Search

Advanced elastomers with outstanding strength, toughness, and reusability hold significant potential for diverse applications. Using photochemistry and mechanochemistry to develop such materials has become a very effective strategy. Here, we report that photoreversible coumarin-based mechanophores that can make force-/light-triggered cycloreversion are chemically incorporated into polyurethane elastomers to simultaneously enhance their strength and toughness. Coumarin dimer mechanophore cross-linkers are formed in the polyurethane elastomer after exposure to 365 nm irradiation, leading to networks with dramatically enhanced mechanical properties. The tensile strength of the HNA-PU 2000 elastomer with coumarin dimer mechanophore cross-linkers could increase from 13.9 to 26.9 MPa, elongation at break from 726 to 1053%, and toughness from 25.6 to 119.7 MJ·m -3 , in contrast to its counterpart HNA-PU 2000 elastomer without coumarin dimer mechanophores. Additionally, the polyurethane elastomer exhibits a decent reusable capability via force-/light-triggered cycloreversion of coumarin dimer mechanophores under mechanical stress or 254 nm irradiation. This mechano-/photochemical strategy to improve strength, toughness, and reusable capability of elastomers provides a facile approach for the development of high-performance elastomer materials.

Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with exceptional dynamics and diverse active sites possess tremendous potential in information security and anticounterfeiting applications. However, traditional MOF systems are based on broadband spectral signals with spectrum overlap, which easily leads to low-resolution signal identification, compromising the overall security level. Here, we report the coordination-defect-induced amorphous pure-MOF microsphere with switchable whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) signals as a mode-dependent security platform. Amorphous MOF microspheres are prepared by a chlorine coordination-defect-driven growth strategy based on the aperiodic arrangement in coordinate networks. The as-prepared amorphous MOF microspheres with well-defined circular morphology display the typical WGM resonance with dimension-dependent character, permitting the creation of photonic barcodes with substantial encoding capacity. Furthermore, the amorphous MOF microspheres exhibit optical mode switching behavior due to reversible framework shrinkage, which enables the design of covert photonic barcodes as anticounterfeiting labels, finally demonstrating responsive coding property and enhanced information security. The results provide a novel strategy for exploring an MOF-based security platform for information encryption and optical anticounterfeiting.

Diabetic wounds, often multifactorial and affecting multiple organs, pose substantial challenges to patient well-being, drawing significant interest in biomedical engineering. The demanding wound microenvironment, marked by heightened glucose levels, local exudate, and bacterial infections, emphasizes the pressing demand for advanced wound dressings to meet escalating clinical needs. Herein, a Janus wound dressing with an integration of an antimicrobial hydrophobic nanofiber layer and a 3D hydrophilic sponge was designed and prepared to manage and utilize wound exudate. The hydrophobic layer skillfully combined electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofiber membranes (ENMs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with peroxidase-like properties by solvent etching, and glucose oxidase (GOx) was grafted through ligand interaction. GOx acts to consume glucose while modulating pH, thus suitable pH and self-supplied H 2 O 2 were able to activate the catalytic activity of MOFs to generate • OH. Additionally, hydrophilic 3D sponges are constructed using gas foaming technology, which are tactfully combined with hydrophobic ENMs to form a Janus structure, which can transport exudate through the antimicrobial layer to the sponge layer, while sufficient glucose contact with GOx enhances the antimicrobial properties of the designed Janus wound dressing. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the cascade effect of GOx@PCL/MOF ENMs, ultimately releasing reactive oxygen species and exhibiting robust antibacterial properties. In vivo animal experiments reveal the ability of the Janus wound dressing to mitigate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the early stages, thereby expediting the wound healing process. In vivo animal study, the Janus wound dressing achieved a healing rate of 54% on day 3. Our findings underscore the substantial potential of the Janus wound dressings in promoting the healing of chronic diabetic wounds.

High-voltage LiCoO 2 is a promising cathode material for ultrahigh-energy lithium-ion batteries, particularly in the commercialization of 5G technology. However, achieving long-term operational stability remains a significant challenge. Herein, a quaterpolymer additive with multiple functional groups is introduced to enhance the electrochemical performance of LiCoO 2 cathode at 4.5 V. The capacity remains 96% after 100 cycles at room temperature and 94.4% after 50 cycles even at 45 °C. The sulfonate and ester groups of the quaterpolymer additive serve as lithium carriers, providing high voltage resistance and fast ionic conductivity with increased lithium-ion diffusion coefficients during the charge/discharge processes. The incorporation of a quaterpolymer additive also improves the dispersion properties and peel strength of the LiCoO 2 cathodes. The coordination between the sulfonate groups and Li + as well as the amine-based derivatives and Lewis acid of PF 5 is expected to disrupt the Li + solvation shell and deactivate the PF 5 reactivity, therefore suppressing electrolyte decompositions. Furthermore, the superior interactions between sulfate ester (O atoms)/amide (N atoms) groups of copolymer additive and superficial cobalt atoms of LiCoO 2 provide a compensating charge to Co, inhibiting the surface cobalt dissolution, irreversible oxygen redox reaction, and the detrimental LiCoO 2 phase transition from O3 to H1-3. The use of a tiny amount of polymer additive presents an effective approach to stabilizing high-voltage LiCoO 2 , offering valuable insights for the design of high-energy battery materials.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold enormous promise for treating bacterial infections to circumvent the threat of antibiotic resistance. However, positioning MOFs on wound dressings is hindered and remains a significant challenge. Herein, a facile heterointerfacial engineering strategy was developed to tailor the "MOF armor" that adaptively weaponized the poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun dressing with excellent bacteria-killing efficacy. Hydrophilic epitaxial crystallization to enhance the interfacial wettability is the key to induce the uniform seeding of Cu 2+ and thus to generate a compact MOF layer on the electrospun dressing. The universality of the proposed strategy was demonstrated by the construction of different kinds of MOFs (HKUST-1, ZIF-8, and ZIF-67) on variously shaped substrates (nanofibers, pellets, plates, and 3D-printed porous scaffolds). By optimizing the Cu 2+ loading, the Cu-MOF armor exhibited sustained ion release behavior, strong antibacterial activity, and good biocompatibility. In vivo rat model revealed that the Cu-MOF armor significantly promoted infected wound healing by inhibiting inflammatory factors, promoting collagen deposition, and angiogenesis. This unique MOF armor provides an appealing and effective solution for designing and fabricating advanced wound dressings.

As one of the core parts of the Internet-of-things (IOTs), multimodal sensors have exhibited great advantages in fields such as human-machine interaction, electronic skin, and environmental monitoring. However, current multimodal sensors substantially introduce a bloated equipment architecture and a complicated decoupling mechanism. In this work we propose a multimodal fusion sensing platform based on a power-dependent piecewise linear decoupling mechanism, allowing four parameters to be perceived and decoded from the passive wireless single component, which greatly broadens the configurable freedom of a sensor in the IOT. A systematic model is employed to analyze the linear sensing properties and ensure the feasibility of the scheme. The excitation power dependence provides an efficient and quantitative linear decoupling strategy of unidentified combinations for multiple stimuli. As a validation for a wearable device such as electronic skin (e-skin), the functionalized sensing film polyaniline/graphene oxide (PANI/GO) is served to synchronously monitor humidity, temperature, ultraviolet, and proximity through the mapping in resonant frequency ( f s ). Compared with the output errors of ∼18.00%, ∼17.50%, ∼15.00%, and ∼20.00%, the maximum experimental errors of temperature, humidity, ultraviolet, and proximity are 5.70%, 4.00%, 5.00%, and 8.30% after decoupling, respectively. In general, the developed single-component multimodal fusion sensing platform offers a strategic advantage for a miniaturization, passive wireless, and inexpensive (less than $1) signal identification system with a facile circuit layout.

Currently, carbon dots (CDs) with room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) show bright prospects in multiple fields, owing to their tunable wavelengths and large Stokes shifts. Howbeit, obtaining the long-lived efficient RTP of CDs still encounters a different kind of challenge. Here, we originally prepared the carbon dots (CDs@β-GPA) with β-guanidinopropionic acid and diethylenetriamine pentamethylene phosphonic acid, and CDs@β-GPA exhibited the obvious green RTP when fixed on filter paper. Importantly, the introduction of boric acid (BA) into the carbon dots resulted in stabilized triplet excitons by forming the composite of CDs@β-GPA/BA through covalent coupling, and the optical band gap was effectively reduced and nonradiative transitions were inhibited, thus leading to a significantly prolonged phosphorescence lifetime of up to 1.35 s. Meanwhile, we also acquired the phosphorescent emission of CDs@β-GPA/BA excited by visible light. This strategy may broaden the approaches to produce a long-lifetime and high-efficiency RTP material. Moreover, CDs@β-GPA/BA was successfully employed in the fields of fingerprint detection and advanced information encryption.

SnSe materials have attracted extensive attention in thermoelectrics due to their low thermal conductivity. Nevertheless, the thermoelectric properties of n-type polycrystalline SnSe are still low, and metallic Sn distributed in the SnSe 1- x materials would affect the repeatability of thermoelectric performance. Herein, the thermoelectric properties of n-type polycrystalline SnSe 0.95 -based composites are highly enhanced by heterogeneous Cu doping. The carrier concentration of the SnSe 0.95 material was optimized by SnCl 2 doping. The strategy of heterogeneous Cu doping is employed in further improving the thermoelectric performance of the SnCl 2 -doped SnSe 0.95 materials. In addition, partial Cu + doping tunes the electron concentration to enhance the Seebeck coefficient. Moreover, metallic Sn distributed along the grain boundaries can be stabilized by forming Cu 6 Sn 5 alloys, which improve the thermal stability of bulk composites. Excessive Cu particles and SnCl 2 precipitates strengthen phonon scattering for lowering the lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, a peak ZT of 1.55 is yielded at 773 K in the SnSe 0.95 -1 wt % SnCl 2 -1 wt % Cu bulk composite, whose mechanical hardness is also increased. Hence, these results promote a feasible approach to simultaneously enhance the thermoelectric and mechanical properties of n-type SnSe-based composites, which might be worth exploring in other thermoelectric materials.

Integrating microscale liquid crystal polymer flakes into host materials takes advantage of their compact shape and heightened responsiveness to electric fields, facilitating a range of switching capabilities and related applications, such as smart windows and E-paper displays. However, the complex physics controlling the movement of these flakes within liquid crystal hosts remains partly mysterious. This paper aims to elucidate the underlying physics that governs the behavior of nematic liquid crystal polymer flakes within nematic liquid crystal hosts. The uniaxial flakes are introduced into nematic liquid crystal hosts, which have positive or negative dielectric anisotropies. They are then arranged in devices with various alignment layers: parallel, perpendicular, or twisted. We compare and analyze the rotation and relaxation times of these flakes, observing their behaviors at specific moments to identify the factors influencing their motions. Our research pinpoints three primary factors that impact the movement of these flakes: anchoring, elastic, and interfacial polarization effects. Moreover, elastic and anchoring effects play more prominent roles and contribute earlier than the interface polarization effect in the liquid crystalline hosts upon the application of electric fields; flakes can relax back to their initial state with the help of the anchoring effect. This comprehensive understanding not only contributes to the fundamental study of flake dynamics but also paves the way for enhanced performance and broader practical applications, particularly in photoelectric fields, such as fast-switching smart windows.

Ionic thermoelectric materials, renowned for their high Seebeck coefficients, are gaining prominence for their potential in harvesting low-grade waste heat. However, the theoretical underpinnings for enhancing the performance of these materials remain underexplored. In this study, the Hoffmeister effect was leveraged to augment the thermoelectric properties of hydrogel-based ionic thermoelectric materials. A series of PAAm- x Zn(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 , PAAm- x ZnSO 4 , and PAAm- x Zn(ClO 4 ) 2 hydrogels were synthesized, using polyacrylamide (PAAm) as the matrix and three distinct zinc salts with varying anion volumes to impart the Hoffmeister effect. Exceptionally, the most cost-effective ZnSO 4 yielded the highest ionic Seebeck coefficient among the hydrogels, with PAAm-1 ZnSO 4 achieving a remarkable value of -3.72 mV K -1 . To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we conducted an innovative analysis correlating the Seebeck coefficient with the zinc ion transfer number. Additionally, the hydrogel materials demonstrated outstanding mechanical properties, including high elongation at break (>1400% at its peak), exceptional resilience (virtually no hysteresis loops), and robust fatigue resistance (overlapping cyclic tensile curves). This work not only advances the understanding of ionic thermoelectric materials but also showcases the potential of hydrogels for practical waste heat recovery applications.

The artificial photoelectric synaptic devices integrating optical signal response and data processing functions enable the simulation of the human visual system. However, the optical modulation behavior of photoelectronic synaptic devices is susceptible to interference from sunlight background, significantly hindering their applications in optical modulation. To address this issue, a Ni/AlYN/ITO structure for sunlight-interference-free artificial synaptic memristor was designed and fabricated, and the application in photoelectric modulation was demonstrated. Solar-blind ultraviolet light with low background noise and high security is introduced as the optical stimuli signal. Various biological synaptic functions, including short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity, have been successfully simulated under the modulation of optical and electrical signals. Furthermore, it emulates the human visual system's perception and memory functions, exhibiting notable memory retention (over 300 s) and capacity (up to 5.6 times after 5 cycles). Notably, the device's output current remains unaffected by the optical signal interference. This artificial photoelectric synaptic device not only extends the potential for human visual perception in the solar-blind ultraviolet region, but also facilitates the integration of solar-blind optical communication and brain-inspired computing. This advancement is expected to enable information reception, transmission, and processing resistant to visible light interference, thereby creating and boosting applications in secure optical communication.

In carbon-based supercapacitors, redox couples can effectively improve the energy density of supercapacitors; however, most redox couples still suffer from serious shuttle diffusion. Currently, there is no universal strategy to effectively constrain their shuttle diffusion. Therefore, developing a simple, effective, and universal method to suppress shuttle diffusion remains a great challenge. Herein, we designed and prepared a hierarchical structure electrode composed of three functional layers (inner conductive layer, intermediate storage layer, and outer confinement layer) for redox-enhanced supercapacitors. The hierarchical electrode can be fabricated on a large scale in three simple steps based on commercial carbon felt. The rationally designed three functional layers endow the hierarchical structure electrode with excellent conductivity, adsorption capacity, and confinement ability. Long-term charge-discharge cycle results prove that the hierarchical structure electrode exhibits an outstanding restriction effectiveness on three redox media with different molecular sizes (anthraquinone (AQ), naphthoquinone (NQ), and p-benzoquinone (PQ)). Specifically, for AQ, NQ, and PQ, the hierarchical structure electrodes showed CV peak current attenuation rates of only 5.64%, 3.54%, and 10.34% after 5,000 cycles of charge-discharge, while common electrodes exhibited attenuation rates of 10.44%, 15.02%, and 20.20%, respectively. Moreover, the soft-pack supercapacitors composed of hierarchical electrodes still had a capacitance retention of 86.6% after 5,000 cycles of charge-discharge. All the results demonstrate that the structure design is reasonable and the hierarchical structure electrode has a great potential to be the universal electrode for suppressing the shuttle diffusion of redox media in supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.

