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Metal borides/borates have been considered promising as oxygen evolution reaction catalysts; however, to date, there is a dearth of evidence of long-term stability at practical current densities. Here we report a phase composition modulation approach to fabricate effective borides/borates-based catalysts. We find that metal borides in-situ formed metal borates are responsible for their high activity. This knowledge prompts us to synthesize NiFe-Boride, and to use it as a templating precursor to form an active NiFe-Borate catalyst. This boride-derived oxide catalyzes oxygen evolution with an overpotential of 167 mV at 10 mA/cm 2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte and requires a record-low overpotential of 460 mV to maintain water splitting performance for over 400 h at current density of 1 A/cm 2 . We couple the catalyst with CO reduction in an alkaline membrane electrode assembly electrolyser, reporting stable C 2 H 4 electrosynthesis at current density 200 mA/cm 2 for over 80 h. Metal borides/borates are promising candidates to become high-performance alkaline oxygen evolution reaction catalysts. This study reports an in-situ phase composition modulation approach to fabricate boride/borate-based catalysts.

Highlights A novel strategy employs 2D materials to construct cascaded band alignment, enabling efficient charge transport and reducing energy loss. An innovative approach utilizes donor–acceptor blends; active layer morphology and interfacial engineering minimize charge recombination to enable high performance and long-term device stability. This review uniquely consolidates the roles of 2D materials as electron transport layers and hole transport layers across three major classes of solar cells: perovskite, organic and dye-sensitized solar cells. The growing global energy demand and worsening climate change highlight the urgent need for clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions. Among emerging technologies, atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique advantages in photovoltaics due to their tunable optoelectronic properties, high surface area and efficient charge transport capabilities. This review explores recent progress in photovoltaics incorporating 2D materials, focusing on their application as hole and electron transport layers to optimize bandgap alignment, enhance carrier mobility and improve chemical stability. A comprehensive analysis is presented on perovskite solar cells utilizing 2D materials, with a particular focus on strategies to enhance crystallization, passivate defects and improve overall cell efficiency. Additionally, the application of 2D materials in organic solar cells is examined, particularly for reducing recombination losses and enhancing charge extraction through work function modification. Their impact on dye-sensitized solar cells, including catalytic activity and counter electrode performance, is also explored. Finally, the review outlines key challenges, material limitations and performance metrics, offering insight into the future development of next-generation photovoltaic devices encouraged by 2D materials.

Recent advances in nanotechnology, including the development of nanoparticles, thin films, and superlattices, have revitalized research in thermoelectricity by enabling independent control of thermal and electrical transport, overcoming longstanding efficiency limitations and expanding opportunities for sustainable energy generation and miniaturized device applications. Tin dioxide (SnO2) has recently attracted increasing attention as a thermoelectric material owing to its properties, such as high-temperature chemical and structural stability, non-toxicity, and the abundance of constituent elements. Current research efforts have been directed toward enhancing its thermoelectric performance through strategies such as elemental doping, nanostructuring, strain engineering, and the development of composite systems. In this study, we investigate the effects of Mg substitutional doping on the thermoelectric characteristics of SnO2. We synthesize undoped and Mg-doped SnO2 nanoparticles (0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15%) using a straightforward hydrothermal technique. The investigation of the undoped and doped materials revealed that SnO2 possesses a tetragonal rutile-type structure, as determined through structural and morphological examination. The crystalline size of all of the samples decreases as the Mg doping concentration is increased. Hall measurement and Seebeck coefficient measurements have been employed for assessing the thermoelectric characteristics. As the Mg content increased, both the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity value increased from −20 μV/K to −91 μV/K and 29.8 S/cm to 112.6 S/cm, confirming the presence of semiconductor behavior. The 0.15% Mg-doped sample demonstrates the highest power factor when evaluated at a temperature of 150 K, yielding a value of 9.4 × 10−5 WK−2m−1.

