Notably, this strategy is also applicable to Co, Ni, Ag, Fe, Ir, Cu, Rh, and Pd, establishing RP as a broadly applicable coordination platform for selective CO ₂ ‐to‐C ₂ H ₄ photocatalysis across a wide range of metals featuring only single‐metal sites.

We demonstrate that single-atom catalysts can be rationally engineered to couple the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction with a catalase-like process, enabling a favorable H ₂ O ₂ to-O ₂ conversion pathway.

We engineered accessible Fe–N _x single-atom sites in Fe–N–C catalysts through a dual-molten-salt-assisted strategy, leading to improved oxygen reduction reaction activity.

The rapid growth of the global population, industrialization, and climate change have intensified the challenges surrounding water resource security. Despite considerable progress in this area, there remains a gap in the literature regarding a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis, modification, and application of Fe3O4 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives in wastewater treatment. This paper addresses this gap by providing a thorough review of Fe3O4-based MOFs and their derivatives, focusing on various synthesis techniques such as solvothermal/hydrothermal methods, as-grown methods, co-precipitation methods, and layer-by-layer self-assembly. Additionally, a series of surface functionalization strategies including metal ion doping, composite with carbon materials, metal oxide/sulfide composite, non-metallic composite, biopolymer composite, and layered double hydroxide have been explored to enhance the material properties and performance of these frameworks. The applications of Fe3O4 MOFs and their derivatives in removing pollutants such as antibiotics, pesticides, heavy metals and organic dyes from wastewater are also summarized, and future challenges and future developments are predicted. By presenting a detailed examination of these materials and their diverse applications, this paper not only fills a critical gap in the literature but also lays the groundwork for future research into their potential as advanced wastewater treatment agents, offering new pathways for more efficient, sustainable water purification technologies.

The built-in electric field formed in the CoFe ₂ O ₄ /RF p–n heterojunction enables efficient in situ H ₂ O ₂ generation and activation, thereby achieving enhanced photo-self-Fenton degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.

We developed a dual-modified carbon nitride photocatalyst achieving enhanced H ₂ O ₂ production via improved charge separation and AQ-driven ¹ O ₂ conversion.