The issue of increased electromagnetic pollution has sparked widespread demands for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding technology in specialized applications such as optical windows and periscopes. More importantly, the materials maintaining a high transmittance and excellent EMI shielding stability in harsh environments still remain an urgent challenge. In this work, a multilayered PDMS/ITO/Ag/ITO (PIAI) film is constructed by magnetron sputtering and spin-coating techniques. The PIAI film with a sandwiched structure design exhibited an efficient shielding effectiveness of 35 dB in the X-band while boasting an impressive transmittance of 89% at 550 nm ascribed to refractive index matching of the PDMS layer and phase cancellation interference between ITO layers. It also represented satisfying corrosion resistance and chemical stability, with a slight shielding effectiveness decrease of 5% after immersing for 24 h in 5 wt % NaCl solution. Therefore, the as-obtained multilayered film integrates the multifunctionality of efficient EMI shielding, high light transmission, and excellent corrosion resistance, offering a promising avenue for transparent EMI shielding films applied to visible windows in a harsh environment.

Exosomes are cell-released nanovesicles that regulate intercellular communication by transporting a variety of bioactive molecules. They play a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes, such as the immune response, tissue regeneration, aging, and tumor progression. There has been growing interest in controlling exosome production, which could offer valuable tools for unraveling complex cell communication networks and enabling novel therapeutic applications. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs), one of the few nanomaterials approved for clinical use, have been shown to remotely modulate cellular activities such as cytoskeleton reorganization, ion channel activation, and cell polarization. In this study, we systematically investigate the effects of MNPs, acting as nanoscale force transducers, on exosome production in two distinct cell types with different responses to mechanical stimuli. Our findings reveal that magnetic force applied to intracellular MNPs induces vesicle relocation and promotes the formation of actin stress fibers. Gene expression analysis further shows that intracellular magnetic force upregulates genes related to exosome transport and secretion as well as other pathways linked to exosome biogenesis. Notably, these forces substantially enhance exosome production, particularly MNP-containing exosomes, which are accompanied by increased intercellular exchange of MNPs. In summary, our study offers valuable insights into MNP-driven exosome production and presents potential strategies for enhancing cell communication and modulating nanoparticle distribution in nanomedicine.

Lithium (Li) metal is considered as the "holy grail" of anode materials for next-generation high energy batteries. However, notorious dendrite growth and interfacial instability could induce irreversible capacity loss and safety issues, limiting the practical application of Li metal anodes. Herein, we develop a novel approach to construct a borate-based artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (designated as B-SEI) through the reaction of metallic Li with triethylamine borane (TEAB). According to our cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) characterization results, the artificial SEI adopts a glass-crystal bilayer structure, which facilitates uniform Li-ion transport and inhibits dendrite growth during Li plating. Benefiting from such an artificial SEI, the Li anode delivers an improved rate performance and prolonged cycle life. The symmetric Li/B-SEI||Li/B-SEI cell can maintain stable cycling for 700 h at a high current density of 3 mA cm -2 . The full-cell pairing Li/B-SEI with LiFePO 4 only exhibits minimal capacity decay after 500 cycles in a conventional carbonate-based electrolyte. This work demonstrates the feasibility of building a boride-based artificial SEI to stabilize the Li metal anode based on microscopic characterization results and comprehensive electrochemical data, which represents a promising avenue to develop practical Li metal batteries.

Functional porous organic polymers (POPs) have been widely developed as heterogeneous catalysts for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) conversion. However, the integration of multifunctional active sites into POPs remains a major challenge. Herein, a facile postsynthesis modification strategy was explored to fabricate metalloporphyrin- and phosphonium-bifunctionalized POPs (TAPPM-PTBAR) as the heterogeneous catalysts for CO 2 conversion. The as-developed catalysts were characterized in detail using various techniques. The results illustrated that the novel POP catalysts featured abundant Lewis acid metal centers, nucleophilic active sites, and phosphonium cation. These features enabled the catalyst to immobilize CO 2 under mild and solvent-free conditions. The synergistic effect of cobalt as a Lewis acid site and halide anion as a bifunctional nucleophile site enhances the catalysis performance of TAPPM-PTBAR. Combining the experimental results and density functional theory calculation, a plausible reaction mechanism involving hydrogen bonding and Co 3+ center for epoxides was proposed. Considering its good reusability and substrate expansibility, the developed TAPPCo 3+ -PTBANH 2 demonstrated great potential as a robust heterogeneous catalyst for the efficient utilization of C1 resources.

Flexible photonic crystals (PCs) constructed by PCs and special polymers are very promising to achieve a combination of vivid structural colors, mechanical robustness, and environment stability. However, PCs that incorporate polymer binders are still susceptible to destruction and subsequent loss of structural color when subjected to significant external forces or harsh environments. Besides, because most of these polymers are highly flammable, crucial fire safety is difficult to be guaranteed in the application of these materials. In this study, we report a poly( m -phenyleneisophthalamide) inverse opal (PMIA IO) structural color film through a SiO 2 PC template sacrificing method. Benefiting from the high rigid PMIA molecular structural configuration, the PMIA IO films are able to maintain their structural colors even in harsh conditions, such as large tensile stress, high and low temperatures, potent acids and bases, and ultraviolet radiation. More attractively, the PMIA IO films demonstrate excellent flame retardancy, with the limiting oxygen index (LOI) and flame retardant rating reaching 28 vol % and V0, respectively. We believe that the flexible structural color films with high strength, harsh environment stability, and flame retardancy, which are difficult for other structural color materials to possess simultaneously, have great potential for special applications in fire protection, national defense, aviation, marine, and aerospace fields.

Two-dimensional ferroelectric materials have emerged as a promising candidate for the development of next-generation photodetectors owing to their inherent photogalvanic effect (PGE) and strong light-matter interactions. Recently, the first-ever elemental-based ferroelectric material, black-phosphorus-like Bi (BP-Bi), has been successfully synthesized. In this work, we investigate the PGE of the monolayer (ML) BP-Bi by using ab initio quantum transport simulation. We find that the photocurrent of the ML BP-Bi in the ferroelectric direction (armchair) is significantly larger than that in the vertical ferroelectric direction [zigzag (ZZ)]. For example, despite the comparable optical absorption rates of BP-Bi in the armchair (ARM) and ZZ directions, the maximum photocurrent (133 mA/W) in the ARM direction is 2 orders of magnitude greater than that (4.70 mA/W) in the ZZ direction. The asymmetry is attributed to the breaking and existence of the mirror inversion symmetries along the ARM and ZZ directions, respectively. Our work paves the way for the research of the low-dimensional ferroelectric photodetector.

