Defect-Engineered LaFeO Stabilizing Oxidized Pt Single-Atom Sites for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation.

The inherent trade-off between activity and stability in platinum single-atom catalysts (SACs) poses a significant challenge for catalytic oxidation reactions. High-coordination Pt sites have good stability, but their overoxidation often passivates activity. In contrast, metastable low-coordination Pt structures typically display high activity but are prone to oxidation and aggregation under harsh conditions.

Multifunctional biocarbon/cellulose composites: Synchronizing superior EMI shielding, flame Retardancy and biofertilization via cradle-to-cradle strategy.

Current shielding technologies predominantly focus on performance optimization while neglecting fire safety considerations especially in construction building. To address the vulnerability of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials to accidental fires, we develop sustainable biocarbon/cellulose composites with integrated EMI shielding and flame-retardant capabilities. This approach employs porous biocarbon particles as functional units combined with three-dimensional cellulose networks through hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and physical entanglements.

A dual-responsive polyacrylamide sensor for colorimetric and fluorescent detection of Cu.

Polyacrylamide, a classic polymer material, has been extensively applied in both industrial production and daily life, owing to its outstanding physical and chemical properties. However, the absence of a conjugated π-electron system in its molecular structure severely restricts its application in the field of fluorescence. In this study, a novel fluorescent polyacrylamide sensor (P) was synthesized via free-radical precipitation polymerization using acrylamide and 3-[(Allylaminothiocarbonyl)hydrazinecarbonyl]-7-(diethylamino)-2H-chromen-2-one as monomers.

Polypyrrole-engineered nickel-based composite electrodes for thermocells with enhanced power output and stability.

This study develops efficient, durable, and low-cost polypyrrole-nickel composite electrodes for thermocells electrodeposition. The proposed electrode design improves wettability, enhances electrochemical activity, and reduces corrosion, achieving enhanced output power compared to pristine nickel or platinum and facilitating low-grade heat harvesting applications.

Design of multifunctional metasurface devices with tunable propagation properties.

The integration of terahertz (THz) technology with metasurfaces has attracted attention as it enables the fabrication of compact, high-performance, and tunable photonic devices. However, extensive investigation of metasurfaces was limited to a narrow THz range or manipulating a single mode of electromagnetic waves, absorption, reflection, or transmission, without achieving multi-band or broadband switching. This capability constrains metasurface adaptability in modern and reconfigurable systems.

BaTiO Nanoparticle-Induced Interfacial Electric Field Optimization in Chloride Solid Electrolytes for 4.8 V All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Chloride-based solid electrolytes are considered promising candidates for next-generation high-energy-density all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). However, their relatively low oxidative decomposition threshold (~ 4.2 V vs.

Selectively Modulating the Donor and Acceptor Aggregation Behaviors Through Solid Additive Isomerization Engineering for Organic Solar Cells Exceeding 20% Efficiency.

Regulating the film morphology is essential for achieving high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs). Given the distinct features of donor and acceptor materials, designing solid additives to selectively control the aggregation behaviors of them represents a key strategy for further development of OSCs. Herein, a series of bithiophene isomers solid additives (2,2-TT, 2,3-TT, and 3,3-TT) are designed for film morphology regulation.

Halogenation-Engineered Acceptor Enables 20.14% Efficiency in Hydrocarbon-Solvent Processed OSCs: From Binary Trade-Offs to Ternary Synergy in Exciton and Energy Loss Management.

Halogenation emerges as a key strategy to enhance the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs) by tuning molecular packing, energy levels, and charge dynamics. Here, we report three new benzo[a]phenazine-core small-molecule acceptors, namely NA5, NA6, and NA7, and systematically evaluate their photovoltaic properties in o-xylene-processed binary and ternary OSCs. Halogenation significantly strengthens intermolecular interactions, improves charge carrier mobility, and facilitates exciton dissociation, leading to a remarkable increase in binary device efficiencies from ∼2% (NA5) to over 17% (NA6, NA7).

Optimal design of Ru-Sn oxide catalysts for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction using the cluster-plus-glue-atom model.

Using the cluster-plus-glue-atom model, we optimized Ru-Sn oxide catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Optimal performance is achieved when all glue-atom sites are occupied by Sn (, Ru : Sn = 1 : 2), thereby maximizing both OER activity and stability. This work provides novel insights and a rapid strategy for designing efficient, stable Ru-based catalysts.

