Aqueous Phase Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose over Large Pore Mesoporous Zirconium Phosphates: Effect of Calcination Temperature

For a solid acid-catalyzed dehydration of biomass-derived carbohydrates into useful furan derivatives, a suitable porous solid acid catalyst having an optimum acidic density and its strength is required to avoid cascade reactions in biomass conversion processes. A large-pore mesoporous zirconium phosphate (m-ZrP) was prepared hydrothermally using P123 as a template in water solvent, which resulted in a higher pore diameter (>9 nm) having wormhole-like pore structures with balanced Lewis (L) to Brönsted (B) acid sites. The effects of calcination temperature (500-800 °C) on the textural, acidic/basic, and structural properties of the m-ZrP with its catalytic performance for glucose dehydration to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were investigated in a pure water media as a green and sustainable alternative solvent. The larger number of L and B acid sites and basic sites with their appropriate strengths were clearly related with a better catalytic performance in terms of glucose conversion and HMF yield. The strong L acid and basic sites in the m-ZrP efficiently promoted the glucose isomerization to fructose, which dehydrated exclusively on the weak B acid sites resulting in a maximum conversion of glucose (83.8%) and HMF yield (46.6%). The adjusted acidic and basic sites with large mesopore sizes make the m-ZrP yield a higher reaction rate (2.78 mmol g_cat ^-1 h^-1) and turnover frequency (11.68/h) for conversion of glucose to HMF, which showed higher catalytic activity than those of a small-pore m-ZrP and other mesoporous heterogeneous and homogeneous acid catalysts.

Amidoxime-modified chitosan for pigment red 224 enrichment through reversible assembly

An amidoxime-modified chitosan, featuring favorable porosity and super-lipophilic properties, was successfully prepared for pigment red 224 enrichment.

Catalysis by hybrid sp2/sp3nanodiamonds and their role in the design of advanced nanocarbon materials

Hybrid sp²/sp³nanocarbons, in particular sp³-hybridized ultra-dispersed nanodiamonds and derivative materials, such as the sp³/sp²-hybridized bucky nanodiamonds and sp²-hybridized onion-like carbons, represent a rather interesting class of catalysts still under consideration.

Superior high rate capability of MgMn2O4/rGO nanocomposites as cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable magnesium ion batteries

Incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) optimizes the interfacial properties of MgMn₂O₄ and improves the Mg²⁺ diffusion in the electrode.

Microporous carbons derived from organosilica-containing carbon dots with outstanding supercapacitance

Microporous carbons with outstanding supercapacitance were synthesized from hydrothermally-synthesized organosilica-modified carbon dots.

Functionalised heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable biomass valorisation

Functionalised heterogeneous catalysts show great potentials for efficient valorisation of renewable biomass to value-added chemicals and high-energy density fuels.

Biocarbon-templated synthesis of porous Ni–Co-O nanocomposites for room-temperature NH3 sensors

Mesoporous nickel–cobalt oxide (Ni–Co-O) nanocomposites were fabricated using a mesoporous biocarbon material (BCM), resulting from hemp stem, as a template.

Unique cohesive nature of the β1-isomer of [70]PCBM fullerene on structures and photovoltaic performances of bulk heterojunction films with PffBT4T-2OD polymers

Decreasing the amount of a diastereomer of β-[70]PCBM with high aggregation tendency improved the performances of OPV devices with PffBT4T-2OD:[70]PCBM films.

Highly porous carbon with large electrochemical ion absorption capability for high-performance supercapacitors and ion capacitors

Carbon-based supercapacitors have attracted extensive attention as the complement to batteries, owing to their durable lifespan and superiority in high-power-demand fields. However, their widespread use is limited by the low energy storage density; thus, a high-surface-area porous carbon is urgently needed. Herein, a highly porous carbon with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area up to 3643 m² g^-1 has been synthesized by chemical activation of papayas for the first time. This sp²-bonded porous carbon has a continuous three-dimensional network of highly curved, atom-thick walls that form narrow mesopores of 2 ∼ 5 nm in width, which can be systematically tailored with varied activation levels. Two-electrode symmetric supercapacitors constructed by this porous carbon achieve energy density of 8.1 Wh kg^-1 in aqueous electrolyte and 65.5 Wh kg^-1 in ionic-liquid electrolyte. Furthermore, half-cells (versus Li or Na metal) using this porous carbon as ion sorption cathodes yield high specific capacity, e.g., 51.0 and 39.3 mAh g^-1 in Li⁺ and Na⁺ based organic electrolyte. These results underline the possibility of obtaining the porous carbon for high-performance carbon-based supercapacitors and ion capacitors in a readily scalable and economical way.

