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| Open Access“Ion-imprinting” strategy towards metal sulfide scavenger enables the highly selective capture of radiocesium
Selective capture of radiocaesium is highly challenging in radioactive contamination remediation. Here, authors developed “ion-imprinting” strategy towards metal sulfide scavengers to achieve selective capture of Cs(I) in high-salt environments and successful cleanup of actual 137Cs-liquid-wastes.
- Jun-Hao Tang
- , Shao-Qing Jia
- & Xiao-Ying Huang
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Article
| Open AccessIon pair sites for efficient electrochemical extraction of uranium in real nuclear wastewater
Electrochemical uranium extraction from real nuclear wastewater is appealing but challenging. Herein, Lin et al develop a strategy of ion pair site for enhanced binding of dominant uranium fluoride species in real wastewater, achieving efficient recycling of uranium as powder product.
- Tao Lin
- , Tao Chen
- & Rong He
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Article
| Open AccessRedox-induced controllable engineering of MnO2-MnxCo3-xO4 interface to boost catalytic oxidation of ethane
The exploration of heterogeneous interfaces between metal oxides has received limited attention. Here the authors demonstrated the creation of MnO2-MnxCo3-xO4 interfaces through controlled chemical reduction processes, effectively altering electron distribution and yielding a superior catalyst for ethane oxidation.
- Haiyan Wang
- , Shuang Wang
- & Xinwen Guo
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Article
| Open AccessEfficient recovery and recycling/upcycling of precious metals using hydrazide-functionalized star-shaped polymers
Despite the use of amine-functionalized polymers as metal adsorbents, they are generally ineffective at recovering precious metals. Here the authors prepare a star-shaped, hydrazide-functionalized polymer as a recoverable standalone adsorbent with high precious metal adsorption capability/selectivity and practical feasibility.
- Seung Su Shin
- , Youngkyun Jung
- & Jung-Hyun Lee
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Article
| Open AccessEfficient tandem electroreduction of nitrate into ammonia through coupling Cu single atoms with adjacent Co3O4
An optimal catalyst for nitrate electroreduction should satisfy the simultaneously optimized adsorption of intermediates. Here, the authors report a tandem electrocatalyst by combining Cu single atoms with Co3O4 nanosheets, enhancing the binding with NO2−, thus promoting nitrate electroreduction to NH3.
- Yan Liu
- , Jie Wei
- & Jie Zeng
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Article
| Open AccessPlasma-assisted manipulation of vanadia nanoclusters for efficient selective catalytic reduction of NOx
Achieving supported nanoclusters with unique geometric and electronic structures continues to pose a challenge. Here, the authors introduce a plasma-assisted treatment approach for generating supported metal oxide nanoclusters, facilitated by the rapid transformation of monomeric dispersed metal oxides.
- Yong Yin
- , Bingcheng Luo
- & Xiang Li
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Article
| Open AccessWarming drives dissolved organic carbon export from pristine alpine soils
The temperature-sensitivity of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export is widely debated but limited by the duration of observations. New data from environmental archives supports a pronounced sensitivity between soil DOC leaching and warming.
- Andrew R. Pearson
- , Bethany R. S. Fox
- & Adam Hartland
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Article
| Open AccessIn-situ low-temperature sulfur CVD on metal sulfides with SO2 to realize self-sustained adsorption of mercury
Efficient removal of gaseous mercury (Hg0) from industrial flue gas is commonly constrained by SO2. Here, authors propose an in-situ sulfur CVD method on metal sulfides that reverses the harmful effects of SO2, achieving self-sustained adsorption of Hg0 and breaking the capacity limitations.
- Qinyuan Hong
- , Haomiao Xu
- & Naiqiang Yan
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Article
| Open AccessCarbon redirection via tunable Fenton-like reactions under nanoconfinement toward sustainable water treatment
Regulating the carbon evolution pathway during chemical oxidation is critical, but challenging, for sustainable water treatment. Here, the authors report an adaptive approach to drive carbon redirection from molecular fragmentation to polymerization under tunable nanoconfinement.