Wedge-shaped superhydrophilic tracks have been considered as one of the most effective ways to transport droplets for diverse cutting-edge applications, e.g., energy harvesting and lab-on-a-chip devices. Although significant progress, such as serial wedge-shaped tracks with curved edges, has evolved to advance the liquid transport, the ultrafast and long-distance transporting of drop-shaped liquid remains challenging. Here, inspired by the cactus spine that enables fast droplet transport and the serial spindle knot of spider silk, which is capable of collecting condensate from a wide range of distances, we created serial wedge-shaped superhydrophilic patterns and optimized their side edges with a convex brachistochrone curve to boost the acceleration. The junctions of the serial patterns were meanwhile reformed into concave brachistochrone curves to lower the energy barrier for sustained transport. For transporting the liquid in drop shapes to the long distance at high velocity, the wedge-shaped tracks were slenderized to the greatest extent to suppress the liquid spreading and thus prevent the degradation of the Laplace driving force. Moreover, the junction that determines the energy barrier of droplet striding was carefully designed based on the principle of minimizing momentum loss. The exquisite architecture design pushed the droplet transport to a maximum instantaneous velocity of 207.7 mm·s -1 and an outermost transport distance of 120.5 mm, exceeding most wettability or geometric gradient based reports. The transported volume of the droplets can be readily regulated by simply scaling the created architectures. The enhanced droplet transport facilitates the motion and departure of the cohered droplets, enabling a 1.9-fold rise of the water collection rate and 12-fold increase of the heat transfer coefficient during the fog harvest test. This scalable, controllable, and easily fabricatable surface design provides an essential pathway in realizing high-performance manipulation of droplets and possibly pioneers substantial innovative applications in multidisciplinary fields. Those include but are not limited to energy harvesting, lab-on-a-chip devices, and MEMS systems.

Passivation technology is crucial for reducing interface defects and impacting the performance of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Concurrently, maintaining a thin passivation layer is essential for ensuring efficient carrier transport. With an ultrathin passivated contact structure, both Silicon Heterojunction (SHJ) cells and Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cells achieve an efficiency surpassing 26%. To reduce production costs and simplify solar cell manufacturing processes, the rapid development of organic material passivation technology has emerged. However, its widespread industrial production is hindered by environmental safety concerns, such as strong acid corrosion and biological and ecological safety issues. Here, we discovered a low-cost self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hole-selective transport material known as 2PACz ([2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl) ethyl] phosphonic acid) with phosphate groups to form c-Si solar cells for the first time. The ultrathin film of 2PACz with phosphate groups can establish strong and stable P-O-Si bonds on the silicon surface. Meanwhile, like 2PACz, a uniform ultrathin film with a carbazole function group can offer electron-localizing and thus hole-selective properties, which provides ideas for studying dopant-free silicon solar cells. As a result of such interfacial passivation engineering, it plays an important role in repairing porous structures, such as pyramid-textured silicon surfaces, and cutting losses during the commercialization of c-Si solar cells. Crucially, this advancement offers insights for the development of new high-efficiency ultrathin film passivation methods in the postsilicon era.

Aqueous asymmetric catalysis using chiral covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represents a significant advancement but remains to be explored. Herein, we present the first example of aqueous asymmetric catalysis catalyzed by a primary amine-tagged chiral D -ADP-TAPB COF. The D -ADP-TAPB COF was synthesized by the postsynthetic deprotection of D -ADP-TAPB-Boc bearing a protective tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group, which was constructed by a Schiff-base reaction between an alanine-derived chiral building block ( D -ADP-Boc) and 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene (TAPB). The crystalline D -ADP-TAPB COF exhibits a uniform, spherical morphology with abundant, well-distributed chiral primary amines, rendering it highly active in the asymmetric aldol reaction between cyclohexanone and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde. Notably, this reaction is conducted entirely in water, achieving impressive yields and enantiomeric excess (ee) values of up to 90 and 85%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, D -ADP-TAPB COF represents the first chiral COF catalyst with high reactivity and enantioselectivity for an asymmetric aldol reaction solely in water, eliminating the need for conventional organic solvents. Moreover, a plausible mechanism for D -ADP-TAPB COF-mediated aqueous asymmetric aldol reactions is elucidated. This work not only expands the toolbox for designing rare primary amine-functionalized chiral COFs for asymmetric catalysis but also opens exciting avenues for developing green and water-based enantioselective catalysis.

Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, holds great promise for breast cancer treatment. However, the downregulation of gasdermin E (GSDME) limits the effectiveness of pyroptosis. To address this challenge, we developed a folic acid-modified and glutathione/reactive oxygen species dual-responsive nanocarrier (FPSD NPs) for the targeted delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). Through the combination with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine (DAC), the GSDME protein expression was significantly increased in 4T1 cells, resulting in cell swelling and ballooning, which are characteristic features of pyroptosis. In vivo experiments further demonstrated the antitumor efficacy of DAC + DOX@FPSD NPs, and the 4T1-bearing mice treated with DAC + DOX@FPSD NPs exhibited reduced tumor volumes, minimized tumor weights, decreased Ki67-positive cells, increased TUNEL apoptosis ratios, and pronounced lesions in H&E staining. Furthermore, DAC + DOX@FPSD NP treatment could promote pyroptosis-associated antitumor immunity, as evidenced by the increased presence of CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + T cells, heightened secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ, elevated high-mobility group box-1 levels, and enhanced calreticulin exposure. The FPSD nanocarrier developed in this study had favorable stability, active targeting ability, biocompatibility, and controlled release properties, and the DAC + DOX@FPSD NPs represented an approach to antitumor therapy by inducing pyroptosis, which offers a promising avenue for breast cancer treatment.

X-ray imaging has garnered widespread interest in biomedical diagnosis and nondestructive detection. The exploration of radio-photoluminescence has hastened the advancement of X-ray information storage. However, significant challenges persist in achieving the prolonged imaging of curved objects without attenuation. Here, europium-doped strontium fluoride (SrF 2 :Eu) is meticulously created to exhibit a linear response to an extensive range of X-ray doses (maximum dose > 5000 Gy), showcasing excellent X-ray information reading/erasing reusability properties (10 cycles). This is accompanied by a red-to-blue emission transition under UV excitation, sustaining for 150 days without attenuation. To elucidate the phenomena of irradiated photoluminescent discoloration and the reversible X-ray storage of SrF 2 :Eu, we propose an electron-vacancy trap (valence conversion) mechanism, information stably retained by the SrF 2 :Eu-based device under ambient conditions due to high energy barriers. The time-lapse readout capability is further demonstrated for three-dimensional imaging of curved objects (10 lp mm -1 ) based on SrF 2 :Eu embedded within a polydimethylsiloxane (SrF 2 :Eu@PDMS). The SrF 2 :Eu demonstrates time-lapse imaging, reversible radio-photoluminescence, and recoverable X-ray storage, offering a promising avenue for optical information encryption and anticounterfeiting applications.

While metal halide light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) with unique optoelectronic properties are promising emitters for next-generation displays, their performance degrades rapidly due to severe ion migration during continuous operation, especially at high voltages. Here, we realize highly stable PeLEDs by designing inorganic dielectric/perovskite semiconductor emitter/organic dielectric sandwiched nanostructures to mitigate ion migration via regulating the electric field distribution. The bilateral cesium carbonate (Cs 2 CO 3 ) and tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) thin interlayers can not only largely reduce the voltage imposed on the perovskite layer by serving as series resistors and, thus, mitigate the ion migration but also regulate the charge carrier transfer to improve the radiative recombination efficiency. In addition, the underneath inorganic Cs 2 CO 3 film also provides more heterogeneous nucleation sites for growing high-crystallinity perovskite crystals, while the atop TOAB with bifunctional groups (organic amino and Br - ions) refines the morphology and enhances the optical properties of the perovskite film. As a result, efficient and stable green PeLEDs based on such an optoelectric-tunable nanostructure exhibit extremely slow efficiency decay as the applied voltage increases, and the external quantum efficiencies were maintained over 10% at a high bias up to 20 V.

