Organic semiconductors possess various chemical structures and tailored optoelectronic properties via simple chemical modifications, so increasing use of them are found in efficient visible-light photocatalysis. However, the weak chemical bonds and the poor charge behavior(e.g. notoriously low carrier mobility, short life of charge carriers) intrinsic in them, always incur quite limited efficiency and stability. Therefore, the assembly of them into specific nanostructures or nanocomposites is usually proposed to enhance their optoelectronic properties, as well as the photocatalytic efficiency and reliability. Zero-dimensional(0D) nanoparticles are low in size and hence high in specific surface area(SSA) ; one-dimensional(1D) nanostructures are usually arranged in an orderly long range thus leading to low surface defect density and higher carrier mobility; two-dimensional(2D) structures are particularly capable of enhancing the photogenerated charge utilization because of their large reaction sites and shortened charge transport length; The heterogeneous interfaces in the nanocomposites can effectively facilitate the special charge separation. All these emphasize their importance in photocatalytic activity and stability. So far, organic nanostructures are increasingly used in the photocatalytic decomposition of pollutants, CO₂ reduction, water splitting into oxygen and hydrogen, etc. In this review, the varied organic nanostructures, properties, mechanistic pathways, and the different photocatalytic applications are summarized, and moreover, the challenges and future outlook are also given.

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs)is a highly ordered crystalline porous polymer synthesized by dynamic covalent chemical method. Low density, large specific surface area, adjustable porosity, simple and diverse synthesis routes, designable functional units and structures, easy functionalization of surface and pore channels, and high physicochemical stability are the main characteristics of COFs. It has received extensive attention in molecular adsorption and separation, energy storage, photoelectricity, sensing, catalysis, chromatography materials, water treatment materials and biomedicine domains. This paper focuses on the recent research progress of COFs-based nanosystems in biomedical fields, such as biological detection and imaging, drug delivery, optical therapy and combination therapy, and finally summarize the current challenges and future development opportunities of COFs in biomedical field.

The cyanoalkylation/cyanomethylation of organic molecules is of great research interest to organic and medicinal chemists due to the wide presence of the cyano group in biologically active molecules and the facile conversion of the cyano group into many other functional groups, such as amides, esters, aldehydes, and primary amines. Although a variety of different synthetic strategies have been developed for the selective introduction of the cyanomethyl group, an attractive approach is to use acetonitrile directly through C—H activation due to the highly efficient atom economy and the avoidance of prefunctionalization. Therefore, this review summarizes the main research progress in C—H cyanoalkylation/cyanomethylation of radical cyanomethylation, Photochemical Cross-coupling reaction, Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling(CDC) Reaction, Directing group-promoted C—H cyanomethylation and Fluorophore C—H cyanomethylation reported by our group.

Nano-silica(SiO₂) particles are widely used in the preparation of composite materials due to their high hardness, high specific surface area, high stability and reasonable price. The obtained SiO₂/polymer composite materials generally have excellent mechanical properties, good thermal stability, enhanced optical and electrical properties. In recent years, with the development of polymerization-induced self-assembly(PISA), scientists have developed a variety of simple methods for preparing polymeric nanoparticles with different morphologies based on PISA, which provides a new way to prepare SiO₂/polymer composites. Although there are many related reviews of SiO₂/polymer composites, while there is no review on the preparation of nanocomposites based on PISA. Thus we investigated the relevant research in the past ten years on the preparation of SiO₂/polymer composite materials based on PISA. According to the different interaction between SiO₂ and polymer and the compound mechanism, the preparation of SiO₂/polymer composite materials was innovatively divided into physical encapsulation method, chemical grafting method, supramolecular interaction method and in-situ growth method. This review focuses on the synthesis methods, main properties and applications of composite materials, while analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of various composite methods and makes prospects for the future development of preparation methods. It is hoped to provide a clearer context and richer information for scientific researchers in related fields.

