Electrocatalytic reduction reaction of CO 2 (CO 2 RR) is an effective way to mitigate energy and environmental issues. However, very limited catalysts are capable of converting CO 2 resources into high-value products such as hydrocarbons or alcohols. Herein, we first propose a facile strategy for the large-scale synthesis of isolated Cu decorated through-hole carbon nanofibers (CuSAs/TCNFs). This CuSAs/TCNFs membrane has excellent mechanical properties and can be directly used as cathode for CO 2 RR, which could generate nearly pure methanol with 44% Faradaic efficiency in liquid phase. The self-supporting and through-hole structure of CuSAs/TCNFs greatly reduces the embedded metal atoms and produces abundant efficient Cu single atoms, which could actually participate in CO 2 RR, eventually causing −93 mA cm −2 partial current density for C1 products and more than 50 h stability in aqueous solution. According to DFT calculations, Cu single atoms possess a relatively higher binding energy for *CO intermediate. Therefore, *CO could be further reduced to products like methanol, instead of being easily released from the catalyst surface as CO product. This report may benefit the design of efficient and high-yield single-atom catalysts for other electrocatalytic reactions.

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are widely considered as an “enabler” to inhibit dendrite growth of lithium-metal anodes for high-energy and highly safe next-generation batteries. However, recent studies demonstrated that lithium dendrites form in working SSEs. Theoretically, dendrite inhibition can be achieved in perfect SSEs without any defects, while dendrite growth is extensively observed in practical SSEs with poor interface stability, large grain boundaries, voids, and partial electronic conductivity. In this Review, dendrite growth behaviors in SSEs, including polymer and inorganic electrolytes, are comprehensively summarized. The observed dendrite morphology in these SSEs, possible formation mechanisms, and some solutions are analyzed. Clear perspectives and some suggestions are also presented for the further development of SSEs in lithium-metal batteries. This Review intends to shed fresh light on the understanding of dendrite growth in SSEs and the rational design of the architecture and materials for SSEs matching the lithium-metal anode.

Fundamentals, challenges, and solutions towards fast-charging graphite anodes are summarized in this review, with insights into the future research and development to enable batteries suitable for fast-charging application.

Subnanometric metal clusters usually have unique electronic structures and may display electrocatalytic performance distinctive from single atoms (SAs) and larger nanoparticles (NPs). However, the electrocatalytic performance of clusters, especially the size-activity relationship at the sub-nanoscale, is largely unexplored. Here, we synthesize a series of Ru nanocrystals from single atoms, subnanometric clusters to larger nanoparticles, aiming at investigating the size-dependent activity of hydrogen evolution in alkaline media. It is found that the d band center of Ru downshifts in a nearly linear relationship with the increase of diameter, and the subnanometric Ru clusters with d band center closer to Femi level display a stronger water dissociation ability and thus superior hydrogen evolution activity than SAs and larger nanoparticles. Benefiting from the high metal utilization and strong water dissociation ability, the Ru clusters manifest an ultrahigh turnover frequency of 43.3 s−1 at the overpotential of 100 mV, 36.1-fold larger than the commercial Pt/C.