EcoMat最新文献

The rising demand for wearable zinc-air batteries encounters challenges in balancing electrochemical performance and mechanical resilience. Elastic carbon aerogels in air cathodes necessitate a metal content constraint of less than 3 wt.%, adversely impacting catalytic activity optimization. This study presents a novel fabrication method for fibrous carbon aerogels with high compressive resilience and extraordinary catalytic performance. An external layer of graphene shells and carbon nanotubes integrated onto the fibrous carbon matrix mitigates metallic species diffusion. This confinement ensures exceptional bi-catalytic activity for oxygen-involved redox reactions without compromising ultra-elasticity. With high cobalt content in the aerogel cathode, it exhibits minimal voltage gaps during charge–discharge cycles, showcasing unique zinc-cobalt-air hybrid battery characteristics. It sustains exceptional elasticity in repeated testing, achieving approximately 79.2% round-trip efficiency over a 60-h cycle test, underscoring its potential as a wearable energy storage device.

Photothermal devices and thermoelectric cells hold great promise for energy generation but integration of the two remains a considerable challenge in real-life power supply for sensors. Here, a novel photo-thermo-electric hydrogel (PTEH-Interlocking) was constructed by the synthesis of a photothermal layer on a thermoelectric hydrogel with the redox pair Fe(CN)₆³⁻/Fe(CN)₆⁴⁻. The smart design of using the oxidation of pyrogallic acid by Fe(CN)₆³⁻ to construct the photothermal layer for photo-to-heat conversion protected the redox couple of the thermogalvanic ion pair from ultraviolet damage, as well as triggered the formation of an interlocking structure at the interface of the photothermal layer and the thermoelectric hydrogel. The as-prepared PTEH-Interlocking has shown a high Seebeck coefficient and rapid heat transfer, boosting the photo-thermo-electric conversion. As a demonstration of a practical application, the PTEH-Interlocking cells are successfully used as the energy supply for a mechanical sensor.

In the field of environmental science, efficient removal of organic pollutants and pathogenic bacteria from wastewater using a photocatalytic process that responds to the full spectrum of sunlight is crucial. In this study, a highly effective nanoheterojunction called NaGdF₄:Yb,Er@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8/manganese dioxide (NaGdF₄:Yb,Er@ZIF-8/MnO₂, UCZM) was synthesized. This nanoheterojunction exhibits a remarkable ability to respond to the entire range of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. Under simulated sunlight, UCZM demonstrated outstanding performance in degrading malachite green dye, with a degradation efficiency of 92.6% within 90 min. Moreover, UCZM completely inactivated both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 20 min under simulated sunlight. Mechanistic studies revealed that NaGdF₄:Yb,Er played a crucial role in activating ZIF-8 and MnO₂ through Förster resonance energy transfer, facilitating the photocatalytic process. The formation of a Z-type heterojunction in UCZM promoted the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, UCZM exhibited excellent biosafety properties. This study represents the first exploration of a composite material composed of UCNPs, ZIF-8, and MnO₂ for photocatalytic applications. The findings highlight the potential of this novel nanoheterojunction design, which exhibits a full spectral response, for tackling water pollution through efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and inactivation of pathogenic bacteria.

Solar-driven photodegradation for water treatment faces challenges such as low energy conversion rates, high maintenance costs, and over-sensitivity to the environment. In this study, we develop reusable concave microlens arrays (MLAs) for more efficient solar photodegradation by optimizing light distribution. Concave MLAs with the base radius of $��\sim �5�$ μm are fabricated by imprinting convex MLAs to polydimethylsiloxane elastomers. Concave MLAs possess a non-contact reactor configuration, preventing MLAs from detaching or being contaminated. By precisely controlling the solvent exchange, concave MLAs are fabricated with well-defined curvature and adjustable volume on femtoliter scale. The focusing effects of MLAs are examined, and good agreement is presented between experiments and simulations. The photodegradation efficiency of organic pollutants in water is significantly enhanced by 5.1-fold, attributed to higher intensity at focal points of concave MLAs. Furthermore, enhanced photodegradation by concave MLAs is demonstrated under low light irradiation, applicable to real river water and highly turbid water.

Interfacial solar evaporation is regarded as the promising technology to mitigate freshwater scarcity. However, when polluted water is used, toxic pollutants might accumulate in the bulk water. Herein, we report the production of Ni-MOF nanorod from waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) and fabricate bifunctional Ni-MOF-based evaporators. Owing to high light absorption and photothermal conversion, low thermal coefficient, and vaporization enthalpy, it shows an exciting evaporation rate (2.25 kg m⁻² h⁻¹) with good flexibility/durability, rated as one of most advanced evaporators. Density functional theory and COMSOL results show that the combination of nickel-sites in Ni-MOF and local heat plays a crucial role in peroxymonosulfate activation to produce reactive species. Thereby, it exhibits the high degradation activity of tetracycline. In outdoor, the freshwater production reaches 5.54 kg m⁻² per day, and the tetracycline removal efficiency is 91%. This work provides a sustainable approach to produce solar evaporators capable of freshwater production and contaminant degradation.

