Nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling of carbon-electrophiles and silicon-electrophiles has recently emerged as a powerful tool for C–Si bond formations to synthesize highly valuable organosilanes. This reductive coupling strategy eliminates the manipulation of highly reactive organometallic reagents, thereby leading to a good functional group tolerance and a high step economy. However, the reported reductive C–Si couplings have to use stoichiometric amounts of Zn or Mn dust as a reductant, which somehow limits the synthetic application. Herein, we reported a novel cross-electrophile coupling of aryl halides with chlorosilanes enabled by dual photoredox/nickel catalysis. Instead of using metallic reductants, a mild and readily available α-silylamine is selected as a reliable organic reductant. Various vinyl chlorosilanes and chlorohydrosilanes were coupled smoothly. This new catalytic protocol offers an alternative approach for facile synthesis of organosilanes.

Nano-photocatalysts exhibit significant potential for diverse applications, including the degradation of organic pollutants, hydrogen generation through water splitting, organic synthesis, and photoelectrochemical conversion. Recently, there has been growing interest in the efficient utilization of wastewater and liquid organic waste as resources for organic synthesis and hydrogen production. This approach offers a promising solution to both energy and environmental challenges by enabling hydrogen and organic synthesis from wastewater using nanophotocatalysts. Dual-functional nanophotocatalysts demonstrated significant potential for efficient catalysis processes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of various nano-photocatalysts, their synthesis processes, and the underlying photocatalytic mechanisms that drive the synergistic effects, leading to enhanced efficiency. Furthermore, the resulting photocatalytic products and their implications are discussed in detail. Key challenges associated with this emerging technology are identified, along with future research directions to advance its development. By highlighting recent advancements in the use of nano-photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and organic compound synthesis from wastewater and liquid organic waste, this review serves as a valuable resource to guide ongoing and future research efforts in this field.

Electrosynthesis reactions have become an important field of study due to the increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical processes. Using a divided cell in electrosynthesis has shown promising results in selectivity, efficiency, and scalability. In this review, we discuss the principles and advantages of using divided cells in electrosynthesis reactions, focusing on their application in producing organic compounds. We also consider several factors that influence the performance of divided cells, such as the choice of electrode materials, membrane type, and operating conditions. Furthermore, we evaluate the challenges and limitations associated with divided cell electrosynthesis, including the need for high current densities and the management of gas evolution.

Catalytic conversion of methane (CH₄) into value-added chemicals provides a viable path to reduce dependency on crude oil. Despite the challenges associated with activating methane’s C–H bond and limiting side reactions, low-temperature oxidation of methane to oxygenates has emerged as a promising approach, often hailed as a “grail reaction”. Zeolite-based metal (metal-zeolite) catalysts facilitate methane oxidation at low temperatures, converting methane into oxygenates while minimizing the complete oxidation to carbon dioxide (CO₂). This review highlights recent achievements in metal-zeolite catalysts for methane partial and coupling oxidation. With zeolite as the core, we explore the synthesis methods, metallic active sites, reaction mechanisms, and zeolite descriptors of metal-zeolite catalysts for methane partial oxidation. Additionally, we examine the critical role of mono- and bi-metallic species in metal-zeolite catalysts for methane coupling oxidation with carbon monoxide (CO). Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for metal-zeolite catalysts in methane oxidation under mild conditions, proposing future directions for rational design of metal-zeolite catalysts, revealing reaction mechanisms through operando or in situ techniques, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced catalytic efficiency.

Copper-doped anatase TiO₂ (Cu/TiO₂) has attracted significant attention in various sustainable chemical processes, including water splitting, carbon monoxide oxidation, carbon dioxide reduction, chemical synthesis, and advanced oxidation processes for water treatment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in these processes, but a mechanistic understanding of ROS generation on Cu/TiO₂ surfaces has not been established. Combining experimental investigation and computational simulation, this work provides unequivocal evidence for superoxide radical anion (O₂^•-) formation via reduction of the adsorbed oxygen by Cu⁺ and hydroxyl radical (^•OH) production by oxidation of lattice oxygen within the bridging Cu-O-Ti structure on Cu/TiO₂ surfaces. Under visible light irradiation, the ROS generation rates of Cu/TiO₂ are 7.2 times higher for O₂^•- and 11.2 times higher for ^•OH than those of undoped TiO₂. The superior performance of Cu/TiO₂ has been demonstrated through its organic dye degradation, bactericidal activity, and biofilm disruption, indicating its wide applicability in water treatment and disinfection. The results and the methodologies will benefit the wide field of heterogeneous redox chemistry.

