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Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for green hydrogen generation and exhibits distinct pH-dependent kinetics that have been elusive to understand. A molecular-level understanding of the electrochemical interfaces is essential for developing more efficient electrochemical processes. Here we exploit an exclusively surface-specific electrical transport spectroscopy (ETS) approach to probe the Pt-surface water protonation status and experimentally determine the surface hydronium pK a = 4.3. Quantum mechanics (QM) and reactive dynamics using a reactive force field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics (RMD) calculations confirm the enrichment of hydroniums (H 3 O + * ) near Pt surface and predict a surface hydronium pK a of 2.5 to 4.4, corroborating the experimental results. Importantly, the observed Pt-surface hydronium pK a correlates well with the pH-dependent HER kinetics, with the protonated surface state at lower pH favoring fast Tafel kinetics with a Tafel slope of 30 mV per decade and the deprotonated surface state at higher pH following Volmer-step limited kinetics with a much higher Tafel slope of 120 mV per decade, offering a robust and precise interpretation of the pH-dependent HER kinetics. These insights may help design improved electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion. 

Mosses comprise one of three lineages forming a sister group to extant vascular plants. Having emerged from an early split in the diversification of embryophytes, mosses may offer complementary insights into the evolution of traits following the transition to, and colonization of, land. Here, we report the draft nuclear genome of Fontinalis antipyretica (Fontinalaceae, Hypnales), a charismatic aquatic moss that is widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced and de novo-assembled its genome using the 10X Genomics method. The genome comprises 385.2 Mbp, with a scaffold N50 of 45.8 Kbp. The assembly captured 87.2% of the 430 genes in the BUSCO Viridiplantae odb10 dataset. The newly generated F. antipyretica genome is the third moss genome, and the second seedless aquatic plant genome, to be sequenced and assembled to date. 

A global international initiative, such as the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), requires both agreement and coordination on standards to ensure that the collective effort generates rapid progress toward its goals. To this end, the EBP initiated five technical standards committees comprising volunteer members from the global genomics scientific community: Sample Collection and Processing, Sequencing and Assembly, Annotation, Analysis, and IT and Informatics. The current versions of the resulting standards documents are available on the EBP website, with the recognition that opportunities, technologies, and challenges may improve or change in the future, requiring flexibility for the EBP to meet its goals. Here, we describe some highlights from the proposed standards, and areas where additional challenges will need to be met. 

Hydrazine‐assisted water electrolysis offers a feasible path for low‐voltage green hydrogen production. Herein, the design and synthesis of ultrathin RhRu_0.5‐alloy wavy nanowires as bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the anodic hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) and the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is reported. It is shown that the RhRu_0.5‐alloy wavy nanowires can achieve complete electrooxidation of hydrazine with a low overpotential and high mass activity, as well as improved performance for the HER. The resulting RhRu_0.5bifunctional electrocatalysts enable, high performance hydrazine‐assisted water electrolysis delivering a current density of 100 mA cm⁻²at an ultralow cell voltage of 54 mV and a high current density of 853 mA cm⁻²at a cell voltage of 0.6 V. The RhRu_0.5 electrocatalysts further demonstrate a stable operation at a high current density of 100 mA cm⁻²for 80 hours of testing period with little irreversible degradation. The overall performance greatly exceeds that of the previously reported hydrazine‐assisted water electrolyzers, offering a pathway for efficiently converting hazardous hydrazine into molecular hydrogen.

 

CO₂conversion into valuable chemicals and fuels, such as methanol, is one of the most practical routes for utilizing emitted CO₂and mitigating global warming. Herein, a 3D Cu‐decorated ZnO nanorod array based structured catalysts for efficient thermochemical CO₂hydrogenation to methanol at relatively low pressures (<10 atm) is successfully fabricated and demonstrated. This new type of nanorod array integrated structured catalysts has yielded a methanol formation rate of 1.9 mol h⁻¹kg⁻¹with a methanol selectivity of 56%, rivaling the state‐of‐the‐art powder‐form catalysts. The well‐dispersed copper species on the array structure as well as the array‐structure‐enhanced interfacial effect are key factors that improve the activity of the nanorod array catalysts in CO₂hydrogenation. The Cu‐ZnO nanorod array interface also suppresses reverse water‐gas shift reaction, reducing the selectivity to CO. Further improvement of the performance of the nanorod array based catalysts is demonstrated by tuning the ZnO nanorod array length. The developed nanorod array integrated monolithic catalysts also exhibit good stability during a long‐time continuous operation, demonstrating the potential and the feasibility of their practical implementation in industrial situation.