In the past decade, molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) has received significant attention from the scientific community due to its structural features and unique properties originate from them. In the current review, the properties, various preparation approaches, and versatile applications of MoTe2 are presented. The review provides a brief update on the state of our fundamental understanding of MoTe2 material and also discusses the issues that need to be resolved. To introduce MoTe2, we briefly summarize its structural, optoelectronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties in the beginning. Then, different preparation methods of MoTe2, such as exfoliation, laser treatment, deposition, hydrothermal, microwave, and molecular beam epitaxy, are included. The excellent electrical conductivity, strong optical activity, tunable bandgap, high sensitivity, and impressive stability make it an ideal contender for different applications, including energy storage, catalysis, sensors, solar cells, photodetectors, and transistors. The performance of MoTe2 in these applications is systematically introduced along with mechanistic insights. At the end of the article, the challenges and possible future directions are highlighted to further modify MoTe2 material for the numerous functionalities. Therefore, the availability of different phases and layer structures implies a potential for MoTe2 to lead an era of two‐dimensional materials that began from the exfoliation of graphene. The purpose of this review paper was to provide fundamental information about MoTe2 with an emphasis on its properties, different methods of synthesis, and applications in a variety of fields. The availability of various phase structures with unique optoelectronic properties as well as its modificable layered structure makes MoTe2 material special for next‐generation advanced devices.

Composite metal oxide semiconductors are promising candidates for photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC WS) toward environmentally friendly hydrogen production. Among them, ZnO and α‐Fe2O3 hold great potential thanks to a series of benefits, including fast charge transport in single‐crystalline structures, large surface area and tunable shapes (ZnO), and energy bandgap falling in the visible spectral range (α‐Fe2O3). However, both materials present significant drawbacks, which hinder their successful application in high‐efficiency PEC WS: the wide bandgap of ZnO limits its absorption in the UV range, while the low charge carrier mobility results in heavy recombination losses in α‐Fe2O3 during charge collection. The synthesis of ZnO/hematite composites has recently proven to be an effective approach to improve the overall WS performances. In this review, the recent developments on the application of different morphologies (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D structures) for PEC WS are illustrated, analyzing the role of the shape and morphology in boosting the functional properties, both in single systems and in composite nanostructures. Complex networks show higher photocatalytic efficiency than the single building blocks and, consequently, composite materials exhibit higher performances. Possible paths for the development of an effective lab‐to‐fab transition based on application of ZnO/α‐Fe2O3 composite structures are also suggested. ZnO/hematite composite nanostructures are promising candidates for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Recent advancements demonstrate that the combination of single building blocks and the designing of complex morphologies may enhance the performances of both single and composite systems. The shape of a material can be a key parameter in producing new catalysts for energy and environmental applications.

The combination of the ability to absorb most of the solar radiation and simultaneously suppress infrared re-radiation allows selective solar absorbers (SSAs) to maximize solar energy to heat conversion, which is critical to several advanced applications. The intrinsic spectral selective materials are rare in nature and only a few demonstrated complete solar absorption. Typically, intrinsic materials exhibit high performances when integrated into complex multilayered solar absorber systems due to their limited spectral selectivity and solar absorption. In this study, we propose CoSb x (2 < x < 3) as a new exceptionally efficient SSA. Here we demonstrate that the low bandgap nature of CoSb x endows broadband solar absorption (0.96) over the solar spectral range and simultaneous low emissivity (0.18) in the mid-infrared region, resulting in a remarkable intrinsic spectral solar selectivity of 5.3. Under 1 sun illumination, the heat concentrates on the surface of the CoSb x thin film, and an impressive temperature of 101.7 °C is reached, demonstrating the highest value among reported intrinsic SSAs. Furthermore, the CoSb x was tested for solar water evaporation achieving an evaporation rate of 1.4 kg m −2 h −1 . This study could expand the use of narrow bandgap semiconductors as efficient intrinsic SSAs with high surface temperatures in solar applications. The efficiency of CoSb x (where 2 < x < 3) as a selective solar absorber is investigated. Here, authors demonstrate that CoSbx endows broadband solar absorption (0.96) and simultaneous low emissivity (0.18), making it a promising material for use in solar energy systems.

