Dong Fang

Diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) are a crucial component of diesel engine exhaust aftertreatment systems, primarily employed for the oxidation removal of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC), as well as promoting the conversion of soluble organic fractions (SOF) in particulate matter (PM). Meanwhile, DOCs provide essential reaction conditions for subsequent selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems. With increasingly stringent emission regulations, DOC catalysts are facing higher requirements in terms of low‐temperature catalytic activity, durability, and poisoning resistance. This review systematically summarizes the preparation methods and structural regulation strategies of DOC catalysts, and discusses the applications of characterization techniques in active site identification and reaction mechanism investigation. The effects of noble metal species, support properties, reaction temperature, and gas composition on catalytic oxidation performance are comprehensively analyzed. Furthermore, typical deactivation mechanisms, including sulphur poisoning, thermal aging, and carbon deposition, are summarized, and recent advances in improving poisoning resistance and stability through promoter modification, structural optimization, and surface engineering are evaluated. Finally, based on the current research status, the remaining challenges of DOC catalysts in low‐temperature high‐efficiency catalysis, adaptability under complex operating conditions, and multifunctional integration are discussed, along with future development perspectives.

The advantage of ultra-high theoretical capacity of silicon materials has attracted significant attention in the field of lithium battery anodes, but the rapid capacity decay caused by large volume changes during cycling limits its practical use. In this study, a multi-layer composite Si/C anode material was prepared using nano-silicon, graphite, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and asphalt as raw materials through a process combining open milling and high-temperature carbonization. Test results showed that the initial discharge specific capacity of the sample was 1682.31 mAh g ⁻¹ , and the capacity retention after 200 cycles at 1 A g ⁻¹ was as high as 70%. Microscopic analysis demonstrated that graphite and multi-walled carbon nanotubes could build a continuous three-dimensional conductive framework, and the interlayer voids could buffer the volume expansion of silicon; electrochemical tests confirmed that the composite structure could effectively enhance reversible capacity and suppress cycle decay. This preparation process is simple, the raw materials are readily available, and it is easy to industrialize and promote, providing a new approach for the large-scale preparation of high-performance silicon–carbon anodes.

Porous Ti foam is known to reduce the elastic modulus while facilitating bone ingrowth. Due to its excellent chemical stability and biocompatibility, Ta was loaded onto calcining Ti foam using a modified electrodeposition method, and the osteogenic potential of the resulting composite was characterized and evaluated. The results revealed the Ta-loaded calcining Ti foam exhibited a hierarchical porous structure and greater hydrophilicity, which enhanced MC3T3 cell adhesion and viability, thereby improving its overall biological performance.

Spinel-type MnV₂O₄ has been recognized as a promising high-capacity anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, its rate capability and long-term cycling stability are still constrained by sluggish Li⁺ diffusion and structural degradation upon repeated cycling. In this work, spinel MnV₂O₄ nanoflakes were fabricated through an ion-exchange reaction using NaₓV₁₂O₃₂ nanowires as self-sacrificing precursors, followed by thermal annealing at 500, 650, and 800 °C (denoted as MVO-500, MVO-650, and MVO-800, respectively). The annealing temperature was found to critically govern the morphological evolution from dense nanosheets to a porous, nanoparticle-assembled sheet architecture, which shortens ionic diffusion pathways, enlarges the electrode–electrolyte contact area, and effectively accommodates volume variation during lithiation/delithiation. Benefiting from this architecture, the MVO-800 electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 635.68 mAh g⁻¹ after 500 cycles at 500 mA g⁻¹ with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 66%, an excellent rate capability of 383.35 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 A g⁻¹, and superior long-term cycling stability with 491.11 mAh g⁻¹ retained after 1000 cycles at 2 A g⁻¹. Kinetic analyses reveal that the capacitive contribution initially increases from 49% to 87% after 100 cycles and then decreases to 70% after 300 cycles with a corresponding rise in diffusion-controlled contribution, consistent with the morphological refinement from dense nanosheets to interconnected nanoparticles observed by ex-situ SEM. GITT and EIS further confirm accelerated Li⁺ diffusion (DLi⁺ from 10⁻¹⁴·⁹ to 10⁻¹¹·⁸ cm² s⁻¹) and reduced charge-transfer resistance (Rct from 198.1 to 14.7 Ω) after extended cycling. These results demonstrate that the self-sacrificing NaₓV₁₂O₃₂ nanowire template provides a controllable route to porous spinel vanadate architectures with enhanced structural stability and reaction kinetics, offering a rational design guideline for high-rate, long-life spinel vanadate anodes in advanced LIBs.

