Themed collection Recent Open Access Articles

Solar water splitting offers a potential avenue for the production of clean and storable energy in the form of hydrogen. Conjugated polymer photocatalysts offer new opportunities which are discussed in this highlight.

Recent developments in separation enhanced reaction processes using membranes and adsorbents, highlighted here, have proven their potential for carbon dioxide conversion to methanol and dimethyl ether.

Current PV market trends give high importance to the aesthetic value of PV products. The technology developed and described in this article allows the easy implementation of customizable and visually appealing solar panels in different applications.

Giant caloric effects found in NdCu₃Fe₄O₁₂ and BiCu₃Cr₄O₁₂ are highlighted. The details of the giant caloric effects in the novel charge–spin–lattice coupled transition-metal oxides are summarized and the mechanism of the effects is discussed.

The dissipation of static charge generated by contact electrification occurs readily into all interfaces of matter via different fundamental mechanisms and critically affects the desired level of steady-state charge in practical applications.

Here we document the reduction in porosity observed in MOFs upon their glass formation, propose routes to improve this porosity, and speculate on prospective future adsorptive applications.

Perovskite nanocrystals embedded in metal–organic frameworks (PeMOF) are a new nanoscale heterostructure for stable photonic sources. This perspective discusses the properties of PeMOF structures and their current progress in photonic devices.

We highlight the status of, and propose future approaches for, rheological, electrochemical, and spectroscopic characterization of concentrated redoxmer electrolytes for energy storage, with an emphasis on nonaqueous redox flow batteries.

This perspective details every single aspects of iRu drop correction in controlled-potential electrocatalysis from fundamentals to the best practices.

Precursor inks development contributed significantly to rapid escalations in solar-to-electrical conversion efficiencies of peorvskite solar cell technology.

For the first time, we highlight recent experimental and atomistic modelling insights into Li- and Na-rich anti-perovskite battery materials, with particular attention given to their synthesisability, structures, ion transport and interfaces.

Hydrogen transfer from nitroamino to nitroimino promotes density, energy and safety of energetic materials suggesting excellent application prospects in designing next generation high energy density materials.

Ge alloying in kesterite thin films enables to mitigate electronic defect and disorder, enhance morphology as well as realize bandgap grading, all contributing to higher performance of complete solar cells via resolved V_oc and fill factor deficits.

Oxide ions are traditionally regarded as forming the inert anion sub-lattice of oxide structures whose properties are largely dominated by the cations present.

Dyes play a crucial role in the cell performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and versatile synthetic strategies towards well-tailored porphyrins for DSSCs have been developed for achieving high photovoltaic performances.

Sorbent-assisted AWH and moisture-enabled energy generation are reviewed in parallel to reveal the correlation between these two technologies.

This review summarizes the fundamental understanding of issues and strategies on the zinc anode. The electrolyte engineering is discussed. Techniques applied on analysing the interaction between anodes and electrolytes are summarized.

Neutron and muon characterisation techniques offer unique capabilities for investigating the complex structure and dynamics of rechargeable battery systems.

This review covers the use of Prussian blue and its analogues as sacrificial templates and the adopted strategies to produce new materials with diverse compositions, structures and morphologies.

Metal phosphides combine elemental abundance, structural and bonding diversity, and are promising thermoelectric materials.

The formation of salt precipitates in the gas-fed cathode is a major hurdle for durable cell operation of low-temperature CO₂ electrolyzers. In this article, the authors summarize and compare different strategies to mitigate salt precipitation.

Schematic illustration for the development and emerging applications of biomimetic superhydrophobic wood, including a variety of preparation strategies, durability tests, and representative emerging applications.

2D structures have numerous attributes that make them effective for the fabrication of sensing devices. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the recent developments in the field of sensor devices made from atomically thin 2D materials.

3D printing technologies and continuous flow microreaction systems are rapidly gaining attention in the domain of heterogeneous catalysis.

This review discusses the current status and challenges in the development of novel iodine capture adsorbents, focusing on adsorption mechanisms and evaluation methods.

Combining solid electrolytes (SE) and liquid electrolytes (LE) may resolve interparticle contact issues in solid-state batteries. New challenges arise due SLEI, which needs to be better understood to minimize its effects at the cell-level.

In this review, we explain the influence and role of the multiscale hierarchy of cellulose fibers in their chemical modifications as exemplified through recent advances in the spatioselective surface chemistry of nanocelluloses.

Aerogels have been considered to be revolutionary solid-state materials due to their highly porous structure, low density, large surface area, and low thermal conductivity, which can be applied in the many modern fields of industry.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as highly porous crystalline structures, are newly emerging materials designed with tuneable features.

Strategies for regulating the electronic structure of transition-metal-based electrocatalysts through doping, heterostructure, oxygen vacancies, alloy, and strain engineering are investigated.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a key characterisation technique in the study of interfacial reactions within modern rechargeable batteries.

The review provides the recent progress in the processing of functional devices using oriented 2D nanomaterials and highlights the alignment strategies that contributed to the enhancement of device performance.

Organic electrode materials are becoming increasingly important as they could reduce the C-footprint and provide more flexibility to the design of rechargeable batteries.

AgNbO₃ exhibits anti-/ferroelectricity and narrow bandgap semi-conductivity that lead to active responses under electric field, light and force. Some of these properties are also mutually coupled and could be suited for multifunctional applications.

In this review, we consider the detrimental effects of Si-contamination on electrochemical applications, broadly conceived, in which both ions and electrons play key roles in device operation and where exchange of oxygen between the gas and solid phase is likewise essential for operation.

This review summarizes recent progress on dual-phase oxygen transport membranes. Existing challenges, research strategies and future application areas are discussed.

