This study sets out to describe recent progress on the electrochemical CO2 reduction to CO in a heterogeneously catalyzed system. The review includes understanding of the catalytic material employed and engineering strategies implemented by adjusting the binding energy of key adsorbates. These material design approaches, such as nanostructuring, alloying, doping, and so forth, have pioneered breakouts in the intrinsic catalytic nature of transition metal elements. Moreover, recent advances in systematic design are summarized, with focus on practical industrial applications. Finally, perspectives on the design of electrocatalyst materials for CO production by electrochemical CO2 reduction are presented.

This critical review highlighted recent efforts toward the development of the nanoscale synthesis of nonprecious metal's graphene‐supported electrocatalysts and their electrocatalytic features for remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Different essential nonprecious metal's graphene‐supported electrocatalysts, including metal carbides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, oxides, and nitrides are reviewed. In the exploration, attention is given to the strategies of activity enhancement, the synthetic approach, and the composition/structure electrocatalytic‐performance relationship of these HER electrocatalysts. We are hopeful that this review confers a new momentum to the rational design of remarkable performance nonprecious metal's graphene‐supported electrocatalysts and comprehensive guide for researchers to utilize the subject catalysts in regular water splitting.

Silicon anode materials, attracting extensive attention for rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity, generally suffer from poor cycling, poor rate performance, and low coulomb efficiency. We review on recent progress in the engineering of protective coating layers, including carbon, inorganic, and conductive polymer protective layers, for stabilizing silicon anode and improving electrochemical performance.

We construct an “All‐In‐One” integrated electrode with multichannel three‐dimensional carbon matrix confined ultrathin SnS2 nanosheet attaching fast lithium‐ion kinetics even under high active material mass loading over 7?mg?cm?2. The as‐prepared SnS2@ multichannel carbon matrix composite electrode can endure a 6.8?mA?cm?2 current density, delivering a specific capacity of 3?mAh?cm?2 (522?mAh?g?1).

Carbon science has been significantly advanced in the past decades due to the continuous breakthroughs in the discovery of new carbon materials with promising physicochemical properties, allowing us to use carbon energy more efficiently and decently. This essay timely discusses the historical evolution of our interaction with carbon materials, based on which perspectives on carbon energy future are stated.

Carbon energy: A multidisciplinary exploration of energy technologies and carbon materials science