Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A Recent Review Articles

We highlight how DTEM reveals catalytic dynamics and outline key advances, challenges, and future opportunities.

Research on high-energy-density materials (HEDMs) has largely centered around molecules derived from the classical CHNO framework.

This perspective defines quantitative ‘target design windows’ for contact resistivity and shear strength, mapping four dominant strategies to guide the transition from empirical metallization to engineered reliability.

The sustainable production and efficient utilization of hydrogen are central to achieving global carbon neutrality.

Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionise materials discovery through accelerated prediction and optimisation, yet this transformation brings critical data integrity challenges that threaten the scientific record.

Two‑dimensional (2D) hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) exhibit pressure‑tunable structures and properties that enable optimized performance in energy and optoelectronic devices.

Anion Exchange Membrane degradation can occur through thermal, chemical and mechanical pathways, but there are several strategies that can help mitigate these phenomena and increase AEM durability.

This review examines the methods for recovering acids from industrial wastewater, covering sample characterization and recovery techniques such as ion-exchange membranes, pyrohydrolysis, and solvent extraction.

Escalating plastic pollution and the growing demand for sustainable energy storage call for innovative, integrated solutions.

Upcycling facilitates a paradigm shift in the regeneration of spent LiFePO₄ from mere performance recovery to upgrading through strategies like elemental doping or coating, offering a new perspective for the development of regeneration technologies.

This review summarizes the catalytic mechanisms, confined synthesis strategies, and structure–activity relationships of HDSACs in key electrochemical energy conversion reactions, aiming to guide the rational design of high-performance HDSACs.

Solvation-centered molecular design tailors salt dissociation, ion transport, and interfaces in solid polymer electrolytes – a roadmap to safe, high-energy sodium metal batteries.

Review of Se/Te chalcogen cathodes for aqueous Zn-ion batteries, highlighting design strategies, redox mechanisms, and prospects for high-performance, safe, durable energy storage.

This review emphasizes the controlled design, interfacial interactions, and co-assembly fabrication of macroscopic graphyne-based membranes and thin films. It also discusses their applications and outlines future challenges in this field.

Smart self-healing polymers offer sustainable solutions for energy storage and sensing by autonomously repairing damage while enhancing durability and reliability, and enabling next-generation power devices and flexible electronic skin sensors.

This review highlights how infiltration, exsolution, and atomic layer deposition modify SOFC anodes to improve direct methane/ammonia conversion, enhance electrochemical performance, and combat degradation via coking and nitridation.

Schematic representation of a sodium-ion battery, illustrating Na⁺ transport between the cathode and anode during charge and discharge, along with representative crystal structures of typical electrode materials.

This review summarizes recent advances in amorphous–crystalline heterostructure photocatalysts, and their advantages, synthetic strategies and applications are detailed and discussed to outline critical directions for future development.

This paper critically reviews strategies for molecularly engineering crystalline MOFs to enhance their distribution within polymers and to improve CO₂/gas separation properties in the resulting thin-film and nanofilm nanocomposite membranes.

This timely review discusses the advantages and limitations of various 3D printing approaches for thermoelectric materials, highlighting their impact on the properties of the materials and device integration.

This review summarizes the research progress of MSes-based HER electrocatalysts, covering advantages, synthesis, enhancement strategies, mechanisms and current challenges, which is of great significance for designing efficient MSes-based catalysts.

ICOFMs, with high ion selectivity, continuous mass transport/conduction channels and strong electrostatic interactions, show great application potential in conduction, membrane separation, biomedicine, sensing and energy conversion.

The review article summarizes the recent advances of nanocarbon-based thermoelectric materials.

This review summarizes the application of Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu SACs in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO, covering synthesis strategies, reaction mechanisms, performance optimization, and future challenges.

This review highlights the progress in phase diagram engineering and microstructural design in Te based multiphase alloys.

This review highlights the application of perovskite oxides as electrocatalysts for small-molecule oxidation, focusing on their structure–performance relationships, defect engineering, and reaction mechanisms to guide efficient energy conversion.

Hole transport layers (HTLs) are crucial for QD-based photovoltaics. This study compares p-type QDs, organic HTLs, and hybrids, showing that alternative ligands beyond EDT offer promise for scalable, stable, and efficient QD devices.

This review summarizes recent progress in developing high-mass-loading cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries and highlights key design principles and emerging strategies toward practical, high-energy-density systems.

Metal–guest and metal–linker coordination bonds in MOFs form reversible dissociation–association equilibria. These dynamics are tunable by temperature, light, guests, and confinedness, enabling mild activation, cooperative gas uptake, and catalysis.

