Themed collection 2020 Journal of Materials Chemistry A most popular articles

Hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskite based solar cell technology has passed through a phase of unprecedented growth in the efficiency scale from 3.8% to above 25% within a decade.

This review focuses on the state-of-the-art development of emerging polyanionic and organic compounds to achieve high energy density of non-aqueous potassium-ion batteries.

Carbon nitrides have emerged as a new class of functional materials for a wide range of energy and environmental applications due to their chemical, photophysical and catalytic properties as well as their low-price, facile synthesis and stability.

The present review offers a detailed analysis of Photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices from metal oxide electrodes forming a semiconductor–liquid junction to protected and catalyst-decorated third generation solar cells adapted into photoelectrodes.

This review presents the recent developments of electrodeposited MOF films and their corresponding applications in different areas.

In this review, a comprehensive summary of the potential photocatalytic applications realized to date in the fast-growing field of COFs is provided with the aim to present a full blueprint of COFs for photochemical energy conversion and reactions.

A comprehensive summary of phosphorus and metal/nonmetal phosphides and corresponding composites as anodes for sodium-ion batteries.

Fused heterocycles are unique building blocks for the synthesis of a wide range of high-performance energetic materials.

This review outlines recent advances in strategies to improve the photoreaction stability of photocatalytic/photoelectrochemical water splitting systems, and discusses the tactics involved in improving the stability of such systems with different photocorrosion mechanisms.

ODS catalysts that ensure clean energy without SO_x emission during fuel combustion are comprehensively reviewed.

In this review, we summarize recent advances in the design and development of electrocatalysts for the N₂ reduction reaction. We also discuss the strategies to boost catalytic performances, the methods for reliable NRR experiments, and perspectives for further research directions.

This review of design and operating conditions of electrochemical CO₂ reduction covers electrolytes, electrodes, reactors, temperature, pressure, and pH effects.

Our method hinders the Ostwald ripening of polycrystalline MOF film during the solvothermal synthesis, allowing the growth of high-quality MOF films in just 8 min at room temperature.

A hybrid of N-doped carbon encapsulated ultrasmall Mo₂C nanodots on Ti₃C₂T_x MXene exhibits excellent HER performance in the entire pH range.

Mo-doped SnS₂ nanosheets with enriched S-vacancies exhibited a greatly enhanced NRR activity, which is attributed to the creation of Mo–Sn–Sn trimer catalytic sites that can strongly activate N₂ with a largely reduced energy barrier.

Laser-induced graphene based gas sensor conformable to skin with low detection limit at low temperature.

All-solid-state batteries exhibit good performance even at low operating stack pressure when soft electrode materials are used.

Few-layer antimonene nanosheets with surface oxidation have been used as an efficient nitrogen reduction reaction electrocatalyst for ammonia synthesis.

Size tailored black BiVO₄ colloids with rich oxygen vacancies were generated via facile laser processing for high performance sodium storage.

A systematic approach involving conjugation extension and end group chlorination is capable of enhancing both J_SC and PCE. Overall, the PM6:DTTC-4Cl-based device delivers a remarkable PCE of 15.42% with a V_OC of 0.92 V, a J_SC of 22.64 mA cm⁻² and an FF of 74.04%.

Blade coating of mixed cation, mixed halide perovskite films is investigated using in situ X-ray scattering to investigate the role of formulations and processing routes and eliminate the need for anti-solvent dripping.

A facile and efficient strategy to produce nitrogen-doped (N-doped) phosphorene nanosheets that can be used as an efficient metal-free catalyst for electrochemical ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions is presented.

The critical current density in symmetrical Li metal cells using Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ single crystals is determined. The upper limit at room temperature without applying any external forces is below 300 μA cm⁻².

Herein, a novel integrated adsorption–photoreduction system, which captures highly mobile and toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from real-world water samples and reduces it to less mobile and benign Cr(III) species, was designed.

