Guiding clean energy transitions in rural households: Insights from China's pilot low-carbon policies.

The impact of Low Carbon Pilot Policies (LCPPs) on carbon reduction and energy efficiency has been extensively studied. However, the potential of these policies to promote clean energy transition (CET) in rural households remains underexplored. This article constructed a staggered-DID model using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to investigate the impact and mechanisms of LCPPs on rural households' CET. The findings indicate that LCPPs significantly enhance the CET among rural households. Moreover, the effects of LCPPs vary across cities, while differences within communities and households are less pronounced. Mechanism analysis reveals that LCPPs facilitate rural households' CET through income effects, infrastructure improvements, and enhanced low-carbon awareness. Notably, the income and low-carbon awareness effects are heterogeneous. Additionally, LCPPs have increased rural households' expenditures on home-cooked meals. We estimate the average fixed cost of the CET for rural households to be approximately $404.495. These insights provide valuable empirical evidence that can guide other countries and regions in promoting CET in rural areas.

Innovation in clean energy from man-made wind and small-wind generation.

The need to reduce global emissions leads us to look for various sources of clean energy. In recent decades, wind technology has advanced significantly, enabling large-scale power generation in both marine and terrestrial environments, as well as the development of mini-wind solutions. However, we often underestimate the capacity of certain human activities and production processes to generate clean energy, wasting their true potential. This work focuses on using artificially generated wind gusts to transform them into clean electricity through small wind turbines. The proposal is developed in four phases: (1) identify activities that generate wind, (2) collect data on wind speed and direction, (3) perform a descriptive statistical analysis of the wind resource, and (4) select the appropriate technology to calculate the electricity generation. The proposal is evaluated using the air flow produced by the air conditioning systems of a data center in Colombia. The results are analyzed from technical, economic, environmental, and political perspectives. Through small wind power, an annual production of approximately 468 MWh is estimated, avoiding the emission of 300 metric tons of CO 2 .

Sustainable bioenergy potential of peat-moss derived hydrothermal aqueous phase: Insights into methane production and organic transformation.

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG-7) by exploring bioenergy production from peat-moss derived hydrothermal aqueous phase (HAPs) through anaerobic digestion (AD). This study investigated six combinations of hydrothermal conversion temperature (HCT) and residence time (HCRT). Methane yields varied significantly, with the highest (256 mL/g COD) achieved at 200 °C:4h, while the lowest (97 mL/g COD) was at 320 °C:4h due to formation of toxic and refractory organics. Microtox analysis showed acute toxicity > 98 % for all HAPs. Notably, higher HCT and HCRT led to more complex and diverse organic patterns, promoting the formation of humus-like substances, ester, alkane alcohols, and aromatics. GC-MS analysis revealed a 23 % increase in aldehyde and ketone compounds at 320 °C:4h. Continuous experiments confirmed 29 % COD removal efficiency at 320 °C:4h and identified 13 refractory organics, highlighting challenges in biodegradability. These findings provided valuable insights for optimizing AD processes, enhancing bioenergy production, and advancing sustainable energy solutions in alignment with SDG-7.

Research on performance and potential of distributed heating system for peak shaving with multi-energy resource.

Climate change and its negative effects are driving the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. To tackle the dependency on traditional energy sources in harsh winter regions and improve heating quality during periods of thermal demand fluctuations, this paper proposes a new distributed heating peak shaving system (DHPS). The system combines municipal heat and clean energy within the secondary network while reducing the return water temperature in the primary network. It comprises solar collectors, electric thermal storage tanks (ETST), and absorption heat pump (AHP) units, integrated into conventional heat exchange stations. The system operates in two modes to manage peak and off-peak loads respectively, with TRNSYS simulation used to evaluate performance across a range of peak-shaving gradients. A multidimensional comprehensive assessment is conducted between the DHPS under optimal peak shaving coefficient (θ) conditions and conventional peak clipping boiler (PCB). Results indicate that DHPS achieves a high primary energy ratio (PER) of 1.251 at θ = 0.5, reducing combustion emissions by nearly 40%. The static payback period (PBP) of the system is 3.5 years. When the electricity price drops to 0.275 CNY, its operational costs are comparable to PCB. DHPS caters to the energy characteristics of cold regions where electricity supply exceeds demand. It enables flexible peak shaving while ensuring the complete utilization of clean energy and effectively utilizing waste heat from power plants.

Readiness for a clean energy future: Prevalence, perceptions, and barriers to adoption of electric stoves and solar panels in New York City.

