Sodium-ion batteries are gaining attention as a lower-cost and more resource-abundant alternative to lithium-ion systems, but their practical performance is often weakened before they truly begin working. A major obstacle is the loss of active sodium ions during the first charge-discharge cycle, especially when hard carbon anodes are used. A new study reports a residue-free electrolyte additive, sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate (NaSO₂CF₃), designed to release sodium ions at the right stage of battery formation while avoiding harmful solid leftovers. By combining molecular design, electrochemical testing, and pouch-cell validation, the work offers a practical route to improving initial efficiency, cycle life, and manufacturability in sodium-ion batteries.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are widely viewed as a safer and more powerful alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, but their promise is often limited by unstable interfaces inside the cell. A new study shows that carefully introducing oxygen into a sulfide-based solid electrolyte (SE) can stabilize this vulnerable interface while keeping lithium ions moving rapidly. Using lithium sulfate (Li₂SO₄) as an oxygen source, the researchers reshaped the internal lithium pathways of an argyrodite electrolyte and activated cage-to-cage ion conduction. The result is a solid electrolyte that supports high capacity, fast charging and discharging, and long cycling stability, offering a practical strategy for next-generation batteries.

Inspired by fish lateral lines, researchers developed a lightweight, miniaturized sensing unit that estimates both flow speed and direction. Combined with a neural network and an inertial measurement unit, the single unit was validated on an underwater robot during multiple motion states and attitude disturbances, reflecting practical underwater operating conditions.

This review examines how indigenous water-harvesting systems have helped dryland communities manage scarce water for centuries. It shows that many are now declining due to groundwater pumping, migration, climate change, policy shifts, weak maintenance, urbanization and natural disasters. The authors argue that revitalizing these systems can improve water access, agriculture, livestock production, groundwater recharge and flood control, while preserving traditional knowledge. Combined with appropriate modern technologies and supportive policies, these systems can strengthen water resilience in arid and semi-arid regions.

Clean hydrogen production depends on catalysts that can split water efficiently while using precious metals more wisely. A new catalyst design addresses one of the long-standing barriers in alkaline water electrolysis: the slow breakdown of water molecules on platinum (Pt) surfaces. By placing Pt clusters on a symbiotic oxide support made from titanium dioxide quantum dots and cobalt oxide (TiO₂ QDs/Co₃O₄), the study reshapes the electronic state of Pt and creates paired active sites. These sites separately accelerate water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption, enabling faster hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity, stronger stability, and a clearer path toward more efficient alkaline electrolyzers.

Recently, Professor Hanjun Sun and his team from Nanjing Normal University proposed a novel C_sp–π–d conjugation design strategy. By incorporating carbon–carbon triple bonds (C≡C) into a metalloporphyrin framework, they constructed a C_sp–π–d conjugated structure with unique electronic modulation capability, enabling precise regulation of the adsorption behavior of the key oxygen reduction intermediate *OH and thereby significantly enhancing the performance of non-precious-metal catalysts. The resulting p-Co-TEPP/rGO catalyst not only exhibited outstanding oxygen reduction activity in alkaline media, but also delivered superior overall performance to the Pt/C–RuO₂ cathode in zinc–air batteries, offering a new strategy for the design of low-cost, high-performance energy catalysts.