- Xiang Gao
- , Zhichao Yang
- & Bingcai Pan
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Article
| Open AccessDefect-induced triple synergistic modulation in copper for superior electrochemical ammonia production across broad nitrate concentrations
Converting nitrate to ammonia in wastewater with a wide range of nitrate concentrations remains a challenging task. Here the authors report defect-rich Cu nanowire electrocatalyst which can achieve 50 to 1100 mA cm−2 and over 90% Faradaic efficiency using 1–100 mM nitrate wastewater.
- Bocheng Zhang
- , Zechuan Dai
- & Genqiang Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessThe initial stages of cement hydration at the molecular level
Despite being crucial for elucidating the cement hydration mechanism, the initial hydration stage is poorly understood. Here, authors uncover the unbiased Ca dissolution pathway during the initial hydration of calcium silicates via atomistic simulations and reveal a key Ca ligand structure.
- Xinhang Xu
- , Chongchong Qi
- & Hegoi Manzano
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Article
| Open AccessGrave-to-cradle photothermal upcycling of waste polyesters over spent LiCoO2
The increasing production of lithium-ion batteries and plastics presents significant challenges to resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity. This study highlights the utilization of spent lithium cobalt oxide cathodes as photothermal catalysts to transform various waste polyesters into valuable monomers.
- Xiangxi Lou
- , Penglei Yan
- & Jinxing Chen
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Article
| Open AccessNitrogen and phosphorus trends in lake sediments of China may diverge
Nutrient levels in Chinese lakes have rapidly increased since 1950 but future trends in lacustrine nitrogen and phosphorus across China will differentiate, according to projections up to 2100.
- Panpan Ji
- , Jianhui Chen
- & Fahu Chen
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Article
| Open AccessTreeline displacement may affect lake dissolved organic matter processing at high latitudes and altitudes
Shifts in the treeline may induce changes in organic matter composition of lakes at high altitude and latitude. Here, the authors experimentally unravel effects of soil-derived DOM for lake carbon biogeochemistry and bacterial carbon use efficiency.
- Núria Catalán
- , Carina Rofner
- & Hannes Peter
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Article
| Open AccessUltra-fast green hydrogen production from municipal wastewater by an integrated forward osmosis-alkaline water electrolysis system
Green hydrogen production faces increased water risks due to scarce supplies of water. Here, authors develop a modular forward osmosis-water splitting system that utilises wastewater effluent to generate high-purity hydrogen, providing a sustainable solution for water and energy security.
- Gabriela Scheibel Cassol
- , Chii Shang
- & Li Ling
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Article
| Open AccessA molecular extraction process for vanadium based on tandem selective complexation and precipitation
Amidst vanadium’s growing demand and environmental concerns in mining, the researchers, using naphthalimidedioxime, crafted a breakthrough method for eco-friendly recovery. Their acid-stable agent and non-toxic complexes offer a promising solution for large-scale vanadium recovery from diverse sources.
- Oluwatomiwa A. Osin
- , Shuo Lin
- & George K. H. Shimizu
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Article
| Open AccessAtmospheric isoprene measurements reveal larger-than-expected Southern Ocean emissions
High atmospheric concentrations of isoprene have been observed in the Southern Ocean. The authors investigate their potential marine sources and show how these emissions impact the modelling of atmospheric processes and composition in remote environments.
- Valerio Ferracci
- , James Weber
- & Neil. R. P. Harris
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Article
| Open AccessMechanistic insight into the competition between interfacial and bulk reactions in microdroplets through N2O5 ammonolysis and hydrolysis
The authors report a computational strategy to simulate the hydrolysis and ammonolysis of N2O5 in aerosols using high-level quantum chemical methods. The computational results reveal a complete picture of the reactive uptake of N2O5 by atmospheric aerosols with or without NH3.
- Ye-Guang Fang
- , Bo Tang
- & Wei-Hai Fang
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Article
| Open AccessTailoring d-band center of high-valent metal-oxo species for pollutant removal via complete polymerization
Polymerization-driven removal of pollutants in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) allows for sustainable contamination abatement and resource recovery. Here, authors achieved pollutant removal via complete polymerization by tailoring d-band center of high-valent metal-oxo species.
