Search Results (742)

The 24 solar terms (STs) comprise a traditional Chinese seasonal calendar that has long guided agricultural practices, but their agronomic relevance under observed historical climate change remains uncertain. We assessed 24 STs’ applicability in Shanxi Province using climate records from 23 meteorological stations during 1960–2019. Climate trends were analyzed at the ST scale, and the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) CERES-Maize model, calibrated for Denghai 679, was applied to simulate maize phenology and yield for evaluating phenological shifts and sowing-date effects. Results showed that (1) warming was concentrated during Yushui–Qingming and Xiaoxue–Dahan, with sunshine declines across Mangzhong–Xiaoshu and Bailu–Hanlu. Precipitation trends were weak and spatially variable. (2) The calibrated CERES-Maize model reliably reproduced regional yields and phenology. Simulated V3 growth stage, anthesis, and maturity dates advanced by 1.53, 1.88, and 3.11 days per decade, respectively. V3 was associated with early-spring hydrothermal and radiation conditions, while anthesis and maturity were closely associated with summer heat during the STs Xiazhi, Xiaoshu, and Dashu. (3) Model-derived optimal ST/hou sowing windows were Guyu–H2–H3, Xiaoman–H1–H2, and Xiaoman–H2–H3 for Northern, Central, and Southern Shanxi, respectively. Optimized sowing shifted V3 towards Xiaoman–Mangzhong, delayed anthesis from early Xiaoshu to late Dashu–Liqiu, and postponed maturity towards Qiufen, all referring to STs. These findings provide a scientific basis for continued use of the 24 STs in guiding agricultural practices for maize. Full article

Lignin-derived chemicals are important renewable building blocks for a sustainable chemical industry, and their selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) into cyclohexanol offers a promising route to high-value products; however, efficient C–O bond cleavage over non-noble-metal catalysts remains challenging. Herein, a series of oxygen-vacancy-regulated Co/CeO₂ catalysts was prepared by supporting Co on hydrothermally synthesized CeO₂ nanocubes, with the CeO₂ calcination temperature (400–800 °C) used to tune the defect density and interfacial structure. Low-temperature calcination preserved the nanocubic morphology, high surface area, abundant Ce³⁺–OV sites, and highly dispersed reduced Co species, whereas higher calcination temperatures promoted crystallite growth, surface-area loss, oxygen-vacancy depletion, and Co aggregation. These structural changes directly governed guaiacol HDO performance. Under optimized conditions (160 °C, 2 MPa H₂, 4 h, isopropanol), Co/CeO₂-400 achieved nearly complete guaiacol conversion, with cyclohexanol accounting for approximately 99% of the relative GC–MS product distribution. Mechanistic studies indicate that metallic Co promotes H₂ activation and aromatic-ring hydrogenation, while adjacent Ce³⁺–OV sites facilitate adsorption and cleavage of oxygen-containing groups. The resulting Co–CeO₂ interfacial synergy drives a sequential hydrogenation–deoxygenation pathway and suppresses the accumulation of partially hydrogenated intermediates. Co/CeO₂-400 also showed activity toward representative lignin-derived oxygenates and retained over 90% of its initial activity after five cycles. This work highlights oxygen-vacancy engineering as an effective strategy for designing robust non-noble-metal catalysts for selective lignin valorization. Full article

The dynamics of aboveground biomass (AGB) in rubber plantations (RPs) provide an important basis for evaluating carbon stocks and environmental adaptability in tropical plantations. However, continuous monitoring of AGB of RPs at the regional scale is lacking, and its nonlinear responses to hydrothermal conditions remain insufficiently understood. This study focused on RPs in western Hainan Island (WHI), including Danzhou, Baisha, Lingao, and Chengmai, and integrated field plot data with multi-source remote sensing datasets. A framework for mapping RPs combining rule-based constraints and phenology-based random forest (RF) classification was developed. After key variable screening, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), Shapley additive explanations (SHAP), and generalized additive model (GAM) were used for AGB estimation and identification of climatic responses. The results showed that mapping of RPs achieved an overall accuracy of 92.89% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.854. The XGBoost-derived estimates showed that AGB of RPs in the study area increased by approximately 1.43 × 10⁶ Mg from 2017 to 2025, with growth areas mainly concentrated in the Danzhou–Baisha and western Chengmai. AGB exhibited significant nonlinear responses to climatic factors. Specifically, the effect of precipitation (PRE) shifted to negative after approximately 1945 mm yr⁻¹, whereas annual mean maximum temperature (TMAX) shifted to a positive effect after about 29.72 °C, although this effect gradually weakened as temperature continued to rise. Combinations such as PRE × annual mean temperature (PRE × TMP), PRE × TMAX, and PRE × potential evapotranspiration (PRE × PET) exhibited significant nonlinear interactions, indicating that the direction and magnitude of the effect of PRE shifted with changes in temperature and PET levels. These findings link the spatiotemporal changes in AGB of RPs in WHI with hydrothermal thresholds and their interacting effects, deepening our understanding of the climatic response characteristics of AGB in RPs in this region. They also provide a scientific basis for RP monitoring, carbon stock assessment, and climate-adaptive management in WHI. Full article

The morphology and pore structure of ZSM-48 zeolite are critical parameters determining the catalytic performance of bifunctional catalysts in the hydroisomerization of long-chain n-paraffins. This study investigates the effects of the Na₂O/SiO₂ molar ratio (0.02–0.12) in the synthesis gel and hydrothermal treatment duration (48–72 h) on the crystallization kinetics, phase purity, and physicochemical properties of ZSM-48. Low alkalinity (Na₂O/SiO₂ = 0.04–0.06) and shorter synthesis times (48 h) promote the formation of small aggregates composed of short needle-like crystals with enhanced intercrystalline mesoporosity. Conversely, increasing the alkalinity and crystallization duration accelerates crystal growth, resulting in dense pseudo-spherical aggregates (up to 4–7 μm in size) with restricted external surface area and increased diffusion limitations. Catalytic testing of Pt/ZSM-48 (0.5 wt.% Pt) in n-hexadecane hydroisomerization demonstrates that crystal morphology, size, and porosity significantly influence process selectivity. The catalyst based on nanosized ZSM-48 (Pt/Z48-06-2) effectively mitigates diffusion resistance, yielding a maximum isomer yield of 73% at 82% selectivity. In contrast, larger, densely packed aggregates with high but poorly accessible acidity intensify secondary hydrocracking reactions, reducing a maximum isomer yield to 46%. These results highlight the ability to tune the catalytic properties of ZSM-48 through careful control over gel alkalinity and crystallization kinetics. Full article

Degraded industrial sites in arid and semi-arid regions often suffer from loose surface substrates, weak water-retention capacity, high wind-erosion risk, and poor early vegetation establishment. Combining photovoltaic (PV) deployment with ecological utilization may improve near-surface habitats by shading, reducing wind speed, and regulating soil heat and moisture. This study investigated an ash storage yard of a coal-fired power plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, by comparing soil temperature, soil moisture, and near-surface wind-speed responses under three representative fixed PV tilt angles of 36°, 43°, and 50°, together with the corresponding early plant-growth suitability. A multi-physics model coupling near-surface airflow, water-vapor transport, and porous-media hydrothermal migration was established. A Gaussian suitability function combined with AHP-CRITIC weighting was used to construct a model-based comprehensive growth index (CGI) from soil temperature and moisture, while short-term field monitoring was used to validate afternoon soil hydrothermal trends. Among the three scenarios, the 36° configuration produced the widest horizontal heat–moisture-affected zone and the highest CGI values for alfalfa and Elymus nutans, reaching 0.7741 and 0.6875, respectively. Relative to the outside reference area, the rear PV zone reduced the near-surface wind speed by 33–40% and increased the plant heights of alfalfa and Elymus nutans by 49.4% and 37.8%, respectively. A first-order PVsyst assessment showed that the 43° configuration achieved the highest specific energy yield of 1814 kWh kWp⁻¹ year⁻¹, whereas the annual grid-connected output at 36° was only 0.59% lower. These findings indicate that the 36° configuration may provide a favorable compromise between early vegetation establishment and photovoltaic electricity generation among the tested scenarios. By linking renewable-energy production with microenvironment regulation and early vegetation establishment, the proposed framework provides a decision basis for the multifunctional and sustainable reuse of degraded industrial land. Nevertheless, the results represent a site-specific, single-season assessment and should not be interpreted as a universal optimum. Full article

