On the Theory of Electrolytic Dissociation, the Greenhouse Effect, and Activation Energy in (Electro)Catalysis: A Tribute to Svante Augustus Arrhenius

Enhancing Electrochemical Reactivity with Magnetic Fields: Unraveling the Role of Magneto-Electrochemistry

Electrocatalysis performs a vital role in numerous energy transformation and repository mechanics, including power cells, Electric field-assisted catalysis, and batteries. It is crucial to investigate new methods to improve electrocatalytic performance if effective and long-lasting power systems are developed. The modulation of catalytic activity and selectivity by external magnetic fields over electrochemical processes has received a lot of interest lately. How the use of various magnetic fields in electrocatalysis has great promise for building effective and selective catalysts, opening the door for the advancement of sophisticated energy conversion is discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and possibilities of incorporating magnetic fields into electrocatalytic systems and suggestions for future research areas are discussed.

Normal saline: Past, present, and future

Normal saline (NS) is the most widely used agent in the medical field. However, from its origin to its widespread application, it remains a mystery. Moreover, there is an ongoing debate on whether its existence is reasonable, harmful to the human body, or will still exist in the future. The current review traces back to the origins of NS and provides a brief overview of the current situation of infusion. The purpose may shed some light on the possibility of the existence of NS in the future by elaborating on the origin of NS and the research status of the impact of NS on the human body.

Evolving Highly Active Oxidic Iron(III) Phase from Corrosion of Intermetallic Iron Silicide to Master Efficient Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation and Selective Oxygenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

In a green energy economy, electrocatalysis is essential for chemical energy conversion and to produce value added chemicals from regenerative resources. To be widely applicable, an electrocatalyst should comprise the Earth's crust's most abundant elements. The most abundant 3d metal, iron, with its multiple accessible redox states has been manifold applied in chemocatalytic processes. However, due to the low conductivity of Fe^III O_x H_y phases, its applicability for targeted electrocatalytic oxidation reactions such as water oxidation is still limited. Herein, it is shown that iron incorporated in conductive intermetallic iron silicide (FeSi) can be employed to meet this challenge. In contrast to silicon-poor iron-silicon alloys, intermetallic FeSi possesses an ordered structure with a peculiar bonding situation including covalent and ionic contributions together with conducting electrons. Using in situ X-ray absorption and Raman spectroscopy, it could be demonstrated that, under the applied corrosive alkaline conditions, the FeSi partly forms a unique, oxidic iron(III) phase consisting of edge and corner sharing [FeO₆ ] octahedra together with oxidized silicon species. This phase is capable of driving the oxyge evolution reaction (OER) at high efficiency under ambient and industrially relevant conditions (500 mA cm^-2 at 1.50 ± 0.025 V_RHE and 65 °C) and to selectively oxygenate 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).

Bimetallic Phosphides as High-Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation

Bimetallic transition-metal phosphides are gradually evolving as efficient hydrogen evolution catalysts. In this study, graphene-coated MoP and bimetallic phosphide (MoNiP) nanoparticles (MoP/MoNiP@C) were synthesized via one-step straightforward high-temperature calcination and phosphating process. The precursor was obtained from polyaniline, Ni²⁺ ions, and phosphomolybdic acid hydrate (PMo₁₂) by solvent evaporation. As expected, MoP/MoNiP@C manifests excellent hydrogen evolution activity with a low overpotential of 134 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and a small Tafel slope of 66 mV dec^-1. Furthermore, MoP/MoNiP@C exhibits satisfactory stability for 24 h in the acid electrolyte. The outstanding catalytic performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of MoP and MoNiP nanoparticles, the graphene coating protecting MoP and MoNiP from corrosion, as well as an increase in the number of active sites because of porous structures. This work can provide the experimental foundation for the simple synthesis of bimetallic phosphates with remarkable hydrogen evolution performance.

All-Solid-State Lithium-Organic Batteries Comprising Single-Ion Polymer Nanoparticle Electrolytes

Advances in lithium battery technologies necessitate improved energy densities, long cycle lives, fast charging, safe operation, and environmentally friendly components. This study concerns lithium-organic batteries comprising bioinspired poly(4-vinyl catechol) (P4VC) cathode materials and single-ion conducting polymer nanoparticle electrolytes. The controlled synthesis of P4VC results in a two-step redox reaction with voltage plateaus at around 3.1 and 3.5 V, as well as a high initial specific capacity of 352 mAh g^-1 . The use of single-ion nanoparticle electrolytes enables high electrochemical stabilities up to 5.5 V, a high lithium transference number of 0.99, high ionic conductivities, ranging from 0.2×10^-3 to 10^-3  S cm^-1 , and stable storage moduli of >10 MPa at 25-90 °C. Lithium cells can deliver 165 mAh g^-1 at 39.7 mA g^-1 for 100 cycles and stable specific capacities of >100 mAh g^-1 at a high current density of 794 mA g^-1 for 500 cycles. As the first successful demonstration of solid-state single-ion polymer electrolytes in environmentally benign and cost-effective lithium-organic batteries, this work establishes a future research avenue for advancing lithium battery technologies.