Heavy metals trigger distinct molecular transformations in microplastic-versus natural-derived dissolved organic matter.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a key determinant of heavy metal fate in aquatic environments, influencing their mobility, toxicity, and bioavailability. Derived from natural sources such as soil and vegetation decomposition, natural DOM (N-DOM) typically features humic-like substances with abundant oxygen-containing functional groups that stabilize heavy metals through complexation. However, microplastic-derived DOM (MP-DOM), increasingly prevalent due to plastic degradation, may interact differently with heavy metals, potentially exacerbating environmental risks amid rising plastic pollution.

Honeycomb Organogel-Fabric for Osmotic Pressure-Driven Atmospheric Water Harvesting.

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a promising method to combat the challenge of water shortage. Despite the great progress of AWH, the imperfect structural design, complex fabrication procedures, and sluggish sorption/desorption kinetics hinder its AHW performance. Herein, a honeycomb organogel fabric (CHOF) with an interior osmotic pressure of 184.

Rewritable Triple-Mode Light-Emitting Display.

Despite great progress in developing mode-selective light emission technologies based on self-emitting materials, few rewritable displays with mode-selective multiple light emissions have been demonstrated. Herein, we present a rewritable triple-mode light-emitting display enabled by stimuli-interactive fluorescence (FL), room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), and electroluminescence (EL). The display comprises coplanar electrodes separated by a gap, a polymer composite with FL inorganic phosphors (EL/FL layer), and a polymer composite with solvent-responsive RTP additives (RTP layer).

Chiroptical Synaptic Perovskite Memristor as Reconfigurable Physical Unclonable Functions.

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs), often referred to as digital fingerprints, are emerging as critical elements in enhancing hardware security and encryption. While significant progress has been made in developing optical and memory-based PUFs, integrating reconfigurability with sensitivity to circularly polarized light (CPL) remains largely unexplored. Here, we present a chiroptical synaptic memristor (CSM) as a reconfigurable PUF, leveraging a two-dimensional organic-inorganic halide chiral perovskite.

Fabric Solar Evaporator Inspired by Jellyfish for Efficient and Continuous Water Desalination.

The conversion of solar energy into heat for seawater desalination is emerging as a promising method. However, it requires further research on light absorption, thermal management, and salt deposition to improve water evaporation rates. This study introduces a 3D solar evaporator inspired by jellyfish utilizing honeycomb fabric (HF), which capitalizes on a synergistic effect between the periodically arranged concave unit structure and the Chinese ink and carbon black particles (ink@CB), achieving up to 98% light absorption with ink@CB-HF.

A core-shell fiber moisture-driven electric generator enabled by synergetic complex coacervation and built-in potential.

Moisture-driven electricity generators (MEGs) have been extensively researched; however, high-performance flexible variants have seldom been demonstrated. Here we present a novel complex coacervation with built-in potential strategy for developing a high-performance uniaxial MEG, featuring a core of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) with a built-in charge potential and a gel shell composed of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and sodium alginate (NaAlg) coacervate. The complex coacervation of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes produces extra mobile carriers and free volume in the device; meanwhile, the PEDOT core's surface charge significantly accelerates carrier diffusion.

Neuro-Actuating Photonic Skin Enabled by Ion-Gel Transistor with Thermo-Adaptive Block Copolymer.

Despite significant progress in developing artificial synapses to emulate the human nervous system for bio-signal transmission, synapses with thermo-adaptive coloration and soft actuators driven by temperature change have seldom been reported. Herein, a photonic neuro-actuating synaptic skin is presented enabling thermoresponsive synaptic signal transmission, color variation, and actuation. First, a thermoresponsive display synapse is developed based on a 3-terminal ion-gel transistor with a poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) semiconducting channel mixed with 2D titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene and a thermo-adaptive 1D block copolymer (BCP) photonic crystal (PC) gate insulator.

A humidity/thermal dual response 3D-fabric with porous poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel towards efficient atmospheric water harvesting.

Atmospheric water harvesting is a promising approach for obtaining freshwater resources, but achieving high levels of light absorption, hygroscopic capacity, and desorption efficiency simultaneously remains a challenge. In this study, we developed an innovative atmospheric water harvester that incorporates a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel and a polydopamine/polypyrrole-modified 3D raised-fabric. The interlacing structure and polydopamine/polypyrrole synergistically enhance the harvester's photothermal conversion capability, while the hydrogel-modified raised-fabric with its increased pore structure and high specific surface area ensures effective contact between the internal adsorbent and external moisture, thereby improving moisture capture and storage capacity.

Alternating Current Electroluminescence for Human-Interactive Sensing Displays.

The development of stimuli-interactive displays based on alternating current (AC)-driven electroluminescence (EL) is of great interest, owing to their simple device architectures suitable for wearable applications requiring resilient mechanical flexibility and stretchability. AC-EL displays can serve as emerging platforms for various human-interactive sensing displays (HISDs) where human information is electrically detected and directly visualized using EL, promoting the development of the interaction of human-machine technologies. This review provides a holistic overview of the latest developments in AC-EL displays with an emphasis on their applications for HISDs.

Polysaccharide H-1-2 Ameliorates High Glucose-Induced Podocyte Dysfunction by Suppressing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via Restoration of SIRT1 in Vivo and in Vitro.

Renal interstitial fibrosis, a pathological feature of diabetic nephropathy, is closely related to endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study aimed to explore the effect of H-1-2, a polysaccharide of Pseudostellaria heterophylla, on high glucose (HG) induced-podocyte EMT in vivo and ex vivo. DBA/2 mice were given five consecutive days of streptozotocin injection to induce the diabetic nephropathy model.

A Breathable Knitted Fabric-Based Smart System with Enhanced Superhydrophobicity for Drowning Alarming.

Wearable strain sensors have aroused increasing interest in human motion monitoring, even for the detection of small physiological signals such as joint movement and pulse. Stable monitoring of underwater human motion for a long time is still a notable challenge, as electronic devices can lose their effectiveness in a wet environment. In this study, a superhydrophobic and conductive knitted polyester fabric-based strain sensor was fabricated via dip coating of graphene oxide and polydimethylsiloxane micro/nanoparticles.

Flexible and Transparent Electrode of Hybrid TiCT MXene-Silver Nanowires for High-Performance Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

The development of electrodes with high conductivity, optical transparency, and reliable mechanical flexibility and stability is important for numerous solution-processed photoelectronic applications. Although transparent TiCT MXene electrodes with high conductivity are promising, their suitability for displays remains limited because of the high sheet resistance, which is caused by undesirable flake junctions and surface roughness. Herein, a flexible and transparent electrode has been fabricated that is suitable for a full-solution-processed quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED).