Insect-scale robots with embodied intelligence: Challenges and future perspectives
July 2026
Inspired by the agility, adaptability, and efficiency of insects, insect-scale robots are emerging as promising platforms for applications in environmental monitoring, search and rescue, precision agriculture,...
Carbon dots: Electroluminescent devices for lighting and display applications
July 2026
Carbon dots (CDs) have garnered significant attention as next-generation optoelectronic materials due to their tunable photoluminescence, low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and excellent photostability....
Emerging inorganic amorphous solid-state electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium batteries: From crystallographic order to atomic and lattice disorder
July 2026
Solid-state electrolytes (SEs) are the “blood vessels” in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), providing essential ion channels. In past decades, SE design has been mainly carried out within ordered crystalline...
Coalescence-induced late departure of bubbles improves water electrolysis efficiency
July 2026
In water electrolysis, smaller bubble departure sizes are traditionally considered beneficial for electrolysis efficiency. However, we show that this paradigm breaks down at high current densities,...
Solid polymer electrolyte chemistries tailored by solvation structures
July 2026
Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) endow lithium (Li) metal batteries with superior safety and energy density. However, sluggish Li ion (Li+) transport within the SPE inhibits its practical application....
Electron beam irradiation for spent LiFePO4 recycling
July 2026
Efficient recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is essential for environmental protection and resource sustainability. Direct recycling offers a promising alternative but suffers from difficulty...
The metamaterial paradigm in wearable electronics
July 2026
Metamaterials transcend the limits of traditional materials by achieving unprecedented performance through architectural design. This paradigm has catalyzed the emergence of meta-wearables—wearable...
Morphology-defect synergy in Cs2PdBr6 perovskite nanocrystals for enhanced photocatalytic CO2-to-CO conversion
July 2026
Designing efficient photocatalysts for the selective conversion of CO2 to CO is crucial for addressing energy and environmental challenges. Lead-free Cs2PdBr6 perovskite shows promise but suffers from...
Humidity-responsive multistate resistive switching device for non-contact sensory neuro-electronic applications
July 2026
Integrated sensory-based synaptic systems offer a promising pathway for developing future neuro-electronic technologies that emulate the human brain. In this study, we present a humidity-sensitive multistate...
Interfacial engineering of Cu9S5@MoS2 p-n type heterojunction via in situ phase separation for highly efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
July 2026
In this study, a highly electrochemically active Mo–S–Cu interface connected via metal–sulfur bonds is synthesized through a Cu9S5@MoS2 p-n type heterojunction structure. This structure is ingeniously...
In situ engineered organic–inorganic bilayer solid electrolyte interphase enabling lithium metal batteries over 15,000-h lifespan
July 2026
Despite significant advancements in constructing LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs) for high-performance lithium (Li) metal batteries, reconciling high ionic conductivity, mechanical resilience,...
Engineering micro-nano structures of SiOC via boron doping-induced self-assembly for superior cyclic stability of lithium-ion batteries
July 2026
Micro-nano structures present significant potential for transformative advancements in secondary battery technology. Through tailoring micro-nano architectures and establishing efficient ion/electron...
Breaking the symmetry of dual-atom catalysts enables efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction over ultra-wide potential window
July 2026
Achieving high-selectivity electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) across a broad potential window is crucial for utilizing intermittent renewable electricity. Herein, we developed a precise synthesis...
Coupled optimization of electronic and lattice structure for sodium storage stability in layered sodium vanadate cathodes
July 2026
Layered sodium vanadate has attracted considerable attention as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries, due to its multiple accessible vanadium valence states and large interlayer spacing....
Minimizing the VOC deficit by regulating facets of wide-bandgap perovskite for monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells
July 2026
Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells have recently exceeded the Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit for single-junction photovoltaics. Further minimizing the loss of open-circuit voltage (VOC) in wide-bandgap...
Promoting atomic ordering of intermetallic fuel cell catalysts by phase transition engineering
July 2026
High-temperature treatment generally promotes the atomic ordering transition (AOT) of alloys that easily results in the sintering behavior of catalysts. We demonstrate a novel phase transition induction...
Multilayer flexible high-density liquid metal coils based on infusion
July 2026
Given the urgent demand for flexibility in intelligent devices, liquid metals and flexible polymers have emerged as effective materials for the fabrication of flexible coils. However, the majority of...
Spinel nanodomains relieve strain and stabilize lattice oxygen in ultrahigh-nickel zero-cobalt cathodes
July 2026
Ultrahigh-nickel, zero-cobalt layered oxides are emerging as promising cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries combining high capacity and cost effectiveness. However, the high nickel content...
Research progress in gallium nitride-based artificial synaptic devices
May 2026
Artificial synaptic devices that can emulate the functions of biological synapses and offer the advantages of brain-like computation are garnering considerable interest, as they have the potential to...
Implantable magnetoelectric bioelectronics for wireless diagnosis and therapy
May 2026
Real-time, high-fidelity physiological signal acquisition, coupled with targeted in situ interventional regulation, is a prerequisite for intelligent health management. Implantable bioelectronics offers...
How the curvature-rich structure of N-doped graphene enables asymmetric polysulfide redox catalysis for highly promising Li–S batteries
May 2026
The catalytic conversion of polysulfides remains a critical bottleneck in the development of high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Despite extensive efforts to engineer carbon-based materials...
Electrophilic fluoroalkyl radical-intermediates enabled organic sulfinate electrolyte additives for sodium-ion supply
May 2026
Na-ion batteries face a critical 10–20% initial capacity loss due to the low initial Coulombic efficiency of hard carbon anodes. While Na-ion supply additives can replenish these losses, their design...
Bottom-up dense zinc electrodeposition mediated by hydrophobic redox-active coating for ultralong-life aqueous Zn-metal batteries
May 2026
Uncontrolled dendrite growth and severe interfacial side reactions continue to hinder the practical deployment of Zn metal anodes in aqueous batteries. Herein, we design a multifunctional hydrophobic...
Supramolecular chemistry of cellulose-based electrolytes
May 2026
Cellulose has garnered significant attention in material science and energy storage due to its unique supramolecular structure and excellent mechanical properties. In particular, cellulose-based electrolytes...
Natural biomass hydrogels for intelligent sensing: From component crosslinking engineering to stimuli-responsive mechanisms
May 2026
Natural biomass hydrogels are ideal candidate materials for sensors due to the structural tunability and abundant functional groups of natural biomass, and they have been widely applied in medical diagnosis,...