Two-dimensional (2D) materials have rapidly emerged as transformative platforms for energy storage and conversion, owing to their atomic-scale thickness, tunable electronic structures, and versatile chemical functionalities. Over the past five years, remarkable advances in material synthesis, interface engineering, and device integration have unlocked new opportunities, yet challenges in stability, scalability, and performance optimization remain. In this roadmap, we provide an updated perspective toward 2030, systematically reviewing eleven representative 2D material classes, which can be broadly grouped into carbon-based materials, inorganic semiconductors, framework materials, and layered nanosheet systems. Their opportunities and challenges in electrochemical energy storage, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis are highlighted. We believe this roadmap can enrich the development of 2D materials for sustainable energy technologies, and provide useful guidance for both fundamental studies and practical applications in the coming decade.

To improve the interfacial interaction and low-temperature resistance of fluororubber/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (FKM/EPDM) blends, perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane-functionalized helical hollow silica tubes (PFTS-HHSTs) were prepared via a sol-gel template method. The helical hollow structure of PFTS-HHSTs facilitates physical entanglement with the rubber chains, while the grafted PFTS groups improve the interfacial adhesion between the filler and the FKM/EPDM matrix. These significantly boosted the compatibility, mechanical, and low-temperature resistance performance. Compared to the unfilled FKM/EPDM blend, the tensile strength of the composite with 15 phr PFTS-HHSTs increased by 124.53%. In addition, the glass transition temperature decreased by 3.9 °C, and the low-temperature compression set at -40 °C dropped by 98.68%. This study provides a highly effective nanoscale compatibilizer for developing high-performance FKM composites for extreme low-temperature applications.

Photocatalysis offers a promising solution to global energy and environmental challenges. Combing pollution degradation reaction with the water-splitting hydrogen production system is of great significant to take full use of electrons and holes, but it faces challenges in the exploration of catalysts with high performance and clear reaction pathways. In this work, we reported a CdS/MoS2/MnO2 (CdSx/Mo/Mny) ternary hybrid with clearly defined spatial position by introducing MoS2 and MnO2 on CdS nanorods through the combination of chemical occupying strategy with the photo-deposition method. When reacted in a TC solution with the absence of cocatalyst nor sacrificial agent, a hydrogen evolution rate of 1.06 mmol/g/h coupled with simultaneous 96.8% degradation of TC can be reached on the optimized CdS1/Mo/Mn45 composite. The formation of spatially isolated yet uniformly distributed reaction centers contributes most to the realization of high performance dual functional photocatalytic reaction, which providing dedicated regions for redox processes while optimizing inter-site distance to minimize charge recombination. This study presents a novel strategy for designing highly active dual-function photocatalysts capable of efficient simultaneous oxidation and reduction reactions, demonstrating great potential for synergistic energy and environmental applications.

The environmental issues caused by carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a major greenhouse gas, have garnered increasing attention, driving the widespread application of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reactions (eCO 2 RR) in pollutant treatment. Metal-CO 2 batteries (MCBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional fuel cells, garnering significant interest due to their capacity to integrate energy storage with eCO 2 RR. The electrolyte is of pivotal significance in MCBs, given its considerable impact on battery performance, service life, and safety. However, due to the inherent limitations of conventional electrolytes, such as flammability, thermal instability, poor low-temperature performance, side reactions, achieving simultaneous optimization of all required performance parameters remains a formidable scientific challenge. Electrolytes should simultaneously possess high ionic conductivity, substantial CO 2 solubility, broad electrochemical stability window, and thermodynamically robust interfaces with the electrode materials to ensure overall system performance and stability. It is fortunate that a range of methodologies have been established for the purpose of modifying electrolytes. In this review, we provide a concise overview of the structural characteristics of conventional MCBs, systematically classify MCBs electrolytes into liquid, solid-state, and semi-solid-state categories, and highlight the unique advantages and challenges. We further explore key optimization strategies like bulk composition tuning and additive engineering to enhance performance and put forward several suggestions for the future development of MCBs electrolytes according to persistent challenges. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for the development of MCBs.

