New paper published in Desalination on position-resolved ion concentration from operando X-ray transmission. This collaborative work introduces position-resolved operando synchrotron X-ray transmission to directly map local ion concentration changes inside a working capacitive deionization (CDI) cell – separating contributions from the flow channel electrolyte and the two nanoporous electrodes. Using a CsCl model electrolyte, we show how flow rate creates strong spatial gradients along the channel and how ionophobic ultramicropores (< ~0.7 nm) can dominate performance by promoting counter-ion adsorption and higher charge efficiency. Authors: Max V. Rauscher, Richard Kohns, Malina Seyffertitz, Sebastian Stock, Sylvio Haas, Christian Prehal, Nicola Hüsing, Oskar Paris.

New paper published in ACS Energy Letters on interlayer-tailored Alkyl-MXenes for selective electrochemical lithium-ion extraction. The paper reports a two-step electrochemical lithium-ion extraction strategy using interlayer-tailored Ti₃C₂T_x MXene electrodes. By pre-intercalating long-chain organic molecules (hexadecylamine, HDA, and decyltrimethylammonium, C10), the MXene interlayer environment is tuned to favor Li⁺ over competing Na⁺, improving both selectivity and extraction rates. In the demonstrated conditions, the HDA-intercalated MXene shows 2.2 mmol/L Li uptake with suppressed Na uptake (<0.2 mmol/L), and both HDA-Ti₃C₂T_x and C10-Ti₃C₂T_x maintain nearly 100% lithium purity over 50 cycles. Co-authors: Cansu Kök, Karamullah Eisawi, Jean G. A. Ruthes, Burcu Tan, Antje Quade, Michael Naguib. We are grateful to be featured on the Supporting Cover.

New paper published in ACS Applied Energy Materials. This collaborative work explores the electrochemical pathway behind cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) formation in Li-S batteries operated with carbonate-based electrolytes. By using microporous carbon-sulfur cathodes and tracking the first discharge, we propose an electrochemical nucleophilic mechanism in which polysulfides and solvent molecules react inside confined pores, forming a CEI that is largely LiF-rich. This interphase effectively seals carbon pores, limits further solvent intrusion, and can improve cycling stability – offering new design principles for more practical carbonate-based Li-S systems. Authors: Francisco J. García-Soriano, Jan Jerovsek, Santiago A. Maldonado-Ochoa, Fabian Vaca Chávez, Delvina Japhet Tarimo, Bostjan Genorio, Marc Florent, Teresa J. Bandosz, Robert Dominko, Christian Prehal, Alen Vizintin.

New paper published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. We present a mildly synthesized aluminum layered double hydroxide (Al-LDH) electrode that couples chemical adsorption with electrochemical release to recover lithium at neutral pH, eliminating harsh acids or bases and minimizing secondary pollution. It achieves an average Li⁺ uptake of 57.6 mg/g with strong Li⁺ over Na⁺ selectivity (vs. 1.0 mg/g for commercial Al(OH)₃ over 15 cycles), positioning Al-LDH as a scalable, green candidate for next-generation direct lithium extraction.