Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100479
Neeta Amitkumar Ukirade
The field of terahertz (THz) technology has seen tremendous scientific progress over the past decade due to its superiority in communication, imaging, spectroscopy and security. THz radiation is situated between the microwave and infrared radiation frequency bands and may readily penetrate a variety of materials, including biological tissue. As a result, in order to accomplish active manipulation for THz amplitude, phase, polarization state, and wave front, THz functional materials with high-speed, low-loss must be developed. This review is required to bridge this gap by systematically linking material properties both from traditional and emerging materials like nanostructured and two-dimensional (2D) materials to the performance requirements of THz devices. The primary objective is to establish a framework for material selection that addresses challenges such as atmospheric absorption, limited transmission range, and integration with existing technologies. Major findings in this review include identifying material-driven strategies to optimize THz device performance, offering insights that accelerate the development of efficient, compact, and high-performance THz systems across scientific, industrial, and medical domains.
{"title":"A review on advancement of materials for terahertz applications","authors":"Neeta Amitkumar Ukirade","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The field of terahertz (THz) technology has seen tremendous scientific progress over the past decade due to its superiority in communication, imaging, spectroscopy and security. THz radiation is situated between the microwave and infrared radiation frequency bands and may readily penetrate a variety of materials, including biological tissue. As a result, in order to accomplish active manipulation for THz amplitude, phase, polarization state, and wave front, THz functional materials with high-speed, low-loss must be developed. This review is required to bridge this gap by systematically linking material properties both from traditional and emerging materials like nanostructured and two-dimensional (2D) materials to the performance requirements of THz devices. The primary objective is to establish a framework for material selection that addresses challenges such as atmospheric absorption, limited transmission range, and integration with existing technologies. Major findings in this review include identifying material-driven strategies to optimize THz device performance, offering insights that accelerate the development of efficient, compact, and high-performance THz systems across scientific, industrial, and medical domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100479"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100441
Yue Zhou , Jiaqiang Huang , Biao Li
Design of cathode materials has been the central topic of Li-batteries since its invention. Beyond chemical composition, another dimension of the material design resides at crystal structures where factors like ionic size, coordination environment, and superstructure play significant roles. In this review, we shift to another focus, i.e. cation order and disorder, that has been prevailing in recent years in the field of cathode materials, to overview how this structural feature emerges to govern the cathode electrochemistry. We begin with a broad conceptualization of cation order and disorder across various scales, followed by an examination of the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that underlie their formation. We then revisit how cation order and disorder evolve along with cycling that is crucial in determining the cycle life of cathode materials. The roles of cation order and disorder on various aspects of electrochemistry, such as Li diffusion, cycling stability, anionic redox activity, voltage profile and voltage hysteresis, are subsequently summarized and discussed. We lastly extend our review to paying attention on the experimental tailoring and characterizing of cation arrangement in cathodes that are pivotal for future cathode design.
{"title":"Cation order and disorder in cathode materials for Li-ion batteries","authors":"Yue Zhou , Jiaqiang Huang , Biao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Design of cathode materials has been the central topic of Li-batteries since its invention. Beyond chemical composition, another dimension of the material design resides at crystal structures where factors like ionic size, coordination environment, and superstructure play significant roles. In this review, we shift to another focus, i.e. cation order and disorder, that has been prevailing in recent years in the field of cathode materials, to overview how this structural feature emerges to govern the cathode electrochemistry. We begin with a broad conceptualization of cation order and disorder across various scales, followed by an examination of the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that underlie their formation. We then revisit how cation order and disorder evolve along with cycling that is crucial in determining the cycle life of cathode materials. The roles of cation order and disorder on various aspects of electrochemistry, such as Li diffusion, cycling stability, anionic redox activity, voltage profile and voltage hysteresis, are subsequently summarized and discussed. We lastly extend our review to paying attention on the experimental tailoring and characterizing of cation arrangement in cathodes that are pivotal for future cathode design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100441"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE), with merits of high evaporation efficiency, rapid response time, minimal pollution and straightforward system, has emerged as a promising approach to address the critical issue of freshwater scarcity. Among the various materials investigated, polymer-based gels have emerged as excellent candidate for solar evaporation. Based on the highly tunable molecular structures, interconnected porous channels, and inherent hydrophilicity, polymer gel could efficiently convert the absorbed sunlight into heat via incorporating light-absorbing particles or molecules into the gel matrix, hence promoting rapid evaporation. This review provides an overview of polymer gels in the field of interfacial evaporation, focusing on the structure regulation, crosslinking mechanism and design strategies for solar evaporators. The research progress on applications of polymer-based gels is also discussed, including seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, water-electricity co-production, water-hydrogen co-production and the extraction of rare metals. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities for polymer-based solar evaporators are addressed in the context of sustainable development.
{"title":"Polymer gels for solar-driven interfacial evaporation","authors":"Ningning Ma, Ning’er Xie, Naifang Zhang, Xiangjiu Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE), with merits of high evaporation efficiency, rapid response time, minimal pollution and straightforward system, has emerged as a promising approach to address the critical issue of freshwater scarcity. Among the various materials investigated, polymer-based gels have emerged as excellent candidate for solar evaporation. Based on the highly tunable molecular structures, interconnected porous channels, and inherent hydrophilicity, polymer gel could efficiently convert the absorbed sunlight into heat via incorporating light-absorbing particles or molecules into the gel matrix, hence promoting rapid evaporation. This review provides an overview of polymer gels in the field of interfacial evaporation, focusing on the structure regulation, crosslinking mechanism and design strategies for solar evaporators. The research progress on applications of polymer-based gels is also discussed, including seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, water-electricity co-production, water-hydrogen co-production and the extraction of rare metals. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities for polymer-based solar evaporators are addressed in the context of sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100432"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100484
Mehvish Shah, Najeeb Ud Din Hakim
Fuel cells, crucial for the advancement of hydrogen-based energy devices, require novel materials for proton exchange membrane (PEM) that are more cost-effective and sustainable. At the core of such an energy source is the proton exchange membrane, which is made to be a good conductor for protons while isolating electrons to flow from the anode to the cathode, imprinting them with an external circuit and generating electricity in the process. Today, the most advanced fuel cell proton exchange membranes are perfluoro sulfonic acid-based (Nafion) membranes, which were initially developed more than 50 years ago. However, the scientific community has redirected its attention to creating next generation sustainable membranes based on natural materials, including nanocellulose, due to the many disadvantages associated with the use of NAFION membranes including high cost, high temperature degradation and environmental impact. Nanocellulose possesses unique characteristics like high mechanical strength, high tensile strength and more importantly renewability, which can be utilised towards fulfilling sustainability goals. Thus, we are of the opinion that a review of the most recent research on the applications of nanocellulose as a material for proton exchange membrane fuel cell components will be of much use in the advancement of this field. This review outlines the significant scientific advancements towards the applications of nanocellulose in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. This analysis encompasses traditional cellulose, materials and films based on nanocellulose resources, polymer composites and blends and chemically altered nanocellulose. These advancements are thoroughly assessed, and intriguing results in the form of increase in proton conductivity and chemical stability are observed, which will further the research in this field towards commercializing nanocellulose in PEM fuel cells.
{"title":"Advances in nanocellulose proton conductivity and applications in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells","authors":"Mehvish Shah, Najeeb Ud Din Hakim","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100484","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fuel cells, crucial for the advancement of hydrogen-based energy devices, require novel materials for proton exchange membrane (PEM) that are more cost-effective and sustainable. At the core of such an energy source is the proton exchange membrane, which is made to be a good conductor for protons while isolating electrons to flow from the anode to the cathode, imprinting them with an external circuit and generating electricity in the process. Today, the most advanced fuel cell proton exchange membranes are perfluoro sulfonic acid-based (Nafion) membranes, which were initially developed more than 50 years ago. However, the scientific community has redirected its attention to creating next generation sustainable membranes based on natural materials, including nanocellulose, due to the many disadvantages associated with the use of NAFION membranes including high cost, high temperature degradation and environmental impact. Nanocellulose possesses unique characteristics like high mechanical strength, high tensile strength and more importantly renewability, which can be utilised towards fulfilling sustainability goals. Thus, we are of the opinion that a review of the most recent research on the applications of nanocellulose as a material for proton exchange membrane fuel cell components will be of much use in the advancement of this field. This review outlines the significant scientific advancements towards the applications of nanocellulose in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. This analysis encompasses traditional cellulose, materials and films based on nanocellulose resources, polymer composites and blends and chemically altered nanocellulose. These advancements are thoroughly assessed, and intriguing results in the form of increase in proton conductivity and chemical stability are observed, which will further the research in this field towards commercializing nanocellulose in PEM fuel cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100484"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100477
Edigar Muchuweni , Edwin T. Mombeshora , Cosmas M. Muiva , T. Stephen Sathiaraj , Abdullah Yildiz , Diego Pugliese
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have recently emerged as one of the most promising new-generation photovoltaic devices due to their facile fabrication protocols, capacity to operate under diffuse light, and low-impact on the environment. However, their low power conversion efficiency (∼15.2%) hinders practical applications. This is primarily owing to ineffective dyes, significant recombination at solid/liquid interfaces, and limitations of TiO2, the conventional photoanode material, especially poor light harvesting and electron transport. Moreover, Pt, the traditional counter electrode material, is costly and unstable due to its scarcity and low corrosion resistance to I3ˉ, respectively. This increases the device cost and shortens its lifespan. Inspired by this, current research interests have shifted their focus from traditional materials to low-cost alternatives, including metal oxides, metal chalcogenides and perovskites, which offer competitive photovoltaic performance. Nonetheless, these alternative materials exhibit relatively low electrical conductivity, which compromises device performance. Thus, to improve device efficiency and sustainability, these materials have recently been coupled with highly conductive and stable carbon nanomaterials, particularly graphene-based materials. Among them, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been more appealing due to its compatibility with low-cost solution processing. Therefore, this review highlights the recent advances in DSSC efficiency and sustainability made over the last five-years (2020–2024) by developing TiO2-free photoanodes and Pt-free counter electrodes, in particular, by introducing rGO into metal oxides, metal chalcogenides and perovskites. Challenges and future directions for fabricating TiO2- and Pt-free DSSCs are discussed to close the gap between emerging nanomaterials and their traditional counterparts, thereby setting the stage for commercialization.
{"title":"Towards high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells by utilizing reduced graphene oxide-based composites as potential alternatives to conventional electrodes: A review","authors":"Edigar Muchuweni , Edwin T. Mombeshora , Cosmas M. Muiva , T. Stephen Sathiaraj , Abdullah Yildiz , Diego Pugliese","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100477","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100477","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have recently emerged as one of the most promising new-generation photovoltaic devices due to their facile fabrication protocols, capacity to operate under diffuse light, and low-impact on the environment. However, their low power conversion efficiency (∼15.2%) hinders practical applications. This is primarily owing to ineffective dyes, significant recombination at solid/liquid interfaces, and limitations of TiO<sub>2</sub>, the conventional photoanode material, especially poor light harvesting and electron transport. Moreover, Pt, the traditional counter electrode material, is costly and unstable due to its scarcity and low corrosion resistance to