Soil salinization and phosphorus (P) scarcity constrain agroecosystem sustainability. In this study, Acorus calamus hydrochar (ACH) and chicken manure hydrochar (CMH) were prepared via hydrothermal carbonization and applied to achieve the simultaneous remediation and fertilization of saline-alkaline soil. The total P was enriched in the hydrochars (3.78–9.19 and 16.23–22.39 mg/g for ACH and CMH) and labile P was transformed to stable orthophosphates. Both hydrochars reduced salinity and improved fertility with distinct functions. ACH excelled in salinity alleviation and enhanced the availability of soil P, while increasing available potassium by 26.5% to 117.23 mg/kg. CMH provided a long-term P source via mineral crystallization, increasing available P (up 72.6% to 6.99 mg/kg) and P measured by diffusive gradients in thin films (up 74.0% to 234.29 μg/L), while also enhancing available nitrogen by 29.1%. The microbial community analysis revealed ACH enriched Proteobacteria (54.65%) and saprotrophic fungi, which are associated with organic P cycling processes. In contrast, CMH promoted salt-tolerant Firmicutes (12.80%) and boosted phytase activities (up to 162%), facilitating P release. Therefore, the production and application of P-rich hydrochars could be a promising strategy for the amelioration of saline-alkaline soil, offering novel insights for P recycling and sustainable land management.
{"title":"Simultaneous remediation and fertilization of saline-alkaline soil via the application of various phosphorus-rich hydrochars","authors":"Ran Duan, Yuxin Yang, Xuchen Zhang, Junxia Wang, Jipeng Luo, Xiaoqiang Cui, Zhanjun Cheng, Guanyi Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174020","url":null,"abstract":"Soil salinization and phosphorus (P) scarcity constrain agroecosystem sustainability. In this study, <ce:italic>Acorus calamus</ce:italic> hydrochar (ACH) and chicken manure hydrochar (CMH) were prepared via hydrothermal carbonization and applied to achieve the simultaneous remediation and fertilization of saline-alkaline soil. The total P was enriched in the hydrochars (3.78–9.19 and 16.23–22.39 mg/g for ACH and CMH) and labile P was transformed to stable orthophosphates. Both hydrochars reduced salinity and improved fertility with distinct functions. ACH excelled in salinity alleviation and enhanced the availability of soil P, while increasing available potassium by 26.5% to 117.23 mg/kg. CMH provided a long-term P source via mineral crystallization, increasing available P (up 72.6% to 6.99 mg/kg) and P measured by diffusive gradients in thin films (up 74.0% to 234.29 μg/L), while also enhancing available nitrogen by 29.1%. The microbial community analysis revealed ACH enriched <ce:italic>Proteobacteria</ce:italic> (54.65%) and saprotrophic fungi, which are associated with organic P cycling processes. In contrast, CMH promoted salt-tolerant <ce:italic>Firmicutes</ce:italic> (12.80%) and boosted phytase activities (up to 162%), facilitating P release. Therefore, the production and application of P-rich hydrochars could be a promising strategy for the amelioration of saline-alkaline soil, offering novel insights for P recycling and sustainable land management.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The development of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for achieving sustainable hydrogen production through water splitting. A fundamental challenge lies in combining high catalytic activity with rapid charge transport, as conventional electrocatalysts must often strike a balance between these properties. For instance, transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 provide abundant active sites, but suffer from limited conductivity, whereas topological insulators such as Sb2Te3 possess highly conductive surface states, yet lack sufficient catalytic activity. To address this limitation, we constructed a heterojunction by integrating MoS2 with Sb2Te3 on nickel–molybdenum foam (MoS2/Sb2Te3@NMF). The resulting hybrid catalyst exhibited exceptional bifunctional performance in an alkaline electrolyte, achieving ultralow overpotentials of 14 mV for HER and 16 mV for OER at 10 mA·cm−2, with Tafel slopes of 16 and 70 mV·dec−1, respectively, comparable with those of noble metal benchmarks. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the metallic topological surface states of Sb2Te3 promote a significant charge redistribution and the formation of a built-in electric field at the heterointerface, which collectively enhance the charge transfer and optimize the adsorption free energy of reaction intermediates. This work shows that the combination of topological insulators with transition metal dichalcogenides represents an ideal design strategy for high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts, highlighting the broad potential of topological heterointerfaces in advancing electrocatalytic hydrogen production.