Developing efficient non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis is crucial for advancing renewable energy storage systems such as rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Nitrogen-doped carbon (M-N-C) materials with atomically dispersed metal sites, particularly Fe-N-C, exhibit remarkable activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); however, their performance in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains unsatisfactory. In this work, we present the fabrication of Fe, Co, and Ni trimetallic single-atom catalysts, which exhibit outstanding bifunctional catalytic performance. Using ZIF-8 and phytic acid as chelating agents, we achieved uniform dispersion of Fe, Co, and Ni atoms within a porous carbon matrix, preventing metal agglomeration and enhancing catalytic performance. The Fe₃₀Co₃₀Ni₃₀-phosphorus and nitrogen doped carbon (PNC) catalyst, after optimization, achieved a half-wave potential of 0.85 V for ORR and an OER overpotential of 310 mV at 10 mA·cm^-2, outperforming many state-of-the-art non-precious metal catalysts. When applied in a Zn-air battery, it achieved a peak power density of 221 mW·cm^-2, a specific capacity of 791.3 mAh·g_Zn^-1, and remarkable durability over 330 h. This study offers an efficient approach for developing high-performance catalysts for renewable energy applications.

Although the development of industry has significantly improved the living standards of human beings, it has also inevitably caused serious pollution of the atmosphere, which has greatly aroused concern about gas detection technology. In recent years, two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted great attention in the field of air sensing due to their excellent adsorption ability for harmful gases at room temperature. However, their inherent performance deficiencies have caused problems with weak sensor responsiveness and long response/recovery times. Research targeting the performance tuning of stand-alone system TMDs is necessary to radically improve the performance of sensors. This review summarizes a series of strategies that researchers have adopted in recent years to improve the performance of stand-alone TMDs materials. Firstly, the application of TMDs materials in gas sensors is described. Then, the methods and mechanisms for enhancing the gas sensing performance of stand-alone TMDs through different strategies are highlighted. Finally, the future development of TMDs gas sensors is summarized and projected.

Water splitting by using renewable energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen can be regarded as one of the most promising approaches for sustainable energy conversion. Developing cost-effective and high-performance water splitting catalysts plays an increasingly important role in enhancing overall efficiency. Alloyed single-atom catalysts (alloyed SACs, also known as single-atom alloy), with one of the metal atoms atomically dispersed in a host metal, combine the advantages of both SACs and traditional metal alloys. They show the maximum utilization of active metal atoms and uniquely geometric and electronic structures, offering great potential in reducing the cost of catalyst and boosting the performance in catalytic water splitting. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the development of alloyed SACs for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions by water splitting. We start with a brief introduction of the mechanism for water splitting under electrocatalytic and photocatalytic conditions, followed by emphasizing the merits of the formation of alloyed SACs for water splitting. Then, the case studies of electro- and photo- catalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution via water splitting are illustrated and discussed. Finally, challenges and prospects are provided, with further continued efforts expected for achieving future exciting progress in tailoring the active sites for designing high-performance catalysts.

The surplus of glycerol generation from biodiesel fuel production has stimulated the development of efficient technology to realize the sustainability of biomass valorization. Herein, we demonstrate the glycerol valorization by mild photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic approaches. Glycerol photo(electro)reforming is realized on the well-designed Zn_1-xCd_xS solid solution photocatalysts. By continuously changing the ratio of Zn/Cd, Zn_1-xCd_xS is endowed with a regulatable bandgap structure, which finely controls the redox potential and light absorption. The spontaneous formation of homojunction by hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) and zinc-blende (ZB) facilitates spatial charge separation. As a result, Zn_1-xCd_xS exhibits the dual ability to simultaneously produce hydrogen and glyceric acid by the electrons and holes, respectively. The theoretical calculation and in-situ spectroscopy analysis reveal the prominent features of hydrogen evolution and glycerol oxidation into glyceric acid on the optimized Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S. This work provides a good example for glycerol valorization into sustainable fuels and chemicals by rationally designing dually functional photocatalysts.

Methane, one of the primary components of natural gas, is an excellent carbon and hydrogen source with low cost and natural abundance. It serves as an ideal feedstock for the production of high-value-added chemicals and fuels. However, its symmetrical tetrahedral structure presents intrinsic challenges for activation and conversion under mild conditions. Unlike the traditional high-temperature processes of methane reforming (700-1,100 °C) used in industry, the photocatalytic conversion of methane into high-value chemicals under mild conditions has attracted significant attention recently. Such a nature-mimicking approach leads to energy savings, reduces conversion costs, and decreases carbon emissions. However, current research on photocatalytic methane conversion is still far from scaling up, with diverse reaction mechanisms across different reaction systems, and there is a lack of a unified summary regarding the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, it is crucial to summarize various reported mechanisms and pathways, which are essential for guiding the design and optimization of catalysts and reaction systems. Herein, we review the most likely conversion pathways and common methods for photocatalytic methane conversion in different systems. This review categorizes the reaction mechanisms according to four common pathways in photocatalytic methane conversion: partial oxidation, coupling (including oxidative and non-oxidative coupling), functionalization, and reforming. Finally, it offers perspectives on the outlook of photocatalytic methane conversion from the angles of mechanistic research, catalyst design, and practical applications, providing insights into the fundamental aspects of this field.

