A paired electrochemical refinery toward the cathodic nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) and anodic glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) driven by renewable electricity could generate high value-added ammonia and formic acid simultaneously. However, both cathode and anode electrocatalysts often suffer from low efficiency and unclear reconstruction. Herein, we prepare a non-noble NiCu–OH nanocomposite precatalyst composed of crystalline Cu₂(OH)₃(NO₃) and amorphous Ni(OH)₂, which can be reconstructed into high-activity and stable cathodic NO₃RR and anodic GOR electrocatalysts under operating conditions. Various in situ and ex situ experiments demonstrate that NiCu–OH could convert into active Cu nanoparticles coupled with amorphous Ni(OH)₂ under cathodic NO₃RR conditions. Meanwhile, under anodic GOR conditions, NiCu–OH-derived bimetal oxide (NiCuO) changes into active NiOOH species composited with Cu vacancy-rich CuO. Furthermore, an actual paired electrochemical refinery with the reconstructed NiCu-based catalysts toward the NO₃RR and GOR shows a low potential of 1.37 V at a current density of 100 mA cm⁻² to continuously produce ammonium and formate. This study provides a new paradigm for the design of an electrochemical refinery with reconstructed non-noble electrocatalysts toward chemical upgradation.

Metals usually have three crystal structures: face-centered cubic (fcc), body-centered cubic (bcc), and hexagonal-close packed (hcp) structures. Typically, metals exhibit only one of these structures at room temperature. Mechanical processing can cause phase transition in metals, however, metals that exhibit all the three crystal structures have rarely been approached, even when hydrostatic pressure or shock conditions are applied. Here, through in situ observation of the atomic-scale bending and tensile process of $\sim 5\mathrm{nm}$-sized Ag nanowires (NWs), we show that bending is an effective method to facilitate fcc-structured Ag to access all the above-mentioned structures. The process of transitioning the fcc structure into a bcc structure, then into an hcp structure, and finally into a re-oriented fcc structure under bending has been witnessed in its entirety. This re-oriented fcc structure is twin-related to the matrix, which leads to twin nucleation without the need for partial dislocation activities. The results of this study advance our understanding of the deformation mechanism of small-sized fcc metals.

Hydrogen production from electrolytic water is an important sustainable technology to realize renewable energy conversion and carbon neutrality. However, it is limited by the high overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. To reduce the operating voltage of electrolyzer, herein thermodynamically favorable glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) is proposed to replace the OER. Moreover, vertical NiO flakes and NiMoNH nanopillars are developed to boost the reaction kinetics of anodic GOR and cathodic hydrogen evolution, respectively. Meanwhile, excluding the explosion risk of mixed H₂/O₂, a cheap organic membrane is used to replace the expensive anion exchange membrane in the electrolyzer. Impressively, the electrolyzer delivers a remarkable reduction of operation voltage by 280 mV, and exhibits good long-term stability. This work provides a new paradigm of hydrogen production with low cost and good feasibility.