Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer high energy density, low cost, and are environmentally friendly, rendering them potential energy storage devices. However, dendrite growth on the zinc anode and numerous side reactions during operation challenge their commercialization. Recent advancements have introduced various materials for the functionalization of zinc anodes. These developments effectively mitigate the performance degradation of zinc anode, enhancing both its cycle stability and the overall performance of AZIBs. Herein, the construction of functionalized zinc anodes is discussed, current materials (including organic, inorganic and their composites) for modified zinc anodes are categorized, and the protective mechanism behind functionalized zinc anodes is analyzed. The study concludes by outlining the characteristics of materials suitable for dendritic-free zinc anode construction and the prospects for future development directions of functionalized zinc anodes in AZIBs.

A 3D nanostructured scaffold as the host for zinc enables effective inhibition of anodic dendrite growth. However, the increased electrode/electrolyte interface area provided by using 3D matrices exacerbates the passivation and localized corrosion of the Zn anode, ultimately bringing about the degradation of the electrochemical performance. Herein, a nanoscale coating of inorganic–organic hybrid (α-In₂Se₃-Nafion) onto a flexible carbon nanotubes (CNTs) framework (ISNF@CNTs) is designed as a Zn plating/stripping scaffold to ensure uniform Zn nucleation, thus achieving a dendrite-free and durable Zn anode. The introduced inorganic–organic interfacial layer is dense and sturdy, which hinders the direct exposure of deposited Zn to electrolytes and mitigates the side reactions. Meanwhile, the zincophilic nature of ISNF can largely reduce the nucleation energy barrier and promote the ion-diffusion transportation. Consequently, the ISNF@CNTs@Zn electrode exhibits a low-voltage hysteresis and a superior cycling life (over 1500 h), with dendrite-free Zn-plating behaviors in a typical symmetrical cell test. Additionally, the superior feature of ISNF@CNTs@Zn anode is further demonstrated by Zn-MnO₂ cells in both coin and flexible quasi-solid-state configurations. This work puts forward an inspired remedy for advanced Zn-ion batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are attracting growing interest as long-lasting, thermally resilient, and high-safe energy storage systems. As an emerging area of battery chemistry, there are many issues with SSBs, including strongly reductive lithium anodes, oxidized cathodes (state of charge), the thermodynamic stability limits of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), and the ubiquitous and critical interfaces. In this Review, we provided an overview of the main obstacles in the development of SSBs, such as the lithium anode|SSEs interface, the cathode|SSEs interface, lithium-ion transport in the SSEs, and the root origin of lithium intrusions, as well as the safety issues caused by the dendrites. Understanding and overcoming these obstacles are crucial but also extremely challenging as the localized and buried nature of the intimate contact between electrode and SSEs makes direct detection difficult. We reviewed advanced characterization techniques and discussed the complex ion/electron-transport mechanism that have been plaguing electrochemists. Finally, we focused on studying and revealing the coupled electro-chemo-mechanical behavior occurring in the lithium anode, cathode, SSEs, and beyond.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries promise high-energy-density potential to exceed the commercialized lithium-ion batteries but suffer from limited cycling lifespan due to the side reactions between lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and Li metal anodes. Herein, a three-way electrolyte with ternary solvents is proposed to enable high-energy-density and long-cycling Li–S pouch cells. Concretely, ternary solvents composed of 1,2-dimethoxyethane, di-isopropyl sulfide, and 1,3,5-trioxane are employed to guarantee smooth cathode kinetics, inhibit the parasitic reactions, and construct a robust solid electrolyte interphase, respectively. The cycling lifespan of Li–S coin cells with 50 µm Li anodes and 4.0 mg cm⁻² sulfur cathodes is prolonged from 88 to 222 cycles using the three-way electrolyte. Nano-heterogeneous solvation structure of LiPSs and organic-rich solid electrolyte interphase are identified to improve the cycling stability of Li metal anodes. Consequently, a 3.0 Ah-level Li–S pouch cell with the three-way electrolyte realizes a high energy density of 405 Wh kg⁻¹ and undergoes 27 cycles. This work affords a three-way electrolyte recipe for suppressing the side reactions of LiPSs and inspires rational electrolyte design for practical high-energy-density and long-cycling Li–S batteries.

