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The accurate identification of drug-target affinity (DTA) is crucial for advancements in drug discovery and development. Many deep learning-based approaches have been devised to predict drug-target binding affinity accurately, exhibiting notable improvements in performance. However, the existing prediction methods often fall short of capturing the global features of proteins. In this study, we proposed a novel model called ETransDTA, specifically designed for predicting drug-target binding affinity. ETransDTA combines convolutional layers and transformer, allowing for the simultaneous extraction of both global and local features of target proteins. Additionally, we have integrated a new graph pooling mechanism into the topology adaptive graph convolutional network (TAGCN) to enhance its capacity for learning feature representations of chemical compounds. The proposed ETransDTA model has been evaluated using the Davis and Kinase Inhibitor BioActivity (KIBA) datasets, consistently outperforming other baseline methods. The evaluation results on the KIBA dataset reveal that our model achieves the lowest mean square error (MSE) of 0.125, representing a 0.6% reduction compared to the lowest-performing baseline method. Furthermore, the incorporation of queries, keys and values produced by the stacked convolutional neural network (CNN) enables our model to better integrate the local and global context of protein representation, leading to further improvements in the accuracy of DTA prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prime objective of this research is to explore the impacts of import and export diversification and renewable energy on environmental footprints. In doing so, the authors employ the data of trade diversification, income inequality, renewable energy, and ecological footprints for 17 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries covering the period of 1995–2019. In econometric framework, the authors use two baseline empirical models based on key indicators such as trade (exports and imports) diversification index, income inequality, renewable energy, and globalization. The empirical analysis from both specifications suggests a cointegrating relation between the key variables of interest. The Long-run empirical estimates from FMOLS, and DOLS methods indicate that income inequality and import diversification increase ecological issues while globalization and exports diversification abate it. Further analysis through Granger causality highlights unilateral causal relationships running from renewable energy consumption to imports diversification, and from ecological footprint to imports diversification. The conclusions of this study stress the importance of harmonic policies, synchronization in trade, energy and resource consumption in achieving sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a serious information gap between different life-cycle stages and different BIM platforms, semantic enrichment (SE) for BIM is an important solution to address this issue. Therefore, semantically rich BIM models are of great significance for efficient construction management and BIM is facing higher semantic requirements. It is necessary to conduct SE for BIM according to the requirements of specific domains. There is still a lack of in-depth analysis and summary of the content, methods, and applications of SE for BIM in different stages during the life cycle of facilities, therefore this paper gives a comprehensive review of SE for BIM to analyze the status quo and trends from content, methods, and applications. The content and four methods of SE for BIM are summarized. The pros, cons, and applicability of each method are analyzed. Applications of SE for BIM in the life cycle of facilities are discussed comprehensively. Finally, this paper discusses the enabling technologies, Level of Development (LOD) and SE for BIM, and presents research gaps and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renovation of existing buildings provides an opportunity to change the layout to meet the needs of facilities and accomplish sustainability in the built environment at high utilisation rates and low cost. However, building renovation design is complex, and completing architectural design schemes manually needs more efficiency and overall robustness. With the use of computational optimisation, automatic architectural design (AAD) can efficiently assist in building renovation through decision-making based on performance evaluation. This paper comprehensively analyses AAD's current research status and provides a state-of-the-art overview of applying AAD technology to building renovation. Besides, gaps and requirements of using AAD for building renovation are explored from quantitative and qualitative aspects, providing ideas for future research. The research shows that there is still much work to be done to apply AAD to building renovation, including quickly obtaining input data, expanding optimisation topics, selecting design methods, and improving workflow and efficiency. • Providing a state-of-the-art overview of applying AAD technology to building renovation. • Presenting a comprehensive classification of automatic architectural design methods. • Analyzing the research field from functionality, energy-related performance, and economy. • Identifying current gaps and providing requirements for subsequent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have become the most active part of the catalytic field due to their excellent catalytic activity. Among them, Ru SACs exhibit excellent performance in many catalytic applications due to their high atomic utilization efficiency, catalytic activity and selectivity, and relatively low cost. In order to understand the structure–performance relationship and potential catalytic mechanism of Ru SACs, this review summarizes the research progress of Ru SACs in the fields of electrocatalytic water splitting, fuel cells, nitrogen reduction, and nitrate reduction in recent years. The catalytic process of Ru single atom in different synthesis methods and modification strategies is summarized. Finally, some opportunities and challenges for the future development of Ru SACs are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the electrochemical properties of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM) materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), TiO2-coated Mg–Zr co-doped NCM cathode materials (MZT-NCM) were fabricated via a two-step solid-state method using Mg(OH)2, Zr(OH)4 and Ti(OH)3 as Mg, Zr and Ti sources, respectively. The electrochemical characteristics were assessed by the hybrid pulse power characteristic (HPPC) test, galvanostatic charge–discharge, EIS and CV test. Compared with NCM, the electrochemical properties of MZT-NCM as a cathode material in a pouch-cell were enhanced, especially high power performance and the stability of long cycle life. The MZT-NCM exhibits an excellent power performance of 2051 W, compared to that of the NCM, which only achieves 1736 W at 50% state of charge (SOC). Furthermore, the MZT-NCM samples deliver an outstanding capacity retention rate of 91.10% after 7000 cycles at 3C, which is nearly 10% higher than that of NCM. The modification strategy has a positive effect on the electrochemical characteristics of NCM cathode materials, which is expected to provide meaningful guidance for developing high power and long cycle life LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The flexible and self-healing supercapacitors (SCs) are considered to be promising smart energy storage devices. Nevertheless, the SCs integrated with flexibility, lightweight, pattern editability, self-healing capabilities and desirable electrochemical properties remain a challenge. Herein, an all-in-one self-healing SC fabricated with the free-standing hybrid film (TCMP) composed of the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxy-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNs) carried carbon nanotubes (CNTs), manganese dioxide (MnO 2) and polyaniline (PANI) as the electrode, polyvinyl alcohol/sulfuric acid (PVA/H 2 SO 4) gel as the electrolyte and dynamically cross-linked cellulose nanofibers/PVA/sodium tetraborate decahydrate (CNF/PB) hydrogel as the self-healing electrode matrix is developed. The TCMP film electrodes are fabricated through a facile in-situ polymerization of MnO 2 and PANI in TOCNs-dispersed CNTs composite networks, exhibiting lightweight, high electrical conductivity, flexibility, pattern editability and excellent electrochemical properties. Benefited from the hierarchically porous structure and high mechanical properties of TOCNs, excellent electrical conductivity of CNTs and the desirable synergistic effect of pseudocapacitance induced by MnO 2 and PANI, the assembled SC with an interdigital structure demonstrated a high areal capacitance of 1108 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2, large areal energy density of 153.7 μWh cm−2 at 1101.7 μW cm−2. A satisfactory bending cycle performance (capacitance retention up to 95 % after 200 bending deformations) and self-healing characteristics (∼90 % capacitance retention after 10 cut/repair cycles) are demonstrated for the TCMP-based symmetric SC, delivering a feasible strategy for electrochemical energy storage devices with excellent performance, designable patterns and desirable safe lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thin, lightweight and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding paper composite is an urgent need for modern military confrontations. Herein, a sandwich-structured EMI shielding paper composite with an easy pavement consisting of a filter paper layer, middle AgNWs/MXene layer, and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer was constructed by vacuum-assisted filtration, spraying and air-drying. The middle AgNWs/MXene compound endowed the filter paper with excellent electrical conductivity (166 S cm−1) and the fabricated filter paper–AgNWs/MXene–PVB composite exhibits superior EMI shielding (30 dB) with a 141 μm thickness. Remarkably, the specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of the filter paper–AgNWs/MXene–PVB composite reached 13,000 dB cm2 g−1 within the X-band frequency range. This value represents one of the highest reported for cellulose-based EMI shielding materials. Therefore, our sandwich-structured filter paper composite with superior EMI shielding performance can be used in the medical and military fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes a method of synthesising pyridine, quinoline, and isoquinoline ketones using 2‐halogenated N‐heterocycles as the starting materials under mild reaction conditions. Considering the significance of pyridones in organic chemistry, developing novel, green synthetic strategies is highly desirable. The reaction employs H2O as the solvent and source of O, rendering it green, and it is simple to execute, with a broad substrate scope and an excellent functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a modified wood with greatly improved mechanical properties and reduced hygroscopicity was successfully prepared. The effects of the impregnation of multi-functional composite modifier on the chemical, thermal and morphological properties of poplar wood were also studied by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM-EDXA). The multi-functional composite modifier was fabricated by methylolurea, dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU), carbamide and silica sol. Cross-linking reaction happened between the wood cell wall and the multi-functional composite modifier. The position peaks in the XRD pattern didn't change obviously, which indicated the crystal structure of cellulose was not noticeably affected by the chemical modification. The FT-IR analysis showed that the intensity of hydroxyl (-OH) and carbonyl (C = O) absorption peaks decreased, which was attributed to the -NHCH2OH of the modifier reacted with the hydroxyl and carbonyl of the wood. Meanwhile the Si-O-Si bond and Si-O-C bond formed between the wood structure and silica sol by in-situ polymerization. The TGA curve showed the thermal stability of the modified wood. The micrographs and major elements of the untreated and modified wood were observed by SEM-EDXA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a growing demand for ultra‐thin carbonized wood films (CWF) with high shielding efficiency (SE) to replace non‐renewable alternatives. Researchers aim to enhance electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption and improve electromagnetic interference (EMI) SE in CWF materials to reduce secondary pollution from reflected EM waves. In this work, the carbonized wood composite film (CWF/EP/Co) with a thickness of 120 µm through the process of hot‐pressing and carbonizing wood soaked in a mixed solution of water‐borne epoxy (EP) and Co/Zn‐MOF (ZIF‐67/8) is obtained. The CWF/EP/Co film exhibits excellent conductivity (105 S cm−1) and demonstrates an excellent EMI SE (73 dB) at a 200 µm thickness. Remarkably, the specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of CWF/EP/Co films reached 15833.3 dB·cm2·g−1 in the X‐band, making it the highest reported value among all wood‐derived EMI shielding materials. CWF/EP/Co films have a high absorption coefficient (A) of 0.4, indicating their effectiveness in absorbing EM waves. Furthermore, the EMI shielding effect of the large‐scale wallpaper (170 mm×170 mm) is confirmed by finite element analysis. Additionally, the CWF/EP/Co film exhibits good mechanical properties and effective Joule heating performance. This shielding film shows promise in applications such as buildings and smart homes, providing EMI shielding and warming effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultra-flexible bimetallic nanowire decorated foams via facile dip-coating method. • An ultra-low filler content of 0.22 vol% for high performances. • Effective microwave absorption of −69.61 dB with ultra-wide absorption bandwidth. • Integrated multi-functional applications in one. Nowadays, functional electronic devices with excellent flexibility and thermal management capability for effective electromagnetic wave absorption are urgently in demand. Herein, a novel and highly flexible silver nanowire (AgNW)/iron nanowire (FeNW) decorated melamine composite foam (AgFe-MF) was prepared via simple dip-coating process. Owing to optimal impedance matching, synergistic dielectric and magnetic losses as well as three-dimensional porous structure, the AgFe-MF with an ultra-low filler content (0.22 vol%) exhibited an outstanding minimum reflection loss of −69.61 dB, and the best effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) could reach up to 6.37 GHz. Importantly, the EAB of long-time working AgFe-MF was enhanced to 7.01 GHz after 1000 compress-release cycles under 40 % strain. Besides, it also featured considerate Joule heating capacity and achieved a saturation temperature of over 85.7 ℃ under 2.6 V voltage. The impressive thermal isolation and long-term stability ensured the safety used as portable heater. Therefore, this work will provide a vital slight for fabricating smart wearable electronic devices with integrated anti-electromagnetic radiation and personalized thermal management performances towards potential thermal and health threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile "chemical blowing" strategy is developed to expand the dense and micron-scale thickness walls into interconnected carbon nanosheets. • Zn(NO 3) 2 is proved to functioned as blowing agent, precursor of template, activator, and nitrogen dopant. • The optimized thick carbon monolith with high-mass loading (∼30 mg cm−2) delivers encouraging capacitive performance in low-temperature. Biomass-derived carbon materials are promising electrode materials for capacitive energy storage. Herein, inspired by the hierarchical structure of natural wood, carbon monoliths built up by interconnected porous carbon nanosheets with enriched vertical channels were obtained via zinc nitrate (Zn(NO 3) 2)-assisted synthesis and served as thick electrodes for capacitive energy storage. Zn(NO 3) 2 is proved to function as expansion agent, activator, dopant, and precursor of the template. The dense and micron-scale thickness walls of wood were expanded by Zn(NO 3) 2 into porous and interconnected nanosheets. The pore volume and specific surface area were increased by more than 430 %. The initial specific capacitance and rate performance of the optimized carbon monolith was approximately three times that of the pristine dense carbon framework. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor possessed a high initial specific capacitance of 4564 mF cm−2 (0–1.7 V) at −40 °C. Impressively, the robust device could be cycled more than 100,000 times with little capacitance attenuation. The assembled zinc-ion hybrid capacitor (0.2–2 V) delivered a large specific capacitance of 4500 mF cm−2 at −40 °C, approximately 74 % of its specific capacitance at 25 °C. Our research paves a new avenue to design thick carbon electrodes with high capacitive performance by multifunctional Zn(NO 3) 2 for low-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predominant adhesives currently utilized in the wood sector are sourced from petroleum. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that fossil resources possess a limited supply, and their extraction procedures can lead to adverse effects on the ecosystem. Renewable biomass resources have important application prospects in wood adhesives. This paper reviews the recent research progress on utilizing biomass to replace or modify conventional petroleum-based adhesives, focusing on the application of tannin, lignin, protein, starch, and cellulose in urea–formaldehyde (UF), melamine, phenol–formaldehyde (PF), epoxy (EP), and polyurethane (PU) resin adhesives. The symbiosis of renewable biomass with conventional petroleum-based adhesives portends substantial advancements for the wood adhesive industry. This review evaluates the substitution capacity and modification effect of biomass, discusses its application prospects in the wood-based panel industry, and predicts the future direction of biomass in wood adhesives, providing new inspirations for the development of novel green adhesives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the modern sheep production systems, the reproductive performance of ewes determines the economic profitability of farming. Revealing the genetic mechanisms underlying differences in the litter size is important for the selection and breeding of highly prolific ewes. Hu sheep, a high-quality Chinese sheep breed, is known for its high fecundity and is often used as a model to study prolificacy traits. In the current study, animals were divided into two groups according to their delivery rates in three consecutive lambing seasons (namely, the high and low reproductive groups with ≥ 3 lambs and one lamb per season, n = 3, respectively). The ewes were slaughtered within 12 h of estrus, and unilateral ovarian tissues were collected and analyzed by 10× Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: A total of 5 types of somatic cells were identified and corresponding expression profiles were mapped in the ovaries of each group. Noticeably, the differences in the ovary somatic cell expression profiles between the high and low reproductive groups were mainly clustered in the granulosa cells. Furthermore, four granulosa cell subtypes were identified. GeneSwitches analysis revealed that the abundance of JPH1 expression and the reduction of LOC101112291 expression could lead to different evolutionary directions of the granulosa cells. Additionally, the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL in mural granulosa cells of the highly reproductive group were significantly higher. These genes inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis of mural granulosa cells, which helps prevent follicular atresia. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the high fecundity of Hu sheep. The differences in gene expression profiles, particularly in the granulosa cells, suggest that these cells play a critical role in female prolificacy. The findings also highlight the importance of genes such as JPH1, LOC101112291, FTH1, and FTL in regulating granulosa cell function and follicular development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Construct multi-scale architectures from 0D to 2D with abundant heterostructures. • Enhanced microwave absorption of −67 dB with ultrabroad absorption bandwidth. • Rich heterogeneous interfaces and synergistic multiple loss mechanisms for EWA. Two-dimensional (2D) MXene has attracted vast attention in electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA), but there remains a contradiction between maintaining impedance matching and enhancing dielectric loss. Herein, the multi-scale architectures of ecoflex/2D MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x)@zero-dimensional CoNi sphere@one-dimensional carbon nanotube composite elastomers were successfully constructed by simple liquid-phase reduction and thermo-curing method. The binding between the hybrids as fillers and ecoflex as a matrix greatly enhanced the EWA capability of the obtained composite elastomer and improved its mechanical properties. Owing to its good impedance matching, abundant heterostructures, and synergistic electrical and magnetic losses, this elastomer exhibited an excellent minimum reflection loss of −67 dB at 9.46 GHz under a thickness of 2.98 mm. In addition, its ultrabroad effective absorption bandwidth reached 6.07 GHz. This achievement will pave the way for the exploitation of multi-dimensional heterostructures as high-performance electromagnetic absorbers with superior EWA ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel wheat-like Ni-coated core–shell silver nanowire using facile one-pot method. • High-efficiency microwave absorption of −61.1 dB with wide absorption bandwidth. • Synergistic effect of unique structure and multiple loss mechanisms for EWA. • Long-term operational stability for three months. Nowadays, developing high-performance electromagnetic functional materials to eliminate the ever-increasing electromagnetic pollution problem is necessary for the complex electromagnetic environment. However, the materials with high electrical conductivity are prone to secondary electromagnetic pollution due to interface impedance mismatching. Herein, the wheat-like electrically conductive and magnetic silver nanowire@nickle (AgNW@Ni) composites were fabricated via a one-pot in-situ growth method. The electromagnetic properties of the composites could be regulated by adjusting different ratios of precursors, resulting in various morphological features of the nanowire as the core with different Ni shell thicknesses. When the Ag and Ni molar ratio was 1:1.1, the AgNW@Ni composite exhibited the optimal minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −61.1 dB with an adequate effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.06 GHz owing to good impedance matching, abundant heterostructures, and synergistic electrical and magnetic losses. Even after three months, it still maintained an acceptable RL min value of −39.7 dB and similar EAB , demonstrating its long-term operational stability. This unique composite is expected to be applied in more actual electromagnetic protection occasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mildly delignified wood showed a well-preserved wood cell wall framework, and its derived compressed materials demonstrate excellent mechanical properties and advanced functional material potential. Here, we proposed a simple yet effective approach for making strong, tough, and fire-retardant wooden laminate by a three-step process of mild delignification, infiltrating potassium nonafluoro-1-butanesulfonate (PFBS), and hot-pressing to densify the material. PFBS can be infiltrated into the micro/nano-structures of the mildly delignified wood to achieve a good flame-resistant protective barrier. Flame retardant tests showed that this strong, tough, and fire-retardant wooden laminate has a superior flame-retardant performance to natural wood. Additionally, the wooden laminate also exhibits a simultaneously enhanced tensile strength (175.6 MPa vs. 89.9 MPa for natural wood) and toughness (22.9 MJ m−3 vs. 10.9 MJ m−3 for natural wood). Given these attributes, the resulting wooden laminates are identified as promising candidates for high-performance structural applications, fulfilling stringent requirements for both mechanical resilience and flame-retardant efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid development of intelligent technology and the pursuit of green environmental protection, responsive materials with single response and actuation can no longer meet the requirements of modern technology for intelligence, diversification, and environmental friendliness. Therefore, intelligent responsive materials have received much attention. In recent years, with the development of new materials and technologies, cellulose materials have become increasingly used as responsive materials due to their advantages of sustainability and renewability. This review summarizes the relevant research on cellulose-based intelligent responsive materials in recent years. According to the stimuli responses, they are divided into temperature-, light-, electrical-, magnetic-, and humidity-responsive types. The response mechanism, application status, and development trend of cellulose-based intelligent responsive materials are summarized. Finally, the future perspectives on the preparation and applications of cellulose-based intelligent responsive materials are presented for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problem of the serious capacity fading in lithium–sulfur batteries, a multi‐functional PEO(polyethylene oxide)/LiFSI (lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide)/PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) (PLP) gel polymer electrolyte is exploited by coating PLP on a carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based sulfur cathode (PLP‐S/CNTs) with a controlled thermal annealing process. The annealing process leads to the conformal infusion of PLP through the matrix of S/CNTs with retaining the amorphous phase of the PLP, which enhance the rate performance compared to the bare S/CNTs. The PLP coating drives the transformation of more elemental sulfur to Li2S2/Li2S without forming intermediary product by restraining soluble‐polysulfides formation. Furthermore, the PLP coating successfully inhibits the dissolution of Li2Sx (x > 4) in PEO and prevents the loss of active material in the cathode, which is confirmed by density functional theory calculations. Comprehensively, the PLP coating applied to the surface of the S/CNTs cathode exhibit significantly suppressed shuttle effect and greatly improve long‐term cycle stability of the lithium–sulfur battery. The synthesized PLP‐coated S/CNTs composite cathode demonstrates a high specific capacity of 573.6 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.5 C after 1 000 cycles, even achieving 318.1 mAh g−1 at an extremely high C‐rate (6 C). which is unprecedented performance among the reported studies on coating technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent and colorimetric poly (acrylamide)-based copolymer probe P(AAm-co-RBNCH) has been designed via free radical polymerization of a commercial acrylamide monomer with a rhodamine-functionalized monomer RBNCH. Metal ion selectivity of RBNCH was investigated by fluorescence and colorimetric spectrophotometry. Upon addition of Fe3+, a visual color change from colorless to red and a large fluorescence enhancement were observed for the ring-opening of the rhodamine spirolactam mechanism. The monomer gives a sensitive method for quantitatively detecting Fe3+ in the linear range of 100–200 μM, with a limit of detection as low as 27 nM and exhibiting high selectivity for Fe3+ over 12 other metal ions. The hydrogel sensor was characterized by FTIR, and the effects of RBNCH amount on gel content and swelling properties were explored. According to the recipe of 1.0 mol% RBNCH to the total monomers, the fabricated hydrogel sensor displayed a good swelling property and reversibility performance and has potential for application in the imaging of Fe3+ level in industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitors, with high energy density, rapid charge–discharge capabilities, and long cycling ability, have gained favor among many researchers. However, the universality of high-performance carbon-based electrodes is often constrained by their complex fabrication methods. In this study, the common industrial materials, zinc gluconate and ammonium chloride, are uniformly mixed and subjected to a one-step carbonization strategy to prepare three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon materials with high specific surface area and suitable nitrogen doping. The results show that a specific capacitance of 221 F g−1 is achieved at a current density of 1 A g−1. The assembled symmetrical supercapacitor achieves a high energy density of 17 Wh kg−1, and after 50,000 cycles at a current density of 50 A g−1, it retains 82% of its initial capacitance. Moreover, the operating voltage window of the symmetrical device can be easily expanded to 2.5 V when using Et4NBF4 as the electrolyte, resulting in a maximum energy density of up to 153 Wh kg−1, and retaining 85.03% of the initial specific capacitance after 10,000 cycles. This method, using common industrial materials as raw materials, provides ideas for the simple preparation of high-performance carbon materials and also provides a promising method for the large-scale production of highly porous carbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, wood‐based composites have absorbed widespread concern in the field of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding due to their sustainability and inherent layered porous structure. The channel structure of wood is often used to load highly conductive materials to improve the EMI shielding performance of wood‐based composites. However, there is little research on how to use pure wood to prepare ultrathin EMI shielding materials. Herein, ultrathin veneer is obtained by cutting wood in parallel to the annual rings. Then, carbonized wood film (CWF) is prepared by a simple two‐step compressing and carbonization. The specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of CWF‐1200 with an ultrathin thickness (140 µm) and high electrical conductivity (58 S cm−1) can reach 9861.41 dB cm2 g−1, which is much higher than other reported wood‐based materials. In addition, the zeolitie imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) nanocrystals are grown in situ on the surface of the CWF to obtain CWF/ZIF‐8. CWF/ZIF‐8 exhibits an EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of up to 46 dB and an ultrahigh SSE/t value of 11 330.04 dB cm2 g−1 in X band. In addition, the ultrathin CWF also shows an excellent Joule heating effect. Therefore, the development of ultrathin wood‐based film provides a research basis for wood biomass to replace traditional non‐renewable and expensive electromagnetic (EM) shielding materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of a Ce(III)-4,4′,4″-((1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl) tris (azanediyl)) tribenzoic acid–organic framework (Ce-H3TATAB-MOFs) for capturing excess fluoride in aqueous solutions and its subsequent defluoridation was investigated in depth. The optimal sorption capacity was obtained with a metal/organic ligand molar ratio of 1:1. The morphological characteristics, crystalline shape, functional groups, and pore structure of the material were analyzed via SEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, and N2 adsorption–desorption experiments, and the thermodynamics, kinetics, and adsorption mechanism were elucidated. The influence of pH and co-existing ions for defluoridation performance were also sought. The results show that Ce-H3TATAB-MOFs is a mesoporous material with good crystallinity, and that quasi-second kinetic and Langmuir models can describe the sorption kinetics and thermodynamics well, demonstrating that the entire sorption process is a monolayer-governed chemisorption. The Langmuir maximum sorption capacity was 129.7 mg g−1 at 318 K (pH = 4). The adsorption mechanism involves ligand exchange, electrostatic interaction, and surface complexation. The best removal effect was reached at pH 4, and a removal effectiveness of 76.57% was obtained under strongly alkaline conditions (pH 10), indicating that the adsorbent has a wide range of applications. Ionic interference experiments showed that the presence of PO43− and H2PO4− in water have an inhibitory effect on defluoridation, whereas SO42−, Cl−, CO32−, and NO3− are conducive to the adsorption of fluoride due to the ionic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common two-dimensional carbon material, graphene has been widely doped into polymers to prepare high-performance dielectric materials. However, the shortcomings of graphene, such as large specific surface area and poor dispersion, limit its further application. Therefore, in this work, to solve the problem regarding the uniform dispersion of graphene in the matrix, in situ polymerization was used to prepare graphene/polyimide films, in which 1,4-diiodobutane was used as a reduction agent to prevent the aggregation of graphene oxide (GO) during imidization. High dielectric constant composite films were obtained by adjusting the ratio of 1,4-diiodobutane in GO. The results show that the resulting graphene/polyimide composite film possessed a dielectric constant of up to 197.5, which was more than 58 times higher than that of the polyimide (PI) film. Furthermore, compared to the pure PI film, the composite films showed better thermal stability and mechanical properties. Thermal performance tests showed that the 1,4-diiodobutane added during the preparation of the composite film was thermally decomposed, and there was no residue. We believe our preparation method can be extended to other high dielectric composite films, which will facilitate their further development and application in high power density energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing pollution of electromagnetic (EM) radiation, it is necessary to develop low-cost, renewable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Herein, wood-derived carbon (WC) materials for EMI shielding are prepared by one-step carbonization of renewable wood. With the increase in carbonization temperature, the conductivity and EMI performance of WC increase gradually. At the same carbonization temperature, the denser WC has better conductivity and higher EMI performance. In addition, due to the layered superimposed conductive channel structure, the WC in the vertical-section shows better EMI shielding performance than that in the cross-section. After excluding the influence of thickness and density, the specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) value can be calculated to further optimize tree species. We further discuss the mechanism of the influence of the microstructure of WC on its EMI shielding properties. In addition, the lightweight WC EMI material also has good hydrophobicity and heat insulation properties, as well as good mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new member of the silica-derivative family, modified glass fiber (MGF) has attracted extensive attention because of its excellent properties and potential applications. Surface modification of glass fiber (GF) greatly changes its performance, resulting in a series of changes to its surface structure, wettability, electrical properties, mechanical properties, and stability. This article summarizes the latest research progress in MGF, including the different modification methods, the various properties, and their advanced applications in different fields. Finally, the challenges and possible solutions were provided for future investigations of MGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of new-generation energy-storing devices, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are becoming the prime candidates because of their inexpensive nature, inherent safety, environmental benignity and abundant resources. Nevertheless, due to a restrained selection of cathodes, AZIBs often perform unsatisfactorily under long-life cycling and high-rate conditions. Consequently, we propose a facile evaporation-induced self-assembly technique for preparing V2O3@carbonized dictyophora (V2O3@CD) composites, utilizing economical and easily available biomass dictyophora as carbon sources and NH4VO3 as metal sources. When assembled in AZIBs, the V2O3@CD exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 281.9 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1. The discharge capacity is still up to 151.9 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1, showing excellent long-cycle durability. The extraordinary high electrochemical effectiveness of V2O3@CD could be mainly attributed to the formation of porous carbonized dictyophora frame. The formed porous carbon skeleton can ensure efficient electron transport and prevent V2O3 from losing electrical contact due to volume changes caused by Zn2+ intercalation/deintercalation. The strategy of metal-oxide-filled carbonized biomass material may provide insights into developing high-performance AZIBs and other potential energy storage devices, with a wide application range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyelectrolyte has wide applications in biomedicine, agriculture and soft robotics. However, it is among one of the least understood physical systems because of the complex interplay of electrostatics and polymer nature. In this review, a comprehensive description is presented on experimental and theoretical studies of the activity coefficient, one of the most important thermodynamic properties of polyelectrolyte. Experimental methods to measure the activity coefficient were introduced, including direct potentiometric measurement and indirect methods such as isopiestic measurement and solubility measurement. Next, progress on the various theoretical approaches was presented, ranging from analytical, empirical and simulation methods. Finally, challenges for future development are proposed on this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-supporting electrode materials with the advantages of a simple operation process and the avoidance of the use any binders are promising candidates for supercapacitors. In this work, carbon-based self-supporting electrode materials with nanosheets grown on Al foil were prepared by combining hydrothermal reaction and the one-step chemical vapor deposition method. The effect of the concentration of the reaction solution on the structures as well as the electrochemical performance of the prepared samples were studied. With the increase in concentration, the nanosheets of the samples became dense and compact. The CNS-120 obtained from a 120 mmol zinc nitrate aqueous solution exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. The CNS-120 displayed the highest areal capacitance of 6.82 mF cm−2 at the current density of 0.01 mA cm−2. Moreover, the CNS-120 exhibited outstanding rate performance with an areal capacitance of 3.07 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2 and good cyclic stability with a capacitance retention of 96.35% after 5000 cycles. Besides, the CNS-120 possessed an energy density of 5.9 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 25 μW cm−2 and still achieved 0.3 μWh cm−2 at 4204 μW cm−2. This work provides simple methods to prepared carbon-based self-supporting materials with low-cost Al foil and demonstrates their potential for realistic application of supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The crystal facets featured with facet-dependent physical and chemical properties can exhibit varied electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) attributed to their anisotropy. The highly active exposed crystal facets enable increased mass activity of active sites, lower reaction energy barriers, and enhanced catalytic reaction rates for HER and OER. The formation mechanism and control strategy of the crystal facet, significant contributions as well as challenges and perspectives of facet-engineered catalysts for HER and OER are provided. The electrocatalytic water splitting technology can generate high-purity hydrogen without emitting carbon dioxide, which is in favor of relieving environmental pollution and energy crisis and achieving carbon neutrality. Electrocatalysts can effectively reduce the reaction energy barrier and increase the reaction efficiency. Facet engineering is considered as a promising strategy in controlling the ratio of desired crystal planes on the surface. Owing to the anisotropy, crystal planes with different orientations usually feature facet-dependent physical and chemical properties, leading to differences in the adsorption energies of oxygen or hydrogen intermediates, and thus exhibit varied electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this review, a brief introduction of the basic concepts, fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanisms as well as key evaluating parameters for both HER and OER are provided. The formation mechanisms of the crystal facets are comprehensively overviewed aiming to give scientific theory guides to realize dominant crystal planes. Subsequently, three strategies of selective capping agent, selective etching agent, and coordination modulation to tune crystal planes are comprehensively summarized. Then, we present an overview of significant contributions of facet-engineered catalysts toward HER, OER, and overall water splitting. In particular, we highlight that density functional theory calculations play an indispensable role in unveiling the structure–activity correlation between the crystal plane and catalytic activity. Finally, the remaining challenges in facet-engineered catalysts for HER and OER are provided and future prospects for designing advanced facet-engineered electrocatalysts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the dependence on fossil energy products, natural fiber/polymer hybrid composites have been increasingly researched. The high price of the quartz optical fibers and glass optical fibers has greatly inspired researchers to engage in the research on polymer optical fibers. Herein, transparent fibers based on plant fibers were innovatively prepared for the first time by delignification and impregnating epoxy diluted with acetone. The epoxy improved the thermal stability of the fiber without deteriorating its mechanical properties, and also endowed the fiber with the property of transparency. The tensile strength of transparent fibers of three diameters were 34.5, 58.6 and 100.3 MPa, respectively and the corresponding Young's modulus reached 1.1, 1.7 and 2.3 GPa, respectively. In addition, the light-conducting properties of transparent fibers were displayed with a green laser and the fibers displayed good light transmission along the fiber growth direction. Transparent fibers are expected to be used in optical fibers because of their high thermal stability, good mechanical properties and light-conducting properties. • Using acetone as diluent skillfully solves the difficulty of epoxy impregnation in rattan fiber. • Transparent fibers based on natural cellulosic fibers were successfully prepared for the first time. • The composite fibers possessed high thermal stability, good mechanical properties and light-conducting properties. • The transparent composite fibers have the potential to be used as the core material of optical fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Flower-like bimetallic MOF-derived carbon composites. • Regulate structures by adjusting different precursor ratios. • High-efficiency microwave absorption of −56.89 dB with wide bandwidth of 4.7 GHz. • Synergistic effect of unique structure and electromagnetic characteristic for EWA. Recently, high-performance functional composites for electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) with tunable nano/micro-structures have attracted extensive attention. Herein, the flower-like electrically conductive and magnetic cobalt-nickel@carbon (CoNi@C) composites derived from bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were fabricated via solvothermal method and pyrolysis. By adjusting the ratios of different precursors, different morphological features of composites were formed. When the molar ratio of Co and Ni was 1:2, the CoNi@C composites exhibited the optimal minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −56.89 dB at 6.7 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.7 GHz, due to the coordinated dielectric and magnetic loss caused by the electromagnetic properties of each component as well as the interactions between the unique three-dimensional (3D) interfaces of flower-like structures that promoted the absorption and dissipation of composites for microwaves. The composites are expected to become promising candidates as high-efficiency absorbers in the electromagnetic protection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of fluoride contamination in drinking water has gained substantial concern owing to its serious threat to human health. Traditional adsorbents have shortcomings such as low adsorption capacity and poor selectivity, so it is urgent to develop new adsorbents with high adsorption capacity, renewable and no secondary pollution. In this work, magnetic electrospun La-Mn-Fe tri-metal oxide nanofibers (LMF NFs) for fluoride recovery were developed via electrospinning and heat treatment, and its defluoridation property was evaluated in batch trials. Modern analytical tools (SEM, BET, XRD, FTIR) were adopted to characterize the properties of the optimized adsorbent, i.e., LMF11 NFs with a La:Mn molar ratio of 1:1. The surface area calculated via BET method and pHpzc assessed using pH drift method of LMF11 NFs were 55.81 m2 g−1 and 6.47, respectively. The results indicated that the adsorption amount was highly dependent on the pH of the solution, and reached the highest value at pH = 3. The kinetic behavior of defluoridation on LMF11 NFs was dominated by the PSO model with the highest fitted determination coefficients of 0.9999. Compared with the other three isotherm models, the Langmuir model described defluoridation characteristics well with larger correlation coefficients of 0.9997, 0.9990, 0.9987 and 0.9976 at 15 °C, 25 °C, 35 °C and 45 °C, respectively. The optimized LMF11 NFs exhibited superior monolayer defluoridation capacities for 173.30–199.60 mg F−/g at pH 3 at 15–45 °C according to the Langmuir isotherm model. A thermodynamic study proved that the defluoridation by LMF11 NFs is a spontaneous, endothermic along with entropy increase process. In addition, the LMF11 NFs still showed high defluoridation performance after three reused cycles. These findings unveil that the synthesized LMF11 NFs adsorbent is a good adsorbent for fluoride remediation from wastewater owing to its low cost, high defluoridation performance and easy operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the sustainable utilization of waste resources has become a low-cost and effective strategy to design high-performance functional materials to solve the increasingly serious environmental pollution problem. Herein, the flexible and highly stretchable polyurethane (PU) composite foams assisted by one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and zero-dimensional Fe3O4 were fabricated using waste tire rubbers (WTRs) as reinforcements during a simple self-foaming process. The collaborative introduction of conductive CNTs, magnetic Fe3O4, and WTRs with three-dimensional cross-linked structures enabled the construction of an efficient electronic transmission path and heterointerfaces inside the composite foam. The resulting composite foam possessed a desired minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −47.43 dB, and also exhibited superior mechanical properties with a tensile strength of >3 MPa and multiple tensile deformation recovery abilities. In addition, increasing the temperature could significantly improve the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of the composite foam. This comprehensive composite foam derived from WTRs has shown a promising development potential for using waste materials to relieve electromagnetic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials with outstanding mechanical properties and excellent dielectric properties are increasingly favored in the microelectronics industry. The application of polyimide (PI) in the field of microelectronics is limited because of the fact that PI with excellent mechanical properties does not have special features in the dielectric properties. In this work, PI composite films with high dielectric properties and excellent mechanical properties are fabricated by in-situ reduction of fluorinated graphene (FG) in polyamide acid (PAA) composites. The dielectric permittivity of pure PI is 3.47 and the maximum energy storage density is 0.664 J/cm3 at 100 Hz, while the dielectric permittivity of the PI composite films reaches 235.74 under the same conditions, a 68-times increase compared to the pure PI, and the maximum energy storage density is 5.651, a 9-times increase compared to the pure PI films. This method not only solves the problem of the aggregation of the filler particles in the PI matrix and maintains the intrinsic excellent mechanical properties of the PI, but also significantly improves the dielectric properties of the PI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Flower-like bimetallic MOF-derived carbon composites. • Regulate structures by adjusting different precursor ratios. • High-efficiency microwave absorption of −56.89 dB with wide bandwidth of 4.7 GHz. • Synergistic effect of unique structure and electromagnetic characteristic for EWA. Recently, high-performance functional composites for electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) with tunable nano/micro-structures have attracted extensive attention. Herein, the flower-like electrically conductive and magnetic cobalt-nickel@carbon (CoNi@C) composites derived from bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were fabricated via solvothermal method and pyrolysis. By adjusting the ratios of different precursors, different