Themed collection 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship shortlisted candidates

This perspective offers insights from discussions conducted during the Telluride Science meeting on organic mixed ionic and electronic conductors, outlining the challenges associated with understanding the behavior of this intriguing materials class.

An innovative and facile method is employed for the surface modification of Mn–PBA, which is beneficial for the rapid diffusion of NH₄⁺ and cycling stability in aqueous ammonium-ion storage.

The fabrication of free-standing binderless electrodes with tunable micron-sized channels and engineered sub-micron pores is reported, as well as the quantification of the architecture–performance relationships of 18 such low-tortuosity electrodes.

A combination of experimental studies and kinetic modelling helps elucidate clear-cut guidelines for the use of the upconversion Tm³⁺, Yb³⁺ system as a luminescent thermometer.

We combine graph neural networks and an upper bound energy minimization framework to explore >90 000 candidates, discovering 1810 stable Zintl phases with high precision and revealing the key role of ionic bonding in their stability.

Sn based anodes for sodium-ion batteries are examined in relation to the morphological changes driven by the formation of a porous “coral-like” structure. We explore conditions that promote its formation and evaluate its impact on cycling stability.

An electrodeposition method is reported that forms sub-micron conformal polymer thin films on (non-)planar and porous materials alike. The non-grafted coatings are amenable to modification with click chemistry to achieve desired functionalities.

Semiconductor materials capable of hosting luminescent lanthanide ions (Ln³⁺) and sensitize their emission are scarce.

Cross-linking is shown to be an effective strategy to suppress dissolution of organic cathodes.

Participants who are blind could identify red cards from black cards by using silane-derived surface coatings.

Design principles of Cu(I) complexes to induce thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) behaviour with an electron-rich carbene moiety are elucidated by means of time-resolved luminescence and high-quality quantum chemical calculations.

An innovative ‘Turn-On' detection platform for trypsin using AIE-based fluorescence with S-βCD and TPE-IM for high sensitivity and selectivity.

The NMC–RGO framework can reduce the contact area between solid electrolytes and carbon in the composite cathode while this unique structure can provide facile electron transport pathways to the NMC through the RGO framework.

Water quality monitoring is an essential tool in effective environmental and public health protection.

In situ analysis of physicochemical processes occurring during pyrolysis synthesis of a TMO/C nanocomposite, including microstructure analysis via (S)TEM. Characterization of materials as electrodes for lithium intercalation and conversion reactions.

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

Boltzmann or not? Most luminescent thermometers rely on a configurational crossover between two excited states with high mutual non-radiative transition rates and relative sensitivity. It is shown that these materials follow a “quasi”-Boltzmann law as is demonstrated for the case of Sm²⁺.

Controlling the dispersity of PSS allows to control the performance of PEDOT:PSS in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs).