Sulfamoylbenzoic Acid Derivatives as Molecular Additives through Fine Dipole Moment Regulation for Highly Reproducible Perovskite Solar Cells.

An excellent reproducibility of high-quality perovskite thin films is imperative for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Multifunctional additive engineering is a promising strategy to tackle this challenge as it facilitates simultaneous control over crystallization processes and defect passivation. Here, an innovative strategy is proposed, leveraging -OH, -NH, and -Cl to precisely tune the dipole moment and electronic configuration of multifunctional modified 4-chloro-3-sulfonamide benzoic acid (CSBA) through substituent inductive and conjugation effects.

Controlling transient and coupled diffusion with pseudoconformal mapping.

Diffusion in physical, chemical, and biological systems often occurs under transient conditions and involves coupling across multiple physical fields, challenging conventional control methods limited to steady-state, single-field settings. Here, we present a general geometric framework for regulating diffusion in time-dependent and multiphysics-coupled environments based on pseudoconformal mapping. This method preserves material isotropy and ensures smooth interface matching, enabling robust and flexible modulation of diffusion governed by Fick's second law and beyond.

Advances in photonic crystal hydrogels for biomedical research: A review.

Photonic crystal hydrogel is an advanced material that combines the properties of photonic crystal and hydrogel with unique responsiveness and optical properties. By combining photonic crystals with hydrogels, the new material not only inherits the optical properties of photonic crystals, but also possesses the responsiveness and good biocompatibility of hydrogels. This makes the photonic crystal hydrogel show a broad application prospect in the field of sensors, clinical detection and biomedicine.

Enhancement Effect of Static Magnetic Field on Bactericidal Activity.

The biological effects of magnetic fields are pervasive in microorganisms, with significant attention given to alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). However, AMFs induce electrical and magnetothermal effects, which complicate the interpretation of magnetic field-induced biological effects and introduce uncertainties regarding cytotoxicity in practical applications. The static magnetic field (SMF) with few variables and high biocompatibility presents a promising alternative for both understanding biological mechanisms and ensuring safe applications, but has a remaining problem on weak interactions with microorganisms.

Femtomolar hydrogen sulfide detection via hybrid small-molecule nano-arrays.

Early disease diagnosis hinges on the sensitive detection of signaling molecules. Among these, hydrogen sulfide (HS) has emerged as a critical player in cardiovascular and nervous system signaling. On-chip immunoassays, particularly nanoarray-based interfacial detection, offer promising avenues for ultra-sensitive analysis due to their confined reaction volumes and precise signal localization.

Sensitive and specific detection of trace Al ions using an upconversion nanoparticle-xylenol orange complex the inner filter effect.

We have developed a novel fluorescence sensor based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for the rapid and sensitive detection of trace aluminum ions (Al). The sensor utilizes the inner filter effect (IFE) between the UCNPs and the xylenol orange-aluminum complex (XO-Al), resulting in significant fluorescence quenching at 543 nm upon Al binding. This quenching correlates directly with the Al concentration, allowing for quantitative detection within a range of 0-30 μM and achieving an ultra-low detection limit of 0.

Preparation and Adsorption Photocatalytic Properties of PVA/TiO Colloidal Photonic Crystal Films.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/TiO/colloidal photonic crystal (CPC) films with photocatalytic properties are presented, where TiO nanoparticles were introduced into the PVA gel network. Such PVA/TiO/CPC films possess three-dimensional periodic structures that are supported with a PVA/TiO composite gel. The unique structural color of CPCs can indicate the process of material preparation, adsorption, and desorption.

Anthracite-Derived Porous Carbon@MoS Heterostructure for Elevated Lithium Storage Regulated by the Middle TiO Layer.

The rational design of MoS/carbon composites have been widely used to improve the lithium storage capability. However, their deep applications remain a big challenge due to the slow electrochemical reaction kinetics of MoS and weak bonding between MoS and carbon substrates. In this work, anthracite-derived porous carbon (APC) is sequential coated by TiO nanoparticles and MoS nanosheets via a chemical activation and two-step hydrothermal method, forming the unique APC@TiO@MoS ternary composite.

Flexible Thermoelectric Electrode with a New Nitrogen-Modified MXene/SWCNT Layered Structure for Efficient Low-Grade Thermal Energy Collection.

