Electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol (GLY; from a biodiesel byproduct) to lactic acid (LA; the key monomers for polylactic acid; PLA) is considered a sustainable approach for biomass waste upcycling and is coupled with cathodic hydrogen (H 2 ) production. However, current research still suffer from issues of low current density and low LA selectivity. Herein, we reported a photoassisted electrocatalytic strategy to achieve the selective oxidation of GLY to LA over a gold nanowire (Au NW) catalyst, attaining a high current density of 387 mA cm −2 at 0.95 V vs RHE, together with a high LA selectivity of 80%, outperforming most of the reported works in the literature. We reveal that the lightassistance strategy plays a dual role, which can both accelerate the reaction rate through the photothermal effect and also promote the adsorption of the middle hydroxyl of GLY over Au NWs to realize the selective oxidation of GLY to LA. As a proof-of-concept, we realized the direct conversion of crude GLY that was extracted from cooking oil to attain LA and coupled it with H 2 production using the developed photoassisted electrooxidation process, revealing the potential of this strategy in practical applications.
Electrocatalytic technology provides a promising approach for energy storage, conversion, and utilization. The design and modification of electrocatalysts have been widely applied to improve the performance of electrocatalytic reactions, but bottlenecks can be entered that make it hard to make dramatic progress. The achievement of high‐performance electrocatalysis requires a continuous effort in advancing the new techniques. The introduction of external fields is an attractive approach to improve the mass transfer and change the reaction kinetics, which can remarkably enhance the electrocatalytic performance. This review describes the recent developments in the application of various external fields, including light, magnetic fields, elastic strain, external pressure, and gravity, to boost electrocatalytic reactions (e.g., water splitting, alcohols oxidation, CO2 reduction, and N2 reduction). The relevant mechanisms of external fields to boost charge transport, mass transfer, and the adsorption of reactants are highlighted. Finally, the remaining challenges and future opportunities for coupling external fields with electrocatalysis are discussed.
Executive summaryKeywords: reserve acquisitions; bid discount; oil and gas; mergers and acquisitions.China's monetary and energy policies are playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping asset prices across global markets. In the energy sector in particular, the impact of China's confidence is manifest in the intensity of competition for scarce resources and specifically in the prices paid for oilfields and corporate assets.Our findings suggest that China seems to have learned from their high profile failure to acquire U.S. Company Unocal in 2005 and is now reviving an interest in global deal-making. China acquired more than ten percent of global reserves over the period 2006-2012, enjoying some deal pricing success in the process. Chinese companies are closing and consolidating deals, but importantly, they are doing them well. Prior studies of deal attributes suggest that China employs various approaches to command 'discounts' in energy sector transactions; executing oil for loans at a country level in state deals, or cash for equity acquisitions in private deals, often closing strategic acquisitions to their advantage.Broader studies of Chinese 'Petronationalism', suggest that acquisitions are driven not only by commercial interests, but by a desire for energy security. The dual commercial and security implications of China's energy deal-making serve to make this a pressing and also interesting policy research area (with far-reaching consequences for competitors in the sector).In this work the focus is on (comparative) Chinese merger and acquisition prices. We are interested in where China acquires reserves and whether it does so on competitive terms. Our results show China has been winning by outbidding in risky areas, particularly where a willingness to take on the risks of opening new exploration provinces has been backed by oil for Chinese loans. It is clear that one sustainable Chinese advantage has been their willingness to take on risky markets, it may be that China is using diplomacy and funding to neutralise these risks. Whatever the reason, risky provinces seemed not to hold the same fear for China as for other bidders.As result, for global competitors the energy outlook for 2018 and beyond is changing. China's financial advantages may be diminishing as trade wars proliferate; Forex reserves are down to 3 trillion from 4 trillion. The costs of funds for China are increasing and their currency is losing relative strength against the dollar. Each of these are important in a dollar denominated commodity sector. However, it seems clear that Chinese energy companies will continue to expand their acquisitive policy, likewise, international companies will need to increase bid prices to compete and counter offer for energy and oil and gas assets.
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