{"title":"Engineering interfacial charge redistribution in Sb2Te3/MoS2 topological heterojunction for enhanced bifunctional electrocatalysis","authors":"Shoujun Ma, Shouyi Wang, Dingxuan Zhang, Xuan Fang, Ying Yang, Dan Fang, Haiyan Tao, Baitong Zhou, Jiayao Jiang, Junjie Pan, Dengkui Wang, Yong Wang, Hao Yan, Jinhua Li, Xiaohua Wang, Dongbo Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174016","url":null,"abstract":"The development of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for achieving sustainable hydrogen production through water splitting. A fundamental challenge lies in combining high catalytic activity with rapid charge transport, as conventional electrocatalysts must often strike a balance between these properties. For instance, transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> provide abundant active sites, but suffer from limited conductivity, whereas topological insulators such as Sb<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>Te<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> possess highly conductive surface states, yet lack sufficient catalytic activity. To address this limitation, we constructed a heterojunction by integrating MoS<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> with Sb<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>Te<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> on nickel–molybdenum foam (MoS<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>/Sb<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>Te<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>@NMF). The resulting hybrid catalyst exhibited exceptional bifunctional performance in an alkaline electrolyte, achieving ultralow overpotentials of 14 mV for HER and 16 mV for OER at 10 mA·cm<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−2</ce:sup>, with Tafel slopes of 16 and 70 mV·dec<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>, respectively, comparable with those of noble metal benchmarks. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the metallic topological surface states of Sb<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>Te<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> promote a significant charge redistribution and the formation of a built-in electric field at the heterointerface, which collectively enhance the charge transfer and optimize the adsorption free energy of reaction intermediates. This work shows that the combination of topological insulators with transition metal dichalcogenides represents an ideal design strategy for high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts, highlighting the broad potential of topological heterointerfaces in advancing electrocatalytic hydrogen production.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.174038
Hongyu Liang, Hui Li, Shengda Tang, Jiahui Li, Zhaomin Zhu, Li Pan, Yongfeng Bu
Carbon-based supercapacitors represent one of the most widely utilized commercial capacitive energy storage devices. Organic electrolyte systems, particularly tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile (TEABF4/AN), have maintained market dominance for decades due to their superior cost-effectiveness and performance characteristics. However, the potential of conventional carbon-tuning methods to enhance capacitance is now largely exhausted. Herein, we demonstrate that introducing a high dielectric constant organic salt (triethylmethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, TEMABF4) as an electrolyte additive can dramatically increase capacitance. At an optimal concentration of 2 wt% TEMABF4, the capacitance increases by 26% to exceed 200 F g−1, achieving an exceptional energy density of 50 Wh kg−1. This enhancement is due to the smaller radius and asymmetric structure of TEMA+ that compresses the double-layer thickness, surpassing traditional capacitance limits. The underlying mechanism is validated through in situ Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. This electrolyte additive paves the way for high-energy-density supercapacitors by transcending current capacitance limits.
碳基超级电容器是应用最广泛的商用电容储能装置之一。有机电解质系统，特别是四氟硼酸四乙基铵/乙腈（TEABF4/AN），由于其优越的成本效益和性能特点，几十年来一直保持着市场主导地位。然而，传统碳调谐方法提高电容的潜力现在基本上已经耗尽。在此，我们证明了引入高介电常数有机盐（三乙基甲基四氟硼酸铵，TEMABF4）作为电解质添加剂可以显着增加电容。当TEMABF4的最佳浓度为2 wt%时，电容增加26%，超过200 F g−1，实现了50 Wh kg−1的特殊能量密度。这种增强是由于TEMA+的半径更小，结构不对称，压缩了双层厚度，超越了传统的电容限制。通过原位拉曼光谱和分子动力学模拟验证了其潜在机制。这种电解质添加剂通过超越电流电容限制为高能量密度超级电容器铺平了道路。
{"title":"A high-dielectric additive for enhanced supercapacitor performance with N-doped carbon electrodes","authors":"Hongyu Liang, Hui Li, Shengda Tang, Jiahui Li, Zhaomin Zhu, Li Pan, Yongfeng Bu","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174038","url":null,"abstract":"Carbon-based supercapacitors represent one of the most widely utilized commercial capacitive energy storage devices. Organic electrolyte systems, particularly tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile (TEABF<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>/AN), have maintained market dominance for decades due to their superior cost-effectiveness and performance characteristics. However, the potential of conventional carbon-tuning methods to enhance capacitance is now largely exhausted. Herein, we demonstrate that introducing a high dielectric constant organic salt (triethylmethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, TEMABF<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>) as an electrolyte additive can dramatically increase capacitance. At an optimal concentration of 2 wt% TEMABF<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>, the capacitance increases by 26% to exceed 200 F g<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>, achieving an exceptional energy density of 50 Wh kg<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>. This enhancement is due to the smaller radius and asymmetric structure of TEMA<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> that compresses the double-layer thickness, surpassing traditional capacitance limits. The underlying mechanism is validated through in situ Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. This electrolyte additive paves the way for high-energy-density supercapacitors by transcending current capacitance limits.