Transfer hydrogenation protocols involve versatile and environmentally benign methods capable of providing alternatives to traditional hydrogenation processes. However, most of the non-noble metal catalysts used for transfer hydrogenation processes proceed with the aid of base additives or phosphorus-containing ligands to obtain good yields. We report a green and sustainable catalytic system by fabrication of a Co@CN bi-functional nanocatalyst with a new N-containing [Co(TPA)(ted)_0.5] as a sacrificial template. This catalytic system was employed effectively for selective transfer hydrogenation of an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde, CAL) to obtain a high yield of an α,β-unsaturated alcohol (cinnamyl alcohol, COL) under a mild reaction condition without use of additives. During thermolysis, the retained N atoms were distributed uniformly in catalysts and endowed the catalysts with abundant basic sites, and Co²⁺ in [Co(TPA)(ted)_0.5] were converted in situ into Co nanoparticles. Experimental results indicated obvious coordination interactions between Co nanoparticles and N atoms in these bi-functional catalysts. By optimizing the reaction conditions, a catalytic system with Co@CN-900 as a catalyst and n-hexanol as the proton donor exhibited the optimal activity for this transformation, achieving 99% selectivity for COL with full conversion. In addition, a reasonable reaction mechanism for the transfer hydrogenation of CAL to COL was proposed. Furthermore, this catalytic system also demonstrated good recyclability as well as wide substrates compatibility.

The hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted considerable attention in the photovoltaic community during the last decade due to unique properties, such as high absorption coefficient, solutionable fabrication, and compatibility with roll-to-roll technology. A certified power conversion efficiency of PSCs as high as 25.2% has been obtained, approaching the levels of silicon solar cells, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar cells. However, the device area of a PSC is one of the biggest challenges for the commercialize applications. To fabricate large-area PSCs, various fabrication methods have been proposed, including spray coating, slot-die coating, vacuum deposition, and blade coating. Here, the blade-coating technique progress for the PSC fabrication has been reviewed. Moreover, the optimized ways during the solution fabrication process, the efficient strategy for improving the perovskite films' morphology, have also been summarized in this work. In the last part, the challenges and opportunities of PSC commercialization have also been proposed.