The selective hydrogenation of biomass-derived compounds is pivotal for the synthesis of high-value-added chemicals. The controllable hydrogenation in furfural for furfuryl alcohol or tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol is highly desirable yet challenging. In this study, Ni2Al-LDO（layered double oxide） metal oxide catalyst featuring highly dispersed surface NiO was synthesized via a structural topological transformation using layered double hydroxides. The catalyst exhibited excellent performance in the hydrogenation of furfural, achieving 91.42% yield of furfuryl alcohol (FOL) at 160 °C and 1.4 MPa H₂. Gradual reduction of Ni2Al-LDO produced Ni/NiO mixtures, enabling tunable shift from FOL to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (HFOL) as the NiO content decreased and the Ni content increased. After a two-hour reduction at 700 °C, the HFOL yield reached 93.95%. CO₂-TPD, NH₃-TPD and FT-IR measurements revealed that variations in reduction degree on nickel influenced the adsorption behavior of furfural. NiO species could only adsorb the C=O group of furfural, isopropanol serves as the hydrogen source, and furfural undergoes hydrogenation to form furfuryl alcohol following the MPV conversion pathway. Whereas the flat adsorption mode on the metallic Ni surface facilitated the simultaneous adsorption and activation of both the furan ring and the carbonyl group of furfural. In addition, the hydrogen sources of the reaction systems also differ: the Ni2Al-LDO catalyst is only capable of activating isopropanol, with the reaction proceeding via the MPV mechanism; in contrast, Ni2Al-LDO-700 can activate both H₂ and isopropanol, where H₂ serves as the primary hydrogen source. This work elucidates a clear structure-activity relationship centered on the metal oxidation state and provides a practical reduction-engineering approach for designing adaptable catalysts in biomass upgrading.

The conversion of CO₂ into gasoline-range hydrocarbons represents a sustainable pathway to achieve deep decarbonization in the transportation sector. Nevertheless, the traditional Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) suffers from a broad product distribution, which restricts the achievable selectivity toward C₅−C₁₁ gasoline-range hydrocarbons to roughly 45%. This study presents the development of a bifunctional catalyst that integrates In₂O₃/ZrO₂ metal oxides with SAPO-11 molecular sieves, aiming at efficiently converting CO₂/CO mixtures into C₅−C₁₁ gasoline hydrocarbons. Catalysts with varying In/Zr ratios were prepared via co-precipitation. By employing a CO_x (CO/CO₂) co-feeding strategy (CO/CO_x = 0.5), the formation of by-product CO was significantly suppressed, thereby enabling the selectivity for gasoline hydrocarbons to exceed the maximum predicted by the Anderson-Schulz-Flory (ASF) model. Notably, under identical reaction conditions, the In₂Zr₁O_x/SAPO-11 catalyst exhibited higher performance compared with In₂O₃/SAPO-11 and ZrO₂/SAPO-11. The CO_x conversion was elevated by 1.7% and 0.2%, while the selectivity toward C₅–C₁₁ hydrocarbons was enhanced by 8.0% and 16.0%, respectively. Furthermore, the In₂Zr₁O_x/SAPO-11 catalyst delivered a single-pass performance of 24% CO_x conversion and 68% selectivity for C₅−C₁₁ hydrocarbons at 380 °C, 3 MPa and a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 2400 mL/(min·g). Within this product distribution, isoparaffins accounted for 32.6% of the total components, corresponding to an isoparaffin/neoparaffin ratio of 12.3. After 150 h of stability testing, the catalyst maintained a single-pass CO_x conversion of 23% and a C₅−C₁₁ selectivity of ~65%, demonstrating excellent catalytic activity and promising potential for industrial application.

