Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

Ultrafine intermetallics (<5 nm) offer unique catalytic properties but face sintering challenges. We highlight carbon-supported synthesis strategies for precise control, focusing on electrocatalytic applications and future directions.

This perspective highlights how electrode substrate choice critically affects electrocatalyst performance in water splitting, guiding researchers to design better catalysts by leveraging each substrate’s unique properties.

Zinc–air batteries (ZABs) stand at the forefront of energy storage technologies. However, challenges like slow kinetics and low rechargeability persist. MOF–MXene hybrids enhance performance, enabling sustainable ZAB technology.

This review explores the properties of strontium iridate (SrIrO₃) and its potential as a high-performance catalyst for water splitting in both acidic and alkaline environments, providing key insights for the advancement of electrolysis technologies.

This review systematically summarizes the cutting-edge development of covalent organic framework-derived functional interphases for improving Zn chemistry in aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

This paper reviews the working principles and key parameters of TJPSCs and presents recent research progress, focuses on how component optimization, interface engineering, and charge transport layer improvements influence efficiency.

A review about 2D covalent organic frameworks as organic electrode materials for aqueous batteries.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current development of smart batteries, which can be divided into three parts: smart materials, smart manufacturing and smart sensing.

By adjusting the composition of the inner Helmholtz plane and the outer Helmholtz plane, it is expected to improve the desolvation structure of zinc ions, inhibit the side reaction of zinc anode and enhance the long-cycle performance of the battery.

This review clearly elucidates the lineage of the development of NO₃⁻RR from the theoretical mechanism to practical reactions and deepens the understanding of NO₃⁻RR, pointing out the direction for the advanced design of NO₃⁻RR electrocatalysts.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a compelling alternative to lithium-ion batteries, driven by the abundance of raw materials and lower costs.

The utilization of nickel-based catalysts in hybrid CO₂ electrolysis systems enhances the efficiency of CO₂ reduction by coupling low-energy alternative oxidation reactions, thereby offering an innovative route towards a sustainable carbon economy.

Overview of the applications and performance improvement strategies of pyro-catalysis.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2DTMDCs) are promising in quantum computing, flexible electronics, spintronics, sustainable energy systems, and advanced healthcare.

This review summarizes the recent progress of atomically dispersed metal catalysts for oxygen reduction electrocatalysis, including advanced theories and descriptors, active site structure, and advanced characterization techniques.

The utilization of 2D CTFs in advanced electrochemical energy storage systems not only demonstrates the enhancement of the energy and power densities of these devices, but also promotes their cycling stability and rate performance.

We explored the cutting-edge dual-functional CaL-ICCC process, addressing current limitations and proposing future strategies to minimize energy penalties through integrated multiscale approaches spanning materials, reactors, and systems.

We review the progress on MOF-based separators for LSBs, with a particular focus on the relationship between the MOF structures and their functional roles in polysulfide capture, catalytic conversion, and uniform Li⁺ ion flux regulation.

This review highlights that screen-printed gas sensors are cost-effective and scalable, ideal for environmental, industrial, and healthcare applications.

This review focuses on the transformative role of the carbon-based covalent bridging bonds in the field of sodium-ion batteries, providing valuable insights for advancing the next-generation high-performance sodium-ion batteries.

The construction of multilayer electrolytes can improve the electrode interface and enhance the performance of solid-state batteries.

This review focuses on pore engineering (intrinsic pore size, extrinsic porosity, and pore environment) in porous organic cages and summarizes the roles of pore engineering in various fields.

This review highlights recent advances in Ir-based electrocatalysts based on different design strategies. This review will guide future research in the development of high-performance Ir-based HOR electrocatalysts for AEMFCs.

The utilization of ferroelectrics offers an additional lever to surpass the performance limits of traditional photoelectrodes. In this review, design strategies for ferroelectric photoelectrodes from materials to PEC system design are assessed.

This review examines the integration of artificial intelligence with nanogenerators to develop self-powered, adaptive systems for applications in robotics, wearables, and environmental monitoring.

Nitrogen doping in flash graphene modulates interfacial interactions to enable polymer composites with enhanced properties.

This work shows that reconstructing a Gd³⁺-enriched Helmholtz plane enhances interfacial stability, improves Zn anode reversibility, and boosts capacity and cycling stability in zinc–bromine flow batteries.

A polarization-sensitive photodetector based on 1D vdW Nb₂Pd_1−xSe₅ is reported. Image convolutional processing and proof-of-concept multiplexing optical communications and polarization imaging are demonstrated based on the devices.

Disk-like CuS nanoparticles facilitate the photocatalytic conversion of carbonate-rich waste marble-dust to acetic acid under monochromatic green light, offering a green route for carbon upcycling and waste utilization.

Nickel-mediated interfacial design in Mo₂C/Ni/Fe₃O₄ ternary heterostructures establishes decoupled hydrogen/oxygen-containing intermediate spillover pathways via interfacial Ni–C–Mo and Ni–O–Fe interactions and moderation.

A novel 2PACz/MA composite HTL strategy improves the efficiency and stability of OSCs by optimizing interface quality.

A weakly solvated electrolyte strategy for high-performance fluoride-ion batteries at room temperature.

