Heteronuclear iron–cobalt phthalocyanine unlocking multi-functional separators toward advanced lithium–sulfur batteries
Available online 3 June 2026
Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are constrained by sluggish redox kinetics and Li dendrite formation, which is caused by the lack of selective regulation over anion and cation shuttling by the separators....
A carboxylate ester cosolvent strategy for wide-temperature sodium-ion batteries
Available online 27 May 2026
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a promising alternative for next-generation energy storage, yet their low-temperature performance remains limited, primarily due to the high viscosity, sluggish...
NMR for liquid battery electrolytes: Structure, motion, and heterogeneity
Available online 26 May 2026
Liquid electrolytes play a central role in batteries because they set the local states from which interfacial chemistry begins. They are often described through formulation labels such as solvent class,...
Correlating volume expansion and cycle life in anode-free lithium-metal pouch cells
Available online 24 May 2026
Persistent swelling and rapid capacity decay remain coupled challenges in anode-free lithium-metal batteries (AF-LMBs). Here, we use operando swelling monitoring to examine the relation between mechanical...
Hierarchical regulation of reversible deposition in bicontinuous structure zinc anode for aqueous zinc batteries
Available online 22 May 2026
The practical application of aqueous Zn-ion batteries in grid-scale energy storage is constrained by dendrite formation and side reactions at Zn anodes. Herein, we report an in situ constructed three-dimensional...
Stable cycling of ultra-high nickel cathode at 4.5 V achieved by modulation of Ni and O synergistic redox
Available online 20 May 2026
Ultra-high nickel layered oxides (UHN, LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2, x ≥ 0.9) represent the most promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to their high energy density and low cobalt...
Electron-asymmetric p-type linker architectonics in π–d conjugated metal–organic frameworks toward robust potassium-organic batteries with low-temperature adaptability
Available online 20 May 2026
π–d conjugated metal–organic frameworks (π–d c-MOFs) have demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) owing to their exceptional mixed electron/ion conduction...
Lattice-strain-engineered FeS2/rGO composite for ultrafast and durable sodium-ion batteries
Available online 20 May 2026
FeS2 is a promising anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity, yet its practical application is hindered by sluggish Na+ diffusion and poor reaction kinetics. Here,...
Releasing lattice stress during Na+ (de)intercalation in layered oxides through c-axis dimension tailoring
Available online 20 May 2026
Layered transition-metal oxides are promising positive electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries owing to their high capacity, low toxicity, and scalability. However, the stress concentration caused...
From molecular interactions to interphase stability: Solvation structure–property relationships in sodium metal battery electrolytes
Available online 20 May 2026
Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) have attracted considerable attention owing to the abundance and low cost of sodium resources, together with the high theoretical specific capacity and low electrochemical...
Metallic interlayers for regulating carrier dynamics and light manipulation in tandem optoelectronic devices
Available online 19 May 2026
Metallic interlayers have emerged as key functional junctions for serially connecting sub-units in monolithic tandem optoelectronic devices, offering a promising alternative to conventional oxide or...
Layered Fe–N–C catalysts with axially coordinated single-atom sites induced by molten salts for oxygen reduction reaction
Available online 13 May 2026
Iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Fe–N–C) catalysts with atomically dispersed Fe-Nx sites have shown great potential to replace Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. In this work, a...
Lithium–air battery performance boosted by in situ formed Sn(II)-(TEGDME, I−)-superoxo complexes
Available online 12 May 2026
Lithium–air batteries (LABs) offer exceptional theoretical energy density, and substantial efforts have been devoted to understanding their mechanisms and designing effective catalysts. However, LAB...
Challenges of two-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells operating under globally varying spectral conditions
Available online 9 May 2026
Two-terminal (2 T) perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells demonstrate significantly higher power conversion efficiencies compared to single-junction perovskite or silicon solar cells. However, their...
Insights into the role of lithiophilic Sb dopant in porous Cu-Sb current collectors for stabilizing Li plating in Li-metal batteries
Available online 9 May 2026
Porous Cu current collector is promising for Li-metal batteries (LMBs) due to its ability to accommodate volume expansion and homogenize current distribution. However, its intrinsic lithiophobicity...
Multicomponent electrocatalytic coupling of CO2 with small molecules: From active-site coordination to reactor-level integration
Available online 24 April 2026
Multicomponent electrocatalytic coupling between small molecule conversion and CO2 reduction has emerged as a promising route for the sustainable synthesis of value-added chemicals, offering improved...
Bioinspired hierarchical dual-gate ion regulation across electrolyte transport regimes for lithium–sulfur batteries
Available online 20 April 2026
Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries promise high theoretical energy density but are still hindered by slow polysulfide conversion, shuttle effects, and unstable solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs), issues...
Three-phase interface engineering for enhanced acidic CO2 electroreduction
Available online 13 April 2026
The electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) provides a promising and feasible approach for utilizing CO2 as a resource and transforming the energy structure of the chemical industry....
Transformative discovery of rare-earth functional materials for energy and electronics via machine learning
Available online 10 April 2026
Rare-earth elements, with their unique 4 f electronic configurations, impart exceptional optical, magnetic, catalytic, and hydrogen storage properties to functional materials, making them indispensable...
Self-constructed functional anode for sulfide all-solid-state lithium batteries with ultrahigh critical current density
Available online 9 April 2026
This work develops a self-constructed functional alloy anode for high-performance all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). We designed a (200)-oriented single-phase Li/Na alloy using a controlled...
Trilogy design of cross-linked polyether electrolytes for high-voltage and wide-temperature lithium metal batteries
March 2026
In situ fabricated polyether electrolytes have been considered to be particularly promising for (quasi) solid-state Li-metal batteries (LMBs) owing to their excellent interfacial contact and fully compatible...
Photo-enhanced reaction engineering for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries: From mechanisms and materials to system design
March 2026
Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs), renowned for their high theoretical energy density, are plagued by the notorious polysulfide shuttle effect and sluggish sulfur redox kinetics. Recently, extensive research...
Hydrogen bond-anchored interfacial engineering for stable and high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries
March 2026
Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as a sustainable energy storage for stationary energy storage applications, but they suffer from serious side reactions and uncontrolled Zn...
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technologies: Materials, optimization strategies, applications, and research progress
March 2026
The rapid intensification of human activities in recent years has led to a substantial increase in global water consumption, exacerbating the pressure on limited freshwater resources. In response, the...
Fluorinated nitrile-based electrolytes with micelle-like solvation structure for high energy density lithium metal batteries
March 2026
Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) coupled with high-voltage Ni-rich cathodes hold significant promise in meeting the increasing demand for high energy density. However, a prevalent issue faced by state-of-the-art...