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1. A highly stable and conductive cerium‐doped Li ₇ P ₃ S ₁₁ glass‐ceramic electrolyte for solid‐state lithium–sulfur batteries

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19712  

   Mirtaleb, Amirhossein; Wang, Ruigang (June 2024, Journal of the American Ceramic Society)

   Abstract In this report, a facile wet chemical method using acetonitrile combined with thermal annealing was used to prepare Li₂S‐P₂S₅(LPS) based glass‐ceramic electrolytes with (1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt% Ce₂S₃) and without Ce₂S₃doping. The crystal structure, ionic conductivity, and chemical stability of Li₇P₃S₁₁glass‐ceramic electrolytes were examined at varying temperatures (250–350°C). The results indicated that the highest ionic conductivity of 3.15 × 10⁻⁴S cm⁻¹for pure Li₇P₃S₁₁was observed at a temperature of 325°C. By incorporating 1 wt% Ce₂S₃and subjecting it to a heat treatment at 250°C, the glass ceramic electrolyte attained a remarkable ionic conductivity of 7.7 × 10⁻⁴(S cm⁻¹) at 25°C. Furthermore, it exhibited a stable and extensive electrochemical potential range, reaching up to 5 volts when compared to the Li/Li⁺reference electrode. By tuning the glass transition and crystallization temperature, cerium doping seems to make Li₇P₃S₁₁more chemically stable, compared to its original 70Li₂S‐30P₂S₅counterpart. According to Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, cerium doping inhibits the decomposition of highly conductive P₂S₇^4‐(pyro‐thiophosphate) to PS₄³⁻and P₂S₆⁴⁻. Doped LPS has a greater crystallinity and more uniform microstructure than pure LPS, according to XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Consequently, Li₇P_2.9Ce_0.1S₁₁electrolyte shows great potential as a solid‐state electrolyte for constructing high‐performance sulfide‐based all‐solid‐state batteries. 

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2. ZnIn ₂ S ₄ /g-C ₃ N ₄ heterojunction–enabled PEC–ECL sensing interface for quenching assay of fipronil

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CC05727B  

   Song, Yao; Yang, Huan; Cheng, Huanyu; Feng, Qiumei; Wang, Po (February 2026, Chemical Communications)

   A ZnIn₂S₄/g-C₃N₄heterojunction was developed for dual-mode photoelectrochemical–electrochemiluminescent (PEC–ECL) sensing of fipronil, sensitized by double-step catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) circuits and a MnO₂nanoflower quencher. 

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3. Solution‐Processed Sb ₂ (S,Se) ₃ Seed‐Assisted Sb ₂ Se ₃ Thin Film Growth for High Efficiency Solar Cell

   https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202400151  

   Amin, Al; Duan, Xiaomeng; Zhao, Kaiji; Khawaja, Kausar; Xiang, Wenjun; Qian, Xiaofeng; Yan, Feng (June 2024, Solar RRL)

   Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) emerges as a promising sunlight absorber in thin film photovoltaic applications due to its excellent light absorption properties and carrier transport behavior, attributed to the quasi‐one‐dimensional Sb₄Se₆‐nanoribbon crystal structure. Overcoming the challenge of aligning Sb₂Se₃‐nanoribbons normal to substrates for efficient photogenerated carrier extraction, a solution‐processed nanocrystalline Sb₂(S,Se)₃‐seeds are employed on the CdS buffer layer. These seeds facilitate superstrated Sb₂Se₃thin film solar cell growth through a close‐space sublimation approach. The Sb₂(S,Se)₃‐seeds guided the Sb₂Se₃absorber growth along a [002]‐preferred crystal orientation, ensuring a smoother interface with the CdS window layer. Remarkably, Sb₂(S,Se)₃‐seeds improve carrier transport, reduce series resistance, and increase charge recombination resistance, resulting in an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 7.52%. This cost‐effective solution‐processed seeds planting approach holds promise for advancing chalcogenide‐based thin film solar cells in large‐scale manufacturing. 

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4. Accessing bands with extended quantum metric in kagome Cs ₂ Ni ₃ S ₄ through soft chemical processing

   https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl1103  

   Villalpando, Graciela; Jovanovic, Milena; Hoff, Brianna; Jiang, Yi; Singha, Ratnadwip; Yuan, Fang; Hu, Haoyu; Călugăru, Dumitru; Mathur, Nitish; Khoury, Jason F; et al (September 2024, Science Advances)

   Flat bands that do not merely arise from weak interactions can produce exotic physical properties, such as superconductivity or correlated many-body effects. The quantum metric can differentiate whether flat bands will result in correlated physics or are merely dangling bonds. A potential avenue for achieving correlated flat bands involves leveraging geometrical constraints within specific lattice structures, such as the kagome lattice; however, materials are often more complex. In these cases, quantum geometry becomes a powerful indicator of the nature of bands with small dispersions. We present a simple, soft-chemical processing route to access a flat band with an extended quantum metric below the Fermi level. By oxidizing Ni-kagome material Cs₂Ni₃S₄to CsNi₃S₄, we see a two orders of magnitude drop in the room temperature resistance. However, CsNi₃S₄is still insulating, with no evidence of a phase transition. Using experimental data, density functional theory calculations, and symmetry analysis, our results suggest the emergence of a correlated insulating state of unknown origin. 

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5. Cu site differentiation in tetracopper( i ) sulfide clusters enables biomimetic N ₂ O reduction

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SC00701H  

   Alayoglu, Pinar; Rathnayaka, Suresh C; Chang, Tieyan; Wang, SuYin Grass; Chen, Yu-Sheng; Mankad, Neal P (August 2024, Chemical Science)

   Resonant X-ray diffraction measurements were used to examine Cu site differentiation within a Cu₄S cluster that distorts its geometry to activate N₂O, thus mimicking the behavior of the biological Cu_Zactive site. 

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