Sodium-based batteries (SBBs) have shown tremendous potential in large-scale energy storage applications due to their cost-effectiveness and natural abundance of sodium. Conventional views hold that low-concentration electrolytes (LCEs) struggle to achieve stable charge/discharge performance because of reduced ionic conductivity caused by low Na⁺ concentrations. The research progress, performance regulation, and development prospects of low-concentration electrolytes have not been fully summarized. Low-concentration electrolytes (LCEs, typically < 1 M) have presented significant potential for SBBs electrolytes owing to their advantages of cost-effectiveness, low viscosity and wide-temperature tolerance. However, they are confronted with critical challenges, specifically regarding low ionic conductivity and inadequate interfacial stability. This paper presents a systematic review of the recent advances in LCEs for SBBs, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms of solvent engineering, additive design, and salt systems and their concentrations on electrode/electrolyte interface (EEI) chemistry, and analyzes the synergistic effect between ion transport and interfacial stability under low-salt concentration. Finally, this paper analyzes the current challenges and prospects the future directions of multifunctional electrolyte design, providing new ideas for the low-cost and high-reliability development of SBBs.

The multi-type oily wastewater has caused severe aquatic pollution, posing threats to ecological security and human health. To treat oil-contaminated wastewater, special wettability materials have been studied over the past decades for efficiently separating oil-water mixtures. Fundamentally, the synergistic effect of surface chemical composition and morphology is considered a key factor in achieving opposite wettability towards oil and water, thereby governing the wettability or selective adsorption of oil and water. Among various wettability materials, metal foam materials (MFs) exhibit significant advantages such as high open-cell porosity, high mechanical strength, high separation efficiency, and self-cleaning properties. This paper first describes the fundamental mechanisms of surface wettability, including contact angles in air. Subsequently, this paper elaborates on the surface wettability modification of MF materials, covering a spectrum of wettability traits: superhydrophobic-superoleophilic, air-exposed superhydrophilic-superoleophobic, underwater superhydrophilic-superoleophobic, and switchable wettability properties. It further summarizes the key performance metrics of specially wetted MFs, including oil absorption capacity, selective separation efficiency, reusability, and physichemical durability under severe operating conditions. Moreover, the current challenges confronting MFs in oily wastewater remediation are dissected, with corresponding outlooks for their future development and practical deployment presented.

Porous Cu-Ti alloys are promising for advanced applications but remain challenging to fabricate through conventional dealloying due to the refractory nature of Ti and its susceptibility to passivation. Herein, we report a fully gaseous approach that seamlessly integrates vapor phase alloying (VPA) with subsequent vapor phase dealloying (VPD) for the synthesis of porous Cu-Ti alloys. This study demonstrates that the VPA process effectively incorporates Zn into various pristine alloys (Cu₉₅Ti₅, Cu₅₀Ti₅₀, and Ti₉₅Cu₅), forming Cu-Ti-Zn intermediate phases. Subsequent VPD, through the selective sublimation of Zn, yields a bicontinuous ligament-pore structure. Notably, the initial alloy composition dictates the final microstructure: a uniform porous framework forms from Cu₉₅Ti₅, a regularly aligned, comb-like architecture with secondary pores emerges from Ti₉₅Cu₅, and a unique composite structure with surface-enriched Cu develops from Cu₅₀Ti₅₀. Specially, the formation of the composite structure in porous Cu₅₀Ti₅₀ is discussed based upon the Gibbs free energy of formation of Ti-Zn and Cu-Zn, the diffusion and saturated vapor pressure of Ti and Cu, which results in different alloying scenarios of Ti and Cu with Zn during VPA. This work not only establishes the VPA-VPD method as a versatile and damage-free route for creating porous alloys from challenging systems, but also provides fundamental insights into the solid-state diffusion mechanisms governing structure evolution.

