Developing an ultimate electromagnetic (EM)-absorbing material that can not only dissipate EM energy but also convert the generated heat into electricity is highly desired but remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a hybrid Sn@C composite with a biological cell-like splitting ability to address this challenge. The composite consisting of Sn nanoparticles embedded within porous carbon would split under a cycled annealing treatment, leading to more dispersed nanoparticles with an ultrasmall size. Benefiting from an electron-transmitting but a phonon-blocking structure created by the splitting behavior, an EM wave-electricity device constructed by the optimum Sn@C composite could achieve an efficiency of EM to heat at widely used frequency region and a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit of 0.62 at 473 K, as well as a constant output voltage and power under the condition of microwave radiation. This work provides a promising solution for solving EM interference with self-powered EM devices.

Transition metal chalcogenides have been identified as low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media. However, the identification of active sites and the underlying catalytic mechanism remain elusive. In this work, we employ operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to elucidate that NiS undergoes an in-situ phase transition to an intimately mixed phase of Ni₃S₂ and NiO, generating highly active synergistic dual sites at the Ni₃S₂/NiO interface. The interfacial Ni is the active site for water dissociation and OH* adsorption while the interfacial S acts as the active site for H* adsorption and H₂ evolution. Accordingly, the in-situ formation of Ni₃S₂/NiO interfaces enables NiS electrocatalysts to achieve an overpotential of only 95 ± 8 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Our work highlighted that the chemistry of transition metal chalcogenides is highly dynamic, and a careful control of the working conditions may lead to the in-situ formation of catalytic species that boost their catalytic performance.