Themed collection Celebrating 10 years of Emerging Investigators in Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Pourbaix diagram is a critical tool in electrocatalytic research, driving innovation and improving the reliability of catalyst development.

Aqueous zinc–halogen batteries (AZHBs) are promising energy-storage systems but suffer from shuttle effect and poor redox kinetics. This review summarizes the mechanism and research status of AZHBs and provides solutions to overcome the challenges.

Four bay-substituted perylene diimide (PDI) copolymers have been designed and synthesized successfully to demonstrate the effect of bay-substituent on the photo-physical and capacitive properties.

Based on the synergistic effect of transition metals, 3D NiCo_xZn_yP_(1+x+y)/2 microspheres exhibit excellent specific capacity (624 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹), enhanced rate performance, and cycling stability in the applications of lithium ion batteries.

Computational modelling and experimental techniques are used to elucidate local ordering and diffusion mechanisms in the W-substituted Na₃SbS₄ solid electrolyte.

CrSe₂ shows a nearly theoretical capacity of 125 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.1C, making it a promising K-ion battery cathode material. In operando PXRD and DFT studies reveal its intercalation mechanism.

Bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) treatment passivates the undercoordinated Pb²⁺ and iodide vacancies at the perovskite surface through its sulfonyl groups.

A novel dual-additive strategy utilizing both solvent and solid additives was used to refine the active-layer morphology in all-polymer solar cells.

An all-fibrous self-powered electronic skin that offers textile-like breathability, intrinsic stretchability, skin adhesion, biocompatibility, and good sensing performance for real-time gesture recognition assisted by machine learning.

The acidity and textural properties of polyethyleneimine-supported adsorbents are tuned to enhance the capture of carbon dioxide in an economical way.

DFT simulations and synchrotron experiments offer new insights on the interplay between surface and bulk properties in spinel ferrites.

UV-vis polarized visible attenuated total reflectance (p-ATR) and Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements are used to determine the orientation of molecules in metal ion linked multilayers.

The one-pot synthesis of plasmonic black gold will facilitate rapid exploration of black gold's applications in a range of fields and also pave the way for scalable industrial deployment.

All-in-one cathode-separator-anode monolith and multi-layered monolith systems for flexible batteries were elaborately designed, demonstrating superior rate capability and high areal capacity with ultra-thin thickness under 1 mm.

A new method of utilizing carbon nanotubes as the electrolyte additive for lithium–oxygen batteries has been designed to overcome the shortcomings due to insulating discharge products.

Core–shell magnetic mesoporous 3-aminophenol–formaldehyde resin microspheres were designed to immobilize Au nanoparticles for use as magnetically separable heterogeneous catalysts for the efficient hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol at room temperature.

A bilayer coating consisting of a white base and a fluorescent blue top layer is designed for subambient cooling. The enhanced photoluminescence and high scattering properties are the key parameters for realizing whole-color-gamut subambient cooling.

Micellar interpolyelectrolyte complexes are introduced as versatile soft matter matrices for light-driven hydrogen evolution catalysis.

Core:shell architecture of Teflon AF:Pd coated with PMMA, which generates a protective barrier against carbon monoxide, simultaneously allowing fast and selective hydrogen sensing.