Themed collection Chemistry at the Forefront of the Sustainable Energy Transition

This feature article provides a fundamental and mechanistic view of the profound alteration of solvation structure in aqueous electrolytes by an antisolvent strategy to improve the electrochemical performances of aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Biophotoelectrochemical cells: configurations, components, and their potential products.

COFs with ordered pores and tunable chemistry enable ion selectivity and stability. This review summarizes their synthesis, structure, and applications in energy storage systems.

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) technology is based on the inverse process of storing hydrogen in unsaturated organic liquids by complete hydrogenation reactions and releasing hydrogen by corresponding dehydrogenation reactions.

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of photo–thermal–electric energy conversion based on diverse energy conversion systems, and potential strategies are proposed to optimize these systems and enhance its cross-system applications.

This review summarizes recent advances in the catalytic asymmetric transformation of three key biomass-derived platform chemicals and their applications in the total synthesis of natural products.

Edible batteries integrate exceptional energy efficiency with a safe energy supply, advancing the intersection of sustainable energy and biomedical engineering.

Selected molecular catalyst systems for electrochemical alcohol oxidation are highlighted, including co-catalyst systems with redox mediators. Structural and activity trends are examined, with a focus on future catalyst system development principles.

This review examines the potential of biomass-derived semiconductor materials in renewable energy technologies, highlighting key synthesis strategies from biomass precursors, as well as their properties and applications.

This review highlights on engineering space dimension and surface chemistry of MXene-based nanocomposite photocatalysts for sustainable environmental application.

Spin-polarized catalysts have garnered significant interest in electrocatalysis, namely in the electrocatalytic oxidation of water, which has very sluggish kinetics due to its high overpotential.

This review article discusses the limitations and potential of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for cathodes applications and introduces key molecular and structural engineering strategies to enhance the performance of COF cathodes in batteries.

Aqueous Zn–metal batteries have attracted wide attention due to the abundant Zn reserves and the safety and non-toxicity of aqueous electrolytes, and have become a research hotspot in the field of electrochemical energy.

The sacrificial cathode additive (SCA) method holds great promise for industrial application. This review explores recent progress in SCA presodiation technology, with a focus on optimizing strategies to develop near-ideal SCAs.

In-depth understanding of the optimization of the catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxide and its derivatives using a structure regulation strategy of polyoxometalates.

This Highlight presents an emerging strategy for methane photocatalytic oxidation using chlorine species, emphasizing their advantages and outlining future challenges.

Room-temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) batteries can allow an ultrahigh specific capacity and a high energy density but unfortunately suffer from a lot of intractable challenges from sulfur cathodes.

This review aims to provide insights into the relationships among the preparation methods, structural characteristics, and properties of carbon materials derived from coal tar pitch.

This minireview highlights the recent advances in the design and preparation of vacancy-containing MOF derivatives for supercapacitors and electrocatalytic water splitting.

Spontaneous heterointerface modulators, including alkyl-primary-ammonium-based ionic-liquids (RA–TFSIs) passivating perovskites during hole-transport material (HTM) deposition, for perovskite solar cells are highlighted.

Quantum electroanalysis involves low dimension scale structures (LDSSs) for achieving attomolar sensitivity for drug discovery purposes.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have demonstrated significant potential as environmentally friendly energy alternatives.

This review summarizes design principles to advance high-nickel-content cathodes, reframing what was generally considered a failure mechanism into a strategic advantage for lithium-ion battery technologies.

In the review, nanoscale charge transfer dynamics in energy storage/conversion about interface dynamics and electrochemical reaction mechanism are summarized. And future developments on SECCM combined with machine learning are putting forward.

The recent progress in synthesis methods and improvement strategies of advanced TMS-based electrodes for supercapacitors is summarized.

The power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells has reached 27%, but lead (Pb) toxicity limits their commercialization. To solve this, Pb-free Bi-based alternatives' fabrication strategies are reviewed to advance Bi compound development.

PSC-assisted PV–EC and PEC systems enable unbiased solar fuel production via water splitting and CO₂ reduction. This review highlights recent advances in PSC-driven fuel production, focusing on strategies to improve efficiency and stability.

Different operando characterization techniques for the time-dependent screening of SACs under working conditions and the electrochemical CO₂RR applications of SAC-derived materials have been reviewed.

