Yingmo Hu

The photocatalytic conversion of CO ₂ into valuable solar fuels presents a promising strategy for addressing both greenhouse gas emissions and energy sustainability. In this study, uniform and highly dispersed AuCu alloy nanoparticles were deposited on ZnO nanoparticles through an in situ photoreduction method for photocatalytic CO ₂ reduction to CH ₄ . The optimized ZnO‐AuCu catalyst achieved a CH ₄ yield of 45.2 µmol g ⁻¹ h ⁻¹ (12.22 times higher than that of pure ZnO), with a remarkable selectivity of 98.7%. The enhanced activity originates from the synergistic effects of AuCu alloying and the ZnO/AuCu heterointerface. Specifically, the AuCu alloy extends visible light harvesting through surface plasmon resonance, while the intimate ZnO‐AuCu contact forms a Schottky junction that drives photogenerated electron separation and enriches electrons at Cu sites. CO ₂ ‐TPD and DFT adsorption calculations indicate that the ZnO/AuCu interface favors CO ₂ capture and activation, whereas the AuCu surface facilitates subsequent hydrogenation steps. In situ DRIFTS further reveals the accumulation of key CH _x * intermediates, and Gibbs free energy calculations confirm that AuCu alloying lowers the energetic barriers for CO ₂ activation and deep hydrogenation. This work provides insight into regulating interfacial charge transfer and surface reaction pathways through alloy engineering for efficient and selective CO ₂ methanation.

IrO _x /TiO ₂ via HTS builds Ir–O–Ti interfaces to modulate Ir electrons and stabilize lattice oxygen. Tests confirm AEM acidic OER with restrained lattice oxygen. It attains 254 mV at 10 mA cm ⁻² > 600 h durability, and 1 A cm ⁻² at 1.77 V in PEM cell.

This study shows that dual nitrogen vacancies in H₂CN create a strong built-in electric field, enhancing charge separation. Furthermore, PdCo alloy modification further stabilizes C₁ intermediates and promotes hydrogenation reactions.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their inherent safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental compatibility. However, challenges such as zinc -dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reactions, and cathode dissolution hinder their practical application. To tackle these issues, a wide range of investigative approaches have been conducted to improve the performance of AZIBs. Recently, much attention has been paid to the application of natural mineral materials in AZIBs, since these low-cost minerals align well with the high sensitivity of battery costs in large-scale energy storage. This review systematically explores the application of natural mineral materials to address these issues across battery components, including protective layers on anodes and cathodes, functional films of separators, additives in electrolytes, etc. A multitude of minerals, such as halloysite, montmorillonite, attapulgite, diatomite, and dickite, are highlighted for their unique structural and physicochemical properties, including hierarchical porosity, ion-selective channels, and surface charge regulation. Finally, prospects for future research are discussed to construct AZIBs with a combination of excellent performance and cost efficiency and to bridge laboratory innovations with commercial viability.

The self-polarizing electric field of tourmaline promotes the photocatalytic CO ₂ reduction performance of nitrogen-deficient carbon nitride.

Boosted electric field via enhanced dipoles, increased charge transmission towards the catalyst surface and promoted electron energy via piezoelectric field resulted in the highly efficient photopiezocatalytic activity of ternary structures.

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) materials have garnered significant interest in the realm of energy conversion and storage amid the push for carbon-neutral energy solutions due to the tunable band gap, high light collection efficiency, high photogenerated carrier mobility, and high defect tolerance. Owing to the unique structure, MHPs have abundant active sites and can be easily functionalized, which is conducive to performance optimization for different applications. Herein, we reviewed the recent progress of MHPs systemically, covering physical and chemical properties, synthesis approaches, and their application in photocatalysis field. The photocatalytic applications of MHPs are mainly focused on hydrogen evolution, CO₂ reduction, removal of organic pollutants, and organic synthesis reactions, such as photocatalytic C(sp³)–H bond activation, C–C, C–O, and C–N bond coupling. Various aspects related to activity performance assessments, mechanism discussions, and correlation comparisons are also displayed. Simultaneously, comprehensive design strategies, such as intrinsic engineering, surface engineering, and heterojunction engineering of high-activity, selectivity, and stability photocatalysts are required for solar-driven applications. Finally, the challenges and potential development opportunities associated with MHPs are outlined.