Non-Noble Metal Nanoparticles Supported by Postmodified Porous Organic Semiconductors: Highly Efficient Catalysts for Visible-Light-Driven On-Demand H2 Evolution from Ammonia Borane

From the viewpoint of controlling the visible-light-driven activities of catalysts containing metal nanoparticles (NPs) by tuning the microstructures of semiconducting supports, we employed a postsynthetic thermal modification approach to prepare carbon nitride (C₃N₄) species featuring different microstructures and then we synthesized Co and Ni NPs supported by these C₃N₄ species, which were used to catalyze the room-temperature H₂ evolution from ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃). The systematic investigation showed that the catalysts had different activities under light irradiation. Compared with the pristine C₃N₄-based catalyst, all the modified C₃N₄-based catalysts had enhanced activities. The highest active Co catalyst with a total turnover frequency of 93.8 min^-1 was successfully obtained, which exceeded the values of all the reported heterogeneous noble metal-free catalysts. The structure characterizations indicated that the postmodified porous C₃N₄ species had the different band structures, photoluminescence lifetime, and photocurrent density under visible light irradiation, leading to the different separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. These characteristics helped us regulate the electronic characteristics of Co and Ni NPs in the supported catalysts and then led to the significantly different and enhanced activity in the visible-light-driven H₂ evolution.

A General Route for Growing Metal Sulfides onto Graphene Oxide and Exfoliated Graphite Oxide

Graphene-based materials are elective materials for a number of technologies due to their unique properties. Also, semiconductor nanocrystals have been extensively explored due to their size-dependent properties that make them useful for several applications. By coupling both types of materials, new applications are envisaged that explore the synergistic properties in such hybrid nanostructures. This research reports a general wet chemistry method to prepare graphene oxide (GO) sheets decorated with nanophases of semiconductor metal sulfides. This method allows the in situ growth of metal sulfides onto GO by using metal dialkyldithiocarbamate complexes as single-molecule precursors. In particular, the role of GO as heterogeneous substrate for the growth of semiconductor nanocrystals was investigated by using Raman spectroscopic and imaging methods. The method was further extended to other graphene-based materials, which are easily prepared in a larger scale, such as exfoliated graphite oxide (EGO).

Visual in vivo degradation of injectable hydrogel by real-time and non-invasive tracking using carbon nanodots as fluorescent indicator

Visual in vivo degradation of hydrogel by fluorescence-related tracking and monitoring is crucial for quantitatively depicting the degradation profile of hydrogel in a real-time and non-invasive manner. However, the commonly used fluorescent imaging usually encounters limitations, such as intrinsic photobleaching of organic fluorophores and uncertain perturbation of degradation induced by the change in molecular structure of hydrogel. To address these problems, we employed photoluminescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) with low photobleaching, red emission and good biocompatibility as fluorescent indicator for real-time and non-invasive visual in vitro/in vivo degradation of injectable hydrogels that are mixed with CNDs. The in vitro/in vivo toxicity results suggested that CNDs were nontoxic. The embedded CNDs in hydrogels did not diffuse outside in the absence of hydrogel degradation. We had acquired similar degradation kinetics (PBS-Enzyme) between gravimetric and visual determination, and established mathematical equation to quantitatively depict in vitro degradation profile of hydrogels for the predication of in vivo hydrogel degradation. Based on the in vitro data, we developed a visual platform that could quantitatively depict in vivo degradation behavior of new injectable biomaterials by real-time and non-invasive fluorescence tracking. This fluorescence-related visual imaging methodology could be applied to subcutaneous degradation of injectable hydrogel with down to 7 mm depth in small animal trials so far. This fluorescence-related visual imaging methodology holds great potentials for rational design and convenient in vivo screening of biocompatible and biodegradable injectable hydrogels in tissue engineering.

Facile synthesis of ultrathin Ni-MOF nanobelts for high-efficiency determination of glucose in human serum

Ultrathin Ni-MOF nanobelts, [Ni₂₀(C₅H₆O₄)₂₀(H₂O)₈]·40H₂O(Ni-MIL-77 NBs), were synthesized by a facile one-pot solution process and can be used as an efficient catalyst electrode for glucose oxidation under alkaline conditions. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the NB/GCE, when used as a non-enzymatic glucose sensor, offers superior analytical performances with a wide linear range (from 1 μM to 500 μM), a low detection limit (0.25 μM, signal-to-noise = 3), and a response sensitivity of 1.542 μA mM^-1 cm^-2. Moreover, it can also be applied for glucose detection in human blood serum with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.41%, showing the high precision of the sensor in measuring real samples.