Inducing superior electrical performances in textured CaBiTaO based ceramics.

Bismuth-layered structure ferroelectrics (BLSFs), exemplified by CaBiTaO (CBTa), exhibit exceptional thermal stability at high temperatures with a high Curie temperature. This attribute renders them highly promising candidates for piezoelectric sensors, transducers, non-volatile ferroelectric memory, working in extreme environments. However, CBTa ceramic suffers from the following intrinsic limitations: spontaneous polarization confined within the -plane of the unit cell and a large coercive field, leading to severely suppressed piezoelectric activity ( ≈ 5.

Resolving the Capacity-Stability-Cost Trilemma in Multi-Principal-Element Hydrogen Storage Alloys Through Multi-Objective Optimization.

Overcoming the capacity-stability-cost trilemma in hydrogen storage materials represents a fundamental Pareto-type challenge for practical metal hydride applications. Current research efforts remain fragmented, typically pursuing single-parameter optimization while lacking holistic approaches that concurrently satisfy all three criteria. Here, a novel design paradigm is proposed by orchestrating A/B-side multi-principal-element alloys (MPEAs) in C14 Laves phases, enabling concurrent optimization of interstitial hydrogen storage environments and thermodynamics.

Photo-homogenization assisted segregation easing technique (PHASET) for highly efficient and stable wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells.

Wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit in tandem solar cells (TSCs), but phase segregation under continuous illumination limits their stability. Using in-situ microscopic characterizations, we investigate the dynamics of photon-induced phase segregation. Initial light soaking drives iodide diffusion into a metastable state, but continued redistribution increases the phase separation energy barrier, resulting in a more stable, segregation-resistant state.

Dual-function FeCo bimetallic nanoclusters for ammonia electrosynthesis from nitrate/nitrite reduction.

Ammonia (NH) plays a vital role in agriculture and chemical manufacturing, yet its conventional production is energy-intensive and environmentally harmful. Developing cleaner, more efficient alternatives is essential. Here we show a newly developed dual-metal nanocluster catalyst, FeCo/NC, that effectively converts nitrate and nitrite pollutants into NH through an electrochemical process.

Directed protonation strategy for efficient electrochemical metaborate reduction to sodium borohydride at the interface of manganese single atoms and manganese oxide nanoparticles.

Sodium borohydride (NaBH) is considered as an outstanding hydrogen generation and storage material, whereas its widespread commercial application remains hindered by prohibitively high production cost and unsatisfied yield in the current production process. Electrochemical metaborate reduction reaction is a promising method to realize the low-cost and effective NaBH production, where the *H generation and the inhibition of HH coupling are critical but still remain challenging for suppressing competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a core-shell structure with manganese oxide as a core and manganese single atom coordinated by nitrogen on the carbon substrate as a shell (MnO@Mn-N-C) was synthesized, where Mn-N-C enabled to boost water dissociation and electron donating as well as suppress HH coupling, thereby enhancing directed hydrogenation of reaction intermediate to generate NaBH.

Enabling high-energy-density and long-life lithium-ion batteries through bifunctional cathode prelithiation.

Lithium-ion batteries incorporating Si-based anodes and nickel-rich LiNiCoMnO (NCM) cathodes offer exceptional energy density compared to conventional systems. However, they still suffer from two critical challenges: irreversible lithium loss at the anode and interfacial degradation at the cathode. To simultaneously resolve both issues, we propose a bifunctional prelithiation strategy using a novel LiAlO (LAO) material, which has remained unexplored due to sluggish delithiation kinetics and poorly understood lithium extraction mechanisms.

High-quality narrow black phosphorus nanoribbons with nearly atomically smooth edges and well-defined edge orientation.

Black phosphorus nanoribbons (BPNRs) with a tunable bandgap and intriguing electronic and optical properties hold strong potential for logic applications. However, efficiently producing high-quality BPNRs with precise control over their size and structure remains a great challenge. Here we achieved high-quality, narrow and clean BPNRs with nearly atomically smooth edges and well-defined edge orientation at high yield (up to ~95%) through the sonochemical exfoliation of the synthesized bulk BP crystals with a slightly enlarged lattice parameter along the armchair direction.

