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With the rapid development and increase in popularity of electric vehicles and wearable devices, battery safety in the field of energy storage has become an increasingly strong focus. Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are gaining attention as energy-storage systems that are low cost with high levels of safety and high theoretical energy density. However, to date, the dense alumina passivation layer on the aluminum anode surface and the slow kinetic performance of the IL (ionic liquid) electrolyte has rendered their performance unsatisfactory. We have reported on a new type of lithium–aluminum battery that maintains a certain discharge performance under destructive conditions such as continuous bending, high- and low-temperature environments, and shearing. The prepared AlLi metal battery achieved a stable cycle of 130 mAh g− 1 specific capacity and approximately 260 Wh kg− 1 energy density at a wide voltage platform of 2 V and a test temperature of 25°C. The batteries did not experience combustion and this product can meet the current demand for flexible and safe batteries. We also analyzed the reaction mechanism and principle of this Al–Li cell based on density functional theory and conducted ex situ XRD and XPS tests to elucidate the storage mechanisms of the Al-Li battery.

Flexible pressure sensors may be used in electronic skin (e-skin), artificial intelligence devices, and disease diagnosis, which require a large response range and high sensitivity. An appropriate design of the structure of the active layer can help effectively solve this problem. Herein, we aim at developing a wearable pressure sensor using the MXene/ZIF-67/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber film, fabricated by electrospinning technology. Owing to the rough structure and three-dimensional network architecture, the MXene/ZIF-67/PAN film-based device displays a broad working range (0-100 kPa), good sensitivity (62.8 kPa

MXenes with unique 2D open structure, large surface-area-to-volume ratios, high pseudo-capacitance, and conductivity are attractive for advanced supercapacitor electrodes. However, the restacking issue of MXenes hinders ion accessibility, resulting in the reduction of volume performance, mass load, and speed capability. To address these issues, a facile hydrothermal synthesis strategy is proposed to fabricate Co3O4 nanoparticles-MXene (Co-MXene) composite by the self-assembly process. Co3O4 nanoparticles, introduced in the MXene matrix, effectively prevent self-restacking and shorten ion/electron transport paths. Consequently, the obtained Co-MXene electrode delivers the high-performance of 1081F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, surpassing the pristine MXene electrode (89F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1). Being assembled into asymmetric supercapacitors (ASC), a high energy density of 26.06 Wh kg−1 at 700 W kg−1 was realized. After 8000 cycles, the ASC device maintains 83% of initial specific capacitance at 2 A g−1. This work highlights a simple and efficient method for developing high-performance MXene-based electrodes for supercapacitors.

Triticale is tolerant of many environmental stresses, especially highly resistant to salt stress. However, the molecular regulatory mechanism of triticale seedlings under salt stress conditions is still unclear so far. In this study, a salt-responsive transcriptome analysis was conducted to identify candidate genes or transcription factors related to salt tolerance in triticale. The root of salt-tolerant triticale cultivars TW004 with salt-treated and non-salt stress at different time points were sampled and subjected to de novo transcriptome sequencing. Total 877,858 uniquely assembled transcripts were identified and most contigs were annotated in public databases including nr, GO, KEGG, eggNOG, Swiss-Prot and Pfam. 59,280, 49,345, and 85,922 differentially expressed uniquely assembled transcripts between salt treated and control triticale root samples at three different time points (C12_vs_T12, C24_vs_T24, and C48_vs_T48) were identified, respectively. Expression profile and functional enrichment analysis of DEGs found that some DEGs were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways related to salt tolerance, such as reduction–oxidation pathways, starch and sucrose metabolism. In addition, several transcription factor families that may be associated with salt tolerance were also identified, including AP2/ERF, NAC, bHLH, WRKY and MYB. Furthermore, 14 DEGs were selected to validate the transcriptome profiles via quantitative RT-PCR. In conclusion, these results provide a foundation for further researches on the regulatory mechanism of triticale seedlings adaptation to salt stress in the future.

In summer, high light and elevated temperature are the most common abiotic stresses. The frequent occurrence of monsoon exposes the abaxial surface of soybean [

Highly active two‐dimensional (2D) nanocomposites, integrating the unique merits of individual components and synergistic effects of composites, are greatly desired for flexible sensing device applications. Although 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) combined with their high metallic conductivity and versatile surface chemistry have shown its huge potential for sensing reactions, it still remains a major challenge to construct functional materials with intriguing sensing performance at room temperature (RT). Herein, we used an integration of density functional theory (DFT) simulations and bulk electrosensitive measurements to show high electrocatalytic sensitivity of polyaniline/MXene (PANI/Ti3C2T x) nanocomposites. Thanks to the synergistic properties of nanocomposites and high catalytic/absorption capacity of Ti3C2T x MXene, PANI nanoparticles are rationally decorated on Ti3C2T x nanosheet surface via in situ polymerization by low temperature approach to induce remarkable detection sensitivity, rapid response/recovery rate, and mechanical stability at RT. This study offers a versatile platform to use MXenes to fabricate 2D nanocomposites materials for high‐performance flexible gas sensors.