- Hong-Zhi Liu
- , Xiao-Xuan Shu
- & Han-Qing Yu
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Article
| Open AccessDouble charge flips of polyamide membrane by ionic liquid-decoupled bulk and interfacial diffusion for on-demand nanofiltration
Currently polyamide membranes fabricated by interfacial polymerization are limited by inherently negative charge as well as narrow charge tailoring window restricting the application of these membranes. Here, the authors report a facile ionic liquid-decoupled bulk/interfacial diffusion strategy to fabricate polyamide membranes which can transform on-demand from inherently negative to highly positive and near-neutral charge.
- Bian-Bian Guo
- , Chang Liu
- & Zhi-Kang Xu
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Article
| Open AccessAn exposome atlas of serum reveals the risk of chronic diseases in the Chinese population
Current studies have provided limited knowledge on real-world chemical exposures and related risks. Here, the authors show serum exposure characteristics of humans in different regions and age groups, revealing diverse risk relationships with multiple chronic diseases.
- Lei You
- , Jing Kou
- & Guowang Xu
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Article
| Open AccessCost-effectiveness uncertainty may bias the decision of coal power transitions in China
China’s use of coal is complex to establish a clean and low-carbon transition for the country. With an uncertainty assessment framework, this study displays the risks of missing opportunities in obtaining cumulative positive net benefits and identifying an optimal transition strategy.
- Xizhe Yan
- , Dan Tong
- & Yu Lei
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Article
| Open AccessElectronic structure modulation of iron sites with fluorine coordination enables ultra-effective H2O2 activation
Electronic structure modulation of active sites is critical important in Fenton catalysis. Herein, the authors report that the iron oxyfluoride involving fluorine coordination to iron sites, can effectively activate H2O2 into •OH for water treatment.
- Deyou Yu
- , Licong Xu
- & Jinming Luo
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Article
| Open AccessLight-responsive and ultrapermeable two-dimensional metal-organic framework membrane for efficient ionic energy harvesting
With porous structure and photothermal conversion performance, Cu-porphyrin framework membranes exhibit high efficiency in the extraction of electrical energy from salt solutions, opening avenues for renewable energy.
- Jin Wang
- , Zeyuan Song
- & Lei Wang
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Comment
| Open AccessPlastic pollution amplified by a warming climate
Climate change and plastic pollution are interconnected global challenges. Rising temperatures and moisture alter plastic characteristics, contributing to waste, microplastic generation, and release of hazardous substances. Urgent attention is essential to comprehend and address these climate-driven effects and their consequences.
- Xin-Feng Wei
- , Wei Yang
- & Mikael S. Hedenqvist
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Article
| Open AccessWood-inspired metamaterial catalyst for robust and high-throughput water purification
Continuous industrialization and human activities have led to severe water quality deterioration. Here, a structure-function integrated system is developed by Douglas fir wood inspired metamaterial catalysts with robust and high throughput water purification performances.
- Lei Zhang
- , Hanwen Liu
- & Jian Lu
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to: Field experiments show no consistent reductions in soil microbial carbon in response to warming
- Guillaume Patoine
- , Nico Eisenhauer
- & Carlos A. Guerra
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Article
| Open AccessModern anthropogenic drought in Central Brazil unprecedented during last 700 years
Speleothems from the Savanna region in Brazil documents the occurrence of an unprecedented long-term drought driven by anthropogenic forcing. Staring in the 1970´s the current drought is the most severe that has struck the region in the past 700 years.
- Nicolas Misailidis Stríkis
- , Plácido Fabrício Silva Melo Buarque
- & Valdir Felipe Novello
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Article
| Open AccessMechanistic exploration of polytetrafluoroethylene thermal plasma gasification through multiscale simulation coupled with experimental validation
PTFE waste, a growing ecological concern, urges the exploration of disposal methods. This study investigates PTFE’s plasma gasification, revealing POCD (oxygen) and FHD (steam) pathways. Experiments validate the above mechanism, showing an 80.12% fluorine recovery in 5 min under optimal conditions.
- Chu Chu
- , Long Long Ma
- & Guanyi Chen
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Article
| Open AccessReactive aldehyde chemistry explains the missing source of hydroxyl radicals
Hydroxyl radicals (OH) determine the tropospheric self-cleansing capacity. This study reveals that reactive aldehyde chemistry plays an important role in OH formation and helps narrow the gap between ambient OH observations and model simulations.
