Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

This review overviews light-material interface technologies for realizing a self-powered wearable optoelectronic system.

Heterogeneous chemical reactions catalyzed over solid surfaces at operating temperatures are used to produce a vital part of energy, food, healthcare products, cleaner environments and chemicals.

For the first time, we highlight recent experimental and atomistic modelling insights into Li- and Na-rich anti-perovskite battery materials, with particular attention given to their synthesisability, structures, ion transport and interfaces.

This perspective summarizes the design and synthesis of two-dimensional building block based photocatalysts for light-induced NH₃ production. The structure–performance relationship and mechanism of photocatalysts are highlighted.

An overview of two types of SACs for the CO₂RR and the corresponding strategies to regulate the catalytic activity.

This review highlights several important electrocatalytic reactions performed over single-atomic synergistic structures, including SAC-nanoparticles (SAC-NPs), SAC-clusters (SACCs), dual-atom sites (DACs), and single-atomic alloys (SAAs).

Burgeoning materials, concepts and technologies for solar-driven interfacial evaporation have been reviewed.

High-performance hollow fiber membranes can be produced through proper tailoring of spinning parameters.

Supercapacitors, also known as electrochemical capacitors, have attracted more and more attention in recent decades due to their advantages of higher power density and long cycle life.

As research on both bulk and low dimensional metal halide perovskites (MHPs) continues to grow, the tools necessary to gain insights into their exotic and highly convoluted optoelectronic features must also expand.

This review explores the mechanism of photogenerated carrier regulation from the aspect of the driving force of separation and transfer for photogenerated carrier dynamics.

This review emphasizes the recent advances in synthesis strategies, versatile structures and broad applications of cellulose-metal organic framework composites.

CO₂ molecules are adsorbed by MOF-based catalysts with a moderately porous structure, which are subsequently converted by single metal atoms (Cu, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Bi, etc.) to value-added chemicals and low carbon fuels such as CO and C₂H₄.

Synthesis of the MIL-101 framework has been attempted from different trivalent metal ions, rather than Cr, like: Fe, Al, V, Ti, Sc, and Mn. In addition, the amino-functionalized form has been successfully reported for some of them.

This review summarizes the synthesis, properties and applications of two related and particularly interesting mesoporous aluminium-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs): MIL-100(Al) and MIL-101(Al).

Metal–organic frameworks hold great promise for the separation of alkane and alkene mixtures in light of their diverse structures, high porosity, and tunable pore dimensions and surface functionality.

This review highlights the advances and challenges in MOF-derived electrolytes for energy storage applications.

Converting CO₂ into value-added fuels or chemical feedstocks through electrochemical reduction is one of the several promising avenues to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and alleviate global warming.

This review concentrates on recent advanced strategies of carbon-based nanocatalysts for better CO₂ transformation and discusses roles that nanocarbons play in catalytic systems.

This review highlights doping effects on the intrinsic catalytic activities and oxygen evolution reaction mechanisms of state-of-the-art catalysts, including oxides, non-oxides and carbon-based catalysts, from experimental to theoretical studies.

This review provides an overview of the recently reported gold-based nanoalloys, focusing on their general synthetic methods and potential catalytic applications.

All inorganic perovskite quantum dots as light-harvesting, interfacial, and light-converting layers toward efficient and stable solar cells are summarized.

A comprehensive review summarizing the latest advance and critical challenges of the flexible zinc-ion hybrid capacitors, with outlooks towards potential future research directions.

Modulating electronic structure of nanomaterials via surface engineering for suppressing polysulfide shuttling in lithium–sulfur batteries are comprehensively summarized and outlooks of them are given in this review.

A comprehensive review of low-cost top-down approaches to enhance the electrochemical performance of silicon anodes, including future research directions.

This review summarizes the recent advances in carbocatalyzed ozonation and the corresponding surface engineering protocols and mechanistic insights.

This review provides a critical overview of chlorine evolution reaction (CER) including a fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms, recent advances in developing CER catalysts, and future opportunities in this field.

Strategies to control the various interfaces of a sulfur cathode toward high stability and high energy density are discussed.

This review highlights the recent progress in designing electrocatalysts for producing high performance fuel cells with truly potential applicability to be used in portable devices.

Four functions of interfaces in MEA are proposed: the mechanical adhesion, charge transfer, mass transport, and heat conduction.

Reversible boronic ester-based polymers/hydrogels achieve cutting-edge biomedical applications including drug delivery, adhesion, bioimplants, healthcare monitoring by self-healing, injectability, biocompatibility, multi-responsiveness to stimuli.

g-C₃N₄ incorporated with organics for enhanced photocatalytic water splitting.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an efficient photovoltaic technology for powering electronic applications such as wireless sensors with indoor light.

This review provides a specialized summary of metal–organic frameworks as separators and electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries, including design strategies and applications.

In this review, the effects of different strategies, such as engineering heterojunctions or diffusion paths, and designing alloys or hollow structures, are discussed in order to address the problems faced by the anode materials for SIBs/PIBs.

Cellulose-based materials as supercapacitor components including flexible electrodes, electrolytes and membranes are reviewed.

This review summarizes recent advances and presents an overview of design strategies in interfacial-heating solar-thermal desalination devices.

