Themed collection Global Energy Challenges: Electrochemical Energy

In situ XAS measurements reveal that electron-deficient oxygen species form during OER on IrOx and correlate with catalytic activity.

A new porous carbon-supported Ni/Mo₂C composite exhibits high activity towards both the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction for overall water splitting.

A new anode material, Fe₃S₄, shows superior electrochemical performance and a novel mechanism for sodium storage.

The influence of macromolecular composition on Li dendrite supression in solid polymer electrolytes was elucidated.

Here we designed and fabricated a self-powered fluorescence display device based on a fast-charging/recharging battery, composed of a Prussian blue (PB) cathode and a magnesium metal anode with a high theoretical redox potential difference.

Genetically engineered living organisms direct the synthesis of nanostructured anatase with nanoparticle, mesoporous structure and carbon coating characteristics which shows excellent lithium storage performance.

A novel triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was constructed with PPy nanowires (PPy NWs). By harvesting the energies in the ambient environment, the PPy NW-based TENG can act as a power supplier and provide extra electrons to the surface of the connected metals, forming effective impressed current cathodic protection.

Using toluene droplets as a model for artificial oxygen carriers, the real-time measurement of attomole oxygen contents at the individual droplet level is reported for the first time.

Nanoarchitectured nanoporous carbon/conducting polymer core–shell nanocomposites (carbon–PANI) are prepared from metal–organic framework-derived carbon and the controlled polymerization of polyaniline nanorods.

We prepared N-doped double carbon coated MnO composites and explored their applications in lithium ion batteries and oxygen reduction reaction.

MoC–Mo₂C heteronanowires accomplished via controlled carbonization are efficient in the hydrogen evolution reaction due to a synergistic enhancement.

A bifunctional fuel cell catalyst system demonstrated herein overcomes the slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction by rapid heterogeneous disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide.

We report the first work on the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CH₄ using metal-free N-doped carbon electrodes.

The synergistic interaction of a carbon-centred Lewis acid and borane “hydride shuttle” offers a metal-free, CO tolerant pathway to hydrogen oxidation.

The OER activity of NiOOH enhances at pH > 11 due to formation of superoxo-like species on its surface.

A new model for ion exchange materials has been proposed on the basis of ion exchange sites grafted to a porous organic polymer.

The smallest quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) with ether groups on tails and tetrafluoroborate (BF₄) as an anion exhibit high performance in electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs).

Porous WO₃ films with ultra-high transmittance modulation were successfully fabricated on different substrates by a novel electrochemical deposited method.

Sub-nano confinement of sulphur enables a solid-state lithium–sulfur electrochemical reaction mechanism in liquid electrolytes.

Uniform TiO₂ nanospheres formed from hollow and mesoporous nanospheres composed of 7 nm sized nanoparticles have been synthesized and show superior rate performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Helical hierarchical porous Na_xMnO₂/CC and MoO₂/CC, which are assembled from nanosheets and nanoparticles, respectively, are fabricated using a simple electrodeposition method.

It has been discovered that Zn metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF) electrodes and ionic liquids are an excellent combination for the efficient and selective reduction of CO₂ to CH₄.

The ionic liquid-based electrolyte containing ring-like Pyr_1,2O1TFSI and chain-like DMS exhibits good overall performance in lithium-ion batteries.

Amorphous cobalt silicate nanobelts@carbon composites turned out to be excellent anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Fast electrosynthesis of Fe-containing layered double hydroxide arrays and their highly-efficient electrocatalytic performance toward small molecule oxidation reactions.

Lithium metal battery cycling at 100 °C is enabled by thermally-responsive, nonflammable phosphonium ionic liquid electrolytes.

Using near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy we probe in situ the double layer at the Pt/liquid electrolyte interface.

A new family of solid polymer electrolytes based upon anionic tetrakis(phenyl)borate tetrahedral nodes and linear bis-alkyne linkers is reported.

Tuning Ir d-orbital occupation via doping Cu into the IrO₂ lattice to prepare a highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction catalyst, Cu_0.3Ir_0.7O_δ.

Rationally designing quinones to label GDH and create a redox hydrogel that delivers high OCP, current and power densities.

An easily scaled-up 3D CoSe₂/CFF hierarchical electrode has been developed as a highly active and stable hydrogen evolution reaction cathode.

A memory effect in Li-ion batteries can be induced and tailored by element doping, such as Al-doping in spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂.

Ir nanodendrites (Ir-ND) supported on antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) show enhanced catalytic activity and stability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis.

A nano-impact chronoamperometric experiment is presented here as a powerful technique for simultaneously probing important physical properties of graphene nanomaterials.

Bio-inspired chemistry allowed for the development of the first noble metal-free polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cell (PEMFC). The device proved operational under technologically relevant conditions.

Carbon nanotubes are used as interconnects between directly deposited Pt nanoparticles and a proton conducting solid acid electrolyte for proton reduction and hydrogen oxidation in CsH₂PO₄-based solid acid cells. These composite electrodes significantly reduce the Pt loading and achieve record Pt utilization for solid acid cells.

We demonstrate a successful high-throughput screening approach for the discovery of inexpensive, redox-active quinone molecules for organic-based aqueous flow batteries.