Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

This perspective highlights how electrode substrate choice critically affects electrocatalyst performance in water splitting, guiding researchers to design better catalysts by leveraging each substrate’s unique properties.

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.

A review about 2D covalent organic frameworks as organic electrode materials for aqueous batteries.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current development of smart batteries, which can be divided into three parts: smart materials, smart manufacturing and smart sensing.

By adjusting the composition of the inner Helmholtz plane and the outer Helmholtz plane, it is expected to improve the desolvation structure of zinc ions, inhibit the side reaction of zinc anode and enhance the long-cycle performance of the battery.

This review clearly elucidates the lineage of the development of NO₃⁻RR from the theoretical mechanism to practical reactions and deepens the understanding of NO₃⁻RR, pointing out the direction for the advanced design of NO₃⁻RR electrocatalysts.

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.

Disk-like CuS nanoparticles facilitate the photocatalytic conversion of carbonate-rich waste marble-dust to acetic acid under monochromatic green light, offering a green route for carbon upcycling and waste utilization.

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.

Li-rich cathodes are gaining popularity for Li-ion batteries due to their higher capacity compared to standard layered cathodes. Here we elucidate the complex redox and O dimerization mechanisms using advanced materials theory.

Carbon fiber (CF)–reinforced epoxy resin (EP) composites (E/C composites) have been widely used in numerous fields, but they are always plagued by the low flame retardancy because of the ‘candlewick’ effect of the CF.

A nanoporous Co^2+δ-incorporated RuO₂ (Co/RuO₂-1/50) catalyst, featuring unique Ov–Ru–O–Co coordination, achieved an impressive HER/OER performance (26/243 mV@10 mA cm⁻¹, 54/88 mV dec⁻¹) with superior stability for water electrolysis.

A flexible sensor is designed with a dual structure combining straight and serpentine LIG lines in parallel, enabling high sensitivity under micro-strain and extended-range sensing.

New organic anode active materials for lithium-ion batteries, such as dichlorobenzene and pyrrole derivatives, have been efficiently identified using performance prediction models based on natural products from flower scents.

We studied the effects of pressure on two water-stable 1D perovskites, using organic cations with high and low degrees of freedom. In an aqueous environment, we revealed impact on the structural and optical properties of materials under pressure.

Vitamin C is used to optimize cathode interlayers in organic photovoltaics, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 19.8% in opaque devices and a light utilization efficiency of 4.53% in semitransparent devices.

The alternately stacked waffle-like NS-ZIF@V₂CT_x heterostructures with plentiful exposed active sites, enhanced electrical conductivity and superior structural stability have been fabricated and utilized as anodes in potassium-ion batteries.

Ni/Al doping significantly enhances the catalytic performance and oxygen transport capability of Ca₂Fe₂O₅ in the CLSMR process, thereby achieving higher syngas and hydrogen yields.

This study demonstrates how an interaction between the additive BrFBN and a perovskite precursor results in a perovskite film with fewer defect states. This work provides insights on the feasibility of manufacturing stable, high-performance PSCs.

The multiscale topological learning framework, based on persistent topological Laplacians, captures complex interactions and enhances energy prediction accuracy in multi-atom systems.

The electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from CO₂ and NO₃⁻ represents a sustainable alternative to traditional energy-intensive processes.

In this work, two novel polymer acceptors, P-phCN and P-BphCN, were designed and synthesized by modifying central cores with asymmetric cyanobenzene. The P-phCN-based device achieved a PCE of 17.10% with low energy loss of 0.518 eV.

Novel hydrophobic polymer adhesive via one-step copolymerization in hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents offers strong broad-spectrum adhesion, environmental tolerance, and reversible temperature-dependent bonding for durable air and underwater use.

The MOF-modified strategy for sodium-ion battery cathodes enhances cycling stability by suppressing interfacial side reactions, and improves conductivity via facilitated ion and charge transport.

The realization of high-speed optical communication and sensitive light detection is critical for advancing AI-driven optoelectronics, demanding exceptional detectivity and ultrafast response for practical applications.

Proton diffusivity in doped BaFeO_3−δ determined using SIMS. Doping with Y³⁺ decreases effective proton and diffusivity. Importance of and for kinetics of porous electrode.

This study elucidates the distinct roles of the functional surface and bulk chlorine content in enhancing fire safety of polymer composites through an integrated approach combining structural design, performance evaluation, and safety simulation.

The intrinsic solid–solid reactions of sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) cathode materials present a compelling solution to tackle the serious issue of “shuttle effect” in lithium–sulfur batteries.

Diffusion in NaFePO₄ can be enhanced through amorphization. Based on computations using DFT and machine learning potentials, we ascribe this phenomenon to the formation of less constrained Na-ion environments upon disordering.

High-entropy atomic distortions synergized with [TaO₆] polyhedral distortion boost thermal and electrical stability.

Nitrogen doping significantly boosts the rate capability of the rock-salt Li₃V₂O₅ anode in thin film lithium-ion microbatteries.

Biphasic TiO₂ homojunction nanotubes containing an N-doped honeycomb graphite network with a carbon layer are designed as the sulfur host to significantly enhance the performance of Li–S batteries.

A scalable Li_1.26Mg_0.12Zr_1.86(PO₄)₃ coating improves the cycle performance of nano-sized FeF₂ (n-FeF₂) and micro-sized FeF₃ (m-FeF₃) cathodes in all-solid-state lithium batteries even with lithium metal anodes under reduced stack pressure.

N-MoSe₂/C nanoflowers are developed for cathode catalyst of Li–CO₂ battery which achieves an exceptionally high initial discharge capacity of 37 720 mAh g⁻¹ and maintains a stable discharge plateau at 2.76 V with a low overpotential of 1.56 V.

Herein, we propose and validate an innovative viewpoint that by manipulating the compromise and synergy in thermoelectric GeTe–CuSbS₂ alloys, it is possible to reach a lattice thermal conductivity of 0.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ lower than the amorphous limit.

Thioamide-functionalized polysulfide SCA is synthesized and utilized as an intelligent interfacial regulator for preparing rubber composites with low-hysteresis loss.

Ru/SnO₂ heterojunction enables high-potential HOR stability via interstitial hydrogen (H_i) migration, with H_i storage in SnO₂ at low potentials, OH_ad removal by H_i at high potentials. H_i cleans Ru active sites, sustaining hydrogen dissociation.

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