Adoption of electric stoves and rooftop solar can reduce fossil-fuel reliance and improve health by decreasing indoor air pollution and alleviating energy insecurity. This study assessed prevalence and perceptions of these clean-energy technologies to increase adoption in New York City (NYC). A representative survey of 1,950 NYC adults was conducted from February 28 to April 1, 2022. Fourteen percent of people had an electric stove; 86% had gas stoves. Black, Latino/a, and lower-income residents were more likely to have electric stoves than White and higher-income residents. Only 14% of residents were interested in switching from gas to electric stoves. Of the 71% with gas stoves uninterested in switching, nearly half (45%) preferred gas cooking, particularly among White and higher-income residents, indicating a large opportunity to shift preferences. About 5% used solar for their home or building; another 77% were interested in solar. Of the 18% uninterested in solar, reasons included lack of agency, confusion about operation, and costs. Education about health and cost benefits, induction technology, how to transition, available subsidies, and other efforts to reduce adoption barriers can support clean technology uptake. Residential clean energy metrics should be tracked regularly to ensure that technology adoption proceeds equitably.

Drivers of variation in fuel choice for cooking: From the selected towns of North Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

This study aimed to examine household fuel choice behaviour and drivers of variation in fuel choice for cooking. It utilizes descriptive statistics, ordered logit model and generalized ordered logit model to analyze the influence of independent variables upon dependent variables. The result shows that, mixed fuels are the dominant sources of energy with 43.75 % followed by unclean fuel with 33.25 % and then clean fuel with 23 %. This confirms 'households' Fuel-Stacking behaviour. The result of the ordered logit model suggest that variables like family size, per monthly income, the gender of household head, household ownership of electric meter, ownership of housing unit, marital status, age, occupation, educational levels of household heads, and the number of the adult females are statistically significant at 1 %, 5 %, and 10 % while, place of residence and occupation (self-non agriculture) are statistically insignificant to determine fuel choice. Identifying the fuels which are chosen by households should serve as a guide for government and policymakers in the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies that will guarantee optimal access to clean energy sources. Therefore, the government should improve the supply and distribution of electric meters by subsidizing them.

Sparkling Synergy: Enhancing Hydrogen Evolution with a Mesoporous CoP/FeP Interface.

The reaction kinetics is predominantly determined by the surface and interface engineering of electrocatalysts. Herein, we demonstrate the growth of cobalt monophosphide and iron monophosphide (CoP/FeP) with an effective solid interface. The surface of CoP/FeP is mesoporous, which is obtained by phosphidizing mesoporous CoFe2O4. The CoP/FeP electrode exhibits substantially superior hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance compared to CoP and FeP. The overpotentials (η) required to generate 10 mA cm-2 are determined to be around 98 mVRHE (CoP/FeP), 220 mVRHE (FeP), and 265 mVRHE (CoP) in an acidic electrolyte. The exchange current density and Tafel slopes suggest that CoP/FeP has better redox properties and kinetic abilities compared to FeP and CoP. Furthermore, the CoP/FeP electrode exhibits reduced electrochemical impedance and superior surface charge transport characteristics in comparison to both the CoP and FeP electrodes. In addition to having a greater number of catalytically active sites, the turnover frequency of CoP/FeP is approximately 2 and 5 times higher than that of FeP and CoP, respectively. The CoP/FeP electrode maintains a consistent current density of around 25 mA cm-2 for a continuous period of 24 h during the HER, attesting to the excellent durability of the CoP/FeP electrode. In addition, a relationship between differential hydrogen adsorption energy (ΔEH), the corresponding Gibbs free energy change (ΔGH), and the hydrogen coverage on distinct surfaces, namely, CoP, FeP, and CoP/FeP, is established. The calculation findings show that the CoP/FeP surface, which is predominantly exposed with CoP, exhibits the highest catalytic potential for the HER. The estimation of the specific HER activity of the electrodes, normalized to the electrochemically active surface area, corroborates the calculation findings.

Price bubbles and Co-bubbles in the green economy market.