morphological features of composites were formed. When the molar ratio of Co and Ni was 1:2, the CoNi@C composites exhibited the optimal minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −56.89 dB at 6.7 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.7 GHz, due to the coordinated dielectric and magnetic loss caused by the electromagnetic properties of each component as well as the interactions between the unique three-dimensional (3D) interfaces of flower-like structures that promoted the absorption and dissipation of composites for microwaves. The composites are expected to become promising candidates as high-efficiency absorbers in the electromagnetic protection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superior strong and tough structural materials are highly desirable in engineering applications. However, it remains a big challenge to combine these two mutually exclusive mechanical properties into one body. In the work, an ultrastrong and tough cellulosic material was fabricated by a two-step process of delignification and water molecule-induced hydrogen bonding under compression. The strong and tough cellulosic material showed enhanced tensile strength (352 MPa vs. 56 MPa for natural wood) and toughness (4.1 MJ m−3 vs. 0.42 MJ m−3 for natural wood). The mechanical behaviors of ultrastrong and tough bulk material in a tensile state were simulated by finite element analysis (FEA) using mechanical parameters measured in the experiment. FEA results showed that the tensile strength and toughness gradually simultaneously improved with the increase in moisture content, demonstrating that water molecules played an active role in fabricating strong and tough materials, by plasticizing and forming hydrogen bonding among cellulose nanofibrils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanomaterials are highly-promising in the quest for a next-generation of food toxicity sensors. • Exploiting NIR photoluminescence for food security assessment is effective in detecting inorganic and organic contaminants. • Perspectives and challenges concerning the use of NIR photoluminescence for food safety detection are discussed. Acknowledged by the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 200 diseases ranging from mild to fatal are linked to the consumption of food products subjected to physical, chemical, or biological contamination. Nevertheless, conventional methods commonly used for the identification of health hazards in foodstuffs have problems coping with the sensitivity requirements imposed by latest-hour regulations in the field. Additionally, their use and availability is wildly limited by aspects such as instrument dimension, prohibitive costs, detection complexity and required operational knowledge. This review provides an overview of recent efforts that have focused on the assesment of food contamination based on near infrared (NIR) photoluminescent sensors. Important endeavors that have targeted the precise detection of various inorganic and organic contaminants, including hydrogen sulfide, cyanide anions, mycotoxins, antibiotic residues, etc., are presented and relevant challenges that lie en route as stumbling blocks for such sensors to reach the next level of maturity and to become more available, are systematically discussed and enunciated. Ingenious food contamination sensors that rely on conventional or up-conversion photoluminescence in the NIR region represent an emerging topic. To date, such sensors have been demonstrated as promising detection candidates, possessing important advantages such as: high efficiency, facile implementation, and convenient flexibility, thereby promising significant contributions to expand the current state of the art in food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reductive homocoupling transformations mediated by bases and TMSCN have been used as a strategy for synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted ethanones. This protocol provides a method for synthesizing functionalized ethanones from aldehydes in one pot without transition metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by creatures, abundant stimulus-responsive hydrogel actuators with diverse functionalities have been manufactured for applications in soft robotics. However, constructing a shape memory and self-sensing bilayer hydrogel actuator with high mechanical strength and strong interfacial bonding still remains a challenge. Herein, a novel bilayer hydrogel with a stimulus-responsive TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (TOCN/PNIPAM) layer and a non-responsive TOCN/polyacrylamide (TOCN/PAM) layer is proposed as a thermosensitive actuator. TOCNs as a nano-reinforced phase provide a high mechanical strength and endow the hydrogel actuator with a strong interfacial bonding. Due to the incorporation of TOCNs, the TOCN/PNIPAM hydrogel exhibits a high compressive strength (~89.2 kPa), elongation at break (~170.7 %) and tensile strength (~24.0 kPa). The prepared PNIPAM/TOCN/PAM hydrogel actuator performs the roles of an encapsulation, jack, temperature-controlled fluid valve and temperature-control manipulator. The incorporation of Fe3+ further endows the bilayer hydrogel actuator with a synergistic performance of shape memory and temperature-driven, which can be used as a temperature-responsive switch to detect ambient temperature. The PNIPAM/TOCN/PAM-Fe3+ conductive hydrogel can be assembled into a flexible sensor and generate sensing signals when driven by temperature changes to achieve real-time feedback. This research may lead to new insights into the design and manufacturing of intelligent flexible soft robots. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a convenient photothermal material, polydopamine (PDA) has been widely utilized in wood-based evaporators. However, the loading conditions of polydopamine on biomass bulk materials have not been systematically studied. In this paper, the suitable reaction conditions of polydopamine were studied with rattan as the substrate, and a reference for the improvement of the loading conditions was proposed. The polydopamine-loaded rattan-based evaporator (PDA-R) prepared on this basis exhibits excellent working stability due to the unique large-scale hierarchical porous structure of rattan. In addition to excellent salt resistance and cycle performance (evaporation rate decays by 5.1% after 30 cycles), the larger-aperture channel (200–450 μm) also brings better adaptability to salinity changes than polydopamine-loaded basswood-based evaporator (PDA-BW) (the attenuation coefficient of PDA-R is 6.2%, while the attenuation coefficient of PDA-BW is 16.3%). All of these indicate the broad prospects of polydopamine-loaded rattan-based evaporator as a multi-effect treatment scheme of brine. [Display omitted] • Loading conditions of polydopamine on biomass block material is systematic studied. • PDA-R has excellent salt resistance and cycling performance in high salinity brines. • PDA-R has great adaptability to salinity changes. • The effect of uniformly dense pore size of the substrate on salinity adaptability of evaporator is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials derived from low-cost biomass materials have attracted widespread attention. Herein, a novel biomass‑carbon with porous array structures derived from waste soybean dregs is prepared by a hydrothermal method combined with heat treatment using formaldehyde and KOH as activators. The as-prepared biomass‑carbon with significantly enhanced specific surface area can possess more charge transmission paths, increased multiple reflections and scattering, multiple loss modes, and improved impedance matching, leading to the improvement of EMW absorption performances. The obtained single-component biomass‑carbon without any functional fillers exhibits an effective EMW absorption capability with a wide absorption bandwidth of 4.8 GHz at a thickness of 3.5 mm. This study will provide a valuable approach for the preparation of biomass‑carbon based EMW absorption materials with controllable porous structures by the activation process. [Display omitted] • High-performance single-component biomass carbon derived from soybean dregs • Unique porous array structures formed through an activation process. • Effective EMW absorption capability with a wide absorption bandwidth of 4.8 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multichannel-porous carbon derived from wood can serve