Steam reforming of biomass-derived alcohols (ethanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, etc.) represents a critical pathway for sustainable hydrogen energy systems. This review systematically examines recent advances in heterogeneous catalysis, elucidating structure-performance correlations between alcohol molecular structures and catalyst requirements. Ethanol is prone to dehydration and methanation side reactions, while ethylene glycol leverages its dihydroxy structure to enhance dehydrogenation and C–C cleavage, improving H₂ selectivity. In contrast, glycerol suffers from intensified reaction network complexity and carbon-induced deactivation due to its trihydroxy configuration. The unified catalyst design strategy involves precisely modulating metal electronic structures (e.g., alloying/atomic-level dispersion) and support oxygen mobility (e.g., rare-earth modification) to synergistically optimize dehydrogenation and carbon resistance. Ni-based catalysts dominate owing to low cost and high C–C bond activation capability, yet their stability requires synergistic enhancement via alloying (Fe, Co, Cu, etc.) or rare-earth modification (Ce, Pr, La, etc.). Noble metal systems (Pt, Rh, Ir, etc.) exhibit low-temperature activity advantages, but are transitioning strategically toward single-atom catalysis and high-entropy-oxide-based multicomponent architectures under cost constraints. Future efforts are suggested to integrate in situ/operando characterization with theoretical modeling to uncover dynamic structure-activity relationships, establish elementary reaction databases for data-driven rational catalyst design, and achieve cross-scale catalyst-reactor synergy, thereby providing a scientific foundation for efficient sustainable hydrogen production.

The catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ to ethanol represents a pivotal technology for achieving carbon neutrality and producing high-value fuels and chemicals, where developing the catalysts of high activity, high ethanol selectivity, and long-term stability is vitally important. Currently, the catalysts for the CO₂ hydrogenation to produce ethanol mainly include noble metal-based catalysts (Pt, Pd, Rh, etc.) and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts (Fe, Co, Mo, etc.); among them, the cobalt-based catalysts have emerged as an ideal candidate for the thermocatalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ to ethanol, owing to their unique electronic structure and tunability. However, the inherent chemical inertness of the relatively stable CO₂ molecule poses a significant barrier to its activation. Furthermore, under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, the hydrogenation of CO₂ is highly prone to forming undesirable byproducts such as methane or CO, whereas the selective activation of CO₂ and its subsequent conversion into ethanol remain particularly challenging. Accordingly, current processes for the CO₂ hydrogenation to ethanol are greatly limited by the low single-pass conversion of CO₂, insufficient selectivity toward the target product (ethanol < 60%), and the tendency of catalysts to rapid deactivation. This review aims to conduct a systematic and in-depth analysis of the recent research progress of the cobalt-based catalysts used in the conversion of CO₂ into ethanol. We first establish the basic reaction framework, clarify the thermodynamic boundary conditions, and determine the kinetic steps that control the overall reaction rate. When delving into the molecular-level events, we analyze the complex microscopic mechanisms responsible for the two most critical steps: the initial formation of C–C bonds and the subsequent controlled removal of oxygen. The formation of C–C bonds is a necessary and particularly delicate step for generating ethanol and other C₂₊ products and the reaction mechanism of this step, whether through CO insertion, CO dimerization, or hydroxyl carbonyl (CHOH) coupling, is subject to intense debate and strongly influenced by the properties of the active sites. We then critically assess the synergistic effects among various active sites such as metallic Co, Co₂C, CoO_x and bimetallic configurations on the reaction mechanism; in particular, the structure-activity relationships influenced by the support effects and promoter modifications are thoroughly discussed. Lastly, the application of inverse catalysts and tandem catalytic systems in ethanol synthesis is reviewed. The role of water as a hydrogen source and its impact on the reaction are analyzed in depth. This review tries to integrate current knowledge and identifies existing shortcomings, which presents a forward-looking outlook on the innovative research directions for the cobalt-based catalysts and emphasizes the necessity of conducting complex in situ/operational characterization and theoretical modeling in the design of next generation multifunctional catalysts. All these may provide a valuable reference framework to stimulate and guide the development of future efficient cobalt-based catalytic systems, deepen the basic understanding of reaction processes and mechanisms, and ultimately accelerate the progress of CO₂ hydrogenation technology for sustainable ethanol production.

