Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101199
Leilei Li , Yinghua Chen , Wei Shao , Qinggang He , Wandi Wahyudi , Pushpendra Kumar , Qian Li , Junli Zhang
The alkaline aqueous batteries (AABs) face a bottleneck posed by the high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) potentials (∼ −1.0 V vs. Hg/HgO) of alkaline electrolytes. This issue hinders the utilization of exceptional anode materials with redox potentials lower than −1.0 V, limiting the output voltage and energy density. Herein, we introduce urea as an additive to mitigate this challenge by lowering the HER potential of NaOH electrolyte through the formation of hydrogen bond interactions, which reduce the activity of H2O molecules. Remarkably, the HER potential of 6 m (mol kg−1) NaOH in H2O-Urea electrolyte is effectively lowered to −1.21 V, which enables a π-conjugated pyrazine-based anode (diquinoxalino[2,3-a:2’,3’-c]phenazine, DQPZ) with a redox potential of −1.1 V to achieve an enhanced capacity of 254 mAh g−1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5% in DQPZ || activated carbon batteries, compared to that in 6 m NaOH in H2O electrolyte (i.e., 151 mAh g−1, 95.1%). We present a sodium ion solvation structure and interfacial model to elucidate the underlying variation in solvation and dynamic interfacial reactions that contribute to lowering the HER potential. This work helps to design alkaline electrolytes at the molecular level, setting the foundation for practical applications of AABs.
碱性水溶液电池（AABs）面临着碱性电解质高析氢反应（HER）电位（~ - 1.0 V vs. Hg/HgO）的瓶颈。这个问题阻碍了氧化还原电位低于- 1.0 V的特殊阳极材料的使用，限制了输出电压和能量密度。在此，我们引入尿素作为添加剂，通过形成氢键相互作用来降低NaOH电解质的HER电位，从而降低H2O分子的活性，从而缓解这一挑战。值得注意的是，6 m (mol kg−1)NaOH在H2O-尿素电解质中的HER电位有效地降低到- 1.21 V，这使得氧化还原电位为- 1.1 V的π共轭吡嗪基阳极(二喹啉[2,3-a:2 ',3 ' -c]吩嗪，DQPZ ||活性炭电池的库仑效率提高到254 mAh g−1，而DQPZ |活性炭电池的库仑效率为99.5%，而在6 m NaOH水溶液中（即151 mAh g−1,95.1%）。我们提出了一个钠离子溶剂化结构和界面模型，以阐明溶剂化和动态界面反应的潜在变化，这些反应有助于降低HER电位。这项工作有助于在分子水平上设计碱性电解质，为自身抗体的实际应用奠定基础。
{"title":"Suppressed hydrogen evolution reactions via modulating hydrogen bonds in aqueous battery electrolytes by additives","authors":"Leilei Li , Yinghua Chen , Wei Shao , Qinggang He , Wandi Wahyudi , Pushpendra Kumar , Qian Li , Junli Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The alkaline aqueous batteries (AABs) face a bottleneck posed by the high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) potentials (∼ −1.0 V <em>vs.</em> Hg/HgO) of alkaline electrolytes. This issue hinders the utilization of exceptional anode materials with redox potentials lower than −1.0 V, limiting the output voltage and energy density. Herein, we introduce urea as an additive to mitigate this challenge by lowering the HER potential of NaOH electrolyte through the formation of hydrogen bond interactions, which reduce the activity of H<sub>2</sub>O molecules. Remarkably, the HER potential of 6 m (mol kg<sup>−1</sup>) NaOH in H<sub>2</sub>O-Urea electrolyte is effectively lowered to −1.21 V, which enables a π-conjugated pyrazine-based anode (diquinoxalino[2,3-a:2’,3’-c]phenazine, DQPZ) with a redox potential of −1.1 V to achieve an enhanced capacity of 254 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5% in DQPZ || activated carbon batteries, compared to that in 6 m NaOH in H<sub>2</sub>O electrolyte (i.e., 151 mAh g<sup>−1</sup>, 95.1%). We present a sodium ion solvation structure and interfacial model to elucidate the underlying variation in solvation and dynamic interfacial reactions that contribute to lowering the HER potential. This work helps to design alkaline electrolytes at the molecular level, setting the foundation for practical applications of AABs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101199"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101191
Jianbin Zhan , Yang Li , Zixu Guo , Ruijing Ma , Shengqian Wang , Xinsheng Yang , Asker Jarlöv , Huajun Cao , Feng Lin , Yilun Xu , Kun Li , Yong-Wei Zhang , Kun Zhou
In elastocaloric (eC) refrigeration, conventionally fabricated NiTi alloys require complex deformation processing such as forging and rolling to achieve desired properties, compromising the intricate geometries for industrial applications. To overcome this limitation, we develop a four-dimensional-printed NiTi alloy with encoded (4D-ped) microstructures, fabricated in a near-net-shape manner. Benefiting from the multi-scale microstructures including tailored grain size and fraction of Ni4Ti3 nanoparticles, this alloy evades the trade-off between cooling capacity and energy efficiency. The novel architecture enables a stage-wise phase transformation (PT) mechanism, leading to a quasi-linear mechanical response. This unique architecture triggers a novel eC mechanism other than conventional AM NiTi: the superior properties arise not only from the reduced transformation energy barrier enabled by R-phase nanodomain formation due to fine Ni4Ti3 nanoparticles in coarse grains, but also from the enhanced yield strength induced by dense Ni4Ti3 precipitation in fine-grained domains, which promotes a stable stress-induced PT and enables effective latent heat absorption. As a result, the 4D-ped NiTi achieves a temperature drop of ∼15 K and a material coefficient of performance of 36.5, delivering superior eC performance compared with existing AM alloys. These findings advance the fabrication of high-performance eC structures with intricate geometries through 4D printing.