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) have a large number of pore structures and active sites, which enable them to play a huge role in gas adsorption, catalysis, medical treatment and other fields. As a crystal powder, MOFs are brittleness, easy hydroxylation, difficulty in recycling and so on which limits its application. MOFs combining to flexible polymers, in particular combining to hydrogels greatly improve the flexibility, dispersibility in water, recyclability, and processability of composite materials, which broadens the application fields of MOFs. In the present paper, it is elaborated that the progress of the preparation of MOFs/hydrogel composites are based on three different methods including MOFs in situ growing from hydrogel, MOFs/hydrogel simultaneous generation, and hydrogel encapsulated MOFs. The characteristics of the above three preparation methods and their resulting product properties are summarized. Additionally, the applications of composite materials in biomedicine, catalysis, wastewater treatment, and gas adsorption are further summarized. Finally, preparation method improvement and future application of MOFs/ hydrogel composites are discussed and prospected.

Starch, as a natural polymer, its attractiveness stems from the annual renewability, low cost and biodegradability in the areas of food, degradable plastics and packaging materials etc. However, the natural starch cannot be directly used in plastics application due to the strong intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, resulted in the lower thermal decomposition temperature than its melting point. It must be plasticized with low molecular weight compounds such as polyols to form thermoplastic starch(TPS) for processing on conventional processing equipment. Therefore, studying the mechanisms and methods in the processing of TPS is the key point to expand its application. Herein, based on the recent works reported, and considering different physical and chemical nature in mechanism, we summarized as 8 factors(hydrogen bond, chemical bond, stress, shear force, thermal conductivity, microwave, hot-air, γ-ray) in TPS formation, and discussed 8 preparation methods(melting, solution, compression molding, ball milling, spray drying, high hydrostatic pressure, chemical modification, high-energy radiation) of TPS, emphasizing on their relationship. This review is expected to be helpful in studying and developing various TPS products in future.

Zinc is an ideal electrode material for green rechargeable batteries because of its abundant raw materials, light weights, excellent electrical conductivity and ductility, as well as high theoretical specific capacity. The zinc-based aqueous battery with the neutral or weak acidic aqueous solution as electrolyte and zinc as the anode has the characteristics of high security, low cost and non-toxic battery materials, simple preparation process, and environmentally friendly. It has abroad application prospects in the field of storage devices for energy and power-driven battery. However, the problems such as zinc dendrite, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and passivation during the process of charging and discharging limit its practical application. In this paper, the existing problems and current solutions of zinc anode for zinc-based aqueous batteries were reviewed, and the developmental trend of the anode has prospected.

Alkali metal-ion batteries refer to secondary batteries with Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺ ions as carriers. They possess high energy density and long service life, and are widely applicated in electronic equipment and clean energy storage. Since the negative electrode plays a critical role on the electrochemical performance, it is urgent to develop high-performance negative electrode with high specific capacity and strong structural stability. It has been accepted that metal compounds anodes based on conversion-type mechanism feature with high theoretical specific capacity, good safety, and abundant resources. However, metal compounds suffer from poor electronic conductivity and obvious volume variation during charge/discharge processes, which damage the rate capabilities and cyclic performance. Using metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) as templates to fabricate metal compounds can effectively solve the above problems. MOFs-derived metal compounds possess distinct advantages when used as anodes for alkali metal-ion batteries:(1) abundant pore structures, which promote fast ion migration;(2) large specific surface area and enormous electrochemically active sites;(3) tunable structure and chemical composition. Herein, this review systematically combs the MOFs-derived conversion-type anodes and their applications in alkali metal-ion batteries. Firstly, three kinds of alkali metal-ion batteries are introduced briefly, and the research progress of various metal compounds derived from MOFs are reviewed. Then, the performance improvement strategies and mechanisms accompanied with MOFs-engaged strategy are summarized. At last, the advantages and challenges of the MOFs-derived conversion-type anodes in alkali metal-ion batteries are concluded, and the perspective of this research area is prospected.

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs) are a new kind of crystalline porous materials formed by covalent bonds of building units.With the feature of ultra-high porosity, stable framework structure, and excellent structural designability, COFs are considered to have great application prospects in secondary batteries. This article reviews the research progress of COFs containing multi-carbonyl building units(multi-carbonyl COFs, Mc-COFs) in different metal-ion secondary batteries, and the challenges faced by Mc-COFs as electrode materials and solid-state electrolyte materials are summarized. Additionally, the strategies for improving the battery performances are introduced in detail, and the development directions of Mc-COFs in secondary batteries are also prospected.

