Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010203
The production and disposal of lithium batteries release not only hazardous metals and particulates but also substantial amounts of harmful organic pollutants. This study focuses on N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to investigate the environmental release and human exposure of organic pollutants throughout the lithium battery lifecycle. Using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), NMP was quantified in environmental samples from battery production and dismantling facilities, as well as in pyrolysis products from simulated thermal recovery of mainstream lithium batteries. Key release stages were identified: slurry mixing and coating/drying during production; shredding, electrolyte volatilization, and high-temperature pyrolysis during disposal. In unprotected occupational settings, estimated NMP exposure via dust ingestion exceeded reference doses, underscoring the need for health impact assessments and evaluation of protective measures. This research provides critical insights into the environmental release and population exposure of organic pollutants across the lithium battery lifecycle, informing health policy for vulnerable populations.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202508092
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants with high environmental stability and bioaccumulation potential, posing risks to soil ecosystems and human health. To systematically map research hotspots and evolutionary trends, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 1,459 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection and CNKI (1985–2025) using VOSviewer and Python. Keyword clustering identified four primary research themes: (1) transport and transformation of PFAS in soil, (2) bioaccumulation and toxic effects, (3) environmental fate and risk assessment of novel PFAS, and (4) remediation strategies for legacy PFAS. Temporal trend analysis using a trend factor (T) revealed a shift from early toxicological studies to policy-driven growth post-2006, with recent emphasis on remediation technologies, migration mechanisms, and bioconcentration. Future research priorities include understanding the fate of novel substitutes in complex media, developing green and sustainable remediation technologies, and establishing robust validation frameworks. The study provides a comprehensive knowledge map to guide scientific prevention and efficient governance of PFAS contamination.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509036
Algal-derived phosphorus (P) constitutes a significant fraction in eutrophic lakes, with particulate phosphorus (PP) serving as both a major internal P reservoir and a potential target for P resource recovery. This study proposed a chitosan-coupled electroflotation (CEF) technology for efficient enrichment and recovery of algal-derived P from high-algal water. Using Taihu Lake algae-laden water as the test medium, the effects of chitosan dosage and voltage on the enrichment of different P fractions were systematically evaluated. Results showed that the optimal P enrichment was achieved at a chitosan dosage of 15 mg·L−1, and higher voltages further enhanced the enrichment efficiency. Under optimal conditions, PP accounted for 83.57% of the enriched P, indicating a strong capability for particulate P capture. The mechanism involved chitosan-induced flocculation via charge neutralization and sweep flocculation, while higher voltages increased the positive charge density of chitosan molecules, enhancing charge neutralization and electroflotation. In P release experiments, open conditions significantly promoted the transformation of PP to dissolved P, whereas closed conditions inhibited this process. Additionally, chitosan's antibacterial action and physical retention effectively limited P release. Compared with conventional metal salt coagulants, this method avoids metal ion residues, offering high environmental safety and providing a green and feasible approach for the harmless disposal and resource utilization of algal-derived P in eutrophic lakes.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60628-1
The coupling of CO2 with olefins to produce cyclic carbonates has emerged as an important research topic in sustainable chemistry, owing to its high atom economy and the wide applicability of the resulting products. However, this reaction faces a significant challenge due to the mismatch between the rates of the epoxidation and cycloaddition steps. In this work, a series of TS-1 zeolite catalysts encapsulating different amounts of molybdenum acetylacetonate were prepared through hydrothermal synthesis followed by post-treatment, with the aim of elucidating the rate balance between the epoxidation and cycloaddition steps and the underlying regulation mechanism. Characterization results show that the Mo species were present as highly dispersed molybdenum acetylacetonate complexes that were stably confined within the TS-1 framework. These complexes interact electronically with the tetra-coordinated Ti sites to form synergistic active centers, while imposing negligible effects on the zeolite structure and porosity. In the CO2-styrene coupling reaction, tuning the Mo loading enabled effective control over the epoxidation rate, thereby achieving an appropriate balance with the subsequent cycloaddition step. The optimized catalyst delivered excellent performance under mild conditions, with a styrene conversion of 83.4% and a selectivity of 75.3%, and also exhibited outstanding recyclability. Overall, this encapsulated catalyst successfully addresses the dual challenges of rate matching and active-site stability in CO2–olefin coupling, providing valuable insights for the rational design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3951-4
Silicon anodes offer an ultrahigh theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1) but suffer from >300% volumetric expansion during cycling and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, leading to rapid capacity fading. Here, we design a hierarchical composite p-cSi@aSi@MgSiN2@C featuring a porous crystalline-amorphous silicon core (p-cSi@aSi), an in-situ MgSiN2 transition layer, and an outer nitrogen-doped carbon shell. The 3D interconnected pores accommodate volume expansion, while amorphous silicon enables isotropic lithiation-induced strain, eliminating crystalline phase transition barriers. The MgSiN2 layer transforms into a tough Li3N-rich SEI with ultra-fast ion channels, and the carbon shell provides mechanical confinement and electronic conductivity. This synergistic interface engineering achieves an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 81.4%, a charge transfer resistance of 16.4 Ω after 200 cycles (64% reduction), and a Li+ diffusion coefficient of 1.72×10−11 cm2 s−1. The anode delivers 1719.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C after 200 cycles and 823.8 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C after 500 cycles. The molten salt electrolysis synthesis achieves a current efficiency of 68.12% and specific energy consumption of 12.76 kWh kg−1, with an estimated electricity cost of 1154.69 USD ton−1, only 20% of commercial Si/C anodes. This work resolves the ICE-cycle life trade-off and provides a scalable, cost-effective approach for next-generation high-energy batteries.