Editorial: Eco-friendly fabrication of energy storage materials: from batteries to supercapacitors

The growing demand for sustainable electrochemical energy storage has accelerated research into environmentally friendly fabrication strategies for batteries and supercapacitors. This Research Topic, Eco-Friendly Fabrication of Energy Storage Materials: From Batteries to Supercapacitors, highlights emerging approaches integrating green synthesis, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainable recycling technologies to enable next-generation energy systems. The contributions not only showcase recent breakthroughs but also outline a roadmap for addressing the environmental footprint of energy storage technologiesa critical prerequisite for achieving global carbon neutrality and circular economy goals.A prominent theme among the collected articles is the integration of AI and machine learning (ML) into sustainable material design and energy system optimization. Importantly, microwave technologies offer a promising low-carbon pathway toward closed-loop battery recycling and sustainable resource recovery. Looking ahead, the integration of microwave recycling with real-time monitoring and AI-based process control could further improve material recovery rates and reduce energy variability. An equally critical challenge is the design of batteries with recycling in mind from the outset-a concept often termed "design for recycling"-which would synergize with the microwave-assisted approaches reviewed here.Collectively, the articles in this Research Topic reveal several emerging trends in sustainable energy storage materials. First, AI and ML are becoming increasingly important for accelerating material discovery, process optimization, and lifecycle management. Second, scalable green fabrication technologies such as laser processing and microwave heating are enabling low-energy and environmentally friendly manufacturing routes. Third, interfacial engineering and recycling strategies are increasingly integrated into the broader sustainability framework of electrochemical energy systems.Overall, this Topic highlights the growing convergence of green chemistry, intelligent manufacturing, advanced interface science, and circular economy principles in modern energy storage research. We hope these contributions will inspire further interdisciplinary efforts toward environmentally responsible, scalable, and highperformance energy storage technologies.Finally, we sincerely thank all authors, reviewers, and editors for their valuable contributions and support in making this Research Topic successful.