Shencheng Pan

Oxygen stoichiometry critically governs the phase stability and physical properties of transition-metal oxides, yet a unified understanding of how oxygen-stoichiometry-driven phase reconstruction underlies the cooperative evolution of multiple physical properties in SrCoO_x remains lacking. Here, high-quality epitaxial brown millerite SrCoO_2.5 and perovskite SrCoO_3−δ thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition under controlled oxygen conditions. Their structural, magnetic, electrical, optical, and photocatalytic properties were systematically compared. SrCoO_2.5 exhibits antiferromagnetic insulating behavior, infrared-dominant transmittance, and higher photocatalytic activity, whereas SrCoO_3−δ shows ferromagnetism, much lower resistivity, and strong optical opacity. First-principles calculations reveal that oxygen-stoichiometry-driven phase reconstruction strongly modifies the electronic structure, accounting for the distinct magnetic, transport, and optical responses. These results establish a direct correlation between oxygen stoichiometry, structural transformation, and multifunctional properties in SrCoO_x, highlighting oxygen-vacancy ordering as an effective route to tailoring correlated oxide functionalities.

Supercapacitors are widely studied for their high energy density, low cost, and exceptional cycling durability. However, the decisive factor in determining the performance of supercapacitors is the electrode material. Among emerging materials, metal glycerates stand out as tunable organic-inorganic hybrids with well-controlled structures. Yet, progress in tailoring metal glycerates for supercapacitors has not been organized or consolidated into a coherent framework. Herein, we systematically summarize recent advances in the synthesis, structural evolution, and electrochemical applications of metal glycerates and their derivatives (including hydroxides, oxides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and composites) as electrodes for supercapacitors, emphasizing the intrinsic structure-performance correlations. Finally, the key challenges and future prospects, covering controlled synthesis, interfacial stability, mechanistic insight, and device-level integration, are discussed to guide the rational design of next-generation MG-based materials for high-performance, sustainable supercapacitor technologies.

The spin states and electronic structures of the three characteristic crystal planes of SrRuO ₃ exhibit significant differences. Single-crystal film growth revealed the low spin (001) plane as the most effective for OER.

Regulating the transformation of sulfur species is the key to improving the electrochemical performance of lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries, in particular, to accelerate the reversible conversion between solid phase Li₂S₂ and Li₂S. Herein, we introduced Spidroin, which is a main protein in spider silk, as a dual functional separator coating in Li−S batteries to effectively adsorb polysulfides via the sequence of amino acids in its primary structure and regulate Li⁺ flux through the β‐sheet of its secondary structure, thus accelerating the reversible transformation between Li₂S₂ and Li₂S. Spidroin‐based Li−S cells exhibited an exceptional electrochemical performance with a high specific capacity of 744.1 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C and a high areal capacity of 7.5 mAh cm⁻² at a low electrolyte‐to‐sulfur (E/S) ratio of 6 μL mg_s⁻¹ and a sulfur loading of 8.6 mg_s cm⁻².

Regulating the transformation of sulfur species is the key to improving the electrochemical performance of lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries, in particular, to accelerate the reversible conversion between solid phase Li₂S₂ and Li₂S. Herein, we introduced Spidroin, which is a main protein in spider silk, as a dual functional separator coating in Li−S batteries to effectively adsorb polysulfides via the sequence of amino acids in its primary structure and regulate Li⁺ flux through the β‐sheet of its secondary structure, thus accelerating the reversible transformation between Li₂S₂ and Li₂S. Spidroin‐based Li−S cells exhibited an exceptional electrochemical performance with a high specific capacity of 744.1 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C and a high areal capacity of 7.5 mAh cm⁻² at a low electrolyte‐to‐sulfur (E/S) ratio of 6 μL mg_s⁻¹ and a sulfur loading of 8.6 mg_s cm⁻².

In the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the dissociation energy barrier of water, and the easy adsorption of OH on the catalyst are key factors that limit the catalytic activity. This work proposes a novel competing adsorption mechanism driven by d_z² electrons in the context of the alkaline HER. The high concentration of oxygen vacancies in Co doped SrRuO₃ (V‐SRCO) results in the electron filling in the Ru 4d_z² orbital. Under alkaline conditions, the V‐SRCO exhibits a low overpotential of only 57.8 mV with a Tafel slope of 35 mV dec⁻¹. Moreover, it exhibits sustained high activity for 60 h. The high HER activity of V‐SRCO can be attributed to the presence of a single electron in the d_z² orbital, which reduces the energy barrier for water dissociation. More importantly, the active electrons in the d_z² orbital can inject into the antibonding orbitals of OH, creating an unfavorable environment for OH adsorption on the catalyst. This work provides favorable conditions for efficient HER.