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N‐Ethyl carboxylic acid functionalized polyethyleneimine (N‐CEPEI) has been explored as a novel water‐solution binder for LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes, which is synthesized via Michael addition reaction of acrylic acid with the primary and secondary amines from PEI, followed by subsequent in situ condensation. The N‐CEPEI binder facilitates the formation of a 3D polymer networks, which exhibits a higher diffusion efficacy of lithium ions and better mechanical strength compared to the commercial poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) binder, and thus maintains the structural integrity of LFP electrode. The electrochemical performance of the LFP electrode utilizing N‐CEPEI binder is evaluated through cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and long‐cycle‐life testing, and the results are compared with those of electrodes using PVDF and PEI binder. The optimal LFP electrode with N‐CEPEI binder exhibits superior cycling stability and rate capability, delivering a capacity of 139.60 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention of 94.8% after 400 cycles at 1 C, as compared with 86.6% for PVDF‐LFP electrode. Even at a high rate of 5 C, the N‐CEPEI‐LFP electrode maintains a capacity of 80 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles. This work highlights the potential of N‐CEPEI as an effective water‐solution binder for LFP‐based lithium‐ion batteries.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted much attention due to their high specific capacity. However, commercial carbonate electrolytes are challenging to apply in LMBs because of the narrow operating temperature range (−20 to 50 °C). Carboxylate solvents have the advantages of low viscosity and low freezing point and perform well at low temperatures. However, their poor thermal stability limits their application at high temperatures. This work added a dinitrile solvent to the carboxylate electrolyte to expand its liquid range and improve its electrochemical stability. In addition, the coordination of molecules in the first solvated layer is carefully controlled to promote many anions entering the solvated layer, contributing to forming a robust inorganic solid electrolyte interface film. Because of the addition of the dinitrile solvent, the electrolyte enables Li/NCM811 cells to achieve a capacity release of 149.3 mAh/g at −40 °C. After 200 cycles at 80 °C, the capacity retention rate of Li/LFP cells is 94.31%. Even in ultra-thin lithium metal cells (17 μm), it can be stable for more than 100 cycles. This opens up new opportunities for developing electrolytes suitable for high-performance and all-weather LMBs.

Climate change and the trophic status of water bodies are important factors in global occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms. The aim of this study was to explore the cyanobacteria‒bacterial interactions that occur during Raphidiopsis raciborskii (R. raciborskii) blooms by conducting microcosm simulation experiments at different temperatures (20 °C and 30 °C) and with different phosphorus concentrations (0.01 mg/L and 1 mg/L) using an ecological model of microbial behavior and by analyzing microbial self-regulatory strategies using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Three-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of temperature and phosphorus on the growth of R. raciborskii (P < 0.001). The results of a metagenomics-based analysis of bacterioplankton revealed that the synergistic effects of both climate and trophic changes increased the ability of R. raciborskii to compete with other cyanobacteria for dominance in the cyanobacterial community. The antagonistic effects of climate and nutrient changes favored the occurrence of R. raciborskii blooms, especially in eutrophic waters at approximately 20 °C. The species diversity and richness indices differed between the eutrophication treatment group at 20 °C and the other treatment groups. The symbiotic bacterioplankton network revealed the complexity and stability of the symbiotic bacterioplankton network during blooms and identified the roles of key species in the network. The study also revealed a complex pattern of interactions between cyanobacteria and non-cyanobacteria dominated by altruism, as well as the effects of different behavioral patterns on R. raciborskii bloom occurrence. Furthermore, this study revealed self-regulatory strategies that are used by microbes in response to the dual pressures of temperature and nutrient loading. These results provide important insights into the adaptation of microbial communities in freshwater ecosystems to environmental change and provide useful theoretical support for aquatic environmental management and ecological restoration efforts.

