Themed collection 2019 Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

This review summarizes the recent progress on metallic Ru-based catalysts, including the preparation strategies, performance of electrocatalytic and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

This review summarizes the edge-cutting area of the “monocrystalline perovskite wafer/thin film” and their intimate applications in photovoltaics and transistors.

This review summarizes recent developments of coordination polymers and their derivatives for ionic and electrical conductivity with the discussion about synthetic strategies and possible mechanisms to identify the key structural factors.

The nanomaterial-based wearable energy storage devices will usher in exciting opportunities in emerging technologies such as consumer electronics, pervasive computing, human–machine interface, robotics, and the Internet of Things.

Non-fullerene organic solar cells employing small molecule acceptors have recently crossed the PCE of 17% through the design and synthesis of efficient acceptor materials.

Nanoscale metal organic frameworks offer unique advantages for the development of materials for solar energy conversion systems, supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells.

This review summarizes the advanced engineering of core/shell structures as a promising candidate for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction.

High pressure engineering of metal halide perovskites, revealing the structural and photovoltaic performance contributions of different components.

In this review, the advances of core–shell MOFs and their derivatives in electrochemical applications are summarized and analyzed.

This review comprehensively describes the latest synthesis techniques for producing carbon-based hydrogels and their recent energy applications.

In the past few decades, the fabrication of solar cells has been considered as one of the most promising ways to meet the increasing energy demands to support the development of modern society as well as to control the environmental pollution caused by the combustion of fossil fuels.

This paper reviews various methods for suppressing the shuttle effect, and the mechanisms of these methods were discussed in depth.

This review summarizes the recent progress of DPP-based conjugated materials, including small molecules and conjugated polymers, for application in non-fullerene organic solar cells.

In the search for a new energy strategy, metal–O₂ batteries stand out as a potential alternative. To reduce losses due to high overpotential and to improve their performance, redox mediators emerge as a powerful strategy for the commercialization of these promising devices.

Liquid mobility on super-wettable materials is of interest for enhanced heat transfer, self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing, water-harvesting, and oil–water separation.

A metal-free B, N co-doped porous carbon nanofiber with a synergistic effect was developed for efficient electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction in basic solution.

A high entropy metal–organic framework (HE-MOF) with five near-equimolar components was synthesized by a solution phase method and served as an electrochemical oxygen evolution catalyst.

A novel solid polymer electrolyte was designed and synthesized based on a hybrid copolymer matrices grafting with lithium carboxylate branched chains, which ensures a homogeneous Li ion deposition and successfully inhibits the Li dendrite growth.

Stabilized bismuth vanadate thin films are presented here as superior oxide ionic conductors, for application in solid state electrochemical devices operating near room temperature.

Direct deposition of isolated metal atoms onto substrates has been recognized as a simple route to obtain high performance supported atomically dispersed metals (SACs), however, the agglomeration driven by high surface energy is difficult to avoid.

By integrating open metal sites, Lewis basic sites, and tortuous diffusion paths, a new metal–organic framework has been designed and synthesized, which exhibits high adsorption capacity and excellent selectivity for separating a C₃H₄/C₃H₆ mixture.

PdP₂-reduced graphene oxide hybrid is efficient for ambient electrocatalytic N₂-to-NH₃ fixation with an NH₃ yield rate of 30.3 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat.⁻¹ and a faradaic efficiency of 12.56%.

An electron-donating strategy is proposed to guide the construction of novel co-catalyst-free MOF photocatalysts. The well-designed CdS-based MOF exhibits an exceptional photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution.

Flower-like SnS₂ and forest-like ZnS nanoarrays are directly formed on a Ni foam through self-organized growth, which exhibit optimized NRR performance due to their synergistic superiority as advanced hybrid catalysts.

An interfacial engineering strategy is successfully developed with a maximum PCE of 20.22%, a high V_OC of 1.084 V and a relatively low non-radiative recombination loss in inverted planar perovskite solar cells.

A binder-free self-reconstructed (oxy)hydroxide@nanoporous Ni₃P hybrid electrode is fabricated for rechargeable Zn battery with high capacity, excellent rate performance and cycling stability.

The ability of solution-processed organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on new small-molecule semiconductors, 1DTP-ID and 2DTP-ID, for indoor dim-light energy harvesting is reported.

Ultrathin TMO has been synthesized via a facile in situ gas induced growth strategy and the structure–efficiency relationship has been deeply discussed.

The pseudocapacitive conversion mechanism and robust perovskite fluorides/graphene hetero-nanostructures contribute to fast rate capability, high specific capacity and superior stability.

Inspired from Nepenthes alata, remaining wet and slippery by continuously spreading water, here, we report a general strategy for the uni-directional transport of liquids on peristome-mimetic surfaces from a one-dimensional linear trajectory to a two-dimensional curve, and even to the a three-dimensional infinite space.

Iodotrimethylsilane triggers anodic silanization and releases soluble triiodide, which stabilizes the Li anode and decreases the overpotential of lithium–O₂ batteries.

Multilevel nanostructures can expose more active sites and promote the charge transfer process, and different composite materials can promote the synergistic effect.

Ultrathin nanosheets (6–8 nm) of aluminosilicate FER zeolites have been successfully synthesized using a sole small organic ammonium (N,N-diethyl-cis-2,6-dimethyl piperidinium, DMP).

For the first time, a compact hydrophobic layer composed of a macromolecular polymer was applied to inhibit the inactivation of cuprous oxide.

The synergistic effect of two interfacial junctions of a p–m–n composite was indicated to enable energy-dependent charge-flow steering for photocatalysis.