During the process of photoaging in the skin, Succinylated type I collagen has a significant effect on reversing the damage caused by UVB radiation, with the regulation of cellular ferroptosis being one of its important pathophysiological mechanisms. Specifically, Succinylated type I collagen reduces the expression of key cell cycle regulators P16, P21, and P53, as well as the ferroptosis-related factor Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4), induced by UVB radiation in cells and tissues. Meanwhile, it increases the expression of key factors Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 (SLC7A11), which inhibit ferroptosis. Additionally, our study also reveals the impact of Succinylated type I collagen on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells and tissues, directly affecting the cells' ability to cope with oxidative stress. This further suggests that Succinylated type I collagen may improve skin photoaging through various pathways, including regulating ferroptosis, antioxidation, promoting collagen synthesis, protecting the skin barrier, reducing pigmentation, and inhibiting inflammatory responses, contributing to maintaining healthy and youthful skin.

As science and technology advance, people are increasingly inclined to use sustainable and portable wearable electronic devices. The traditional supporting power source, batteries, suffers from issues of flexibility and lifespan, severely constraining the development of wearable devices. Alternatively, the self-powered system, serving as a power source, can effectively collect energy from the surrounding environment, achieving maintenance-free operation and high adaptability, which has attracted widespread research. The coaxial fiber-structured self-powering system proposed in this study is based on a supercapacitor (SC) and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The carbon fiber (CF) has polyaniline (PANI) and rGO connected to it, and a friction layer of silicone rubber is wrapped around the outside. The conductivity of the fiber was increased by multiple PANI graftings, and a coaxial fiber-type TENG with a 2 mm diameter was created. Following weaving, the TENG displays a high power density of 576 mW m -2 and an open-circuit voltage of 160 V and a short-circuit current of 9 μA. In addition, the flexible fiber-shaped supercapacitor uses NiAl-LDHs@CF as the negative electrode and AC@CF as the positive electrode, showing a specific capacitance of up to 281.4 mF cm -2 . Furthermore, the SC and TENG are assembled into a coaxial self-power supply system, which has excellent performance and shows extensive potential applications in the field of wearable device power supply.

Bi 2 S 3 has attracted increasing attention in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) for its high theoretical capacity and low discharge platform. However, the sodium storage performance of Bi 2 S 3 is limited by poor electrical conductivity and volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we report a special polypyrrole (PPy)-coated MoS 2 /Bi 2 S 3 (MBS@PPy) heterostructure composite obtained by hydrothermal reaction as an anode material for SIB. As a result, the MBS@PPy composites demonstrate exceptional electrochemical performance in SIB, exhibiting a high capacity of 361.1 mA h g -1 at 10 A g -1 and showcasing remarkable rate performance. Even under a high current density of 35 A g -1 , the specific capacity remains stable at 280 mA h g -1 after 2,000 cycles. Furthermore, a successfully assembled Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 //MBS@PPy sodium-ion full cell can achieve an impressive specific capacity of approximately 400 mA h g -1 after 300 cycles at 0.5 A g -1 . In MBS@PPy composites, the polypyridine coating not only improves the interfacial conductivity of nanorods but also effectively inhibits the agglomeration between nanorods due to large volume changes. The MoS 2 heterostructure further inhibits the coarsening of the internal structure, improves electron transport and reaction kinetics, and increases the rate capability of the material. This work provides an effective strategy to develop energy storage materials with superior electrochemical properties.

Continuous and reliable monitoring of gait is crucial for health monitoring, such as postoperative recovery of bone joint surgery and early diagnosis of disease. However, existing gait analysis systems often suffer from large volumes and the requirement of special space for setting motion capture systems, limiting their application in daily life. Here, we develop an intelligent gait monitoring and analysis prediction system based on flexible piezoelectric sensors and deep learning neural networks with high sensitivity (241.29 mV/N), quick response (66 ms loading, 87 ms recovery), and excellent stability ( R 2 = 0.9946). The theoretical simulations and experiments confirm that the sensor provides exceptional signal feedback, which can easily acquire accurate gait data when fitted to shoe soles. By integrating high-quality gait data with a custom-built deep learning model, the system can detect and infer human motion states in real time (the recognition accuracy reaches 94.7%). To further validate the sensor's application in real life, we constructed a flexible wearable recognition system with human-computer interaction interface and a simple operation process for long-term and continuous tracking of athletes' gait, potentially aiding personalized health management, early detection of disease, and remote medical care.

Ni-rich single-crystalline layered cathodes have garnered significant attention due to their high energy density and thermal stability. However, they experience severe capacity degradation caused by lattice strain and interfacial side reactions during practical applications. In this study, an effective yttrium modification method is employed to stabilize the structure of Ni-rich single-crystalline LiNi 0.83 Mn 0.05 Co 0.12 O 2 (SC-NMC83) to solve these issues. This innovative approach successfully immobilizes oxygen within the material, preventing crack formation while simultaneously broadening the diffusion path of Li + . The yttrium-modified sample (SC-NMC83-Y) exhibits a superior capacity retention compared to the SC-NMC83 sample, with values of 90% and 76.1% after 100 cycles, respectively. This work demonstrates the promising potential of a doping strategy for Ni-rich single-crystalline cathodes and paves a pathway for its practical implementation, such as all-solid-state batteries.

Industry-produced hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) is released into the environment, posing a major risk to human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an effective and convenient method for the detection of N 2 H 4 . Herein, artificial light-harvesting systems (ALHSs) for N 2 H 4 detection were constructed by applying an aggregation-induced emission-active platinum(II) metallacycle ( TPEMc ) as the energy donor and rhodols ( P1 , P2 , and P3 ) as the energy acceptors. The ratiometric fluorescence probes based on ALHSs for N 2 H 4 showed obvious signal amplification and lower limits of detection compared to those of rhodols ( P1 , P2 , P3 ) alone. The TPEMc -rhodols systems clearly demonstrated a noticeable increase in fluorescence intensity at 550 nm and an obvious fluorescent color shift from cyan to yellow in the presence of N 2 H 4 . Fascinatingly, N 2 H 4 could be visually and quantitatively detected in water by the TPEMc -rhodol systems paired with smartphone RGB analysis. Therefore, the combination of platinum(II) metallacycle with rhodols is a promising strategy for simple, sensitive, and visual detection of N 2 H 4 .

Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have become one of the most promising materials for the adsorption and destruction of chemical warfare agents. While numerous studies have shown differences in reactivity based on MOF topology and postsynthetic modification, the understanding of how modifying MOF macromorphology is less understood. MOF xerogels demonstrate modified defect levels and larger porosity, which increase the number of and access to potential active sites. Indeed, UiO-66 and NU-901 xerogels display reaction rates 2 and 3 times higher, respectively, for the hydrolysis of DMNP relative to their powder morphologies. Upon recycling, MOF-808 xerogel outperforms MOF-808 powder, previously noted as the fastest Zr 6 MOF for hydrolysis of organophosphate nerve agents. The increase in reactivity is largely driven by a higher external surface area and the introduction of mesoporosity to previously microporous materials.

Metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for X-ray detection due to their high X-ray attenuation coefficients, defect tolerance, and suitability for large-area, low-temperature fabrication. However, the intrinsic high ion conductivity of these materials presents challenges, such as high dark current density and current drift, which impair the stability and sensitivity of perovskite X-ray detectors. This study introduces an approach to mitigating these issues by incorporating 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropylamine hydrochloride (PFH) into polycrystalline MAPbI 3- x Cl x films using a one-step blade-coating method. PFH aggregates at grain boundaries, raising local vacuum energy levels and passivating surface defects, thereby reducing ion conductivity without affecting electron conductivity. As a result, this approach significantly reduces the dark current and enhances sensitivity, achieving a low detection limit of 14.7 nGy air /s. Additionally, it improves signal stability, consistency, and response speed of the detector. These findings suggest that PFH is a promising additive for advancing the performance and practical application of polycrystalline metal halide perovskite-based X-ray detectors.

Single dyes typically exhibit limited light absorption in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Thus, cosensitization using two or more dyes to enhance light-harvesting efficiency has been explored; however, the aggregation of dyes can adversely affect electron injection capabilities. This study focused on the design and synthesis of three dyes with a common carbazole donor for DSSCs: DZ102 , TZ101 , and JM102 . JM102 broadens the absorption spectrum by replacing the benzoic acid electron acceptor of TZ101 with acetylenic benzoic acid. A cosensitized DSSC device based on CO-1 [ DZ102 : TZ101 = 1:1 (50 μM:50 μM)] achieved a short-circuit current density of 19.4 mA/cm 2 and a power conversion efficiency of 10.9%. For the first time, the molecular interactions between the dyes in the photoanode were demonstrated using cyclic voltammetry, which revealed the presence of intermolecular forces. Adsorption kinetics further indicated that these forces promoted the self-assembly of dyes during adsorption, which resulted in a cosensitization adsorption amount greater than the sum of the individual dye adsorptions. This study provides novel insights into the selection of cosensitizing dyes for DSSCs.

Flexible solid-state supercapacitors (SCs) with hydrogel as an electrolyte and separator combine the advantages of wearability and energy storage and exhibit a broad application prospect in wearable energy textiles. However, irreversible electrolyte damage and unstable electrode-electrolyte interfaces during mechanical deformations remain bottlenecks in realizing truly wearable applications. Herein, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-Fe hydrogels were prepared through a simple thermal polymerization strategy. The dynamic reversible metal coordination bonds between Fe 3+ and carboxylic acids confers the hydrogels with excellent self-healing properties. As expected, the prepared hydrogels exhibited superior mechanical strength (tensile stress of 45.80 kPa), ionic conductivity (0.076 S cm -1 ), and self-healing properties. Subsequently, the SCs were constructed using composite hydrogel electrodes (MnO 2 @CC embedded in the PAA-Fe hydrogels) as symmetrical electrodes (marked as MSCs). The reversible metal coordination bonds between composite hydrogel electrodes formed an ultrastable electrode/electrolyte interface in the all-in-one MSCs, thus revealing excellent mechanical durability. The all-in-one MSCs delivered a remarkable specific capacitance (30.98 F g -1 at 0.2 A g -1 ), excellent cyclic stability (87.24% after 5000 cycles), outstanding mechanical deformation stability, and impressive electrochemical output stability after self-healing (capacitance retention of 85.34% after five cycles of cutting/self-healing). It is noteworthy that the all-in-one MSCs employed NaCl as an electrolyte, which can be obtained from human sweat. As a proof of the self-charged concept, the all-in-one MSCs can be reused in sweat, whose capacitance was maintained at 90.05% of the initial state after three repetitions. This work is expected to shine light into the design of all-in-one and fabric-based SCs and the development of wearable energy textiles.

Efficiently converting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is crucial for sustainable human development. In this study, we conducted systematic in situ Fourier transform infrared tests to examine how hydrogen (H 2 ) partial pressure affects the conversion of low-level CO 2 (around 400 ppm) using nickel/titanium dioxide (Ni/TiO 2 ). Results show that increasing H 2 partial pressure significantly increases surface monodentate formate species, leading to enhanced methane (CH 4 ) production at both 250 and 400 °C. Conversely, on Ni's surface, the key species are formyls and bidentate formate at 250 °C, but these decrease significantly at 400 °C. These findings indicate that low-level CO 2 is more easily converted to CH 4 over Ni/TiO 2 than Ni, regardless of temperature. Additionally, the strong Ni-TiO 2 interaction gives Ni/TiO 2 an advantage in converting low CO 2 concentrations, with excellent durability even at 400 °C. This study enhances our understanding of direct CO 2 conversion and aids in the development of advanced CO 2 emission reduction technologies.

How to maintain high catalytic activity and stability in the process of biocatalysis is crucial, inspiring strategies to construct an appropriate catalytic microenvironment. Considering the lipase's inherent chirality and the necessity for a delicate hydrophilic-hydrophobic equilibrium, we crafted a chiral, nonaqueous catalytic microenvironment via the in situ coassembly of Boc-F L F L -NHNH 2 (Bfl) and lipase. Benefiting from the chirality and distinct Bfl-lipase interactions, the lipase@Bfl supramolecular hybrid amplifies biological functionalities and can serve as a versatile and highly efficient catalyst. Kinetic investigations and molecular docking simulations uncover the strong lipase-substrate affinity and lipase-Bfl interactions, explaining the enhanced biological effects, catalytic activity, and stability. Our study establishes a suitable microenvironment to address the chirality and hydrophobicity during catalysis and highlights the potential of artificial chiral scaffolds and catalytic medium for enhancing lipase activity.

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Research indicates that circulating histones, as pathogenic factors, may represent a therapeutic target for sepsis. However, effectively clearing circulating histones poses a challenge due to their structural similarity to normal blood proteins, their low abundance in the bloodstream, and serious interference from other blood biomacromolecules. Here we design a dodecapeptide-based functional polymer that can selectively adsorb circulating histones from the blood. The peptide, named P1 (HNHHQLALVESY), was discovered through phage display screening and demonstrated a strong affinity for circulating histones while exhibiting negligible affinities for common proteins in the blood, such as human serum albumin (HSA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and transferrin (TRF). Furthermore, the P1 peptide was incorporated into a functional polymer design, poly(PEGMA- co -P1), which was immobilized onto a silica gel surface through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The resulting material was characterized using solid nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This material demonstrated the ability to selectively and efficiently capture circulating histones from both model solutions and whole blood samples while also exhibiting satisfactory blood compatibility, good antifouling properties, and resistance to interference. Satisfactory binding affinity and efficient capture capacity toward histone were also observed for the other screened peptide P2 (QMSMDLFGSNFV)-grafted polymer, validating phage display as a reliable ligand screening strategy. These findings present an approach for the specific clearance of circulating histones and hold promise for future clinical applications in blood purification toward sepsis.

