The Innovation最新文献

Conventional biomass conversion technologies, such as combustion, gasification, and anaerobic digestion, are considered carbon neutral since the carbon released originates from the atmospheric CO₂ absorbed during biomass photosynthesis from the perspective of principles. By integrating carbon capture and storage (CCS) with bio-energy processes, the overall system can achieve a carbon-negative footprint. Various CCS technologies can be employed depending on the applicability and efficiency, which vary according to the CO₂ parameters. The integration of bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) encompasses technologies such as fermentation, oxy-fuel combustion, chemical looping, calcium looping, and alkaline thermal treatment with carbon mineralization. These methods exhibit substantial potentials, especially when the released CO₂ is concentrated or readily available for storage, leading to carbon-negative emission. Moreover, carbonization technologies such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization convert biomass carbon into solid materials, rendering them carbon negative in principle of carbon flow. This comprehensive review paper explores a wide range of biomass-based carbon-negative emission technologies, in contrast to previous reviews that typically focus on a specific pathway or technology. It systematically compares these technologies in terms of CO₂-related parameters, energy conversion efficiency, carbon negativity, economic viability, and commercialization status. Moreover, the review delves into the challenges and opportunities inherent in advancing carbon-negative emission technologies driven by biomass, offering valuable insights for future developments in this critical field.

The global water scarcity problem is becoming increasingly acute as a result of population growth and environmental changes. Water collection from air is a promising solution and is gaining popularity because it involves the collection of ubiquitous water vapor. The inherent structural properties of biopolymers, including abundant hydrophilic groups, naturally evolved interfaces, and hierarchical structures, provide natural sites for the trapping, transport, and storage of water. Moreover, it is a substantial source of inspiration for scientists, thereby facilitating the design and development of advanced materials for water collection from air. This review commences with a concise overview of the adsorption-desorption mechanism, encompassing the processes of adsorption and uptake in addition to isotherms. The subsequent sections of the paper discuss how biopolymer materials, from the macroscopic to the molecular level, can take advantage of their natural structure to establish interactions with water and realize the applications of water collection from air and point out the advantages of biopolymers for this application in terms of structural design and performance tuning. Finally, the current challenges facing biopolymer resources are summarized. The objective of this review is to establish a novel paradigm for the design of renewable biopolymer-based materials and new green water-efficient recycling technologies.

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is a major contributor to infant mortality. However, the attributable global burden remains unclear due to the absence of a nonlinear exposure-response function that links all-cause infant mortality to various PM_2.5 concentrations. In this study, we systematically reviewed the literature on PM_2.5 exposure and under-five child mortality, then conducted multicenter epidemiological analyses using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data with fixed-effects logit regression. We integrated literature-derived estimates with local PM_2.5-mortality associations across multiple regions. Using meta-regression, we quantified per unit exposure effects to develop a nonlinear exposure-response function, subsequently extrapolated to 189 countries (1998-2019) to estimate the global infant mortality burden attributable to PM_2.5 exposure. The results showed that prenatal exposure was more strongly associated with increased infant mortality in both linear and nonlinear analyses. The local effect of prenatal exposure was higher at the low-concentration end (<20 μg/m³) than at the high-concentration end (>20 μg/m³). The attributable deaths declined from 2.22 to 1.44 million, yet the attributable fraction rose from 32.6% to 39.3%, indicating persistent PM_2.5 risks despite child health improvements. These findings suggest that, although the improved child health partially mitigated the adverse effects of worsening air quality between 1998 and 2019, prenatal PM_2.5 exposure remained a significant risk factor.

The structure and distribution of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are critical for their performance in quantum technologies, such as quantum computing and sensing. For quantum sensing applications, achieving a high density of NV centers is essential, and both the structural arrangement of the ensemble NV centers and their distribution significantly influence sensitivity. However, existing techniques lack the resolution required to accurately characterize the atomic-scale structure, distribution, and strain field of NV centers. In this study, we present the first atomic-scale imaging of ensemble NV center structures using multislice electron ptychography (MEP) in a diamond containing 27 ppm NV centers. Our direct imaging reveals that the ensemble NV centers can be characterized as clusters of individual NV centers, rather than being tightly segregated or randomly distributed at atomic scale. Each NV cluster comprises more than four single NV centers aligned along three or more atomic columns within a depth range of 1-5 nm along [110] projected direction, with the spacing between clusters of approximately 1-2 nm along the (110) projection plane. This work provides valuable insights into the true structural characteristics of dense NV centers, offering guidance for understanding the structure-property correlations that influence their performance in quantum sensing and related applications.

Global water scarcity is an escalating issue, with billions of people facing severe water stress and limited access to water for extended periods each year. Climate change and increasing human demand are expected to exacerbate this problem in the coming decades. Reservoirs are critical for managing water resources, yet significant disparities exist between developed and developing countries. In developing regions, although total reservoir storage is increasing, the effectiveness of this storage is diminishing, as reflected in declining normalized storage levels. This indicates that these countries are becoming more vulnerable to water scarcity. In contrast, developed countries show more stable and efficient use of their water storage. The declining per-capita water storage across both developed and developing nations underscores the urgency of addressing water scarcity through improved reservoir management, enhanced conservation efforts, and alternative water sources, especially in regions with rapid population growth and limited resources.