Mechanochemistry-assisted synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons applied as supercapacitors

A solvent-free synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons is conducted by a facile and fast mechanochemical reaction in a ball mill. By means of a mechanochemical ball-milling approach, we obtained titanium(IV) citrate-based polymers, which have been processed via high temperature chlorine treatment to hierarchical porous carbons with a high specific surface area of up to 1814 m² g⁻¹ and well-defined pore structures. The carbons are applied as electrode materials in electric double-layer capacitors showing high specific capacitances with 98 F g⁻¹ in organic and 138 F g⁻¹ in an ionic liquid electrolyte as well as good rate capabilities, maintaining 87% of the initial capacitance with 1 M TEA-BF₄ in acetonitrile (ACN) and 81% at 10 A g⁻¹ in EMIM-BF₄.

Hydrothermal treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization as means to valorise agro- and forest-based biomass residues

The suitability of several abundant but underutilized agro and forest based biomass residues for hydrothermal treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis as well as for hydrothermal carbonization was studied. The selected approaches represent simple biotechnical and thermochemical treatment routes suitable for wet biomass. Based on the results, the hydrothermal pre-treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis seemed to be most suitable for processing of carbohydrate rich corn leaves, corn stover, wheat straw and willow. High content of thermally stable components (i.e. lignin) and low content of ash in the biomass were advantageous for hydrothermal carbonization of grape pomace, coffee cake, Scots pine bark and willow.

Materials Design and System Construction for Conventional and New-Concept Supercapacitors

With the development of renewable energy and electrified transportation, electrochemical energy storage will be more urgent in the future. Supercapacitors have received extensive attention due to their high power density, fast charge and discharge rates, and long-term cycling stability. During past five years, supercapacitors have been boomed benefited from the development of nanostructured materials synthesis and the promoted innovation of devices construction. In this review, we have summarized the current state-of-the-art development on the fabrication of high-performance supercapacitors. From the electrode material perspective, a variety of materials have been explored for advanced electrode materials with smart material-design strategies such as carbonaceous materials, metal compounds and conducting polymers. Proper nanostructures are engineered to provide sufficient electroactive sites and enhance the kinetics of ion and electron transport. Besides, new-concept supercapacitors have been developed for practical application. Microsupercapacitors and fiber supercapacitors have been explored for portable and compact electronic devices. Subsequently, we have introduced Li-/Na-ion supercapacitors composed of battery-type electrodes and capacitor-type electrode. Integrated energy devices are also explored by incorporating supercapacitors with energy conversion systems for sustainable energy storage. In brief, this review provides a comprehensive summary of recent progress on electrode materials design and burgeoning devices constructions for high-performance supercapacitors.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Codoped Mesoporous Carbon Derived from Polypyrrole as Superior Metal-Free Electrocatalyst toward the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

To replace high-cost platinum group metal (PGM) electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that is the crucial cathode reaction in fuel cell technology and metal-air battery, the development of low-cost and high-efficiency non-PGM catalysts for ORR has attracted much attention during the past decades. As one of the promising candidates, N-doped carbon is highly desirable for its strong designability and outstanding catalytic activity and stability. In this work, a facile and rational strategy is demonstrated for preparation of N,P-codoped mesoporous carbon (N,P-MC) for ORR by the direct pyrolysis treatment of polypyrrole with phytic acid as P-dopant and polystyrene sphere as template. The resultant N,P-MC exhibits a mesoporous structure with the optimized ORR active sites originating from the N,P-codoping. Owing to these features, N,P-MC exhibits excellent ORR activity, remarkable electrochemical stability, and superior methanol tolerance, comparable or even better than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The origin of enhanced ORR performance can be attributed to both the increased active sites and the mesoporous structure, which is expected to guide the future preparation of more capable carbon-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and other electrocatalytic application.

Intrinsically Stretchable and Conductive Textile by a Scalable Process for Elastic Wearable Electronics

The prosperous development of stretchable electronics poses a great demand on stretchable conductive materials that could maintain their electrical conductivity under tensile strain. Previously reported strategies to obtain stretchable conductors usually involve complex structure-fabricating processes or utilization of high-cost nanomaterials. It remains a great challenge to produce stretchable and conductive materials via a scalable and cost-effective process. Herein, a large-scalable pyrolysis strategy is developed for the fabrication of intrinsically stretchable and conductive textile in utilizing low-cost and mass-produced weft-knitted textiles as raw materials. Due to the intrinsic stretchability of the weft-knitted structure and the excellent mechanical and electrical properties of the as-obtained carbonized fibers, the obtained flexible and durable textile could sustain tensile strains up to 125% while keeping a stable electrical conductivity (as shown by a Modal-based textile), thus ensuring its applications in elastic electronics. For demonstration purposes, stretchable supercapacitors and wearable thermal-therapy devices that showed stable performance with the loading of tensile strains have been fabricated. Considering the simplicity and large scalability of the process, the low-cost and mass production of the raw materials, and the superior performances of the as-obtained elastic and conductive textile, this strategy would contribute to the development and industrial production of wearable electronics.

