Artificial photosynthesis holds great promise for the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), an environmentally friendly oxidant and clean fuel. However, the synergistic photosynthesis of H₂O₂ and high-value chemicals in blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has not yet been realized. Herein, we develop a conjugated-engineering covalent organic framework (COF), designated as TANB-Py-COF, which serves as an efficient catalyst in the photosynthesis of H₂O₂ under blue LEDs. An apparent quantum yield of 7.87% and a H₂O₂ production rate of 18.32 mmol g^-1 h^-1 are achieved. In addition, the synergistic photosynthesis of imines via amine-coupling or photooxidation of thioethers is realized with a yield up to 99%. This work establishes a precedent for the development of COF-based photocatalytic strategies for the simultaneous artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide and high-value chemicals in blue LEDs.

The next generation of batteries requires electrolytes with high conductivity, mechanical stability, good adhesion with electrodes, wide electrochemical windows, and scalability. The present study introduces a concept of doped quasi single-ion conducting copolymers based on methacrylate-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) and vinyl ethylene carbonate which at room temperature are mechanically robust and display ionic conductivities of ~0.1 mS/cm. These electrolytes can be polymerized/crosslinked in-situ, making them easily implementable in current battery manufacturing technologies. They also allow for switching between Li⁺ and Na⁺ transport using simple chemistry procedures. To demonstrate their potential for battery applications, the newly developed Li conductors have been tested in symmetric cells, exhibiting overall impedance below 350 Ohm and plating/stripping stability up to 1 mA/cm². Moreover, lithium metal batteries incorporating this electrolyte and high-voltage Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) cathodes show good capacity retention (~79%) during charging and discharging for 80 cycles at C/10 rate and a Coulombic efficiency close to 100% in the entire measurement range. The compositional, mechanical and electrochemical versatility of these electrolytes opens new venues for the design of polymer-based batteries capable of fast charging and extended cycle life, aligning with the current global green energy storage strategies.

A sea urchin-like La-doped α-MnO₂ catalyst was successfully synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The as-prepared material exhibits electrocatalytic activity for water oxidation, achieving an overpotential of 450 mV to reach a catalytic current density of 10 mA/cm² in 1.0 M KOH solution. The urchin morphology and open tunneling structure can fully expose the rich active sites and facilitate mass transfer during electrochemical oxidation process. Moreover, the catalyst is also applied for sulfonamide degradation due to the generation of strong oxidizing •OH species during the process of water oxidation. The indirect oxidation of sulfonamide by •OH species was confirmed through radical quenching and capture studies. The catalyst degraded sulfonamide antibiotics with up to 40% efficiency within 2 h. The introduction of the heteroatom La³⁺ into MnO₂ led to a redistribution of electrons around Mn, which altered the electron density of the metal sites, lowered the average valence state of Mn, facilitated the production of reactive Mn^III species, and optimized the exposure density of the active sites. Therefore, the sea urchin-like La-doped MnO₂ material shows potential for applications in electrochemical sustainability research.

The electrification of transportation and the proliferation of portable electronics demand high-performance lithium-ion batteries that deliver both high energy density and long cycle life under fast-charging conditions. However, commercial graphite anodes generally suffer from intrinsic limitations in rate capability due to their sluggish Li⁺ diffusion kinetics and low lithiation potential. The resulting anode polarization at high charging rates can lead to Li plating, causing performance degradation and inducing safety hazards. Over the past decade, phosphorus (P)-based anodes have emerged as promising alternatives owing to their high theoretical specific capacities, low Li⁺ diffusion energy barriers, moderate lithiation potentials that circumvent Li plating, and natural abundance. This review systematically discusses recent advances in the development of fast-charging P-based anodes. Fundamental insights into their structural characteristics, lithium storage behaviors, and reaction mechanisms are first presented. Key challenges are then summarized, followed by an in-depth analysis of major optimization strategies to overcome these limitations. Finally, future research directions are outlined to guide the rational design and scalable development of high-performance P-based anodes for next-generation fast-charging energy storage systems.

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) heterojunctions have been widely explored for their promising applications in solar cells (SCs) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, owing to their cost-effective design and great potential for enhancing power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this study, an innovative MoS₂ hole-transport layer was introduced into the GaAs heterojunction for applications in SCs and PEC water splitting. By optimizing the thickness of the MoS₂ film, the sulfide oxidation reaction at the heterointerface was effectively suppressed. Significantly, a synergistic system integrating a GaAs heterojunction SC with a photoelectrode was proposed. The incorporation of carbon nanotubes into the GaAs/MoS₂ heterojunction significantly improved charge carrier transport, enhancing the PCE from 0.24% to 12.41%. In the PEC water splitting system, the GaAs/MoS₂ heterostructure also demonstrated excellent oxygen evolution reaction performance. This optimization led to a maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 35% under bias, reaching 20% at 0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), along with a photocurrent density of 40 mA cm^-2 and a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 17.22%. When integrated into a photovoltaic-PEC system, the GaAs/MoS₂ photoelectrode achieved a current density of 20 mA cm^-2 at 0 V vs. RHE, with a 400 mV negative shift in the water oxidation onset potential, enabling highly efficient solar-driven hydrogen production.