Overview and strategies for assessing chemical function, properties and application of naphthalene diimide (NDI) as an effective electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The surface ligation of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NC) influences the size/dimensionality, optoelectronic properties, chemical stability, and use of the NCs.

Controlling the preparation of perovskite materials on the Si optoelectronics platform is a crucial step to realize perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. This review highlights the recent progress and remaining challenges in Si-based perovskite optoelectronic devices.

This review highlights doping effects on the intrinsic catalytic activities and oxygen evolution reaction mechanisms of state-of-the-art catalysts, including oxides, non-oxides and carbon-based catalysts, from experimental to theoretical studies.

Single-atom and double-atom catalysts have emerged as a new Frontier in many fields due to their high atom-utilization efficiency, excellent catalytic properties and good durability.

This review outlines the prospects for a range of solid-state NMR spectroscopy techniques to facilitate structural understanding of complex interfaces in metal halide perovskites and transport layers for optoelectronic applications.

Advances in macrocycle-based membranes: molecular recognition, fabrication strategies, applications, perspectives, and future challenges.

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) used in various applications due to suitable band gap and tunable conductivity. It has excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical stability.

Metal halide perovskites and colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are two emerging classes of photoactive materials that have attracted considerable attention for next-generation high-performance solution-processed solar cells.

This review reports progress in solid electrolytes integrated into all-solid-state 2D and 3D lithium-ion microbatteries. The latest improvements, performance and challenges of the all-solid-state 2D and 3D structured microbatteries are analyzed.

Reversible boronic ester-based polymers/hydrogels achieve cutting-edge biomedical applications including drug delivery, adhesion, bioimplants, healthcare monitoring by self-healing, injectability, biocompatibility, multi-responsiveness to stimuli.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an efficient photovoltaic technology for powering electronic applications such as wireless sensors with indoor light.

The mechanism of a NiRuNa/CeAl dual function material in successive cycles of CO₂ capture and conversion was investigated. Carbonyls and carbonates were formed during CO₂ capture, and a spillover mechanism occurred to form the desired products.

Noble metal nanoparticles anchored on flexible polyurethane foams were synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis. Through employing a robotic arm, these ‘catalytic sponges’ were used for organic reductions towards automated lab-scale organic synthesis.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations predict that oxygen-vacancy diffusion in Ca_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_2.5 is as fast as in Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_2.5.

Investigation of a cyanate ester based formulation and stereolithography-based additive manufacturing via Hot Lithography to produce polycyanurates with a glass transition temperature of 336 °C without any additives.

The systematic studies revealed that O₂ in electrolyte solutions renders magnesium metal negative electrodes electrochemically inactive due to oxide-based firm insulative layer formation through O₂, magnesium, and electrolyte-related processes.

Fluoroalkyl phosphonic acids are demonstrated to be an efficient radical scavenger for Nafion™, showing a 58% lower fluoride emission rate than the state of the art, cerium.

The first working lithium-ion battery containing polymer electrolytes derived from waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles is demonstrated.

A green route to prepare Zr-based MOF-808 with controlled crystal size have been developed. MOF-808 is able to decontaminate wastewater by simultaneously degrading a toxic pesticide and recovering phosphate ions.

Cation rearrangement during cycling of a Li_1.1Mn_0.7Ti_0.2O₂ cathode with a disordered rock-salt structure forms in situ a short-range ordered superstructure changing the connectivity of Li-migration channels and the electrochemical performance.

Inverse vulcanised sulfur polymer nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent precipitation–demonstrated as mercury ion absorbent in solution, showing high selectivity and capacity, and as membrane filters.

The study of the oxygen incorporation and diffusion in lanthanum manganite thin films is presented by means of novel isotope-exchange atom probe tomography, allowing a direct quantification of the enhancement of grain boundaries' oxygen kinetics.

Atomically-dispersed metal catalysts (ADMCs) on surfaces have demonstrated high activity and selectivity in many catalytic reactions.

Rapid, tailored synthesis of supported single metal nanoparticles with no change in size post ligand removal.

Post-processing the active layer in additive-free organic solar cells enabled an enhancement in performance due to an increased acceptor crystallinity, resulting in a fill factor of 76%, a power conversion efficiency of 13.84% and an improved stability.

Oriented film and pattern of TCNQ@Cu₃(BTC)₂(HKUST-1) fabricated via epitaxial growth exhibit anisotropic electrical properties toward MOF-based (flexible) thin-film smart device applications, such as transistors and thermoelectric thin films.

Novel and known low valent transition metal phosphates (TMPs) are accessible via a novel and facile pathway denoted as reductive phosphatization. The method allows syntheses of TMPs especially with reduced oxidation states.

The O1 phase transition is suppressed by Ni migration to tetrahedral sites in NiO₂.

Favorably engineering sensing reaction zones from triple phase boundaries to quadrupole phase boundaries towards enriching the functionality of the Li-garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ fast-conducting electrolyte for sensing applications beyond batteries.

Rapid screening of Pt/C PEMFC catalysts through RDE methods to accelerate the development of catalysts with an optimal spatial distribution of Pt within the carbon support.

We present small-angle scattering as a nanostructural technique to characterize the colloidal nature of perovskite precursor dispersions. The existence of a dynamic colloidal network has been proven to influence the initial stages of crystallization.

Understanding dehydration of Prussian white systems to enable processability of water-based electrodes for sustainable and high capacity sodium-ion batteries.

In this paper the removal of a wide range of heavy metal ions from different chemical environments has been explored with the use of phosphate-functionalised superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), specifically magnetite (Fe₃O₄).