With the rapid development of nanofluidic materials and the urgent demand for low-power self-sustaining sensing systems, developing osmotic energy-driven self-powered sensors has become a research focus. Osmotic energy, a promising blue energy with enormous reserves, has long been underutilized due to the limitations of traditional harvesting technologies. In contrast, integrated self-powered sensing driven by osmotic energy achieves seamless integration of energy conversion and sensing via advanced nanofluidic membranes and selective ion transport, exhibiting superior miniaturization and efficient signal transduction. However, previous research focuses on separated design of such systems, a systematic review focusing on the integrated design of osmotic energy-driven self-powered sensing remains lacking. Herein, we first summarize its fundamentals, including the osmotic energy conversion mechanism, advanced nanomaterials for ion-selective membranes as well as their selection criteria. Next, typical sensing applications in nutrient, pressure, humidity and image sensing are discussed, with emphasis on the specific sensing mechanisms underlying each category, such as light-regulated surface charge density for image sensing. Additionally, other emerging applications like self-powered lithium extraction and hydrogen production are presented. Finally, critical challenges and future research directions are proposed, aiming to guide the practical development and large-scale integration of such sensing systems.

In the new era of atomic catalysis, precisely manipulating atomic structures to design multiple catalytic active sites has become a central focus. Compared to single-atom catalysts and dual-atom catalysts, triple-atom catalysts (TACs) have garnered widespread attention due to their superior activity and selectivity across multiple reactive sites. Therefore, there is an urgent need to systematically review the advanced progress of the TACs. In this review, we first provide a comprehensive discussion on the definition, synthesis strategies, synergistic catalytic centers, complex electronic regulation effects, and geometrical configurations of TACs. Next, we highlight the applications of TACs in various catalytic reactions such as dual-functional oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, CO₂ reduction reaction, as well as hydrogen evolution reaction and the hydrogen oxidation reaction while analyzing the complex mechanisms behind these applications to offer new insights for their rational design. Finally, we present an outlook on the potential of TACs to drive major breakthroughs in a wide range of catalytic applications, providing forward-looking guidance for the development of multi-atom catalysis.

The quasi-metallic two-layer monolayer stacking with a monoclinic crystallographic system (2M) phase of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is a notable polymorph. It has unique physicochemical properties such as superconductivity, topological insulator behavior, and significant spin-orbit coupling effects. The synthesis and exploration of 2M phase TMDs not only broaden the spectrum of physical properties associated with TMDs but also herald novel prospects and formidable challenges within the realms of materials science, electronics, and the burgeoning field of quantum computing. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing research findings on 2M-phase TMDs to provide valuable guidance for future development. In this review, a comprehensive overview of synthesis strategies for 2M-phase TMDs is offered. Furthermore, their novel properties, such as superconductivity and topological properties are discussed in detail and explore the application prospects in the fields of optics and catalysis. Finally, this review provides an outlook on future development directions, anticipated challenges, and potential opportunities for 2M-phase TMDs from fundamental to application. This review aims to provide in-depth insights into 2M-phase TMDs for the scientific and engineering communities and to guide further development in this emerging field.

Vertically stacking two-dimensional (2D) materials with small azimuthal deviation or lattice mismatch generate distinctive global structural periodicity and symmetry, revealed as the moiré superlattices (MSLs). Manipulating the interlayer twist angle enables the modification of the electronic structure of 2D materials to explore the advanced applications. Although extraordinary progress has been achieved in the unique structure and emergent properties of MSLs, the investigation of the catalytic applications of MSLs materials is still in its infancy. It is therefore very urgent to summarize the advanced development of MSLs in the field of catalysis. In this review, we firstly summarize the advanced fabrication and high-resolution characterization techniques of the MSLs materials, as well as their novel properties related to catalysis represented by electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Then, all the MSLs materials such as MoS₂, WS₂, and Ru serving as electrocatalysts for HER are further reviewed in detail. Finally, we outline the current challenges as well as the experimental and theoretical strategies to advance the development of function-oriented MSLs materials for catalysis. This review aims to provide profound insight into the wide applications of this novel material platform in catalytic field.

As a clean, efficient, and sustainable energy, hydrogen is expected to replace traditional fossil energy. A series of studies focusing on morphology regulation, surface modification, and structural reconstruction have been devoted to improving the intrinsic catalytic activity of non-noble metal catalysts. However, complex system structure design and the mutual interference of various chemical components would hinder the further improvement of hydrogen evolution performance. In recent years, external field assisted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has become a new research hotspot. Herein, we systematically summarize the promoting effects of various external fields on catalytic hydrogen production from the aspects of system design and catalytic mechanism, including electric field, thermal field, optical field, magnetic field, and acoustic field. Ultimately, we discuss the key challenges facing this external field regulation strategy and put forward the prospect of future research topics. We sincerely expect that this review could not only provide a new insight into the basic mechanism of external-assisted catalysis, but also promote further research on improving HER performance from a more diverse and comprehensive perspective.

Electrochemical gas evolution reactions are common but essential in many electrochemical processes including water electrolysis. During these processes, gas bubbles are constantly nucleating on reaction interfaces in electrolyte and consequently exert an impact on catalysts and the performance. In the past few decades, extensive studies have been conducted to characterize bubbles with emerging advanced technologies, manage behaviors of bubbles, and apply bubbles to various domains. In this review, we summarize representative discoveries as well as recent advancements in electrochemical gas evolution reactions from the perspective of gas bubbles. Finally, we end up this review with a profound outlook on future research topics from the combination of experiments and theoretical techniques, non-negligible bubble effects, gravity-free situation, and reactions under practical industrial conditions.