Themed collection Editor’s Choice: 2D Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion

The recent progress on the fabrication of two-dimensional metal–organic frameworks and their derivatives as well as their applications in electrochemical energy storage and electrocatalysis are reviewed.

Overcoming the global energy crisis due to vast economic expansion with the advent of human reliance on energy-consuming labor-saving devices necessitates the demand for next-generation technologies in the form of cleaner energy storage devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have a wide platform in technical studies and expanding nano- and atomic-level applications.

Using late transition metals and sulfur termination groups for MXene leads to 10⁴-fold increase in Al-ion transport and 2.2-fold increase in Al-ion capacity, respectively.

The morphological design of pristine graphene aerogel and xerogel in both supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries was demonstrated.

Nanostructured FeS₂ embedded in an N-doped carbon nanosheet composite (FeS₂/CNS) was prepared and exhibited superior performance as a sodium-ion battery anode.

Two-dimensional MX₃ materials with intrinsic atomic pores are proposed as ideal solid electrolytes in ultrafast ionic and energy storage devices.

SnS nanoparticles are encapsulated into sulfur-doped graphene bubble film presenting a flake-graphite-like structure. The closely packed SnS@G composite shows much lower specific surface area, smaller irreversible Li⁺ consumption.

Based on well-designed N-doped-carbon/cobalt-nanoparticle/N-doped-carbon nanohybrids of unique thousand-layer-cake porous structure with excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activity, on-chip all-solid-state flexible rechargeable Zn–air batteries are developed.

There is an urgent need for a simple and up-scalable method for the preparation of supercapacitor electrode materials due to increasing global energy consumption worldwide.

Aqueous zinc ion secondary batteries (ZIBs) have recently attracted considerable attention and global interest due to their low cost, aqueous-based nature and great safety.

The design and fabrication of new high-performance electrode materials are critical for driving the development of next-generation energy conversion and energy storage devices.

MoSe₂/C-700 first serves as an electrode material for nonaqueous potassium-based battery–supercapacitor hybrid devices and displays an excellent specific capacity.

A flexible small-sulfur electrode with MXene as a conductive binder and flexible backbone is constructed combining good flexibility, stable cycling and good rate performance.

Molybdenum dioxide (MoO₂) is a layered material which shows promise for a number of applications in the electrochemical energy storage arena. This work describes the production of molybdenum dioxide nanosheets by liquid phase exfoliation.

III–VI van der Waals heterostructures are potential candidates in sustainable energy related areas.

The NiCo-LDH nanosheet arrays are strongly anchored on moderately oxidized RGO through C–O–metal bonds to construct a hierarchical composite film electrode for flexible high-performance supercapacitors.

2D MXenes in solid polymer electrolytes show high efficiency in ionic conductivity enhancement and lithium metal battery performance improvement.

Defect engineering of blue phosphorene in lithium–sulphur (Li–S) batteries allows for greater specific capacities and faster rate-capabilities.

Ternary metal sulfides and ternary metal oxides have received much attention as potential electrodes for high performance rechargeable batteries.

Structural and interfacial transitions in intercalation and conversion processes on a MoS₂–carbon composite are elucidated towards the fabrication of a high-performance sodium-ion capacitor.

Solvent directed assembly of co-exfoliated 2D materials into heterostructured building blocks is introduced and combined with EPD to produce hybrid functional materials for stable high capacity sodium ion battery anodes.

Stabilization of planar tetracoordinate silicon (ptSi) was achieved in a 2D-layered extended system, and the newly designed ptSi SiC₈ siligraphene shows novel structural and electron-storage features.

Layered Ni(OH)₂ intercalated with polyoxovanadate anions was built using a chemical solution deposition method.

The structural model (i.e. adsorption site of oxygen atom on the surface of MXene) has a paramount impact on the electronic and thermoelectric properties of MXene crystals, which can be exploited to engineer the thermoelectric properties of these materials.

We examine the potential of the low-dimensional material MoS₂ for the efficient conversion of waste heat to electricity via the Seebeck effect.

A full-cell lithium-ion capacitor is assembled using a Ti₃C₂T_x/CNT film as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode.

The thermoelectric performance of graphene nano-ribbons are investigated providing a route to enhance thermoelectric performance through nano-structuring.

High capacitance (13.2 μA h cm⁻²) double layer hybrid supercapacitor consisting of reduced graphene oxide/Fe doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (rGO/LTO) and graphite.

High performance battery behaviour (left panel) of mesoporous layered hexagonal platelets (middle panel) composed of highly crystalline Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with (111) facets (right panel) in an aqueous electrolyte of 2 M KOH.