In light of growing concerns about climate change and environmental issues, investor interest has surged in the new green economy market. However, the existing literature is limited regarding potential price bubbles and co-bubbles within this new domain. This study examines price bubbles and co-bubbles in the new green economy market, covering 31 indexes classified into three groups: the green economy market and its components, geographical regions, and sectors. Using daily data from August 31, 2005, to May 31, 2024, a test procedure is first applied to detect periods of price bubble in the various indexes, then logistic regressions are employed to examine price co-bubble behaviours. The results show evidence of price bubbles in the green economy market, particularly in solar and wind indexes, with peaks during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, whereas the water index is the least prone to price bubbles. Regarding geographical region, the USA market exhibits a higher tendency for price bubbles than the Asian or European markets. Several sectors are resistant to price bubbles. The co-bubble analysis reveals a strong reliance of wind index on price bubbles in the solar and water indexes. Price bubbles in Asia significantly influence price bubbles in Europe and the USA. These findings have implications for investment portfolio management and risk management strategies in the new green economy market.

Machine learning models for daily net radiation prediction across different climatic zones of China.

Net radiation (Rn), a critical component in land surface energy cycling, is calculated as the difference between net shortwave radiation and longwave radiation at the Earth's surface and holds significant importance in crop models for precision agriculture management. In this study, we examined the performance of four machine learning models, including extreme learning machine (ELM), hybrid artificial neural networks with genetic algorithm models (GANN), generalized regression neural networks (GRNN), and random forests (RF), in estimating daily Rn at four representative sites across different climatic zones of China. The input variables included common meteorological factors such as minimum and maximum temperature, relative humidity, sunshine duration, and shortwave solar radiation. Model performance was assessed and compared using statistical parameters such as the correlation coefficient (R2), root mean square errors (RMSE), mean absolute errors (MAE), and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NS). The results indicated that all models slightly underestimated actual Rn, with linear regression slopes ranging from 0.810 to 0.870 across different zones. The estimated Rn was found to be comparable to observed values in terms of data distribution characteristics. Among the models, the ELM and GANN demonstrated higher consistency with observed values, exhibiting R2 values ranging from 0.838 to 0.963 and 0.836 to 0.963, respectively, across varying climatic zones. These values surpassed those of the RF (0.809-0.959) and GRNN (0.812-0.949) models. Additionally, the ELM and GANN models showed smaller simulation errors in terms of RMSE, MAE, and NS across the four climatic zones compared to the RF and GRNN models. Overall, the ELM and GANN models outperformed the RF and GRNN models. Notably, the ELM model's faster computational speed makes it a strong recommendation for Rn estimates across different climatic zones of China.

Elevating clean energy through sludge: A comprehensive study of hydrothermal carbonization and co-gasification technologies.

This study explores the recycling challenges of industrial sludge, owing to its non-recyclable properties and associated environmental problems. To promote sustainable energy utilization, a novel approach combining hydrothermal carbonization and co-gasification was employed to facilitate the conversion from waste to energy. The industrial sludge was pretreated in the batch-type hydrothermal treatment unit at 180-220 °C, followed by co-gasification. The experimental results indicate that pretreating the sludge at the hydrothermal temperature of 200 °C maximized its thermal decomposition, leading to a rougher structure with obvious cracks, eventually transforming into numerous fragmented small particles. At 1100 °C with a blending mass ratio of 1:1, the sludge hydrochar at 200 °C significantly enhanced the reactivity of coal char, exhibiting the gasification reactivity index R0.9 of 1.57 times higher than that of untreated char. Using the in-situ technique with the heating stage microscope, it was first observed that the addition of pretreated sludge coal chars underwent gasification in the shrinking core mode, displaying a significant ash melt flow phenomenon. Based on the in-situ X-ray diffraction, it was discovered that more amorphous structures were formed by the reaction of Fe with other minerals in the sludge-coal blended char after hydrothermal carbonization at 200 °C. With pretreatment at the hydrothermal temperature of 200 °C, the sludge can increase the specific surface area of the blended char and facilitate the cracking of carbon crystals during co-gasification. Its specific surface area and the Raman spectroscopic ratio ID1/IG were 1.76 and 1.17 times that of coal char, respectively. Collectively, this study highlights the potential for energy recovery from industrial sludge, contributing to sustainable waste management in the chemical industry.

Construction of Highly Porous and Robust Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for High-Capacity Clean Energy Gas Storage.