{"title":"A 4D-printed NiTi alloy with encoded microstructures evades the cooling capacity–energy efficiency trade-off in elastocaloric refrigeration","authors":"Jianbin Zhan , Yang Li , Zixu Guo , Ruijing Ma , Shengqian Wang , Xinsheng Yang , Asker Jarlöv , Huajun Cao , Feng Lin , Yilun Xu , Kun Li , Yong-Wei Zhang , Kun Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101191","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101191","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In elastocaloric (eC) refrigeration, conventionally fabricated NiTi alloys require complex deformation processing such as forging and rolling to achieve desired properties, compromising the intricate geometries for industrial applications. To overcome this limitation, we develop a four-dimensional-printed NiTi alloy with encoded (4D-ped) microstructures, fabricated in a near-net-shape manner. Benefiting from the multi-scale microstructures including tailored grain size and fraction of Ni<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles, this alloy evades the trade-off between cooling capacity and energy efficiency. The novel architecture enables a stage-wise phase transformation (PT) mechanism, leading to a quasi-linear mechanical response. This unique architecture triggers a novel eC mechanism other than conventional AM NiTi: the superior properties arise not only from the reduced transformation energy barrier enabled by R-phase nanodomain formation due to fine Ni<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles in coarse grains, but also from the enhanced yield strength induced by dense Ni<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>3</sub> precipitation in fine-grained domains, which promotes a stable stress-induced PT and enables effective latent heat absorption. As a result, the 4D-ped NiTi achieves a temperature drop of ∼15 K and a material coefficient of performance of 36.5, delivering superior eC performance compared with existing AM alloys. These findings advance the fabrication of high-performance eC structures with intricate geometries through 4D printing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101191"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gate-all-around (GAA) transistors and memristors are two key electronic components for the semiconductor industry, as they can enable high-performance computation and memory. State-of-the-art devices contain a 700–100,000 nm2 insulating thin film exposed to electrical fields, and understanding its progressive degradation and breakdown is essential to build reliable devices. Investigations in this direction must fabricate test structures and/or devices of similar sizes, otherwise the conclusions extracted are not applicable. Many research groups use electron beam lithography, but this technique introduces polymer residues and leads to low fabrication yields due to the complex lift-off process. Some groups use conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM), which employs an ultra-sharp conductive tip to analyse the properties of a material at small areas ranging from 1 to 600 nm2. However, the currents registered by CAFM strongly depend on three parameters that are difficult to control: the radius of the probe tips, the spring constant of the cantilever, and the relative humidity of the environment. Therefore, a major problem of CAFM is reproducibility. Moreover, the minimum current densities that standard CAFM can detect range from 0.16 to 100 A/cm2, but that is insufficient to study gate dielectrics for low power applications (that requires analysing values below 0.01 A/cm2). Here we present nanodot CAFM, a measuring protocol that consists of placing the probe tip of a CAFM on metallic nanodots patterned on the surface of the material under test. These structures cover areas between 700 and 10,000 nm2, and they can be easily deposited on any arbitrary sample using a standard evaporator and a cheap aluminium anodic oxide template as shadow mask. Our experiments demonstrate that this setup is insensitive to relative humidity changes from 55 % to 4 %, deflection setpoint changes from −0.5 to 1 V, spring constant changes from 0.8 to 18 N/m, and tip radius changes from 2 to 200 nm, leading to a very high reproducibility. Moreover, this setup allows analysing current densities below 10−2 A/cm2, which extends its range of use. Our approach can help the community to make industry-relevant studies with a high throughput without having to undergo expensive, slow, and low-yield nanofabrication processes (such as electron beam lithography or multi project wafer tape outs).