Dissolved MoO₄²⁻ from NiMo electrodes during hydrogen evolution redeposits during high energy spectroscopy, providing misleading but important insights into Mo behavior.

Herein, we effectively modulate the electronic structure of Co₃Fe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) by F-doping using a CHF₃-plasma etching technique.

Cl-modified metal catalysts exhibit excellent CO₂ electroreduction performance, attributed to efficient electron transfer to CO₂ on Cl⁻ sites.

The first method of plasmon-induced nitroxide-mediated polymerization on periodical gold gratings has been developed.

FeVO₄ nanobelts bounded by {010} facets exhibit much higher OER activities and lower overpotential than nanosheets enclosed by {010} facets, which were mainly attributed to the favorable atomic arrangements of {010} facets with Fe–V dual-active sites and an open surface structure.

We develop a new aluminum graphite tri-ion (Li⁺/PF₆⁻/BF₄⁻) battery configuration (AGTIB) using an anion-hybridization strategy with fast diffusion kinetics. The AGTIB has a high rate performance with a 90.5 mA h g⁻¹ capacity at 15C and good cycling stability for over 500 cycles at 5C.

A novel nanocomposite of K₂Mo₄O₁₃/MoO₃ with a uniformly rod-like morphology is fabricated via a sonochemical method. Benefiting from its open framework, the as-synthesized sample exhibits obvious pseudocapacitive behaviors both in lithium and sodium ion batteries.

The BTT-FIC-based device achieved a champion PCE of 12.65% for the benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]di(cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene)-containing NFAs based OSCs.

Ionogel-based flexible micro-supercapacitors are constructed based on interdigital microelectrodes of ionic liquid pre-intercalated MXene compact films.

Multifunctional fabrics made solely of CNT fibers have been automatically prepared through mature textile technologies. They are excellent for wearable heaters and electrodes in flexible supercapacitors.

Template-directed synthesized Fe_0.1-Ni-MOF nanoarray (Fe_0.1-Ni-MOF/NF) behaves efficiently as an electrocatalyst for alkaline water oxidation with a strong electrochemical durability.

Simple methods for fabricating highly active and stable interfacial bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis are essential for hydrogen production.

Highly efficient and stable mixed halide perovskite (MAPbI_3–xCl_x) solar cells are fabricated with the incorporation of chloroformamidinium chloride (Cl-FACl).

A novel aqueous sodium–manganese battery system with a long life span of over 7000 cycles.

High-quality self-supported VO₂ arrays decorated with N-doped carbon (N–C@VO₂) were fabricated via a facile solvothermal-polymerization approach for applications in lithium-ion batteries. The N–C@VO₂ arrays show high capacity (295 mA h g⁻¹ at 1C) and stable capacity: 95.3% retention after 500 cycles at 1C.

Two novel fused ring electron acceptors PDT and PDT-T have been designed, synthesized and used in organic solar cells.

We report the formation of a reversible complex between CO₂ and a bound water coordinating alkaline metal cation (Lewis-acidic water) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis for the first time.

A benign and easily implementable method for preparation of symmetry controlled Ag/AgBr nanoparticles for catalytic applications under sunlight or white light is presented.

A suitable Mn doping (x = 0.1) enhances the kinetics and structural stability of Na₂RuO₃, generating a superior electrochemical performance.

Low-temperature etching of ZIF-67 is proposed for ultra-small cobalt/cobalt-oxide nanoparticles in nitrogen-doped graphene-networks as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

An oxygen cathode with a rolled vertical CNT film configuration is proposed for advanced Li–O₂ batteries.

A highly robust hybrid material Calix-3-TiO₂ based on calixarene dye and TiO₂ is prepared by a facile sol–gel method for the first time. When Pt nanoparticles are introduced onto the hybrid, the catalysts display efficient and persistent photocatalytic water splitting activities.

Flexible non-fullerene organic solar cells based on AgNWs embedded in polyimide substrates demonstrate a high efficiency up to 11.6%.

The superior PdAg@g-C₃N₄ Mott–Schottky heterojunction exhibits boosting dehydrogenation photocatalysis of formic acid (TOF = 420 h⁻¹) without any additive under visible light (λ > 400 nm) at room temperature.

We develop a salt-templated route to monodisperse hollow nanostructures in a green, robust, efficient, cost-effective and scalable manner.

A cilia array via a magnetic field was proposed as the dielectric layer for flexible capacitive sensors with high sensitivity and a broad detection range.

The delicate combination between amorphous SnO₂ patches and PtRh nanowires could enhance EOR activities and stability effectively.

All scale hierarchical structure induced low thermal conductivity promises high thermoelectric performance of electron doped GeMnTe₂.

The electrical conductivity of amorphous carbon/reduced graphene oxide(rGO)-wrapped Co₃O₄ nanofibers prepared by the electrospinning process is for the first time finely tuned creatively by the thermal-etching process in a controlled O₂ environment.

Covalently attaching the cobalt tetraazamacrocyclic complex to the surface of CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots enhanced the charge-separation efficiency and photocatalytic activity of the hybrid system.

Microporous carbons, with nitrogen groups or without, were synthesized and tested as ORR catalysts. A strong dependence of the ORR efficiency on the combined V_<0.7nm, ECSA, and the number of dissociating groups (expressed as PIF) was found.

Se-doped MnS/NiS as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst.

Vacancy engineering has been performed on AuCu cocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic CO₂-to-CH₄ conversion through tailoring the electron structure and surface configuration simultaneously.

The first synthesis of a nanosized NbO/Cu hybrid composite coated by N-doped carbon and anchored onto reduced graphene oxide is reported for high performance Li/Na storage.

A polymer separator modified with a covalent organic framework can effectively accelerate lithium ion migration and immobilize transition metal ions.