Flow-through electrolyser for iron-complex mediated vat dye reduction improves control of redox potential and enables dyebath recovery
Available online 9 November 2026
Electrochemical in situ synthesis of reducing agents could replace non-regenerable chemicals, e.g., Na2S2O4, in vat dyeing and thus open a new route for environmentally advanced dyeing. Here we demonstrate...
High fire-safety ultrathin porous lithium anode with bulk ion-conductive network
Available online 7 November 2026
The use of ultrathin lithium metal anodes can significantly reduce resource consumption and facilitate the utilization of renewable energy. However, their strong tendency toward dendrite growth and...
From failure diagnosis to targeted restoration: A multiscale framework for direct regeneration of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes
Available online 2 November 2026
The rapid expansion of the lithium-ion battery industry necessitates sustainable recycling technologies. Direct regeneration has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional pyrometallurgical...
Synergistic graphene immobilization and electrolyte engineering enables durable lithiated organic cathodes
Available online 1 November 2026
Lithiated small-molecule organic carbonyl compounds are promising cathode candidates for lithium-ion batteries yet suffer from severe electrolyte dissolution and low electronic conductivity, which severely...
Improved stability in aqueous zinc metal batteries: Control of interfacial conductivity via hierarchical layer design
Available online 28 October 2026
Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries are emerging as highly promising energy storage solutions due to a compelling combination of cost-effectiveness, safety and energy density. Nevertheless, challenges...
Anion-regulated deshielding kinetics in weakly solvating isoxazole electrolytes for high-power lithium-ion capacitors at subzero temperatures
Available online 26 October 2026
Low-temperature lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are strongly limited by sluggish Li+ deshielding kinetics in conventional carbonate electrolytes, where strong solvent coordination retards interfacial...
Li-rich Mn-based cathodes for high-energy-density lithium batteries
Available online 24 October 2026
Li-rich Mn-based oxides (LRM) have become key candidate materials for breaking through the energy density bottleneck of lithium-ion batteries due to their ultra-high specific capacity compared with...
Phase and morphological evolution of Li–In alloy anodes during electrochemical dealloying in liquid- and solid-electrolyte batteries
Available online 24 October 2026
Lithium extraction from alloy anodes involves coupled phase transformations and structural reorganization, but how these processes are altered when a liquid electrolyte is replaced by a solid-state...
Unravelling Fe species-induced electron-aggregation effect on reconstruction of Co-N-C-based catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction
Available online 12 October 2026
Single-atom catalysts are promising for energy storage and conversion, yet conventional metal-nitrogen-carbon (Metal-N-C) catalysts exhibit limited oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, and the...
Selenium as a universal synergistic switch in diatomic catalysts for efficient dual-channel oxygen reduction reaction
Available online 12 October 2026
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is intrinsically constrained by sluggish multielectron-proton transfer kinetics and competitive intermediate adsorption, which often inevitably generates 2e−-peroxide...
Anion-mediated solvation engineering in polymer electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries
Available online 7 October 2026
Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are regarded as promising next-generation energy-storage systems because of their ultrahigh theoretical capacity and low electrochemical potential. Polymer electrolytes...
Screening rational liquid metal layer for long-lasting Zn metal anodes
Available online 2 October 2026
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries hold promise for large-scale energy storage, yet their practical viability is severely hampered by uncontrolled dendrite growth and parasitic hydrogen evolution at the zinc...
Correlating volume expansion and cycle life in anode-free lithium-metal pouch cells
September 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...
A carboxylate ester cosolvent strategy for wide-temperature sodium-ion batteries
September 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...
Heteronuclear iron–cobalt phthalocyanine unlocking multi-functional separators toward advanced lithium–sulfur batteries
September 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....
Low N/P ratio design in rechargeable batteries
September 2026
Rechargeable batteries (RBs) are ubiquitous, and the demand for them is projected to surge in the coming years. However, next-generation RBs necessitate simultaneous improvements in energy density,...
Magnetic field-assisted hydrogen evolution reaction: Mechanisms, field engineering, and catalyst design
September 2026
The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for green hydrogen production, yet conventional approaches are hindered by noble metal dependency, mass transport limitations, and inefficient...
Addressing the air sensitivity issue of sodium iron sulfate via enhancing the covalency of the Fe–O bonds
September 2026
Sodium iron sulfate (Na2+2xFe2−x(SO4)3) emerges as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its cost-effectiveness and high operating voltage. However, its practical application...
Orbital hybridization as a design paradigm for next-generation battery materials
September 2026
The rational design of high-performance secondary batteries hinges on mastering the electronic structure of their components, a domain decisively governed by orbital hybridization. As a fundamental...
Alkali-metal-modified TiO2 catalysts for low-temperature hydrogen absorption in magnesium
September 2026
Alkali metal-modified catalysts significantly enhance the hydrogen storage performance of MgH2, yet the fundamental mechanisms of their promotional effects remain poorly understood. This study systematically...
Dual metal Zn/Co-MOF based quasi-solid-state electrolyte enables uniform Li deposition for high-voltage lithium metal batteries
September 2026
Metal–organic framework (MOF)-poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber membrane-based quasi-solid electrolytes (QSEs) for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) suffer from Li dendrite...
High-energy d-orbital hybridization enables covalent anchoring network for durable acidic CO2 electroreduction
September 2026
CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in acidic conditions can increase carbon utilization efficiency and improve the single-pass CO2 conversion efficiency (SPCE). The oxides effectively suppress hydrogen...
Practical direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries via the state of recoverability
September 2026
Direct recycling has been widely regarded as the most sustainable route for spent lithium-ion battery recycling, owing to its ability to preserve the structural and compositional integrity of cathode...
Fluorinated diluent electrolyte with designed solvation structure enables stable solid–electrolyte interphase for long-term lithium metal batteries
September 2026
Electrolyte solvation chemistry critically affects lithium metal battery (LMB) performance. Developing functional diluents for local high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) is crucial yet constrained...
Innovations in membrane electrode assembly design and manufacture for PEMWE and PEMFC: A review on catalyst layers, diffusion layers, and fabrication methods
September 2026
Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) serve as the core equipment for the “production-utilization” closed loop of hydrogen energy. The...