Water electrolysis represents a pivotal pathway for green hydrogen production, offering exceptional product purity, operational simplicity, and zero pollutant emissions.

This review explores the applications of nanotechnology to address the challenges of radioactive wastes by transforming it into sustainable nuclear batteries, thereby enhancing the viability of nuclear energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels.

Graphyne-based materials (GBMs), composed of mixed sp- and sp²-hybridized carbon networks, exhibit tunable pore architectures and unique electronic properties, enabling promising applications in energy, catalysis, and separation technologies.

Ultrafast Joule heating (UJH) has emerged as a cutting-edge technology for synthesizing advanced functional materials (AFMs), representing a burgeoning field of research with significant scientific and industrial implications.

Abstract nonwoven fabrics have rapidly evolved from low-value commodities into next-generation materials platforms underpinning healthcare, environmental remediation, and clean-energy technologies.

Liquid crystal elastomers provide a multifunctional platform for solar, mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical energy applications.

We present the fundamental molecular structure, characteristics, optimization strategy for physicochemical properties, synthesis methods and applications of acrylamide-based hydrogels in zinc-based batteries.

Carbon-encapsulated electrocatalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis were reviewed, pointing out both the advancement and challenges. Further investigations should emphasize the fundamental theories, synthetic methods, and in situ characterizations.

Guided by eCO₂RR mechanisms, bimetallic and multi-metallic catalysts engineered with diverse strategies exploit synergy to achieve high activity and selectivity for varied products, advancing the development of the eCO₂RR.

This work summarizes advances, regulation strategies and structure–activity relationship of HEAs as performance catalysts for MOR, revealing the evolution from monometallic Pt to high entropy, highlighting key gaps and design challenges.

Anode, air-cathode, and electrolyte stabilization using electrolyte additives by forming a stable SEI enables the formation of toroidal Li₂O₂ and offers stability against ROS species in Li–Air batteries.

Significant advancements in biosensing and nanoelectronics have been driven by 2D materials like graphene, MoS₂, and hBN, integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

This reviews MOF applications in electrochemical sensing, summarizes synthesis and performance of metal-based MOFs, and discusses sensor optimization strategies.

This review charts how liquid metals are revolutionizing flexible energy technology, enabling conformal power sources for wearable electronics, soft robotics, and autonomous systems.

Microfluidic spinning enables precise control of fiber architectures and multifunctional integration. This review summarizes principles, structures, and wearable applications of microfluidic-spun fibers.

Aiming at the methanol crossover phenomenon, a comprehensive review of anti-poisoned Pt/Pd-based ORR electrocatalysts attempts to elucidate their anti-poisoning mechanism and provide a research foundation for their development and application.

This review provides a detailed assessment of the incorporation of conductive polymers in common A-ZIB positive electrode materials, drawing attention to potential misinterpretations and offering strategies for good experimental practices.

This review summarizes recent advances and mechanisms in light-driven ammonia synthesis from nitrogen and hydrogen, emphasizing the unique role of light in overcoming scaling relationships to facilitate NH₃ production under mild conditions.

A fundamental methodology for the sustainable generation of hydrogen is electrochemical water-splitting; however, the protracted kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) diminish its efficacy.

This review outlines advances in material and flexible generator strategies enabling sustainable power from water evaporation for next-generation self-powered flexible electronics.

This review includes: structural design approaches, performance-enhancing modifications, and emerging application prospects of advanced Na-ion cathodes; optimization strategies and future applications of stable Na-ion cathodes.

This review highlights precious-metal-free catalyst designs, including heteroatom doping and heterojunction engineering, to stabilize seawater anion exchange membrane water electrolysis by mitigating scaling, surface passivation, and side reactions.

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the halogen reaction mechanism in ZHBs catalyzed by organic compounds, particularly regarding the selection criteria for achieving multi-electron halogen conversion reactions.

Recent research progress in low-toxicity light-absorbing materials for indoor photovoltaic applications is discussed, with a particular focus on emerging lead-free halide perovskites.

Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical capacity, inherent safety, and cost-effectiveness.

MOF-derived materials constitute a versatile family with diverse morphological features, and these derivatives have exhibited promising electrochemical performance when applied in supercapacitors.

Schematic diagram of SHHEs and practical applications in flexible energy storage technologies.

This review summarizes the research progress on additives for NFA OSCs, covering their classification based on halogen content, working mechanisms, and design principles, to guide the development of eco-friendly and simple-structure additives.