Development of highly porous and robust HOFs for high-pressure methane and hydrogen storage remains a grand challenge due to the fragile nature of hydrogen bonds. Herein, we report a strategy of constructing double-walled framework to target highly porous and robust HOF (ZJU-HOF-5a) for extraordinary CH4 and H2 storage. ZJU-HOF-5a features a minimized twofold interpenetration with double-walled structure, in which multiple supramolecular interactions are existed between the interpenetrated walls. This structural configuration can notably enhance the framework robustness while maintaining its high porosity, affording one of the highest gravimetric and volumetric surface areas of 3102 m2 g-1 and 1976 m2 cm-3 among the reported HOFs so far. ZJU-HOF-5a exhibits an extremely high volumetric H2 uptake of 43.6 g L-1 at 77 K/100 bar and working capacity of 41.3 g L-1 under combined swing conditions, and also impressive methane storage performance with a 5-100 bar working capacity of 187 (or 159) cm3 cm-3 at 270 K (or 296 K). SCXRD studies on CH4-loaded ZJU-HOF-5a reveal that abundant supramolecular binding sites combined with ultrahigh porosities account for its high CH4 storage capacities. Combined with high stability, super-hydrophobicity, and easy-recovery, ZJU-HOF-5a is placed among the most promising materials for H2 and CH4 storage applications.

Microwave pyrolysis of polypropylene, and high-density polyethylene, and catalytic gasification of waste coffee pods to hydrogen-rich gas.

Plastic waste poses a critical environmental challenge for the world. The proliferation of waste plastic coffee pods exacerbates this issue. Traditional disposal methods such as incineration and landfills are environmentally unfriendly, necessitating the exploration of alternative management strategies. One promising avenue is the pyrolysis in-line reforming process, which converts plastic waste into hydrogen. However, traditional pyrolysis methods are costly due to inefficiencies and heat losses. To address this, for the first time, our study investigates the use of microwave to enhance the pyrolysis process. We explored microwave pyrolysis for polypropylene (PP), high-density polypropylene (HDPE), and waste coffee pods, with the latter primarily comprising polypropylene. Additionally, catalytic ex-situ pyrolysis of coffee pod pyrolysis over a nickel-based catalyst was investigated to convert the evolved gas into hydrogen. The single-stage microwave pyrolysis results revealed the highest gas yield at 500 °C for HDPE, and 41 % and 58 % (by mass) for waste coffee pods and polypropylene at 700 °C, respectively. Polypropylene exhibited the highest gaseous yield, suggesting its readiness for pyrolytic degradation. Waste coffee pods uniquely produced carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gases because of the oxygen present in their structure. Catalytic reforming of evolved gas from waste coffee pods using a 5 % nickel loaded activated carbon catalyst, yielded 76 % (by volume) hydrogen at 900 °C. These observed results were supported by elemental balance analysis. These findings highlight that two-stage microwave and catalysis assisted pyrolysis could be a promising method for the efficient management of waste coffee pods, particularly for producing clean energy.

Environmentally clean and dirty energy equities during extraordinary global conditions.

I examine which extraordinary international events coincide with pronounced changes in the equity markets for some of the world's largest publicly traded suppliers on opposite sides of the global energy mix - oil and environmentally clean energy companies. First, I adapt an intuitively appealing non-parametric filter to empirically timestamp unexpected and prominent increases and decreases in a wide range of global indicators relevant to the international energy market. Then, I use such extraordinary conditions to characterise the performance of oil and environmentally clean energy equities, and their relationships. My findings suggest that jumps in the global stock market, international crude oil market shocks, and the US dollar real effective exchange rate, are the indicators that define the financial landscape during which considerable gains, losses, and instability across both types of energy markets materialise. In contrast, major elevated uncertainties related to geo-political risk and climate policy reflect relative stability in the equities of both oil and environmentally clean energy companies. Although these results imply that both energy assets are potentially lucrative hedging strategies for investors to exploit during heightened geo-political and climate policy uncertainties, clean energy equities offer market participants the option to combine profit maximising and sustainability objectives while minimising global energy security risks.

Which productivity can promote clean energy transition -total factor productivity or green total factor productivity?

Developing clean energy is a key pathway and an inevitable choice for achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. From a global perspective, technology is increasingly affecting the trajectory of energy transition, driving clean energy into a stage of rapid development. Therefore, this paper focuses on exploring the dynamic evolutionary characteristics of clean energy transitions driven by different productivity. Using panel data from 171 economies from 1990 to 2019, this paper systematically examines the impact of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) on clean energy transitions. The empirical results indicate that both TFP and GTFP positively impact clean energy transition. Specifically, clean energy consumption increases by 3.35% and 6.03%with a one standard deviation change in TFP and GTFP respectively. Upon decomposing TFP and GTFP, it was found that Green Efficiency Change (GECH) and Green Technical Change (GHCH), especially GECH, are the main factors driving the clean energy transition. Heterogeneity analysis shows that, in developed economies, GTFP has a larger positive impact on clean energy transition than TFP. Furthermore, GTFP demonstrates a significant positive impact on the clean energy transition both before and after the 2008 financial crisis, whereas TFP's positive impact is only evident before the crisis. Our findings emphasize the social benefits of further investments in GTFP.

