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As high-energy cathode materials, conversion-type metal fluorides provide a prospective pathway for developing next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, they suffer from severe performance decay owing to continuous structural destruction and active material dissolution upon cycling, which worsen at elevated temperatures. Here, we design a novel FeF₂ cathode with in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte systems to enhance the cycling ability of metal fluorides at 60 ​°C. Novel FeF₂ with a mesoporous structure (meso-FeF₂) improves Li⁺ diffusion and relieves the volume change that typically occurs during the alternating conversion reactions. The structural stability of the meso-FeF₂ cathode is strengthened by an in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte, which prevents the pulverization and ion dissolution that are inevitable for conventional liquid electrolytes. Under the double action of this in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte and the meso-FeF₂'s mesoporous structure, the active material maintains an intact SEI layer and part of the mesoporous structure after long charge–discharge cycling, showing excellent cycling stability at high temperatures.

Although single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted enormous attention for their applications in the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ (CO₂RR) due to their extraordinary catalytic activity and well-defined active centers, neighboring effects and their influence on the electrochemical performance of SACs have not been well investigated. In this review, we present a summary of the neighboring effects on SACs for the CO₂RR process, where the surrounding atoms not only induce electronic modulation of the metal atom but also participate in the CO₂RR. Both theoretical and experimental studies have pointed out that the neighboring sites of the anchored metal center can provide second active/adsorption locations during the catalytic process, enhancing CO₂RR performance tremendously. This review supplies advanced insights into the significant roles and impacts of neighboring effects on the catalytic process, which also benefit the development of advanced SACs to achieve efficient electrocatalysis.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown remarkable advancements and achieved impressive power conversion efficiencies since their initial introduction in 2012. However, challenges regarding stability, quality, and sustainability must be addressed for their successful commercial use. This review analyses the recent studies and challenges related to the operating life and end-of-life utilization of PSCs. Strategies to enhance the stability and mitigate the toxic Pb leakage in operational and recycling approaches of discarded PSCs post their end-of-life are examined to establish a viable and sustainable PSC industry. Additionally, future research directions are proposed for the advancements in the PSC industry. The goal is to ensure high efficiency as well as economic and environmental sustainability throughout the lifecycle of PSCs.

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) are promising candidates for large-scale photovoltaic applications due to their theoretical low cost and high stability. However, the fabrication of high-performance C-PSCs with large-area electrodes remains challenging. In this work, we propose a novel playdough-like graphite putty as top electrode in the perovskite devices. This electrode with soft nature can form good contact with the hole-transporting layer and the conductive substrate at room temperature by a simple pressing technique, which facilitates the fabrication of both small-area devices and perovskite solar modules. In this preliminary research, the corresponding small devices and modules can achieve efficiencies of 20.29% (∼0.15 ​cm²) and 16.01% (∼10 ​cm²), respectively. Moreover, we analyze the limitations of the optical and electrical properties of this playdough-like graphite electrode on the device performance, suggesting a direction for further improvement of C-PSCs in the future.

Developing the high biosafety, effective and wearable devices for fast wound healing is highly desired but remains a challenge. Here, we propose a “win–win co-operation” strategy to potentiate effective skin wound healing at the wound site by constructing robust and ecofriendly composite patch under opto-electric stimulation. The wearable patch is composed of ionic gel doped with Ti₃C₂T_x (MXene), which possesses good photothermal response to kill the bacteria via effective inhibition of the expression of inflammatory factors, preventing wound infection. Importantly, the composite ionogel patch is capable of providing green and on-demand electrical stimulation for wound site, guiding cell migration and proliferation by improved bioenergy and expression up-regulation of growth factor. In mice wound models, the treatment group healed ∼31% more rapidly. Mechanistically, the wearable devices could enable visual and real-time supervising treatment effect due to their good transmittance. The proposed strategy would be promising for future clinical treatment of wound healing.

Phase modulation of noble metal alloys (NMAs) is critically important in nanoscience since the distinct atomic arrangements can largely determine their physicochemical properties. However, the precise modulation of NMAs is formidably challenging, because thermodynamically stable phases are generally preferential compared to those metastable ones. Herein, we proposed a potential energy trapping strategy for phase modulation of Pd–Te alloys with solvents. Thereinto, ethylene glycol can increase the energy barrier for both Pd leaching and Te introduction, forming metastable Pd₂₀Te₇ phase. Inversely, N, N-dimethylformamide is unable to trap metastable phase, inducing the phase evolution to thermodynamically stable PdTe phase, and the precise phase modulation was realized including Pd₂₀Te₇, PdTe and PdTe₂ phases. The Pd–Te alloys displayed phase-dependent formic acid oxidation catalytic performance with PdTe phase showing the best. This work proposes a strategy for creating metastable phase with potential energy trap, which may deepen the understanding of phase engineering for noble metal-based nanocrystals.