Design to multiscale engineering: continuous fibers fabrication from natural proteins and polysaccharides: A review.

The adaptability in device construction, customizable mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of fibers have led to their extensive utilization in flexible sensors, biomedical devices, and environmental management. Biopolymer-derived fibers are promising materials for next-generation applications due to their abundant availability and exceptional biocompatibility. This review provides a comprehensive overview of biopolymer-derived fibers, aiming to summarize the advancements in fibers productions and applications.

Modulating Interfacial Solvent Aggregation Chemistry to Enable Low-Temperature Sodium-Ion Battery.

The capability of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) to operate under extreme temperatures is highly desirable; however, achieving stable performance remains challenging due to limitations in interfacial dynamics. Here, it is revealed that at low temperatures, linear solvents tend to aggregate within the inner Helmholtz plane (IHP), leading to the formation of a solvent-derived solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) with sluggish Na diffusion kinetics. To address this issue, it is proposed to leverage the polarization interaction induced by the orbital overlap between the solvent molecules and free radicals as an effective approach to breaking solvent aggregation.

20.64% Efficient and Stable Binary Organic Solar Cells via Thermodynamic-Engineered Interlayer Diffusion and Exciton Generation.

Despite thermodynamics playing a central role in active-layer optimization, unresolved temperature-dependent mechanisms hinder further efficiency improvements in organic solar cell. Herein, real-time thermal imaging is employed to unravel the temperature-controlled assembly dynamics during sequential processing (SqP) of active-layer films on a hot-substrate (HS). The HS process provides higher temperature and prolonged heating time for the active layer during SqP compared to the widely adopted hot-solution technique, enabling accelerated liquid-phase reorganization and nucleation in the bottom layer.

Polydopamine-Polyoxometalate Composites in Neutral pH Enable High-Efficiency and Ultra-Stable Organic Solar Cells via Mutual Doping Mechanism.

Heavy doping critically minimizes depletion region widths for efficient charge transport in organic solar cells (OSCs), yet systematic studies elucidating its underlying mechanisms remain scarce. To address this, two polydopamine-polyoxometalate composites (PDA-PMA and PDA-PMA(N)) are designed via innovative mutual doping pathways. PDA-PMA achieved ultrahigh doping density (1.

Heteroporous Donor-Acceptor Covalent Organic Framework Cathode for High-Rate-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a conspicuous porous material, harvest great promise for rechargeable batteries, owing to well-defined pore structure and structural precision. However, designing high-rate-capacity COF cathode by balancing ions diffusion kinetics and electron transport kinetics based on the framework and pore chemistry remains a challenge. Here, a heteroporous donor-acceptor (D-A) engineering is proposed to design one novel kind of COF (HDA-COF) with optimized electronic conductivity (σ) and ionic conductivity (σ).

Anti-Swelling Dual-Network Zwitterionic Conductive Hydrogels for Flexible Human Activity Sensing.

Conventional conductive hydrogels are susceptible to swelling in aquatic environments; which compromises their mechanical integrity; a limitation that poses a potential challenge to their long-term stability and application. In this study, a zwitterionic ion-conductive hydrogel was fabricated from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), acrylic acid (AA), and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SMBA), forming a dual-network structure. A copolymer of zwitterionic SBMA and AA formed the first network, and PVA formed the second network by repeated freeze-thawing.

Magneto-Responsive Networks Filled with Polydopamine and Silane Coupling Agent Dual-Modified Carbonyl Iron Particles for Soft Actuators.

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are a type of smart materials formed by dispersing magneto-responsive micron particles in an elastic polymer matrix. They hold significant potential for various applications due to their tunable stiffness, capability to carry out non-contact actuation, and rapid responsiveness to magnetic fields. However, weak interfacial interactions and poor dispersion of magnetic particles within the polymer matrix often lead to diminished magnetorheological (MR) performance.

Investigations of the Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Membranes with Various Degrees of Sulfonation by Considering Durability for the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Applications.

The optimum degree of sulfonation (DS) for sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membranes is determined by comprehensive characterization results, including proton conductivity, swelling ratio, water uptake, chemical stability, thermal stability, mechanical indicators, and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance. The PEMFC with a membrane electrode assembly containing a SPEEK-62 (DS = 62%) membrane realizes the power density of 482.08 mW/cm, surpassing that of commercial Nafion-212 under identical conditions.