Conventional metal-N-C catalyst support often suffers from limited activity and stability during oxygen electrocatalysis including oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER). This study presents an innovative dual nitrogen strategy, involving dopamine coating on the precursor of Cu-NC followed by secondary nitrogen doping. This process not only tailors the electronic structure of carbon support and reinforces metal-support interactions but also improves electrical conductivity and optimizes porous structures. Thus, the as prepared PtCu/CuNC-d catalyst demonstrates exceptional bifunctional catalytic performance. For ORR, it exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.957 V and retains 99% activity after 20,000 cycles, far surpassing commercial Pt/C. For OER, it achieves an overpotential of 316 mV at 10 mA cm⁻2 with favorable kinetics. The zinc-air battery powered by PtCu/CuNC-d air cathode delivers a peak power density of 166.2 mW·cm⁻2 and a stable operation for over 200 h. Relaxation time distribution analysis reveals well‐coordinated charge‐transfer and mass‐transport kinetics over a wide potential range. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the strong electronic coupling between the PtCu alloy and the dual N-doped carrier optimizes intermediate adsorption, enhancing catalytic efficiency. This work proposes a dual-nitrogen doping strategy for constructing high-stability catalysts, offering a viable route for design and synthesis of advanced catalysts.

Nitrate (NO₃⁻) contamination in water adversely affects human health and the ecosystem. Electrochemical methods can remediate environmental NO₃⁻ pollution. This study developed Ru-Cu₂O/Co₃O₄@copper foam (CF), a hierarchical catalyst comprising a CF substrate, Cu-Co LDH nanosheets, and ultrasmall Ru nanoparticles. Traditional characterisation conformed its active component composition and chemical oxidation states. Studies on electrochemical NO₃⁻ reduction have evaluated catalytic efficacy under various conditions. This catalyst exhibits exceptional efficacy in NO₃⁻ catalysis. At -1.61 V vs. Ag/AgCl, it converts 50 mg/L NO₃⁻-N into pure, environmentally friendly N₂ after 4 h, achieving a 98.44% removal efficiency and approximately 100% selectivity, enabling efficient NO₃⁻ elimination and green N conversion. Throughout 20 cycles, the removal rate of NO₃⁻-N remained consistently high (94.19%–99.53%), whereas N₂ selectivity exhibited excellent stability (93.62%–100%).

Polyamide 6 (PA6) is a widely utilized engineering polymer with excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Nevertheless, its inherent flammability imposes limitations on its engineering applications in high-performance composites. In this study, manganese stannate (MSO) was utilized as a substitute for antimony trioxide (ATO) in the fabrication of PA6 composites to enhance flame-retardant properties without compromising mechanical properties. The findings suggest that PA6 materials in which ATO is substituted with MSO demonstrate superior flame-retardant and smoke-suppressing properties in comparison to ATO-containing composites. The peak heat release rate (PHRR), smoke release rate (SPR), carbon monoxide production (COP), and carbon dioxide production (CO2P) of the PA6/10MSO composite decreased by 35.8%, 33.3%, 40.9% and 37.9%, respectively. The enhancement in flame retardancy is ascribed to the presence of MSO, which compensates for the inadequacy of ATO in its capacity to form char in the condensed phase. DFT calculations indicate that MSO has the lowest total energy (-0.631 eV) and binding energy (0.225 eV). The stable MSO provides Lewis acid sites (Mnn+, Sn4+) that catalyze the cleavage of PA6 amide bonds and the dehydration of molecular chains, promoting their reticulation into carbon. This study provides valuable insights into the development of multifunctional polymer composites with applications in the energy, aviation, electronics, and automotive sectors.

Silicon is a promising high-capacity anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its ultra-high theoretical specific capacity (~3579 mAh g-1). However, its severe volume expansion (>300%) during cycling and poor intrinsic conductivity hinder practical application. Herein, a silicon-carbon composite with a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical coating structure is rationally designed and fabricated via a scalable combination of spray drying and high-temperature pyrolysis. This architecture innovatively integrates graphite as a conductive skeleton, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as a mechanical reinforcement phase, and a carbonized polyacrylamide layer as a conductive filling matrix, achieving uniform and robust encapsulation of silicon nanoparticles. Comprehensive characterizations confirm the formation of Si-C chemical bonds and a defect-rich carbon structure within the composite. When evaluated as a lithium-ion battery anode, the optimized Si/C composite delivers a high reversible capacity of 1194.7 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 A g-1, along with superior rate capability (1225.7 mAh g-1 at 2.0 A g-1). Electrochemical impedance and kinetic analyses reveal that this 3D conductive network effectively mitigates electrode pulverization, enhances lithium-ion transport kinetics, and promotes the formation of a stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). This work provides a novel and viable structural design paradigm for developing high-capacity and long-cycle-life silicon-based anodes.

A microwave–ultrasound polyol strategy anchors ultrafine Pt ₃ Co alloys on N,S-codoped carbon, where Co–N _X /Co–S dual sites cooperate to boost the acidic ORR ( E _1/2 = 0.936 V) and Zn–air battery performance (253.98 mW cm ⁻² ).

Correction for ‘Charge compensation endows K _0.16 Na _0.05 (NH ₄ ) _0.71 V ₄ O _{10− x} ·0.63H ₂ O cathode with tunable lattice strain for efficient Zn ²⁺ storage’ by Xueke Zhu et al. , Dalton Trans. , 2025, 54 , 12516–12523, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5DT01363A.