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Li4SiO4 has the expansive prospect for high-temperature CO₂ capture. However, the traditional Li4SiO4 powders or pebble adsorbents have a low adsorption efficiency and ordinary cycle stability. In the study, the core-shell grained Li4SiO4 adsorbent pebble was fabricated by using a novel solidification of suspension. The phase composition, microstructure, crushing load, and specific surface area were characterized. And the dynamic and cyclic adsorption/desorption properties were investigated. The core-shell grained Li4SiO4 pebbles displayed excellent dynamic adsorption capacity of 32.7 wt%, and high cyclic adsorption capacity of 29.8–32.4 wt% during 20 cycles. DFT calculations revealed that the presence of Li and O vacancies on the rough poriferous core significantly lowered the diffusion energy barrier to improve CO2 adsorption capacity. Besides, the dense shell prevented the structure from collapsing. In generally, the core-shell grained Li4SiO4 pebbles by solidification of suspension, as an efficient CO2 ceramic adsorbent, will have great application potential in the field of high-temperature CO2 adsorption.
{"title":"Preparation of the core-shell grained Li4SiO4 pebble with an excellent CO2 adsorption capacity by solidification of suspension","authors":"Shuxian Wu, Jingli Shi, Hailiang Wang, Peng Yang, Aixia Guo, Penghe Xu, Chaoyang Jia, Lina Zheng, Feng Yu, Hongxia Lu, Hongliang Xu, Hailong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174037","url":null,"abstract":"Li<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> has the expansive prospect for high-temperature CO₂ capture. However, the traditional Li<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> powders or pebble adsorbents have a low adsorption efficiency and ordinary cycle stability. In the study, the core-shell grained Li<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> adsorbent pebble was fabricated by using a novel solidification of suspension. The phase composition, microstructure, crushing load, and specific surface area were characterized. And the dynamic and cyclic adsorption/desorption properties were investigated. The core-shell grained Li<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> pebbles displayed excellent dynamic adsorption capacity of 32.7 wt%, and high cyclic adsorption capacity of 29.8–32.4 wt% during 20 cycles. DFT calculations revealed that the presence of Li and O vacancies on the rough poriferous core significantly lowered the diffusion energy barrier to improve CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> adsorption capacity. Besides, the dense shell prevented the structure from collapsing. In generally, the core-shell grained Li<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> pebbles by solidification of suspension, as an efficient CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> ceramic adsorbent, will have great application potential in the field of high-temperature CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> adsorption.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.173969
Shiquan Huang, Ling Fang, Siling Luo, Hao Deng, Tomas Ramirez Reina, Guangting Zou, Qing Liu, Rongbin Zhang, Maohong Fan, Jinshu Tian, Gang Feng, Runping Ye
Chemical CO2 recycling via direct CO2 hydrogenation to ethanol represents a forward-looking route to curb greenhouse gases emissions while simultaneously alleviating the pressure from fossil fuel extraction and consumption. However, this is a complex chemical process whose successful implementation requires a careful trade-off among its key reaction steps: CO2 activation, selective CC coupling, and hydrogenation termination. Achieving optimal ethanol synthesis requires a balance of surface intermediates and promoting CC coupling, as indicated by thermodynamic and kinetic constraints. Herein, we have developed an efficient FeGa-doped Cu/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by the sol-gel method, achieving a space-time yield of 1.48 mmol·gcat−1·h−1 for ethanol. The Al2O3 support could disperse Cu active sites and generate oxygen vacancies for CO2 activation. Furthermore, Fe doping and Ga modification synergistically enhance both CC coupling capability and the non-dissociative CO activation ability of the Cu/Al2O3 catalyst, ultimately boosting CO2 conversion to ethanol. In-situ DRIFTS spectra reveal a potential catalytic mechanism for ethanol formation: CHx⁎ species couple with non-dissociated CO⁎ at the Cu-FeGaOx interface, followed by hydrogenation to ethanol. Overall, this work proposes a dual-promoter strategy that incorporates both Fe and Ga in a multi-competent Cu-based formulation, offering a novel approach to designing tunable catalysts for low-carbon ethanol synthesis.