This work systematically investigates the influence of the sp/sp² hybrid carbon ratio on the NRR catalytic performance of Ti@GY/Gr heterojunctions and explores the underlying mechanisms and relevant descriptor relationships.

Structured macro-droplets, stabilized by self-assembled and jammed hemispherical Janus particles at water–oil interfaces, enable scalable fabrication of multi-functional granular materials, e.g., magnetic/fluorescent capsules.

An encapsulated graphene oxide/silk protein aerogel fiber made by coaxial spinning is reported to exhibit ultra-high mechanical properties. The aerogel fiber showed efficient performance in thermal management applications.

DFT reveals oxygen vacancies on SnO₂ stabilize polarons, driving efficient O₂ activation and CO oxidation. These findings enable advanced SnO₂-based sensor design, leveraging defect engineering to boost catalytic and sensing performance.

Heterocyclic amines modify the structure of ZIF-8, yielding a defective ZIF, a mixed-phase material, and a new layered ZIF phase. These changes enhance porosity and defect levels in the resulting nitrogen doped carbons.

We propose a promising sodium fluoride solid-state electrolyte (SSE), Na₄ZrF₈ (NZF), by using density functional theory combined with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and grand potential phase diagram analysis.

A flower-like high-entropy oxide (HEO), consisting of 3d/4d/5d and p-block metal cations with high-density grain boundaries alongside crystalline–amorphous interfaces, has been rationally designed as a high-efficiency sulfur electrocatalyst.

Nitrogen doping significantly boosts the rate capability of the rock-salt Li₃V₂O₅ anode in thin film lithium-ion microbatteries.

Biphasic TiO₂ homojunction nanotubes containing an N-doped honeycomb graphite network with a carbon layer are designed as the sulfur host to significantly enhance the performance of Li–S batteries.

A scalable Li_1.26Mg_0.12Zr_1.86(PO₄)₃ coating improves the cycle performance of nano-sized FeF₂ (n-FeF₂) and micro-sized FeF₃ (m-FeF₃) cathodes in all-solid-state lithium batteries even with lithium metal anodes under reduced stack pressure.

Diffusion in NaFePO₄ can be enhanced through amorphization. Based on computations using DFT and machine learning potentials, we ascribe this phenomenon to the formation of less constrained Na-ion environments upon disordering.

N-MoSe₂/C nanoflowers are developed for cathode catalyst of Li–CO₂ battery which achieves an exceptionally high initial discharge capacity of 37 720 mAh g⁻¹ and maintains a stable discharge plateau at 2.76 V with a low overpotential of 1.56 V.

The alternately stacked waffle-like NS-ZIF@V₂CT_x heterostructures with plentiful exposed active sites, enhanced electrical conductivity and superior structural stability have been fabricated and utilized as anodes in potassium-ion batteries.

High-entropy atomic distortions synergized with [TaO₆] polyhedral distortion boost thermal and electrical stability.

Herein, we propose and validate an innovative viewpoint that by manipulating the compromise and synergy in thermoelectric GeTe–CuSbS₂ alloys, it is possible to reach a lattice thermal conductivity of 0.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ lower than the amorphous limit.

Thioamide-functionalized polysulfide SCA is synthesized and utilized as an intelligent interfacial regulator for preparing rubber composites with low-hysteresis loss.

ReaxFF MD of Nafion membranes yield hydration-dependent local water content distributions for –SO₃H (α) and –SO₃⁻ (β) sites. The α-site spectra (α-subspectrum) and β-site spectra (β-subspectrum) convolute to form observed IR fingerprint spectra.

A new porous three-dimensional polymeric framework integrated with an aluminium fragment, poly(aluminium trimethacrylate), is designed, for remediation of arsenic and fluoride from water. The performance was validated via statistical modeling.

Achieving transparent polymer coatings that combine hardness and flexibility is fundamentally limited by the filler-induced trade-off between mechanical reinforcement and optical clarity.

This study synergistically integrates Mn/Ni/Co concentration gradients with spinel-layered heterostructures via coaxial electrospinning, significantly suppressing both the capacity fade and voltage decay in lithium-rich manganese-based cathodes.

This study investigates the thermal degradation pathways of polymerized small molecular acceptor based all-PSCs, revealing that severe thermal disaggregation of polymer donors is a potentially primary cause of efficiency loss under thermal stress.

Achieving ultra-low temperature resistance to water vapor and SO₂ poisoning in deNO_x catalysts remains a critical challenge for enabling ultra-low NO_x emissions from high-humidity, SO₂-containing flue gases in non-electric industries.

A capsular V-MOF-derived V_xO₃@CN cathode for aqueous zinc batteries is fabricated via in situ conversion. The unique hollow morphology and engineered V defects synergistically enhance Zn²⁺ storage kinetics and stability.

Polymer modification at the separator can promote the formation of a stable anion-derived SEI layer in an ether-based electrolyte. Moreover, the polymer as an additive in a carbonate-based electrolyte can reduce electrolyte decomposition.

Porphyrin-based pillared MOFs were synthesized via an amino-functionalization strategy, which enhanced CO₂ adsorption, light absorption and charge separation resulting in superior photocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance.