An article in Nature shows that common microplastics are not merely passive contaminants: when immersed in water they spontaneously generate reactive oxygen species, revealing a physicochemical mechanism that may contribute to microplastic toxicity.
An article in Advanced Materials demonstrates that nickel single-atom catalysts can be formed in situ within a CO2 electrolyser, achieving nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency towards CO.
With power conversion efficiencies exceeding 27%, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are transitioning from laboratory-scale efficiency-driven research to a focus on large-scale deployment. At this stage, manufacturing cost is emerging as a key constraint governing the industrial competitiveness of PSCs. The manufacturing cost of PSCs (approximately US$0.3–0.6 W−1) remains much higher than that of mature crystalline silicon solar cells (approximately $0.1 W−1); therefore, it is essential to incorporate cost considerations into the future technological development of PSCs. In this Review, we discuss advances in PSC research from a cost-driven perspective, organized into three dimensions: enhancing manufacturing yield by addressing material reliability and process tolerance, reducing material costs by rethinking material selection and device architectures alongside material recycling strategies, and simplifying fabrication by alleviating dependence on controlled environments, specialized equipment and energy-intensive processing. Finally, we discuss how cost-oriented principles can be incorporated into PSC research and development while maintaining competitive device performance to facilitate their transition from laboratory studies to commercially viable photovoltaic technologies. As perovskite solar cells advance towards commercialization, the need for competitive manufacturing costs is becoming increasingly important. This Review discusses cost-driven pathways towards industrially manufacturable perovskite photovoltaics, including improving manufacturing yield, reducing material costs and simplifying fabrication, as well as the remaining challenges for their industrial implementation.
Charge storage in aqueous batteries is commonly understood through an ion-centric picture, in which metal ions or pre-existing protons transport and compensate charge. However, conventional metal-ion diffusion and proton insertion do not fully account for seconds-level kinetics, strong cation–electrode specificity and experimentally detectable proton signatures observed at the low equilibrium proton concentrations in aqueous metal-ion batteries. In this Perspective, we propose that interfacial water can serve as a charge-transfer medium under certain conditions, with ultrafast kinetics arising from the cleavage and reorganization of water at electrode–electrolyte interfaces. In this framework, water-derived protons provide charge compensation through insertion processes, and the formation and relaxation of short-lived water-derived intermediates reflect the activation of water cleavage. We outline the working principles of ultrafast charging behaviour mediated by interfacial water and its positioning among known fast charging pathways in aqueous batteries, the physical origin and tunability of interfacial water cleavage, and transient spectroscopic tools capable of resolving the evolution of short-lived water-derived intermediates. Finally, we discuss the implications of this interfacial-water-centred view for electrode and device design and for high-power aqueous energy-storage applications. Ultrafast charge storage in aqueous batteries is difficult to reconcile with conventional ion-transport models alone. This Perspective proposes interfacial water as a charge-transfer medium and examines its molecular mechanism, boundary conditions, regulation, characterization and implications for high-power aqueous energy storage.
An article in Nature Sensors describes a solid electrolyte that converts lithium dendrite penetration into an electrical signal, providing advance warning of impending battery failure.