{"title":"Tailoring electronic and interfacial synergy in Cu-FeGa/Al2O3 for direct CO2 hydrogenation to ethanol","authors":"Shiquan Huang, Ling Fang, Siling Luo, Hao Deng, Tomas Ramirez Reina, Guangting Zou, Qing Liu, Rongbin Zhang, Maohong Fan, Jinshu Tian, Gang Feng, Runping Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.173969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.173969","url":null,"abstract":"Chemical CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> recycling via direct CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> hydrogenation to ethanol represents a forward-looking route to curb greenhouse gases emissions while simultaneously alleviating the pressure from fossil fuel extraction and consumption. However, this is a complex chemical process whose successful implementation requires a careful trade-off among its key reaction steps: CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> activation, selective C<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>C coupling, and hydrogenation termination. Achieving optimal ethanol synthesis requires a balance of surface intermediates and promoting C<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>C coupling, as indicated by thermodynamic and kinetic constraints. Herein, we have developed an efficient FeGa-doped Cu/Al<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> catalyst prepared by the sol-gel method, achieving a space-time yield of 1.48 mmol·g<ce:inf loc=\"post\">cat</ce:inf><ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>·h<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup> for ethanol. The Al<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> support could disperse Cu active sites and generate oxygen vacancies for CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> activation. Furthermore, Fe doping and Ga modification synergistically enhance both C<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>C coupling capability and the non-dissociative CO activation ability of the Cu/Al<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> catalyst, ultimately boosting CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> conversion to ethanol. In-situ DRIFTS spectra reveal a potential catalytic mechanism for ethanol formation: CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">x</ce:inf><ce:sup loc=\"post\">⁎</ce:sup> species couple with non-dissociated CO<ce:sup loc=\"post\">⁎</ce:sup> at the Cu-FeGaO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">x</ce:inf> interface, followed by hydrogenation to ethanol. Overall, this work proposes a dual-promoter strategy that incorporates both Fe and Ga in a multi-competent Cu-based formulation, offering a novel approach to designing tunable catalysts for low-carbon ethanol synthesis.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.173960
Zhuangxin Wei, Tao Wang, Pan Wang, Jianming Pan
{"title":"Synergistic integration of oil-mediated adhesion and post-crosslinking imprinting technology for surface imprinted polymers to precision separation of 2′-deoxyadenosine","authors":"Zhuangxin Wei, Tao Wang, Pan Wang, Jianming Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.173960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.173960","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.174004
Yanbei Liu, Ruoming Wang, Xiao Lin, Taimoor Raza, Muhammad Qadeer, Wen-Feng Lin, Sining Yun
Compared with conventional ionic electrolyte-based solid oxide fuel cells, mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC) electrolytes enable high power at relatively low temperatures. Here, we design a hybrid ionic-electronic conductor electrolyte based on p-n heterojunctions: a layered perovskite-type high-entropy oxide (La0.2Pr0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Sr0.2)2CuO4 (HEO) as the p-type semiconductor combined with the n-type fluorite Nd0.05Ce0.95O2-δ (NDC). This study marks their first application in fuel-cell electrolyte composites. The multielemental composition of the HEO tailors the electronic structure to stabilize the interfacial charge dynamics and enhance ionic conduction via lattice disorder, which reduces the migration barriers. Integration with NDC induces band bending at heterogeneous interfaces and synergistically improves the carrier dynamics. In this heterostructure, the built-in electric field generated by the Fermi-level alignment suppresses electron penetration while driving ion/proton transport; concurrently, interfacial charge compensation induces oxygen vacancy formation, synergistically enhancing superionic conduction. Consequently, systematic optimization of HEO-NDC mass ratios combined with multiscale characterization identifies the 3HEO:7NDC composite as optimal, achieving a peak power density of 995.3 mW cm−2 with an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.067 V at 550 °C and approximately 50-h stability. This study demonstrates a new strategy for the development of HEO-based hybrid conductor electrolytes.
