A comprehensive review of current developments in artificial buffer layer-modified electrode–electrolyte interfaces for solid-state Li-ion batteries.

Lithium metal is an ultimate anode in "next-generation" rechargeable batteries, such as Li-sulfur batteries and Li-air (Li-O ) batteries. However, uncontrollable dendritic Li growth and water attack have prevented its practical applications, especially for open-system Li-O batteries. Here, it is reported that the issues can be addressed via the facile process of immersing the Li metal in organic GeCl -THF steam for several minutes before battery assembly. This creates a 1.5 µm thick protection layer composed of Ge, GeO , Li CO , LiOH, LiCl, and Li O on Li surface that allows stable cycling of Li electrodes both in Li-symmetrical cells and Li-O cells, especially in "moist" electrolytes (with 1000-10 000 ppm H O) and humid O atmosphere (relative humidity (RH) of 45%). This work illustrates a simple and effective way for the unfettered development of Li-metal-based batteries.

The self‐catalyzed growth of nanostructures on material surfaces is one of the most time‐ and cost‐effective ways to design multifunctional catalysts for a wide range of applications. Herein, the use of this technique to develop a multicomponent composite catalyst with CoSx core encapsulated in an ultrathin porous carbon shell entangled with Co, N‐codoped carbon nanotubes is reported. The as‐prepared catalyst has a superior catalytic activity for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions, an ultralow potential gap of 0.74 V, and outstanding durability, surpassing most previous reports. Such superiority is ascribed, in part, to the unique 3D electrode architecture of the composite, which is favorable for transporting oxygen species and electrons and creates a synergy between the components with different functionalities. Moreover, the flexible solid Zn–air battery assembled with such an air electrode shows a steady discharge voltage plateau of 1.25 V and a round‐trip efficiency of 70% at 1 mA cm−2. This work presents a simple strategy to design highly efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts and may pave the way for the practical application of these materials in many energy conversion/storage devices.

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) employing organic thin‐film based emitters have attracted tremendous attention due to their widespread applications in lighting and as displays in mobile devices and televisions. The novel thin‐film photovoltaic techniques using organic or organic–inorganic hybrid materials such as organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become emerging competitive candidates with regard to the traditional photovoltaic techniques on account of high‐efficiency, low‐cost, and simple manufacturing processing properties. However, OLEDs, OPVs, and PSCs are vulnerable to the undesired degradation induced by moisture and oxygen. To afford long‐term stability, a robust encapsulation technique by employing materials and structures that possess high barrier performance against oxygen and moisture must be explored and employed to protect these devices. Herein, the recent progress on specific encapsulation materials and techniques for three types of devices on the basis of fundamental understanding of device stability is reviewed. First, their degradation mechanisms, as well as, influencing factors are discussed. Then, the encapsulation technologies and materials are classified and discussed. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of various encapsulation technologies and materials coupled with their encapsulation applications in different devices are compared. Finally, the ongoing challenges and future perspectives of encapsulation frontier are provided.