The key factors determining the total cost of ownership (TCO) of battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and battery-swapping electric vehicle (BSEV) are analysed. The effects of multiple incentive policies and carbon emission regulation on the cost competitiveness and carbon emission reduction of BEV and BSEV are explored in China. The comprehensive TCO model for BEV and BSEV is proposed focusing on vehicle category, city, incentive policy, and application. The TCO of BSEV’ M-SUV is approximately 20,000 yuan higher than that of internal combustion engine vehicle ICEV across five cities under the private car mode. The TCO of BSEV for all vehicle categories is the lowest, being approximately 100,000 yuan lower than that of BEV and around 250,000 yuan lower than that of ICEV under the ride-hailing mode. The incentive policies are essential to improve the cost competitiveness of BEV and BSEV under the private car mode. By contrast, TCO of BEV and BSEV is still 50,000 to 300,000 yuan lower than that of ICEV even without the implementation of incentive policies under the ride-hailing mode in 10 cities. Through sensitivity analysis, the rising unit carbon price, extended driving mileage and proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy sources have increasingly highlighted the advantage of BSEV in reducing carbon emission cost. The appropriate discount rates and optimized battery replacement period can effectively reduce the TCO of BEV and BSEV. Using the BEV with battery capacity of 75 kWh under the private car mode and the BSEV with battery capacity of 100 kWh under the ride-hailing mode are more conducive to TCO reduction. The methodology proposed in this paper can be used in other city and country studies, and generate useful information for supporting decision-making.

Electrocatalytic water splitting can be driven by electricity to convert water into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), and is considered a critical bridge for clean energy conversion, with the key being the exploration of efficient and stable electrocatalysts. Compared to precious metal electrocatalysts (PMEs), non-precious metal electrocatalysts (NPMEs) inherently offer a cost advantage, and some NPMEs exhibit the same stability and low overpotential as PMEs in acidic electrocatalytic water splitting. In recent decades, a lot of studies has been done on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of NPMEs in acidic media. We first summarized the basic principles of OER and HER, and then reviewed the latest developments in NPMEs for HER and OER. Subsequently, the advantages and disadvantages of various types of NPMEs under acidic conditions were analyzed, and their performance in OER, HER, and overall water splitting was compared. Based on this, we summarized cutting-edge approaches to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of NPMEs, including nanostructure design, heteroatom doping, and composite carrier strategies. Finally, we analyzed the current hurdles and the future research avenues for NPMEs. This review helps to understand the basic principles and research progress of electrocatalytic water splitting in acidic media, and clarifies the future direction of this field.

The development of rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) is fundamentally constrained by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which govern the discharge and charge processes, respectively. Although high-entropy alloys (HEAs) offer tunable electronic structures and multi-metal synergy, precisely controlling the adsorption strength of oxygenated species to achieve superior bifunctional activity remains challenging when limited to conventional 3d transition metals. Herein, we report a melamine-assisted pyrolysis strategy to synthesize a series of rare-earth (RE = Ce, Gd, La) integrated FeCoNiMn high-entropy alloy nanoparticles encapsulated within N-doped carbon nanotubes. Among these, the FeCoNiMnCe@NCNTs catalyst demonstrates exceptional bifunctional performance with a half-wave potential of 0.853 V for ORR and an overpotential of 273 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for OER, yielding a small potential gap (ΔE = 0.65 V). Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that Ce integration induces favorable electronic structure modulation and enhanced orbital hybridization, which collectively optimize the adsorption free energy of oxygen intermediates and lower the energy barrier of the potential-determining step for both reactions. When applied as an air cathode in ZAB, the catalyst enables a high power density of 188.7 mW cm-2 and remarkable long-term charge-discharge stability exceeding 325 h. This work highlights the potential of RE-tuned HEAs as robust and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for next-generation energy conversion systems.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is among the most promising technologies for the denitrification (de-NOx) of nitrogen oxides (NOx), with the performance of catalysts serving as the decisive factor governing its efficiency and durability. In recent years, engineering and modulation of oxygen vacancies (OVs) within SCR catalysts have emerged as a forefront strategy to enhance de-NOx activity. This review summarizes major strategies for constructing OVs in SCR catalysts. In parallel, advanced characterization and simulation techniques are summarized to elucidate the intrinsic relationships between OV structures and catalytic behavior. Furthermore, particular emphasis is placed on the pivotal roles of OVs in promoting reactant adsorption and activation, strengthening redox capacity, and enhancing resistance to sulfur, water, and alkali-metal poisoning. Their contributions to lowering reaction energy barriers and optimizing catalytic pathways are also analyzed in detail. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of OV engineering in SCR catalysis are critically discussed. This review seeks to offer theoretical and strategic guidance for the rational design of SCR catalysts through the precise modulation of OVs to improve their stability and durability.

