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Newest Research Published in Advanced Functional Materials (AFM)!

Congratulations to Prof. Ying Zheng and the research team, including first authors Nan Zou and Zhiliang Dong, on the publication of their research article, “Stoma-Shell Nanoarchitecture for Enhanced Plasma Confinement Catalysis in Synthesis of Ethanol from CO₂,” in Advanced Functional Materials.

This work introduces an innovative bio-inspired stoma-shell nanoarchitecture, drawing inspiration from the structure and function of natural leaves. The catalyst features a microporous outer shell with vertically aligned “stoma” channels that protects reaction intermediates from destructive high-energy electron impacts, together with a defect-rich mesoporous interior that provides confined catalytic spaces for CO₂ enrichment, intermediate stabilization, and C–C coupling.

The optimized architecture significantly redirected the plasma-assisted CO₂ hydrogenation pathway toward ethanol production, achieving a threefold enhancement in ethanol selectivity over methanol. The study demonstrates how rational catalyst architecture can control plasma–catalyst interactions and improve the selective conversion of CO₂ into valuable liquid fuels under mild conditions.

Importantly, synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to investigate the local electronic and coordination environment of the Cu active sites. Cu K-edge XANES and EXAFS provided atomic-scale insight into the evolution of Cu–O coordination and the formation of defect-rich, coordinatively unsaturated Cu sites within the stoma-shell structure, helping establish the relationship between catalyst structure and performance.

This research highlights the power of combining bio-inspired materials design, plasma catalysis, and advanced synchrotron characterization to develop new strategies for sustainable CO₂ conversion and energy applications.

Read the research article here: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202522837https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202522837

 

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