Background The Hailuogou Glacier has been continuously retreating since the end of the Little Ice Age, resulting in a 125-year soil chronosequence and a complete primary forest succession sequence. Nutrient cycling and utilization are the foundation to forest succession processes and dynamic changes, directly influencing the structure and stability of ecosystems. However, our understandings on the characteristics of ecosystem nutrient accumulation and recycling during succession, especially in the context of primary succession within glacier retreat areas, remain limited. To address this, we investigated nutrient characteristics across six forest primary succession sites in the Hailuogou Glacier retreat area. Methods Six sites representing three forest stages: the pioneer plant stage (S1), the broad-leaved forest stage (S2–S4), and the coniferous forest stage (S5–S6). Three quadrats were established at each site, and measurements of biomass as well as soil characteristics were documented within each quadrat. Subsequently, we collected samples of vegetation, soil and litter. By measuring the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in vegetation and soil and combining with the data of the quadrat survey, the pools and nutrient characteristics of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in various components of the ecosystem were calculated at each site. Results Our findings indicated that: (1) Nutrient pools, excluding the soil C layer, increased with forest primary succession, reaching 5,995.71 kg hm−2 N, 461.83 kg hm−2 P, 3,798.09 kg hm−2 K, 7,559.81 kg hm−2 Ca and 1,948.13 kg hm−2 Mg at site S6; however, the pools of P, K, and Mg in the Oa layer, and Ca and Mg in the tree layer, attained their peak levels at sites S3 to S4. (2) The pools of N, Ca, and Mg in the organic soil were significantly greater than vegetation. Although over 60% of the P and K were stored in the organic soil at site S1, these proportions shifted, with vegetation holding 60.71% of P and 56.86% of K at site S5. (3) Broad-leaved forests exhibited higher nutrient return, cycling, and absorption, thereby accelerating nutrient circulation and depleting soil nutrients to maintain growth. In contrast, coniferous forests were more efficient at nutrient utilization and storage, retaining nutrients and maintaining high biomass and productivity in nutrient-poor environments. Overall, these findings highlighted that the nutrients in each component of the ecosystem continue to accumulate with forest primary succession. Coniferous forests’ nutrient cycling mechanisms offer a competitive edge in nutrient-poor environments, enhancing ecosystem stability.

Blast furnace gas (BFG) is an important by-product energy for the iron and steel industry and has been widely used for heating or electricity generation. However, the undesirable contaminants in BFG (especially H2S) generate harmful environmental emissions. The desulfurization of BFG is urgent for integrated steel plants due to the stringent ultra-low emission standards. Compared with other desulfurization materials, zeolite-based adsorbents represent a viable option with low costs and long service life. In this study, an ammonia-induced CuO modified 13X adsorbent (NH3–CuO/13X) was prepared for H2S removal from simulated BFG at low temperature. The XRD, H2-TPR and TEM analysis proved that smaller CuO particles were formed and the dispersion of Cu on the surface of 13X zeolite was improved via the induction of ammonia. Evaluation on H2S adsorption performance of the adsorbent was carried out using simulated BFG, and the results showed that NH3–CuO/13X-3 has better breakthrough sulfur capacity, which was more than twice the sulfur capacity of CuO/13X. It is proposed that the enhanced desulfurization performance of NH3–CuO/13X is attributed to an abundant pore of 13X, and combined action of 13X and CuO. This work provided an effective way to improve the sulfur capacity of zeolite-based adsorbents via impregnation method by ammonia induction.

This study is focused on experimental and computational investigation into effects of sulfur-ash reduction treatment over environmental and simulated combustion behavior of lignite coals, specifically Lakhra and Balochistan coals. The simulative investigation was conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A 2D CFD model of a coal combustor was developed using Ansys FLUENT to analyze the impact of coal treatment, pressure, and coal feeding rate on sulfur oxide (SOx) generation, combustion efficiency, and temperature profiles. The research aims to provide insights into optimizing coal combustion processes for efficient energy production and reduced environmental impact. The results indicate that treating coal leads to an increase in CO2 and H2O production while reducing CO levels, particularly evident in Balochistan coal. Elevated pressure positively affects combustion efficiency, reflected in higher CO2 and H2O mole fractions. The study also reveals that while combustion efficiency slightly decreases with an increase in coal feeding rate, treated coal exhibits a lesser decrease compared to raw coal. SOx generation is significantly reduced up to 55 to 62% after treatment, reaching negligible levels, with both pressure and coal feeding rate influencing SOx generation. Despite similar sulfur content, Lakhra and Balochistan coals exhibit comparable SOx generation due to their similar sulfur ranges. Temperature profiles show that treated coals exhibit higher temperatures during combustion compared to raw coals, with pressure and coal feeding rate directly influencing temperature. Maximum temperature was found in the range of 2555 to 2564 K. While pressure has a minor positive effect on temperature for Lakhra coal, Balochistan coal shows high sensitivity to pressure. These findings highlight the importance of coal treatment and pressure optimization for reducing SOx emissions and improving combustion efficiency in coal-fired power plants.