This review focuses on the guiding role of CALculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD): providing comprehensive thermodynamic and kinetic information to bridge the theoretical design and experimental synthesis of TE materials.

Chalcogenide-based ISSEs are summarized in view of the crystal structure. Structural characteristics, structure–property relationships, synthetic routes as well as chemical/electrochemical stability are systematically discussed in the review.

This review provides a guiding and comprehensive summary of the basic understanding and manufacturing ideas of the solid electrolyte for Zn–air and Al–air batteries.

The advancement of physical/chemical insights into oxygen induced defect passivation and the associated photo-brightening in the emerging metal halide perovskite semiconductors towards various optoelectronic applications is summarized.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received extensive attention in recent years and are expected to become one of the alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

This review provides a summary of various energy-related topological materials and topologically engineered materials and explore the unique nontrivial topology properties and topological design toward their potential applications in energy fields.

Design of novel special wettable evaporators with robust stability for high-performances porous interface distillation.

Accompanied by enhancements in the ability to fabricate materials, alloy-based materials have advanced from binary alloy systems to complicated compositions along with affording newer applications, which accelerates the evolution of civilization.

Two-dimensional (2D) surface oxide films of post-transition liquid metals and their alloys have been recently introduced as an emerging category of ultra-thin functional semiconductor materials with fascinating physico-chemical and structural characteristics.

This study clarifies the heat generation and release of a 57.5 Ah HED (266.9 W h kg⁻¹) Li-ion cell with a nickel-rich cathode and SiO_x/graphite anode. Significant heat accumulation and delayed heat release effects in large-format cells are uncovered.

Synergistic electronic modulation and nanostructure engineering are realized by the synthesis of hierarchical RuO₂/Co₃O₄ hollow spheres, presenting excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and promising application in zinc–air batteries.

A universal composite strategy design to fabricate MLCCs with finer grains, higher energy density, higher energy efficiency, and better stability.

Hypercrosslinking chiral Brønsted acids into porous polymers was readily achieved, and display excellent activity, enantioselectivity and recyclability for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation.

A superhydrophobic porous coating was developed for long-term daytime radiative cooling by mimicking the structures and functions of the Cyphochilus beetle, Saharan silver ant and lotus leaf.

A simple, rapid and scalable microwave method for preparing ultra-small size transition metal selenides to boost water oxidation.

A trimetallic PtNiCo branched nanocage was fabricated via an etching process. The optimized electronic structure with Co and Ni accelerate the sluggish kinetic process in ORR and MOR with significantly catalytic enhancement and high durability.

Uniform P3-type K_0.5Mn_0.8Co_0.1Ni_0.1O₂ porous microcuboids are prepared by a low-cost ethanol mediated coprecipitation strategy, exhibiting improved potassium storage properties.

Replacing the oxygen evolution reaction with the hydrazine oxidation reaction enables alkaline–saline water electrolysis to occur at a high current density without the interfering chlorine evolution.

A novel nitrogen-centered radical reaction leading to the formation of an N–N coupled biheterocycle was discovered, which features high efficiency and greenness at room temperature without external assistance.

High-performance MOF fabrics were prepared by a novel “netting MOF” strategy and exhibited enhanced capacity for the solar-driven production of potable water from CWA simulant sewage.

Mn–TCNQ acts as an efficient electrocatalyst to boost 2e⁻ oxygen reduction reaction, capable of achieving an outstanding H₂O₂ selectivity over 98% and a high H₂O₂ yield of 142.6 ppm h⁻¹ in an alkaline medium.

Oriented film and pattern of TCNQ@Cu₃(BTC)₂(HKUST-1) fabricated via epitaxial growth exhibit anisotropic electrical properties toward MOF-based (flexible) thin-film smart device applications, such as transistors and thermoelectric thin films.

A CoO/Co₄N heterostructure electrocatalyst has been successfully constructed and shown remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance and long-term stability in alkaline electrolytes.

A free-standing 3D COF membrane with interconnected nanochannels was fabricated using interfacial polymerization method, and exhibited ultrafast proton conduction after being loaded with proton carriers.

A rationally designed hydrogel either as the electrolyte for a supercapacitor or the sensing element for a functional component is proposed. With the help of machine learning, the systems present promising applications in wearable devices.

The coupling of Sb and Nb₂CT_x could generate an electron-rich interface, which could effectively promote N₂ activation and hydrogenation while restricting the competing hydrogen evolution.

The atomic-level metal-modulated MOFs as an advanced trifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction.

A DHM acts as a resistor to regulate the distribution and reduction rates of zinc species, thus refining grains and facilitating the formation of dendrite-free zinc anodes to improve battery cycle stability.

Cross structures have been well adopted as load bearing structures due to their excellent mechanical properties.

A well-dispersed Pt cocatalyst obtained using Na as a promoter provides enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over BaTaO₂N under visible light.

Rapid screening of Pt/C PEMFC catalysts through RDE methods to accelerate the development of catalysts with an optimal spatial distribution of Pt within the carbon support.

The weak Sn–O coordination bonds in Sn(DMF)₂Cl₄ result in the formation of a kesterite phased (Cu₂ZnSnS₄) precursor film and thus fabrication of a highly efficient Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ absorber from DMF solution.

Conjugated microporous polymers offer potential as triboelectrification materials for triboelectric nanogenerators.