Vanadium-ceria catalysts have become promising bifunctional catalysts for simultaneously removing nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and chlorobenzene (CB). However, limited selectivity toward inorganic chlorine species and the accumulation of chlorine species remain critical challenges. In this study, a Ru-modified (VO_x)_n/CeO₂ catalyst was synthesized via a pre-loading strategy. The pre-loaded Ru species not only created highly active redox sites favorable for deep CB oxidation through strong interactions with the CeO₂ support but also enhanced the polymerization of V species and modulated the electronic environment of V=O species, enhancing the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) activity and the ability to cleave C–Cl bonds. Importantly, the Ru pre-loading preserved Brønsted acid site concentrations while decreasing Lewis acid site density, thereby reducing Cl deposition and improving catalyst stability. As a result, the optimized catalyst demonstrated superior performance, achieving over 90% NO_x and CB conversion in the 330–400 °C temperature range. The selectivities towards inorganic chlorine species (IC) and CO_x are both maintained above 90%.

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to multi-carbon (C₂) compounds presents an innovative strategy for the valorization of renewable energy into essential chemicals and fuels. However, the sluggish dynamics of carbon−carbon (C−C) coupling reaction directly impacts the efficiency and selectivity towards C₂ products. Herein, we introduce a practical electrocatalytic design leveraging asymmetric *CO adsorption to facilitate C−C linkage. The synthesized a bimetallic catalyst, composed of single-atom zinc and copper clusters (Cu₄), uniformly anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene (Zn₁Cu_x/NC). In-situ Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations revealed that the high *CO coverage promoted the C−C coupling reaction. Moreover, optimizing the anodic reaction environment further augments C₂ product yields. Notably, this catalytic system achieves a high CO₂-to-C₂ conversion yield of 84.9% at a commercially relevant current density of −100 mA/cm², alongside urea oxidation reaction at the anode, making a significant progress in the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to valuable C₂ products.

Photocatalytic technology, often termed as the “Holy Grail of science”, has gained significant attention for addressing energy shortages and environmental crises. This technology is widely applied in environmental purification due to its ability to absorb solar energy, convert it into chemical energy, promote reactions, all while offering a non-polluting, highly effective means of mineralizing pollutants. However, despite extensive studies, photocatalysis has not yet to meet the practical demands for widespread application. One main key challenge that hinders the effective use of photocatalysis in environmental applications is catalyst deactivation. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature on photocatalysis in environmental applications is presented, with a classification based on photocatalytic materials and pollutant types. The review paper begins by summarizing the primary mechanisms of catalyst deactivation, followed by a summary of regeneration strategies tailored to these mechanisms. Various methods for assessing the degree of photocatalyst deactivation are also discussed, with emphasis on their relationship to photocatalytic reaction mechanisms. The review then highlights recent advances in the development of anti-deactivation photocatalysts and their applications in environmental purification. Finally, the current status of the field, the challenges that remain, and potential directions for future research are outlined to enhance the efficacy of photocatalytic processes in environmental applications.

Electrochemical NO-to-NH₃ under ambient conditions could be a viable alternative having advantages in terms of energy consumption and exhaust gas recycling of NO, replacing a traditional ammonia synthesis method of the Haber–Bosch process. In synthesizing boron (B-) and nitrogen (N-) co-doped carbon nanotube (CNT) based gold (Au) catalysts, B-dopants elevate the conductivity of carbon nanotube by sp² hybridization on graphene and implant B–N domains within the graphene layer, and result in facilitating the embedding amount of Au accompanied by high dispersibility with low particle size. Theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that the electron cloud transmitted from B-dopant to the active site of Au induces the Lewis acidic site, and the O-distal pathway occurs following a spontaneous reaction. Increment of the electron-deficient B-doping area accompanied by N-defects and B–O edges retains the major valence state of Au as Au^δ+, and suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by repulsing the hindrance of H*. This record exhibits the highest faradaic efficiency (FE) of 94.7%, and NH₃ yield rate of 1877.4 μg·h⁻¹·mg_cat⁻¹, which is the optimal yield over energy consumption in the field of the ambient reduction of aqueous NO.

Single atom catalysts (SACs) have become one of research focuses in heterogeneous catalysis for their effective utilization of active metal atoms and unique properties in various catalytic reactions. However, due to their high surface energy, noble metal single atoms like Pt tend to migrate and agglomerate to form larger clusters or nanoparticles, which makes it a challenge to fabricate noble metal SACs with high loading (> 5 wt.%). Furthermore, the decisive factors of loading maximum are still not clear. Here, we reported a manganese oxide supported Pt SAC with a high loading of 5.6 wt.% synthesized by selective dissolution strategy. The pre-stabilization of Pt by coordinated oxygen and the abundant surface defects of support are the determinants of high loading. The Pt SAC exhibited much better H₂ spill-over and hydrocarbon oxidation abilities with lower adsorption and dissociation energies than the manganese oxide support because of its local electronic structure with less repulsion.