{"title":"Nanodot conductive atomic force microscopy","authors":"Osamah Alharbi , Yue Yuan , Wenwen Zheng , Yue Ping , Sebastian Pazos , Husam Alshareef , Kaichen Zhu , Mario Lanza","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gate-all-around (GAA) transistors and memristors are two key electronic components for the semiconductor industry, as they can enable high-performance computation and memory. State-of-the-art devices contain a 700–100,000 nm<sup>2</sup> insulating thin film exposed to electrical fields, and understanding its progressive degradation and breakdown is essential to build reliable devices. Investigations in this direction must fabricate test structures and/or devices of similar sizes, otherwise the conclusions extracted are not applicable. Many research groups use electron beam lithography, but this technique introduces polymer residues and leads to low fabrication yields due to the complex lift-off process. Some groups use conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM), which employs an ultra-sharp conductive tip to analyse the properties of a material at small areas ranging from 1 to 600 nm<sup>2</sup>. However, the currents registered by CAFM strongly depend on three parameters that are difficult to control: the radius of the probe tips, the spring constant of the cantilever, and the relative humidity of the environment. Therefore, a major problem of CAFM is reproducibility. Moreover, the minimum current densities that standard CAFM can detect range from 0.16 to 100 A/cm<sup>2</sup>, but that is insufficient to study gate dielectrics for low power applications (that requires analysing values below 0.01 A/cm<sup>2</sup>). Here we present nanodot CAFM, a measuring protocol that consists of placing the probe tip of a CAFM on metallic nanodots patterned on the surface of the material under test. These structures cover areas between 700 and 10,000 nm<sup>2</sup>, and they can be easily deposited on any arbitrary sample using a standard evaporator and a cheap aluminium anodic oxide template as shadow mask. Our experiments demonstrate that this setup is insensitive to relative humidity changes from 55 % to 4 %, deflection setpoint changes from −0.5 to 1 V, spring constant changes from 0.8 to 18 N/m, and tip radius changes from 2 to 200 nm, leading to a very high reproducibility. Moreover, this setup allows analysing current densities below 10<sup>−2</sup> A/cm<sup>2</sup>, which extends its range of use. Our approach can help the community to make industry-relevant studies with a high throughput without having to undergo expensive, slow, and low-yield nanofabrication processes (such as electron beam lithography or multi project wafer tape outs).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101187"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101188
Zhijun Zhang , Chi Hu , Xuanyu Chen , Haohe Huang , Fuguang Ban , Xuhao Zhu , Chongxing Huang
Thermal insulation materials are indispensable for energy conservation, thermal management, and protection under diverse service conditions. In the context of carbon neutrality and sustainable development, biomass-based materials have emerged as attractive alternatives to petroleum-derived counterparts owing to their renewability, hierarchical porosity, and structural tunability. Nevertheless, their practical applications are hindered by inherent limitations such as thermal instability, moisture sensitivity, and insufficient multifunctionality. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in biomass-based thermal insulation materials, with a focus on raw material selection, structural design strategies, and performance optimization. Particular attention is given to emerging approaches that enable multifunctional integration—ranging from elasticity and thermal management to electromagnetic shielding and infrared stealth—through multiscale structural engineering and interfacial synergy. Finally, the opportunities and challenges associated with balancing thermal insulation, mechanical robustness, and multifunctional performance are highlighted, and future prospects are proposed for guiding the sustainable development of next-generation biomass-based thermal insulation materials.
{"title":"Biomass-based thermal insulation materials: Design strategies, multifunctional integration, and prospects","authors":"Zhijun Zhang , Chi Hu , Xuanyu Chen , Haohe Huang , Fuguang Ban , Xuhao Zhu , Chongxing Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal insulation materials are indispensable for energy conservation, thermal management, and protection under diverse service conditions. In the context of carbon neutrality and sustainable development, biomass-based materials have emerged as attractive alternatives to petroleum-derived counterparts owing to their renewability, hierarchical porosity, and structural tunability. Nevertheless, their practical applications are hindered by inherent limitations such as thermal instability, moisture sensitivity, and insufficient multifunctionality. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in biomass-based thermal insulation materials, with a focus on raw material selection, structural design strategies, and performance optimization. Particular attention is given to emerging approaches that enable multifunctional integration—ranging from elasticity and thermal management to electromagnetic shielding and infrared stealth—through multiscale structural engineering and interfacial synergy. Finally, the opportunities and challenges associated with balancing thermal insulation, mechanical robustness, and multifunctional performance are highlighted, and future prospects are proposed for guiding the sustainable development of next-generation biomass-based thermal insulation materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101188"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101196
Xuelian Liu , Xianzhao Wang , Qingyuan Zhao , Ziyan Liu , Kun Hao , Yuting Song , Naoyuki Shibayama , Hai Xu , Aijun Li , Shin-ichi Sasaki , Hitoshi Tamiaki , Tsutomu Miyasaka , Yisong Zheng , Xiao-Feng Wang
Nickel methyl 131-deoxo-pyropheophorbide-a monomer (NiM), derived from natural chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), shows significant promise as a hole transporting layer (HTL) material in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the NiP films formed by electrochemical polymerization of NiM exhibited low carrier mobility, along with substantial energy level mismatch and defects at the NiP/perovskite interface, which limited their application in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs. Here, inspired by natural Chl–peptide synergies, the Chl–amino acid bionic cascade strategy was first developed. Using aspartic acid and tryptophan to cascade with NiP, the energy levels of the HTL were optimized and the carrier mobility was enhanced. Furthermore, the carboxy group effectively passivates the positively charged Pb2+ defects and reduces carrier recombination, while the amino group formed hydrogen bonds to halide ions and inhibited photoluminescent halide segregation, which enhanced the performance and stability of the device. A high power conversion efficiency of 22.36 % was achieved in 1.68 eV WBG PSCs modified with tryptophan, which represents the first application of a Chl-based HTL in WBG PSCs. Furthermore, the unencapsulated devices exhibited an efficiency retention of 90.33 % after 1200 h of exposure to air (40 %–50 % relative humidity) and 90.25 % after 1000 h under an argon atmosphere at 85°C.
{"title":"Chlorophyll–amino acid bionic cascade strategy for efficient and stable wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells","authors":"Xuelian Liu , Xianzhao Wang , Qingyuan Zhao , Ziyan Liu , Kun Hao , Yuting Song , Naoyuki Shibayama , Hai Xu , Aijun Li , Shin-ichi Sasaki , Hitoshi Tamiaki , Tsutomu Miyasaka , Yisong Zheng , Xiao-Feng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nickel methyl 13<sup>1</sup>-deoxo-pyropheophorbide-<em>a</em> monomer (<strong>NiM</strong>), derived from natural chlorophyll-<em>a</em> (Chl-<em>a</em>), shows significant promise as a hole transporting layer (HTL) material in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the <strong>NiP</strong> films formed by electrochemical polymerization of <strong>NiM</strong> exhibited low carrier mobility, along with substantial energy level mismatch and defects at the <strong>NiP</strong>/perovskite interface, which limited their application in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs. Here, inspired by natural Chl–peptide synergies, the Chl–amino acid bionic cascade strategy was first developed. Using aspartic acid and tryptophan to cascade with <strong>NiP</strong>, the energy levels of the HTL were optimized and the carrier mobility was enhanced. Furthermore, the carboxy group effectively passivates the positively charged Pb<sup>2+</sup> defects and reduces carrier recombination, while the amino group formed hydrogen bonds to halide ions and inhibited photoluminescent halide segregation, which enhanced the performance and stability of the device. A high power conversion efficiency of 22.36 % was achieved in 1.68 eV WBG PSCs modified with tryptophan, which represents the first application of a Chl-based HTL in WBG PSCs. Furthermore, the unencapsulated devices exhibited an efficiency retention of 90.33 % after 1200 h of exposure to air (40 %–50 % relative humidity) and 90.25 % after 1000 h under an argon atmosphere at 85°C.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101196"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2025.101175
Qionglei Hu , Yanan Liu , Ye Ding , Xiangqian Shi , Chen Chen , Shichao Guo , Jie Xu , Lishuang Fan , Lijun Yang
Zinc-based energy storage devices are considered promising candidates for next-generation high power density and sustainable electrochemical energy storage systems, owing to their intrinsic safety, environmental compatibility, and cost advantages. However, the practical application of zinc anodes remains hindered by challenges such as uncontrolled dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions, which significantly impede their commercialization. Conventional processing techniques, constrained by limited precision and flexibility, struggle to achieve precise control over the micro/nano-structure of zinc anodes as well as large-area, uniform fabrication. Following the research paradigm of structural regulation, performance optimization, scalable manufacturing, this review systematically summarizes recent advances in cross-scale precision machining technologies such as ultrafast laser processing for constructing micro/nano-structured zinc anodes, with a focus on the mechanisms behind the enhanced electrochemical performance and the potential for industrial application. Finally, addressing current research bottlenecks, we outline key future research directions and development pathways, including bio-inspired structural design, scalable fabrication processes, and multi-scenario applicability.
{"title":"Microstructural engineering of zinc anodes: Expediting the fabrication and industrial-scale deployment of high-performance batteries","authors":"Qionglei Hu , Yanan Liu , Ye Ding , Xiangqian Shi , Chen Chen , Shichao Guo , Jie Xu , Lishuang Fan , Lijun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2025.101175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2025.101175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zinc-based energy storage devices are considered promising candidates for next-generation high power density and sustainable electrochemical energy storage systems, owing to their intrinsic safety, environmental compatibility, and cost advantages. However, the practical application of zinc anodes remains hindered by challenges such as uncontrolled dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions, which significantly impede their commercialization. Conventional processing techniques, constrained by limited precision and flexibility, struggle to achieve precise control over the micro/nano-structure of zinc anodes as well as large-area, uniform fabrication. Following the research paradigm of structural regulation, performance optimization, scalable manufacturing, this review systematically summarizes recent advances in cross-scale precision machining technologies such as ultrafast laser processing for constructing micro/nano-structured zinc anodes, with a focus on the mechanisms behind the enhanced electrochemical performance and the potential for industrial application. Finally, addressing current research bottlenecks, we outline key future research directions and development pathways, including bio-inspired structural design, scalable fabrication processes, and multi-scenario applicability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101175"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101177
Honghong Liang , Hongliang Xie , Hao Yu , Zexu Wang , Wandi Wahyudi , Pushpendra Kumar , Qian Li , Zheng Ma , Jun Ming
Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are promising energy-storage technologies for current unmanned aerial vehicles, but their safety issues (e.g., catching fire and explosion), particularly when operated in extreme conditions, can destroy high-value-added equipment directly. Herein, we develop a novel fluorinated ester electrolyte by incorporating fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (TFEC) into methyl acetate (MA)-based electrolyte, in which the dual salts of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4) are deliberately introduced. The newly designed electrolyte not only has non-flammable features but also enables LMBs to achieve stable cycling performance across a wide temperature range and superior rate capabilities up to 5.0 C at high voltage beyond 4.3 V (vs. Li/Li+) when using a LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622) cathode. Moreover, the constructed 50 μm@Li||NCM622 full-cell retains 81.76 % of its capacity beyond 180 cycles at the low temperature of −20°C. The unique role of intermolecular interactions is identified between the solvent molecules, which are capable of tuning the electrolyte solvation structure, in turn significantly improving the compatibility with the lithium metal anode, accelerating the Li+ desolvation kinetics, and enhancing the antioxidation capability of the electrolyte. This work provides crucial insights into designing electrolytes to address the critical challenges of LMBs’ extreme operations.
锂金属电池（lmb）是目前无人驾驶飞行器中很有前途的储能技术，但其安全问题（例如起火和爆炸），特别是在极端条件下运行时，可能会直接破坏高附加值设备。本文将氟乙烯碳酸酯（FEC）和二（2,2,2-三氟乙基）碳酸酯（TFEC）掺入醋酸甲酯（MA）基电解质中，有意引入六氟磷酸锂（LiPF6）和四氟硼酸锂（LiBF4）双盐，研制了一种新型氟酯电解质。新设计的电解质不仅具有不易燃的特点，而且在使用LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 （NCM622）阴极时，使lmb在宽温度范围内实现稳定的循环性能，并且在超过4.3 V （vs. Li/Li+）的高压下具有高达5.0 C的优越倍率能力。此外，构建的50 μm@Li||NCM622全电池在- 20°C低温下超过180次循环，其容量保持81.76 %。溶剂分子之间的分子间相互作用具有独特的作用，能够调节电解质的溶剂化结构，从而显著改善与锂金属阳极的相容性，加速Li+的脱溶动力学，增强电解质的抗氧化能力。这项工作为设计电解质以解决lmb极端操作的关键挑战提供了重要见解。
{"title":"High-voltage and wide-temperature lithium metal batteries with high-safety enabled by non-flammable electrolytes","authors":"Honghong Liang , Hongliang Xie , Hao Yu , Zexu Wang , Wandi Wahyudi , Pushpendra Kumar , Qian Li , Zheng Ma , Jun Ming","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101177","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101177","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are promising energy-storage technologies for current unmanned aerial vehicles, but their safety issues (e.g., catching fire and explosion), particularly when operated in extreme conditions, can destroy high-value-added equipment directly. Herein, we develop a novel fluorinated ester electrolyte by incorporating fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (TFEC) into methyl acetate (MA)-based electrolyte, in which the dual salts of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF<sub>6</sub>) and lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF<sub>4</sub>) are deliberately introduced. The newly designed electrolyte not only has non-flammable features but also enables LMBs to achieve stable cycling performance across a wide temperature range and superior rate capabilities up to 5.0 C at high voltage beyond 4.3 V (vs. Li/Li<sup>+</sup>) when using a LiNi<sub>0.6</sub>Co<sub>0.2</sub>Mn<sub>0.2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (NCM622) cathode. Moreover, the constructed 50 μm@Li||NCM622 full-cell retains 81.76 % of its capacity beyond 180 cycles at the low temperature of −20°C. The unique role of intermolecular interactions is identified between the solvent molecules, which are capable of tuning the electrolyte solvation structure, in turn significantly improving the compatibility with the lithium metal anode, accelerating the Li<sup>+</sup> desolvation kinetics, and enhancing the antioxidation capability of the electrolyte. This work provides crucial insights into designing electrolytes to address the critical challenges of LMBs’ extreme operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101177"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145898092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101193
Yanrun Jia , Xinmeng Zhuang , Haowei Guan , Shuainan Liu , Jin Liang , Yuhang Fang , Jiyuan Guo , Wei Li , Yanjie Wu , Donglei Zhou , Hongwei Song
The deprotonation of organic cations and the oxidation of iodide ions cause instability in perovskite precursor solutions, which significantly reduces the repeatability and reliability of the photovoltaic performance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, a multifunctional strategy for stabilizing perovskite precursor solutions is developed, utilizing the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug potassium diclofenac (PD) to achieve high efficiency and exceptional thermal stability in PSCs. PD can simultaneously passivate cationic and anionic defects, delay the crystallization time between FAI and PbI2, reduce the crystallization rate, produce larger grains and fewer grain boundaries, thereby enhancing the crystallization ability and thermal stability of perovskite. Additionally, PD can optimize the energy level alignment of devices and suppress non-radiative recombination in the devices. The resulting inverted PSCs achieve an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.14 % and maintain 95 % of their initial efficiency after 2000 h under high-temperature conditions at 85 °C, demonstrating excellent thermal stability. To our knowledge, this achievement represents one of the best thermal stabilities among PSCs evaluated under the ISOS-D-2 protocol to date. Furthermore, by employing the PD modification strategy, a champion PCE of up to 25.20 % is successfully achieved in n-i-p PSCs, fully demonstrating the broad applicability of this approach. The utilization of multifunctional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug molecules paves a new way for developing high-performance and thermally stable PSCs.
有机阳离子的去质子化和碘离子的氧化导致钙钛矿前驱体溶液的不稳定性，这大大降低了钙钛矿太阳能电池（PSCs）光伏性能的可重复性和可靠性。在本研究中，开发了一种多功能稳定钙钛矿前体溶液的策略，利用非甾体抗炎药双氯芬酸钾（PD）在PSCs中实现高效率和卓越的热稳定性。PD可以同时钝化阳离子和阴离子缺陷，延缓FAI与PbI2之间的结晶时间，降低结晶速率，产生更大的晶粒和更少的晶界，从而增强钙钛矿的结晶能力和热稳定性。此外，PD可以优化器件的能级对准，抑制器件中的非辐射复合。在85°C的高温条件下，倒置PSCs的功率转换效率（PCE）达到26.14 %，并在2000 h后保持其初始效率的95 %，表现出优异的热稳定性。据我们所知，这一成就代表了迄今为止在iso - d -2协议下评估的psc中最佳的热稳定性之一。此外，通过采用PD修饰策略，在n-i-p psc中成功实现了高达25.20 %的冠军PCE，充分证明了该方法的广泛适用性。多功能非甾体抗炎药分子的应用为开发高性能、热稳定的PSCs开辟了新的途径。
{"title":"Eliminating \"Inflammation\" in perovskites: Anti-inflammatory drug stabilized precursor solution enabling highly efficient and thermally stable Fa-based perovskite solar cells","authors":"Yanrun Jia , Xinmeng Zhuang , Haowei Guan , Shuainan Liu , Jin Liang , Yuhang Fang , Jiyuan Guo , Wei Li , Yanjie Wu , Donglei Zhou , Hongwei Song","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101193","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101193","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The deprotonation of organic cations and the oxidation of iodide ions cause instability in perovskite precursor solutions, which significantly reduces the repeatability and reliability of the photovoltaic performance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, a multifunctional strategy for stabilizing perovskite precursor solutions is developed, utilizing the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug potassium diclofenac (PD) to achieve high efficiency and exceptional thermal stability in PSCs. PD can simultaneously passivate cationic and anionic defects, delay the crystallization time between FAI and PbI<sub>2</sub>, reduce the crystallization rate, produce larger grains and fewer grain boundaries, thereby enhancing the crystallization ability and thermal stability of perovskite. Additionally, PD can optimize the energy level alignment of devices and suppress non-radiative recombination in the devices. The resulting inverted PSCs achieve an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.14 % and maintain 95 % of their initial efficiency after 2000 h under high-temperature conditions at 85 °C, demonstrating excellent thermal stability. To our knowledge, this achievement represents one of the best thermal stabilities among PSCs evaluated under the ISOS-D-2 protocol to date. Furthermore, by employing the PD modification strategy, a champion PCE of up to 25.20 % is successfully achieved in n-i-p PSCs, fully demonstrating the broad applicability of this approach. The utilization of multifunctional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug molecules paves a new way for developing high-performance and thermally stable PSCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101193"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101192
P. Koralli , F.L. Kyrilis , F. Hamdi , C.L. Chochos , P.L. Kastritis
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is employed for structural analyses, visualizing high-resolution information across scales, i.e., from tissues to small molecules. Developments allowing near-atomic resolution cryo-EM imaging of biological macromolecules were recognized by the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In the materials science domain, despite specific applications, cryo-EM analysis presents discrete challenges related to sample preparation, imaging, and data interpretation, as function of the sample’s innate physical chemistry. Here, we review recent progress in the field, focusing on overcoming intricacies in analysis of soft matter (e.g., polymers, gels, colloids) and functional materials like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and hybrid perovskites. Sample preparation, including grid selection, surface treatments, and vitrification methods are compared, highlighting their effects on image quality and artifact reduction. Advanced cryo-EM methods, and their combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and low-dose energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) are also examined to evaluate their potential in describing complex molecular structures and their conformational heterogeneity. This review, overall, highlights the need for standardized, statistically empowered cryo-EM protocols inspired from biological applications, and integration of emerging technologies like machine learning and open data initiatives, to ultimately incorporate cryo-EM into materials research as a fundamental method.
