SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3761-7
Ruthenium-based materials, including metallic Ru and RuO2, are promising electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting (EWS) due to their high activity for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, their practical application is hindered by the relatively strong adsorption of reaction intermediates on Ru surfaces and the oxidative dissolution of RuO2 under operating conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress and challenges in Ru-based electrocatalysts for EWS. We first summarize the fundamentals of EWS, including reaction mechanisms and activity descriptors. Then, we detail typical synthesis methods such as hydrothermal/solvothermal syntheses, organic ligand-assisted syntheses, pyrolysis, acid etching, cation exchange, and molten salt-assisted syntheses. Subsequently, we focus on enhancement strategies, including alloying, doping, structure design, interface engineering, single-atom catalyst design, high-entropy alloy design, phase engineering, and defect engineering, with typical examples illustrating structure-property correlations. Finally, we address remaining challenges and future prospects for the development of efficient and durable Ru-based electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202608007
The Minjiang River Basin, subjected to combined pollution from domestic, agricultural, and industrial sources, has become a typical sensitive area for studying the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics. This study conducted a cross-year comparative analysis of the composition and concentrations of antibiotics in water samples from nine sampling sites during the dry season in November 2022 and 2024. The findings revealed: 1) After the implementation of the "National Action Plan for Reducing Antimicrobial Use in Livestock", the detection concentrations of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) decreased (e.g., doxycycline concentrations dropped from 7.75 ng/L to undetectable levels), and the mixed risk quotient (MRQ) across the entire basin transitioned from medium to low risk. However, lincomycin (up to 4.6 ng/L), clarithromycin (1.3 ng/L), and florfenicol (0.6 ng/L) have emerged, indicating an increasing hidden ecological risk from substitution. 2) High-concentration antibiotic zones transferred from urban residential areas in 2022 to intensive aquaculture zones and upstream reservoir areas in 2024. The reduction in dry-season water flow intensified pollutant accumulation, synergistically enhancing the effects of tidal drag. Additionally, the conversion of agricultural land to aquaculture ponds led to increased use of alternative drugs (e.g., sulfamethazine), while policy interventions mitigated the exacerbation of urban antibiotic pollution by construction land. This study elucidates the migration patterns of antibiotic pollution under the synergistic effects of policy regulation and natural processes, emphasizing the need to address hidden risks of substitute drugs and the driving role of land-use changes, providing scientific basis for watershed-scale risk assessment and precise management of emerging pollutants.