Journal of Colloid and Interface Science最新文献

{"title":"Electron transfer induced ruthenium-oxygen bond compression via d-band Center tailoring for efficient acidic overall water splitting","authors":"Yiwei Jiang ,&nbsp;Yu Qiu ,&nbsp;Yuwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuting Liu ,&nbsp;Xueli Li ,&nbsp;Yantu Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoting Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ruthenium-based materials are recognized as theoretically ideal bifunctional catalysts for acidic overall water splitting. However, their practical implementation remains constrained by critical challenges, such as the dissolution and over-oxidation of active sites under operating conditions. In this study, through precise modulation of the electronic structure at the Ru-RuO₂ heterojunction interface without incorporating any foreign metal elements, we successfully constructed a unique configuration characterized by compressed Ru<img>O bonds. Combined experimental characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that interfacial electron transfer induces the compression of Ru<img>O bond lengths, which subsequently leads to a downshift of the d-band center compared to pure RuO₂. This electronic modulation effectively optimizes the adsorption behavior of both oxygen and hydrogen intermediates, thereby simultaneously lowering the energy barriers for the oxygen evolution reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction. The synthesized Ru-RuO₂@NC catalyst shows impressive bifunctional performance in an acidic electrolyte environment, reaching overpotentials as low as 161 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction and 53 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Additionally, it demonstrates outstanding durability, sustaining stable performance for more than 420 h at 10 mA cm⁻² during oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 160 h even at a high current density of 500 mA cm⁻² for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This research offers fresh theoretical perspectives and a methodological framework aimed at realizing efficient and stable acidic overall water splitting by means of interface bond manipulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 140035"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146140683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A multifunctional biomass-derived three-dimensional solar evaporator constructed from wasted herbal medical slag for efficient steam generation and water purification","authors":"Siqi Wang ,&nbsp;Jingjing Fu ,&nbsp;Hongjun Chen ,&nbsp;Haiyan Wang ,&nbsp;Yuxin Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaoran Huang ,&nbsp;Xiu He ,&nbsp;Jun Liu ,&nbsp;Huang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar-driven desalination and wastewater purification represent sustainable approaches for clean freshwater production. However, process scalability is limited by insufficient sterilization, complicated fabrication procedures, and poor mechanical stability. In this study, a multi-functional hydrogel-supported solar (MHS) evaporator is proposed that incorporates carbonized Chinese herbal medicine residues in a sodium alginate (SA) gel matrix fabricated using a scalable and cost-effective procedure. The MHS evaporator achieved a water evaporation rate of 2.69 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ with an efficiency of 97.7% under one-sun irradiation, demonstrating superior sterilization performance and mechanical durability. Furthermore, the MHS delivers effective seawater desalination and wastewater purification, reducing ionic contaminants by three orders of magnitude while achieving greater than 99% removal of organic pollutants and heavy metals. The purified water exhibits enhanced purity, with greater than 99% elimination of pathogens (<em>E. coli</em> and <em>S. aureus</em>), ensuring viable control of biological contamination during the desalination process. In addition, the MHS evaporator maintained consistent and stable performance over a 30-day period. By incorporating superior sterilization, salt resistance, efficient photothermal conversion, and a high degree of mechanical strength in a scalable design, the MHS evaporator represents a highly promising solution to address freshwater scarcity in resource-limited environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 139994"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combination of electronic structure regulation and controllable phase transition engineering for urea-assisted energy-saving hydrogen production","authors":"Tongxue Zhang ,&nbsp;Mengmeng Jin ,&nbsp;Jingming Bao ,&nbsp;Mingwei Yang ,&nbsp;Shuai Liu ,&nbsp;Wenting Cai ,&nbsp;Ke Fan ,&nbsp;Kaiwei Wang ,&nbsp;Bingxin Zhu ,&nbsp;Xubin Zhang ,&nbsp;Fumin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Utilizing the thermodynamically favorable urea oxidation reaction (UOR) as a substitute for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in conventional water electrolysis offers a viable method for wastewater treatment and energy-efficient hydrogen generation. A series of samples with abundant cation vacancies were synthesized via a hydrothermal method followed by alkaline etching. The electronic and crystal structures of the catalysts were simultaneously modulated by precisely tuning the concentration of the vacancy-inducing medium. The β-type NiCo_v 1:1–2% with abundant cation vacancies demonstrates superior UOR activity, with just 1.31 and 1.35 V vs. RHE needed to reach current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm⁻², respectively. Characterization experiments indicate that the optimization of electronic structure through cation vacancies and distinctive multilayered flake morphology can enhance the number of active sites and improve mass transfer efficiency. A series of in situ measurements further corroborate the rapid yet moderate phase transitions of NiCo_v 1:1–2%. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the introduction of cation vacancies optimizes the balance between reactant adsorption and product desorption, leading to a reduced Gibbs free energy barrier for the rate-determining step of UOR. This study offers valuable guidance for the rational design of efficient and versatile catalysts for small-molecule oxidation reactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 140018"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146117252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hard carbon with tailored microstructure via thermal regulation for high-efficiency sodium-ion batteries","authors":"Pengcheng Mao ,&nbsp;Jie Di ,&nbsp;Yuqi Liu ,&nbsp;Jingjing Chen ,&nbsp;Xiang Li ,&nbsp;Jie Liu ,&nbsp;Wenbin Hu ,&nbsp;Cheng Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hard carbon (HC) is the most promising commercially available anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to the high specific capacity, low operation voltage and low cost. However, HC faces the problems of poor initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and ambiguous sodium storage mechanism. Furthermore, the relationship between solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) characteristics, particularly its chemical composition and microstructural features, and electrochemical performance remains poorly understood. To this end, HC with abundant closed pores and adjustable defect concentration was prepared in this study using cheap pine bark as raw material through precise thermal regulation. At high pyrolysis temperature, the carbon layer in HC fully grows and promotes the growth of closed pore. The optimized PHC-1300 exhibits a high ICE of 89.6% and an outstanding specific capacity of 347.62 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1C. Moreover, the PHC-1300//Na₃V₂ (PO₄)₃ full-cells also exhibit excellent cycling performance. Based on the electrochemical performance and microstructure of the pine bark-based HC, it is proposed that the sodium storage mechanism is “adsorption-intercalation-filling”. Notably, it is found that the HC surface with suitable defect concentration can induce the formation of fluorine-rich organic SEI phase, which is beneficial to maintain the interfacial stable to improve the cycling stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 140026"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146123331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailorable MoS2 quantum dots nanofluids via coordination-confined growth for high-performance lubrication","authors":"Ru Yan,&nbsp;Hongyang Wang,&nbsp;Rui Dong,&nbsp;Ping Wen,&nbsp;Mingjin Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional solvent-free nanofluids hold promise as lubricants but often face challenges in intricate preparation and unadjustable performance. Herein, we developed a facile one-pot strategy for synthesizing MoS₂ quantum dots (QDs) nanofluids (MoNFs) <em>via</em> a coordination-confined growth approach, which features cyan-fluorescent with an average size of 3.8 nm, homogeneously dispersed in a tailored ionic liquid matrix. The resulting MoNFs exhibit tunable viscosity and desirable shear-thinning behavior. When evaluated as lubricants, the optimal formulation (3MoNFs) decreases wear volume by 73.8% compared to the base fluid. Comprehensive characterization of worn track reveals a triplex synergistic lubrication integrating an electric-double-layer film, tribochemical reaction film and solid-like nanofluid layer, concurrently assisted with repairing pre-existing wear scars. Impressively, blending merely 0.7 wt% 3MoNFs into commercial SN 0 W-30 engine oil enhances its anti-wear performance by 47.5%, demonstrating outstanding potential for high-performance lubricants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 140049"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146130757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structure–property relationships in saccharide-derived carbon dots: Tuning oxygen functionalities and sp2 domains for antioxidant performance","authors":"Agung Wibowo ,&nbsp;Mohd Jahir Khan ,&nbsp;Sopanat Sawatdee ,&nbsp;Warangkana Pornputthapitak ,&nbsp;Soontorn Tuntithavornwat ,&nbsp;Atthapon Srifa ,&nbsp;Pattaraporn Posoknistakul ,&nbsp;Soraya Pornsuwan ,&nbsp;Navadol Laosiripojana ,&nbsp;Yijiao Jiang ,&nbsp;Kanokwan Sansanaphongpricha ,&nbsp;Chularat Sakdaronnarong","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139939","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139939","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) drive oxidative stress and disease progression, yet the structural determinants of antioxidant activity in carbon dots (CDs) remain unclear. In this study, the influence of oxygenated surface functional groups and carbon hybridization states on the performance of saccharide-derived CDs was