Nanoplatelets, also named quantum wells, exhibit outstanding optical performance due to the strong quantum confinement effects in the thickness direction. By controlling the thickness of nanoplatelets, the bandgap can be adjusted continuously, which indicates that the nanoplatelets have tunable emission and absorption spectra. Over the past few decades, a series of systematic works, such as synthesis methods, formation mechanisms, electronic structures, and applications, have been reported and have verified that nanoplatelets can serve as a potential emission material. This review article concludes and analyzes the current progress of research on nanoplatelets, mainly focusing on thickness control. Despite the maturity of the thickness control of zinc blende Cd-based nanoplatelets, Zn-based nanoplatelets still pose a challenge. Structural engineering not only improves the stability but also extends the application fields of nanoplatelets, such as light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, lasers, luminescent solar concentrators, photodetectors, and bioimaging. However, the low external quantum efficiencies of blue and green light-emitting diodes limit the application of nanoplatelets.

Designing char-forming agents as multifunctional components provides a practical direction for developing intumescent flame-retardant materials with excellent fire safety. In this work, a novel bio-based macromolecular charring agent (NL-OH) was synthesized by chemically modifying lignin with pentaerythritol (PER) and melamine (MEL) and compounded with ammonium phosphate (APP) at an optimal ratio of 5:4 to construct an intumescent flame-retardant system (IFRR) for polypropylene (PP). The flame retardancy and mechanism of the fabricated composites were evaluated using LOI, UL-94, TGA, CCT, TG-FTIR, and other techniques. With the synergy between NL-OH and APP, PP composites exhibited outstanding LOI values of 32.9%, significant char-forming ability of 10.71% of char residues, and notable reductions in the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and peak smoke production rate (PSPR) by 46.9% and 80.9%, respectively. NL-OH functioned as both a charring and blowing agent, promoting the formation of an expanded and continuous char layer that effectively insulates heat and suppresses flammable gas release, contributing to the overall fire safety of the material. This study aligns with international efforts toward sustainable and eco-friendly flame-retardant technologies, which provide a theoretical basis for the construction of a dual-source charring agent.

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCO2RR) holds great promise in producing value-added chemicals, and achieving carbon neutrality. However, the efficiency of eCO2RR is often hindered by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. Thereby, various strategies have been developed to boost anode reaction, aiming to realize economic viability and reduce energy consumption in an eCO2RR electrolyzer. To give a comprehensive overview of anode engineering for optimizing eCO2RR, this review summarizes and discusses the cutting-edge anodic design strategies from recent research progress. They mainly include the direct substitution of OER to the value-added oxidation reaction of other small molecules, the introduction of photo/bio-assistance anodes, and the construction of metal-CO2 batteries. Furthermore, the emerging challenges and a forward-looking perspective on anode development by coupling renewable energy, sewage treatment and eCO2RR are also proposed.

ABSTRACT Understanding how carbon‐layer curvature regulates sodium storage in hard carbon remains challenging because the missing link between structural curvature and Na + transport kinetics has not been experimentally resolved. Herein, hard carbons with tunable curvature are developed to elucidate the role of interfacial electrostatics in sodium storage. Kelvin probe force microscopy directly reveals a positive correlation between curvature and surface potential, providing experimental evidence that curvature governs the local electrostatic environment. Operando structural analyses demonstrate that enhanced interfacial electric fields promote early Na + intercalation, whereas excessively strong fields hinder Na + migration toward low‐potential pore filling. Consequently, Na + transport exhibits a non‐monotonic dependence on interfacial electrostatics, where moderate curvature simultaneously enables rapid Na + capture and efficient bulk transport. The optimized BC‐1000 sample, with balanced curvature and interfacial electric field, delivers a high reversible capacity of 207.5 mAh g − 1 at 10 A g − 1 . This work establishes interfacial electrostatics as the missing link connecting carbon‐layer curvature and sodium‐storage kinetics, providing a new design principle for high‐performance hard carbon anodes.

The development of efficient and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts is essential for largescale green hydrogen production, particularly for overall seawater splitting. Herein, a Ru/Ti3C2Ox@NF electrocatalyst was fabricated through electrodepositing ultra-low (0.54 wt%) Ru nanoclusters onto Ti3C2Ox MXene nanosheets deposited on nickel foam (NF). The electrocatalyst demonstrates excellent bifunctional activity and operational stability under constant current conditions, delivering low overpotentials of 33 mV for HER and 233 mV for OER at 10 mA cm- 2 in 1 M KOH seawater, and exhibiting less than 5 % performance loss after 100 h of continuous operation at 50 mA cm- 2. Remarkably, overall seawater splitting is realized at a cell voltage of just 1.50 V. Mechanistic studies reveal that the formation of dual interfacial bonds Ru-O-Ti and Ru-C-Ti with the -O and -C terminations of Ti3C2Ox induces directional charge redistribution across the interface. The Ru-O-Ti bonds significantly lower Delta GH* to 0.07 eV and Delta GO* to 1.48 eV, facilitating HER kinetics and OER intermediate adsorption, while Ru-C-Ti bonds reduce the Delta GOOH* barrier to 1.42 eV. The cooperative effect of these dual interfacial motifs enhances bidirectional electrocatalytic performance. This study highlights an interfacial bonding strategy as a generalizable design concept for developing high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalysts under challenging seawater electrolysis conditions.

To address the challenge of achieving high activity for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) to produce formic acid/formate in the pH-universal media, this study designs a self-supported electrode with evenly dispersed hybrid metallic bismuth (Bi) and bismuth hypochlorite (BiOCl) nanosheets (Bi/BiOCl NSs) by an electrolytic growth process. Under the negative potential, the Bi salts loaded on the gas diffusion layer is in situ-reduced to the sheet-like hybrid Bi/BiOCl nanostructures with abundant active heterojunction sites during the eCO2RR process, significantly optimizing the adsorption and conversion pathways of CO2. The obtained electrode enables efficient conversion of CO2 to formic acid under strongly acidic media (pH = 1.3), and formate under alkaline (pH = 14)/neutral (pH = 8.6 and 6.2) electrolytes, with all the peak Faradaic efficiencies exceeding 90%. Additionally, the electrode can operate stably at a high current density of 100 mA cm-2 for 8 hours in pH-universal media, demonstrating its excellent corrosion resistance and structural stability. This study provides new insights for the design of efficient catalysts for eCO2RR in comprehensive environments.

Mainstream hard carbon anode materials in sodium-ion batteries are frequently hindered by issues such as low kinetics for sodium-ion storage. In this work, we present a novel approach to overcome these key limitations by fluorine doping of wheat straw-derived hard carbon, which gives rise to a higher defect density, larger interlayer spacing and faster sodium-ion storage kinetics, when compared to the undoped hard carbon. As a result, the fluorine-doped hard carbon (HCF) exhibits an enhanced rate performance, higher specific capacity and optimized balance between slope and plateau capacity ratios, achieving a reversible capacity of 295 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1. This study demonstrates that the intrinsic properties of hard carbon can be efficiently modified through heteroatom doping, offering a promising pathway for the development of high-performance anodes in sodium-ion batteries.

