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Solid-state electrolytes (SEs) have attracted overwhelming attention as a promising alternative to traditional organic liquid electrolytes (OLEs) for high-energy-density sodium-metal batteries (SMBs), owing to their intrinsic incombustibility, wider electrochemical stability window (ESW), and better thermal stability. Among various kinds of SEs, inorganic solid-state electrolytes (ISEs) stand out because of their high ionic conductivity, excellent oxidative stability, and good mechanical strength, rendering potential utilization in safe and dendrite-free SMBs at room temperature. However, the development of Na-ion ISEs still remains challenging, that a perfect solution has yet to be achieved. Herein, we provide a comprehensive and in-depth inspection of the state-of-the-art ISEs, aiming at revealing the underlying Na+ conduction mechanisms at different length scales, and interpreting their compatibility with the Na metal anode from multiple aspects. A thorough material screening will include nearly all ISEs developed to date, i.e., oxides, chalcogenides, halides, antiperovskites, and borohydrides, followed by an overview of the modification strategies for enhancing their ionic conductivity and interfacial compatibility with Na metal, including synthesis, doping and interfacial engineering. By discussing the remaining challenges in ISE research, we propose rational and strategic perspectives that can serve as guidelines for future development of desirable ISEs and practical implementation of high-performance SMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most electrochemical energy storage devices, lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) remain the workhorse of the energy market due to their unparalleled advantages. Remarkably, Si‐based materials play a pivotal role in LIBs anodes owing to ultrahigh theoretical capacity of Si and rich natural resources. However, bulk silicon materials are difficult to meet the current commercial demand because of their low conductivity, sluggish reaction kinetics, and huge volume expansion. The construction of porous structures has been acknowledged as an effective way to solve the above issues. Herein, the delicate design of porous Si‐based anode materials including synthetic strategies, the engineering of surface morphology and micro/nano‐structure, and the regulation of different compositions, as well as their applications in LIBs is systematically summarized. Particularly, the fine engineering of different pore parameters for Si‐based materials is on focus. Importantly, the relationship between thick electrodes and tortuosity/porosity, and the structural effect between pores and battery performance are also discussed in depth. Finally, the applications of porous Si‐based anodes in full‐cells and their commercial achievements are briefly described. This review is expected to provide a basic understanding and deep insight into developing porous Si‐based anodes for high‐energy lithium storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollution as a 'green' treatment technology has been a broad concern in water treatment. This work proposed a simple method for introducing oxygen vacancies into WO3 and enhancing the degradation of WO3 for rhodamine B under simulated solar light. RESULTS: In this work, titanium power was used as an oxygen absorber to introduce oxygen vacancies into WO3. The degradation of organic dyes by semiconductor materials is significantly improved by the presence of oxygen vacancies. After 4 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, 100% degradation efficiency of rhodamine B by WO3 with vacancies was achieved, compared to about 60% by WO3. Combined with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and total organic carbon analysis results, we speculated the degradation path of rhodamine B degraded by WO3‐2. CONCLUSION: There exist three reasons for the enhanced photocatalytic performance of oxygen‐containing vacancy WO3: (i) the introduction of vacancies generates an energy level of the donor that can reduce the band gap; (ii) the presence of oxygen vacancies can effectively prevent the electron–hole complexation process; and (iii) oxygen vacancies increase the adsorption capacity of the catalyst. It is expected that this method of oxygen vacancy introduction can be extended to other semiconductor systems to achieve higher performance in pollutant degradation and water remediation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]