Active phase transition in VPO catalysts during condensation reaction
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Jan-2026 13:11 ET (7-Jan-2026 18:11 GMT/UTC)
Under formaldehyde-acetic acid condensationreaction conditions, the V4+ phase (VO)2P2O7 remains stable, while V5⁺ phases transform due to lattice oxygen loss. They ultimately form a reduced V4⁺ phase (R1-VOHPO4), which can reversibly convert back into an intermediate αII-VOPO4 phase.Different phases play distinct roles in the reaction, collectively determining catalytic performance.
Halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for X-ray detection with exceptional properties and reasonable costs. Among them, heterostructures between 3D perovskites and low-dimensional perovskites attract intensive studies of their advantages due to low-level ion migration and decent stability. However, there is still a lack of methods to precisely construct heterostructures and a fundamental understanding of their structure-dependent optoelectronic properties. Herein, a gas-phase method was developed to grow 2D perovskites directly on 3D perovskites with nanoscale accuracy. In addition, the larger steric hindrance of organic layers of 2D perovskites was proved to enable slower ion migration, which resulted in reduced trap states and better stability. Based on MAPbBr3 single crystals with the (PA)2PbBr4 capping layer, the X-ray detector achieved a sensitivity of 22,245 μC Gyair−1 cm−2, a response speed of 240 μs, and a dark current drift of 1.17 × 10–4 nA cm−1 s−1 V−1, which were among the highest reported for state-of-the-art perovskite-based X-ray detectors. This study presents a precise synthesis method to construct perovskite-based heterostructures. It also brings an in-depth understanding of the relationship between lattice structures and properties, which are beneficial for advancing high-performance and cost-effective X-ray detectors.
Carbon dioxide, as a greenhouse gas, is expected to be converted into other useful substances by the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) technology. The electrocatalytic cell, or electrochemical cell, used to provide the experimental environment for CO2RR plays an irreplaceable role in the study of this process and determines the success or failure of the measurements. In recent years, electrolytic cells that can be applied to in-situ/operational synchrotron radiation (SR) characterization techniques have gradually gained widespread attention. However, the design and understanding of electrolyte systems that can be applied to in-situ/operational SR technologies are still not sufficiently advanced. In this paper, the electrocatalytic cells used to study the CO2RR processes with in-situ/operando SR techniques are briefly introduced, and the types and characteristics of the electrolytic cells are analyzed. The recent advancements of in situ/operando electrolytic cells are discussed using X-ray scattering, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), light vibration spectroscopy, and X-ray combined techniques. An outlook is provided on the future prospects of this research field. This review facilitates the understanding of the reduction process and electrocatalytic mechanism of CO2RR at the atomic and molecular scales, providing insights for the design of electrolysis cells applicable to SR technologies and accelerating the development of more efficient and sustainable carbon negative technologies.
The 2026 MRS International Risk Conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from July 17 to 19, 2026. Hosted by the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii and jointly organized by China Finance Review International (CFRI) and the Modern Risk Society (MRS), the conference invites submissions from scholars worldwide on a broad range of topics related to risk and capital markets. Under the theme “AI in an Uncertain World,” the conference aims to advance research on global financial risk management with a particular focus on modern and emerging risks. Selected papers presented at the conference will be considered for a special issue of the Pacific-Basin Finance Journal. The conference will feature a keynote address by Professor Torben G. Andersen of Northwestern University and will present multiple research excellence awards. The submission deadline for conference papers is February 10, 2026 (Eastern Time).
A research team maps the key tasks that define modern enzyme engineering—function annotation, structure modeling, and property prediction—and explain how AI methods now accelerate each step, from mining candidate enzymes in massive sequence databases to generating new variants with improved activity, stability, or selectivity.