SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4318-5
The development of high-entropy alloy (HEA) electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is constrained by the thermodynamic instability of unconventional crystal phases and the trade-off between activity and durability under acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. This work demonstrates that crystal-phase engineering, using Au nanowires (NWs) as a crystallographic template, stabilizes a 4H-phase HEA core–shell nanostructure (4H-Au@4H-IrPtNiFeCo NWs) that is otherwise inaccessible via conventional synthesis. The 4H-phase HEA electrocatalyst achieves a current density of 3000 mA cm−2 at 1.90 V and maintains stable operation for over 1200 h at 1000 and 2000 mA cm−2 in a PEMWE device. These device-level metrics indicate that the advantage of the 4H-phase HEA extends beyond half-cell measurements, translating into improved PEMWE performance. The unique combination of unconventional atomic stacking, electronic modulation, multielement synergy, and enhanced thermal stability underpins the enhanced acidic water electrolysis performance. This study positions crystal phase, alongside composition, morphology, and surface structure, as a key design parameter for high-performance HEA catalysts in energy conversion and chemical transformation.
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.202511062
Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are a green technology for simultaneous polluted sediment remediation and energy recovery, yet their performance is constrained by insufficient anodic microbial activity and low electron transfer efficiency. This study employed lactate addition combined with composite engineered microbial immobilization to synergistically optimize SMFC performance by enhancing microbial stability and carbon source supply. Results showed that lactate, as an easily utilized electron donor, promoted electrochemical activity, achieving a maximum power density of 22.06 mW·m−2 at 6 mmol·L−1, a 194% improvement over the blank group. Immobilization further enhanced electron transfer efficiency, with the highest output voltage (88.75 mV) being 2.09 times that of the non-immobilized group. For pollutant degradation, the 6 mmol·L−1 lactate group achieved TOC and TN removal rates of 29.02% and 28.4%, respectively, outperforming the control (22.41% and 21.42%). However, high lactate concentrations inhibited microbial metabolism, leading to TOC accumulation. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the anodic microbial community was dominated by Bacillota and Pseudomonadota, both possessing electroactive and pollutant-degrading capabilities, indicating that lactate and immobilization exert a synergistic effect in SMFCs, simultaneously enhancing electricity generation and pollutant removal efficiency.