{"title":"Accessing new dimensions in high-resolution materials exploration by cryo-electron microscopy","authors":"P. Koralli , F.L. Kyrilis , F. Hamdi , C.L. Chochos , P.L. Kastritis","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101192","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101192","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is employed for structural analyses, visualizing high-resolution information across scales, <em>i.e.,</em> from tissues to small molecules. Developments allowing near-atomic resolution cryo-EM imaging of biological macromolecules were recognized by the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In the materials science domain, despite specific applications, cryo-EM analysis presents discrete challenges related to sample preparation, imaging, and data interpretation, as function of the sample’s innate physical chemistry. Here, we review recent progress in the field, focusing on overcoming intricacies in analysis of soft matter (<em>e.g.,</em> polymers, gels, colloids) and functional materials like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and hybrid perovskites. Sample preparation, including grid selection, surface treatments, and vitrification methods are compared, highlighting their effects on image quality and artifact reduction. Advanced cryo-EM methods, and their combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and low-dose energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) are also examined to evaluate their potential in describing complex molecular structures and their conformational heterogeneity. This review, overall, highlights the need for standardized, statistically empowered cryo-EM protocols inspired from biological applications, and integration of emerging technologies like machine learning and open data initiatives, to ultimately incorporate cryo-EM into materials research as a fundamental method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101192"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2026.101208
Wei Zhang , Sai Wang , Runwu Miao , Xiaoyan Liu , Yun Zhao , Haiping Xu , Jianyong Yu , Bin Ding
Aerogel materials with lightweight feature and low thermal conductivity are exceptionally suitable for thermal insulating applications, but the porous structure of aerogels makes it challenging to simultaneously achieve high thermal insulation and mechanical robustness. Herein, an ultralight fibrous aerogel inspired by the hierarchical structure of a camel-hair that integrates thermal insulation and superelastic mechanical properties is directly prepared via a facile electrospinning way. By regulation of nonsolvent-induced phase separation process of polymer solution jet, the aerogel features hierarchical pores and curly aerogel fiber-interknitted networks were developed. Hierarchical micro-nanoarchitectures of aerogel confer it high porosity (99.8%), ultralight density (2.3 mg cm−3), and ultralow thermal conductivity (23.5 mW m−1 K−1). The interknitted curly fiber networks endow aerogel with large reversible stretchability (50% tensile strain), high fatigue resistance (100000 cycles), rapid recovery speed (860 mm s−1), and high flexibility. This meta-aerogel addresses simple fabrication and high elasticity in traditional aerogel materials, offering a feasible pathway for the large-scale preparation of energy-saving thermoregulatory materials.
气凝胶材料具有轻质和低导热的特点，非常适合隔热应用，但气凝胶的多孔结构使得同时实现高隔热和机械坚固性具有挑战性。本文通过简单的静电纺丝方法直接制备了一种受骆驼毛分层结构启发的超轻纤维气凝胶，该气凝胶集隔热和超弹性机械性能于一体。通过调节非溶剂诱导的聚合物溶液射流相分离过程，形成了具有分层孔隙和卷曲纤维交织网络特征的气凝胶。气凝胶的分层微纳米结构赋予其高孔隙率（99.8%）、超轻密度（2.3 mg cm−3）和超低导热性（23.5 mW m−1 K−1）。相互交织的卷曲纤维网络赋予气凝胶大的可逆拉伸性（50%拉伸应变），高的抗疲劳性（100000次循环），快速的恢复速度（860 mm s−1）和高的柔韧性。这种间质气凝胶解决了传统气凝胶材料制备简单、弹性高的问题，为大规模制备节能热调节材料提供了一条可行的途径。
{"title":"Bio-inspired hierarchical meta-aerogel for scalable and efficient thermal insulation","authors":"Wei Zhang , Sai Wang , Runwu Miao , Xiaoyan Liu , Yun Zhao , Haiping Xu , Jianyong Yu , Bin Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mser.2026.101208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aerogel materials with lightweight feature and low thermal conductivity are exceptionally suitable for thermal insulating applications, but the porous structure of aerogels makes it challenging to simultaneously achieve high thermal insulation and mechanical robustness. Herein, an ultralight fibrous aerogel inspired by the hierarchical structure of a camel-hair that integrates thermal insulation and superelastic mechanical properties is directly prepared via a facile electrospinning way. By regulation of nonsolvent-induced phase separation process of polymer solution jet, the aerogel features hierarchical pores and curly aerogel fiber-interknitted networks were developed. Hierarchical micro-nanoarchitectures of aerogel confer it high porosity (99.8%), ultralight density (2.3 mg cm<sup>−3</sup>), and ultralow thermal conductivity (23.5 mW m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup>). The interknitted curly fiber networks endow aerogel with large reversible stretchability (50% tensile strain), high fatigue resistance (100000 cycles), rapid recovery speed (860 mm s<sup>−1</sup>), and high flexibility. This meta-aerogel addresses simple fabrication and high elasticity in traditional aerogel materials, offering a feasible pathway for the large-scale preparation of energy-saving thermoregulatory materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":386,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 101208"},"PeriodicalIF":31.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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