elucidated. CDs were synthesized from five saccharide precursors via hydrothermal carbonization, and synthesis parameters were systematically optimized using response surface methodology combined with central composite design (200–240 °C, 6–12 h). Among the tested precursors, xylose yielded CDs (X-CDs) with the smallest size (2.17–4.38 nm), the strongest blue emission (427–450 nm), the highest negative surface charge (−38.5 to −84.6 mV), and the highest quantum yield (0.80–2.81%). Spectroscopic analyses revealed enriched oxygen functionalities (O/C ratio up to 0.32) and graphitic sp² domains with reduced sp³ content, correlating with enhanced electronic delocalization. Optimized X-CDs exhibited potent radical scavenging activity (EC₅₀ = 0.047 mg/mL for DPPH; 0.008 mg/mL for ABTS) while showing low cytotoxicity toward normal and cancer cells. These findings establish a mechanistic framework linking oxygenated groups and sp² hybridization to enhanced antioxidant properties and provide a green, tunable strategy for designing high-performance CDs from renewable precursors for biomedical, nutraceutical, and environmental applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 139939"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146130750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomimetic spatially graded electrolytes: facilitating rapid ion conduction and dendrite-mitigated operation in solid-state lithium batteries","authors":"Yupeng Wang,&nbsp;Hongying Hou,&nbsp;Tingting Yan,&nbsp;Yongsheng Yan,&nbsp;Xiaohua Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrode-electrolyte interfaces are of paramount significance in solid-state batteries. However, the enhancement of lithium (Li) conduction and the mitigation of Li dendrite formation constitute a dual challenge to interfacial structural design, as conventional rigid interfaces fail to balance ionic mobility and mechanical blocking. Herein, we report a biomimetic soft-hard-soft hierarchical architecture as an interfacial transition layer between the anode and solid electrolyte. Breaking from conventional rigid designs, this architecture leverages synergistic layer interactions to redistribute interfacial stress: the soft layer's electrospun network establishes 3D ion-transport pathways that accelerate Li⁺ conduction, while the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hard layer—mechanically reinforced by the underlying soft substrate—simultaneously suppresses dendrite penetration and enhances structural integrity. Consequently, the hierarchical structure achieves a tensile strength of 49.2 ± 2.1 MPa (<em>n</em> = 3) MPa, an electrochemical window of 5.20 ± 0.08 V (n = 3), and an ionic conductivity of (2.82 ± 0.09) × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ (<em>n</em> = 3) cm⁻¹ at 25 °C. This performance directly enables high-performance cycling in LiFePO₄ || Li cells 136.3 ± 2.8 mAh g⁻¹ (<em>n</em> = 3) at 1.0C, 93.8 ± 0.8% (n = 3) capacity retention after 200 cycles, 99.5 ± 0.3% (n = 3) coulombic efficiency). The ionic conductivity and interfacial stability of the novel interface are significantly superior to those of commercial solid-state electrolyte films. This study highlights the potential of the bio-inspired spatial gradient electrolyte to simultaneously enhance Li⁺ conductivity and mitigate dendrite formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 139989"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulating hydrogen-bond network via a low-viscosity electrolyte for hydrogen evolution reaction-free aqueous sodium-ion batteries","authors":"Qianlong Zhang ,&nbsp;Min Wang ,&nbsp;Yutao Shi ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Yilun Hong ,&nbsp;Danni Zhu ,&nbsp;Yixuan Liang ,&nbsp;Yuyang Wu ,&nbsp;Xiaohui Chen ,&nbsp;Zhidong Chen ,&nbsp;Hailin Shen ,&nbsp;Zhenghui Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aqueous sodium-ion batteries (ASIBs) have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for large-scale energy storage devices, owing to their inherent non-flammability, abundant resources and low cost. However, the water-induced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the anode surface usually leads to low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and limited cycling stability. In this study, we propose a novel aqueous electrolyte recipe composed of H₂O/DMF/TTE-NaTFSI to mitigate the issue of HER. On the one hand, the 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether (TTE), acting as a diluent, is highly hydrophobic. It disrupts the hydrogen-bonding network of H₂O, thereby enhancing solvation kinetics. Furthermore, the fluorinated moieties of TTE interact with H₂O molecules via strong dipole interactions, reducing solvent mobility and optimizing the Na⁺ solvation sheath. On the other hand, the <em>N</em>, <em>N</em>-dimethylformamide (DMF) serves as a co-solvent that promotes miscibility between aqueous phase and TTE while restructuring the hydrogen-bonding network within the solvation shell. DMF and TTE regulate synergistically the primary solvation structure, stabilizing Na⁺ ions via strengthened anion coordination and effectively suppressing HER. Consequently, the ASIB demonstrates exceptional cyclic stability, retaining 99.2% of its capacity after 1000 cycles at 1C and 96.3% after 100 cycles at 2C in Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C full cells. This work presents a promising strategy to suppress