AlO-Induced Phase Conversion Regulation of WS Anode Enhances the Lithium Storage Reversibility.

WS is an attractive anode in alkali metal ion batteries (AMIBs) due to its 2D-layered structure and high theoretical capacity. However, the shuttle effect of sulfur and the spontaneous growth of W nanoparticles are key issues that limit the alkali-ion accommodation ability. Now, it is still a great challenge to achieve in situ control of the microstructure evolution paths in enclosed batteries for extending the cycling reversibility/lifespan.

Spin-Polarized PdCu-FeO In-Plane Heterostructures with Tandem Catalytic Mechanism for Oxygen Reduction Catalysis.

Alloying has significantly upgraded the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of Pd-based catalysts through regulating the thermodynamics of oxygenated intermediates. However, the unsatisfactory activation ability of Pd-based alloys toward O molecules limits further improvement of ORR kinetics. Herein, the precise synthesis of nanosheet assemblies of spin-polarized PdCu-FeO in-plane heterostructures for drastically activating O molecules and boosting ORR kinetics is reported.

The origin of exceptionally large ductility in molybdenum alloys dispersed with irregular-shaped LaO nano-particles.

Molybdenum and its alloys are known for their superior strength among body-centered cubic materials. However, their widespread application is hindered by a significant decrease in ductility at lower temperatures. In this study, we demonstrate the achievement of exceptional ductility in a Mo alloy containing rare-earth LaO nanoparticles through rotary-swaging, a rarity in Mo-based materials.

Realizing Outstanding Energy Storage Performance in KBT-Based Lead-Free Ceramics via Suppressing Space Charge Accumulation.

The great potential of KBiTiO (KBT) for dielectric energy storage ceramics is impeded by its low dielectric breakdown strength, thereby limiting its utilization of high polarization. This study develops a novel composition, 0.83KBT-0.

Enhancing Ni/Co Activity by Neighboring Pt Atoms in NiCoP/MXene Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate neighboring Pt atoms can enhance the metal activity of NiCoP for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, it remains a great challenge to link Pt and NiCoP. Herein, we introduced curvature of bowl-like structure to construct Pt/NiCoP interface by adding a minimal 1 ‰-molar-ratio Pt.

Engineering Strategy for Enhancing the Co Loading of Co-N-C Single-Atomic Catalysts Based on the ZIF-67@Yeast Construction.

The Co-N-C single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted great research interest in the energy storage and conversion fields owing to 100% atom utilization. However, enhancing the Co loading for higher electrocatalytic performance is still challenging. In this context, we propose an engineering strategy to fabricate the high Co atomic loading Co-N-C SACs based on the zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67)@yeast construction.

PtNi-W/C with Atomically Dispersed Tungsten Sites Toward Boosted ORR in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Devices.

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is heavily dependent on the microstructure of electrode catalyst especially at low catalyst loadings. This work shows a hybrid electrocatalyst consisting of PtNi-W alloy nanocrystals loaded on carbon surface with atomically dispersed W sites by a two-step straightforward method. Single-atomic W can be found on the carbon surface, which can form protonic acid sites and establish an extended proton transport network at the catalyst surface.

Parallel Aluminum-Cobalt Oxide Nanosheet Arrays with High-Temperature Ferromagnetism.

Parallel nanomaterials possess unique properties and show potential applications in industry. Whereas, vertically aligned 2D nanomaterials have plane orientations that are generally chaotic. Simultaneous control of their growth direction and spatial orientation for parallel nanosheets remains a big challenge.

Unconventional Giant "Magnetoresistance" in Bosonic Semiconducting Diamond Nanorings.

The emergence of superconductivity in doped insulators such as cuprates and pnictides coincides with their doping-driven insulator-metal transitions. Above the critical doping threshold, a metallic state sets in at high temperatures, while superconductivity sets in at low temperatures. An unanswered question is whether the formation of Cooper pairsin a well-established metal will inevitably transform the host material into a superconductor, as manifested by a resistance drop.

Engineering Platinum Catalysts a Site-Isolation Strategy with Enhanced Chlorine Resistance for the Elimination of Multicomponent VOCs.

Pt-based catalysts can be poisoned by the chlorine formed during the oxidation of multicomponent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing chlorinated VOCs. Improving the low-temperature chlorine resistance of catalysts is important for industrial applications, although it is yet challenging. We hereby demonstrate the essential catalytic roles of a bifunctional catalyst with an atomic-scale metal/oxide interface constructed by an intermetallic compound nanocrystal.

Recent Progress on Revealing 3D Structure of Electrocatalysts Using Advanced 3D Electron Tomography: A Mini Review.

Electrocatalysis plays a key role in clean energy innovation. In order to design more efficient, durable and selective electrocatalysts, a thorough understanding of the unique link between 3D structures and properties is essential yet challenging. Advanced 3D electron tomography offers an effective approach to reveal 3D structures by transmission electron microscopy.

