The growing demand for efficient energy storage systems directs substantial research attention toward aluminum–air batteries, primarily due to their low cost and the abundant availability of aluminum. Among the various strategies aimed at enhancing their performance, the incorporation of electrolyte additives emerges as one of the most cost-effective and efficient approaches. Electrolyte additives, usually constituting approximately 1% of the total electrolyte composition, actively influence the physicochemical characteristics of both the electrolyte and the electrode–electrolyte interface, thereby contributing to marked enhancements in the overall performance of aluminum–air batteries. Despite their low concentrations, additives play a fundamental role in enhancing the efficiency and extending the service life of aluminum–air batteries by stabilizing the electrode–electrolyte interface and promoting favorable electrochemical performance. This review investigates the primary factors propelling the advancement of aluminum–air batteries by considering the diverse functions of electrolyte additives. The additives are classified into three categories: organic, inorganic, and hybrid. This comprehensive analysis aims to serve as a key resource for the informed selection and development of electrolyte additives, thereby fostering continued innovation in aluminum–air battery technologies.

Direct ink writing (DIW) has emerged as a promising additive manufacturing technique for fabricating three-dimensional electrode architectures with controlled structural features and high design flexibility. MXenes (Ti<inf>3</inf>C<inf>2</inf>T<inf>x</inf>), owing to their metallic conductivity, surface functionality, and viscoelastic properties, serve as excellent platforms for developing composite electrodes. In this work, we report for the first time the in-situ interfacing of 0D Cu-Ni-O-FPs/MXene as cathode and 0D α-Fe-O-FPs/MXene as anode materials, followed by their integration into a DIW-printed asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC). The Cu-Ni-O-FPs/MXene cathode exhibited an areal capacity of 1.23 mA h cm⁻² at 1 mA cm⁻², with a rate capability of 75.60 % at 80 mA cm⁻² and long-term cycling stability of 93.8 % after 10,000 cycles. The α-Fe-O-FPs/MXene anode delivered an areal capacity of 0.69 mA h cm⁻² at 1 mA cm⁻², demonstrating excellent charge-storage characteristics. When assembled, the DIW-printed Cu-Ni-O-FPs/MXene//α-Fe-O-FPs/MXene ASC achieved a remarkable energy density of 69.25 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 380.1 W kg⁻¹, and 49.22 Wh kg⁻¹ at an ultra-high power density of 10,010.85 W kg⁻¹, along with 90.86 % retention after 10,000 cycles. This study establishes a new design paradigm for DIW-printed energy storage devices by leveraging the strong interfacial coupling between 0D pseudocapacitive nanoparticles and 2D MXene nanosheets. The unique 0D/2D pseudocapacitive-driven hybrid architectures ensure maximized redox contributions, minimized charge-transfer resistance, and well-balanced electrode kinetics.

Aberrant alterations in genomic 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), an oxidation product of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) by Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, are frequently associated with cancers. Quick and precise 5hmC quantification is vital since it is a key biomarker for diagnosis, pathophysiology, and therapy. Here, we present a portable, wireless potentiostat sensor for real-time, ultrasensitive 5hmC-DNA sensing based on a tree-like graphene (teG)-modified screen-printed microelectrode. One-pot electrochemical exfoliation of pencil graphite enabled the cost-effective, eco-friendly, and scalable synthesis of teG, which exhibited high electrical conductivity, excellent electrochemical conductivity, low surface roughness, and high 5hmC-DNA adsorption, surpassing those of pencil graphite (pG) and graphene oxide (GO). The teG-modified gold electrodes exhibited exceptional sensitivity (6.15 × 10-6 mM-1 cm-2), selectivity, and reproducibility, with an ultralow detection limit of 12.6 fM for 5hmC-DNA. The sensor’s performance was validated by quantifying 5hmC levels in genomic DNA from various biological specimens, including primary mouse tissues with altered TET function, mouse hepatocellular carcinoma, and human prostate cancer cell lines. To enhance practicality, a flexible, screen-printed microelectrode on mulberry paper was developed and integrated with a portable, wireless potentiostat powered by the Arduino Nano 33 IoT. Open-circuit potential (OCP)-based detection enabled label-free, real-time monitoring with wireless data transmission to an Android mobile application, successfully differentiating 5hmC levels between cancerous and noncancerous cells. These findings highlight teG’s high surface area, superior charge transport, and scalability, positioning it as a promising platform for next-generation biosensing. The developed sensor provides a rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive tool for 5hmC quantification, with significant implications for early cancer diagnostics and treatment.