MXenes with unique 2D open structure, large surface-area-to-volume ratios, high pseudo-capacitance, and conductivity are attractive for advanced supercapacitor electrodes. However, the restacking issue of MXenes hinders ion accessibility, resulting in the reduction of volume performance, mass load, and speed capability. To address these issues, a facile hydrothermal synthesis strategy is proposed to fabricate Co

The ability of electronic skins to identify physiological and physical signals accurately is the key to human-computer interaction. However, it is still a great challenge to improve stability of electronic-skin when maintaining the high-level pressure-response for applications in harsh conditions. Here, a highly-stable electronic skin is designed by synergistically incorporating strong hydrogen-bonds in MXene and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Molecular dynamics calculations show that the introduction of PVA can reduce the diffusion coefficient of MXene in acidic and basic solutions, increasing the adsorption (free) energies and providing hybrid film with good chemical stability. Therefore, the film provides stable performance recordings that last for over half a year in harsh environments. The film also shows good biocompatibility and function in an in-vivo study conducted on mice. To enhance functionality of soft robots and personal protective equipment used in harsh environments, it is important that the film has persistent and stable performance, all-weather usability, and good in vivo compatibility.

Achieving high deformability in response to minimal external stimulation while maximizing human-machine interactions is a considerable challenge for wearable and flexible electronics applications. Various natural materials or living organisms consisting of hierarchical or interlocked structures exhibit combinations of properties (e.g., natural elasticity and flexibility) that do not occur in conventional materials. The interlocked epidermal-dermal microbridges in human skin have excellent elastic moduli, which enhance and amplify received tactile signal transport. Herein, we use the sensing mechanisms inspired by human skin to develop Ti3C2/natural microcapsule biocomposite films that are robust and deformable by mimicking the micro/nanoscale structure of human skin-such as the hierarchy, interlocking, and patterning. The interlocked hierarchical structures can be used to create biocomposite films with excellent elastic moduli (0.73 MPa), capable of high deformability in response to various external stimuli, as verified by employing theoretical studies. The flexible sensor with a hierarchical and interlocked structure (24.63 kPa-1) achieves a 9.4-fold increase in pressure sensitivity compared to that of the planar structured Ti3C2-based flexible sensor (2.61 kPa-1). This device also exhibits a rapid response rate (14 ms) and good cycling reproducibility and stability (5000 times). In addition, the flexible pressure device can be used to detect and discriminate signals ranging from finger motion and human pulses to voice recognition.

Accurate and continuous detection of physiological signals without the need for an external power supply is a key technology for realizing wearable electronics as next-generation biomedical devices. Herein, it is shown that a MXene/black phosphorus (BP)-based self-powered smart sensor system can be designed by integrating a flexible pressure sensor with direct-laser-writing micro-supercapacitors and solar cells. Using a layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly process to form a periodic interleaving MXene/BP lamellar structure results in a high energy-storage capacity in a direct-laser-writing micro-supercapacitor to drive the operation of sensors and compensate the intermittency of light illumination. Meanwhile, with MXene/BP as the sensitive layer in a flexible pressure sensor, the pressure sensitivity of the device can be improved to 77.61 kPa-1 at an optimized elastic modulus of 0.45 MPa. Furthermore, the smart sensor system with fast response time (10.9 ms) shows a real-time detection capability for the state of the human heart under physiological conditions. It is believed that the proposed study based on the design and integration of MXene materials will provide a general platform for next-generation self-powered electronics.

The ever-increasing demand for flexible electronics has considerably stimulated the desire for high-performance, safe, and durable sensing materials. Preparation of flexible active films with biocompatibility and high performance remains a challenge because of the complexities of large-scale production and the use of toxic chemicals. Here we demonstrated flexible silk fibroin@Ti3C2Tx MXene (SF@MXene) biocomposite films with a three-dimensional (3D) cross-link structure, utilizing natural silk fibroin (SF) as a bridging agent to self-assembled two-dimensional (2D) MXene nanosheets into a continuous wave-shaped lamellar macrostructure. The material exhibited good biocompatibility in a cytotoxicity test, thereby reducing the risk when applied to the human body. The SF@MXene biocomposite film provides a biomimetic 3D cross-link structure, resulting in low elastic modulus (1.22 MPa), good sensitivity (25.5 kPa−1), fast response/recovery time (40/35 ms), subtle pressure detection of limit (9.8 Pa), and good stability (3500 cycles). In addition, this pressure sensor can be applied to human health monitoring, including pulse feeling analysis, acoustic sound, deglutition swallowing, and finger motion. The synthesis of the SF@MXene biocomposite film offers a widely applicable material for developing safe and high-performance flexible electronics.