Themed collection Journal of Materials Chemistry A Lunar New Year collection 2022

This perspective thoroughly explores the energy loss factors in DSSCs and estimates the feasible efficiency of DSSCs under outdoor and indoor conditions, and compares it with the SQ limit of an ideal solar cell.

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a promising donor for the large-scale organic solar cell fabrication in a cost-effective way. A series of nonfullerene acceptors compatible with P3HT are summarized in this review.

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

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) used in various applications due to suitable band gap and tunable conductivity. It has excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical stability.

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.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have recently sparked an enormous surge of research attention, due to their environmental benignity, natural abundance, negligible safety issue, and exceptional electrochemical performance.

This review summarizes recent advances relating to transition metal sulfide (TMS)-based bifunctional electrocatalysts, providing guidelines for the design and fabrication of TMS-based catalysts for practical application in water electrolysis.

Synthesis of biomass-derived N-doped porous carbon for energy storage and catalysis applications is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach.

Recent progress about transitional metal sulfide–MoS₂ heterostructure composites are reviewed based on the view point of interface engineering.

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

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.

A porous Bi electrode prepared by a chemical dealloying method shows asymmetric redox dynamics and contributes to an efficient Ni//Bi battery with high specific capacity, excellent rating performance and cycling stability.

Hollow conjugated microporous polymer photocatalysts bearing Pd nanoparticles were engineered to show visible light-induced HERs up to 7100 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ and AQYs up to 3.72% (@420 nm).

Barium titanium oxyhydride BaTiO_3−xH_x with H⁻/e⁻ mixed conductivity was directly synthesized by a mechanochemical method, and its function as a hydrogen permeable electrode was confirmed.

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.

The O1 phase transition is suppressed by Ni migration to tetrahedral sites in NiO₂.

Composition/dimensional adjustment of a bulk PNIPAAm-based water-driven soft actuator tuned actuation force/speed in wide ranges at maximum of 2 N and 3 s⁻¹, respectively, demonstrating immediate potentials in soft robotics and biomedical appliance.

We report PtW solid-solution alloy nanoparticles (NPs) as a reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction catalyst for the first time. Atomic-level alloying of Pt and W significantly enhanced the RWGS reaction activity of Pt NPs.

A record high dimensionless figure of merit ZT = 1.6 has been achieved in totally environmentally benign Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) single crystal.

Building a hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer of octadecanethiol on a CoP nanoarray on a titanium mesh (C18@CoP/TM) greatly enhances the N₂ reduction activity with an NH₃ yield of 1.44 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol s⁻¹ cm⁻² and a FE of 14.03% in 0.1 M Na₂SO₄.

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

The theoretical design of an ON–OFF switchable HER catalyst based on the two-dimensional ferroelectric material In₂Se₃ and transition metal cobalt.

We propose a facile soft template-mediated coupling construction strategy for one-step fabrication of sandwiched mesoporous PPy/Ag nanoplates at the liquid interface, and the hybrid showed great chemical sensing performance for NH₃ gas.

Hexagonal CuCo nanocrystals are exploited for CO₂ reduction at high faradaic efficiency. Density functional theory calculates the structure-oriented binding energy of intermediates for catalyst optimization.

High-density and highly porous graphene-based pellets with anomalous gas densification property and glass-like hardness have been fabricated by using zeolite-templated carbon and reduced graphene oxide.

The PCEs of OSCs and AVTs of corresponding blend films can be continuously optimized by adjusting D18-Cl:Y6-1O ratios and introducing Y6 as the third component. 13.02% PCE and 20.2% AVT are achieved in the semitransparent ternary OSCs.

NiS₂ acts as an active and selective electrocatalyst for the two-electron O₂ reduction reaction in acids, achieving a selectivity of up to 99% and a H₂O₂ yield rate of 109 ppm h⁻¹. The catalytic mechanism is further investigated by theoretical calculations.

The AgBiSe₂–CuBiSe₂ system shows band nestification at high temperatures, resulting in heavy DOS effective mass while preserving electron mobility.