The transition of polymer solar cells (PSCs) from laboratory-scale unit cells to industrial-scale modules requires the development of new p-type polymers for high-performance large-area PSC modules based on environmentally friendly processes. Herein, a series of 1D/2A terpolymers (PBTPttBD) composed of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene (BDT-F), thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione (TPD-TT), and benzo-[1,2-c:4,5-c’]dithiophene-4,8-dione (BDD) is synthesized for nonhalogenated solvent processed PSC submodules. The optical, electrochemical, charge-transport, and nano-morphological properties of the PBTPttBD terpolymers are modulated by adjusting the molar ratio of the TPD-TT and BDD components. PBTPttBD-75:BTP-eC11-based PSC submodules, processed with o-xylene, achieve a notable PCE of 11.57% over a 55 cm² active area. This PCE value is among the highest reported using a nonhalogenated solvent over a 55 cm² active area module. The optimized PSC submodule exhibits minimal cell-to-module loss, which can be attributed to the optimized crystallinity of the PBTPttBD-75:BTP-eC11 photoactive layer system and favorable film formation kinetics.

In light of the uprising global development on sustainability, an innovative and environmental friendly wood-based material derived from natural pinewood has been developed as a high-performance alternative to petrochemical-based materials. The wood-based functional material, named as BC-CaCl₂, is synthesized through the coordination of carboxyl groups (−COOH) present in pinewood with calcium ions (Ca²⁺), which facilitates the formation of a high-density cross-linking structure through the combined action of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The as-prepared BC-CaCl₂ exhibits excellent tensile strength (470.5 MPa) and flexural strength (539.5 MPa), establishing a robust structural basis for the materials. Meanwhile, BC-CaCl₂ shows good water resistance, thermal conductivity, thermal stability, UV resistance, corrosion resistance, and antibacterial properties. BC-CaCl₂ represents a viable alternative to petrochemical-based materials. Its potential application areas include waterproof enclosure structure of buildings, indoor underfloor heating, outdoor UV resistant protective cover, and anti-corrosion materials for installation engineering, and so forth.

Porous metal chalcogenides have emerged as promising materials for environmental remediation and sustainable energy generation. Their tunable optical band gap (from infrared to the visible range), highly polarizable surface, chemical activity, and adjustable structure make them attractive for various applications. This review summarizes the recent developments concerning the synthesis and characterization of multifunctional porous chalcogenide materials. It explores their remarkable potential in addressing environmental and energy challenges. Moreover, we discuss the several factors that affect the performance of porous metal chalcogenides, such as their microstructure, morphology, and chemical composition, to gain deeper insights into these materials. Finally, we highlight some of the key challenges and future research directions in the development of porous metal chalcogenides as effective and efficient materials for environmental remediation and sustainable energy generation.

Structural batteries are attractive for weight reduction in electric transportation. For their practical applications excellent mechanical properties and electrochemical performance are required simultaneously, which remains a grand challenge. In this study, we present a new scalable and low-cost design, which uses a quasi-solid polymer electrolyte (QSPE) to achieve both remarkably improved flexural properties and attractive energy density. The QSPE has a high ionic conductivity of 1.2 mS cm⁻¹ and retains 91% capacity over 500 cycles in graphite/NMC532 cells. Moreover, the resulting structural batteries achieved a modulus of 21.7 GPa and a specific energy of 127 Wh kg⁻¹ based on the total cell weight, which to our knowledge is the highest reported value above 15 GPa. We further demonstrate the application of such structural batteries in a model electric car. The presented design concept enables the industrialization of structural batteries in electric transportation and further applications to improve energy efficiency and multifunctionality.

Hitherto, LiFePO₄ (LFP) is bottlenecked by inferior electronic conductivity and sluggish Li⁺ diffusion, which can be resolved by cation doping, morphological engineering, carbon coating, and so forth. Among these methodologies, morphological optimization and carbon modification can warrant a stable operating voltage and prolong the cycling lifespan, which can be accessible by utilizing metal–organic frameworks as self-sacrificing templates. Herein, we conceptualize a strategy to in-situ construct N-doped carbon-coated LFP with Prussian blue analogues as the template, after which electrochemical tests extensively exploit the lithium storage capacity with 153.2 mAh g⁻¹ after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. However, the capacity failure associated with the inevitable Li⁺ loss and destructed carbon layer provides sufficient room for the restoration of LFP after long-term cycling. Motivated by this, the cell performance of LFP/C after targeted restoration using the 3,4-dihydroxybenzonitrile dilithium salt is investigated, revealing a considerable recovered capacity due to the recuperative LFP crystal and uniform carbon layer with homogeneous N-distribution. The computational study also supports the feasibility of N-doped carbon layer in LFP modification. This study envisages a methodology for the performance improvement of LFP from directional fabrication to targeted recovery, providing insights into the manufacturing and reuse of LIB cathodes.