Coupling electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) with a renewable energy source to create high‐value fuels and chemicals is a promising strategy in moving toward a sustainable global energy economy. CO2R liquid products, such as formate, acetate, ethanol, and propanol, offer high volumetric energy density and are more easily stored and transported than their gaseous counterparts. However, a significant amount (~30%) of  liquid products from electrochemical CO2R in a flow cell reactor cross the ion exchange membrane, leading to the substantial loss of system‐level Faradaic efficiency. This severe crossover of the liquid product has—until now—received limited attention. Here, we review promising methods to suppress liquid product crossover, including the use of bipolar membranes, solid‐state electrolytes, and cation‐exchange membranes‐based acidic CO2R systems. We then outline the remaining challenges and future prospects for the production of concentrated liquid products from CO2. Here we review promising methods to suppress liquid product crossover in flow cell reactor including the use of bipolar membranes, solid‐state electrolytes, and cation‐exchange membranes based acidic CO2R systems. The elimination of liquid product crossover is thus a key step to advance the achievement of renewable liquid fuels from CO2

We report the fabrication and testing of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) based on tin oxide (SnO 2 ) particles of average size ~20 nm. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass substrates were treated with TiO x or TiCl 4 precursor solutions to create a blocking layer before tape casting the SnO 2 mesoporous anode. In addition, SnO 2 photoelectrodes were treated with the same precursor solutions to deposit a TiO 2 passivating layer covering the SnO 2 particles. We found that the modification enhances the short circuit current, open-circuit voltage and fill factor, leading to nearly 2-fold increase in power conversion efficiency, from 1.48% without any treatment, to 2.85% achieved with TiCl 4 treatment. The superior photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs assembled with modified photoanode is attributed to enhanced electron lifetime and suppression of electron recombination to the electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) carried out under dark condition. These results indicate that modification of the FTO and SnO 2 anode by titania can play a major role in maximizing the photo conversion efficiency.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2 RR) has great potential to transform the petrochemical sector toward sustainability and to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, direct CO2 RR suffers from carbonate formation, which brings a dramatic rise in the energy consumption. By quantitative energy analysis, the idea of using CO2‐CO‐C2+ tandems can avoid the energy penalty caused by carbonate formation and improve total energy efficiency. Thus, proposed carbonate‐free system is of great importance for commercial CO2 RR economic viability

The synthesis of Co-based two-dimensional (2D) metal azolate framework nanosheets (MAF-5-Co II NS) is described using a simple hydrothermal method. The product was isostructural to MAF-5 (Zn). The as-prepared MAF-5-Co II NS exhibited high surface area (1155 m 2 /g), purity, and crystallinity. The MAF-5-Co II NS–modified screen-printed electrode (MAF-5-Co II NS/SPE) was used for nonenzymatic detection of glucose in diluted human blood plasma (BP) samples with phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4) and NaOH (0.1 M, pH 13.0) solutions. The MAF-5-Co II NS nanozyme displayed good redox activity in both neutral and alkaline media with the formation of Co II /Co III redox pair, which induced the catalytic oxidation of glucose. Under the optimized detection potential, the sensor presented a chronoamperometric current response for the oxidation of glucose with two wide concentration ranges in PBS-diluted (62.80 to 180 μM and 305 to 8055 μM) and NaOH-diluted (58.90 to 117.6 μM and 180 to 10,055 μM) BP samples, which were within the limit of blood glucose levels of diabetic patients before (4.4–7.2 mM) and after (10 mM) meals (recommended by the American Diabetes Association). The sensor has a limit of detection of ca. 0.25 and 0.05 μM, respectively, and maximum sensitivity of ca. 36.55 and 1361.65 mA/cm 2 /mM, respectively, in PBS- and NaOH-diluted BP samples. The sensor also displayed excellent stability in the neutral and alkaline media due to the existence of hydrophobic linkers (2-ethyl imidazole) in the MAF-5-Co II NS, good repeatability and reproducibility, and interference-free signals. Thus, MAF-5-Co II NS is a promising nanozyme for the development of the disposable type of sensor for glucose detection in human body fluids. Graphical abstract