With the consistent increase in global demand for renewable energy, microelectronics, and electric vehicles, the demand for lithium has surged drastically in recent years to ensure sustainable growth of respective sectors. Recovery of lithium particularly from seawater has emerged as a cutting-edge technology to strengthen lithium resources. Since the innovation of two-dimensional (2D) materials, 2D materials-driven nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been on the top priority for lithium recovery, mainly due to their cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency. The most phenomenal aspect associated with 2D materials nanofiltration process is that exceptional ions and water permeation phenomena have been attained. These results are achieved mainly due to the existence of a synergistic effect between controlled pore size (stacking space available between adjacent layers) and surface properties of nanopores/nanochannels developed in membranes. In this review report, we have outlined and discussed various 2D materials including graphene, graphene oxide (GO), MXene (Ti3C2X), hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN), metal-organic framework, metal covalent framework, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) deployed for construction of nanofiltration membranes along with their attained monovalent metal ions rejection outcomes, Li+ ions in particular. Various strategies (i.e., defect engineering, cation regulations, and modification of surface functional groups) have been explained in detail in order to create nanopores into nanosheets and to tune the interlayer spacing of 2D nanofiltration membranes. Moreover, 2D materials composite nanofiltration membranes with improved metal ion rejection rates, hydrophobicity, enhanced structural integrity in varied pH solutions, and non-swelling characteristics have also been discussed. Finally, to promote the development of 2D materials-driven nanofiltration membranes with further enhanced lithium-ion recovery rates, rational design of membrane structures, relevant challenges, and future perspectives are insightfully addressed.

MXenes, a family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, have gained much attention for use as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs) owing to their metallic conductivities and reliable electrochemical performances. However, since they are prone to oxidation at anodic potentials, the fabrication of ultra-high energy density SCs utilizing both an MXene-based cathode and anode remains a great challenge. Here, we successfully incorporated pseudocapacitive FeZnS and MnZnS nanoparticles into Ti3C2Tx MXene for use as an MXene-based cathode (c-Mx) and anode (a-Mx), respectively. The fabricated c-Mx and a-Mx exhibit higher gravimetric capacitance and rate performance than pristine Ti3C2Tx because of the numerous pseudocapacitive reaction sites and increased d-spacing of Ti3C2Tx arising from the incorporation of metal sulfide nanoparticles. Notably, a-Mx exhibits stable electrochemical behavior even at anodic potentials. SCs fabricated with c-Mx and a-Mx yielded outstanding energy-storage performances, including high specific capacitance (366.4 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), ultrahigh energy density (130.27 W h kg−1 at a power density of 800.0 W kg−1), and excellent cycle stability (>6000 cycles). This is attributed to the high conductivity of MXenes, which enables effective pseudocapacitive reactions of FeZnS and MnZnS, as well as the well-matched charge balance between c-Mx and a-Mx.

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins orchestrate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation-demethylation dynamics by oxidizing 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and are frequently inactivated in various cancers. Due to the significance of 5hmC as an epigenetic biomarker for cancer diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment, its rapid and precise quantification is essential. Here, we report a highly sensitive electrochemical method for quantifying genomic 5hmC using graphene sheets that were electrochemically exfoliated and functionalized with biotin and gold nanoparticles (Bt-AuNPs) through a single-step electrical method. The attachment of Bt-AuNPs to graphene enhances the specificity of 5hmC-containing DNA and augments the oxidation of 5hmC to 5-formylcytosine in DNA. When coupled to a gold electrode, the Bt-AuNP-graphene-based sensor exhibits exceptional sensitivity and specificity for detecting 5hmC, with a detection limit of 63.2 fM. Furthermore, our sensor exhibits a remarkable capacity to measure 5hmC levels across a range of biological samples, including preclinical mouse tissues with varying 5hmC levels due to either TET gene disruption or oncogenic transformation, as well as human prostate cancer cell lines. Therefore, our sensing strategy has substantial potential for cancer diagnostics and prognosis.