Advancements in radiative cooling technology have shown significant progress in recent years. However, the limited mechanical properties of most radiative coolers greatly hinder their practical applications, particularly in the context of human cooling fabrics. In this study, we present the fabrication of facile and stretchable radiative coolers with exceptional cooling performance by utilizing the design of porous radiative coolers as guidelines for developing promising elastomer coolers. Subsequently, we employ a simple electrospinning method to fabricate these coolers, resulting in impressive solar reflectivity (∼96.1%) and infrared emissivity (over 95%). During the summer, these coolers demonstrate a maximum temperature drop of ∼9.6 °C. Additionally, the developed coolers exhibit superior hydrophobicity and mechanical properties, with a high strain capacity exceeding 700% and a stress tolerance of over 30 MPa, highlighting their potential for application in automobile textiles and cooling fabrics. Furthermore, we evaluate the radiative cooling performance of stretchable coolers using global-scale modeling, revealing their significant cooling potential across various regions worldwide.

Layered P2-type sodium manganese oxide has emerged as a promising cathode candidate for sodium-ion batteries due to its appealing cost-effectiveness and high discharge voltage. However, its practical capacity within the voltage range of 2.0-4.0 V (vs Na + /Na) is relatively low, and its rate capability is hampered by the adverse charge/vacancy ordering during charge/discharge. In this study, a layered P'2/P3 mixed-phase Na 0.8- a Mn 0.675 Ni 0.225 Li 0.1 O 2- x cathode with high (003) crystal plane intensity was designed by introducing oxygen vacancies to P2-structured materials. Aided by these advantages, the hybrid cathode material demonstrates impressive structural and thermal stability and faster Na-ion diffusion kinetics compared to a regular P2 material. Half-cell shows an initial discharge capacity retention of 101 mA h/g at 12 mA/g and 92.25% retention after 500 cycles at 120 mA/g. In combination with a hard carbon anode, the 0.5 A h pouch cell achieved a prevailing capacity retention of 95.2% after 2600 cycles at 36 mA/g. This work opens new dimensions for layered cathode materials with the aim of achieving superior cyclabilities.

Preparing high-quality perovskite films is a decisive step toward realizing highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (Pero-SCs). Water is a key factor affecting the stability of the Pero-SCs. Here, the widely used water adsorbents chitosan, sorbitol, and sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) were used as hydrophilic layers on the upper interface of the perovskite to form a barrier against water. The water adsorbents also passivated defects on the surface of the perovskite active layer due to their -OH and -COOH functional groups. The NaHA-modified devices showed the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) (PCE = 21.74%). Although the NaHA-modified Pero-SCs showed optimal photovoltaic performance, the stability of the modified devices decreased due to the strong water adsorption ability of NaHA, while with moderate water adsorption ability sorbitol-modified devices exhibited good stability and PCE. The devices were tested in the dark and room temperature at different humidity levels for 800 h. At low humidity (25% ± 5% RH), the PCEs of the sorbitol- and NaHA-modified devices were maintained at 80% and 71% of the initial values, respectively. At high humidity (75% ± 5% RH), the PCE was maintained at 64% and 23% of the initial values, respectively. This work provides an avenue to select adsorbents with suitable water absorption ability as the interface modification layer, thus reducing the water erosion of perovskite films and obtaining highly stable inverted Pero-SCs.

Simultaneous detection of multiple targets is of great significance for accurate disease diagnosis. Herein, based on duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) assisted signal amplification and the toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction (TSDR), we constructed an electrochemical biosensor with high sensitivity and high specificity for dual-target detection. MiRNA-141 and miRNA-133a were used as the targets, and ferrocene (Fc) and methylene blue (MB) with significant peak potential differentiation were used as the electrochemical signal probes. The elaborately designed hairpin probe H1, which was fixed on the electrode surface, could be hybridized with the target miRNA-141 to perform signal amplification by the DSN-assisted enzyme cleavage cycle; thus, miRNA-141 could be detected by Fc signal changes at 0.41 V. The hairpin H1 can also combine with the MB-labeled signal probe (SP) output from miRNA-133a-induced TSDR, and the detection of miRNA-133a can be realized according to the response signal generated by MB at -0.26 V. The two sensing lines are independent of each other, and there is no mutual interference in the detection process. Therefore, two independent detection lines could be connected in series, and the simultaneous detection of two targets can be achieved on a single electrode. This novel detection strategy provides a new way to simultaneously detect different biomarkers.

Radiation detectors based on metal halide perovskite (MHP) single crystals (SCs) have exhibited exceptional sensitivity, low detection limit, and remarkable energy resolution. However, the operational stability issue still dramatically impedes their commercialization due to degradation induced by high-energy irradiation and large bias. Here, we propose an innovative infrared healing strategy to restore the devices that have undergone severe damage from both long-term biasing and X-ray irradiation. Compared to the slow and inefficient intrinsic self-healing process of MHPs, the infrared healing method demonstrates the capacity to achieve rapid recovery of the detection performance of the degraded devices within just 1 h. We reveal that the healing mechanism is mainly related to the reduction of the ion-migration activation energy in MHP SCs under infrared illumination, which promotes the back diffusion of the displaced ions to their original lattice positions and remedies defects. Finally, the healing effect is further confirmed through the gamma-ray spectroscopy acquisition with degraded MHP SCs, whose energy resolution at 59.5 keV of 241 Am source is improved from 36% to 12% following infrared illumination. These results present infrared healing as a simple and economic method to extend the service life of MHP SC-based detectors.

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have emerged as an unprecedented solution for modern information security and anticounterfeiting by virtue of their inherent unclonable nature derived from distinctive, randomly generated physical patterns that defy replication. However, the creation of traceable optical PUF tags remains a formidable challenge. Here, we demonstrate a traceable PUF system whose unclonability arises from the random distribution of diamonds and the random intensity of the narrow emission from germanium vacancies (GeV) within the diamonds. Tamper-resistant PUF labels can be manufactured on diverse and intricate structural surfaces by blending diamond particles into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and strategically depositing them onto the surface of objects. The resulting PUF codes exhibit essentially perfect uniformity, uniqueness, reproducibility, and substantial encoding capacity, making them applicable as a private key to fulfill the customization demands of circulating commodities. Through integration of a digitized "challenge-response" protocol, a traceable and highly secure PUF system can be established, which is seamlessly compatible with contemporary digital information technology. Thus, the GeV-PUF system holds significant promise for applications in data security and blockchain anticounterfeiting, providing robust and adaptive solutions to address the dynamic demands of these domains.

In response to the escalating challenges of counterfeiting due to technological and socioeconomic advancements, a novel trilevel anti-counterfeiting Quick Response (QR) code system has been developed. This system integrates digital polymers with QR code and stimulus-responsive chromophores, i.e. , rhodamine B (RB), rhodamine 6G (R6G), and spiropyran (SP), to provide a sophisticated security solution. This advanced barcode remains concealed until specific stimuli reveal it and can be scanned by a smartphone, enabling first and second level anti-counterfeiting. For the third level of security, the encrypted information within the digital polymers can only be deciphered using tandem mass spectrometry. This innovative approach not only enhances security features but also offers reversible visibility and a complex verification process. This trilevel system surpasses traditional single-level anti-counterfeiting methods and holds significant potential for future applications in protecting brand authenticity and managing data storage, contributing new concepts and techniques to the field of high-security anti-counterfeiting materials.