The development of sustainable and high-performance acoustic materials requires replacing petroleum-based polyurethane foams (PUFs) with renewable alternatives. In this work, fully bio-based PUFs were synthesized using castor oil as polyol and reinforced with rice husk-derived silica (RHS) and cellulose (RHC). A series of formulations with varying additive loadings (0–2.0 phr) was fabricated and systematically characterized for chemical structure, morphology, thermal stability, mechanical strength, moisture resistance, and acoustic absorption. Results confirmed successful integration of silica–cellulose fillers within the castor oil-based polyurethane matrix, with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicating enhanced hydrogen bonding and filler–matrix interactions. The addition of RHS/RHC improved compressive strength and stiffness, with the optimum performance observed at 0.7–1.5 phr. Thermal analysis revealed enhanced degradation resistance at higher filler loadings, while moisture absorption tests showed reduced equilibrium uptake, particularly at ≥ 0.7 phr. Acoustic evaluation demonstrated that moderate filler contents preserved sound absorption performance comparable to that of neat PUF, while excessive loading reduced broadband absorption. Overall, the findings highlight the dual advantage of sustainable sourcing and functional property enhancement, positioning castor oil-based PUF reinforced with agro-waste fillers as a promising candidate for green acoustic and structural applications. Future work will explore replacing petroleum-based isocyanates with bio-derived or less-toxic alternatives, alongside filler ratio optimization, flammability and durability assessments, scalability, and environmental adaptability under humid conditions.

In this work, we present a density functional theory (DFT) study of the structural, magnetic, electronic, mechanical, and optical properties of f-electron based ACmO₃ and A’PuO₃ perovskites in the cubic phase. Ground-state stability analysis shows that these compounds preferentially stabilize in the ferromagnetic configuration, providing a robust framework for exploring their magnetic properties. All investigated compounds exhibit cubic structures, as confirmed by the Goldschmidt tolerance factor. Density of states and band structure calculations reveal 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level, with spin-down band gaps in the range of 1.2–4.6 eV and total magnetic moments between 3 and 6 𝜇_B, confirming their half-metallic nature and potential for spintronic and memory device applications. The calculated Curie temperatures span 367–812 K, significantly above room temperature, with higher magnetic moments correlating with stronger ferromagnetic ordering. Negative formation energies confirm thermodynamic stability, while cohesive energies 11.8–20.7 eV reflect superior bonding strength. Elastic constant analysis based on Born criteria demonstrates mechanical stability across all compounds, with 16 out of 20 exhibiting ductile behavior and Young’s modulus ranging from 64.6 to 128.9 GPa. The calculated melting temperatures lie between 1366 and 2062 K, further confirming high-temperature endurance. Collectively, these features robust ferromagnetism, metallic conductivity, ductility and mechanical resilience highlight investigated perovskites as particularly promising candidates for advanced spintronic applications.

This study describes the facile fabrication of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from Gigantochloa scortechinii bamboo fibres serving as an electron mediator for Ag₂CO₃ photocatalyst. Comprehensive characterization techniques were used to illustrate the successful integration of Ag₂CO₃ onto MCC surfaces. The SEM images revealed homogeneous distribution of tiny rod-shaped Ag₂CO₃ nanoparticles on MCC’s surfaces. Moreover, XRD verified phase-pure Ag₂CO₃ with crystallinity > 70%, while the PL spectroscopy demonstrated suppressed emission intensity for MCC-Ag₂CO₃ and band gap narrowed from 2.8 to 2.6 eV. As shown by the band gap and PL analyses, the enhanced performance was ascribed to the remarkable rapid separation of electron and holes charge carriers, ease of electron migration, while highlighting the presence of MCC as electron mediators in the composite photocatalyst. The paracetamol (PCM) was used as targeted pollutant for the photocatalytic evaluations assisted by a relatively low UVC light intensity (9 W). With a rate constant of 9.4 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹, which was 1.5 times higher than that of pure Ag₂CO₃, the MCC-Ag₂CO₃ reached a notable 82% percentage of degradation under normal conditions. From DFT calculation, the MCC-Ag₂CO₃ shows orbital hybridization, reducing band gap and recombination while boosting charge separation via conductive channels and localized mid-gap states. The reactivity was dominated by photogenerated holes, followed by superoxide radical anions and hydroxyl radicals (h_vb⁺ >^•O₂⁻ >^•OH) and the degradation was sustained with > 50% efficiency over five consecutive cycles.

The electronic thermoelectric properties of one-dimensional MXene nanoribbon devices were explored by adopting a tight-binding Hamiltonian coupled with the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism. The model device configuration involves finite Ti₃C₂O₂, Sc₃C₂F₂, and Zr₃C₂O₂ nanoribbon channels connected to graphene electrodes. Calculations of the temperature-dependent electronic thermoelectric coefficient were performed in order to obtain the figure of merit ( ZTₑ) for the electronic contribution, Seebeck coefficient, power factor, and normalized conductance ( G/ G₀). The results revealed that the best p-type performance of Ti₃C₂O₂ is attained at 𝜇 = 0.89 eV, yielding very high ZTₑ values of 4.9 at 300 K and up to 5.5 at 500 K. On the other hand, Zr₃C₂O₂ shows the strongest n-type response, with a ZTₑ of approximately 4.7 at 300 K and with the highest conductance compared to all other studied systems. Sc₃C₂F₂ also presents a promising n-type performance with a maximum ZTₑ of approximately 3.3 at 300 K. In all the studied structures, the power factors remained moderate due to the limited number of conducting channels available in finite one-dimensional nanoribbons. These results lead to an overall, consistent assessment of the electronic thermoelectric properties across different MXene nanoribbon compositions.

