Phase change materials (PCMs) offer unique isothermal latent heat regulation, positioning them as cornerstones for wearable personal thermal management (PTM). However, their practical deployment is often hindered by intrinsic drawbacks, including leakage, sluggish thermal response, and poor mechanical compliance with human physiological dynamics. This review establishes a multi-scale framework for advanced PCMs, spanning fundamental physical mechanisms, structural design, and multifunctional system integration. We systematically evaluate five representative shape-stable architectures, gels, porous matrices, fibers, microcapsules, and polymer networks, with a specific focus on the critical trade-offs between energy density, thermal conductivity, and flexibility. Moving beyond passive buffering, we explore the synergistic integration of PCMs with active photothermal, electrothermal, and radiative cooling functionalities. The maturity of these technologies is further assessed by analyzing their performance under extreme environmental conditions. Finally, we highlight persistent challenges, such as the lack of multiphysics descriptors for machine learning-driven discovery and the existing gap between laboratory prototypes and industrial-scale textile manufacturing, outlining a roadmap for the development of closed-loop, intelligent thermal regulation platforms.
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a highly promising class of crystalline proton-conducting materials owing to their designable structures, tunable pore environments, and well-defined conduction pathways. In recent years, superprotonic conduction in MOFs has become a major research focus, as an increasing number of MOF systems have achieved exceptionally high proton conductivities (>10–2 S cm–1) with low activation energies. These advances indicate that superprotonic conduction arises from the cooperative interplay of abundant proton carriers, continuous hydrogen-bonding networks, and low-barrier conduction pathways. This review summarizes rational strategies to enhance proton conduction and highlights representative recent advances in superprotonic conduction in MOFs under both hydrated and anhydrous conditions, with the structure–property relationships underlying their outstanding performance discussed in detail. Finally, key challenges and future directions for the design of proton-conductive MOFs are presented.
Hydrogen production via photocatalytic water splitting offers a sustainable pathway to address global energy and environmental challenges. Among various photocatalysts, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as highly promising platforms owing to their structural tunability, well-defined porosity, and modular integration of light-harvesting and catalytic functionalities. However, precise identification of active sites at the atomic level and a clear understanding of structure–performance relationships remain significant challenges. This review critically examines recent advances in MOF-based systems, with a focus on elucidating structure–performance correlations and strategies to overcome thermodynamic and kinetic limitations. Key approaches, including linker engineering, node modulation, heterostructure construction and the development of conductive MOF derivatives are discussed. Furthermore, advanced characterization techniques are presented to elucidate charge carrier dynamics and underlying reaction pathways. Finally, remaining challenges related to overall water splitting, long-term stability, scalability, and standardized evaluation protocols are outlined, along with future research directions.
The development of artificial water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) represents a journey of structural and conceptual evolution. It began with bioinspired explorations of the Mn4CaO5 cluster in Photosystem II, establishing core principles of molecular design based on precise control of metal nuclearity and coordination environments, and has now advanced towards a new generation of catalysts centered on earth-abundant metals. Throughout this progression, strategies such as multinuclear cooperativity and metal-ligand interactions have enabled base-metal catalysts to rival and even surpass the performance benchmarks set by their noble counterparts. To bridge the molecular precision of homogeneous catalysts with the operational stability required for practical applications, interfacial engineering has become paramount. Hybrid molecular electrodes, constructed through immobilization strategies that include it-it stacking and covalent anchoring, have emerged as representative paradigms that bridge the molecular and material realms. This review systematically delineates this structural evolution pathway. By integrating biological inspiration, molecular design, and interfacial engineering, it outlines a clear blueprint for developing efficient and stable sustainable water oxidation technologies.
