Surface hydrogen‑bonded network boosts plasma‑driven CO2 to C2H4 conversion
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Oct-2026 17:16 ET (29-Oct-2026 21:16 GMT/UTC)
Non‑thermal plasma (NTP) offers a low‑temperature route for direct CO2 reduction using H2O as the hydrogen source, but the non‑selective reactivity of gaseous ·H and ·OH radicals often limits product selectivity. Now, researchers from Southwest University of Science and Technology have designed a CeHfZr metal‑organic framework that adsorbs H2O to form a surface hydrogen‑bonded network. Under NTP, this network generates solvated ·H and ·OH radicals in situ, achieving a C2H4 production rate of 164.6 μmol·g-1·h-1, 15 times higher than single‑metal Ce. The work provides a new catalyst design strategy for converting industrial CO2 exhaust into valuable C2H4.
The rapid advancement of solid-state lighting technology has made white LEDs the preferred choice for energy-efficient illumination. Nevertheless, commercial white LEDs based on blue chips and yellow phosphors suffer from inadequate red components and poor spectral continuity, leading to low color rendering index (CRI). Lead-free Cs-Cu-I perovskites, with their unique self-trapped exciton (STE) emission, offer a promising single-component white-light platform, yet their low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) remains a major obstacle. Therefore, enhancing both the PLQY and spectral coverage of Cs-Cu-I is critically important.
A team led by Aiwei Tang professor from Beijing Jiaotong University recently reported a Zn2+ doping strategy for Cs-Cu-I perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) to achieve high-CRI white LEDs, advancing eco-friendly solid-state lighting.
The research group led by Mingyu Li at Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) developed a bayberry-like AgMP/AgNP micro–nano composite sintered silver paste (AgPs-BM), in which bayberry-like porous silver microparticles serve as the primary structural framework and silver nanoparticles act as the filling and interconnecting phase. The bayberry-like AgMPs feature a low surface organic content, a relatively high specific surface area, and abundant surface pores. The AgNPs not only fill the large voids formed by the packing of AgMPs but are also distributed between adjacent AgMPs and at particle–interface regions, thereby increasing the number of effective contact sites and establishing interparticle connections. In addition, the AgNPs can fill the surface pores of the AgMPs, shifting the sintering behavior of the AgMPs from predominantly individual-particle self-sintering toward the growth of an interparticle interconnected network.
Artificial intelligence programmes used to classify images could be trained much cheaper using a surprisingly simple method inspired by the childhood game of 20 Questions, new research has found.
Stabilized construction-generated soil is often too alkaline for reuse, while neutralization depends on curing conditions. Although aeration curing is the cheapest way to lower alkalinity, there has been no guidance on when to begin it. Now, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology reveal that immediate aeration is preferable when neutralization is the priority, whereas a sealed period is useful when added strength is needed, providing a practical scheduling framework for soil-recycling operations.
The existing magnetic-responsive SERS substrates have difficulty in regulating the spatial coupling between the carrier of the analyte and the plasmonic hotspots, which limits the enhancement effect. This study uses NdFeB/PS/Ag as the plasmonic substrate and the core-shell magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@Ag) (FSA) as the molecular capture carrier. By adjusting the magnetization state and magnetic field gradient of the NdFeB sheet, the spatial distribution of FSA particles can be controllably regulated.