I<sub>3</sub>ˉ, respectively. This increases the device cost and shortens its lifespan. Inspired by this, current research interests have shifted their focus from traditional materials to low-cost alternatives, including metal oxides, metal chalcogenides and perovskites, which offer competitive photovoltaic performance. Nonetheless, these alternative materials exhibit relatively low electrical conductivity, which compromises device performance. Thus, to improve device efficiency and sustainability, these materials have recently been coupled with highly conductive and stable carbon nanomaterials, particularly graphene-based materials. Among them, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been more appealing due to its compatibility with low-cost solution processing. Therefore, this review highlights the recent advances in DSSC efficiency and sustainability made over the last five-years (2020–2024) by developing TiO<sub>2</sub>-free photoanodes and Pt-free counter electrodes, in particular, by introducing rGO into metal oxides, metal chalcogenides and perovskites. Challenges and future directions for fabricating TiO<sub>2</sub>- and Pt-free DSSCs are discussed to close the gap between emerging nanomaterials and their traditional counterparts, thereby setting the stage for commercialization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100477"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100506
Minqiu Lan, Wenhao Ren
Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers for carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) present a transformative approach for reducing CO2 emissions while producing valuable chemicals. However, their commercialization is still hindered by several inherent challenges. This review outlines these critical bottlenecks and highlights recent advances aimed at enhancing the performance of CO2R MEA electrolyzers. First, the in-situ generated carbonate and bicarbonate species at the cathode can migrate to the anode or form salt precipitates, which reduces carbon efficiency (CO2-to-products) and obstructs gas diffusion channels. Second, product crossover can be diluted or even re-oxidized at the anode, resulting in increased energy consumption for product separation and electrolyte regeneration. Finally, the stability of CO2R MEA electrolyzers, particularly when producing multi-carbon (C2+) products, remains far insufficient for commercial viability, as degradation of the catalyst layer, gas diffusion electrode, and anolyte significantly impacts performance. To address these challenges, this review identifies potential solutions and future directions, including pure-water-fed strategy, hydrophobic catalyst layer designs, and membrane customization.
{"title":"Electrolytic CO2 reduction in membrane electrode assembly: Challenges in (Bi)carbonate, crossover, and stability","authors":"Minqiu Lan, Wenhao Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers for carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR) present a transformative approach for reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions while producing valuable chemicals. However, their commercialization is still hindered by several inherent challenges. This review outlines these critical bottlenecks and highlights recent advances aimed at enhancing the performance of CO<sub>2</sub>R MEA electrolyzers. First, the in-situ generated carbonate and bicarbonate species at the cathode can migrate to the anode or form salt precipitates, which reduces carbon efficiency (CO<sub>2</sub>-to-products) and obstructs gas diffusion channels. Second, product crossover can be diluted or even re-oxidized at the anode, resulting in increased energy consumption for product separation and electrolyte regeneration. Finally, the stability of CO<sub>2</sub>R MEA electrolyzers, particularly when producing multi-carbon (C<sub>2+</sub>) products, remains far insufficient for commercial viability, as degradation of the catalyst layer, gas diffusion electrode, and anolyte significantly impacts performance. To address these challenges, this review identifies potential solutions and future directions, including pure-water-fed strategy, hydrophobic catalyst layer designs, and membrane customization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100506"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143131796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100442
Min Ma , Lili Luo , Yuxuan Ding , Jiayi Zuo , Xiaofen Chai , Libing Liu
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) presents significant advantages, such as improved tissue penetration, non-invasiveness, and reduced susceptibility to drug resistance, positioning it as a promising modality in the biomedical domain. Recent advancements in the structural modification and component optimization of sonosensitizers have markedly enhanced the efficacy of SDT, especially in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, sonosensitizers can be engineered into functional particles through various methodologies, thereby achieving enhanced biocompatibility and catalytic efficiency. This review concentrates on recent advancements in sonosensitizers, with a particular emphasis on piezoelectric materials and conjugated polymers (CPs). These innovations have shown promise in the treatment of pathogenic microbial infections, the targeting of cancer cells, and the enhancement of 3D bioprinting techniques for wound repair. Furthermore, the review discusses the primary challenges and prospective future directions for the biomedical applications of these materials.