- Xinping Yang
- , Haichao Wang
- & Yuanhang Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessBiomimetic mercury immobilization by selenium functionalized polyphenylene sulfide fabric
The abatement of elemental mercury remains an enormous challenge for public health and ecosystems. Here, inspired by the seleno-mercury antagonism effect in biological systems, the authors developed an ideal Hg0 adsorbent with a record-high adsorption capacity of 1621.9 mg g−1.
- Hailong Li
- , Fanyue Meng
- & Jianping Yang
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Article
| Open AccessSustainable conversion of alkaline nitrate to ammonia at activities greater than 2 A cm−2
Alkaline nitrate electroreduction to ammonia is restricted by insufficient H+ supply. Here, the authors propose a halogen-mediated H+ feeding strategy, by triggering dangling O-H water dissociation and fast *H desorption for *NO intermediate hydrogenation, to enhance the formation of ammonia.
- Wanru Liao
- , Jun Wang
- & Min Liu
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Article
| Open AccessUltralight crystalline hybrid composite material for highly efficient sequestration of radioiodine
The development of effective adsorbents of radioiodine nuclear waste remains difficult due to the lack of proper material design strategies. Here the authors report an ultralight hierarchically porous crystalline multifunctional hybrid nanocomposite for ultrafast entrapment of iodine and polyiodide species under both static and dynamic condition.
- Sahel Fajal
- , Writakshi Mandal
- & Sujit K. Ghosh
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Article
| Open AccessGenerating active metal/oxide reverse interfaces through coordinated migration of single atoms
Steam treatment transforms inactive Pd1/CeO2 catalyst into a highly reactive one by forming a Ce2O3-Pd nanoparticle interface. This domain interface is created by the coordinated migration of Ce and Pd atoms on the atom trapped Pd1/CeO2.
- Lina Zhang
- , Shaolong Wan
- & Haifeng Xiong
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Article
| Open AccessDecoupled oxidation process enabled by atomically dispersed copper electrodes for in-situ chemical water treatment
In-situ wastewater treatment using advanced oxidation processes poses ecological risks. Here, authors introduce a decoupled oxidation process with single-atom copper-based electrodes. This strategy overcomes drawbacks of AOPs, offering a sustainable and efficient in-situ treatment solution.
- Ziwei Yu
- , Xuming Jin
- & Juan Wang
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Article
| Open AccessOne-pot redox cascade paired electrosynthesis of gamma-butyrolactone from furoic acid
Paired electrolysis is challenging without membrane and redox mediators. The authors developed a one-pot, mediator-free, and scalable e-synthesis of γ-butyrolactone (GBL) from furoic acid with high yield and selectivity in an aqueous electrolyte.
- Shengqin Liu
- , Yangxin Jin
- & Jason Chun-Ho Lam
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Article
| Open AccessInterplay of the forces governing steroid hormone micropollutant adsorption in vertically-aligned carbon nanotube membrane nanopores
Micropollutant removal in polymeric nanofiltration membranes is difficult to characterise due to pore heterogeneity. A force interplay framework was developed to describe adsorption in VaCNT membranes with defined nanopores, providing insight for the design of membranes with improved selectivity.
- Minh N. Nguyen
- , Melinda L. Jue
- & Andrea I. Schäfer
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Article
| Open AccessNanoconfinement-triggered oligomerization pathway for efficient removal of phenolic pollutants via a Fenton-like reaction
Traditional mineralization of organic pollutants requires an excessive input of chemicals and causes undesirable carbon emissions. Here, authors report a nanoconfinement strategy to alter the carbon transfer pathway of phenol removal from ring opening route to oligomerization route.
- Xiang Zhang
- , Jingjing Tang
- & Bingcai Pan
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Article
| Open AccessA rechargeable Ca/Cl2 battery
The development of practical Ca metal batteries has been hindered by the cathode chemistry. Here, the authors report a rechargeable Ca/Cl2 battery, which involves the reversible cathode redox reaction between CaCl2 and Cl2.