Supported bimetallic catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the hydrogen generation reaction for hydrogen storage materials, where the synergism interaction between the support and the metal needs to be explored. In this work, highly crystalline cerium-based metal-organic framework (CeMOF) supports were prepared to support NiPt alloy nanoparticles for the ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis. CeMOF supports not only possess stable structural properties and low synthesis costs, but also provide more active sites to facilitate AB hydrolysis. The optimal catalyst, Ni_0.6Pt_0.4/CeMOF, exhibits a significant turnover frequency (11.07 mol_H2·mol_Pt·min^-1) at 298 K, with the conversion of AB reaching 100%. This work contributes a new, cost-effective approach for designing efficient catalysts that can be used in hydrogen generation systems, which is important for the development of sustainable energy storage technologies.

Green hydrogen, generated through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, holds immense potential for achieving climate neutrality. Among the various water electrolysis technologies, the alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) is the most mature and widely adopted in the industry. However, its efficiency is limited by the low performance of its Ni-based electrodes. While numerous high-performance electrocatalysts have been meticulously designed and demonstrated in laboratory settings using three-electrode systems, their adoption in practical AWE systems remains rare. This disconnect arises from the overlooked gap between laboratory research and industrial application. In this perspective, we identify and analyze three critical gaps between these two domains and offer strategic recommendations to bridge them, paving the way for more effective implementation of advanced electrocatalysts in industrial AWE.

Designing zeolites with novel topologies and tunable acidity to construct metal oxide-zeolite bifunctional catalytic systems for targeted transformation of syngas into high-value olefins has aroused wide interest. PLS-3 aluminosilicates with the FER topology and unique nanorod crystal morphology, derived from layered precursors with a wide Si/Al ratio range of 50-300, were applied to combine with Zn₂Al₃O₄ oxide, constructing bifunctional catalysts for selective syngas conversion reaction. The lower Al content in PLS-3 zeolite led to decreased acid amount and the preferred distribution of framework Al atoms in specific tetrahedral locations (T2 and T4), which promoted the formation of ethylene. High-silica PLS-3 (Si/Al = 250) combined with Zn₂Al₃O₄ oxide showed high selectivity for C_2-5⁼ (78.5%), especially for ethylene (45%), and high ratios of ethylene to propylene (E/P, 7.0) and olefin to paraffin (O/P, 21.2). Furthermore, the in-situ infrared spectra evidenced that the syngas conversion over Zn₂Al₃O₄/PLS-3 catalyst possibly followed the carbonylation route.

The preparation of subnanometric non-noble metal catalyst remains difficult especially when the metal loading is more than 1 wt%. Herein, the subnanometric nickel clusters (0.87 nm) were fabricated over the Ni/SAPO-11 catalyst for n-hexane hydroisomerization with Ni loading of 1.8 wt%. They exhibit 3.4 times the content of Ni atoms on corner and step sites than nanoparticles. These special Ni atoms with rich dangling bonds and high surface energy exhibit enhanced ability in activation and breakage of the C–H in n-hexane and H–H bonds in H₂. Density functional theory results confirm that the activation energy for n-hexane dehydrogenation over Ni atoms on corner or step sites is only 10% and 60% of the one on terrace sites. The projected d-electron density states calculations reveal that the molecular-like electronic state of the nickel clusters is further strengthened when reducing the size to subnanometric level. It leads to the upshifting of the d-band center, which favors the activation of C–H and H–H bonds. All of these geometric and electronic effects generated by the subnanometric Ni clusters endow the Ni/SAPO-11 catalyst with 2.3 times the rate of i-C₆ generation and nearly 2.8 times the turnover frequency of its nanoparticle counterpart.

An iron-catalyzed direct coupling of cycloalkanes and N-sulfonyl ketimines enabled by photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) and energy transfer has been developed. This reaction demonstrates high atom economy and operates under eco-friendly, mild conditions with a good substrate scope. A notable aspect of this study is the proposal of a potential radical-radical coupling mechanism, involving a cycloalkyl radical and a cation radical intermediate, which may lead to C–C bond formation. This discovery significantly enhances our comprehension of reaction mechanisms in this domain.

Alkaline water electrolysis is a promising technology for producing green hydrogen at scale. The electrodes are the heart of an alkaline water electrolyzer, directly determining its performance and durability. In recent years, corrosion engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy to enable next-generation efficient electrodes for industrial use, thanks to its low cost, ease of scale-up and simple operation. This review highlights recent ground-breaking studies in corrosion engineering for electrode fabrication, mainly including oxygen corrosion, hydrogen evolution corrosion, oxidant corrosion, and microbial corrosion. We introduce the mechanisms of these four corrosion reactions, along with effective strategies for accelerating the processes and modifying the corrosion products. Finally, we propose future prospects of corrosion techniques in industrial hydrogen production.