Carbon-Based Functional Materials Derived from Waste for Water Remediation and Energy Storage

Carbon-based functional materials hold the key for solving global challenges in the areas of water scarcity and the energy crisis. Although carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have shown promising results in various fields of application, their high preparation cost and low production yield still dramatically hinder their wide practical applications. Therefore, there is an urgent call for preparing carbon-based functional materials from low-cost, abundant, and sustainable sources. Recent innovative strategies have been developed to convert various waste materials into valuable carbon-based functional materials. These waste-derived carbon-based functional materials have shown great potential in many applications, especially as sorbents for water remediation and electrodes for energy storage. Here, the research progress in the preparation of waste-derived carbon-based functional materials is summarized, along with their applications in water remediation and energy storage; challenges and future research directions in this emerging research field are also discussed.

Chemically treated carbon black waste and its potential applications

In this work, carbon black waste - a hazardous solid residue generated from gasification of crude oil bottom in refineries - was successfully used for making an absorbent material. However, since the carbon black waste also contains significant amounts of heavy metals (especially nickel and vanadium), chemical leaching was first used to remove these hazardous impurities from the carbon black waste. Acid leaching with nitric acid was found to be a very effective method for removal of both nickel and vanadium from the carbon black waste (i.e. up to 95% nickel and 98% vanadium were removed via treatment with 2M nitric acid for 1h at 20°C), whereas alkali leaching by using NaOH under the same condition was not effective for removal of nickel (less than 10% nickel was removed). Human lung cells (MRC-5) were then used to investigate the toxicity of the carbon black waste before and after leaching. Cell viability analysis showed that the leachate from the original carbon black waste has very high toxicity, whereas the leachate from the treated samples has no significant toxicity. Finally, the efficacy of the carbon black waste treated with HNO₃ as an absorbent for dye removal was investigated. This treated carbon black waste has high adsorption capacity (∼361.2mg _dye/g _carbonblack), which can be attributed to its high specific surface area (∼559m²/g). The treated carbon black waste with its high adsorption capacity and lack of cytotoxicity is a promising adsorbent material. Moreover, the carbon black waste was found to show high electrical conductivity (ca. 10S/cm), making it a potentially valuable source of conductive material.

Surface modification of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge with functionalized boronic acids to develop porous materials for multicolor emission, chemical sensing and 3D cell culture

Surface modification of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge with functionalized boronic acids led to the formation of porous materials applicable for multicolor emission, chemical sensing and 3D cell culture.

Improving the capacity of lithium–sulfur batteries by tailoring the polysulfide adsorption efficiency of hierarchical oxygen/nitrogen-functionalized carbon host materials

O/N-functionalization of hierarchical carbon is demonstrated to be effective in enhancing the adsorption capacity for lithium polysulfide and thus the reversible capacity of Li–S cells.

Electrochemical hydrogenated TiO2nanotube arrays decorated with 3D cotton-like porous MnO2enables superior supercapacitive performance

Highly conducting TiO₂nanotube arrays (EH-TNTAs) decorated with unique 3D cotton-like porous MnO₂enables superior supercapacitive performance.

Ionic liquids containing tricyanomethanide anions: physicochemical characterisation and performance as electrochemical double-layer capacitor electrolytes

Fluorine free ionic liquids with low density and high ionic conductivity for high energy electrochemical double-layer capacitors.

Nanosizing Pd on 3D porous carbon frameworks as effective catalysts for selective phenylacetylene hydrogenation

In this work, palladium nanoparticles supported on 3D porous carbon frameworks (Pd/PCFs) were used in the selective hydrogenation of phenylacetylene.

Cellulose-derived carbon nanofibers/graphene composite electrodes for powerful compact supercapacitors

Presented freestanding carbon nanofibers/graphene composite electrodes for supercapacitors have two essential advantages: sustainable nature and high volumetric electrochemical efficiency.

Surficial nanoporous carbon with high pyridinic/pyrrolic N-Doping from sp3/sp2-N-rich azaacene dye for lithium storage

Dye to carbon: Two rationally designed pyridinic/pyrrolic N-doped porous carbons as anodic materials could be achieved by carbonizing π-conjugated azaacene dye born with high ratio sp³/sp²-N.