Jin-Ming Wu

Rechargeable seawater battery (RSWB) is a promising candidate for low‐cost energy storage while solar seawater desalination (SSD) can produce clean water from seawater, yet no attempts have been made to integrate them, preferably with a mutual enhancement effect. In this study, we report an ε‐MnO ₂ material with bifunctions of ion storage for RSWB and photothermal effect for SSD. The integration of RSWB and SSD leads to a mutual enhancement effect, in sharp contrast to traditional integrations. The ε‐MnO ₂ displays a high specific capacity of 265 mAh g ⁻¹ for RSWB. When coupled with SSD, the specific capacity obviously increases, and meanwhile the seawater evaporation rate also increases substantially during the charge/discharge process. The mutual enhancement effect is attributed to the temperature increase in cathode caused by the photothermal effect of ε‐MnO ₂ and the weakened hydrogen‐bonding interaction arising from the charge/discharge process. This work would provide new perspectives on energy storage and clean water production.

Photocatalytic H ₂ O ₂ production via a two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) represents a green and sustainable alternative to the conventional anthraquinone process for industrial H ₂ O ₂ synthesis. Bimetallic sulfide Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ has emerged as a promising photocatalyst for H ₂ O ₂ production, yet the efficiency remains to be promoted. In this work, we introduced an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), into the hydrothermal reactant to achieve a surface‐modified Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ with a high photocatalytic H ₂ O ₂ production efficiency. The SDS modification alters the electron state and band alignments and promotes the formation of sulfur vacancies. Consequently, the SDS modification tactic not only enhances charge separation and migration but also switches the reaction pathway from an ORR‐dominated route in the pristine Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ to a dual‐pathway involving both ORR and water oxidation reaction (WOR). The optimized SDS0.5‐Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ photocatalyst achieves a remarkable H ₂ O ₂ production rate of 1066.13 μmol·g ⁻¹ ·h ⁻¹ in pure water without any sacrificial agents, which is 1.6 times that of the pristine Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ . Moreover, under argon atmosphere, it exhibits a H ₂ O ₂ production rate of 598.83 μmol·g ⁻¹ ·h ⁻¹ , approximately three times that of unmodified Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ , confirming the enhanced WOR contribution. This work presents a novel Zn ₃ In ₂ S ₆ ‐based photocatalyst with dual reaction pathways for efficient photocatalytic H ₂ O ₂ production.

Aqueous ammonium‐ion battery has recently gained attention as a safe, high‐power, and cost‐effective energy storage device; yet the development in cathode materials that can simultaneously deliver high capacity, high potential, and stable cycling performance is limited. Herein, a Prussian blue analog with three redox‐active sites (Co, Mn, and Fe) as a high‐performance cathode material for aqueous ammonium‐ion batteries by a dual function doping strategy is reported. It achieves a high reversible capacity of 153 mAh g ⁻¹ and superior cycling stability over 2500 cycles with negligible capacity decay. Density functional theory calculations and electrochemical analysis reveal that Mn activates the redox activity of Co via the enhanced electron depletion, while Co effectively suppresses the Jahn–Teller effect through splitting the degenerate orbitals of Mn, preserving the long‐range structural integrity of the framework. Paring this cathode with the VO _x @polypyrrole anode, a high specific energy of 145.7 Wh kg ⁻¹ can be achieved at a high specific power of 810.9 W kg ⁻¹ . This work offers a viable design strategy for the optimization of electrode materials through unlocking multiple active sites and stabilizing lattice frameworks.