The electrocatalytic synthesis of C–N coupling compounds from CO₂ and nitrogenous species not only offers an effective avenue to achieve carbon neutrality and reduce environmental pollution, but also establishes a route to synthesize valuable chemicals, such as urea, amide, and amine. This innovative approach expands the application range and product categories beyond simple carbonaceous species in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction, which is becoming a rapidly advancing field. This review summarizes the research progress in electrocatalytic urea synthesis, using N₂, NO₂⁻, and NO₃⁻ as nitrogenous species, and explores emerging trends in the electrosynthesis of amide and amine from CO₂ and nitrogen species. Additionally, the future opportunities in this field are highlighted, including electrosynthesis of amino acids and other compounds containing C–N bonds, anodic C–N coupling reactions beyond water oxidation, and the catalytic mechanism of corresponding reactions. This critical review also captures the insights aimed at accelerating the development of electrochemical C–N coupling reactions, confirming the superiority of this electrochemical method over the traditional techniques.

Directly repairing end-of-life lithium-ion battery cathodes poses significant challenges due to the diverse compositions of the wastes. Here, we propose a water-facilitated targeted repair strategy applicable to various end-of-life batches and cathodes. The process involves initiating structural repair and reconstructing particle morphology in degraded LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) through an additional thermal drive post-ambient water remanganization, achieving elemental repair. Compared to solid-phase repair, the resulting LMO material exhibits superior electrochemical and kinetic characteristics. The theoretical analysis highlights the impact of Mn defects on the structural stability and electron transfer rate of degraded materials. The propensity of Mn ions to diffuse within the Mn layer, specifically occupying the Mn 16d site instead of the Li 8a site, theoretically supports the feasibility of ambient water remanganization. Moreover, this method proves effective in the relithiation of degraded layered cathode materials, yielding single crystals. By combining low energy consumption, environmental friendliness, and recyclability, our study proposes a sustainable approach to utilizing spent batteries. This strategy holds the potential to enable the industrial direct repair of deteriorated cathode materials.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the most important bioelectrical signals related to brain activity and plays a crucial role in clinical medicine. Driven by continuously expanding applications, the development of EEG materials and technology has attracted considerable attention. However, systematic analysis of the sustainable development of EEG materials and technology is still lacking. This review discusses the sustainable development of EEG materials and technology. First, the developing course of EEG is introduced to reveal its significance, particularly in clinical medicine. Then, the sustainability of the EEG materials and technology is discussed from two main aspects: integrated systems and EEG electrodes. For integrated systems, sustainability has been focused on the developing trend toward mobile EEG systems and big-data monitoring/analyzing of EEG signals. Sustainability is related to miniaturized, wireless, portable, and wearable systems that are integrated with big-data modeling techniques. For EEG electrodes and materials, sustainability has been comprehensively analyzed from three perspectives: performance of different material/structural categories, sustainable materials for EEG electrodes, and sustainable manufacturing technologies. In addition, sustainable applications of EEG have been presented. Finally, the sustainable development of EEG materials and technology in recent decades is summarized, revealing future possible research directions as well as urgent challenges.

Re-extracting environmentally transportable hexavalent uranium from wastewater produced by spent fuel reprocessing using the photocatalytic technology is a crucial strategy to avoid uranium pollution and recover nuclear fuel strategic resources. Here, we have designed S-scheme 2D/0D C₃N₅/Fe₂O₃ heterojunction photocatalysts based on the built-in electric field and the energy band bending theory, and have further revealed the immobilization process of hexavalent uranium conversion into relatively insoluble tetravalent uranium in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics. According to the results, the hexavalent uranium removal and recovery ratios in wastewater are as high as 93.38% and 83.58%, respectively. Besides, C₃N₅/Fe₂O₃ heterojunctions also exhibit satisfactory catalytic activity and selectivity even in the presence of excessive impurity cations (including Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Eu³⁺) or various organics (such as xylene, tributylphosphate, pyridine, tannic acid, citric acid, and oxalic acid). It is believed that this work can provide a potential opportunity for S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts to re-enrich uranium from spent fuel wastewater.