Boosting Electrocatalytic Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion via Plasma Enhanced CuCo Alloy–Substrate Interaction

Electrocatalytic conversion of widely distributed nitrate from industrial wastewater into value-added ammonia was proposed as an attractive and sustainable alternative to harvesting green ammonia. Herein, CuCo alloys were facilely synthesized for nitrate conversion, while nonthermal Ar-plasma was employed to enhance the adhesion strength between the electrocatalyst and substrate interface via regulating the surface hydrophobicity and roughness. Based on Ar-plasma treatment, a high ammonia yield rate (5129.29 μg cm-2 h-1) was achieved using Cu30Co70 electrocatalyst -0.47 V vs RHE, while nearly 100% of Faradaic efficiency was achieved using Cu50Co50 electrocatalyst at -0.27 V vs RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode). Validated by in situ spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, the high activity of the CuCo alloy was derived from the regulation of Co to weaken the strong adsorption capacity of Cu and the shift of the d-band center to lower the energy barrier, while Ar-plasma modification promoted the formation of *NO to boost nitrate conversion

Whole-genome sequencing of <em>Oryza brachyantha</em> reveals mechanisms underlying <em>Oryza</em> genome evolution

The wild species of the genus Oryza contain a largely untapped reservoir of agronomically important genes for rice improvement. Here we report the 261-Mb de novo assembled genome sequence of Oryza brachyantha. Low activity of long-terminal repeat retrotransposons and massive internal deletions of ancient long-terminal repeat elements lead to the compact genome of Oryza brachyantha. We model 32,038 protein-coding genes in the Oryza brachyantha genome, of which only 70% are located in collinear positions in comparison with the rice genome. Analysing breakpoints of non-collinear genes suggests that double-strand break repair through non-homologous end joining has an important role in gene movement and erosion of collinearity in the Oryza genomes. Transition of euchromatin to heterochromatin in the rice genome is accompanied by segmental and tandem duplications, further expanded by transposable element insertions. The high-quality reference genome sequence of Oryza brachyantha provides an important resource for functional and evolutionary studies in the genus Oryza

Genome-wide characterization and expression profiling of the MAPKKK genes in Gossypium arboreum L.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) are important components of MAPK cascades, which have different functions during developmental processes and stress responses. To date, there has been no systematic investigation of this gene family in the diploid cotton Gossypium arboreum L. In this study, a genome-wide survey was performed which identified 78 MAPKKK genes in G. arboreum. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into three subgroups: 14 belonged to ZIK, 20 to MEKK, and 44 to Raf. Chromosome location, phylogeny, and the conserved protein motifs of the MAPKKK gene family in G. arboreum were analyzed. The MAPKKK genes had a scattered genomic distribution across 13 chromosomes. The members in the same subfamily shared similar conserved motifs. The MAPKKK expression patterns were analyzed in mature leaves, stems, roots, and at different ovule developmental stages, as well as under salt, and drought stresses. Transcriptome analysis showed that 76 MAPKKK genes had different transcript accumulation patterns in the tested tissues and 38 MAPKKK genes were differentially expressed in response to salt and drought stresses. These results lay the foundation for understanding the complex mechanisms behind MAPKKK-mediated developmental processes and abiotic stress-signaling transduction pathways in cotton.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Interior region-of-interest reconstruction using a small, nearly piecewise constant subregion

Purpose: To develop a method to reconstruct an interior region-of-interest (ROI) image with sufficient accuracy that uses differentiated backprojection (DBP) projection onto convex sets (POCS) [H. Kudo et al., “Tiny a priori knowledge solves the interior problem in computed tomography,” Phys. Med. Biol. 53, 2207–2231 (2008)] and a tiny knowledge that there exists a nearly piecewise constant subregion

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to C2H4: From Lab to Fab

The global concerns of energy crisis and climate change, primarily caused by carbon dioxide (CO2), are of utmost importance. Recently, the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to high value-added multi-carbon (C2+) products driven by renewable electricity has emerged as a highly promising solution to alleviate energy shortages and achieve carbon neutrality. Among these C2+ products, ethylene (C2H4) holds particular importance in the petrochemical industry. Accordingly, this review aims to establish a connection between the fundamentals of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction to ethylene (CO2RR-to-C2H4) in laboratory-scale research (lab) and its potential applications in industrial-level fabrication (fab). The review begins by summarizing the fundamental aspects, including the design strategies of high-performance Cu-based electrocatalysts and advanced electrolyzer devices. Subsequently, innovative and value-added techniques are presented to address the inherent challenges encountered during the implementations of CO2RR-to-C2H4 in industrial scenarios. Additionally, case studies of the techno-economic analysis of the CO2RR-to-C2H4 process are discussed, taking into factors such as cost-effectiveness, scalability, and market potential. The review concludes by outlining the perspectives and challenges associated with scaling up the CO2RR-to-C2H4 process. The insights presented in this review are expected to make a valuable contribution in advancing the CO2RR-to-C2H4 process from lab to fab