Themed collection Recent Review Articles

Reviewing the present and future of “Green” metal halide double perovskite nanocrystals as potential optoelectronic materials.

Polymeric coatings provide opportunities to control matter and energy in complex environments, including applications in artificial photosynthesis and solar fuels.

A new strategy has been reported for loading of polyoxometalates into metal–organic frameworks. It grants access to bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions.

This highlight summarizes the recent developments of heteroatom-doped carbon cathode catalysts for CERR.

Scalable manufacturing of high-aspect-ratio multi-material electrodes are important for advanced energy storage and conversion systems. There is a need to understand how one goes from a colloidal state through processing to a functional porous electrode. Such knowledge enables ink-engineering for electrode performance and durability optimization.

The recent observations of one-electron intermediates of the water oxidation reaction, which localize charge to the surface, suggest that their stability is guided by solvation; in turn, this calls for an expansion of current theoretical calculations of their charge trapping capacity to include explicit solvent.

Solar cells based on metal-halide perovskite semiconductors inspire high hopes for efficient low-cost solar energy conversion technology. We here reflect on recent progress and potential limitations of the band gap tunability of these compound semiconductors.

Regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is used as a model polymer for research in organic solar cells.

An overview of recently developed strategies to access high quality and chemically doped graphenes by electrochemical exfoliation methods and their energy applications is provided.

The review elaborates on diversified nanostructured carbon materials and their modifications from two different perspectives of dimensions and graphitization degree.

This review comprehensively discusses the application of carbon–metal compound composites as CDI electrodes paying special attention to their synthesis–structure–desalination performance relationships.

Metal–air flow batteries are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems because of their high performance and scale flexibility. Further development should be conducted from material to structure design and operation management.

Perovskite solar cells connected with other power devices have the potential to drive consumer electronics in the smartest possible way. Here we review the means of integration, materials for integration, and performance of hybrid devices.

Metal chalcogenides play a vital role in the development of QDSCs. Here, we review recent progress on metal chalcogenide-based QDSCs in practical applications based on QD sensitizers, counter electrodes, and interface modification layers.

This review focuses on the smart and effective production of atomically thin 2D materials by Janus electrochemical exfoliation.

This review summarizes recent advances on synthesis, properties, functional nanostructures and applications of two-dimensional group-VA nanomaterials beyond black phosphorus.

Freestanding ultrathin bismuth-based materials with suitable energy band structure have been demonstrated as outstanding photocatalysts for different applications.

Emerging 2D noncarbon nanomaterials with excellent lithium storage properties and superior flexibility show great application potential for flexible LIBs.

An overview of different synthetic methods of Nano-CNMs and the relationships between their structure/composition–performance for CO production via ECR is presented.

This review summarizes the recent progress on metallic Ru-based catalysts, including the preparation strategies, performance of electrocatalytic and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) have exhibited excellent performances for CO₂ separation, but it is still an ongoing challenge to enhance the separation performance through optimization of their structures.

This review summarizes the progress on four eco-friendly reduction techniques, including the detailed mechanism, reaction conditions, product morphology and electrochemical performance.

This review summarizes the edge-cutting area of the “monocrystalline perovskite wafer/thin film” and their intimate applications in photovoltaics and transistors.

Research progress in alkali metal ion (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Rb⁺) doped perovskite solar cells is summarized and evaluated.

Unique chemistries of metal-nitrate precursors that enable the preparation of high-quality, high-performance metal-oxide thin films by solution deposition are reviewed.

This review summarizes recent developments of coordination polymers and their derivatives for ionic and electrical conductivity with the discussion about synthetic strategies and possible mechanisms to identify the key structural factors.

To alleviate the scarcity of clean water, solar steam generation, which utilizes the green and abundant resources of Earth, has attracted considerable attention and been recognized as a sustainable technology to purify seawater and wastewater.

Emerging trends and future prospects for nanoparticle synthesis and colloidal ink formulation, additive printing processes, and functional devices are highlighted.

This review explores the effects of mechanical constriction on the phase stability of ceramic-sulfide solid-electrolytes.

In this review, systematic overlook of recent research on anionic redox in SIBs is given, along with discussion of relative theories that explain the mechanism of activating and stabilizing anionic redox activity.

Monitoring stress development in electrodes in-situ provides a host of real-time information on electro-chemo-mechanical aspects as functions of SOC and electrochemical potential.

Understanding charge heterogeneity can inform designing high performance Li ion battery cathodes.

The progresses, challenges, and perspectives on emerging 2D lead-free halide perovskite materials and relevant light-emitting diodes/solar cells have been elaborately summarized.

2D molecular crystal lattices form a compelling class of 2D materials with synthetically-tunable properties and the potential to spawn a new generation of devices for optoelectronics and energy sustainability.

