Spray-Drying Synthesis of NaFe(PO4)PO@CNT Cathode for Ultra-Stable and High-Rate Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Iron-based phosphate is a promising cathode for sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost and abundant resources; however, the practical application is hindered by poor electronic conductivity, sluggish Na diffusion, and a lack of low-cost and scalable synthesis methods. To address such issues, herein, we present a low-cost and scalable spray-drying strategy to synthesize NaFe(PO)PO@CNT (NFPP@CNT) hollow microspheres. The NFPP@CNT composite has the following advantages: highly conductive CNT can significantly improve the electronic conductivity of the cathode, and the flexible CNT-based microsphere architecture facilitates Na diffusion and guarantees excellent mechanical properties to mitigate structural degradation during cycling.

Carbothermal Shock Synthesis of Lattice Oxygen-Mediated High-Entropy FeCoNiCuMo-O Electrocatalyst with a Fast Kinetic, High Efficiency, and Stable Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with fast kinetics, high efficiency, and stability are essential for scalable green production of hydrogen. The rational design and fabrication of catalysts play a decisive role in their catalytic behavior. This work presents a high-entropy catalyst, FeCoNiCuMo-O, synthesized via carbothermal shock.

Stable Dendrite-Free Room Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries Enabled by a Novel Sodium Thiotellurate Interface.

The practical application of room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries is severely hindered by inhomogeneous sodium deposition and notorious sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) shuttling. Herein, novel sodium thiotellurate (NaTeS) interfaces are constructed both on the cathode and anode for Na-S batteries to simultaneously address the Na dendritic growth and polysulfides shuttling. On the cathode side, a heterostructural sodium sulfide/sodium telluride embedded in a carbon matrix (NaS/NaTe@C) is rationally designed through a facile carbothermal reaction, where the NaTeS interface will be in situ chemically obtained.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon-Nanotube-Interconnected Amorphous NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxides for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key half-reaction in electrocatalytic water splitting. Large-scale water electrolysis is hampered by commercial noble-metal-based OER electrocatalysts owing to their high cost. To address these issues, we present a facile, one-pot, room-temperature co-precipitation approach to quickly synthesize carbon-nanotube-interconnected amorphous NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH@CNT) as cost-effective, efficient, and stable OER electrocatalysts.

Defect-Engineered Mesoporous Undoped Carbon Nanoribbons for Benchmark Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

For large-scale fuel cell applications, it is significant to replace expensive Pt-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts with nonprecious metal- or metal-free carbon-based catalysts with high activity. However, it is still challenging to deeply understand the role of intrinsic defects and the origin of ORR activity in pure nanocarbon. Therefore, a novel self-assembly and a pyrolysis strategy to fabricate defect-rich mesoporous carbon nanoribbons are presented.

Freestanding ReS/Graphene Heterostructures as Binder-Free Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

It is still challenging to develop anode materials with high capacity and long cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To address such issues, herein, for the first time, we present a three-dimensional and freestanding ReS/graphene heterostructure (3DRG) as an anode synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method. The hybrid shows a hierarchically sandwich-like, nanoporous, and conductive three-dimensional (3D) network constructed by two-dimensional (2D) ReS/graphene heterostructural nanosheets, which can be directly utilized as a freestanding and binder-free anode for LIBs.

Atomic Fe/Zn anchored N, S co-doped nano-porous carbon for boosting oxygen reduction reaction.

Dual-single-atom catalysts are well-known due to their excellent catalytic performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the tunable coordination environment of the active sites. However, it is still challengable to finely modulate the electronic states of the metal atoms and facilely fabricate a catalyst with dual-single atoms homogeneously dispersed on conductive skeletons with good mass transport. Herein, atomic FeN/ZnN sites anchored N, S co-doped nano-porous carbon plates/nanotubes material (FeZnNSC) is rationally prepared via a facile room-temperature reaction and high-temperature pyrolysis.

Hierarchical Ultrathin Layered GO-ZnO@CeO Nanohybrids for Highly Efficient Methylene Blue Dye Degradation.

Highly efficient interfacial contact between components in nanohybrids is a key to achieving great photocatalytic activity in photocatalysts and degradation of organic model pollutants under visible light irradiation. Herein, we report the synthesis of nano-assembly of graphene oxide, zinc oxide and cerium oxide (GO-ZnO@CeO) nanohybrids constructed by the hydrothermal method and subsequently annealed at 300 °C for 4 h. The unique graphene oxide sheets, which are anchored with semiconducting materials (ZnO and CeO nanoparticles), act with a significant role in realizing sufficient interfacial contact in the new GO-ZnO@CeO nanohybrids.

Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Fe-Doped NiSe/NiSe Heterostructure-Embedded Mesoporous Tubes for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

It is crucial but challenging to promote sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting via finely tuning the hierarchical nanoarchitecture and electronic structure of the catalyst. To address such issues, herein we present iron-doped NiSe/NiSe heterostructure-embedded metal-organic framework-derived mesoporous tubes (Ni-MOF-Fe-Se-400) realized by an interfacial engineering strategy. Due to the hierarchical nanoarchitecture of conductive two-dimensional nanosheet-constructed MOF-derived mesoporous tubes, coupled with fine tuning of the electronic structure via Fe-doping and interactions between NiSe/NiSe heterostructures, the Ni-MOF-Fe-Se-400 catalyst delivers superior OER activity: it requires only a low overpotential of 242 mV to achieve 10 mA cm (), surpassing the benchmark RuO ( = 286 mV) and displays exceptional durability in the chronoamperometric - test with a small current decay (6.

Converting inert AlOOH into efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction via structural/electronic modulation.

Efficient and stable water-splitting electrocatalysts play a key role to obtain green and clean hydrogen energy. However, only a few kinds of materials display an intrinsically good performance towards water splitting. It is significant but challengeable to effectively improve the catalytic activity of inert or less active catalysts for water splitting.

NiFeMn-Layered Double Hydroxides Linked by Graphene as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Currently, precious metal group materials are known as the efficient and widely used oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts. The exorbitant prices and scarcity of the precious metals have stimulated scale exploration of alternative non-precious metal catalysts with low-cost and high performance. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a promising precursor to prepare cost-effective and high-performance catalysts because they possess abundant micropores and nitrogen self-doping after pyrolysis, which can accelerate the electron transfer and serve as active sites for efficient OER.

Dual Fe, Zn single atoms anchored on carbon nanotubes inlaid N, S-doped hollow carbon polyhedrons for boosting oxygen reduction reaction.

It is still challengeable but significant to rationally develop dual-metal single-atom catalysts with rich accessible active sites and excellent intrinsic catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we present a novel dual-metal single-atom catalyst, Fe and Zn single atoms homogenously anchored on carbon nanotubes inlaid N, S-doped hollow carbon polyhedrons (FeZn-NSC), synthesized by facile iron-salt impregnation and high-temperature pyrolysis for zeolitic imidazolate framework-8. Due to the synergistic effects of the hierarchical porous nanoarchitecture with high specific surface area (795.

Template free-synthesis of cobalt-iron chalcogenides [CoFeL, L = S, Se] and their robust bifunctional electrocatalysis for the water splitting reaction and Cr(vi) reduction.

The ease of production of materials and showing multiple applications are appealing in this modern era of advanced technology. This paper reports the synthesis of a pair of novel cobalt-iron chalcogenides [CoFeS and CoFeSe] with enhanced electro catalytic activities. These ternary metal chalcogenides were synthesized by a one-step template-free approach a hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-assisted synthetic method.

In Situ Construction of Bronze/Anatase TiO Homogeneous Heterojunctions and Their Photocatalytic Performances.

Photocatalytic degradation is one of the most promising emerging technologies for environmental pollution control. However, the preparation of efficient, low-cost photocatalysts still faces many challenges. TiO is a widely available and inexpensive photocatalyst material, but improving its catalytic degradation performance has posed a significant challenge due to its shortcomings, such as the easy recombination of its photogenerated electron-hole pairs and its difficulty in absorbing visible light.

Rationally Designed Ag@polymer@2-D LDH Nanoflakes for Bifunctional Efficient Electrochemical Sensing of 4-Nitrophenol and Water Oxidation Reaction.

The rational design and demonstration of a facile sequential template-mediated strategy to construct noble-metal-free efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and electrocatalytic detection of hazardous environmental 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) have continued as a major challenging task. Herein, we construct a novel Ag@polymer/NiAl LDH (designated as APL) nanohybrid as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst by a simple hydrolysis method. The well-fabricated APL/GCE exhibited an extensive linear range from 0.

Lithiophilic MoN/MoN as multifunctional interlayer for dendrite-free and ultra-stable lithium metal batteries.

The formation of lithium dendrite and the unstable electrode/electrolyte interface, especially at high rates, are the dominant obstacles impeding the implementation of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). To tackle these fundamental challenges, here we propose a lithiophilic MoN/MoN heterostructure (designated as MoN) interlayer for dendrite-free and ultra-stable lithium metal anodes for the first time. The MoN interlayer presents excellent electrolyte wettability, fast lithium diffusion kinetics and strong mechanical strength, which function synergistically to inhibit lithium dendrite growth.

Outstanding Catalytic Effects of 1T'-MoTe Quantum Dots@3D Graphene in Shuttle-Free Li-S Batteries.

It is still challenging to develop sulfur electrodes for Li-S batteries with high electrical conductivity and fast kinetics, as well as efficient suppression of the shuttling effect of lithium polysulfides. To address such issues, herein, polar MoTe with different phases (2H, 1T, and 1T') were deeply investigated by density functional theory calculations, suggesting that the 1T'-MoTe displays concentrated density of states (DOS) near the Fermi level with high conductivity. By optimization of the synthesis, 1T'-MoTe quantum dots decorated three-dimensional graphene (MTQ@3DG) was prepared to overcome these issues, and it accomplished exceptional performance in Li-S batteries.

