In recent years, the development and research of electrochemical energy storage systems that can efficiently transform chemical energy into electrical energy with a long service life have become a key area of study. Sodium-ion batteries, leveraging their chemical similarity to lithium-ion batteries, along with their abundant resources and low cost, are seen as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries have drawn significant attention due to safety considerations. Among the solid electrolytes for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries, the NASICON solid-state electrolyte emerges as one of the most promising choices for sodium battery solid electrolytes. However, to date, there has not been a comprehensive review summarizing the existing problems of NASICON electrolyte materials and the corresponding specific modification methods. This review simply summarizes the present issues of NASICON for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries, such as, the low ionic conductivity, the poor interface stability and compatibility, and the dendrite formation. Then, the corresponding solutions to address these issues are discussed, including the ion doping, the interface modification, the sintering parameters optimization, and the composite electrolytes regulation. Finally, the perspectives of NASICON solid-state electrolyte are discussed.

Formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR), as the anodic reaction in direct formic acid fuel cells, has attracted much attention but increasing the mass activity and stability of catalysts still face a bottleneck to meet the requirements of practical applications. In the past decades, researchers developed many strategies to fix these issues by improving the structure of catalysts and the newly raised single atom catalysts (SACs) show the high mass activity and stability in FAOR. This review first summarized the reaction mechanism involved in FAOR. The mass activity as well as stability of catalysts reported in the past five years have been outlined. Moreover, the synthetic strategies to improve the catalytic performance of catalysts are also reviewed in this work. Finally, we proposed the research directions to guide the rational design of new FAOR catalysts in the future.

Recovering valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for high value-added application is beneficial for global energy cycling and environmental protection. In this work, we obtain the high-performance N-doped Ni-Co-Mn (N-NCM) electrocatalyst from waste LIBs, for robust oxygen evolution application. Lithium-rich solution and NCM oxides are effectively separated from ternary cathode materials by sulfation roasting and low-temperature water leaching approach, in which the recovery efficiency of Li metal reaches nearly 100%. By facile NH₃ treatment, the incorporation of N into NCM significantly increases the ratio of low-valence state Co²⁺ and Mn²⁺, and the formed Mn—N bond benefits the surface catalytic kinetics. Meanwhile, the N doping induces lattice expansion of the NCM, triggering tensile stress to favor the adsorption of the reactant. Thus, the optimized N-NCM electrocatalyst exhibits the superior overpotentials of 256 and 453 mV to achieve the current density of 10 and 100 mA/cm², respectively, with a low Tafel slope of 37.3 mV/dec. This work provides a fresh avenue for recycling spent LIBs in the future to achieve sustainable development.

Ternary strategy has demonstrated great potential in promoting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (BHJ OSCs). Two new polymer donors, TPQ-2F-2Cl and TPQ-2F-4F, were synthesized with chlorinated and fluorinated aromatic side chains, respectively, which contributed to distinct noncovalent interactions. Compared with the PM6: L8-BO host system, the TPQ-2F-2Cl based ternary OSCs obtained enhanced exciton dissociation and more balanced carrier mobility. Moreover, benefiting from the favorable miscibility of the PM6: L8-BO: TPQ-2F-2Cl blend, the ternary blending film featured a well-defined fibrillar morphology and improved molecular ordering. Consequently, the optimal PM6: L8-BO:TPQ-2F-2Cl device achieved a more outstanding PCE of 18.2%, a higher open circuit voltage (V _oc), and a better fill factor (FF) in comparison with the binary device (PCE=17.7%). In contrast, the addition of TPQ-2F-4F would generate excessive aggregation of blend, thereby reducing the PCE of ternary OSCs (16.0%). This work shows a promising idea for designing efficient third component donor polymers.

Cycling and rate performance of natural graphite is still limited by the sluggish kinetics of lithium ions, which can be improved by surface modifications in previous research. Among these methods, amorphous carbon coating has been proved to be mature and efficient. However, the significance of coating uniformity in relation to solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) has been largely overlooked. In this study, the uniformity of amorphous carbon coating is adjusted by the particle size of pitch. When discharged-charged at 1C, graphite half-cells with such uniform coating show 90.3% of the capacity at 0.1C, while that is 82.1% for non-uniform coating. Additionally, improved initial coulombic efficiency and cycling stability are demonstrated. These can be attributed to graphite anodes featuring a uniform carbon coating that promotes effective and homogeneous LiF formation within the inorganic matrix. This leads to the establishment of a stabilized SEI, confirmed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). This work provides valuable reference into the rational control of graphite interfaces for high electrochemical performance.

The spin caloritronic properties of the Janus VSTe monolayer were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method, implemented in the Atomistix Toolkit (ATK) package. Our study revealed significant spin-splitting within the Janus VSTe monolayer, which induced spin currents under a temperature gradient across the device. By applying a 1% tensile strain, the Janus VSTe monolayer exhibited a perfect thermal spin filtering effect (SFE), with the spin-up current nearly suppressed to zero. Both the unstrained and strained Janus VSTe monolayers demonstrated excellent spin caloritronic properties, with spin figures of merit of 10.915 and 8.432 at an average temperature of 100 K, respectively. Notably, these properties were found to be sensitive to temperature, performing optimally at lower temperatures. These results suggest a promising avenue for designing spin caloritronic devices aimed at efficient waste heat recovery.

Sulfide solid electrolytes (S-SEs) are widely preferred for their high ionic conductivity and processability. However, the further development of S-SEs is hindered by the excessive price of its critical raw materials of Li₂S. Herein, a low-cost and environmentally friendly method is proposed to synthesize Li₂S by the carbothermal reduction reaction of Li₂SO₄ in one step, and the effects of various factors are also discussed. As a result, a purity of 99.67% is obtained over the self-prepared Li₂S. More importantly, the cost of the self-prepared Li₂S is only about 50 $/kg, which is significantly lower than that of the commercial counterpart (10000–15000 dollar/kg). Moreover, the ionic conductivity of Li_5.5PS_4.5Cl_1.5 prepared using self-prepared Li₂S as raw materials is 4.19 mS/cm at room temperature, which is a little higher than that of Li_5.5PS_4.5Cl_1.5 using commercial Li₂S (4.05 mS/cm). And the all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) with the as-prepared electrolytes could maintain a discharge capacity of 109.9 mA·h/g with an average coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98% after 100 cycles at 0.2C, which is equivalent to that using commercial Li₂S, demonstrating that the preparation strategy of Li₂S proposed in this work is feasible.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising photovoltaic technology with their rapid improvement in power conversion efficiency from 3.8% to 26.7%. However, the unsatisfactory stability is still a major hurdle to the future commercialization of PSCs. Among various causes of instability, oxygen and photo-induced instability are indispensable aspects to be considered, especially there is a growing demand of manufacturing PSCs with low-cost environmental conditions. This review aims to provide a timely and comprehensive summary of the investigations related to the oxygen- and photo-induced decay (OP-decay) in perovskites. Key factors affecting the OP-decay pathways and decay rate have been discussed. Techniques for the analysis of oxygen and photo-induced decay processes are included. Strategies for improving photo-oxygen stability have been summarized, from the aspects of suppressing the generation yield of superoxide, protecting perovskites from the generated superoxide, and slowing down the oxygen penetration, respectively.

The capacitive performance of carbon materials as supercapacitor electrode is synergistically influenced by the surface porous structure, graphitization structure, and surface atomic doping. However, simple realization of their synergistic regulation still faces significant challenges. Based on the biological porous structure, heteroatom-rich content and low cost of chestnut, this work adopt chestnut as precursor to prepare carbon electrode, of which the pores, graphitization, and surface atomic doping are synergistically regulated by simply changing the activation temperature. The optimized carbon electrode possesses a hierarchical porous structure with partial graphitization and O and N co-doping. Benefited from these merits, the chestnut-derived porous carbon as a supercapacitor electrode, can achieve a high specific capacitance of 328.6 F/g at 1 A/g, which still retains 80.8% when the current density enlarging to 20 A/g. By packaging the symmetric electric double-layer capacitor, the device exhibits a specific capacitance of 63.6 F/g at 1 A/g, delivering an energy density of 12.7 W·h/kg at a power density of 600 W/kg. The stability of the device is tested at a current density of 20 A/g, which shows a capacitance retention rate of up to 90% after 10000 charge-discharge cycles.

Interface engineering is widely employed to enhance the performance of formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃) perovskite solar cells. In this study, six different FAPbI₃/PbX (X=S, Se and Te) heterostructures are constructed, including the PbI interface and I interface perovskite. In addition, the lead vacancies (V-Pb) and iodine vacancies (V-I) are designed at the perovskite interface. The results show that the PbI interface is more stable than I interface in the heterostructures. The PbX covering layer on the surface of the FAPbI₃ perovskite stabilizes the perovskite octahedral structure by interface interactions and charge reconstruction that are beneficial to passivate perovskite interface defects and inhibit the phase transition. It shows that the PbTe covering layer exhibits the best passivation effect for lead vacancy defects, while PbS covering layer shows the best passivation effect for iodine vacancy defects. Additionally, appropriate structural stress can strengthen the thermal stability of defective perovskite. This work reveals the FAPbI₃/PbX interface engineering, and offers new insights into effectively passivating defects and improving the stability of FAPbI₃.

Piezocatalysis and pyrocatalysis can achieve catalytic action with the application of external mechanical energy and varying temperatures. These catalytic processes have been widely applied in various fields, providing innovative solutions to issues such as water pollution, energy shortages, and global warming. Despite the continuous breakthroughs in the catalytic performance of piezocatalysts and pyrocatalysts, powder-based catalysts face significant limitations due to their inability to be retrieved and the risk of secondary pollution, severely restricting their application. Methods such as compression molding, 3D printing, and the preparation of ceramic-polymer bulk composites can effectively address the issue of catalyst retrievability. However, bulk catalysts, which lose a significant amount of surface area, still need their catalytic performance further enhanced. Therefore, achieving piezocatalysts and pyrocatalysts with excellent catalytic performance and retrievability is of increasing importance.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising energy storage systems because of their inherent safety and excellent sustainability. In this study, a zinc-chromium alloy layer is electrochemically deposited on the Zn anode (ZnCr@Zn) to enhance its performance in aqueous electrolytes. The ZnCr alloy layer can effectively modulate and homogenize Zn²⁺ flux, thus significantly promoting uniform Zn deposition. Meanwhile, the corrosion-resistant ZnCr alloy layer protects Zn from detrimental side reactions, improving Zn plating/stripping reversibility. Consequently, the ZnCr@Zn anode achieves a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9% at 2 mA/cm² over 600 cycles. Furthermore, the ZnCr@Zn∥NH₄V₄O₁₀ coin cell reliably operates for over 2000 cycles at 2 A/g with a capacity retention rate of 88.7%. The ZnCr@Zn∥NH₄V₄O₁₀ pouch cell also demonstrates excellent stability over 160 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A/g. This work provides a facile approach to improve the Zn anode for high-performance AZIBs.

The sluggish kinetics of the sulfur redox reaction (SRR) and the shuttling effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) both restrict the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Heterostructures, with their pronounced electroactivity and structural stability, showcase their potential as electrodes/functional separators for lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, we proposed a bifunctional catalyst exhibiting strong adsorption and rapid catalytic conversion of LiPSs through in situ UV photocatalytic synthesis of Ti₃C₂@TiO₂ heterostructure. The TiO₂ nanoparticles act as the anchoring center for LiPSs, while the electrically conductive Ti₃C₂ ensures the rapid diffusion of these LiPSs from TiO₂ to the catalytically active Ti₃C₂ layer across heterogeneous interfaces. The Li-S batteries with Ti₃C₂@TiO₂-40 min-PP separator delivered a high initial capacity of 1283 mA·h/g, which decreased slightly to 691 mA·h/g after 200 cycles at 1C. This work advances the understanding of the synergistic effect of polysulfide adsorbents and conductive agents in inhibiting shuttle effects, and offers a method for designing polysulfide barriers in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Constructing tandem solar cells (TSCs) is a strategy to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction photovoltaic technologies. Herein, efficient four-terminal (4T) perovskite-organic TSCs are developed via precise control over the crystallization with co-anti-solvents in wide-bandgap perovskite (FA_0.8Cs_0.2Pb(I_0.6Br_0.4)₃, energy gap: 1.77 eV) film. High-quality perovskite films can be achieved by employing a sophisticated co-anti-solvent technique, which effectively enhances the perovskite crystallinity with large grain size and suppresses the nonradiative recombination with pinhole-free surfaces. The results demonstrate that co-anti-solvents with a low boiling point polarity and nonpolar solvent contribute to superior performance of devices. The wide bandgap semi-transparent perovskite solar cell (ST-PSC) fabricated using co-anti-solvent exhibited a remarkable efficiency of 14.52%, and we successfully obtained an efficiency of 22.5% for 4T perovskite-organic TSC. These findings inspire bright futures that TSCs could facilitate the development of more effective and sustainable solar energy solutions.

