The development of green energy storage and conversion devices is vital for addressing global environmental challenges and pursuing carbon-neutral energy solutions. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit the benefits of maximum atom utilization efficiency, unique catalytic activity, and exceptional selectivity, holding promise for next-generation sustainable energy systems. However, the practical deployment of SACs in renewable energy devices is hindered by the propensity of atomically dispersed metal species to sintering and aggregation during synthesis or high-temperature operation. This review provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the design, synthesis, and stabilization of well-dispersed SACs on diverse supports with tunable electronic and structural properties, focusing on synthesis strategies that precisely regulate atomic dispersion, advanced methods of probing atomic-scale active sites, and key breakthroughs in SAC-based electrode applications. Potential and existing barriers hindering large-scale SAC commercialization are emphasized. Valuable insights into the structure–function relationships of SACs are provided, and future directions for developing efficient, durable, and scalable SACs for green energy storage and conversion technologies are outlined.

Advanced ceramics play a critical role in high-tech industries. Development of advanced ceramics faces two major challenges: contradiction between densification and grain growth during sintering leading to “mechanical strength ceiling”, contradiction between hardness and fracture toughness. We have proposed and developed the strategy of extreme condition sintering, which has provided valuable insights into addressing the challenges. This study summarizes the recent advancements of the new techniques in the sintering of ceramics under extreme conditions, including ultra-fast heating, strong electric fields, high or ultra-high pressure, and multi-field coupling, and puts forward the proposal and perspective for future work.

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) have emerged as a new generation of energy storage systems, owing to their high energy density and safety advantages. However, their extensive application is hindered by both the insufficient ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes and the interfacial mismatch between electrolytes and electrodes. To address this issue, we developed glassy ASSLIBs by harmoniously coupling glass-ceramic electrolytes with vanadium phosphoborate glass electrodes. The electrolytes were prepared from an aluminophosphate glass system through controlled crystallization. The optimized electrolyte exhibited a high ionic conductivity (1.15 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹) and a low activation energy (0.23 eV) for Li⁺ diffusion. The interfacial compatibility between the glass electrode and the glass-ceramic electrolyte enabled fast electron/ion transport in an assembled full cell (with a Li metal anode). The derived glassy battery delivered an initial discharge capacity of 907 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹ and a capacity of 228 mA h g⁻¹ after 500 cycles, along with superior rate performance. Thus, this study offers a promising strategy for advancing ASSLIBs.

Thermoelectric (TE) materials promise sustainable energy conversion from waste heat, but their practical utility is often governed by a fundamental trade-off between conversion efficiency (η) and output power (P). High-entropy engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy to boost efficiency by maximizing phonon scattering, yet this compositional complexity can inadvertently degrade electronic properties and thus suppress output power. Here, we introduce “Designer Entropy”—a chemically guided paradigm that moves beyond maximizing disorder to achieve targeted transport properties by consciously selecting alloying elements. We demonstrate this principle by systematically contrasting two distinct pathways in a SnTe(GeSe)_0.25 matrix: doping with Sb (near-matched atomic radius) versus Bi (large radius/mass mismatch). While both pathways yield nearly identical high conversion efficiencies of ~5.7% at a temperature difference of 500 K, their power generation capabilities diverge significantly. The Sb-doped device, designed to preserve electronic transport, delivers a maximum output power of 23.1 mW, an ~20% enhancement over its Bi-doped counterpart. This non-equivalent optimization stems from a mechanistic dichotomy: Sb doping preserves high carrier mobility and suppresses bipolar effects, leading to a superior power factor, whereas Bi doping, despite inducing ultralow lattice thermal conductivity by creating strong local distortions, suffers from severe carrier scattering and a premature bipolar onset. Our work establishes a rational design framework that decouples the optimization of efficiency and power, providing a blueprint for developing next-generation TE materials that shift the focus from compositional complexity to compositional intelligence for high-power applications.