Aqueous zinc batteries have garnered significant attention owing to their low cost, high intrinsic safety, and environmental friendliness. However, their practical application is still hindered by poor cycling stability, primarily caused by uncontrolled Zn dendrite growth. Conventional strategies to suppress dendrites generally aim to convert undesired 2D diffusion, which favors dendrite formation, into 3D diffusion to promote uniform Zn deposition. In contrast, this study reports a dendrite‐free Zn plating behavior achieved through directional 2D diffusion enabled by a micro‐terraced surface, which is achieved by a Ti ⁴⁺ ‐etching strategy. Unlike conventional 2D diffusion, where Zn atoms aggregate and form dendrites, on the micro‐terraced surface Zn atoms rapidly and orderly migrate along the terraces toward their intersection boundaries, resulting in uniform, dendrite‐free plating. The micro‐terraced Zn anodes deliver exceptional cycling stability over 6250 cycles at 5 mA cm ⁻² /1 mAh cm ⁻² . When paired with I ₂ cathode, the full cells achieve above 83.4% capacity retention and average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.89% over 5000 cycles at 1.5 A g ⁻¹ . This work provides mechanistic insights into Zn deposition and offers a new design paradigm for developing high‐stability energy storage systems.

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis using TiO₂, ZnO, and related materials offers a promising solution for efficient wastewater treatment through light-assisted advanced oxidation processes. In this study, oxygen vacancy (O_v)-rich ZnO micrometer-sized particles (ca. 0.5 μm) are grown on a conductive carbon cloth via a one-step molten salt method. The effects of different coordinating anions added into the molten salt on the morphological characteristics of the resultant ZnO crystallites are studied. The optimized photocatalyst (CC@ZnO-3 min) achieves near-complete degradation of 20 ppm ofloxacin within 2 h under UV irradiation and in the presence of 5 mM KHSO₅ (PMS). In the absence of PMS, it removes 26% of total organic carbon (TOC) after 8 h─a 6-fold improvement over commercial ZnO with an average particle size of ca. 0.2 μm, which is also immobilized on carbon cloth with a similar loading mass of ca. 7.0 mg·cm^-2. Radical trapping experiments reveal that superoxide (·O₂^-) and holes play dominant roles in the degradation process. The engineered oxygen vacancies not only enhance charge carrier separation but also significantly improve electron transfer efficiency. This work presents a strategy for developing high-efficiency photocatalysts to address pharmaceutical pollution.

Vertically aligned TiO₂ nanowires demonstrate exceptional photoactivity owing to their high specific surface area and improved charge separation; however, their unsatisfactory interaction with target contaminants diminishes photocatalytic degradation efficiency in water. Here, we present a mild solution method to precipitate anatase TiO₂ nanowire arrays, measuring 1.5 μm in thickness, over carbon cloth to ensure substantial interactions with target pollutants and, in turn, a superior photoactivity. Compared to TiO₂ nanowire arrays grown on metallic Ti substrates, TiO₂ nanowires supported on carbon cloth substrates demonstrate markedly superior efficiency in the photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin (OFL) molecules in water when exposed to UV light. The TiO₂ nanowires remove 90–97% OFL in water with a high initial concentration of 50 ppm in 6 h under UV light irradiation for up to six cycles. The contributions of the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) additive were also studied. An enhanced efficiency could be achieved only when the H₂O₂ in water reaches a critical amount, below which a negative effect is noted. This investigation demonstrates the potential of improving the photoactivity of one-dimensional TiO₂ nanostructures by utilizing a highly adsorptive substrate, which can help mitigate the effects of hazardous materials in water.

Developing and implementing technologies that can significantly reduce food loss during storage and transport are of paramount importance. Ozone synergistic catalytic oxidation (OSCO) technology has been developed, which sterilizes bacteria and viruses on the surface of food and degrades ethylene released during fruit storage through the active oxygen produced by the catalytic decomposition of ozone. Herein, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of MnO₂ with distinct phase compositions and nanostructures through simply varying the reaction temperatures. Optimized copper-doped α-MnO₂ nanorods exhibited remarkable efficacy in activating ozone at a concentration of 40 ppb, and this activation resulted in the complete eradication of indicator bacteria on food surfaces within a 24 h period. Moreover, these nanorods demonstrated high effectiveness in decomposing more than 80% of the ethylene molecules emitted by apples and bananas during the preservation period. The high concentration of surface oxygen vacancies is believed to contribute to the enhanced catalytic activity of the Cu-doped α-MnO₂ catalyst in the OSCO procedure by reducing ethylene production and maintaining the fruit quality during the preservation period.