Three-dimensional porous MoS nanobox embedded g-CN@TiO architecture for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant.

Herein, a simple, highly efficient and stable MoS nanobox embedded graphitic-CN@TiO (g-CN@TiO) nanoarchitecture was synthesized by a facile solvothermal approach. The nano-hybrid photocatalyst was constructed by TiO nanoparticles anchored on the surface of g-CN nanosheets. Then highly crystalline three-dimensional porous MoS nanobox was homogeneously distributed on the g-CN@TiO surface.

Fabrication of Highly Textured 2D SnSe Layers with Tunable Electronic Properties for Hydrogen Evolution.

Hydrogen is regarded to be one of the most promising renewable and clean energy sources. Finding a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst to generate hydrogen via water splitting has become a research hotspot. Two-dimensional materials with exotic structural and electronic properties have been considered as economical alternatives.

Hollow CoP/FeP Heterostructural Nanorods Interwoven by CNT as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reactions.

Electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen is crucial for developing sustainable clean energy and protecting the environment. However, because of the multi-electron transfer in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process, the kinetics of the reaction is seriously hindered. To address this issue, we designed and synthesized hollow CoP/FeP heterostructural nanorods interwoven by carbon nanotubes (CoP/FeP@CNT) via a hydrothermal reaction and a phosphorization process.

Self-assembled CoSe-FeSe heteronanoparticles along the carbon nanotube network for boosted oxygen evolution reaction.

Water electrolysis is a significant alternative technique to produce clean hydrogen fuel in order to replace environmentally destructive fossil fuel combustion. However, the sluggish oxygen evolution kinetics makes this process vulnerable as it requires relatively high overpotentials. Hence, significantly effective electrocatalysts are necessary to access the water-oxidation process at a low overpotential to make this process industrially viable.

In Situ Construction of Mo C Quantum Dots-Decorated CNT Networks as a Multifunctional Electrocatalyst for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The slow redox kinetics during cycling process and the serious shuttle effect caused by the solubility of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) dramatically hinder the practical application of Li-S batteries. Herein, a facile and scalable spray-drying strategy is presented to construct conductive polar Mo C quantum dots-decorated carbon nanotube (CNT) networks (MCN) as an efficient absorbent and electrocatalyst for Li-S batteries. The results reveal that the MCN/S electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 1303.

Lithiophilic 3D VN@N-rGO as a Multifunctional Interlayer for Dendrite-Free and Ultrastable Lithium-Metal Batteries.

It is still a big challenge to effectively suppress dendrite growth, which increases the safety and life of lithium-metal-based high energy/power density batteries. To address such issues, herein we design and fabricate a lithiophilic VN@N-rGO as a multifunctional layer on commercial polypropylene (PP) separator, which is constructed by a thin N-rGO nanosheet-wrapped VN nanosphere with a uniform pore distribution, relatively high lithium ionic conductivity, excellent electrolyte wettability, additional lithium-ion diffusion pathways, high mechanical strength, and reliable thermal stability, which are beneficial to regulate the interfacial lithium ionic flux, resulting in the formation of a stable and homogeneous current density distribution on Li-metal electrodes and hard modified separators that can resist dendrites piercing. Consequently, the growth of Li dendrite is effectively suppressed, and the cycle stability of lithium-metal batteries is significantly improved.

Improving Cyclability of Lithium Metal Anode via Constructing Atomic Interlamellar Ion Channel for Lithium Sulfur Battery.

Uniform migration of lithium (Li) ions between the separator and the lithium anode is critical for achieving good quality Li deposition, which is of much significance for lithium metal battery operation, especially for Li-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Commercial separators such as polypropylene or polyethylene can be prepared by wet or dry processes, but they can indeed cause plentiful porosities, resulting in the uneven Li ion stripping/plating and finally the formation of Li dendrites. Thence, we constructed an atomic interlamellar ion channel by introducing the layered montmorillonite on the surface of the separator to guide Li ion flux and achieved stable Li deposition.

Hierarchical ultrathin layered MoS@NiFeO nanohybrids as a bifunctional catalyst for highly efficient oxygen evolution and organic pollutant degradation.

Rational design and highly efficient dual-functional catalyst are still difficult to develop for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction and degradation of RhB dye pollutant. Herein, we report a highly efficient "bandgap matching and interfacial coupling" strategy to synthesize nano-assembled ultrathin layered MoS@NiFeO (MS@NiFeO) bifunctional catalyst constructed by the hydrothermal route and subsequently amine-hydrolysis. The OER performance of the prepared MS@NiFeO catalyst delivers a low overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA/cm and Tafel slope is 69.