All-inorganic lead halide perovskites are favored for next-generation optoelectronic devices due to their exceptional photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), wide color gamut, and structural tunability. However, their application in intelligent materials, especially for dynamic optical encryption and anti-counterfeiting in aqueous or humid environments, remains challenging owing to their poor water stability and lack of tunable response under external stimuli. Here, we reported a scalable strategy to fabricate large-area (15 cm × 25 cm), hierarchically porous perovskite fiber membranes (PFMs) that enabled water-responsive, reversible fluorescence modulation. By developing a dual-ligand surface passivation approach, combining hydrophilic supramolecular cyclodextrins and hydrophobic long-chain alkylamines, we simultaneously achieved surface passivation, water resistance, as well as dynamic bandgap modulation and defect engineering within a single material platform. The resulting blue-emitting PFMs demonstrated a high PLQY of 86.3%, narrow-band emission (full-width at half-maximum value of ~20 nm), enhanced color purity up to 96.4%, and long-term stability (> 4000 h) under ambient conditions. More interestingly, moisture-induced ligand reorganization enabled reversible fluorescence shifts from deep-blue (461.1 nm) to cyan-green (504.9 nm) across multiple cycles (with > 95% photoluminescence intensity retention) and in a wide pH range (3–13). We further demonstrated an ASCII-encoded microdots array and dual-mode optical encryption system that allowed orthogonal decoding via moisture and ultraviolet stimuli, highlighting the potential of these materials for underwater anti-counterfeiting and dynamic information encryption. This work provides a new paradigm for integrating intelligent stimulus responsiveness with stable optoelectronic performance in perovskites, paving the way for their application in secure information technologies and smart photonic devices in harsh environments.

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, underscoring the urgent need for early diagnostic strategies. Altered cancer metabolism can be captured through serum analysis by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). Here, we report the design of gold nanoparticle-modified manganese–cobalt oxide heterojunctions (Au/MCOHs) as a high-performance LDI-MS nano-matrix. The Au/MCOHs combine strong ultraviolet absorption, enhanced charge separation, and favorable surface potential to achieve efficient laser energy conversion and ionization. Leveraging this platform, we performed serum metabolomic analysis on 698 participants, comprising healthy controls and patients with six different cancer types. Machine learning models distinguished cancer patients from healthy controls with area under the curve (AUC) values up to 0.955. Critically, early-stage cancers were also detected, with AUCs ranging from 0.776 to 0.938. Thirteen cancer-associated metabolites were identified, and a combined diagnostic panel achieved an AUC of 0.865. This study demonstrates how rationally engineered plasmonic heterojunction nanomatrices can bridge materials innovation and clinical translation, offering a robust, non-invasive route for pan-cancer metabolomic screening.

The global crises of water and energy scarcity call for integrated technologies that transcend single-function operation. Here, we present a solar-powered integrated thermoelectric generator (SPI-TEG) that relies solely on sunlight to synergistically co-produce electricity, freshwater, concentrated brine, and solid salt within a single device. The SPI-TEG employs a wavelength-selective absorber at the hot side of a thermoelectric module to maximize solar-to-heat conversion, while a superhydrophilic cleanroom wiper placed at the cold side enables continuous seawater transport and efficient evaporative cooling. This configuration establishes a significant temperature difference for power generation and simultaneously reutilizes the dissipated heat for desalination. Under 1.0 sun illumination, the device achieves a notable open-circuit voltage of 258.8 mV, a power density of 0.504 W m⁻², and an evaporation rate of 1.79 kg m⁻² h⁻¹, with a freshwater collection rate of 0.632 kg m⁻² h⁻¹. Notably, through circulating evaporation, the device enables tunable brine concentration and achieves zero liquid discharge with a salt recovery rate of up to 83%. This work offers a practical zero-carbon route for synergistic water-electricity cogeneration and sustainable ocean resource recovery.