A study on production of hydrogen using Al scrap feedstock.

A sustainable future, concerning the energy transformation of a country, heavily relies on the availability of energy resources, particularly renewables such as solar, wind, hydropower, and clean hydrogen. Among these, hydrogen is the most promising energy source due to its high calorific value, ranging between 120 and 140 MJ/kg. It has the potential to lead the market in various industries such as power generation, steel, chemical, petrochemical, and automotive. Significant research has been going on in hydrogen production technologies to reduce costs and improve competitiveness with fossil fuels. One such potential approach includes the use of metal-water reactions, which offer unique opportunities for producing clean hydrogen and other valuable byproducts. However, the quantity of hydrogen produced varies depending on the metal feedstock, type of electrolyte, and the activator or catalyst, used in combination with water. This latest work discusses recent progress on hydrogen production and the effects of variations in different parameters on the process, with a focus on aluminum (Al)-water reactions. Investigations have been conducted and reported on the effect of various activators with different concentrations, the quantity of aluminum scrap feedstock, and the volume of the electrolyte on the kinetics of the metal-water reactions and hydrogen production. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was observed to be more effective than potassium hydroxide (KOH) in promoting metal-water reactions. These activator-assisted metal-water reactions help produce clean hydrogen, along with other value-added products such as hydroxides. This work clearly sheds light on the potential utilization of industrial aluminum scrap as feedstock for producing clean hydrogen.

Assessing the environmental impacts of clean energy investment in Pakistan using a dynamic autoregressive distributed lag model.

In this study, the authors projected the impacts of clean energy investment on environmental degradation by applying a novel and dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag (DARDL) model for Pakistan from 1990 to 2022. Most researchers have used ecological footprint or CO2 emissions indicators to look at how clean energy investment affects environmental degradation, which primarily represents contamination induced by humans' consumption patterns and does not consider the impact of the supply side. Against this background, the study scrutinized the dynamic interaction between clean energy investment and environmental sustainability using the load capacity factor (LCF) as an ecological indicator in Pakistan, including economic growth, population density, trade openness, urbanization, and industrialization in the analysis. The long-run estimates from DARDL indicate that a 1 percent upsurge in clean energy investment mitigates environmental degradation by approximately 0.42 percent on average, controlling for other factors. Further, the study also revealed that a 1 percent increase in clean energy investment diminishes dirty energy consumption by approximately 0.45 percent. The validity of the findings is confirmed using alternate methods, i.e., KRLS. The study recommends that Pakistan prioritize investment in clean energy projects to promote environmental sustainability and enforce environmental regulations to reduce the adverse externalities associated with dirty energy activities.

Magnesium-Based Hydrogen Storage Alloys: Advances, Strategies, and Future Outlook for Clean Energy Applications.

Magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys have attracted significant attention as promising materials for solid-state hydrogen storage due to their high hydrogen storage capacity, abundant reserves, low cost, and reversibility. However, the widespread application of these alloys is hindered by several challenges, including slow hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics, high thermodynamic stability of magnesium hydride, and limited cycle life. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth overview of the recent advances in magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys, covering their fundamental properties, synthesis methods, modification strategies, hydrogen storage performance, and potential applications. The review discusses the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of magnesium-based alloys, as well as the effects of alloying, nanostructuring, and surface modification on their hydrogen storage performance. The hydrogen absorption/desorption properties of different magnesium-based alloy systems are compared, and the influence of various modification strategies on these properties is examined. The review also explores the potential applications of magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys, including mobile and stationary hydrogen storage, rechargeable batteries, and thermal energy storage. Finally, the current challenges and future research directions in this field are discussed, highlighting the need for fundamental understanding of hydrogen storage mechanisms, development of novel alloy compositions, optimization of modification strategies, integration of magnesium-based alloys into hydrogen storage systems, and collaboration between academia and industry.

Achieving zero emission targets: The influence of green bonds on clean energy investment and environmental quality.