A perspective on NiCo₂O₄-based photocatalysts is presented from fundamentals, modification strategies to applications, which provides comprehensive review and research gaps for boosting the development of heterogenous catalysts based on NiCo₂O₄.

Promoting hematite by water oxidation reaction on the surface, charge separation and transport in the bulk, and parallel multi-stacked design.

Electrocatalytic zero-carbon energy systems based on the N–H bond have achieved a complete cycle of energy storage and conversion, providing guidance for the application of clean energy storage and conversion.

Various computational methodologies, encompassing quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics simulations, and high-throughput screening, have been reviewed for their applications in electrolyte design for lithium-ion batteries.

Substrate surface modification engineering is a novel method to prepare electrode and can be called self-derived reaction of substrates. Pristine substrates, such as foil, mesh, and foam, can react directly with modifying agents to obtain electrode.

Protocols for long-term stability of perovskite solar cells.

We highlight the use of 3D printing in creating a stacked MFC–ECC–MEC system in conjunction with a photobioreactor (PBR) to produce significant quantities of H₂.

This review summarizes the mechanism of dipole moments to promote interfacial energy level alignment. Typical organic interlayer materials are compared to conclude the structure–property relationship on directing molecular design.

A two-step thermochemical cycle for solar fuel production from H₂O or/and CO₂.

The addition of CaBr₂ enhances Ca plating/stripping efficiency by weakening Ca²⁺ solvation and promoting the formation of a robust interfacial layer on the Ca metal surface.

Post-polymerization modification with rigid aryl dithiols enables systematic control over the thermal and mechanical properties of guaiacol-derived high sulfur-content materials.

A robust self-assembled NbO_x nanorod-catalyst with unique morphology and strong acid sites is effective for upcycling PET waste with catalytic durability and process scalability, offering promising solutions for the circular plastic industry.

LEDs based on nanocubic CsPb(I_xBr_1−x)₃ achieved a maximum EQE of 10.75%, the highest reported for perovskite superlattice bright red LEDs.

A covalent organic framework (COF) with an asymmetric CoN₂O₂ moiety is identified to exhibit remarkable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity based on constant-potential first-principles calculations and microkinetic modelling.

Ligand-directed structure modulation is observed during the synthesis of mixed-metallic vanado-molybdate complexes functionalized with pyridinyl diphosphonate ligand(s).

An Sn₄P₃-decorated nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet synergistically boosts polysulfide conversion and suppresses diffusion.

Electrocatalytic and chemical oxygen reduction reactions were investigated using a molecular copper(II) complex, revealing distinct reaction mechanisms but similar 4e⁻/4H⁺ product selectivity.

Fac-[(CO)₃Mo(P^tBu₂N^Ph₂)(NH₃)] catalyzed NH₃ oxidation to N₂ using phenoxyl radicals as H atom acceptors generating up to 88 equiv. N₂ per Mo centre.

Metal–organic frameworks show superior electrocatalytic oxygen evolution activity compared with conventional inorganic metal oxides because organic ligands modify the d-orbitals of active metals.

The relationship between density distributions of excitons and energy band alignment is theoretically explored in the two-dimensional superlattice perovskites.

Using Fe⁰ photocatalyst, selective hydrocarbon formation was controlled by adjusting irradiated light intensity: CO, CH₄, and subsequently C₂H₆ and C₃H₈.

Pulsed operation for CO₂ electrolysis in a membrane electrode assembly at industrially relevant current densities improves multi-carbon product formation with the use of anion exchange ionomer.

This work revealed that an increase in the alkyl chain length of linear esters leads to a promoted K⁺ desolvation kinetics, which may provide a guideline to design suitable electrolytes for realizing practical K-ion batteries.

Inspired by dental fluoride varnish, a biomimetic nano-fluoride coating shields Zn anodes from corrosive solutions, boosting aqueous Zn-ion batteries' efficiency and lifespan.

Bipolar polyimide covalent organic frameworks were developed as electrodes in dual-ion batteries with a wide voltage window, delivering very high energy density.

A cluster-scale CuFe heteroatom ensemble with a multisite interface is synthesized to reinforce electronic interaction and thereby boost electrosynthesis of ammonia from nitrate.

Three β-functionalized Fe^III porphyrins with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups were synthesized and utilized as electrocatalysts for the ORR. Fe(III)ClTPPPh₄ showed superior activity due to steric distortion and smaller HOMO–LUMO gap.