The introduction of an appropriate amount of Cu effectively enhances the catalytic performance of ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution catalysts in CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. However, systematic studies on the effect of Cu content in ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution catalysts remain limited. In this work, a ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution and a series of Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂-x catalysts (x = 0.3, 0.7 and 0.9, denoting the molar ratio of Cu/(Cu+Zn+Zr)) were prepared by co-precipitation method. Among these catalysts, the Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂-0.7 catalyst exhibited the optimal catalytic performance, with a space-time yield of methanol (162.7 g/(kg·h)) that was 6.6 times higher than that of the ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution catalyst (24.8 g/(kg·h)) at 250 °C. Structural characterizations reveal that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Cu led to the coexistence of a solid solution and individual metal oxides, and promoted the formation of medium-strength basic sites. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results further confirm that Cu introduction facilitated the conversion of key reaction intermediates. This work provides a systematic investigation of the influence of Cu content on the methanol synthesis performance of ZnO-ZrO₂ solid solution catalysts and elucidates the promotional mechanism induced by Cu incorporation.

Perovskite-type catalysts have exhibited significant potential for CO₂ methanation. However, their efficacy at low temperatures and the underlying catalytic mechanisms remain inadequately understood. In this study, a perovskite catalyst LaNiO₃/CeO₂ was successfully constructed via the sol-gel method combined with an impregnation process. By comparing the physicochemical properties and catalytic activity of LaNiO₃, LaCeNiO₄, Ni/CeO₂ and La-Ni/CeO₂ catalysts, the underlying mechanism for the low-temperature CO₂ methanation catalyzed by LaNiO₃/CeO₂ was elucidated. During reduction, the LaNiO₃ perovskite structure in situ decomposed to generate highly dispersed and small-sized Ni⁰ particles with an average diameter of 12.6 nm. The CeO₂ support provided abundant oxygen vacancies (Ce³⁺/(Ce³⁺+Ce⁴⁺) ratio of 9.2%) as well as weak and moderate basic sites, synergistically promoting CO₂ adsorption and activation. The interaction between the active phase and the CeO₂ support further stabilized the dispersion of Ni⁰ and optimized the surface basicity and oxygen vacancy concentration. Under catalytic conditions at 200−300 °C, LaNiO₃/CeO₂ exhibited nearly 100% selectivity toward CH₄, while CO₂ conversion increased monotonically to 23.6%. This study clarified the crucial role of the perovskite pre-structuration and in situ reduction strategy in regulating the dispersion of active metals and the catalyst structure, laying a theoretical foundation for the design of catalysts for low-temperature CO₂ methanation.

Long persistent luminescence materials (LPLMs) have demonstrated significant potential in the field of photo- and electro-catalysis due to their unique capability of storing and controllably releasing photogenerated charge carriers. These materials offer innovative solutions for environmental remediation and sustainable energy technologies. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the application of LPLs in photo- and electro-catalysis, outlining their developmental history and underlying mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on their applications in organic pollutant degradation, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and photovoltaic cells. Furthermore, design strategies and research frameworks for LPLs are discussed. The current limitations and challenges in this field are examined, and future research directions are proposed to facilitate the transition of LPLMs from fundamental research to practical applications in energy and the environment.

Methane (CH₄), the main component of natural gas, is regarded as an ideal feedstock for producing high-value-added chemicals and clean fuels due to its high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. However, the CH₄ molecule is highly chemically inert, and traditional thermal catalytic reforming processes suffer from long reaction pathways and high energy consumption. In contrast, photocatalytic technology enables highly selective conversion of CH₄ under mild conditions, even at room temperature, offering environmental benefits, economic advantages, and process efficiency, thereby facilitating the transition toward low-carbon chemical production. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in room temperature photocatalytic systems for direct CH₄ conversion. It begins by elucidating the mechanisms, product distributions, and inherent challenges of four key reaction pathways: partial oxidation, non-oxidative coupling, oxidative coupling and oxidative carbonylation of CH₄. The discussion then shifts to the critical role of catalyst architecture, focusing on the design of semiconductor supports, the modulation of metal sites, and the integration of advanced porous frameworks. Furthermore, this review also addresses reactor design and process intensification strategies, including batch and continuous-flow reactors, novel structured reactors, as well as photo-electro and photo-thermo synergistic catalytic approaches. Finally, the reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic CH₄ conversion are summarized. Despite considerable progress, this field still faces challenges in fundamental understanding, performance evaluation, and technological integration. Future efforts should focus on in-depth mechanistic studies, standardization of evaluation protocols, development of non-noble metal catalysts, optimization of system processes, and comprehensive sustainability assessments.