The effectiveness of green finance in driving clean energy and environmental sustainability in the current era is receiving attention. Therefore, this study proposes an empirical framework highlighting the effects of green bonds (GB) on clean energy investment (CEI), clean energy investment efficiency (CEE) and environmental sustainability of 29 green bond issuing countries between 2014 and 2022. Using system and difference GMM approaches, this study finds that (i) green bond issuance drives clean energy investment. (ii) Green bonds sufficiently enhance the selected countries' environmental quality. These results supplement the promotion of green bonds in increasing the transfer of funds towards renewable energy projects by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. (iii) Using Driscoll & Kraay, Fully Modified-OLS, and changing the dependent variable, this study further supported the idea that green bonds effectively promote the CEE and environmental sustainability of the chosen countries. (iv) Similarly, this study conducted income heterogeneity, showing that green bonds improve high- and middle-income countries' CEI and environmental quality. (v) Finally, the results indicate that resource consumption escalates CO2 emissions by declining the CEI. Technological innovations increase CEI, whereas they do not mitigate CO2 emissions directly, hinting at the requirement for a comprehensive approach. Therefore, inclusive policies on green bond frameworks, robust incentives, and rigorous environmental criteria should be implemented to attract investment in clean energy development and ensure the environmental sustainability of the selected countries.

Indium oxide-based Z-scheme hollow core-shell heterostructure with rich sulfur-vacancy for highly efficient light-driven splitting of water to produce clean energy.

Crafting an inorganic semiconductor heterojunction with defect engineering and morphology modulation is a strategic approach to produce clean energy by the highly efficient light-driven splitting of water. In this paper, a novel Z-scheme sulfur-vacancy containing Zn3In2S6 (Vs-Zn3In2S6) nanosheets/In2O3 hollow hexagonal prisms heterostructrue (Vs-ZIS6INO) was firstly constructed by an oil bath method, in which Vs-Zn3In2S6 nanosheets grew on the surfaces of In2O3 hollow hexagonal prisms to form a hollow core-shell structure. The obtained Vs-ZIS6INO heterostructrue exhibited much enhanced activity of the production of H2 and H2O2 by the light-driven water splitting. In particular, under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), the rate of generation of H2 of Vs-ZIS6INO sample containing 30 wt% Vs-Zn3In2S6 (30Vs-ZIS6INO) could reach 3721 µmol g-1h-1, which was 87 and 6 times higher than those of Zn3In2S6 (43 µmol g-1h-1) and Vs-Zn3In2S6 (586 µmol g-1h-1), respectively. Meanwhile, 30Vs-ZIS6INO could exhibit the rate of H2O2 production of 483 µmol g-1h-1 through the dual pathways of indirect 2e- oxygen reduction (ORR) and water oxidation (WOR) without adding any sacrifice agents, far exceeding In2O3 (7 µmol g-1h-1) and Vs-Zn3In2S6 (58 µmol g-1h-1). The excellent photocatalytic activities of H2 and H2O2 generations of Vs-ZIS6INO sample might result from the synergistic effect of the sulfur vacancy, hollow core-shell structure, and Z-scheme heterostructure, which accelerated the electron delocalization, enhanced the absorption and conversion of solar energy, reduced the carrier diffusion distance, and ensured high REDOX ability. In addition, the possible photocatalytic mechanisms for the production of H2 and H2O2 were discussed in detail. This study provided a new idea and reference for constructing the novel and efficient inorganic semiconductor heterostructures by coordinating vacancy defect and morphology design to adequately utilize water splitting for the production of clean energy.

Renewable biomass reinvigorates sustainable water-energy nexus.

The water-energy nexus has garnered worldwide interest. Current dual-functional research aimed at co-producing freshwater and electricity faces significant challenges, including sub-optimal capacities ("1 + 1 < 2"), poor inter-functional coordination, high carbon footprints, and large costs. Mainstream water-to-electricity conversions are often compromised owing to functionality separation and erratic gradients. Herein, we present a sustainable strategy based on renewable biomass that addresses these issues by jointly achieving competitive solar-evaporative desalination and robust clean electricity generation. Using hydrothermally activated basswood, our solar desalination exceeded the 100% efficiency bottleneck even under reduced solar illumination. Through simple size-tuning, we achieved a high evaporation rate of 3.56 kg h-1 m-2 and an efficiency of 149.1%, representing 128%-251% of recent values without sophisticated surface engineering. By incorporating an electron-ion nexus with interfacial Faradaic electron circulation and co-ion-predominated micro-tunnel hydrodynamic flow, we leveraged free energy from evaporation to generate long-term electricity (0.38 W m-3 for over 14d), approximately 322% of peer performance levels. This inter-functional nexus strengthened dual functionalities and validated general engineering practices. Our presented strategy holds significant promise for global human-society-environment sustainability.