{"title":"Composite materials for multimodal sonodynamic therapy in biomedical applications","authors":"Min Ma , Lili Luo , Yuxuan Ding , Jiayi Zuo , Xiaofen Chai , Libing Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) presents significant advantages, such as improved tissue penetration, non-invasiveness, and reduced susceptibility to drug resistance, positioning it as a promising modality in the biomedical domain. Recent advancements in the structural modification and component optimization of sonosensitizers have markedly enhanced the efficacy of SDT, especially in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, sonosensitizers can be engineered into functional particles through various methodologies, thereby achieving enhanced biocompatibility and catalytic efficiency. This review concentrates on recent advancements in sonosensitizers, with a particular emphasis on piezoelectric materials and conjugated polymers (CPs). These innovations have shown promise in the treatment of pathogenic microbial infections, the targeting of cancer cells, and the enhancement of 3D bioprinting techniques for wound repair. Furthermore, the review discusses the primary challenges and prospective future directions for the biomedical applications of these materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100442"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143132501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100464
Canhui Zhang , Xu Liu , Hanxu Yao , Xingkun Wang , Minghua Huang , Heqing Jiang
In recent years, with the rapid development of single-atom catalysts (SACs) in the field of oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), a large number of design and improvement strategies have emerged, but a comprehensive review of the components in M-N-C compiled from a unified perspective is clearly lacking. This review mainly focuses on the structural flexibility caused by the arrangement and combination of metal atoms and heteroatoms in SACs, from the perspective of increasing the number of metal atoms and modulating the coordinated microenvironment. As the number of atoms increases, so does the availability of modifiable sites for metal atoms. In a broad sense, as the number of metal atoms increases and coordinated atoms become more abundant, the "tangram" effect can be used to arrange and combine single-atom coordinated structures, allowing for the arbitrary construction of desired atomic structures based on reaction characteristics. This can maximize the utility of metal atoms and coordinated atoms while optimizing the adsorption characteristics of reaction species and the binding free energy of each reaction step. In terms of the number of metal atoms, there are fixed differences in the adsorption strength of oxygen molecules due to the inherent atomic and electronic structure of different metal atoms. Flexibly embedding coordinated atoms enables tailored optimization of the electronic structure of metal atoms, which in turn adjusts their adsorption and desorption behavior toward reaction intermediates with metal atoms, breaking the Sabatier principle to improve ORR activity. This review comprehensively examines recent progress in the atomic configuration of SACs, outlines future avenues for their atomic design, acknowledges development bottlenecks, and highlights the bright prospects for the future.
{"title":"Single-atom catalysis for oxygen reduction, what's next?","authors":"Canhui Zhang , Xu Liu , Hanxu Yao , Xingkun Wang , Minghua Huang , Heqing Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, with the rapid development of single-atom catalysts (SACs) in the field of oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), a large number of design and improvement strategies have emerged, but a comprehensive review of the components in M-N-C compiled from a unified perspective is clearly lacking. This review mainly focuses on the structural flexibility caused by the arrangement and combination of metal atoms and heteroatoms in SACs, from the perspective of increasing the number of metal atoms and modulating the coordinated microenvironment. As the number of atoms increases, so does the availability of modifiable sites for metal atoms. In a broad sense, as the number of metal atoms increases and coordinated atoms become more abundant, the \"tangram\" effect can be used to arrange and combine single-atom coordinated structures, allowing for the arbitrary construction of desired atomic structures based on reaction characteristics. This can maximize the utility of metal atoms and coordinated atoms while optimizing the adsorption characteristics of reaction species and the binding free energy of each reaction step. In terms of the number of metal atoms, there are fixed differences in the adsorption strength of oxygen molecules due to the inherent atomic and electronic structure of different metal atoms. Flexibly embedding coordinated atoms enables tailored optimization of the electronic structure of metal atoms, which in turn adjusts their adsorption and desorption behavior toward reaction intermediates with metal atoms, breaking the Sabatier principle to improve ORR activity. This review comprehensively examines recent progress in the atomic configuration of SACs, outlines future avenues for their atomic design, acknowledges development bottlenecks, and highlights the bright prospects for the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100464"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143131793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100509
Abdul Subhan , Abdel-Hamid. I. Mourad
Improvements in solar cell technology are crucial for effectively harnessing solar energy for a sustainable future. In the quest for developing cost-efficient and high-performance solar cells, various research groups have made strenuous efforts by employing novel techniques and absorber materials. Owing to their excellent optical and electronic properties, plasmonic metal nanostructures are highly sought-after materials in the scientific community among the various nanomaterials utilized for energy conversion applications, especially for solar cells. This review compares the current trends in implanting these stable metallic nanostructures within the solar cell architecture to improve the photon harvesting capability. The categories of emerging solar cells focused herein include perovskite, dye-sensitized, and quantum dots, investigating the role of size and morphology of metal nanoparticles in boosting power conversion efficiency. A special focus is given on the physics behind the light entrapment due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect observed noble metal nanostructures resulting in hot electron generation and injection to boost the electrical performance in these emerging solar cells. This review also provides a comparative analysis of plasmonic approaches against other alternatives to enhance photocurrent in solar cells. Finally, discussion on the prospects of plasmonic nanomaterials for solar cell development alongside the challenges associated with achieving efficient solar cell fabrication are presented with a perspective.
