Sodium-ion-based electrochromic device (SECD) has been identified as an appealing cost-effective alternative of lithium-based counterparts, only if it can address the challenges in association with the inadequate electrochromic performance. In this regard, the quantized strategy is a particularly promising approach owing to the large surface-to-volume ratio and high reaction activity. However, quantum dots inevitably suffer from volume changes and undesired aggregation during electrochemical cycling. Herein, bioinspired from the robust connection of alveoli in lung, we propose a stable electrode, where WO₃ quantum dots (WQDs) are robustly anchored on Ti₃C₂ MXene through the strong chemical bonds of W-O-Ti. Theoretical results reveal the fundamental mechanism of the volume changes within WQDs and the dynamic diffusion process of sodium ions. The WQD@MXene electrodes exhibit a nearly twofold enhancement in cycling performance (1000 vs 500 cycles), coloration speed (3.2 vs 6.0 s), and areal capacity (87.5 vs 43.9 mAh m⁻² at 0.1 mA cm⁻²), compared to those of the pristine WQD electrode. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a smart house system integrated with SECDs demonstrates a “3-in-1” device, enabling a combination of energy-saving, energy storage, and display functionalities. The present work significantly advances the versatile applications of cost-effective electrochromic electronics in interdisciplinary.

Smart windows are an important strategy to reduce the energy consumption in buildings, which accounts for as much as 30%e40% of the society's energy consumption. VO₂-based thermochromic materials can intelligently regulate the solar heat gains of building interiors. However, the unmatched thermal emissivity (ε) modulation of traditional VO₂/glass systems, i.e., high emissivity at low temperatures and low emissivity at high temperatures, leads to additional heating and cooling energy loads in winter and summer, respectively. In this study, we propose a novel VO₂/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/AgNW multilayer possessing flexible Ag nanowire supported Fabry–Pérot cavities, which synchronously ach-ieves high modulation abilities in both solar spectrum (ΔT_sol of 13.6%) and middle infrared region (Δ_ε of 0.50 at 8–13 μm). These achievements are the best among reports for pure VO₂ smart windows. This study provides a flexible and effective protocol to dynamically enhance the light and heat utilization for practical building windows.

Transition metal phosphides with metallic properties are a promising candidate for electrocatalytic water oxidation, and developing highly active and stable metal phosphide-based oxygen evolution reaction catalysts is still challenging. Herein, we present a facile ion exchange and phosphating processes to transform intestine-like CoNiP_x@P,N-C into lotus pod-like CoNiFeP_x@P,N-C heterostructure in which numerous P,N-codoped carbon-coated CoNiFeP_x nanoparticles tightly anchors on the 2D carbon matrix. Meanwhile, the as-prepared CoNiFeP_x@P,N-C enables a core-shell structure, high specific surface area, and hierarchical pore structure, which present abundant heterointerfaces and fully exposed active sites. Notably, the incorporation of Fe can also induce electron transfer in CoNiP_x@P,N-C, thereby promoting the oxygen evolution reaction. Consequently, CoNiFeP_x@P,N-C delivers a low overpotential of 278 mV (vs RHE) at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻¹ and inherits excellent long-term stability with no observable current density decay after 30 h of chronoamperometry test. This work not only highlights heteroatom induction to tune the electronic structure but also provides a facile approach for developing advanced and stable oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts with abundant heterointerfaces.

Low-frequency microwave absorbing materials have been challenging for many years. Three-dimensional dielectric/magnetic porous materials are beneficial for improving the low-frequency microwave absorbing performance because of natural resonance and improved impedance matching. In this study, Fe₃O₄@C 3D foam was prepared by carbothermal reduction method and the microwave attenuation performances and mechanisms were studied. By adjusting the content of Fe₃O₄@C 3D foam in paraffin composites, the low-frequency microwave attenuation capacity could be effectively optimized. The minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of paraffin composite with 40% (in mass fraction) loading exhibits −54.7 dB at 4.1 GHz for a thickness of 4.0 mm. Surprisingly, the paraffin composite with 50% (in mass fraction) loading could almost cover 2–4 GHz (S-band) in the thickness range of 3.5–5.5 mm. The strong low-frequency microwave attenuation property of Fe₃O₄@C 3D foam is mainly attributed to excellent low-frequency impedance matching, natural resonance, interfacial/dipole polarization, multiple reflection and scattering. This method provides a new perspective for preparing lightweight and high performance low-frequency microwave absorbing materials.