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.

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 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.

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.

PdSn metallene has been developed for high-selectivity electrocatalytic conversion of PET plastic-derived EG into GA due to the optimized adsorption energy and strengthen the bonding energy of the C–C bond and hydroxyl group.

A novel 2D silver chalcogenide synthesized via tellurene transformation, with a detailed diffusion process revealed.

Pyrophosphoric acid (PP) in isopropanol selectively dissolve the Sn component but not the Pb component at tin–lead (Sn–Pb) perovskite surface, which enables a low-defect film and a highest efficiency of 23.85% for Sn–Pb perovskite solar cells.

High-performance bamboo-based hard carbon is synthesized by controlling the in situ depolymerization and repolymerization of bamboo components.

Machine-learned interatomic potentials enable analysis of Li-ion conduction, revealing that high-entropy anion-disordered argyrodites enhance ionic conductivity through inter-cage migration.

Sustainable photoredox transformations for H₂ as fuel and benzimidazole as high-end pharmaceutics by dehydrogenation of formic acid.

Sb single atoms embedded in few-layered intercalated MnPS₃ flatlands demonstrate polarization induced NO₂ sensing and subsequent amine generation capability.

An optimized Fe-doped perovskite cathode material with a nominal composition of PrNi_0.5Co_0.3Fe_0.2O_3−δ has been developed for protonic ceramic fuel cells, demonstrating good electrochemical activity and favorable operational durability.

Colloidal Ni/Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles present superior alkaline OER performances based on both the intra- and inter-particle heterointerfaces, achieving low overpotential (199 mV @ 10 mA cm⁻²) and high current density of AEMWE (5.13 A cm⁻² @ 2 V_cell).

A Ru/TiO₂ heterostructure electrocatalyst with intense Ru–TiO₂ interaction demonstrates high electrocatalytic performance up to 0.6 V (vs. RHE) toward alkaline HOR.

Polypropylene fibers (PPFs) were functionalized with sulfonic acid via low-temperature solution grafting to afford a multifunctional catalyst (PP_CSAF), which efficiently promoted reactions involving three distinct bond types.

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.