Present photocatalysts for the synchronous cleanup of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals have several drawbacks, including inadequate reactive sites, inefficient electron–hole disassociation, and insufficient oxidation and reduction power. In this research, we sought to address these issues by using a facile solvothermal-photoreduction route to develop an innovative plasmonic S-scheme heterojunction, Au/MIL-101(Fe)/BiOBr. The screened-out Au/MIL-101(Fe)/BiOBr (AMB-2) works in a durable and high-performance manner for both Cr(VI) and norfloxacin (NOR) eradication under visible light, manifesting up to 53.3 and 2 times greater Cr(VI) and NOR abatement rates, respectively, than BiOBr. Remarkably, AMB-2's ability to remove Cr(VI) in a Cr(VI)-NOR co-existence system is appreciably better than in a sole-Cr(VI) environment; the synergy among Cr(VI), NOR, and AMB-2 results in the better utilization of photo-induced carriers, yielding a desirable capacity for decontaminating Cr(VI) and NOR synchronously. The integration of MOF-based S-scheme heterojunctions and a plasmonic effect contributes to markedly reinforced photocatalytic ability by increasing the number of active sites, augmenting the visible-light absorbance, boosting the efficient disassociation and redistribution of powerful photo-carriers, and elevating the generation of reactive substances. We provide details of the photocatalytic mechanism, NOR decomposition process, and bio-toxicity of the intermediates. This synergistic strategy of modifying S-scheme heterojunctions with a noble metal opens new horizons for devising excellent MOF-based photosystems with a plasmonic effect for environment purification.

Stabilizing the Zn anode under high utilization rates is highly applauded yet very challenging in aqueous Zn batteries. Here, we rationally design a zincophilic short-chain aromatic molecule, 4-mercaptopyridine (4Mpy), to construct self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on a copper substrate to achieve highly utilized Zn anodes. We reveal that 4Mpy could be firmly bound on the Cu substrate via Cu–S bond to form compact and uniform SAMs, which could effectively isolate the water on the electrode surface and thus eliminate the water-related side reactions. In addition, the short-chain aromatic ring structure of 4Mpy could not only ensure the ordered arrangement of zincophilic pyridine N but also facilitate charge transfer, thus enabling uniform and rapid Zn deposition. Consequently, the Zn/4Mpy/Cu electrode not only enables the symmetric cell to stably cycle for over 180 ​h at 10 ​mA ​cm⁻² under a high depth-of-discharge of 90%, but also allows the MnO₂-paired pouch cell to survive for 100 cycles under a high Zn utilization rate of 78.8%. An anode-free 4Mpy/Cu||graphite cell also operates for 150 cycles without obvious capacity fading at 0.1 ​A ​g⁻¹. This control of interfacial chemistry via SAMs to achieve high utilization rates of metal anodes provides a new paradigm for developing high-energy metal-based batteries.

Potassium metal batteries (PMBs) have become a paramount alternative energy storage technology to lithium-ion batteries, due to their low cost and potential energy density. However, uncontrolled dendrite growth interferes with the stability of the interfacial anode, leading to significant capacity degradation and safety hazards. Herein, a facile reactive prewetting strategy is proposed to discourage dendrite growth by constructing a functional KF/Zn-rich hybrid interface layer on K metal. The KF/Zn@K anode design functions like an interconnected paddy field, stabilizing the anode interface through the preferential redistribution of K⁺ flux/electrons, continuous transport paths, and enhanced transport dynamics. As anticipated, symmetrical batteries exhibit an extended cycling lifetime of over 2000 ​h, with reduced voltage hysteresis at 0.5 ​mA ​cm⁻² and 0.5 mAh cm⁻². Furthermore, when the KF/Zn@K anode is applied to full batteries coupled with PTCDA, a boosted reversible capacity of 61.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 ​C is present over 3000 cycles. This interfacial control creates rational possibilities for constructing high-efficiency, stable K metal anodes.

The anionic redox reaction (ARR) is a promising charge contributor to improve the reversible capacity of layered-oxide cathodes for Na-ion batteries; however, some practical bottlenecks still need to be eliminated, including a low capacity retention, large voltage hysteresis, and low rate capability. Herein, we proposed a high-Na content honeycomb-ordered cathode, P2–Na_5/6[Li_1/6Cu_1/6Mn_2/3]O₂ (P2-NLCMO), with combined cationic/anionic redox. Neutron powder diffraction and X-ray diffraction of P2-NLCMO suggested P2-type stacking with rarely found P6₃22 symmetry. In addition, advanced spectroscopy techniques and density functional theory calculations confirmed the synergistic stabilizing relationship between the Li/Cu dual honeycomb centers, achieving fully active Cu³⁺/Cu²⁺ redox and stabilized ARR with interactively suppressed local distortion. With a meticulously regulated charge/discharge protocol, both the cycling and rate capability of P2-NLCMO were significantly improved, demonstrating reasonable capacity and eliminating voltage hysteresis. Overall, this work contributes a well-defined layered oxide cathode with combined cationic/anionic redox towards rational designing advanced Na-ion batteries.