As an important transition metal oxide, tungsten trioxide (WO₃) has become one of the most attractive materials in the current field of heterogeneous catalysis due to its comprehensive merits in environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness and electrical properties. Different crystal facets of WO₃ exhibit significant differences in key catalytic physicochemical properties such as charge separation efficiency, reactant adsorption capacity, and redox activity, which stems from the inherent differences in their atomic arrangement, electronic structure, and surface energy. Relevant studies have confirmed that, influenced by the distinct facet effect, the catalytic performance of WO₃ strongly depends on the exposed facet states determined by its geometric morphology. This finding provides an important direction for mechanism research of modern heterogeneous catalysis. This paper reviews the facet effect of WO₃ as a heterogeneous catalyst in various application fields in recent years, including photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, and thermal catalysis process. Meanwhile, combined with theoretical calculations, it explains the intrinsic mechanism underlying the facet effect from the perspective of the atomic structure essence of WO₃ crystal facets. Finally, the paper summarizes the general rules of the WO₃ facet effect across the aforementioned application scenarios, deeply discusses the shortcomings in the current research on the facet effect of WO₃, and prospects the future development direction of this field.

The catalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived dimethyl succinate (DMS) to 1,4-butanediol (BDO) represents a pivotal route for producing high-value C4 chemicals in the context of green chemistry. Cu/SiO₂ catalysts are known for their high selectivity in hydrogenating ester groups, and their performance is correlated with the microstructure of the copper species. Although calcination is a critical step in defining this active structure, the systematic influence of the calcination atmosphere remains underexplored. In this study, Cu/SiO₂ catalysts were prepared via a urea-assisted hydrothermal method and calcined under different atmospheres to elucidate their effects on catalyst physicochemical properties and subsequent hydrogenation performance. A comprehensive characterization suite (N₂ physisorption, FT-IR, H₂-TPR, XRD, TEM, N₂O pulse chemisorption, XPS and NH₃-TPD) revealed that the calcination atmosphere profoundly alters the metal-support interaction, thereby regulating the dispersion and chemical state of the loaded copper species. Specifically, calcination in air promoted a stronger metal-support interaction, effectively enhancing the dispersion of copper species and increasing the proportion of key active Cu⁺ species. Consequently, the air-calcined catalyst demonstrated superior performance, achieving 92.37% DMS conversion and 64.15% BDO yield under optimized conditions (210 °C, 5.0 MPa, WHSV of 0.6 h⁻¹, H₂/DMS molar ratio of 100). This work underscores calcination atmosphere engineering as a potent strategy for optimizing metal-support interactions in heterogeneous catalysts for efficient hydrogenation processes.

A series of Co-based molecular sieve catalysts with different Si/Al ratios was prepared by the impregnation method. The microstructure properties of Co active sites were finely characterized by means of XRD, TEM, Raman, H₂-TPR, Py-FTIR and XPS technology. The results show that the surface Co species mainly exist in the form of CoO_x nanoclusters and isolated Co²⁺, and the latter exhibits better N₂O decomposition activity. Decreasing the Si/Al ratio of the MFI zeolite promotes the generation of isolated Co²⁺ active sites, thereby enhancing the catalytic activity. Compared with the Co/S-1 catalyst with pure silicon S-1 carrier, the Co/HZ60 with a low Si/Al ratio of ZSM-5 carrier reduces the temperature required for complete N₂O decomposition by 80 °C, and it shows excellent resistance to O₂ and NO.