A bifunctional polyimide (PI) film serving as the catalyst and protective layer on a BiVO₄ photoanode not only improves the photoelectrochemical performance, but also enhances the stability of the photoanode in strongly alkaline electrolytes.

Mo₃Si is a superior catalyst for electrochemical N₂ reduction in 0.1 M Na₂SO₄, offering a large NH₃ yield of 2 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol s⁻¹ cm⁻² and a high Faraday efficiency of 6.69% at −0.4 V and −0.3 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively.

The ultrathin few-layer MoS₂ sheets directly grown on a nanoporous graphene film (MoS₂/NGF), which successfully addressed the shortcomings of bulk MoS₂ for multi-functional electrodes.

In this study, we report a facile carbothermal method for the preparation of boron-oxy-carbide (BOC) nanostructures and explore their properties towards electrochemical energy storage devices.

The phase-junction engineering of CoSe₂ on SiC NWs boosts its performance for efficient sodium/potassium storage.

The spin state change of Fe³⁺ ions induced the paramagnetic Fe_0.5Ni_0.5OOH shell on the ferromagnetic Cu_0.5NFe₃Ni_0.5 core via superexchange interaction, facilitating charge transfer and oxygen species ad(de)sorption for boosted OER performance.

CPP with capillary microporous channels for rapid diffusion of uranyl ions and adequate water transport, and good photothermal effect can realize synergistic freshwater collection and uranium extraction.

The modulation effect of surface terminating groups of nitride MXenes on the thermodynamic and kinetic suppression of polysulfide shuttling is studied by theoretical calculations.

By using sustainable Eucommia ulmoides gum as a raw material, a robust, shape memory, self-healing and recyclable elastomer was fabricated based on a new strategy – a semi-interpenetrating dynamic network.

A facile and scalable synthesis of N₄Fe–CuN₃ diatomic sites on N-doped carbon frameworks. The CO Faraday efficiency is >95% at −0.4 to −1.1 V with an overpotential of 50 mV.

In this paper, we first report very mechanically strong and stretchable liquid-free double-network ionic conductors (LFDNICs), which solve the trade-off between high mechanical strength and stretchability in a liquid-free ionic conductor.

The application and the molar mass dependence of P3HT via direct arylation polycondensation are explored in fullerene-free solar cells. The medium molar mass batch delivered a top efficiency of ∼10%.

This work presents high-performance and stable all-inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells with a champion efficiency of 18.06% and excellent stability under light and thermal conditions.

Herein, the preparation of a highly tough, freezing-tolerant, healable and thermoplastic starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) organohydrogel for flexible electronic devices is presented.

A group of bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction reaction single-atom catalysts supported on C₂N, is proposed. The origin of their high catalytic activity is elucidated by density functional theory calculations and machine learning modelling.

NiCo₂O₄ is in situ assembled on g-C₃N₄ and works as a novel oxygen-evolution-reaction cocatalyst to promote photocatalytic O₂-evolution reaction, then Pt–NiCo₂O₄ dual cocatalyst loaded g-C₃N₄ achieves photocatalytic overall water splitting.

The enhanced microwave absorption performance of composites benefits from simultaneous rational microstructure design and chemical composition modulation.

An inverse desert beetle-like ZIF-8/PAN membrane with the ability of “oil capture in water” can achieve oil-in-water emulsion separation.

Electromagnetic wave absorbents with hierarchically porous and core–shell structures have significantly positive influence on the electromagnetic wave absorption because of the enhanced interfacial polarization.

Two-dimensional magnetized MXene-based hybrids, obtained by electrostatic self-assembly of Ti₃C₂T_x with hollow Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, achieved high electromagnetic absorption performance.

Doped boron atoms are bridged to glue more electroactive nitrogen sites on the carbon surface, and the high binding energy of the consequent B–C bonds further consolidates the porous carbon scaffold for durable ion/electron transfer.

Ni@Mo₂B₂ can be used as a HER/OER bifunctional electrocatalyst while Cu@Mo₂B₂ can be used as an OER/ORR bifunctional electrocatalyst.