Hydrothermal synthesis is a bottom-up, liquid-phase synthesis method and a heterogeneous reaction, utilizing a water solvent at a temperature of >25 °C and a pressure of ≥1 atm to dissolve and to precipitate crystalline or amorphous materials or to get solutions by using a reflux, autoclave, or flow reactor. Microwave-assisted hydrothermal and supercritical flow reactors successfully reduced the synthesis times from hours or days to minutes and seconds. Substitutions for precursors, reductors, or stabilizer chemicals with plant extracts successfully created greener hydrothermal methods, but they still need relatively long times (hours) and high temperatures (>100 °C). The stronger critical perseptives include the inhibited standarization and reproducibility due to plant species variant, plant growth conditions, and plant extraction methods. The plant extract can’t substitute surfactant as mesoporous template or the organic solvents for water-organic sol-vent mixture, and it is possibly photodegraded by microwave. Strategies to reduce time and temperature by mechanical hydrothermal synthesis using plant extracts, with safety prioritized, utilizing non-toxic products, degradable products, and non-harmful reactants, are suggested for future research. One mechanistic question is still not resolved: how distiguish crystalization mechanism by using the temperature reduction method and by using temperature different method. Full article

Organic pollutants in industrial wastewater present a severe threat to both the environment and human health. Photocatalytic technology, recognized for its eco-friendliness and high efficiency, has become a leading approach for degrading such pollutants. In this work, BiOCl nanosheets were first synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Subsequently, an anion exchange reaction with TAA in an oil bath generated a Bi₂S₃ intermediate layer on the BiOCl surface, followed by the in situ growth of ZIS nanostructures, successfully constructing a BiOCl@Bi₂S₃@ZIS double Z-scheme heterojunction. By adjusting the amount of BiOCl, the interface contact and dispersion of the heterojunction were optimized. Characterization results demonstrate that the BiOCl@ZIS-25 heterojunction possesses the highest specific surface area (103.5 m²·g⁻¹) and the most efficient charge separation. Under visible light irradiation, it achieved 97.88% degradation of methylene blue within 20 min, with a reaction rate constant 8 and 4 times higher than those of pure BiOCl and ZIS, respectively. Mechanistic investigations indicate that Bi₂S₃ interlayer acts as an electron-transfer bridge between BiOCl and ZIS, establishing a double Z-scheme charge transfer pathway that significantly enhanced the separation and utilization efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. This study offers valuable insights for designing highly efficient and stable photocatalytic composite materials. Full article