The modulation and determination of the coordination environments of Ti active sites in titanosilicate zeolites are key challenges in the rational design of high-performance heterogeneous catalysts.

The incompatibility between PVA and PTFE layers was overcome by spray-coating and the PVA/PTFE composite membrane showed excellent desalination properties in both PV and DCMD experiments.

Anti-microbial cationic wood nanofiber films exhibiting high visible light transparency and UV-blocking ability together with good mechanical and oxygen barrier properties were produced directly from sawdust.

Simulated energy band diagrams of thin and thick PM6:Y6 devices.

Nanoscale Al₂O₃ coating by an atomic layer deposition technique enabled safe and dendrite-free Zn anodes for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

An ultrahigh arsenic uptake capacity was achieved using a hierarchically porous UiO-66 with tunable mesopores and active sites.

Pd/g-C₃N₄ stands out for the ORR, and multiple-level descriptors involving basic characteristics, electronic structures, charge transfer and energy are established.

An anti-freezing gel electrolyte with an ultralow freezing point below −60 °C is developed for assembling high-performance flexible aqueous Zn–MnO₂ batteries.

A series of Zr-porphyrin metal–organic framework (Zr-PMOF)/ultrathin g-C₃N₄ (UCN) heterostructure photocatalysts, as stable and efficient catalysts for the photoreduction of CO₂, have been fabricated via a facile in situ hydrothermal self-assembly method.

Ultrahigh efficiencies over 95% and high energy densities are concurrently achieved in rationally designed bilayer polyetherimide–BaTiO₃/P(VDF-HFP) composites.

An ultrathin amorphous ZnO layer is introduced on Cu₂O by pulsed electrodeposition, which helps stabilise the Cu₂O photocathode for water splitting.

Illustration of a V₂O₅-YS microsphere with H⁺/Zn²⁺ co-insertion.

Inspired by the competition-driven evolution in nature such as for organismal complexity expansion, the covalent bond (CB)/coordination bond (COB) competitive reactions as the universal toolbox were conceived to construct the unparalleled molecular separation trinity coating.

A green, fully recyclable and stretchable electronic sensor based on ionic conductive gelatin organohydrogels can operate at ultra-low temperature.

A color-tunable pillarene coordination polymer (DCP5-Eu₁Tb₃) with attractive white-light emission properties and capable of nitroaromatic pollutant detection in biological platforms was constructed.

A self-driven and broadband photodetector based on PdSe₂/SiNWA mixed-dimensional vdW heterojunction is fabricated, which shows a broadband spectrum from 200 nm to 4.6 μm with a high polarization sensitivity and good mid-infrared imaging capability.

A self-supported and binder-free CoP@G/CC-S cathode affording high conductivity, a suppressed shuttle effect and favorable mechanical robustness enables high-performance flexible Li–S batteries for practical applications.

A new dual-ion hybrid device is successfully fabricated with a silicon carbon anode and an expanded graphite cathode and exhibits an excellent energy density.

Effective HER activity on layered double hydroxide nanosheets through a plasma etching strategy.

The protection of carbon/SPE interface is critical for high voltage solid-state batteries.

Bimetallic phosphides have been identified as promising alternative electrode materials owing to their admirable conductivity and electrochemical activity.

A sustainable one-pot route for the synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs) from cornstalk without pith is developed.

Alloying CdTe in GeTe promotes the band convergence and intensifies phonon scattering due to the discordant nature of Cd in GeTe. Upon optimizing carrier concentration via Sb doping, we obtain a peak ZT of 1.8 at 700 K and a high average ZT of 1.3.

Energy loss is decreased by employing a ternary strategy, which should be an efficient approach to improve the performance of OPVs.

Facilely prepared Cu_xS@NiCo-LDH core–shell nanoarray electrocatalysts exhibit superior bifunctionality towards electrochemical HMF oxidation and H₂ production.

Asymmetric copper and boron dual-site synergy for boosting conversion of carbon monoxide into value-added C₂ products under visible light.