To address challenges of sintering and carbon deposition in the dry reforming of methane (DRM), this study employs UiO-66 as a precursor for modifying Pt-based catalysts. A series of Pt/CeO₂-ZrO₂ catalysts were synthesized via incipient wetness impregnation using supports with varying Ce/Zr ratios prepared through a hydrothermal method. Comprehensive characterization—including CO₂-TPD, CH₄-TPD, XPS, XAFS, in situ DRIFTS, TG and Raman spectroscopy—revealed a volcano type correlation between DRM performance and the Ce/Zr ratio. Optimal catalytic activity and stability were achieved with the Pt/3CeO₂-ZrO₂ catalyst (Ce/Zr = 3∶1). This catalyst features highly dispersed platinum, primarily existing as single atoms and thermally stable PtO_x clusters. Furthermore, it exhibits the highest concentration of Ce³⁺ and Zr³⁺ species, abundant oxygen vacancies (Vo), and a high defect density, all of which are indicative of a strong metal-support interaction. Mechanistically, the continuous and stable DRM reaction is facilitated by oxygen-assisted CH₄ dissociation and hydrogen-assisted CO₂ dissociation. At 800 °C, this catalyst exhibited outstanding performance, with CH₄ and CO₂ conversion rates reaching 86% and 93%, respectively. Notably, a 10 h stability test revealed no detectable carbon deposition. These results confirm that the catalyst significantly enhances reaction kinetics while demonstrating superior activity, stability, and resistance to both coking and sintering.

Alkali lignin, a high-volume byproduct generated from pulp and paper manufacturing as well as biomass refining, represents a promising natural feedstock for aromatic hydrocarbon production in liquid fuels owing to its high energy density and abundant aromatic moieties. However, its highly cross-linked polymeric structure hinders its efficient valorization and high-value conversion. In this work, alkali lignin was used as the feedstock to investigate the catalytic conversion into bio-oil under in situ H₂ supply from formic acid. A series of Ni-Mo/h-BN bimetallic catalysts with varied metal ratios were synthesized by the impregnation method, and their physicochemical properties were systematically characterized by XPS, XRD and other techniques. The effects of reaction parameters on H₂ production via aqueous-phase reforming of formic acid were first evaluated. The optimal H₂ yield was achieved at a formic acid-to-water molar ratio of 1∶10 and a Ni/Mo atomic ratio of 3∶1. The H₂ yield increased monotonically with temperature in the range of 220–280 °C, reaching a maximum of 38.48 mmol. Subsequently, the influences of reaction temperature and residence time on bio-oil production from alkali lignin were examined. The highest heavy bio-oil yield (18.93%) and the maximum relative content of aromatic hydrocarbons (13.81%) were both achieved at 280 °C. Prolonged reaction time reduced the heavy bio-oil yield and the relative abundance of aromatic hydrocarbons, while favoring the formation of furan derivatives. This work demonstrates good synergy and consistency between in situ hydrogen generation from formic acid and lignin hydrogenation in the temperature range of 240–280 °C.

This study reports a streamlined route for synthesizing plate-like α-Al₂O₃ via co-combustion activation of coal gangue and corn stalk, enabling the high-value utilization of solid wastes. The results demonstrate that the introduction of corn stalk significantly reduces the apparent activation energy of coal gangue combustion and increases the acid leaching yield of aluminum to 81.9%. Mechanism analysis reveals that titanium and iron ions in the co-combustion ash leachate act as natural morphology regulators, facilitating the formation of a plate-like structure in the alumina product, with titanium exhibiting leaching behavior consistent with that of aluminum. Furthermore, it is found that a high content of AlO₆ structural units in the precursor effectively promotes the direct conversion into dense α-Al₂O₃ crystals during thermal treatment, thereby enhancing the product density. Under optimized conditions (800 °C, 1 h), the as-prepared α-Al₂O₃ exhibits a plate-like morphology, with a median particle size (d₅₀) of 5.70 μm and a density of 4.94 g/cm³. This work provides a new approach for the synergistic resource utilization of coal gangue and biomass waste.