HER through the synergistic interaction between DMF and TTE, enhancing electrochemical performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 140038"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular insights into sphingomyelin membrane alterations induced by very long-chain lysophospholipids","authors":"María Isabel Cabrera ,&nbsp;Yolanda De Diego-Otero ,&nbsp;Raquel Yahyaoui ,&nbsp;Laura R. Arriaga ,&nbsp;Juan L. Aragones ,&nbsp;Pablo Llombart","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hypothesis</em> Lipid membrane structure and mechanics are shaped by the molecular geometry and interactions of their amphiphiles. Very long-chain lysophosphatidylcholines (VLC-LysoPCs), with extended hydrophobic tails, insert into bilayers and perturb packing across leaflets. The VLC-LysoPCs 1-tetracosanoyl- (C24) and 1-hexacosanoyl- (C26) differ in chain length and insertion depth, and are thus expected to differentially modulate bilayer structure and mechanics. When co-incorporated, their distinct insertion depths and conformational behaviors may act cooperatively to reorganize lipid packing and modulate interleaflet coupling in ways unattainable by either species individually. Such synergy may underlie membrane remodeling during pathological VLC-lipid accumulation and offer design principles for synthetic membranes with tunable mechanics. <em>Simulations</em> Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were performed on sphingomyelin bilayers containing either C24- or C26-LysoPCs, or both co-incorporated. Free energy calculations revealed the insertion mechanisms and thermodynamic profiles of each species. Structural remodeling, conformational dynamics, lipid diffusion, and interleaflet friction were evaluated through equilibrium and non-equilibrium simulations. <em>Findings</em> The insertion free energy of VLC-LysoPCs decreases when both C24 and C26 species are co-present in the sphingomyelin bilayer, indicating a thermodynamically cooperative effect that lowers the energetic cost of further incorporation. While C26 promotes extension of C24, C24 dampens the extension of C26, resulting in mutually modulated conformations that affect membrane packing and facilitate further incorporation. These changes reduced sphingomyelin mobility and decouple membrane leaflets. This is the first report to show that mixtures of VLC-LysoPCs with different chain lengths can cooperatively reshape membrane architecture and mechanics, offering design principles for tailored lipid-based membranes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 139886"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146103232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Entropy-driven design of non-metallic heteroatoms codoped hollow carbon nanocages for superior oxygen electrocatalysis","authors":"Xinshuang Lin ,&nbsp;Hangyuan Xing ,&nbsp;Jiabei Yu ,&nbsp;Depeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinyu Lu ,&nbsp;Yuqing Zhang ,&nbsp;Yimeng Sun ,&nbsp;Sen Zhang ,&nbsp;Chao Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcis.2026.139990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The design of functional materials with increasing entropy has become a hot field in recent years. Motivated by the traditional concept of high entropy (HE), the anionic doping with multiple heteroelements towards increasing entropy has been considered to be a new clue to design highly efficient catalysts. In present work, we report the design of a non-metallic anion high-entropy (AHE) codoped hollow carbon nanocage as an oxygen catalyst for Zn-air batteries (ZAB). A series of non-metallic heteroatoms, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), boron (B), and fluorin (F), are employed as anionic dopants to construct the AHE codoped carbon nanocages. The influences of AHE engineering on the electrocatalytic behaviors of the hollow carbon nanocages in the oxygen reactions are explored. Through synergistic modulations on anionic doping engineering and structure design, the AHE doped hollow carbon nanocages achieve the superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and faster kinetics in comparison to the counterparts of anionic medium-entropy (AME, e. g. N, P, S, B), anionic low-entropy (ALE, e. g. N, P, S, or N, P/S, or N) doped and undoped samples. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the AHE engineering regulates the electronic structure, adjust the energy barrier, and modulate oxygen intermediates adsorption capability, which synergistically accelerate the ORR behaviors. In addition, the full ZAB battery integrated with the AHE codoped hollow carbon nanocages cathode delivers the high power density (212.1 W kg⁻¹) and long cycle life (500 h cycling). More impressively, the solid-state ZAB with the hydrogel electrolyte and AHE doped carbon nanocage cathode shows the good flexibility and high adaptation in a wide temperature range. Therefore, this work not only introduces a synergistic modulation strategy to optimize the anion high-entropy catalysts for oxygen catalysis, but also promotes the fast development of high-performance ZAB towards different working conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":351,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Colloid and Interface Science","volume":"710 ","pages":"Article 139990"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146111830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}