People have accepted the clear fact that elevated CO2 (eCO2) and climate warming are happening, but sustainable agricultural systems are still struggling to adapt. 3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol phosphate (DMPP) is currently recognized as a highly effective strategy for reducing nitrogen (N) loss and related environmental impacts. There is still uncertainty, however, whether DMPP could contribute to building climate-resilient ecosystems in a future climate scenario with co-elevated CO2 and temperature. Thus, this study evaluated the responses of plant N derived from soil or fertilizer and strawberry growth to the tested climate conditions. Plants were supplied with or without DMPP, grown in controlled climate chambers under ambient CO2 and temperature (aCT; 400 ppm + 25℃), and co-elevated CO2 and temperature (eCT; 800 ppm + 27℃). The results showed that DMPP increased plant N accumulation by 9 % and 19 % under aCT and eCT conditions, respectively, compared to N treatment without DMPP. We also found a similar trend in total C content in the plants. Compared with aCT, DMPP demonstrated higher efficiency in improving N use efficiency (NUE, 51 % vs. 36 %) and reducing N loss (21 % vs. 29 %) under eCT, which could ensure higher N demand of plant, making fertilizer-N, rather than soil-N, a primary contributor to the N accumulation increment. Moreover, in terms of combating climate challenge, the combination with DMPP further strengthened the beneficial influence of eCT on the N accumulation and biomass in strawberry but reduced fertilizer-N loss. In summary, DMPP exhibits better performance under eCT, which may alleviate the potential adverse effects of co-elevated CO2 and temperature on ecosystem by reducing fertilizer-N loss and soil-N mineralization more efficiently, providing a promising approach to optimizing sustainable agricultural management under future climate change.

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) have gained considerable attention in the past decade as a potentially sustainable and cost-effective method for coal chemical wastewater (CCW) treatment. However, a scarcity of studies focusing on the recovery NH4+-N in the recycling treatment of CCW via BES technology. In this study, a BES-ammonium recovery system (BES-ARS) was proposed to remove phenol and NH4+-N simultaneously, while NH4+-N was further recovered in a downstream recovery unit. Through systematic evaluation, we identified optimal condition for both phenol and NH4+-N removal. Specifically, an influent phenol-to-ammonium ratio of 2.0 was found to be ideal for maximizing simultaneous removal efficiency. Additionally, an evaluation of the nitrogen distribution showed that 97.9 % of NH4+-N migrated to the cathode chamber, with 82.5 % of NH4+-N being recovered in the absorbent under optimal condition. Furthermore, the solution not only reduces operational costs by up to 68 % compared to conventional treatments, but also conserves energy. This study presents an efficient and environmentally friendly treatment method for treating CCW, while recovering NH4+-N as a valuable resource.

AbstractBlack carbon (BC) is considered as an important contributor to the Himalayan glaciers melt in the past few decades. However, the long‐term source apportionment of BC remains unclear. Here we present the first radiocarbon (14C)‐based annual variation of BC source apportionment in an ice core spanning the period of 1959–2012 drilled from the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau, a receptor site of South Asia outflow. We find fossil fuel combustion is a major contribution (73% ± 5%), yet the biomass burning fraction (ƒbiomass) has grown from 24% ± 4% to 30% ± 4% since 1990. Intriguingly, we further find the ƒbiomass demonstrating a robust correlation with South Asian wildfires linked to climate oscillations. Thus, for mitigating BC impacts on Himalayan glaciers, South Asia's transition from fossil fuels to clean energy is a more efficient and urgent strategy than reducing residential biomass burning.