Water scarcity, high non-productive soil evaporation, and poor vegetation establishment are major constraints on the sustainable ecological restoration of reconstructed open-pit mine dumps in arid and semi-arid regions. Conventional surface-applied water replenishment can result in rapid evaporative loss, thereby reducing the ecological benefits obtained from limited water resources. However, whether redistributing water into deeper reconstructed soil layers can simultaneously reduce non-productive evaporation, stabilize the root-zone hydrothermal environment, and improve vegetation growth remains insufficiently verified. In this study, a deep-profile soil water replenishment (DPSWR) device was tested in reconstructed mine-dump soil columns planted with locally adapted Stipa. Surface-applied water replenishment (CK) and DPSWR were compared using a single-run simulated rainfall comparison, soil water-retention and water-loss measurements, continuous temperature and moisture monitoring at 10 and 40 cm depths, and plant growth indicators. In the rainfall-simulation comparison, DPSWR showed lower cumulative water loss across the tested rainfall intensities and improved water-retention stability; the evaporation rate under CK was approximately 1.3 times that under DPSWR, whereas final soil water-holding capacity under DPSWR was approximately 2.4 times that under CK. Root fresh weight, plant fresh weight, and seedling number were significantly higher under DPSWR than under CK (p < 0.01), and maximum plant height and root length also increased significantly (p < 0.05). Under equal water-input conditions, DPSWR reduced non-productive water loss, prolonged soil water retention, and supported vegetation establishment. These findings suggest that DPSWR may provide a more water-efficient approach to the sustainable restoration of reconstructed mine dumps in water-limited regions. Full article

Cool-climate maize fields are characterized by low soil temperatures, strong seasonal hydrothermal fluctuations, and peat-influenced soil profiles, which may lead to patterns of nitrogen (N) cycling distinct from those in conventional agricultural soils. During maize growth, soils from three depths were characterized using physicochemical measurements, N-transformation and enzyme-activity assays, metagenomic sequencing, Mantel tests, variation partitioning analysis, and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). Soil environmental factors varied significantly over time and with depth; soil organic matter (SOM) and total nitrogen (TN) increased with depth, while ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) predominated early and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) predominated during the middle and late growth stages. The nitrogen fixation rate (NFR), nitrification rate (NitR), and denitrification rate (DNR) all peaked in August and showed a spatial pattern characterized by nitrogen fixation in the deepest layer and denitrification in the upper and middle layers. Bacterial communities varied less spatiotemporally than fungal communities. The genes nifK, hao, nirS/nirK, NR, nrfC, and hzsA/hzsC were identified as key nitrogen-cycling functional genes. Mantel tests and PLS-PM further characterized these relationships, with PLS-PM showing that soil physicochemical properties were positively associated with bacterial community composition (β = 0.87, p < 0.01), which, in turn, was negatively associated with N-cycling functional genes (β = −0.97, p < 0.001). Together, these pathways were associated with variation in N-cycling processes. Overall, this study advances an integrated understanding of N-cycling patterns and their potential controls in cool-climate maize fields and provides a scientific basis for optimizing N management strategies. Full article

Chloride-induced corrosion is a major threat to excavated bronze artifacts, yet conventional alkaline desalination requires repeated solution replacement and generates secondary chemical waste. Herein, a series of BiOCl-loaded carbon nanofiber composites (CNFs@BiOCl-X) were prepared by KOH activation followed by hydrothermal growth of BiOCl, aiming to develop regenerable electrodes for chloride removal in capacitive deionization systems. Alkali activation regulated the surface roughness, oxygen-containing functional groups, hydrophilicity, and BiOCl loading of CNFs, while the three-dimensional conductive network helped immobilize BiOCl nanostructures and buffer the volume variation associated with reversible Bi/BiOCl conversion. Electrochemical analyses confirmed the pseudocapacitive chloride-storage behavior of the composites, with ion removal governed by the coupled effects of BiOCl redox activity, charge transfer, and interfacial ion transport. In a fixed-electrode membrane capacitive deionization system, CNFs@BiOCl-2 exhibited the best overall performance, delivering a salt adsorption capacity of 100.44 mg g⁻¹ at 1.4 V and retaining 93.17% of its desalination capacity after 35 cycles at 1.2 V. For flow-electrode capacitive deionization, the higher BiOCl-loading CNFs@BiOCl-5 showed superior utilization of active sites and achieved 94.75% NaCl removal from a 1000 mg L⁻¹ solution within 3 h, with an average desalination rate of 15.48 μg cm⁻² min⁻¹ and an energy consumption of 0.88 kWh kg⁻¹-NaCl. These findings demonstrate that rationally matching BiOCl loading with electrode configuration enables efficient and sustainable chloride management, offering a promising electrochemical strategy for conservation electrolytes and related desalination applications. Full article

