Driven by the "dual carbon" goals, the steel industry is facing unprecedented pressure to undergo green and low-carbon transformation. Constructing an "Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage" multi-energy synergistic coupling system has become a critical pathway to address the challenge of high carbon emissions in the steel industry and achieve deep decarbonization. This transformation involves not only breakthroughs in individual technologies such as renewable energy electrolytic hydrogen production, hydrogen-based metallurgy, and electrochemical energy storage, but more importantly, relies on materials innovation and interface science issues arising from the deep synergy among the three subsystems of electricity, hydrogen, and energy storage.

From the catalytic mechanisms at the triple-phase boundary in electrolyzers to thermal protection materials for hydrogen metallurgy reactors, from anti-hydrogen embrittlement design of metals in high-pressure hydrogen environments to the coupling of solid-state hydrogen storage with battery thermal management, and from the recycling of retired power batteries to life-cycle carbon footprint optimization, the "Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage" synergistic system poses multi-level, cross-scale scientific challenges to metallic materials, energy materials, functional coatings, and interface engineering. In particular, the development of key materials such as non-precious metal electrocatalysts, hydrogen-resistant specialty steels, reversible solid oxide cell materials, and intelligent hydrogen storage alloys, as well as the synergistic optimization of material-energy systems, will directly determine the technical and economic feasibility of low-carbon steel transition. Therefore, energy materials and interface science for Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage synergistic systems play a central supporting role in driving the green transformation of the steel industry, offering broad prospects for cross-disciplinary materials innovation.

This special issue focuses on the frontier of materials innovation and interface science in the field of "Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage Synergy Driving Low-Carbon Steel Transition," covering key directions including electrolytic hydrogen production and electrocatalytic materials, hydrogen metallurgy and hydrogen utilization materials, hydrogen-electric coupled energy storage materials, solid-state hydrogen storage and transportation materials, and life-cycle energy material recycling. This special issue aims to provide a platform for researchers to publish high-level innovative achievements, promote the interdisciplinary integration of materials science, metallurgical engineering, and energy technology, and contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality goals in the steel industry. High-quality original papers and review articles are welcome.

Accordingly, we plan to organize a topic collection on "Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage Synergy Driving Low-Carbon Steel Transition: Energy Materials and Interface Science" in 2026 (Regular Issue) in the Journal of Iron and Steel Research International.

Prof. Zhipeng Li from Northwestern Polytechnical University is invited to serve as the guest editors of this special issue. It is our pleasure to invite you to submit original contributions to this special issue.

We welcome high-quality reviews or research articles for this special issue. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

·Electrolytic Hydrogen Production and Electrocatalytic Materials: Non-precious metal catalysts for alkaline/PEM/AEM water electrolysis and interfacial active site design; surface passivation and conductive coatings for titanium/stainless steel bipolar plates in electrolyzers; gas-liquid transport and reaction dynamics at the membrane electrode assembly triple-phase boundary;

·Integrated Renewable Energy-Hydrogen-Storage Buffering Materials: Lithium/sodium-ion batteries for start-stop buffering and power smoothing in hydrogen production scenarios; low-temperature performance and cost advantages of sodium-ion batteries in renewable hydrogen microgrids; coupling control strategies and material lifetime matching for electrolyzer-storage systems;

·Reversible Fuel Cell Materials: Proton exchange membrane dual-function catalysts for reversible electrolysis/fuel cells; oxygen electrode/hydrogen electrode stability in high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) interconversion;

·Hydrogen Metallurgy Reactor Materials: Reduction kinetics and agglomeration/powdering inhibition of furnace charges in hydrogen-rich/full-hydrogen shaft furnace direct reduction (HyDR); coke dissolution suppression and hearth refractory erosion in blast furnace hydrogen-rich injection; thermal protection and electrode materials for plasma hydrogen smelting reduction (Plasma H?) reactors;

·Hydrogen Energy Application Materials in Steel Industry: Low-platinum/non-platinum catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); anti-hydrogen embrittlement bearing steels for hydrogen circulation pumps; surface conductive anti-oxidation coatings for Cr-based high-temperature alloy interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC); purification of by-product hydrogen (coke oven gas, converter gas) and fuel cell impurity tolerance;

·Material Failure and Protection in Hydrogen Environment;

·Hydrogen-Electric Coupled Energy Storage Materials;

·Fuel Cell-Battery Hybrid Power Systems;

·Electrochemical Hydrogen Pump and Compression Materials;

·Solid-State Hydrogen Storage and Transportation Materials;

·Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC);

·Thermal Coupling of Hydrogen Storage and Battery Thermal Management;

·Recycling of Retired Power Batteries for Hydrogen Energy Applications;

·Fuel Cell Catalyst Recycling and Circulation;

·Life-Cycle Energy Material Circulation and System Optimization.

All submissions will be subjected to a standard peer review process. Experts, scholars, researchers, and technicians in the fields of hydrogen energy materials, electrochemical energy storage, metallurgical engineering, surface engineering, and interface science are welcome to contribute enthusiastically!

Manuscript submission information:

(1) Submission deadline: 31 August 2026

(2) The manuscript should be submitted in English and must meet the requirements of "Instruction for Authors" and "Guide for the Preparation of a Manuscript" of the Journal of Iron and Steel Research International. Please indicate "SI: Electrification-Hydrogen-Storage Synergy Driving Low-Carbon Steel Transition " at the end of the title.

(3) Please use the online submission system of the Journal of Iron and Steel Research International (website: www.editorialmanager.com/isri) to submit the full text.

(4) If you have any questions for electronic submission, please contact the Editorial Official. (E-mail: gtyjxb-e@163.com; TEL: +86-10-62182295)

(5) Schedule for issue: Issue 12, 2026

You can also submit your manuscript through this link:

https://www.springer.com/journal/42243