A comprehensive review on oxygen vacancy modified photocatalysts including synthesis (controllability of location, content, etc. ), characterization (qualitative, quantitative and locational analysis), and applications and mechanisms.

The 3D-printed ceramic catalyst has a broad range of application prospects. Notably, the ZIF-67-loaded 3D-printed ceramic catalyst demonstrates exceptional catalytic performance and a high degree of structural design flexibility. However, the ceramics prepared by the direct loading of ZIF-67 onto ceramic substrates during 3D printing show insufficient catalytic stability. In this study, aluminum phosphate (AP) was used as a binder to enhance the adhesion between ZIF-67 and the Al2O3 ceramic support surface, thereby reducing ZIF-67 shedding and preventing the degradation of the catalytic performance of the 3D-printed ceramic catalyst. Consequently, after six cycles, the conversion rate of 4-nitrophenol with ZIF-67/Al2O3 decreased by 31%, whereas that with ZIF-67@AP/Al2O3 decreased by only 5.4%. The reasons for the high catalytic stability of ZIF-67@AP/Al2O3 were comprehensively and meticulously investigated. The proposed synthesis strategy, which utilizes AP to facilitate the bonding of ZIF-67 to the Al2O3 ceramic scaffold, offers a novel approach for enhancing the catalytic stability of 3D-printed ceramic catalysts loaded with active species through self-growth methods. This approach is expected to guide future research on efficient catalytic systems for various applications.

Synthesis, photocatalytic applications and future prospects of noble metal-modified semiconductors fabricated via photodeposition.

Introducing nano-twins into electrolytic copper foil is an effective method to enhance strength and toughness. While pulse electrodeposition enables the easier preparation of high-density nano-twin copper, large-scale industrial production mainly relies on direct current electrodeposition. Therefore, systematically studying the effects of electroplating parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of direct current electrodeposited copper foil is crucial. In this paper, we discuss the effects of pH value, C_CuSO4, and J_k on the microstructure and mechanical properties of electroplated copper foils at room temperature. The results show that copper foils exhibit stronger (220)_Cu preferred orientation on the M surface than on the S surface with changes in pH value, C_CuSO4, and J_k. When the pH value is 2.5, the C_CuSO4 is between 70 and 90 g/L, and the J_k is within the range of 70–90 mA/cm², the prepared copper foil has better compactness and no obvious pinhole-like defects. Particularly, the copper foil electroplated with a pH value of 2.5, a C_CuSO4 of 80 g/L, and a J_k of 80 mA/cm² consists of equiaxed and columnar grains, featuring small grain size, uniform distribution, and a dense structure, resulting in excellent mechanical properties.

In the realm of photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting, the BiVO₄/WO₃ photoanode exhibits high electron–hole pair separation and transport capacity, rendering it a promising avenue for development. However, the charge transport and reaction kinetics at the heterojunction interface are suboptimal. This study uses the hydrothermal–electrodeposition–dip coating–calcination method to prepare a microcrystalline WO₃ photoanode thin film as the substrate material and combines it with nanocrystalline BiVO₄ to form a micro–nano-structured heterojunction photoanode to enhance the intrinsic and surface/interface charge transport properties of the photoanode. Under the condition of 1.23 V vs. RHE, the photoelectric current density reaches 1.09 mA cm⁻², which is twice that of WO₃. Furthermore, by using a simple impregnation–mineralization method to load the amorphous FeOOH catalyst, a noncrystalline–crystalline composite structure is formed to increase the number of active sites on the surface and reduce the overpotential of water oxidation, lowering the onset potential from 0.8 V to 0.6 V (vs. RHE). The photoelectric current density is further increased to 2.04 mA cm⁻² (at 1.23 V vs. RHE). The micro–nano-structure and noncrystalline–crystalline composite structure proposed in this study will provide valuable insights for the design and synthesis of high-efficiency photoelectrocatalysts.