Direct Synthesis of Stable 1T-MoS Doped with Ni Single Atoms for Water Splitting in Alkaline Media.

Metallic MoS (i.e., 1T-MoS ) is considered as the most promising precious-metal-free electrocatalyst with outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in acidic media comparable to Pt.

Mesoporous Single-Crystal Lithium Titanate Enabling Fast-Charging Li-Ion Batteries.

There remain significant challenges in developing fast-charging materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to sluggish ion diffusion kinetics and unfavorable electrolyte mass transportation in battery electrodes. In this work, a mesoporous single-crystalline lithium titanate (MSC-LTO) microrod that can realize exceptional fast charge/discharge performance and excellent long-term stability in LIBs is reported. The MSC-LTO microrods are featured with a single-crystalline structure and interconnected pores inside the entire single-crystalline body.

Moiré Fringe Method via Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Moiré fringe, originated from the beating of two sets of lattices, is a commonly observed phenomenon in physics, optics, and materials science. Recently, a new method of creating moiré fringe via scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has been developed to image materials' structures at a large field of view. Moreover, this method shows great advantages in studying atomic structures of beam sensitive materials by significantly reduced electron dose.

Atomically Dispersed Platinum Modulated by Sulfide as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Catalytically active metals atomically dispersed on supports presents the ultimate atom utilization efficiency and cost-effective pathway for electrocatalyst design. Optimizing the coordination nature of metal atoms represents the advanced strategy for enhancing the catalytic activity and the selectivity of single-atom catalysts (SACs). Here, we designed a transition-metal based sulfide-NiS with abundant exposed Ni vacancies created by the interaction between chloride ions and the functional groups on the surface of Ni3S2 for the anchoring of atomically dispersed Pt (Pt-NiS).

Platinum single-atom catalyst coupled with transition metal/metal oxide heterostructure for accelerating alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

Single-atom catalysts provide an effective approach to reduce the amount of precious metals meanwhile maintain their catalytic activity. However, the sluggish activity of the catalysts for alkaline water dissociation has hampered advances in highly efficient hydrogen production. Herein, we develop a single-atom platinum immobilized NiO/Ni heterostructure (Pt-NiO/Ni) as an alkaline hydrogen evolution catalyst.

Two-Dimensional Palladium-Copper Alloy Nanodendrites for Highly Stable and Selective Electrochemical Formate Production.

Pd is the only metal that can catalyze electrochemical CO reduction to formate at close-to-zero overpotential. It is unfortunately subjected to severe poisoning by trace CO as the side product and suffers from deteriorating stability and selectivity with increasing overpotential. Here, we demonstrate that alloying Pd with Cu in the form of two-dimensional nanodendrites could enable highly stable and selective formate production.

Glass crystallization making red phosphor for high-power warm white lighting.

Rapid development of solid-state lighting technology requires new materials with highly efficient and stable luminescence, and especially relies on blue light pumped red phosphors for improved light quality. Herein, we discovered an unprecedented red-emitting MgAlSiO:Eu composite phosphor (λ = 450 nm, λ = 620 nm) via the crystallization of MgO-AlO-SiO aluminosilicate glass. Combined experimental measurement and first-principles calculations verify that Eu dopants insert at the vacant channel of MgAlSiO crystal with six-fold coordination responsible for the peculiar red emission.

Facet-Dependent Cobalt Ion Distribution on the CoO Nanocatalyst Surface.

CoO is an important catalyst widely used for CO oxidation or electrochemical water oxidation near room temperature and was also recently used as support for single-atom catalysts (SACs). CoO with a spinel structure hosts dual oxidation states of Co and Co in the lattice, leading to the complexity of its surface structure as the exposure of Co and Co has a significant impact on the performance of the catalysts. Although it is acknowledged that different facets exhibit varied catalytic activities and different abilities in hosting single atoms to provide active centers in SACs, the CoO surface structure remains under-investigated.

Microstructural Study of Two-Dimensional Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Nanosheet Degradation under Illumination.

Two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have received substantial attention because of their exceptional optoelectronic properties. Although the applications of 2D perovskite nanosheets are promising in various optoelectronic devices, which all face harsh working conditions of light exposure, little is known about the photo-stability and degradation mechanisms of these 2D perovskite nanosheets. In this work, degradation of (CHNH)PbBr (BAPbBr) nanosheets when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light and white light is explored.

Strain engineering in perovskite solar cells and its impacts on carrier dynamics.

The mixed halide perovskites have emerged as outstanding light absorbers for efficient solar cells. Unfortunately, it reveals inhomogeneity in these polycrystalline films due to composition separation, which leads to local lattice mismatches and emergent residual strains consequently. Thus far, the understanding of these residual strains and their effects on photovoltaic device performance is absent.