The global atmospheric transport of microplastics (MPs) plays a crucial role in the contamination of remote, especially higher-elevation, environments. Precipitation is considered the main source of MP pollution. Meanwhile, plastic waste generated from, for example, tourism activities can be a local source of MP pollution. In this study, we specify which of the mentioned sources of MP, global or local, have a higher impact on the pollution level in the high-elevation oligotrophic lakes of Tatra National Park in Poland. Due to its unique natural value, it is listed by UNESCO as an international biosphere reserve and meets the criteria for Natura 2000 areas. We comprehensively analyzed the morphometric and anthropogenic features of 11 lakes in terms of the contamination level, color, shape, and polymer type of the MPs found in the surface waters. MP fibers were found to be present in all studied lakes, with contamination ranging from 25 to 179 items/m³. Polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and natural or semi-natural cellulose fibers—black or red in color with a length of 0.2–1.0 mm—predominated, which corresponds with other studies conducted on remote mountain ecosystems. We did not find any correlation of the number of MPs with local anthropogenic pressure characteristics. In turn, the significant correlation with lake area, coastline length, lake volume, and catchment area indicated airborne sources, including global transport of MPs to the lakes with reduced water outflow.

Molecular intercalation holds significant implication for the effective utilization of two-dimensional (2D) materials in a wide array of key application including gas detection and catalysis. However, its full potential remains underexplored. Using density functional theory (DFT) simulations, this study examines the intercalation of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) into molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), as well as, the impact of sulfur vacancies on the process. Our findings reveal that CO intercalation is universally unfavorable in pristine MoS₂, while CO₂ intercalation is marginally favorable only at high molecular coverages. Sulfur vacancies, however, serve as selective vectors, facilitating CO intercalation by incorporating CO molecules into the vacancy sites and enabling catalytic CO-to-CO₂ conversion without significantly affecting CO₂ intercalation. The extent of enhancement in CO intercalation correlates with the vacancy concentration, highlighting the potential of defect engineering in MoS₂ for number of potential application. This mechanism offers a promising approach for CO detection in CO+CO₂ gas mixtures, which combines an intrinsic feedback loop for elevated gas capture in MoS₂ under conditions of incomplete combustion. Additionally, sulfur vacancies support CO oxidation back to CO₂, suggesting new opportunities for CO₂ reduction reactions (CRR) and advancing the design of multifunctional catalytic systems based on 2D materials.

Substituting Sc ³⁺ for Al ³⁺ in Pr ³⁺ -doped Lu _1.5 Y _1.5 Al _{5− x} Sc _x O ₁₂ crystals enhances the Pr ³⁺ emission across the UV-Vis-NIR spectral range. This enhancement is attributed to an efficient Sc ³⁺ → Pr ³⁺ energy transfer and increased structural disorder.