Efficient palladium-based electrocatalysts are crucial for ethanol oxidation in fuel cells. Here, a series of TOH-Au@Pd_x core-shell nanoparticles with precisely controlled Pd shell thicknesses were successfully synthesized using well-defined trisoctahedral Au seeds (~45 nm). The prepared nanoparticles are uniform, and the Pd shell thickness progressively grows from 0.54 to 1.39 nm. XPS analysis reveals significant electronic interactions between the Au core and Pd shell, with the binding energy shifts of the Au 4f and Pd 3d core levels systematically decreasing as the shell thickness increases. All TOH-Au@Pd_x catalysts surpass commercial Pd/C, with TOH-Au@Pd₄₀ showing the highest activity: an electrochemical surface area of 128.8 m²/g, a mass activity of 13.6 A/mg, and a specific activity of 10.6 mA/cm², corresponding to 5.0-, 68.0-, and 13.3-fold improvements over Pd/C. It also exhibits the smallest Tafel slope and charge transfer resistance, indicating the most favorable reaction kinetics and interfacial charge transfer capability. Moreover, it retains 27.5% of its initial current after 7200 s, far exceeding Pd/C (1.4%). The enhanced performance arises from the synergy between the high-index facets (rich in steps, edges, and kinks) of the trisoctahedral morphology and the optimal electronic interaction between the Au core and the Pd shell. This study not only provides an effective strategy for the controlled synthesis of high-performance core-shell catalysts but also offers fundamental insights into how geometric and electronic effects jointly govern electrocatalytic activity and stability.

Nanozymes offer superior stability and resistance to deactivation while mimicking the catalytic activity of natural enzymes, thereby expanding their applications across various fields. However, the development of nanozymes with both high catalytic activity and good biocompatibility remains a significant challenge. In particular, biocompatible nanozymes are highly desirable for immunoassays and biological detection. In this work, a series of nanozymes were prepared using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a template and hemin as the catalytic active component. By activating the carboxyl groups of hemin, we compared the catalytic activities of nanozymes prepared by directly adding native BSA with those prepared using dBSA, obtained after spin-induced denaturation of BSA. Encapsulation of hemin by dBSA not only alleviated hemin aggregation and inactivation in aqueous solution but also enhanced its peroxidase-like activity through a confinement effect. As a result, the dBSA-hemin nanozymes efficiently catalyzed the luminol–H₂O₂ system, producing stable glow-type chemiluminescence. Taking advantage of the excellent catalytic activity of these nanozymes, a chemiluminescence immunosensor was developed using the nanozymes as signal labels for the detection of CA15–3. The constructed immunosensor exhibited a wide linear response range from 0.001 to 100 U/mL and a low detection limit of 0.0003 U/mL at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. These results demonstrate that the use of simple materials and preparation methods remains highly promising. Moreover, the integration of self-assembly with confinement effects provides a new strategy for designing efficient nanozyme systems.

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) calculations to systematically investigate the structural, electronic, and catalytic performance of transition metal (TM = Fe, Co, Ni) embedded monolayer MoS₂ for CO oxidation. The TM atoms are stably doped into S vacancy sites, inducing significant charge redistribution and electronic structure modulation. Among them, Fe and Co doping generate high magnetic moments and strong hybridization with adsorbates (CO and O₂) at the Fermi level, which substantially enhance the adsorption abilities compared to Ni-doped MoS₂. The CO oxidation reaction proceeds via the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, with the lowest activation energy (0.37 eV) obtained for Fe-MoS₂, indicating its potential CO catalytic activity at room temperature. The Co-MoS₂ also shows a comparably low barrier (0.41 eV), while Ni-MoS₂ exhibits a significantly higher energy barrier (1.04 eV) due to weaker orbital interactions and negligible magnetic moment. These findings highlight the crucial role of magnetic moment and orbital hybridization in promoting catalytic performance and offer insights into the design of efficient MoS₂-based single-atom catalysts for CO oxidation.