As an atom-economical reaction, the direct generation of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethylene glycol (EG) via the transesterification of CH 3 OH and ethylene carbonate (EC) has several promising applications, but the exploration of carriers with high specific surface areas and novel heterogeneous catalysts with more basic sites remains a long-standing research challenge. For this purpose, herein, a nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC, 439 m 2 /g) based K-O 2 Lewis base catalyst (K-O 2 /NMC) with well-dispersed strongly basic sites (2.23 mmol/g, 84.5%) was designed and synthesized. The compositions and structures of NMC and K-O 2 /NMC were comprehensively investigated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N 2 adsorption-desorption, CO 2 temperature-programmed desorption, and contact angle measurements. The optimal structural configuration and electron cloud distribution of the K-O 2 /NMC catalyst were simulated using first-principles calculations. The electron transfer predominantly manifested as a flow from K-O to C-O/C-N, and the interatomic interactions between each atom were enhanced and exhibited a tendency for a more stable state after redistribution. Furthermore, the adsorption energies ( E ads ) of CH 3 OH at K-O-O and K-O-N sites were -1.4185 eV and -1.3377 eV, respectively, and the O atom in CH 3 OH exhibited a stronger adsorption tendency for the K atom at the K-O-O site. Under the optimal conditions, the EC conversion, DMC/EG selectivity, and turnover number/frequency were 80.9%, 98.6%/99.4%, and 40.5/60.8 h -1 , respectively, with a reaction rate constant (k) of 0.1005 mol/(L·min). Results showed that the heterogeneous K-O 2 /NMC catalyst prepared herein greatly reduced the reaction cost while guaranteeing the catalytic effect, and the whole system required a lower reaction temperature (65 °C), a shorter reaction time (40 min), and a lower catalyst amount (2.0 wt % of EC). Therefore, K-O 2 /NMC can be used as a catalyst in different transesterification reactions.

Previously, we reported our new invention of an ultralight (ρ = 1.61 g/cm 3 ) and super high modulus ( E = 64.5 GPa) Mg-Li-Al-Zn-Mn-Gd-Y-Sn (LAZWMVT) alloy. Surprisingly, the minor additions of Sn contribute to significant strength and stiffness increases. In this study, we found that Mg 2 Sn was not only the simple precipitate but also acted as the glue to bind the α-Mg/β-Li interface in a rather complicated way. To explore its mechanism, we have performed first-principle calculations and HAADF-STEM experiments on the interfacial structures. It was found that the interfacial structural models of α-Mg/β-Li, α-Mg/Mg 2 Sn, and β-Li/Mg 2 Sn composite interfaces prefer to form α-Mg/Mg 2 Sn/β-Li ternary composite structures due to the stable formation enthalpy (Δ H : -1.95 eV/atom). Meanwhile, the interface cleavage energy and critical cleavage stress show that Mg 2 Sn contribute to the interfacial bond strength better than the β-Li/α-Mg phase bond strength (σ b (β-Li/Mg 2 Sn): 0.82 GPa > σ b (α-Mg/Mg 2 Sn): 0.78 GPa > σ b (β-Li/α-Mg): 0.62 GPa). Based on the interfacial electronic structure analysis, α-Mg/Mg 2 Sn and β-Li/Mg 2 Sn were found to have a denser charge distribution and larger charge transfer at the interface, forming stronger chemical bonds. Additionally, according to the crystal orbital Hamiltonian population analysis, the bonding strength of the Mg-Sn atom pair was 2.61 eV, which was higher than the Mg-Li bond strength (0.39 eV). The effect of the Mg 2 Sn phase on the stability and interfacial bonding strength of the alloying system was dominated by the formation of stronger and more stable Mg-Sn metal covalent bonds, which mainly originated from the contribution of the Mg 3p-Sn 5p orbital bonding states.

Low-cost sodium-ion batteries have demonstrated great prospects in energy storage, among which layered transition metal oxides hold great potential as a cathode material. However, the notorious phase transition in layered cathode materials has greatly hampered their cycle life due to large volume changes upon desodiation/sodiation. In this study, by adopting an O3-type NaNi 1/3 Fe 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NFM) with controlled synthesis temperatures, we have revealed that the grain size is closely related to its phase transition behaviors. The layered material with a smaller grain size and more distorted lattice tends to experience a shorter plateau of the O3-P3-O3 phase transitions during the charge/discharge process. Despite having a lower nominal discharge capacity without the phase transition plateau, its cycling stability increases from 77.4% to 96.2% after 100 cycles with greatly reduced intragranular cracks. The smaller grain size and lattice distortion act as a barrier that prevents the smooth layer from gliding upon sodium intercalation and deintercalation. This study focuses on the influence of grain size on battery cycle stability and provides a basis for future analysis of the structural instability of layered materials.

Wound healing is a major challenge worldwide, and people have been researching wound dressings that can promote wound healing for decades. Natural biobased materials, such as polysaccharides and proteins, have been widely used in the development of wound dressings. Among them, soy protein-based materials have attracted the interest of a wide range of researchers due to their safety, biocompatibility, controlled degradation, and ability to be mixed with other materials. However, there has been a lack of comments on these soy protein-based wound dressings. This work reviews various forms of soy protein-based wound dressings, such as hydrogels, films, and others, which could be prepared through physical/chemical cross-linking with synthetic or natural polymers. The important role played by soy protein-based materials in the wound healing phase and their properties will be examined, such as their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, angiogenesis-promoting, cellular biocompatibility, self-healing ability, adhesion, antimicrobial, and tunable mechanical properties. Additionally, insights into the market prospects and trends for soy protein dressings are provided, clarifying the enormous development potential of soy protein as a new type of wound repair material.

Customizing the engineering targeted thermal deformations is of vital significance for dimensional stability or shape morphing in materials and structures. However, current metamaterials are designed solely in the homogeneous form to respond only to the time-variant temperature (TVT) stimuli, far behind the practical engineering scenario and demands. Here, a new strategy is originally proposed and experimentally verified to design a series of both homogeneous and inhomogeneous multimaterial metamaterials, which uniquely output various thermal deformation modes, responding to time-variant and space-variant temperature (SVT) stimuli. Specifically, in addition to the regular isotropic thermal deformations, the metamaterials could exclusively output the entirely different positive and negative thermal deformations along the two orthotropic directions. Besides, stimulated by both TVT and SVT, the metamaterials provide more flexibility to customize the targeted thermal deformations. That is, the uniform thermal deformations could be well customized by the metamaterials stimulated by either TVT or SVT. More importantly, the customizability is remarkably broadened, as the nonuniform, specifically, mathematicized linear and nonlinear thermal deformations, are elaborately customized. Overall, these originally devised metamaterials open a new avenue for the purpose of customizing the engineering targeted thermal deformations in various modes under both TVT and SVT stimuli.

Direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) is considered a promising energy storage device due to its high theoretical cell voltage and energy density. For DBFC, an Au catalyst has been used as an anode for achieving an ideal eight-electron reaction. However, the poor activity of the Au catalyst for borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) limits its large-scale application because of the weak BH 4 - adsorption. We found, by density functional theory calculations, that the adsorption of BH 4 - on the oxidized Au surface is stronger than that on the metallic Au surface, which can promote the process of the oxidation of BH 4 - to *BH 3 during the BOR. Here, we reported an oleylamine-modified partially oxidized Au supported on carbon powder (AuC-OLA) with a stable oxidation state. The obtained catalyst delivered a high peak power density of 143 mW/cm 2 , which is 2 times higher than that of a commercial 40% AuC (Pretemek). The in situ Fourier transform infrared studies showed that the activity of AuC-OLA for BOR is ascribed to the enhanced adsorption for BH 4 - on the partially oxidized Au surface. These findings will promote the reasonable design of efficient Au electrocatalysts for DBFCs.