Themed collection Sustainable Energy & Fuels Recent HOT Articles, 2025

Amorphous-to-β-phase crystallization of PVDF by annealing, spin-coating and poling mimicked in silico by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations.

This review details the working mechanism of adsorption–catalysis synergy in RT Na–S batteries and systematically discusses the latest progress and strategies in enhancing adsorption–catalysis synergistic effects in RT Na–S batteries.

This review examines lab techniques for pore/fracture evolution in oil shale pyrolysis, covering thermal mechanisms, rock properties, heating impacts, key parameters, and future directions.

The preparation and utilization of hydrogen (H₂) energy rely on the water splitting and fuel cell technology, specifically involving the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), respectively.

Electrocatalytic aldehyde oxidation, which has low oxidation potentials, has emerged as a promising anodic reaction to be coupled with a diversity of electroreduction reactions.

This work developed a “dynamic coordination motif” strategy to overcome the dense packing of polypyrrole, engineering a porous Fe-N-C catalyst with highly accessible active sites for superior oxygen reduction reaction.

This study evaluates how evolving energy systems change GHG emissions of CCU and traditional chemical and fuel production, enabling fairer comparisons to inform viable climate mitigation pathways.

Mixing univalent cations (Cs, MA, and FA) results in remarkable stabilization: both MA and FA cations endured the field-induced degradation much better than in the single-cation films.

ALD-SnO_x at 80 °C eliminates ETL defects at the PC₆₁BM interface, achieving 19.2% PCE for devices, 14.12% for modules, and >90% retention after 3000 h, overcoming ALD sensitivity issues for stable, scalable, and commercially viable p–i–n PSCs.

Perovskite solar cell device fabricated using a transparent conducting electrode composed of spray-deposited silver nanowire (Ag-NW) thin films with 200 nm diameter.

A magnet-assisted chaotic pendulum low-frequency piezoelectric energy harvester (MCP-PEH) is reported.The magnet-assisted enhances the low-frequency response, and the chaotic pendulum enables motion conversion. MCP-PEH can power low-power sensors.

Low-valence cation codoping at Ti⁴⁺ sites under flux treatment transforms BaTiO₃ from an inactive perovskite into an unprecedentedly efficient photocatalyst for overall water splitting, achieving 27.5% apparent quantum yield (AQY) at 365 nm.

Biodiesel is widely regarded as a promising renewable energy source with minimal environmental impact.

CoO/NF as hydrogenation electrocatalyst exhibits excellent conversion rates of quinoxaline and selectivity of tetrahydroquinoxaline, which weakens hydrogen evolution through Co²⁺ site-specific adsorption and hydrogen transfer pathway reconstruction.

Biomass-derived FeNiNC catalyst enhances OER/ORR activity, improving energy efficiency in seawater batteries.

Monodisperse PtCo bimetallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized via a facile impregnation–reduction method utilizing oxidized carbon nanohorns (oxCNHs) as a high-surface-area support.

Freeze-dried Li₃InCl₆ uniformly coats Ni-rich cathodes, forming a stable interface with sulfide electrolytes. This dual-electrolyte design facilitates Li⁺ transport and improves cycling stability in all-solid-state lithium batteries.

A 2D–2D SnS₂@TAPA-BPDA heterojunction photocatalyst efficiently converts water into H₂ and H₂O₂ under visible light, achieving ∼30 times and ∼14 times higher yields than bare POP, offering a sustainable route for solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

This study investigates how cationic solvation engineering with 18-crown-6 ether (18C6) impacts CO₂RR by selectively coordinating K⁺, offering a strategy for improving CO₂RR efficiency.

Ultrafast Joule heating successfully produced small, well-dispersed NiCo alloy nanoparticles. The obtained catalyst shows markedly higher hydrogen evolution reaction activity than those synthesized by traditional heating.

Novel Lindqvist-type POM-based catalysts Mo₆–NH₂-MIL-125/g-C₃N₄ with high efficiency and fast desulfurization performance in the photo-thermal extraction catalytic oxidative desulfurization system under visible light irradiation were constructed.

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for OER remains a challenge owing to issues such as unfavourable mass transport, reaction thermodynamics, and kinetics.

With the development of industry, environmental pollution is becoming more and more serious, and greenhouse gas emissions lead to the continuous rise of global temperature; thus, energy conservation and emission reduction are imminent.

Europium chloride hexahydrate was added into the chemical bath deposition process of SnO₂, in which Eu³⁺ successfully doped into SnO₂ lattice, enhancing its electrical properties, increasing the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.

Artificial SEI with NaF/Na₂S ensures high ionic conductivity, while organic amide groups regulate Na⁺ flux via polar adsorption, enhancing sodium metal anode stability.

We developed an innovative redox flow battery with polyoxometalate-based redox couples. This system successfully improved the efficient conversion of H₂S into hydrogen and elemental sulfur.

Porphyrin-incorporated conjugated polymer dots serve as ultra-low loading photocatalysts for the aerobic oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides in aqueous environments. The photocatalytic process can be scaled to yield gram quantities of the product.

Heterogenised half-sandwich Ir^III molecular catalysts as efficient heterogeneous water oxidation catalysts for artificial photosynthesis.

Manipulation of photoexcited charge transportation via modulation of polymer structures significantly improved the photocatalytic performance of metal complex/conjugated polymer hybrids for CO₂ reduction.

A highly robust, conductive 3D triazolate Fe-MOF serves as a standalone cathode for AZIBs, offering promising specific capacity with 60% retention over 2100 cycles. This study showcases the potential of 3D MOF in energy storage through AZIBs.

OSCs, all fabricated and tested under regular atmosphere. Interchain and intermolecular distance of PM6, Y7 and PM6:Y7 blend by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).

This work reports the synthesis of poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) with different chemical skeletal structures, resulting in varied highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) positions.

A highly crystalline sulfur-doped PHI (S-PHI) is synthesized from the compound 1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol. S-PHI exhibits enhanced light utilization, enlarged surface area and promoted charge-carrier transfer efficiency as compared to PHI.

exo–exo-Hexacyclo[9.2.1.0^2,10.0^3,7.0^4,9.0^6,8]tetradec-12-ene (exo–exo) is one of the few liquid fuels with a density higher than 1 g mL⁻¹.

Light-driven electron transfer in a lipid bilayer is mediated by oligoaromatic bis(triarylamines), which are capable of long range electron delocalization (mixed valence).

Mechanochemically synthesized materials show competitive performance in selective photooxidation. The study includes comprehensive characterization, light–matter interaction modeling, and quantum efficiency calculations.

Hydrogen/oxygen separation under wet conditions has recently become important in the production of hydrogen.

Two Ni complexes are used as water oxidation catalyst. Complex 1 with pyridine-amine ligand is found to be a molecular catalyst, while complex 2 with amine ligand is a pre-catalyst, revealing that the pyridine ring benefits their stability.

This study presents a graphene–antimony dual-function anode material synthesized through a simple chemical pre-lithiation/sodiation process, achieving near-theoretical capacities and outstanding cycling stability.

In this paper, we analyze the cost-optimality of transporting eight liquid or gaseous green energy carriers, including H₂, via pipelines and shipping, over distances from 250 to 3000 km.

Trifluoroacetamide was used as a passivator to fabricate printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 18.67%.

This study introduces durable hybridised bacterial cellulose–gelatin separators synthesised via a facile microbubble process, offering enhanced electrochemical performance for innovative energy storage applications.

Ligand displacement in a metal–organic framework to introduce nitrogen and sulphur elements could tailor the electronic environment and oxygen binding force of the resulting cobalt–nitrogen/carbon catalyst to improve its oxygen reduction activity.

The geometry of the tube dictates the gas separation point, shaping shell-side flow and temperature distributions. Circular tubes create an expanded gas wake that optimizes temperature–velocity synergy and enhances heat transfer efficiency.

N-defect-rich porous g-C₃N₄ is derived from an HMTA-regulated supramolecular precursor for enhanced photocatalytic H₂-production performance.

Cu₂ZnSnS₄ nanoparticles as hole transport material stabilise perovskite solar cells' performance.

In this article, we used DFT calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, to study two-dimensional (2D) aza-fused covalent organic framework (aza-COF) doped with Li, which is shown to be a promising material for hydrogen storage applications.

Ni₃S₂–CeO₂/NF enhances urea-assisted water splitting by promoting surface reconstruction and urea adsorption, and optimizing HER kinetics through synergistic interactions.

Anion exchange membrane water electrolyser showing the chemical structure of hydroxyl-conductive 2D hBN-based anion exchange membrane (AEM). The developed AEMs exhibit high hydroxyl conductivity, superior mechanical and electrochemical stability.

Elucidating the effect of CoNPs and Mn-phosphate as found in K-phthalimide-derived N-doped carbon sheet in capacitive charge-storage while forming a composite with ZIF-67 and oxidized K-Ph-Oxide similar to graphene oxide.

Anchoring h-BN monolayer on metal-based electride substrates can enhance its electrical conductivity and regulate its catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reactions.

Designing and constructing highly efficient, cost-effective, and durable non-precious metal bifunctional catalysts remains a challenge.

Schematic diagram of ion transport.

We report the direct laser-induced synthesis of medium-entropy alloy FeNiCoRu nanoparticles for neutral seawater electrolysis with excellent long-duration.

A cathode-supported solid polymer electrolyte was fabricated for rechargeable lithium metal batteries, modified synergistically with a solvate ionic liquid (SIL) as a plasticizer and a soluble polysulfide (Li₂S₆) as a functional additive.