The potential utility of a transition metal oxide/metal–organic framework (MOF) nanocomposite has been explored using manganese dioxide (MnO2)/Universitetet i Oslo (UiO)-66-amine (NH2 (prototypical zirconium (Zr) MOF)) to develop an efficient adsorption–catalysis system for the removal of formaldehyde (FA) from the air. The room-temperature FA (100 ppm) conversion (XFA (%)), when tested using five different MnO2 (wt%) loadings in the nanocomposite, is estimated as: 1% MnO2 (88%) > 2% MnO2 (86%) > 4% MnO2 (84%) > 6% MnO2 (75%) > 20% MnO2 (47%). The FA removal performance is lowered as the active catalytic sites are covered with the increases in the MnO2 loading (e.g., >1 wt%).

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are emerging as the next-generation rechargeable battery system due to their superior energy density and stability compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with liquid organic electrolytes. In ASSBs, lithium-ion conduction relies on physical contact between the active material (AM) and solid electrolyte (SE). However, volume changes in the AMs during cell operation can disrupt physical contact between solid particles, leading to a significant degradation in electrochemical performance. Unlike in LIBs, where the fluidity of the liquid electrolyte maintains continuous contact between the AMs and the electrolyte, ASSBs face challenges in preserving this contact. Therefore, addressing the contact issue is crucial.

The rapid expansion of the electric vehicle (EV) market has emphasized the importance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as the performances and costs of EVs are significantly influenced by them. In a battery, the cathode is among the foremost components, as it predominantly determines the LIB’s performance and price.  Prime candidate cathode materials proposed for next-generation LIBs are Ni-rich Li[NixCoyAl1–x–y]O2 (NCA) and Li[NixCoyMn1–x–y]O2 (NCM). However, this high Ni content results in instabilities in the bulk and at the surface of the materials, undermining their durability and utility. The instability of the Ni-rich layered cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries is attributed to their labile surface reactivity.

For the sustainable development of Li[NixCoyMn1−x−y]O2 and Li[NixCoyAl1−x−y]O2 cathodes, reducing the reliance on cobalt, which is extremely expensive with a fluctuating price and supply uncertainty, is considered essential. In this study, we propose a highly stable Co-free Ni-rich layered cathode developed through a new doping strategy that incorporates heteroelements at different doping stages, including the introduction of Ti during Ni(OH)2 synthesis and doping excess amounts of Al during the lithiation step. The multi-stage engineering strategy guarantees structural durability and electrochemical cycling stability of the inherently unstable LNO to a commercially viable level.

Neoteric solvents, such as ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), have recently gained attention due to their highly tunable properties that enable their application as green solvents in energy and heat storage. Here, combined molecular modeling and machine learning (ML) is used as a holistic tool to map the thermal conductivity space of both ILs and DESs to bring their use as green solvents into industrial reality. The ILs and DESs are modeled using two techniques, the σ-profiles obtained from the quantum chemical COSMO-RS method and the critical properties from the group contribution method, which allowed the ML algorithms to easily distinguish the neoteric green solvents based on their structural and thermodynamic properties.