Hao Wan

Strain engineering has emerged as an effective strategy to regulate the electronic structure of nonprecious transition-metal-based electrocatalysts for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. Nevertheless, in most reported electrocatalyst systems, the use of other catalytically active transition metal ion dopants couples strain effects with dopant-derived d electronic configuration modifications and even active sites, thereby obscuring the intrinsic role of lattice strain. Herein, strain-dominant engineering of hematite (α-Fe2O3) for efficient OER was achieved via electronically inert Mg2+ doping. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses revealed that Mg2+ substitution induces lattice expansion and intrinsic tensile strain in the α-Fe2O3 lattice, which modulates the local Fe–O coordination environment and enhances Fe–O orbital interaction, thereby leading to more favorable adsorption energetics of OER intermediates. As a result, Mg2+-doped α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with optimized Mg2+ content of 1.53% exhibited a substantially reduced overpotential, delivering a current density of 10 mA cm–2 at 0.406 V compared to 0.453 V for pristine α-Fe2O3, along with a significantly decreased Tafel slope from 161.5 to 99.6 mV dec–1. This work establishes electronically inert dopant-induced strain engineering as an effective strategy for enhancing the electrocatalytic performance of iron-based oxide nanocatalysts by regulating Fe–O orbital coupling and oxygen intermediate adsorption.

Synergistic effect of Ni and Co in NiCo LDH plays a significant in optimizing both thermodynamic and kinetic of GOR. Phased transformation generates true active species in catalyzing glucose into formate.

Interlayer charge-confined NiFe-LDH/GO nanofilms with covalent M–O–C bonding promote charge transfer and optimize reaction intermediates, enabling efficient bifunctional water-splitting electrocatalysis.

The chemical exfoliation of layered metal hydroxides (LMHs) is a cutting-edge technology to obtain unilaminar and few-layer LMH nanosheets with positive charges and an ultrathin thickness, which widely serve as building blocks for functional composites in emerging fields. However, the preparation of high-quality monolayers with a large lateral dimension and regular morphology and the investigation of the exfoliation mechanism remain formidable challenges. Herein, uniform hexagonal NiCo LMH nanosheets were prepared by directly delaminating the well-crystallized α-type NiCo LMH nanoplate precursor in formamide with the assistance of mild heating. A plausible exfoliation mechanism suggests that formamide diffuses rapidly with the assistance of heating, facilitating expansion of the interlayer spacing of the LMH bulk. Subsequently, the precursor undergoes a gradual delamination process to form uniform hexagonal monolayers, as the interlayer force diminishes. Moreover, the positively charged LMH nanosheets are utilized as nanoblocks to electrostatically adsorb anionic polystyrene sodium 4-sulfonate (PSS) or negatively charged reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method. The constructed (NiCo LMH/PSS)_n and (rGO/NiCo LMH)_n multilayer heterostructure films are highly viable in electrochemical applications.

This review summarizes the synthesis, characterization, and optical properties of rare-earth-doped halide perovskites, highlighting their potential for rapid, stable, low-background multimodal theranostics and future clinical translation.

The resource-abundant tin dioxide-based materials exhibit high theoretical capacity for lithium-ion batteries, yet their practical applications are obstructed by low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and poor cycling lifespan. These issues...

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) stands out as a promising approach for ammonia (NH₃) synthesis, boasting substantial environmental benefits over the traditional Haber–Bosch process. However, the eNRR still encounters fundamental constraints and persistent technical barriers that hinder its potential to supplant the Haber–Bosch process in industrial NH₃ production. This technological gap necessitates holistic system optimization to bridge the performance disparities. This review systematically examines current advancements in the eNRR, beginning with an analysis of fundamental principles. We subsequently summarize the multi-faceted optimization strategies encompassing reactor configuration engineering, rational catalyst design through advanced material engineering strategies, implementation of standardized NH₃ quantification protocols, and integration of advanced characterization methodologies. Such synergistic optimizations aim to simultaneously enhance catalytic efficiency, operational durability, and energy conversion efficiency in NH₃ generation, ultimately facilitating the technological maturation of eNRR systems under realistic production conditions.

The interaction of Cu and CoO_x on Cu nanowires supported CoO_x promotes the nitrate adsorption and *H retention capability because of the synergistic effect, generating excellent electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction efficiency.

The cationic effect on δ-MnO ₂ nanosheets is investigated via MnO ₂ assemblies with different cations ( e.g. Li ⁺ , Cs ⁺ , DADMA ⁺ , PDDA ⁺ ) to decouple the intrinsic effect of electrolyte difference for catalytic performance.