We report a general synthesis of ultrafine αNiCoMn (α = Pt, Ir, Ru) high-entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles anchored on a nitrogen-doped carbon (N–C) support through a facile one-step Joule heating, which serves as a high-efficiency catalyst for Li–O2 batteries. Solution alloying of recycled NiCoMn with Pt group metals facilitates catalytic efficiency through 3d–5d electronic interactions and the high-entropy assembly effect. Both experimental and calculation results reveal that, driven by rapid, nonequilibrium thermal shock, electron transfer defies conventional expectations, where the electrons are inclined to transfer from the higher electronegative Pt to the surrounding NiCoMn atoms. This interesting reverse local charge redistribution and orbital hybridization endow Pt with an elevated d-band center and an optimized electronic structure.

A new strategy of dual-type atomic site-support interaction is reported, in which ruthenium heteroatoms are in situ implanted into both the N-C nanosheet matrix (Ru1-N-C) and supported Co2P nanoparticle lattice (Ru2-P-Co) for boosting alkaline water splitting. It is found that the Ru1-N-C and Ru2-P-Co can give rise to a synergistic effect for boosting HER and OER catalysis. Density functional theory calculations disclose that for HER, the Ru-functionalized Co sites in Co2P assume the task of expediting H2O adsorption-dissociation, and the adjacent coordination unsaturated Ru1-N-C sites can facilitate the following H2 desorption kinetic. While for OER, due to electronegativity discrepancies, the doped Ru within Co2P triggers electronic coupling, thereby efficiently tuning Ru d-band center. This grants its electronic characteristic preferred for modulating rate-determining step of OER to reduce the corresponding energy barrier, leading to superior OER catalytic activity.

V2CTX MXene was innovatively selected as a bifunctional source to in-situ derivatized (NH4)2V8O20·xH2O with amorphous carbon-coated (NHVO@C) via one-step hy drothermal method in relatively moderate temperature. The amorphous carbon shell derived from the V2CTX MXene as a conductive framework to effectively improve the diffusion kinetics of Zn2+ and the robust carbon skeleton could alleviate the ammonium dissolution during long-term cycling. As a result, zinc ion batteries using NHVO@C as cathode exhibit superior electrochemical performance. Moreover, the assembled foldable or high loading (10.2 mg/cm2) soft-packed ZIBs further demonstrates its practical application. This study provided new insights into the development of the carbon cladding process for thermally unstable materials in moderate temperatures.

Inspired by the Lewis acid-base theory, we design a unique coordination environment for constructing electron-deficient Co SACs on carbon nanotubes (named as CNT@f-CoNC), which function as a Lewis acid, to enhance the chemisorption and catalytic activity towards polysulfides (Lewis base). Compared with porphyrin-like Co SACs, electron-deficient Co SACs (Lewis acid) exhibit much stronger binding affinity towards polysulfides (Lewis base) and significantly lower energy barrier of the rate-determining step in the sulfur reduction reaction. As expected, even with a high sulfur loading (6.9 mg cm−2) and lean electrolyte to sulfur (E/S) ratio (4.0 μL mg−1), the areal capacity still reaches 7.7 mAh cm−2. Moreover, a 1.6 Ah-class pouch cell is successfully assembled under the harsh conditions and delivers an energy density of 422 Wh kg−1.

We propose for the first time an interesting strategy for upcycling Ni, Co, and Mn valuable metals from spent LIBs into a bifunctional catalyst for LOBs by a rapid Joule-heated thermal shock method. This is a well-defined catalyst combining both features of long-range order L12 face-centered cubic structure and short-range disorder in M sites. Benefiting from the unique atomic arrangement, the long-range order L12 structure significantly enhances the long-term stability of the catalyst, while the short-range disorder character of the M site triggers the cocktail effect and further activates the Pt catalytic kinetics. Experiments and theoretical results disclose that the local coordination environment and electronic distribution of Pt are both fundamentally modulated via surrounding disordered Ni, Co, and Mn atoms, which greatly optimize the affinity towards oxygen-containing intermediates and facilitate the deposition/decomposition kinetics of the thin-film Li2O2 discharge products.