The rapid expansion and booming development of the lithium-ion battery market have raised escalating concerns over safety issues. Titanium niobium oxide (TiNb₂O₇, TNO) is a highly promising, safe anode material due to its intercalation reaction mechanism and high operating potential. However, its intrinsic low electronic conductivity severely hinders practical implementation. To address this, we developed a plasma-assisted interfacial engineering strategy to fabricate self-supported sandwich-structured N-doped carbon (N-C)@TNO composites. This unique “conductive skeleton || active core || protective shell” architecture comprises: (1) vertical graphene (VG) arrays acting as three-dimensional charge highways, (2) TNO nanoparticles (30-60 nm) serving as redox-active centers, and (3) uniform N-C shells (~3 nm). The synergistic coupling between the VG skeleton and the N-C coating establishes an all-around conductive network. The optimized N-C@TNO anode delivers exceptional rate capability (300.1 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C and 214.4 mAh g^-1 at 40 C) and ultralong cycling stability (95.38% capacity retention after 5,000 cycles at 20 C), outperforming most reported TNO-based anodes. This work presents a novel concept for designing high-power storage electrodes, particularly multistage composite structures.

The long-term stability of lithium-ion batteries is a critical factor limiting their broader adoption in multifunctional and structural energy storage systems. However, conventional metallic current collectors tend to be heavier and less mechanically adaptable than fiber-based materials such as quartz woven fabrics (QWFs), particularly when structural integration is required. Quartz fabrics, composed primarily of silica, offer high thermal stability, mechanical robustness, and low areal weight, making them attractive candidates for multifunctional electrode platforms. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were directly grown on QWFs via chemical vapor deposition, using Ni nanoparticles as catalysts and C₂H₄ as the carbon source. The growth process was optimized by varying temperature over a 2-h duration to form uniform, conductive CNT networks. The resulting CNT-coated QWFs functioned dually as current collectors and active electrode supports, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 201.54 mAh g^-1 at a 0.1 C-rate. The electrodes retained 89.8% of their initial capacity after 50 cycles at a 0.5 C-rate, demonstrating excellent rate capability and cycling stability, with performance nearly equivalent to that of conventional Al foil-based electrodes. Although quartz fabrics are inherently insulating, the CNT coating formed an integrated conductive network, enabling efficient charge transport while maintaining the structural integrity required for load-bearing applications. This work presents a novel fiber-based electrode design for structural lithium-ion batteries, offering a promising route toward lightweight, mechanically integrated energy storage systems suitable for advanced electronics, electric vehicles, and aerospace technologies.

Hydrogen (H₂) is a clean and high-energy carrier; however, its low volumetric energy density remains a major barrier to practical storage and transport. This study demonstrates that the hybridization of MIL-101(Cr) with graphene oxide (GO) effectively enhances H₂ storage and release capacities. The integration of GO, with a density of 450 kg m^-3, into MIL-101(Cr), a highly porous metal-organic framework (A_BET ≥ 3,500 m² g^-1, V_pore ≥ 2.0 cm³ g^-1 and 259 kg m^-3 of density) was investigated through a post-synthetic hybridization strategy, leading to increased ultra-microporosity and enhanced density of the resulting hybrids. Although GO incorporation led to a reduction in gravimetric (wt.%) H₂ storage at 77 K and 100 bar, ranging from 3% to 36% as GO content increased, it significantly improved H₂ uptake at 273 K and 100 bar. The hybrid with 1 wt.% GO exhibited the most notable enhancement, achieving a 40% increase in gravimetric storage capacity (273 K, 100 bar) compared to pure MIL-101(Cr). This hybrid also demonstrated superior volumetric performance, reaching a 6% increase both in total H₂ storage, 35.8 kg m^-3 (77 K, 100 bar), and deliverable capacity, 34.2 kg m^-3, under practical operating conditions (i.e., charging: 77 K and 100 bar; discharging: 160 K and 5 bar). These findings highlight the dual role of GO: densifying the composite while potentially introducing ultramicroporosity, particularly effective at elevated temperatures, offering a promising pathway toward practical, scalable, and efficient hydrogen storage systems.

Advances in the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence have accelerated the clinical adoption of implantable electronic medical devices, expanding their applications in brain-computer interfaces, chronic disease management, and post-operative rehabilitation. However, the growing disparity between finite global energy resources and escalating clinical demands necessitates urgent breakthroughs in implantable energy systems. To address this challenge, implantable energy systems are evolving towards sustainability, miniaturisation, system-level integration and flexibility for better application in the human body. This review synthesizes the key design principles and requirements for an implantable energy system driven by clinical demands, then highlights recent progress in three key categories: energy storage systems, energy harvesting systems and environmental energy transfer systems. Notable advancements include biocompatible materials and enhanced integration strategies. Emerging energy systems, such as biofuel cells and nanogenerators, are also analyzed. Furthermore, we discuss their translational challenges and future directions, such as long-term biocompatibility, holistic energy solutions, closed-loop surveillance, and intelligent network architectures. Overall, this review bridges medical energy innovation with environmental sustainability, providing insights into sustainable closed-loop networks that integrate energy, medicine, and industry.

Tuning the lithium salts’ chemistry is a promising approach to achieve a competitive solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) has been extensively investigated due to its excellent thermal and electrochemical stability. On the other hand, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) remains one of the most studied polymer matrices owing to its high solvating power, which promotes lithium salt dissociation. However, the low lithium transference number (T_Li⁺) of LiTFSI/PEO (ca. 0.2) system is a handicap for high-performance SPE, mainly attributed to the high anion diffusion. In this work, a series of five lithium salts were designed by replacing one -CF₃ group of LiTFSI with a dialkylamine moiety bearing different alkyl chain lengths. Ion coordination environments between PEO, cations and anions, along with their transport properties, were systematically investigated through experimental and computational approaches. The results demonstrate that anion diffusion can be effectively suppressed by introducing bulky alkyl groups, with the improved T_Li⁺ (ca. 0.5) primarily attributed to steric hindrance rather than long-range interactions between the anion and the PEO matrix.