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Lithium metal-based batteries offer promising prospects as alternatives to today's lithium-ion batteries, due to their ultra-high energy density. Unfortunately, the application of lithium metal is full of challenges and has puzzled researchers for more than 40 years. In this feature article, we describe the history of the development of lithium metal batteries and their existing key challenges, which include non-uniform electrodeposition, volume expansion, high reactivity of the lithium metal/unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), and the shuttling of active cathode materials. Then, we focus on the growth mechanisms of uneven lithium electrodeposition and extend the discussion to the approaches to inhibit lithium dendrites. Finally, we discuss future directions that are expected to drive progress in the development of lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel membrane with heterogeneously functionalized nanocrystal layers was designed to synchronously perform in situ blood separation and sensing for the extraction of pure serum without any blood cells and fibrinogen by size sieving, and simultaneously realizing the electrochemical analysis of various physiological indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a facile hydrothermal method for growth of ultrathin NiCo2S4 nanosheets on reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance with higher capacitance and longer cycle life than the bare NiCo2S4 hollow spheres (HSs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present a facile plasma-induced strategy to introduce plentiful oxygen vacancies in porous metal–organic framework nanosheet arrays (Ov-Fe MOF/IF). The pore structure and coordinatively unsaturated metal sites endow the Ov-Fe MOF/IF with more active sites and accelerated reaction kinetics, thereby exhibiting a low potential of 1.51 V at 10 mA cm−2 for water splitting, which outperforms most MOF-based electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report a novel pre-shell–post-core method for the fabrication of monodispersed magnetic rattle-type silica (MRS) through an entrapment process, which could be used as a promising theranostic agent for simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, novel and durable single-layer carbon-coated FeCo alloy nanoparticles embedded in single-walled carbon nanotubes (FeCo/SWCNTs) are rationally synthesized using a facile one-step route by aerosol-assisted floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). The as-synthesized unique FeCo/SWCNT catalyst exhibits remarkable oxygen electrocatalysis performance, especially oxygen evolution reaction activity and superior stability owing to the efficient synergistic effect between FeCo alloy and single-layer carbon regarding the electronic interaction and surface protection, achieving an overpotential (η) of 253 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 44 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH solution while presenting outstanding stability after being tested for 50 hours. Such high oxygen electrocatalysis performance advances realistic renewable zinc–air batteries with high efficiency as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous bimetallic coordination polymers have been prepared by a mild room temperature solution phase method and utilized as an OER electrocatalyst. Their excellent performance with an overpotential of 228 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 30.3 mV dec−1 exhibits their great potential in the field of the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible and rapid one-step strategy has been developed to fabricate 2D metal–organic framework nanosheet (MOF-NS)@fiber composites at room temperature by spray technique, through which five kinds of MOF-NS@fiber were successfully prepared. The representative nanoscale CuBDC were synthesized on the surface of carbon fibers with homogeneous dispersion and high coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2/TiN core/shell NBs are successfully synthesized, and used as highly efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution catalysts (120 μmol h−1 g−1) from methanol solution. The TiN shell plays dual roles by extending the light absorption range and also promoting the separation/transfer of photoexcited charge carriers as an electron collector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]