This short review highlights the recent development of block copolymer-based porous carbons as supercapacitor electrodes.

This review summarizes the recent advancements in constructing two dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures for applications in water splitting, Li⁺/Na⁺ ion batteries, and supercapacitors.

The separation of olefin and paraffin is one of the most challenging and energy-intensive processes. In this review, we summarize the separation mechanisms and materials developed for membrane separation of olefin and paraffin.

The impact of H-bonding on the optoelectronic properties and device morphology of diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives is reviewed.

Recent advances in exfoliation techniques of layered and non-layered materials for energy conversion and storage are summarized.

Significant efforts have been devoted to design and develop supported catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems since they have enhanced electrocatalytic activity.

The nanomaterial-based wearable energy storage devices will usher in exciting opportunities in emerging technologies such as consumer electronics, pervasive computing, human–machine interface, robotics, and the Internet of Things.

This review highlights the opportunities and challenges in stability of organic solar cells arising from the emergence of non-fullerene acceptors.

Recent advances in the fabrication of novel electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction to ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions are comprehensively reviewed.

This review provides an up-to-date summary of the progress of organic quinones as electroactive materials for advanced electrochemical energy storage devices.

Viologen-inspired aromatic molecules, polymers, and functional materials and their versatile applications will be introduced in this review.

New concepts or chemistry is an urgent requirement for rechargeable batteries to achieve a low-cost, user-friendly nature with adequate energy densities and high levels of safety.

This review introduces three green-solvent-processable strategies for realizing large-scale manufacture of organic photovoltaics.

Silica aerogels are among the lightest solid materials but they are also very fragile. Fibres embedment is the most versatile and effective method to preserve a monolithic shape during drying, even at large scale, thus widening their applications.

The applications of MXene-based materials in cathodes, anodes and separators of lithium–sulfur batteries have been summarized, and their superiority for suppressing polysulfide shuttling and improving sulfur utilization has been demonstrated.

Covalent triazine frameworks, as a newly emerging class of porous materials, have great potential in the area of CO₂ capture.

This review focuses on the recent development of luminescent MOFs with synthetic approaches and their application in sensing biomolecules.

Non-fullerene organic solar cells employing small molecule acceptors have recently crossed the PCE of 17% through the design and synthesis of efficient acceptor materials.

Design models, synthesis methods, atomic scale structure characterization, properties and applications of high entropy ceramics are reviewed.

This review presents the latest advances in energy conversion phase change materials and their electron-triggered mechanism of energy conversion.

The attractive theoretical specific capacity of silicon (Si) makes it a strong candidate for use in electrochemical energy storage materials.

The key factors of designing the architectural concepts, synthesis methods, and microstructural and compositional control of Ti-based electrodes are described for applications in electrochemical sodium ion storage and removal.

Graphene-based electrocatalysts have recently attracted considerable research interest because of the abundant choices they present, with tunable and diverse optical, electronic and chemical properties.

Nanoscale metal organic frameworks offer unique advantages for the development of materials for solar energy conversion systems, supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells.

Surfactant-promoted methane hydrate formation during the past 2–3 decades has been reviewed, aiming toward achieving a comprehensive evaluation on the current research status and effective guidance on the research prospects.

Polysilsesquioxanes (RSiO_1.5)_n are organic–inorganic hybrid materials that have an array of properties and synergistic features and are considered to be robust materials in the family of siliceous compounds.

The state-of-the-art design strategies toward highly active catalytic materials and cathode structures for Li–CO₂ batteries are reviewed and discussed.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted tremendous interest because of their rapid improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) from the initial PCE of 3.8% for the first prototype to the certified PCE of 25.2% in 2019.

Here we review the synthetic methods and applications of 2D-MOF architectures, especially some novel synthetic strategies and applications. In addition, the outlook of 2D-MOF architectures are also proposed.

This review summarizes the up-to-date advances in porous carbons with tailored pore texture and surface chemistry toward efficient CO₂ capture.

High-efficiency and low-cost perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are desirable candidates for addressing the scalability challenge of renewable solar energy.

This review provides essential features of sulfide solid electrolytes and an in-depth explanation of the interface issues in all-solid-state lithium secondary batteries.

Featuring the most recent advances and challenges in aqueous electrolyte metal-ion battery systems and understanding the cell chemistries and different behaviours in aqueous and non-aqueous media.

This review summarizes the advanced engineering of core/shell structures as a promising candidate for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction.

A comprehensive review of the recent advances in MgO-based sorbents for CO₂ capture is provided.

The present review article ventures into the question “Do the nanoscale forms of cellulose have potential in fuel cell systems?”