We report a dislocation formation combined with a solid-solution strengthening strategy to achieve a Frank partial dislocation-strained IrNi alloy confined in an N-doped carbon matrix. Abundant dislocation defects can be first formed in ultrasmall IrNi nanoparticles due to nonequilibrium ultrafast thermal shock. Then, during the following high-temperature annealing, the atomic radius difference-induced solution strengthening mechanism further contributes to pinning and stabilizing the thus-formed dislocations. The experimental and theoretical analyses show that the thermodynamically strengthened dislocations induce an abundant compressive strain field into IrNi nanoparticles. This plays a crucial role in optimizing the electronic structure and tailoring the adsorption properties toward the reaction intermediates of metal centers, thus distinctly enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activity of IrNi/N–C.

In this work, for the synthesis of CNT arrays, a one-step heat-treated aluminum foil substrate-supported Fe(NO3)3 solution “self-reactive process” was developed to prepare Fe@Al2O3 nanoparticles with a diameter of about 20 nm and a catalyst layer thickness of about 2–3 mm. The results show that the key to maintain the small nanoparticle state is the interfacial interaction between the metal and the metal oxide, which enables the Fe nanoparticles to anchor on the Al2O3 surface and effectively prevents the aggregation or segregation of the Fe nanoparticles. Furthermore, by comparing the characterization parameters of the catalyst nanoparticles prepared under a series of different conditions, it was found that the aluminum foil substrate was oxidized to Al2O3 by the Fe(NO3)3 precursor in a one-step heat treatment, which could be explained by the oxidation of nitrate ions.

In this work, it successfully anchored a diverse range of Co-containing catalysts uniformly onto the COF-derived carbon through the unique chelation between cobalt atoms and imine groups. This strategy greatly enhances catalytic efficiency and also prevents the formation of “dead” catalysts, maximizing catalyst utilization. Experimental measurements and simulations reveal that the Co5.47N nanocrystal integrated with COF-derived carbon demonstrates remarkable catalytic efficiency in accelerating polysulfide conversion, primarily owing to the significant modulation of the d-band center of cobalt atoms within the Co5.47N@NC. The Co5.47N@NC system with a sulfur loading of 5.7 mg cm−2 and an E/S ratio of 4.0 µL mg−1, still sustains a specific capacity of 1314 mAh g−1. Consequently, a 1.0 Ah-level pouch cell delivers an energy density of 411 Wh kg−1 and maintains stable cycling.

Vanadium nitride (VN) with high electrical conductivity is a suitable anode to reduce the kinetic gap between the two electrodes of LICs, but the VN usually undergoes severe volume changes (～240 %) during the electrochemical reaction. Herein, the VN@N-PCYS-0.4 films that ultrafine VN quantum dots uniformly embedded in polyacrylonitrile-derived carbon (PAN-DC) nanoyarns were synthesized by a simple sacrificial silica template-assisted electrostatic spinning technique. Ultra-small particle size of VN (∼1 nm) mitigates the volume expansion and enriches the active sites. The super loose porous structure of PAN-DC nanoyarns shortens ions/electrons diffusion pathways and enhances electrolyte penetration. Such rational design for carbon-based material can surmount kinetics incompatibility between anode and cathode of LIC and provides a perspective to enhance the electrochemical properties of LIC anode in terms of volume expansion suppression and charge transfer resistance reduction.

All-solid-state batteries are of great interest due to their enhanced safety and high energy density. Sulfide solid electrolytes are a key focus in ASSB research, thanks to their high ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical stability, and robust mechanical properties. However, their practical use is often limited by interfacial compatibility issues with lithium-metal anodes and high costs. This review systematically analyzes the classification and synthesis methods of sulfide solid electrolytes, with a focus on low-cost approaches. It also examines recent progress in optimizing the interface between sulfide solid electrolytes and lithium-metal anodes, providing insights into material selection and engineering for interfacial layers. Finally, it discusses the development trends and future prospects of sulfide-based all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries, offering valuable guidance for their practical application.