Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

The multifunctional amine in COF nanosheet synthesis enables catalysis, defect healing, and intercalation, achieving controlled polymerization and morphology preservation. Resulting COF membranes show high performance in desalination.

Ce-doped NiOOH nanosheets were obtained via electrocatalytic self-reconstruction of Ce-doped Ni-MOFs. The optimized electrocatalyst shows excellent performance in HMFOR owing to the strong electron interactions between Ce and Ni.

New high-throughput search strategies based on statistical identification of promising chemical subspaces show potential for accelerating half-Heusler thermoelectric materials discovery.

This study proposes a phosphorus-doped amorphous TiO₂/C hybrid coating for SiO anodes, which enables the formation of a hierarchical inorganic-rich SEI (Li₃P–LiF–Li₂CO₃) to enhance interfacial stability and Li⁺ transport for LIBs.

CBC/PAN flexible core–shell nanoreactor with synergistic effects of efficient photocatalysis and real-time temperature monitoring provides a new strategy for the application of photocatalytic materials in environmental pollution.

Li-rich cathodes with an O2-type layer stacking offer high gravimetric capacities and fast charge–discharge rates, and are structurally more stable with respect to transition metal migration than O3-type Li-rich cathodes.

The enriched OH species on the Ni(OH)₂ surface enhance the oxidative removal of H_ad on Pd, boosting DBFC performance, even with air as the oxidant. The DBFC achieves a peak power density of 625 mW cm⁻² and stability for over 120 h at 200 mA cm⁻².

The BCST/10 wt% g-C₃N₄ Z-type heterojunction catalyst can effectively convert nitrogen dissolved in solution into nitric acid by harvesting vibration energy.

Accelerated formation of spiroborate COF in N,N-diethylformamide by reacting (OH)₈PcCo with methyl substituted 4,4′-biphenyldiboronic acid.

Pyrene-based 2D COFs with phenolic hydroxyl groups exhibit proton conductivity of 1.09 × 10⁻¹ S cm⁻¹ under high humidity, surpassing most COF-based conductors.

PVDF/TE composites exhibited improved crystallization characteristics and simultaneously obtained large U_e and high η under high electric fields.

Siloxane-decorated polymer acceptors afford all-polymer solar cells with advantages in air-processing, mechanical durability, and device stability.

The polaron-conductive Li-NASICONs featuring three-dimensional corner-sharing frameworks are potential candidates for mixed ionic electronic conductors in electrochemical energy storage devices.

Balancing reduced lattice thermal conductivity (κ_lat) with improved charge carrier transport remains a key challenge in thermoelectric materials, further complicated by strong electron–phonon coupling.

The NaClO₄ electrolyte demonstrates greater charge accumulation. The charging mechanism with sodium WiSEs changes completely over the simulation time.

A hybrid ternary co-intercalation vanadium oxide cathode with an expanded interlayer space has been prepared and utilized in zinc-ion batteries, demonstrating a near-theoretical capacity and high cycle stability due to its outstanding kinetics.

A dual functional BiOIO₃-VO/NH₂-MIL-125 S-scheme heterojunction engineered with oxygen vacancies, achieves exceptional piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution and simultaneous organic pollutant degradation.

The PCL-based electrolyte employs a semi-vehicle ion transport mechanism to achieve continuous Li⁺ migration across phase transitions, while demonstrating excellent thermal robustness to buffer temperature changes and delay thermal runaway.

Organisms suffer negative effects from EW radiation and temperature changes, except for the center regions protected by MSP-WPPC/PEG. It benefits from multi-solid waste coupling utilization and multi-scale pore structure design.

A lithiophilic ZnCo₂O₄ nanowire-decorated three-dimensional conductive framework was prepared by a simple hydrothermal annealing method and employed as a multifunctional interlayer for hyperstable LMAs.

We report a composite electrode of spinel oxide MnCo_1.9Cu_0.1O₄ and BaZr_0.8Y_0.2O₃ (MCCO : BZY = 9 : 1). The singles with this air electrode delivered a maximum power density of 1.81 W cm⁻² and a current density of −3.57 A cm⁻² at 1.3 V at 700 °C.

The molecular conformation of electron acceptors significantly influences the evolution of hole mobility under different conditions, even when the same donor material and weight fraction are used.

This work provides a high-performance and low-cost carbon anode material (TMLC) for SIHCs and also offers a reference for the application of lignin in the energy storage field.

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.

A double-layered Ir-based catalyst structure enables Pt-free PEMWE anodes by positioning porous rutile IrO₂ at the PTL interface, effectively mitigating TiO_x-induced electron transport issues while retaining high OER activity at low PGM loading.

A high-entropy design guided by the phase field simulation is adopted to construct local order–disorder polarization configurations, which results in the formation of polar nanoregions embedded in a disorder polar matrix.

Hard carbon was prepared from biomass with a high degree of crystallinity using hydrothermal pretreatment, which improved the electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries.

Flexible hydrovoltaic generators, which sustainably convert abundant water resources in nature into electrical energy, have attracted significant attention in the field of wearable electronics.

A two-dimensional MOF with excellent bifunctional OER/ORR activity, named Rh-HITT is screened by first-principles.

Au single atom tailoring of palladium nanocatalysts boosts the cathodic coupling of carbon dioxide and methanol into dimethyl carbonate through effective electronic modulation.

Lanthanum modification and defect engineering were used to regulate the microenvironment of Co in MOF-74. DFT demonstrated the strong hybridization between the unpaired electrons of Co and O and explained the enhanced O₂ activation for epoxidation.

Optimized 8% FEC improves NCM811/Si–C cell cycling at room temperature but fails at high temperature. With 0.8% SA forming dual-additive system, high temperature performance of cells enhances via thermally stable Li₂CO₃-rich SEI.

Using DFT and machine learning, this study explores Na/K germanides' structure and conductivity; Na–Ge exhibits superior ionic conductivity due to interconnected diffusion, making it a promising anode material.

The PMIA chain conformation shifts from long-range disorder to short-range order, enhancing charging and discharging processes for high-temperature energy storage.

The incorporation of atomically dispersed Co sites onto N-deficient carbon frameworks modulates the local electronic configuration, resulting in enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).