The increase in social development and human activities has exacerbated challenges such as global warming and climate change, necessitating the exploration of efficient and clean alternative energy sources to mitigate global carbon emissions. Hydrogen energy is recognized as a crucial energy carrier for reducing carbon emissions due to its high combustion value (120 MJ/kg) and net-zero carbon emissions. Recently, the catalytic pyrolysis of methane for hydrogen production has garnered significant attention because it can simultaneously produce high-purity hydrogen and functional carbon materials. The primary challenges associated with this method include the development of catalysts that exhibit both high activity and resistance to deactivation caused by carbon deposition, as well as the efficient separation and high-value utilization of carbon products. Precise control of active sites, alloying strategies, support optimization, and tuning of the carbon-catalyst interface can significantly enhance the carbon-deposition resistance of solid catalysts. The introduction of catalytic systems based on molten media and the utilization of their dynamically refreshed gas-liquid reaction interfaces can fundamentally reduce deactivation and facilitate continuous carbon separation. This paper systematically reviews progress in solid and molten-medium catalysts for methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and carbon. It emphasizes reaction mechanisms, catalytic performance and mechanisms that control carbon morphology. The paper also discusses the strategies for efficient separation and purification of carbon products in molten media and explores the high-value application prospects of carbon products.

Methane cracking driven by electric power holds significant promise in the context of the rapid development of renewable energy. The effects of carrier gas ratio, input power, and inlet gas flow rate on CH₄ cracking performance were systematically investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The variation of temperature distribution and reaction energy intensity were also examined. The experimental results indicate that CH₄ conversion and gaseous product formation are promoted by increasing the DBD input power or decreasing the inlet gas flow rate. At an input power of 90 W and an inlet gas flow rate of 200 mL/min, the single-pass CH₄ conversion reach 46.6%, with an H₂ yield of 23.3%, demonstrating that CH₄ cracking is governed by electron induced. While the Joule heating from the inner and outer electrodes is relatively limited. The reaction energy intensity increases as the CH₄ conversion decreases. When the inlet gas flow rate increases from 200 to 800 mL/min, the energy intensity rises by approximately 2.8 times, indicating that higher inlet gas flow rates enhance the convective heat transfer and shorten the gas residence time, thereby suppressing deep CH₄ cracking. Moreover, BOLSIG+ calculations further reveal that CH₄ activation is dominated by electron induced vibrational excitation, in which stepwise energy accumulation drives C–H bond dissociation. The energy transfer and species transformation pathways of overall CH₄ cracking process, which comprises electron energy injection, vibrational excitation, stepwise dissociation, radical chain extension, and final product formation, can be summarized into three stages, i.e. methane activation, radical evolution, and product formation.

Mercury in the emission from coal combustion is highly toxic, volatile and bioaccumulative, posing a long-term threat to the ecosystems and human health. In this paper, the current status and control policies of mercury emissions from coal combustion in China were systematically reviewed, and the distribution characteristics and transformation mechanisms of mercury during coal combustion were analyzed, with a focus on the mechanisms and performance of collaborative mercury removal in the pollution control devices after ultra-low emission retrofitting. Furthermore, a progressive strategy of “synergistic enhancement-deep purification-resource recycling” for mercury emission reduction was proposed, including three tiers: optimizing the operational parameters of pollution control systems to improve the synergistic mercury removal efficiency of various control devices; developing an efficient mercury adsorption and catalytic oxidation technology for coal-fired flue gas, with a focus on the industrially applicable mercury removal technologies; developing an integrated mercury removal and recovery technology for coal-fired power plants (e.g., magnetospheres mercury removal and mercury recovery technologies), focusing on the high-value utilization of mercury. Finally, combining the latest international compliance requirements and domestic environmental tax policies, the future research directions on the emission control of mercury in coal-fired flue gas in China were outlined, providing theoretical and technical support for the China’s international commitments and near-zero emissions of coal combustion pollutants.