Interfacial Solar Steam Generation(ISSG) is a promising technology for seawater desalination and wastewater treatment, providing an efficient, green, and low-cost method to address the globally water shortage issue. ISSG employs the green and wide-spread solar energy as the energy resource and localizes the heat converted from sunlight at the water-air interface, leading to an enhanced interfacial temperature and solar steam generation efficiency. Designing and fabricating the photothermal conversion materials with high light absorption is the key for ISSG technology. Ti₃C₂-MXene is a recently developed two-dimensional titanium carbide and possesses many fascinating properties, such as large specific surface area, well water-dispersibility, and high photothermal conversion ability. Therefore, Ti₃C₂-MXene shows promising potentials as photothermal conversion material for ISSG. The application of Ti₃C₂-MXene in ISSG attracts much attention and becomes one of the hottest topics in recent years. In this review, we first introduce the ISSG technology, MXene, general principles for designing photothermal materials, and then elaborate the recent research progress of Ti₃C₂-MXene composites for ISSG, including the design and fabrication of two-dimensional MXene films, three-dimensional MXene hydrogels or aerogels, bio-based MXene nanocomposites, etc. In the end, the promising prospects and challenges of Ti₃C₂-MXene for ISSG applications are discussed.

Janus particles, also called Yin-Yang structured particles or bifacial asymmetric particles, refer to asymmetric particles with two or more different chemical compositions or properties. During the past decade, Janus particles have gradually become a new type of functional materials in the fields of biomedicine, catalysis, materials and anti-fouling, due to their unique structure and function. In the field of environmental detection, Janus materials also provide new research directions for improving detection sensitivity, selectivity and stability, on account of their special optical, magnetic and electrical properties. However, there is no updated review in environmental detection field yet. To summarize and provide the guidance for the future development, this article mainly discusses the properties, advantages and applications of Janus materials in the field of environmental detection. Finally, based on our group’s research experience and the problems in this field, this article puts forward an outlook on the development and future development direction of this field, in order to provide guidance for the future development of this field.

Formaldehyde is one of the most common volatile organic pollutants in the indoor environment. It has been confirmed that long-term exposure to formaldehyde causes great harm to health. Supported non-noble metal catalysts have shown excellent performance in formaldehyde removal and practical applications, which has attracted great attention of researchers. This article highlights the recent development of formaldehyde removal by supported non-noble metal catalysts at low temperature, including thermal catalysts, photocatalysts and non-thermal plasma assisted catalysts. Moreover, reaction factors that have great effects on formaldehyde removal and mechanisms are reviewed. The results show that reaction conditions, supports types and preparing conditions are the most important factors in the low-temperature catalytic removal of formaldehyde. Supported non-noble metal catalysts exhibit outstanding performance in the photocatalysis and thermal catalysis of formaldehyde. Besides, remarkable formaldehyde removal efficiency was also observed at low temperature or under UV light irradiation. However, catalytic activity improvement of the supported non-noble metal catalysts under visible light and room temperature should be further investigated. It is still the point of future research to reduce by-products and energy consumption in formaldehyde removal process by non-thermal plasma combined with non-noble metal catalysts. Here, this paper also proposes the prospects on the development direction of supported non-noble metal catalysts in formaldehyde removal.

MCM-41 mesoporous silica nanoparticles(MSNs) have drawn a great deal of attention in biosensors, because of their specific structures and unique physical chemistry properties. Combined with various functional materials or molecules, such as DNA,signal probes and various active nanoparticles, MCM-41 MSNs can be developed into the multifunctional nanomaterials in the application of DNA biosensors. In particular, the spherical and porous film of MCM-41 MSNs have the advantages of high loading capacity, controlled release of pores and high specific surface area, which can effectively load various signal probes, control the spread of particles and fix numerous active nanomaterials. As a result, it will greatly improve the sensitivity of DNA biosensors. This review is intended to focus on the recent progress in synthetic methods, template removal, surface modification and application of MCM-41 MSNs. Firstly, the common methods synthesis and template removal of the spherical and porous film of MCM-41 MSNs are summarized along with a brief introduction on their merits and drawbacks. Secondly, surface modification methods are described, including surface stabilization and surface functionalization. Thirdly, the application of the spherical and porous film of MCM-41 MSNs based on the signal probe delivery system, molecular sieve and active nanomaterials’ carrier to improve sensitivity in DNA biosensors are concluded. The final part outlines the challenges and perspectives.

