Two-dimensional Metal-organic Frameworks and Derivatives for Electrocatalysis

Impacts of industrial production and air quality by remote sensing on nitrogen dioxide concentration and related effects: An econometric approach

The high concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is to blame for West Java's poor Air Quality Index (AQI). So, this study aims to determine the influence of industrial activity as reflected by the value of its imports and exports, wind speed, and ozone (O3) on the high concentration of tropospheric NO2. The method used is the econometric Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approach to capture the existence of a short-term and long-term relationship between tropospheric NO2 and its predictor variables. The data used in this study is in the form of monthly time series data for the 2018-2022 period sourced from satellite images (Sentinel-5P and ECMWF Climate Reanalysis) and publications of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS-Statistics Indonesia). The results explained that, in the short-term, tropospheric NO2 and O3 influence each other as they would in a photochemical reaction. In the long-term, exports from the industrial sector and wind speed have a significant effect on the concentration of tropospheric NO2. The short-term effect occurs directly in the first month after the shock, while the long-term effect occurs in the second month after the shock. Wind gusts originating from industrial areas cause air conditions to be even more alarming because tropospheric NO2 pollutants spread throughout the region in West Java. Based on the coefficient correlation result, the high number of pneumonia cases is one of the impacts caused by air pollution.

Preparation of 2D Materials and Their Application in Oil-Water Separation

The problems of environmental pollution are increasingly severe. Among them, industrial wastewater is one of the primary sources of pollution, so it is essential to deal with wastewater, especially oil and water mixtures. At present, biomimetic materials with special wettability have been proven to be effective in oil-water separation. Compared with three-dimensional (3D) materials, two-dimensional (2D) materials show unique advantages in the preparation of special wettable materials due to their high specific surface area, high porosity, controlled structure, and rich functional group rich on the surface. In this review, we first introduce oil-water mixtures and the common oil-water separation mechanism. Then, the research progress of 2D materials in oil-water separation is presented, including but not limited to their structure, types, preparation principles, and methods. In addition, it is still impossible to prepare 2D materials with large sizes because they are powder-like, which greatly limits the application in oil-water separation. Therefore, we provide here a review of several ways to transform 2D materials into 3D materials. In the end, the challenges encountered by 2D materials in separating oil-water are also clarified to promote future applications.

Design strategies of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks toward efficient electrocatalysts for N2 reduction: cooperativity of transition metals and organic linkers

Two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) serve as emerging electrocatalysts due to their high conductivity, chemical tunability, and accessibility of active sites. We herein proposed a series of 2D MOFs with different metal atoms and organic linkers with the formula M₃C₁₂X₁₂ (M = Cr, Mo, and W; X = NH, O, S, and Se) to design efficient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) electrocatalysts. Our theoretical calculations showed that metal atoms in M₃C₁₂X₁₂ can efficiently capture and activate N₂ molecules. Among these candidates, W₃C₁₂X₁₂ (X = O, S, and Se) show the best NRR performance due to their high activity and selectivity as well as low limiting potential (-0.59 V, -0.14 V, and -0.01 V, respectively). Moreover, we proposed a d-band center descriptor strategy to screen out the high activity and selectivity of M₃C₁₂X₁₂ for the NRR. Therefore, our work not only demonstrates a class of promising electrocatalysts for the NRR but also provides a strategy for further predicting the catalytic activity of 2D MOFs.

Functionalization of Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Layers with Tailored Pore Environments for Heterogeneous Catalysis

Intriguing properties and functions are expected to implant into metal-organic layers (MOLs) to achieve tailored pore environments and multiple functionalities owing to the synergies among multiple components. Herein, we demonstrate a facile one-pot synthetic strategy to incorporate multiple functionalities into stable zirconium MOLs via secondary ligand pillaring. Through the combination of Zr₆ -BTB (BTB=benzene-1,3,5-tribenzoate) layers and diverse secondary ligands (including ditopic and tetratopic linkers), 31 MOFs with multi-functionalities were systematically prepared. Notably, a metal-phthalocyanine fragment was successfully incorporated into this Zr-MOL system, giving rise to an ideal platform for the selective oxidation of anthracene. The organic functionalization of two-dimensional MOLs can generate tunable porous structures and environments, which may facilitate the excellent catalytic performance of as-synthesized materials.