The alkaline oxygen evolution reaction is a key step in producing green hydrogen through water electrolysis, but its large-scale industrial application remains limited due to challenges with current electrocatalysts—particularly in terms of scalability, efficiency, and long-term stability. Here we show an industrially scalable synthesis of an active NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) catalyst using a room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure route. The process involves homogeneous alkalinization, where chloride ions nucleophilically attack an epoxide ring, producing a low-dimensional, defect-rich NiFe-LDH with pronounced iron clustering. In-situ spectroscopy and ab-initio calculations reveal that these structural features maximize the conversion of the NiFe-LDH to the catalytic active phase and minimize the energy barrier, improving catalytic efficiency. When used as the anode in an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer operating at 70 °C, our material delivers 1 A cm⁻² at 1.69 V in a 5 cm² full-cell setup, with notable durability compared to conventional NiFe-LDHs. This scalable approach could considerably lower the cost of green hydrogen production by enabling more efficient alkaline electrolyzers.

Catalysts based on Na–mordenite (symbolized as “M”) exchanged with 5, 10, and 15 wt % of Ag were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), extended X-ray absorption fine line structure (EXAFS), X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to investigate the effect of different treatments on the chemical state and surface concentration of the silver species. The Ag_xM catalysts were analyzed in oxidizing (O₂) or reducing (H₂/Ar) atmospheres and also after being used in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx or in successive cycles of toluene adsorption/desorption. In calcined samples, EXAFS profiles showed two types of Ag–O spheres of coordination, one due to a dispersed phase of silver oxide and the other due to Ag⁺ ions in interaction with the oxygen of the zeolite framework. The UV–vis DRS spectra showed the coexistence of isolated Ag⁺, Ag_n^δ+ (n < 10) cationic clusters and Ag_xO particles. In addition, through the modified Auger parameter (α′), calculated from XPS measurements, it was possible to identify Ag⁺ ions at exchange sites (α′ ≈ 722 eV) and Ag_xO (α′ ≈ 725 eV) highly dispersed on the surface. Both species constitute stable active centers for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx under severe reaction conditions. However, during the adsorption–desorption of toluene, the reduction of silver oxides produces Ag(0) due to thermal hydrocarbon decomposition.

We present results from four independent models of a granular assembly subjected to tapping. We find that the steady-state packing fraction as a function of the tapping intensity is nonmonotonic. In particular, for high tapping intensities, we observe an increase of the packing fraction with tapping strength. This finding challenges the current understanding of compaction of granular media since the steady-state packing fraction is believed to decrease monotonically with increasing tapping intensity. We propose an explanation of our results based on the properties of the arches formed by the particles.

Aiming to improve the hydrogen storage properties of 2LiH + MgB ₂ (Li-RHC), the effect of the in situ formed and low cost Li _x TiO ₂ is investigated.