{"title":"Plasmonic metal nanostructures as performance enhancers in emerging solar cells: A review","authors":"Abdul Subhan , Abdel-Hamid. I. Mourad","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improvements in solar cell technology are crucial for effectively harnessing solar energy for a sustainable future. In the quest for developing cost-efficient and high-performance solar cells, various research groups have made strenuous efforts by employing novel techniques and absorber materials. Owing to their excellent optical and electronic properties, plasmonic metal nanostructures are highly sought-after materials in the scientific community among the various nanomaterials utilized for energy conversion applications, especially for solar cells. This review compares the current trends in implanting these stable metallic nanostructures within the solar cell architecture to improve the photon harvesting capability. The categories of emerging solar cells focused herein include perovskite, dye-sensitized, and quantum dots, investigating the role of size and morphology of metal nanoparticles in boosting power conversion efficiency. A special focus is given on the physics behind the light entrapment due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect observed noble metal nanostructures resulting in hot electron generation and injection to boost the electrical performance in these emerging solar cells. This review also provides a comparative analysis of plasmonic approaches against other alternatives to enhance photocurrent in solar cells. Finally, discussion on the prospects of plasmonic nanomaterials for solar cell development alongside the challenges associated with achieving efficient solar cell fabrication are presented with a perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100509"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143131797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100491
Yanda Zhu , Jiaqi Su , Jiwen Liao , Hao Peng , Ziyi Wang , Yutong Wang , Wenyu Wang , Ming Luo , Sean Li , Wenxian Li
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) lead the field of electrocatalysis water splitting, providing critical benefits like high atomic efficiency, adjustable electronic properties, and metal-support solid binding. These characteristics collectively enhance catalytic performance and minimise metal consumption. Earth-abundant transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) have emerged as cost-effective, yet promising alternatives to precious metals, demonstrating comparable activity attributed to their substantially optimised coordination environments and electronic structures. A comprehensive review of advancements in transition metal single-atom catalysis (TMSACs) is indispensable in summarising mechanisms and strategies targeting performance enhancements, therefore guiding rational future design and facilitating industrial-scale water-splitting applications. This review showcases an in-depth analysis of significant synthesis methodology, structure-activity relationships, and the impact of metal coordination interactions on the reaction efficiency and structural integrity of single-atom catalysts (SACs). Here, it aims to guide future TMSAC research by highlighting opportunities to enhance electrocatalytic performance through coordination energy. A detailed analysis of surface coordination, covering coordination sites, atom types, coordination numbers, and structural configurations—We offer insights into their influence on the electrochemical properties and inherent catalytic of SACs. Furthermore, the review explores future directions for improving SAC performance through defect engineering, heteroatom doping, and bimetallic site formation, focusing on scaling up hydrogen production and advancing sustainable energy technologies.
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