Ion migration capability and interfacial chemistry of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) in all-solid-state sodium metal batteries (ASSMBs) are closely related to the Na⁺ coordination environment. Herein, an electrostatic engineering strategy is proposed to regulate the Na⁺ coordinated structure by employing a fluorinated metal–organic framework as an electron-rich model. Theoretical and experimental results revealed that the abundant electron-rich F sites can accelerate the disassociation of Na-salt through electrostatic attraction to release free Na⁺, while forcing anions into a Na⁺ coordination structure though electrostatic repulsion to weaken the Na⁺ coordination with polymer, thus promoting rapid Na⁺ transport. The optimized anion-rich weak solvation structure fosters a stable inorganic-dominated solid–electrolyte interphase, significantly enhancing the interfacial stability toward Na anode. Consequently, the Na/Na symmetric cell delivered stable Na plating/stripping over 2500 h at 0.1 mA cm⁻². Impressively, the assembled ASSMBs demonstrated stable performance of over 2000 cycles even under high rate of 2 C with capacity retention nearly 100%, surpassing most reported ASSMBs using various solid-state electrolytes. This work provides a new avenue for regulating the Na⁺ coordination structure of SPEs by exploration of electrostatic effect engineering to achieve high-performance all-solid-state alkali metal batteries.

A new study has shown that turning sugarcane waste into a smart catalyst can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into methane, offering a promising route to recycle greenhouse gases into useful fuel. The research team designed a cobalt and cerium based catalyst supported on biochar made from sugarcane bagasse, achieving high CO2 conversion and methane selectivity under relatively mild conditions.

In physical systems, transport takes many forms, such as electric current through a wire, heat through metal, or even water through a pipe. Each of these flows can be described by how easily the underlying quantity—charge, energy, or mass—moves through a material. Normally, collisions and friction lead to resistance causing these flows to slow down or fade away. But in a new experiment at TU Wien, scientists have observed a system where that doesn’t happen at all.

By showing that the electronic topology of a material can be tuned by adding or removing electrons, the study opens new possibilities for seamlessly integrating emerging quantum materials technology with established electronics.