The irreversible phase transition and interface side reactions during the cycling process severely limit the large-scale application of nickel-rich layered oxides Li[Ni _xCo _yMn_1−x−y]O₂ (NCM, x>0.8). Herein, we have designed LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ cathodes modified by Nb/Al co-doping and LiNbO₃/LiAlO₂ composite coating. Detailed characterization reveals that Nb/Al co-doping can stabilize the crystal structure of the cathodes and expand the layer spacing of the layered lattice, thereby increasing the diffusion rate and reversibility of Li⁺. And the composite coatings can improve the electrochemical kinetic and inhibit the erosion of acidic substances by hindering direct contact between the cathodes and electrolyte. As a result, the Ni-rich cathodes with dual modification can still exhibit a higher capacity of 184.02 mA·h/g after 100 cycles with a capacity retention of up to 98.1%, and can still release a capacity of 161.6 mA·h/g at a high rate of 7C, meanwhile, it shows excellent thermal stability compared to bare NCM. This work provides a new perspective for enhancing electrochemical properties of cathodes through integrated strategies.

Lithium metal stands out as an exceptionally promising anode material, boasting an extraordinarily high theoretical capacity and impressive energy density. Despite these advantageous characters, the issues of dendrite formation and volume expansion of lithium metal anodes lead to performance decay and safety concerns, significantly impeding their advancement towards widespread commercial viability. Herein, a lithium-rich Li-B-In composite anode with abundant lithophilic sites and outstanding structural stability is reported to address the mentioned challenges. The evenly distributed Li-In alloy in the bulk phase of anodes act as mixed ion/electron conductors and nucleation sites, facilitating accelerated Li ions transport dynamics and suppressing lithium dendrite formation. Additionally, these micron-sized Li-In particles in LiB fibers framework can enhance overall structural integrity and provide sufficient interior space to accommodate the volume changes during cycling. The electrochemical performance of Li-B-In composite anode exhibits long-term cyclability, superior rate performance and high-capacity retention. This work confirms that the synergy between a 3D skeleton and hetero-metallic lithiophilic sites can achieve stable and durable lithium metal anodes, offering innovative insights for the practical deployment of lithium metal batteries.

Hard carbon is regarded as a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries, while it remains a huge challenge to initial coulombic efficiency and rate performance. Numerous studies show that critical structural features in hard carbon, namely defects, crystallites, and close pores, are directly responsible for the electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries. Here, we employ bamboo-derived hard carbon to systematically regulate the defects and crystallites in hard carbon by introducing mechanical activation. Benefiting from ball milling, the intermediate product with a high specific area more easily transforms into hard carbon, which possesses abundant closed pores, effective interlayer spacing, and suitable sodium storage defects, helping to improve the sodium ion storage performance. As a result, the hard carbon ball milled for 20 min presents a high reversible capacity of 315.2 mA·h/g at 17.5 mA/g with an initial coulombic efficiency up to 79.3%, as well as good rate and cycling performances.

High-voltage sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage systems due to their abundant sodium source and high energy density. However, the instability of the electrode-electrolyte interphase remains a critical barrier to the potential use of high-voltage SIBs. Herein, sodium difluorophosphate (NaDFP) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) serve as functional electrolyte additives to stabilize the interface of the high-voltage cathode. The oxidative competition between FEC and NaDFP facilitates the robust formation of the cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI) layer, enriched with inorganic components such as NaF/NaPO _xF _y. The highly conductive NaF/NaPO _xF _y and inorganics provide fast ion transport pathways and mechanical strength, thereby mitigating the decomposition of carbonates and NaPF₆. The half-cell equipped with BE2F+0.5DFP demonstrates 93.9% capacity retention at 4.3 V across 600 cycles, showcasing excellent cycling capability. Full HC∥NVOPF cells exhibit sustained performance with 91.69% capacity retention and a capacity of 91.57 mA·h/g over 1000 cycles at a 5C rate. This study is poised to garner increased scholarly interest in the domain of rational electrolyte formulation for practical applications.