- Shitao Geng
- , Xiaoju Zhao
- & Hao Sun
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Article
| Open AccessConsistent stoichiometric long-term relationships between nutrients and chlorophyll-a across shallow lakes
Nutrient limitation is a well-known control of phytoplankton growth, but predicting specific responses in individual lakes based on nutrient data alone has proven challenging. Here, the authors show that long-term signals of chlorophyll-a dynamics in shallow lakes can be captured based on stoichiometric effects of N and P concentrations along a continuum of total N:total P ratios.
- Daniel Graeber
- , Mark J. McCarthy
- & Thomas A. Davidson
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Article
| Open AccessMicrobial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor
It is unclear whether microbes can efficiently degrade biodegradable plastics in the extreme environmental conditions of the seafloor. Here, Omura et al. show that biodegradable plastics can be degraded by the action of microorganisms on the deep-sea floor, although with much less efficiency than in coastal settings.
- Taku Omura
- , Noriyuki Isobe
- & Tadahisa Iwata
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Article
| Open AccessThermal responses of dissolved organic matter under global change
The response of organic molecules to climate change is linked to warming, nutrient loading, and greenhouse gas emissions, according to an indicator developed to quantify the aggregated thermal response of individual organic molecules.
- Ang Hu
- , Kyoung-Soon Jang
- & Jianjun Wang
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Article
| Open AccessNanoscale silicate melt textures determine volcanic ash surface chemistry
Nanotexture-sensitive fracture focusing during magma fragmentation determines the surface chemistry of volcanic ash particles, thereby modifying the reactive interface and subsequent environmental impacts
- Adrian J. Hornby
- , Paul M. Ayris
- & Donald B. Dingwell
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Article
| Open AccessOvercoming the permeability-selectivity challenge in water purification using two-dimensional cobalt-functionalized vermiculite membrane
Clean water and sanitation are major global challenges. Here, Prof. Zhang’s group developed a two-dimensional cobalt-functionalized vermiculite membrane, which overcame the persistent membrane permeability-selectivity trade-off in water purification.
- Mengtao Tian
- , Yi Liu
- & Zhenghua Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessNanowire-assisted electrochemical perforation of graphene oxide nanosheets for molecular separation
The permeation pathway length and tortuosity of nanosheet membranes are usually extremely large. Here, a facile, scalable, and controllable nanowire electrochemical concept is reported for perforating and modifying nanosheets to shorten permeation pathway and adjust transport property.
- Hai Liu
- , Xinxi Huang
- & Wanbin Li
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Article
| Open AccessSpin polarized Fe1−Ti pairs for highly efficient electroreduction nitrate to ammonia
Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia offers an attractive solution to environmental sustainability and clean energy production. Here, the authors construct spin−polarized Fe1−Ti pairs via manipulating oxygen vacancies on monolithic titanium electrode for highly efficient nitrate to ammonia conversion.
- Jie Dai
- , Yawen Tong
- & Lizhi Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessWaste milk humification product can be used as a slow release nano-fertilizer
The growth in global milk demand has been accompanied by an increase in waste milk disposal. Here, the authors transform waste milk through humification and incorporate the product into attapulgite creating a nano-fertiliser that benefits for plants growing in pots.
- Yanping Zhu
- , Yuxuan Cao
- & Dongqing Cai
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Article
| Open AccessTransient fertilization of a post-Sturtian Snowball ocean margin with dissolved phosphate by clay minerals
Clay minerals played a vital role in the delivery of phosphorus (P) to shallow Neoproterozoic post-Snowball glaciation marine waters. The resulting increase in P bioavailability by at least 20-fold coincided with seawater oxygenation.
- Ernest Chi Fru
- , Jalila Al Bahri
- & Timothy W. Lyons
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Article
| Open AccessElectrochemical nitrate reduction in acid enables high-efficiency ammonia synthesis and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cells
Research on electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia in acidic conditions has been less extensive than that conducted in alkaline conditions. Here, the authors report a hybrid of iron phthalocyanine and TiO2 catalyst with improved efficiency toward acidic nitrate reduction and its application in Zn-nitrate batteries and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cell.
- Rong Zhang
- , Chuan Li
- & Chunyi Zhi