SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4463-3
Organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites exhibit exceptional photovoltaic properties, yet their low crystallization energy promotes defect generation and necessitates precise control over synthesis parameters, hindering scalable fabrication. Ambient large-area coating methods suffer from environmental disturbances, leading to nonuniform crystallization and mixed α/δ phases, resulting in module efficiencies below 20% compared to >27% for lab-scale spin-coated cells. This work introduces a phase-locking strategy using 3-ureidopropyltrimethoxysilane (TMPU) incorporated into the PbI2 precursor solution during two-step blade coating. TMPU undergoes simultaneous cross-linking and interaction with the perovskite intermediate, forming a dynamically evolving intergranular network that blocks moisture and reduces the energy barrier for α-FAPbI3 formation. This approach achieves spatiotemporally homogeneous crystallization, eliminating directional inhomogeneity. Under segmented and monolithic aging protocols, control devices exhibited severe position-dependent degradation with only 34% efficiency retention at early-coated positions after thermal cycling, whereas phase-locked films maintained over 84% of initial photoluminescence intensity across all regions. Encapsulated modules retained over 90% of initial efficiency after 1500 h of 85°C maximum power point tracking (ISOS-L-2) and after 2300 h under 85°C/85% RH damp-heat testing (ISOS-D-3). The TMPU-based strategy combines exceptional performance (21.5% module efficiency) with robust stability, offering a distinct advantage over alternative approaches. This work addresses the kinetic and spatial dimensions of upscaling, demonstrating that morphological uniformity is a fundamental contributor to stability, marking a critical advance toward practical deployment of perovskite photovoltaics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3744-9
The high-value utilization of industrial wastes is critically important for environmental protection and sustainable development. In this work, amorphous NaFeP2O7 (NFPO) and NaFeP2O7/rGO (NFPO/rGO) composite are synthesized via a selective chemical precipitation approach, utilizing industrial jarosite residue as the iron source. The sodium storage performance and mechanism of this amorphous NFPO/rGO composite as a novel cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are explored for the first time. The as-synthesized amorphous NFPO/rGO composite exhibits outstanding long-term cycling performance of 79.1 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 0.1 A g−1, while the crystalline NFPO/rGO composite does not work. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis demonstrate that the amorphous NFPO/rGO composite has high Na+ diffusivity and fast kinetics. In-situ X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the structure change from amorphous NaFeP2O7 to triclinic Na2FeP2O7 during the first discharge process and then evolves to a highly disordered structure in the subsequent charge/discharge cycles. The present work not only provides an avenue for the high-value utilization of jarosite residue but also offers theoretical guidance for the structural design and development of NaFeP2O7-based cathode materials for SIBs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3712-2
Electrochemical potential and ion diffusion of electrode materials restrain the energy and power densities of lithium-ion batteries, and these challenges also remain in the intercalation-type Li3VO4 (LVO). In this work, the local [VO4] coordination symmetry in LVO is broken by a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies (Vö), resulting in an increased average V–O bond length and a larger ligand field splitting. These alterations reduce the energy level of the lowest unoccupied orbitals (e*) and lift the electrochemical potential, resulting in a higher voltage output. Additionally, the broken local symmetry in Vö-LVO is found to reduce the band gap and expand the ion transport channels, which favors enhancing electronic conductivity and facilitates ion diffusion, thereby improving the electrochemical kinetics in the energy storage process. The local symmetry broken sample (Vö-LVO) achieves a significantly improved capacity of 532 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g in comparison with 394 mAh/g of pristine LVO, and long cycling stability with retained capacity of 398 mAh/g at 1 A/g over 500 cycles compared with 236 mAh/g of the pristine LVO. The fundamental understanding paves the way to exploit high-performance electrodes via ligand field engineering for next-generation rechargeable batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3824-8
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are pivotal in portable electronics, electrified transportation, and smart grids, where energy conversion and delivery hinge on the coupled transfer of electrons and lithium ions (Li+). Charge transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface, involving solvated Li+ interacting with the solid electrode, dictates overpotential—the excess energy required to drive reactions—directly impacting energy loss, voltage fade, and power limitations. Despite decades of research, interfacial kinetics remain incompletely understood, hindering advances in energy density, fast charging, and cycling life. Two classical models—electron transfer (ET) and ion transfer (IT)—have been treated as mutually exclusive. The ET model posits quantum tunneling of electrons as rate-determining, with solvated Li+ residing at the outer Helmholtz plane; activation energy is modulated by overpotential, and current-overpotential behavior follows the Butler-Volmer equation. Marcus-Hush-Chidsey theory extends this to high overpotentials, explaining weak temperature dependence in Tafel curvature. Conversely, the IT model identifies physical desolvation of Li+ as the energy-consuming, rate-limiting step, with desolvation barriers (ΔG_desolv) typically tens of kJ/mol, far exceeding electron tunneling activation energies. Strategies to lower IT barriers include electrolyte design, electric field modulation, electrode surface engineering, and alloying. This paper critically examines both models, proposing a coupled ion-electron transfer mechanism to reconcile discrepancies and guide future interfacial engineering.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3849-5
Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SLMBs) are a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries due to their potential for higher energy density and improved safety. However, the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed at the lithium metal anode/electrolyte interface is often brittle, leading to poor interfacial contact, high impedance, and dendrite growth, which limits cycle life and rate capability. Here, we report a functionally gradient ductile SEI design that incorporates AgF and Ag2S into the SEI layer, creating a composition gradient with a lithiophilic Ag/Ag–Li alloy at the anode surface. This ductile SEI exhibits a low generalized stacking fault energy, as confirmed by density functional theory calculations, and maintains structural integrity even at a bending angle of 150°, unlike brittle SEIs that fracture. The ductile SEI enables a high Li-ion diffusion coefficient of 3.8 × 10−8 cm2 s−1 and low activation energy. Consequently, Li|PALA|Li symmetric cells demonstrate exceptional cyclability over 4500 h at an ultrahigh current density of 15 mA cm−2 and areal capacity of 15 mA h cm−2, and stable operation for over 7000 h at −30 °C under practical conditions (5 mA cm−2, 5 mA h cm−2). Full cells with LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes show superior rate performance and capacity retention at both 25 °C and −30 °C. The cumulative capacity reaches 33750 mA h cm−2, an order of magnitude higher than previously reported SLMBs. This work underscores that the mechanical properties of the SEI are as critical as its ionic conductivity and chemical stability, opening a new frontier in interface design for practical, high-energy-density, and safe solid-state batteries.