{"title":"Driving superionic transport in high-entropy oxide/fluorite heterostructure electrolytes for boosting fuel cell performance","authors":"Yanbei Liu, Ruoming Wang, Xiao Lin, Taimoor Raza, Muhammad Qadeer, Wen-Feng Lin, Sining Yun","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174004","url":null,"abstract":"Compared with conventional ionic electrolyte-based solid oxide fuel cells, mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC) electrolytes enable high power at relatively low temperatures. Here, we design a hybrid ionic-electronic conductor electrolyte based on p-n heterojunctions: a layered perovskite-type high-entropy oxide (La<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.2</ce:inf>Pr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.2</ce:inf>Nd<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.2</ce:inf>Sm<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.2</ce:inf>Sr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.2</ce:inf>)<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>CuO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> (HEO) as the p-type semiconductor combined with the n-type fluorite Nd<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.05</ce:inf>Ce<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.95</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2-δ</ce:inf> (NDC). This study marks their first application in fuel-cell electrolyte composites. The multielemental composition of the HEO tailors the electronic structure to stabilize the interfacial charge dynamics and enhance ionic conduction via lattice disorder, which reduces the migration barriers. Integration with NDC induces band bending at heterogeneous interfaces and synergistically improves the carrier dynamics. In this heterostructure, the built-in electric field generated by the Fermi-level alignment suppresses electron penetration while driving ion/proton transport; concurrently, interfacial charge compensation induces oxygen vacancy formation, synergistically enhancing superionic conduction. Consequently, systematic optimization of HEO-NDC mass ratios combined with multiscale characterization identifies the 3HEO:7NDC composite as optimal, achieving a peak power density of 995.3 mW cm<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−2</ce:sup> with an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.067 V at 550 °C and approximately 50-h stability. This study demonstrates a new strategy for the development of HEO-based hybrid conductor electrolytes.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.174034
Jong Chan Choi, Da-Eun Hyun, Jae Sol Sim, Inuk Lee, Yun Chan Kang
Zn metal anodes are promising for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries; however, practical deployment requires the use of thin Zn layers to preserve the energy density and suppress dendrite growth and corrosion driven by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, an ultrathin Zn anode (~9 μm) is constructed with a zincophilic ZnSe layer with a thickness of approximately 100 nm. Electroplating is introduced to form the Zn anode, the deposition time is adjusted to control the thickness, and the resulting thin layer exhibits improved mechanical flexibility. Density functional theory and COMSOL analyses indicate that the ZnSe interphase facilitates interfacial supply of Zn2+, consistent with the observed uniform plating/stripping and low interfacial resistance. ZnSe treatment limits the direct contact between the electrolyte and Zn metal and increases the Zn (002) texture, thereby suppressing HER-induced corrosion. Consequently, when paired with V2O5 cathodes under a low N/P ratio of 2.6 in full cells, the anode maintains a capacity of 160 mAh g−1 for more than 1500 cycles at 5 A g−1. In contrast to surface treatment of thick commercial Zn foil, this scalable interfacial engineering strategy for ultrathin Zn metal anodes enables high energy density and long cycle life in practical cells.