To improve the interfacial interaction between natural sepiolite (SEP) and fluororubber (FKM), an acid-activated sepiolite (GSEP) was prepared by modifying the natural SEP in inorganic acid solution. The GSEP appear fine needle-like nanostructures and has relatively higher specific surface area (181 %), maximum N2 adsorption capacity (218 %), and purity compared to SEP. The silanol groups on GSEP formed Si-C bonds with FKM, which increased the cross-linking density of the composites, thus enhancing the mechanical and thermal conductivity of the FKM. Compared to FKM, the tensile strength, modulus at 100 % strain, hardness and initial decomposition temperature of the FKM/GSEP-15 were increased by 259 %, 150 %, 11.7 % and 14.5 degrees C, respectively. This work provides a new strategy for preparation of high performance FKM with high heat dissipation and high mechanical properties.

Vacuum carbon thermal reduction has been widely studied for the recovery of ternary lithium batteries, and there are many choices for the type of carbon to be reduced in this method, such as expensive carbon nanotubes and inexpensive battery anode carbon. In this paper, the vacuum reduction of ternary lithium batteries cathode materials by carbon nanotubes was investigated, and it was confirmed that carbon nanotubes, as a high-quality carbon with high carbon content and large specific surface area can achieve very excellent reduction results. Using concentrated sulfuric acid with a concentration of 98% and H2O2 with a concentration of 60%, swollen anode carbon as the reduced carbon, the direct yields of Li and Mn were above 99% at a vacuum of 10 Pa, a temperature of 1623 K, a pressurized material pressure of 0 MPa, and a roasting time of 90 min, similar to the effect of expensive carbon nanotubes, and the roasting time was lower than that of the unetched anode carbon. This process improves the reduction efficiency and saves energy consumption in vacuum carbon thermal reduction of waste ternary lithium batteries cathode materials.

This study explored a two-step synthesis to prepare polyimide (PI) for applications as the anode of sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Recently, organic materials, particularly pi-conjugated organic polymers, have emerged as promising alternatives to hard carbons for SIBs that have garnered considerable attention in advancing energy storage technology due to the abundance of sodium resources and their cost-effectiveness. The proposed two-step synthesis took place at a moderate temperature 120 degrees C, which was much lower than the existing single step method, in which the elevated temperature might lead to by-product formation. This low temperature synthesis incorporated multiple carbonyl redox sites in the final products and effectively addressed the structural instability and active site loss that were typically associated with high-temperature synthesis processes. The resulting SIBs demonstrate a reversible capacity of 330.1 mAh g-1 after 1100 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A g-1, with a capacity retention of 99.2% and a capacity maintenance rate of 98.8%. These performance metrics are comparable to those of existing hard carbon anode materials. The results suggest that the optimization of polyimide materials presents a viable strategy for improving sodium-ion battery performance.

Phenolphthalein (PHT) has always been used as an acid-base indicator, but its characterization range is too wide, and its dispersion in the films is uneven. To solve this problem, in this work, a composite filler SiO2@PHT-1 with a jujube cake structure was designed. The size of phenolphthalein particles was effectively regulated by intervening in the growth process of phenolphthalein nuclei through silica (SiO2). This also improved the dispersion of PHT in fluororubber (FKM) films, as well as the indicator film's tensile strength (57.1%) and initial decomposition temperature (201.6 degrees C), resulting in a pH indicator film with excellent tensile properties and thermal stability. The FKM/SiO2@PHT-1 film is also capable of determining the pH value of a solution based on color and phenomena. In addition, the dense protective layer formed by the silica retards the release of PHT into the sample solution, which contributes to the reusability of the film. This method shows great promise and can be applied to laboratory and swimming pool alkalinity testing.