The extensive utilization of fossil fuels has led to a significant increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, contributing to global warming and environmental pollution, which pose major threats to human survival. To mitigate these effects, many researchers are actively employing state-of-the-art technologies to convert CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, thereby supporting sustainable development. However, few studies have employed bibliometric methods to systematically analyze research trends in CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR), resulting in limited macroscopic insights into this field. This study aims to conduct a scientometric analysis of academic literature on electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and thermocatalytic CO₂RR from 2015 to 2023. Utilizing bibliometric analysis tools Citespace, Bibliometrix, and Vosviewer for data visualization, it establishes a knowledge framework for catalytic CO₂RR. The results show that China, the United States, and India are the top three countries with the highest number of published papers in this field, with China and the United States having the highest levels of collaboration. The journal Applied Catalysis B-Environmental published the most articles and received the highest citation count, with 3.4% of the articles in this field appearing in the journal and a total of 62526 citations. Keyword analysis revealed that terms like “CO₂RR,” “CO₂,” “conversion,” and “reduction” are the most frequently occurring, indicating key areas of focus. Additionally, “selectivity” and “heterojunction” emerged as prominent research hotspots. The discussion section highlights the current challenges in the field and proposes potential strategies to address these obstacles, providing valuable insights for research in the field of catalytic CO₂RR.

This paper presents a techno-economic assessment (TEA) combined with an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of various hydrogen delivery options within Europe, aiming to identify the most sustainable and cost-effective methods for transporting renewable hydrogen. Five hydrogen carriers—compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and a liquid organic hydrogen carrier—are compared, assuming that hydrogen is produced via renewable electrolysis in Portugal and transported to the Netherlands by either ship or pipeline. The findings align with much of the existing literature, indicating that the most economically and environmentally sustainable options for long-distance hydrogen delivery are shipping liquid hydrogen and transporting compressed hydrogen via pipeline. Chemical carriers tend to involve higher costs and environmental impacts, largely due to the additional energy and materials (e.g., extra solar panels) required in hydrogen conversion steps (i.e., packing and unpacking). While the findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, further research is needed to address the limitations of multi-criteria assessments for emerging hydrogen technologies, particularly the uncertainties associated with the early development stages of processes along the hydrogen value chain. Future research should also focus on extending the scope of sustainability assessments and enhancing model reliability, especially for underrepresented environmental and social impact categories.

A study published in Biochar reports a sustainable strategy for improving zinc-iodine batteries by turning biomass-derived materials into a functional coating for battery separators. The research team developed a nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped porous carbon, made from chitin and phytic acid, that helps address several major barriers facing zinc-iodine battery technology, including poor iodine utilization, polyiodide “shuttling,” slow reaction kinetics, and zinc dendrite growth.

The 23rd Carbon Research International Forum, held online on April 24, 2026, brought together researchers and professionals to explore how engineered biochar can support carbon capture, resource recovery, and sustainable industrial development. The recorded session has now been uploaded to YouTube, making the forum available to a wider international audience interested in low-carbon technologies and circular economy solutions.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues its exponential growth, the data centres powering it are consuming electricity and freshwater at an unprecedented rate.

A gapless, telomere-to-telomere reference genome of Capsella bursa-pastoris reveals extensive subgenome divergence and large structural variations, providing a pivotal resource for polyploid plant evolution and functional genomic research.

Protecting old-growth forests significantly boosts soil physical–biochemical quality, dissolved organic matter chemodiversity, and beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, offering a proven pathway to safeguard endangered Ocotea porosa and mitigate climate change.