锌金属阳极在可充电水性锌离子电池中具有广阔的应用前景；然而，实际部署需要使用薄锌层来保持能量密度，抑制析氢反应（HER）驱动的枝晶生长和腐蚀。本文用厚度约为100 nm的亲锌ZnSe层构建了超薄Zn阳极（~9 μm）。采用电镀法制备锌阳极，通过调整沉积时间来控制锌阳极的厚度，得到的锌阳极薄层具有更好的机械柔韧性。密度泛函理论和COMSOL分析表明，ZnSe界面相有利于Zn2+的界面供应，与观察到的均匀镀/剥离和低界面电阻一致。ZnSe处理限制了电解液与Zn金属之间的直接接触，增加了Zn（002）织构，从而抑制了her引起的腐蚀。因此，当在全电池中与低N/P比为2.6的V2O5阴极配对时，阳极在5a g−1下保持超过1500次 循环的容量为160 mAh g−1。与厚商业锌箔的表面处理相比，这种用于超薄锌金属阳极的可扩展界面工程策略可在实际电池中实现高能量密度和长循环寿命。
{"title":"Zincophilic ultrathin Zn metal anode enabling uniform deposition and corrosion suppression in aqueous zinc ion batteries","authors":"Jong Chan Choi, Da-Eun Hyun, Jae Sol Sim, Inuk Lee, Yun Chan Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.174034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.174034","url":null,"abstract":"Zn metal anodes are promising for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries; however, practical deployment requires the use of thin Zn layers to preserve the energy density and suppress dendrite growth and corrosion driven by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, an ultrathin Zn anode (~9 μm) is constructed with a zincophilic ZnSe layer with a thickness of approximately 100 nm. Electroplating is introduced to form the Zn anode, the deposition time is adjusted to control the thickness, and the resulting thin layer exhibits improved mechanical flexibility. Density functional theory and COMSOL analyses indicate that the ZnSe interphase facilitates interfacial supply of Zn<ce:sup loc=\"post\">2+</ce:sup>, consistent with the observed uniform plating/stripping and low interfacial resistance. ZnSe treatment limits the direct contact between the electrolyte and Zn metal and increases the Zn (002) texture, thereby suppressing HER-induced corrosion. Consequently, when paired with V<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">5</ce:inf> cathodes under a low N/P ratio of 2.6 in full cells, the anode maintains a capacity of 160 mAh g<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup> for more than 1500 cycles at 5 A g<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>. In contrast to surface treatment of thick commercial Zn foil, this scalable interfacial engineering strategy for ultrathin Zn metal anodes enables high energy density and long cycle life in practical cells.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.173927
Qiangsong Jiang, Zechang Wei, De Li, Yongning Tu, Xiaohong Yu, Zhinan Wang, Hong Lei
Developing aqueous biomass adhesives that can simultaneously achieve long open assembly time (high water retention) and exceptional cured water resistance remains a challenge in wood composites engineering. Herein, a hierarchical hydro-confinement strategy was proposed to fabricate a water resistant soybean flour (SF) adhesive with excellent water retention performance and multi-functionality. The architecture of adhesive integrates oxidized sucrose as a molecular anchor, aminated nano-silica as a rigid tortuous barrier, and phytic acid as an ionic densifier. Specifically, in the liquid state, the system acts as a water confinement effect which converts free water into thermodynamically stable bound water via abundant hydrogen bonding sites and physical obstruction, retaining over 74% of moisture after 24 h and extending the open assembly time to 60 min without compromising bonding efficacy. Upon hot-pressing, this hydrophilic network transforms into a dense, hydrophobic cross-linked structure via Schiff base reactions and ionic coordination. The optimized adhesive achieves a high wet shear strength of 1.52 MPa and retains 1.18 MPa after immersion in water for 30 days. Furthermore, the incorporation of the organic-inorganic hybrid framework improves flame retardancy and suppresses visible mold growth under the tested conditions. This work provides a facile and practical structural densification method for advancing high-performance bio-based adhesives.
{"title":"Constructing a hierarchical hydro-confinement network for strong, water-retaining, and multifunctional soybean flour adhesives","authors":"Qiangsong Jiang, Zechang Wei, De Li, Yongning Tu, Xiaohong Yu, Zhinan Wang, Hong Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.173927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.173927","url":null,"abstract":"Developing aqueous biomass adhesives that can simultaneously achieve long open assembly time (high water retention) and exceptional cured water resistance remains a challenge in wood composites engineering. Herein, a hierarchical hydro-confinement strategy was proposed to fabricate a water resistant soybean flour (SF) adhesive with excellent water retention performance and multi-functionality. The architecture of adhesive integrates oxidized sucrose as a molecular anchor, aminated nano-silica as a rigid tortuous barrier, and phytic acid as an ionic densifier. Specifically, in the liquid state, the system acts as a water confinement effect which converts free water into thermodynamically stable bound water via abundant hydrogen bonding sites and physical obstruction, retaining over 74% of moisture after 24 h and extending the open assembly time to 60 min without compromising bonding efficacy. Upon hot-pressing, this hydrophilic network transforms into a dense, hydrophobic cross-linked structure via Schiff base reactions and ionic coordination. The optimized adhesive achieves a high wet shear strength of 1.52 MPa and retains 1.18 MPa after immersion in water for 30 days. Furthermore, the incorporation of the organic-inorganic hybrid framework improves flame retardancy and suppresses visible mold growth under the tested conditions. This work provides a facile and practical structural densification method for advancing high-performance bio-based adhesives.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"317 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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