Semi-artificial photosynthetic system could realize the solar-to-chemical energy conversion by utilizing the synergistic effects of key functional components of artificial and natural photosynthetic systems. The biohybrid mediated semi-artificial photosynthetic system(BMSAPS) can effectively trigger the specific solar-to-chemical conversion due to the excellent light-harvesting properties of photosensitizers and highly-efficient biological catalytic abilities of biocatalysts. Enhancing the photoelectron generation, transfer and utilization on the micro-interface of photosensitizer-biocatalyst hybrids is considered to be crucial for improving the performance of BMSAPS. This review innovatively concludes the key scientific issues and research status on the BMSAPS construction based on its constituent elements. Meanwhile, the relevant mechanisms and research methods for the photogenerated electron transport in the BMSAPS are also described. In addition, the research progress of the BMSAPS on different fields such as the renewable energy conversion and CO₂ emission reduction are summarized, followed by the future research directions. This review is expected to deepen the understanding of the BMSAPS, thereby providing the theoretical foundation and technical support for further optimizing its application in the field of energy production and environmental restoration.

In comparison to the crystalline forms, amorphous drugs exhibit higher surface free energy, higher apparent solubility and faster dissolution rate. However, since the amorphous state is thermodynamically unstable, amorphous solids tend to transform into their stable crystalline forms, resulting in the decreased dissolution and hence low bioavailability. This paper reviews the fundamental introduction of amorphous drugs, the crystallization theory, the influence factors on the physical stability and strategies for their crystallization inhibition, in order to provide a theoretical guidance for the rational design of amorphous drug products and efficient development of amorphous formulations. All of these could contribute to more applications of amorphous drugs in overcoming the poor water solubility issues.

The biorefinery based on sugar platform can produce various carbon-based chemicals, materials, and fuels. Compared with glucose and cellulose, a facile conversion of fructose into versatile biomass-based platform molecules such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with desirable selectivity can be expected, thus the isomerization of glucose into fructose has become one of the vital reactions for biorefinery. In this review, an in-depth discussion on the reaction mechanism of glucose isomerization by chemocatalytic route is provided, and the recent research progress on glucose isomerization into fructose in the view of isomerization catalysts is comprehensively summarized. Based on the discussion on the catalysts for glucose isomerization and their catalysis, the ongoing research on the chemocatalytic isomerization of glucose into fructose is envisaged.

Advanced oxidation processes based on persulfate activation have attracted increasing attention in the field of environmental remediation. However, the ubiquitous presence of radical scavengers in the environment limits the practical application of this technology. The latest publications show that the persulfate, under the activation of certain catalysts, can oxidize contaminants through the non-radical mechanism of electron transfer, and the catalyst mainly serves as an electron shuttle. This technology is not easily affected by common anions, such as chloride ions and bicarbonate ions, and natural organic matters and has high selectivity for the oxidation of target contaminants. Meanwhile, this technology may degrade pollutants without the need of direct contact between oxidants and pollutants, thereby avoiding the generation of toxic halogenated products due to the direct interaction between halogen ions and persulfate. This review mainly summarizes the types of common electron shuttles, the characterization methods of electron transfer processes, and the effects of common water components. Finally, the problems and application potential of this technology are proposed.

The conversion of biomass into biocrude oil by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a potential way to produce renewable liquid fuels. However, the aqueous phase (HTL-AP) by-products have high yields, complex compositions and high environmental risk which limit the green development of hydrothermal liquefaction technology. Based on the relevant research of our research group in recent 10 years (2012-2021), this paper summarizes the formation mechanism, characteristics and resource recovery path of HTL-AP. The factors affecting the formation of HTL-AP were introduced, and the ways of compound transformation and element migration in different hydrothermal reaction variables were summarized. The approaches and research progress of aqueous biotransformation, including aerobic microbial degradation, microalgae culture, anaerobic treatment and microbial electrochemistry, were reviewed. The physical methods such as membrane separation and adsorption were introduced to separate aqueous substances and obtain high-value components. The potential of using HTL-AP to prepare agricultural fungicides was discussed. Finally, the treatment principle and research direction are prospected in order to provide reference for the treatment and resource recovery of HTL-AP.