Montmorillonite (Mt) is a kind of 2:1 type layered phyllosilicate mineral with nanoscale structure, large surface area, high cation exchange capacity and excellent adsorption capacity. By virtue of such unique properties, many scholars have paid much attention to the further modification of Mt-based two-dimensional (2D) functional composite materials, such as Mt-metal hydroxides and Mt-carbon composites. In this review, we focus on two typical Mt-2D nanocomposite: Mt@layered double hydroxide (Mt@LDH) and Mt@graphene (Mt@GR) and their fabrication strategies, as well as their important applications in pollution adsorption, medical antibacterial, film thermal conduction and flame-retardant. In principle, the prospective trend of the composite preparation of Mt-2D nancomposites and promising fields are well addressed.

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Decentralized water systems necessitate intensified, robust, and modular water treatment technologies for enhanced efficacy and resilience of the water purification process. Inorganic electrified membranes (IEMs) are gaining momentum in decentralized water systems by combining the versatility of electro-filtration processes with the favorable properties of inorganic materials, namely, strong mechanical strength, chemical stability, and hydrophilicity. This review quantitatively assesses three mainstream IEMs (i.e., Ti4O7, carbon, and metallic IEMs) from a fundamental perspective of the intrinsic electrochemical properties of the IEM materials and their translation into the IEM performances. We specifically (i) analyze the •OH production selectivity by Ti4O7 IEMs based on electrochemical thermodynamics and material science; (ii) differentiate degradation mechanisms of carbon IEMs in the context of various water matrices and propose strategies to address major concerns of avoiding membrane passivation and improving Faradaic efficiency of carbon IEMs; and (iii) highlight metallic IEMs doped with Ag or Pd, i.e., elucidate the combined sterilization mechanism by Ag-IEM via Ag+ dissolution and electro-phenomena, and unravel the unique hydrogenolysis ability of Pd-IEM for hydrodeoxygenation and persulfate electro-activation. We conclude by identifying the remaining obstacles of IEMs and present possible interdisciplinary approaches for IEM optimization.

The interface between the catalyst and the substrate for self-supported electrocatalysts is crucial to the overall catalytic performance, which has been less considered so far. Herein, we report the significant enhancement of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of electrodeposited Co­(OH)2 on the Fe foil due to the in situ generated interfacial layer on the underlying metal substrate during the OER process. Experimental observations demonstrate that the OER electrocatalytic activity of Co­(OH)2 on various metal substrates decreases in the order Fe > Ni > Co > Cu > Ag > Ti in the high current density region. Density functional theory calculations and experimental investigations demonstrate that the interfacial (oxy)­hydroxide/oxide layer on the surface of the metal substrate can affect total OER kinetics. We believe that theoretical understanding and experimental findings of the substrate effect can provide further insights into the catalyst–substrate interface for self-supported electrocatalysts. Thus, this work provides a new guideline to design high-performance electrodes, which can be achieved through the match of electrocatalytic species and the substrate.