The intensifying global energy crisis, coupled with environmental degradation from fossil fuels, highlights that photocatalytic hydrogen evolution technology offers a promising solution due to its efficiency and sustainability. In this study, we synthesized CeO₂/Cd_7.23Zn_2.77S₁₀-DETA (diethylenetriamine is abbreviated as DETA, and subsequently CeO₂ is referred to as EO, Cd_7.23Zn_2.77S₁₀-DETA is abbreviated as ZCS, and the composite with EO comprising 30% is abbreviated as EO/ZCS) nanocomposites with S-scheme heterojunctions. Under conditions without external co-catalysts and utilizing only visible light as the excitation source, EO/ZCS nanocomposites exhibited outstanding photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity and remarkable stability, presenting significant advantages over conventional methods that rely on co-catalysts and ultraviolet light. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of EO/ZCS nanocomposites reached 4.11 mmol/(g·h), significantly surpassing that of EO (trace) and ZCS (2.78 mmol/(g·h)). This substantial enhancement is attributed to the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism at the heterojunctions in EO/ZCS nanocomposites, which effectively facilitates the efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thereby substantially enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. Through techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and theoretical calculations, we confirmed the formation of S-scheme heterojunctions and elucidated their photocatalytic hydrogen evolution mechanism. The results underscore the potential of EO/ZCS nanocomposites as highly efficient and stable photocatalysts for hydrogen production under environmentally benign conditions.

The development of high-performance non-fullerene acceptors with extended exciton diffusion lengths has positioned the sequential layer-by-layer (LBL) solution processing technique as a promising approach for fabricating high-performance and large-area organic solar cells (OSCs). This method allows for the independent dissolution and deposition of donor and acceptor materials, enabling precise morphology control. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the LBL processing technique, focusing on the morphology of the active layer. The swelling-intercalation phase-separation (SIPS) model is introduced as the mainstream theory of morphology evolution, with a detailed discussion on vertical phase separation. We summarize recent strategies for morphology optimization. Additionally, we review the progress in LBL-based large-area device and module fabrication, as well as green processing approaches. Finally, we highlight current challenges and future prospects, paving the way for the commercialization of LBL-processed OSCs.

SnO₂ is used as electrode material with excellent properties, but it has some disadvantages such as slow reaction kinetics, low inherent conductivity and complex preparation process. Here, SnO₂@carbon nanotubes (SnO₂@CNTs) is synthesized through an efficient method of one-pot alternating current electrochemical dispersion. By using heat treatment at 400 °C, the SnO₂@CNTs-400 composite material with abundant mesoporous structure is obtained, while the crystal particles are grown, and a strong bonding effect is formed with CNTs via powerful Sn—O—C bond. Benefiting from the introduction of high electrical conductivity CNTs and outstanding structural characteristics, as-prepared composite material (SnO₂@CNTs-400) exhibit enhanced diffusion dynamics, lithium-ion transmission rate and structural steadiness. The specific capacity of SnO₂@CNTs and SnO₂@CNTs-400 as anodes for lithium-ion batteries can reach 690.2 mA·h/g and 836.5 mA·h/g, respectively, after 100 cycles at 0.5 A/g. The abundant chemical bonds and porous structure can be formed in composite via alternating current synthesis method, which takes significant in improving electrochemical properties.

Exploring catalysts with high catalytic activity and low cost is crucial for promoting the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂. In this study, Ag nanoparticle catalysts were synthesized on GS carbon and vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) carbon carriers using different silver precursors (AgAc, AgNO₃) through the ultrafast high temperature thermal shock method. The experimental results demonstrated that the performance of Ag catalysts for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CO could be significantly enhanced by modulating the nanostructure, carrier, and metal loading. The VGCF-AgNO₃-HT nanoparticles exhibited a relatively regular spherical morphology, with smaller particle sizes and uniform distribution. Furthermore, the intricate and overlapping arrangement of VGCF carbon nanofibers contributed to increasing the active area for electrochemical reactions, making it an excellent catalyst carrier. Catalysts with varying Ag loadings were prepared using the thermal shock method, and it was observed that the nanoparticles maintained their superior nanostructures even with increased Ag loading. The Ag-HT-65 catalyst exhibited outstanding catalytic performance, achieving a CO Faradaic efficiency of 93.03% at a potential of −0.8 V (vs. RHE). After 12 h of testing, the CO Faradaic efficiency remained 90%, exhibiting an excellent stability.