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been widely used in the field of corrosion protection. LDH nanofillers can act as multifunctional additives in coatings based on the physical barrier effect and anion exchange effect. However, the preparation of the typical co-precipitation method needs to be simplified to realize large-scale industrialization. In this work, a wide range of synthesis parameters, including solution-mixing mode, reaction atmosphere, reaction pH control, titration rate and post-treatment on the obtained LDH, were systematically studied, and it was found that the one-step solution-mixing synthesis procedure and the adoption of N₂ atmosphere were able to alleviate the carbonate contamination to some degree. However, the one-step solution-mixing synthesis procedure has a negative influence on the formation of LDH, probably due to insufficient reaction, while the hydrothermal post-treatment is able to promote the continual growth of the LDH platelet and, thus, lead to an increase in crystallinity and particle size. Green inhibitor aspartates were used to modify LDH, and the electrochemical test results indicated that the adoption of N₂ atmosphere was able to clearly increase the corrosion protection ability of LDH, with an R_p value of 3.86 kΩ·cm² after immersion for 96 h in 0.1 mol/L NaCl, probably due to the intercalation of a relatively large amount of inhibitor anions since less carbonates were intercalated, followed by the LDH synthesized via co-precipitation without N₂ protection, pH control and hydrothermal post-treatment with an R_p value of 3.00 kΩ·cm². The LDH sample without inhibitor intercalation presented a corresponding R_p value of 2.45 kΩ·cm². Notably, the one-step solution-mixing method and a fast titration rate in co-precipitation would have a negative influence on the corrosion protection of LDH, probably due to insufficient reaction. This work could shed light on the simplification of LDH preparation, and it is able to provide a solid foundation and technical support for the wide promotion and application of LDH in anti-corrosion and other fields in the near future. Full article

This study investigated the effects of fully biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) mulch films with different thicknesses on soil hydrothermal conditions, soil fertility indicators, soil enzyme activities, and peanut growth and yield in a three-year field experiment. Three PBAT thicknesses (0.006, 0.008, and 0.010 mm) were compared with 0.010 mm polyethylene (PE) mulch and a bare soil control (CK). The effects of PBAT mulch films with different thicknesses on peanut yield, agronomic traits, photosynthetic characteristics, soil fertility indicators, and soil enzyme activities were systematically evaluated. PBAT008 showed the most favorable overall balance among the tested treatments. Compared with PE, PBAT008 significantly increased pod yield by 6.87–13.69% and 100-pod weight by 10.36–18.94%, whereas PE tended to reduce pod yield by 5.55–5.95% relative to CK. PBAT008 also promoted biomass accumulation and increased photosynthetic pigment content. Although PE showed the strongest water-retention capacity, PBAT008 maintained moderate soil moisture and suitable soil temperatures during pod formation. PBAT treatments improved soil organic matter, dissolved organic carbon, available phosphorus, and soil enzyme activities more effectively than PE. Path analysis identified available phosphorus, stem weight, and soil temperature as the strongest positive drivers of pod yield. Overall, PBAT008 enhanced peanut yield by achieving a coordinated improvement in soil hydrothermal conditions, soil fertility, and crop physiological performance, suggesting that an appropriate PBAT mulch thickness may provide an agronomically viable biodegradable alternative to PE mulch in peanut production. Full article

