Researchers at the Institute of Chemistry, CAS, have developed a light-driven catalytic system based on Au/NiCo₂O₄ photoanodes that efficiently converts styrene to epoxide using water as the sole oxygen source. This work highlights the critical role of plasmon-induced photothermal effects in improving mass transport and catalytic performance under solar illumination.

The localized high-concentration electrolytes developed by introducing the antisolvent to dilute the high-concentration electrolyte is the most promising electrolyte for high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. For a long time, the antisolvent has been regarded as an inert component that does not participate in the solvation structure and interfacial chemical processes. However, the antisolvents with high content in the electrolyte is not absolutely non-polar, and their exact role in regulating the performance of lithium metal batteries has not received sufficient attention and remains unknown. Now, a team of researchers from Nanjing University have published an article in the journal National Science Review, systematically reporting the regulatory mechanism of aromatic hydrocarbon anti-solvents on the performance of lithium metal batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have long been hailed as a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries, but their performance has been hindered by inefficiencies in the anode material. A new study introduces an innovative approach to improving hard carbon (HC) anodes, which are vital for SIBs. By manipulating the interfacial chemistry of HC through an in situ coupling strategy, researchers have enhanced sodium ion transport and boosted both the storage capacity and rate capability of HC anodes. This breakthrough could be the key to unlocking the full potential of SIBs, making them a viable option for large-scale energy storage and electric vehicles.

Associate Professor Jing Yu (Tsinghua University), Professor Huajian Gao (Tsinghua University), and Dr. Quan Chen (Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences) recently developed a class of supramolecular elastomerswith high mechanical properties and efficient chemical recovery, called BNOSE, that are based on boron-nitrogen (B–N) and boron-oxygen (B–O) dynamic bonds. The dynamic B–N and B–O bonds in BNOSE provide robust interchain forces and degradation in mild ethanol solvents, resulting in a material with excellent mechanical properties and chemical recovery. Having a tensile strength of over 43 MPa and a toughness above 121 MJ/m³, BNOSE outperforms the vast majority of commercial elastomers and existing chemically recovered thermoplastic elastomers. BNOSE offers a sustainable solution without sacrificing mechanical performance, demonstrating potential in a variety of fields, such as soft robotics and flexible electronics. In addition, its scalable design approach can be extended to other polymer systems to meet the growing demand for recyclable high-performance materials. This work was published in CCS Chemistry.