Highly efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) are normally produced using the halogenated solvents chloroform or chlorobenzene, which present challenges for scalable manufacturing due to their toxicity, narrow processing window and low boiling point. Herein, we develop a novel high-speed doctor-blading technique that significantly reduces the required concentration, facilitating the use of eco-friendly, non-halogenated solvents as alternatives to chloroform or chlorobenzene. By utilizing two widely used high-boiling, non-halogenated green solvents—o-xylene (o-XY) and toluene (Tol) —in the fabrication of PM6: L8-BO, we achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 18.20% and 17.36%, respectively. Additionally, a module fabricated with o-XY demonstrates a notable PCE of 16.07%. In-situ testing and morphological analysis reveal that the o-XY coating process extends the liquid-to-solid transition stage to 6 s, significantly longer than the 1.7 s observed with Tol processing. This prolonged transition phase is crucial for improving the crystallinity of the thin film, reducing defect-mediated recombination, and enhancing carrier mobility, which collectively contribute to superior PCEs.

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) have garnered widespread attention due to their low cost and high safety. However, current researches are still primarily focused on reversible cycling at low areal capacity, which is far from practical application. Addressing interfacial stability issues encountered during cycling and employing interfacial optimization strategies can promote the development of safe and eco-friendly AZMBs. By introducing γ-valerolactone (GVL), which disrupts the original hydrogen bonding network of water, the electrochemical window of electrolyte is expanded, and the reactivity of water is significantly reduced. Additionally, the incorporation of GVL in Zn ion solvation alters the deposition pattern on the Zn anode surface, resulting in improved cyclic performance. The cells demonstrated excellent performance, maintaining stable over 400 h at 5 mA/cm²-5 mA·h/cm², and nearly 300 h in Zn∥Zn symmetric cell at 80% depth of discharge (DOD). The full cells matched with NH₄V₄O₁₀ could cycle over 200 cycles under the condition of high areal capacity (7 mA·h/cm²), an N/P ratio of 1.99 and an E/C ratio of 9.3 µL/(mA·h).

The utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production via water splitting has garnered considerable attention in the realm of renewable energy. Si nanowires photocathodes own the advantages of effective photon absorption, non-toxicity and industrial applicability. Nevertheless, the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance of Si nanowires photocathodes is still limited by ineffective or deficient active sites on their surfaces. Here, we develop an efficient Si-based photocathode modified with Al-porphyrin-based MOF (Al-PMOF), consisted of an earth-abundant metal-containing Al(OH)O₄ cluster bridged by 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin. The assembled Al-PMOF significantly enhances the photocurrent density of bare Si nanowires photocathodes, resulting in a twofold increase under equivalent conditions, alongside a positive shift of 200 mV in the onset potential of the Si/Al-PMOF photocathode. The improved PEC hydrogen evolution performance is ascribed to accelerate surface charge transfer of Si photocathode and provision of favorable active site for the hydrogen evolution reaction. This work provides insights into the fabrication of semiconductor/molecule catalyst hybrid photocathodes, thus facilitating the realization of high-efficiency PEC water splitting.

Limited charge carrier lifetime (τ) leads to the short charge carrier diffusion length (L _D) and thus impedes the improvement of power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, anthracene (AN) as the additive is introduced into classical donor: acceptor pairs to increase the τ. Introducing AN efficiently enhances the crystallinity of the PM6:BTP-eC9+ blend film to reduce the trap density and increase the τ to 1.48 µs, achieving the prolonged L _D. The prolonged L _D enables the PM6:BTP-eC9+ blend film to gain weaker charge carrier recombination, reduced leakage current, and shorter charge carrier extraction time in devices, compared with PM6: BTP-eC9 counterparts. Therefore, PM6:BTP-eC9+ based OSCs achieve higher PCEs of 18.41%±0.16% than PM6:BTP-eC9 based ones (17.08%±0.11%). Moreover, the PM6:L8-BO+ based OSC presents an impressive PCE of 19.14%. It demonstrates that introducing AN is an efficient method to increase the τ for prolonged L _D, boosting PCEs of OSCs.