Front Cover: Combination of Phosphorus Doping and Gas Treatment to Enhance the Capacity and Initial Coulombic Efficiencies of Hard Carbon Anode for Sodium Ion Batteries (ChemSusChem 12/2026)

The capacity of hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries was improved by the synergistic effect of phosphorus doping (purple particles) and acetylene gas treatment. The schematic illustrates a carbon particle consisting of an amorphous carbon core covered by graphene-like surface layers, resembling a hornet’s nest. Sodium ions, represented as hornets (or yellow particles), escape through pores and gaps in the surface layers and rapidly diffuse while being solvated by the electrolyte, analogous to traveling in electric vehicles (EVs). More information can be found in the Research Article by K. Gotoh and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.70677).