Tailoring electrochemically favorable architectures through polymer-assisted growth regulation offers an effective route for overcoming the structural limitations that restrict the practical performance of pseudocapacitive materials. In this study, a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated interfacial modulation strategy was developed to regulate the structural evolution and electrochemical behavior of hydrothermally synthesized nickel tungstate (NiWO₄) for asymmetric supercapacitor applications. The influence of PEG concentration (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%) on crystal growth, morphology evolution, and charge-storage characteristics was systematically investigated. Structural analysis confirmed the successful formation of phase-pure monoclinic NiWO₄ without detectable impurities, while morphological studies revealed a pronounced PEG-dependent transformation in surface architecture. Among all synthesized electrodes, the optimized NiWO-P3 sample exhibited a highly interconnected porous nanograin framework with improved structural homogeneity and abundant electrochemically accessible interfaces. This favorable morphology significantly facilitated electrolyte penetration, accelerated ion transport, and enhanced redox utilization. Consequently, NiWO-P3 delivered a superior areal capacitance of 9.284 F/cm² at 10 mA/cm² and retained nearly 84% capacitance at elevated current density, demonstrating excellent rate capability. The optimized electrode further exhibited enhanced diffusion kinetics, achieving anodic and cathodic diffusion coefficients of 21.26 × 10⁻⁷ and 10.55 × 10⁻⁷ cm²/s, respectively, along with remarkable cycling durability of 85.12% after 12,000 cycles. Furthermore, the fabricated NiWO-P3//AC asymmetric supercapacitor demonstrated (ASD) promising electrochemical reversibility and prolonged operational stability, highlighting PEG-assisted interfacial engineering as an effective strategy for advancing high-performance tungstate-based energy-storage materials. Full article

The high-value utilization of non-wood pulping black liquor is of great significance for the sustainable development of the pulp and paper industry. In this study, concentrated black liquor, obtained from the five-time recycling of KOH-pretreated wheat straw chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), was used as the feedstock for the preparation of humic-like acids (HLAs) through hydrothermal humification by utilizing the enriched organic components and residual alkalinity. Urea was further introduced to synthesize nitrogen-enriched humic-like acids (N-HLAs). The hydrothermal conditions and urea dosage were systematically optimized, and the products were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and particle size analysis (PSA). The results showed that the optimal hydrothermal condition was 180 °C for 4 h, under which the HLA yield reached 15.75%. With the addition of 1 mol/L urea, the yield of 1N-HLA further increased to 16.81%. Structural analyses demonstrated that hydrothermal treatment promoted the transformation of small molecular organics into highly aromatic and condensed macromolecular structures, while nitrogen-containing functional groups were successfully incorporated into the HLA molecular framework through urea modification. Bioactivity assay results showed that 1N-HLA exhibited a promoting effect on radish seed germination and seedling growth at a concentration of 100 mg/L. This study provides theoretical and technical support for the valorization of pulping black liquor and the green synthesis of functional humic-like materials. Full article

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires possess unique one-dimensional structural features, excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability and wide bandgap properties, showing great potential in high-temperature electronics, catalysis, sensing and composite reinforcement. Nevertheless, pristine SiC nanowires suffer from inert surface activity, weak interfacial compatibility and limited optoelectronic and catalytic performance. Surface coating and heterojunction engineering are effective strategies to address these deficiencies. This review systematically summarizes the synthesis routes of pristine SiC nanowires, including carbothermal reduction, chemical vapor deposition, template-assisted growth and molten salt synthesis, as well as their morphological regulation, physicochemical properties and inherent limitations. Meanwhile, typical coating methods such as wet chemical, hydrothermal, CVD and PIP are elaborated, and the influences of coating thickness, uniformity, adhesion and lattice/thermal compatibility on performance are summarized. The classification and interfacial charge mechanism of Type II, Z-scheme and Schottky heterojunctions are discussed, and the advances of coated SiC nanowires in photodetection, photocatalysis, gas sensing, electromagnetic shielding and energy storage are reviewed. Current challenges including coating stability, scalable preparation and integration bottlenecks are pointed out, and future research directions focusing on interface control, multifunctional integration and AI-assisted material design are prospected. Full article