as a conductive substrate for fast charge transfer and ion diffusion, supporting the high-theory capacitance of pseudocapacitive materials. Herein, NiCo2O4 nanosheets, which are hierarchically porous, anchored on the surface of carbonized wood via electrodeposition for free-binder high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials, were proposed. Benefiting from the effectively alleviated NiCo2O4 nanosheets accumulation and sufficient active surface area for redox reaction, a N-doped wood-derived porous carbon-NiCo2O4 nanosheet hybrid material (NCNS–NCW) electrode exhibited a specific electric capacity of 1730 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 1 mol L−1 KOH and splendid electrochemical firmness with 80% capacitance retention after cycles. Furthermore, an all-wood-based asymmetric supercapacitor based on NCNS–NCW//NCW was assembled and a high energy density of 56.1 Wh kg−1 at a watt density of 349 W kg−1 was achieved. Due to the great electrochemical performance of NCNS–NCW, we expect it to be used as an electrode material with great promise for energy storage equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an effective way to develop basswood (Tilia americana, hardwood)-derived thick carbon electrode for high energy density supercapacitors. The wood-derived anisotropic structural carbon electrodes have different transfer kinetics of the electrolyte, which will significantly affect the electrochemical performance especially at high current density. Therefore, the relationship between the sectional wood-derived electrodes and the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors were systematically studied. The results show that the high specific surface area (542 m2 g−1) of cross-sectional wood-derived carbon contributes to the excellent electrochemical performance (specific/area capacitance ~ 3040 mF cm−2/118 F g−1 at 1 mA cm−2, cycle stability ~ 82.2% after 10,000 cycles at 50 mA cm−2, and capacitive contribution of 76.64% at 5 mV s−1), which is attributed to the hierarchical porous structure and easily allows electrolytes to enter the interior even at high current density. This work provides a fundamental understanding of the dynamic behaviors of electrolyte at different wood sections, and it is expected to be extended to other wood species and wood-like structures for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived heteroatom doped porous carbon is a hot electrode material for supercapacitors. Herein, nitrogen and oxygen co-doped porous carbon sheets are prepared by one-step carbonization-activation of hybrids of soybean protein isolate and zinc chloride (ZnCl2). The effect of the mass ratio between the activator and carbon precursor on the microstructure as well as the electrochemical performance of the materials is investigated. The activated samples show enhanced specific surface area, preferably up to 1034.33 m2 g−1, which is dominated by micropores and mesopores. More interestingly, ZnCl2 incorporation can improve the doping rate of nitrogen and oxygen elements from 4.5 at% to 6.37 at%, and 12.89 at% to 13.58 at%, respectively. Ultimately, the porous carbon sheets exhibit good capacitive performance in 6 M KOH electrolyte, and the specific capacitance could reach 210.47 F g−1 in a three-electrode system. In a two-electrode system, a capacitance retention of 93.02% can be achieved after 10 000 cycles at 20 A g−1. In addition, the optimized sample shows a maximum energy density of 16.27 W h kg−1 and a maximum power density of 8.44 kW kg−1. This work indicates that the soybean protein-derived porous carbon sheets are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing lightweight and porous adsorbents which can effectively remove dye contaminants is of great significance in the field of the sewage treatment. In this work, anisotropic cellulose nanofibril (CNF) composite sponges assisted by rectorites are fabricated through directional freeze-drying. The resulted composite sponge exhibits the superior saturated adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of 120.0 mg/g and 96.1% for methylene blue (MB), respectively, which is better than the pure CNF sponge and rectorite powders. This is attributed to the strong electrostatic interaction between CNFs and MB, and good cation exchange property of rectorites inside the three-dimensional (3D) highly porous composite sponge. The MB adsorption process of the composite sponge fits to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model well, which is affected by both boundary layer and intraparticle diffusion, resulting in a theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of 214.6 mg/g. Moreover, it also possesses a selective adsorption capacity for anionic and cationic dyes, which is expected to realize the separation treatment of different dyes according to actual application requirements. [Display omitted] • Anisotropic CNF/rectorite composite sponge by directional freeze-drying. • Superior MB adsorption capacity and removal rate of 120.0 mg/g and 96.1%. • Selective adsorption and separation capacity for anionic and cationic dyes. • Detailed evaluation of the adsorption behavior and mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Designing intertwined porous structure is highly desirable to improve the electrochemical performance of carbon materials for supercapacitor. In this contribution, three-dimensional (3D) carbonized polyimide/cellulose (CPC) composite is fabricated via a facile "one-step" carbonization, in which cellulose as cross-linked agent is capable of modulating the molecular structure of polyamic acid, thus ensuring the formation of intertwined porous networks in the obtained carbon skeleton. Benefitting from the high specific surface area (951 m2 g−1) and uniformly distributed pores, the optimized CPC-5 electrode exhibits an outstanding specific capacitance of 300F g−1 in 6.0 M KOH electrolyte. More impressively, the CPC-5 based symmetrical supercapacitor affords a high energy density of 22.6 Wh kg−1 at power density of 800 W kg−1, as well as an exceptional capacitance retention of 91.4% after 10,000 cycles. This work affords an effective strategy to yield a promising polyimide derived carbon material for high-performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alternative magnetic field (AMF)-induced electrospun fibrous thermoresponsive composite actuator showing penetrable remote-control ability with fast response is shown here for the first time. The built-in heater of magnetothermal Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the actuator and the porous structure of the fibrous layer contribute to a fast actuation with a curvature of 0.4 mm−1 in 2 s. The higher loading amount of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and higher magnetic field strength result in a faster actuation. Interestingly, the composite actuator showed a similar actuation even when it was covered by a piece of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, which shows a penetrable remote-control ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the burgeoning interest in multifunctional superhydrophobic wood-based composites (SWBCs) for their varied applications and the need for improved environmental resilience, recent efforts focus on enhancing their utility by integrating features such as mechanical and chemical stability, self-healing capabilities, flame resistance, and antimicrobial properties. Research indicates that various external conditions can influence the wettability and additional characteristics of SWBCs. This comprehensive review outlines three critical factors affecting SWBCs' performance: synthesis methods, wood taxonomy, and chemical agents. It further provides a detailed overview of SWBCs' specific attributes, including essential qualities for diverse applications and the limitations posed by different contexts. Additionally, it elaborates on performance evaluation techniques, offering a foundational framework for SWBCs' practical application. This work aims to serve as an important resource for future research and development in SWBC engineering. [Display omitted] • Preparation mechanism of superhydrophobic wood-based composites. • Factors affecting superhydrophobic wood-based composites. • Methods for evaluating superhydrophobic wood-based composites properties. • Challenges and directions for future development to achieve industrialization are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]