Confronting the global challenge of energy efficiency in the backdrop of environmental concerns, the innovation of a flexible thermoelectric electrode marks a significant stride forward, especially in the realm of low-temperature heat recovery. This investigation unveils a pioneering electrode material, a nitrogen-doped SWCNT/MXene bilayer thin film, which was meticulously engineered for thermoelectric systems. Surpassing the conventional Pt electrode with inherent inflexibility and prohibitive cost, our proposed electrode showcases excellent ductility alongside commendable thermoelectric properties.

Advances in Hydrogels Research for Ion Detection and Adsorption.

The continuing development of heavy industry worldwide has led to an exponential increase in the amount of wastewater discharged from factories and entering the natural world in the form of rivers and air. As the top of the food chain in the natural world, toxic ions penetrate the human body through the skin, nose, and a few milligrams of toxic ions can often cause irreversible damage to the human body, so ion detection and adsorption is related to the health and safety of human beings. Hydrogel is a hydrophilic three-dimensional reticulated polymer material that first synthesized by Wichterle and Lim in 1960, which is rich in porous structure and has a variety of active adsorption sites as a new type of adsorbent and can be used to detect ions through the introduction of photonic crystals, DNA, fluorescent probe, and other materials.

Free-form and multi-physical metamaterials with forward conformality-assisted tracing.

Transformation theory, active control and inverse design have been mainstream in creating free-form metamaterials. However, existing frameworks cannot simultaneously satisfy the requirements of isotropic, passive and forward design. Here we propose a forward conformality-assisted tracing method to address the geometric and single-physical-field constraints of conformal transformation.

Preparation and Electrochromic Properties of MnO/PPy Composite Films with Coral-like Structures.

MnO/polypyrrole (PPy) composite films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glasses by a two-step wet-chemical method, including electrochemical deposition and chemical bath deposition (CBD). The porous MnO films were first grown on FTO glasses by an electrodeposition method. Second, polypyrrole nanoparticles were polymerized by the oxidation-reduction reaction between MnO and pyrrole, using the presynthesized MnO as the skeleton.

Flexible, photoluminescent 0D CsPbX (X = Br, Br/I)-PMMA composite films for white LED via water-induced recrystallization.

3D CsPbX inorganic perovskite materials have attracted much attention in optoelectronic devices because of their strong absorbance, high photoluminescent quantum yield, tunable band gap, and narrow emission bandwidth. However, their practical usefulness is limited due to their poor stability in ambient conditions. Here, we created photoluminescent 0D CsPbX (X = Br, Br/I) suspensions in toluene by adding a small amount of water.

Improved Tribological Performance of MOF@MXene/PI under High Temperature.

High-temperature-resistant and self-lubricating polymer composites with long life and high reliability are increasingly indispensable in the aerospace field. Herein, ZIF-67 grown on the MXene lamella was successfully prepared, and ZIF-67@MXene/PI composites with a regular layered structure were obtained by a hot-pressing three-dimensional network aerogel. It was revealed that incorporating ZIF-67@MXene into PI dramatically reduced the friction and abrasion with elevated temperatures.

High-Rate SiO Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Enabled by Rationally Interfacial Hybrid Encapsulation Engineering.

The development of a high-rate SiO lithium-ion battery anode is seriously limited by its low intrinsic conductivity, sluggish interfacial charge transfer (ICT), and unstable dynamic interface. To tackle the above issues, interfacial encapsulation engineering for effectively regulating the interfacial reaction and thus realizing a stable solid electrolyte interphase is significantly important. Hybrid coating, which aims to enhance the coupled e/Li transport via the employment of dual layers, has emerged as a promising strategy.

Preparation and Compression Resistance of Lightweight Concrete Filled with Lightweight Calcium Carbonate Reinforced Expanded Polystyrene Foam.

Lightweight concrete is widely used in the construction industry due to its low density and high strength. In this paper, lightweight concrete was prepared by a simple two-step method. Firstly, the light calcium carbonate reinforced epoxy macrospheres (LCR-EMS) material was obtained by adhering calcium lighter carbonate powder to the expanded polystyrene foam spheres (EPS) material using the "balling method".

In Situ Construction of High-Thermal-Conductivity and Negative-Permittivity Epoxy/Carbon Fiber@Carbon Composites with a 3D Network by High-Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Modern highly integrated microelectronic devices are unable to dissipate heat over time, which greatly affects the operating efficiency and service life of electronic equipment. Constructing high-thermal-conductivity composites with 3D network structures is a hot research topic. In this article, carbon fiber felt (CFF) was prepared by airflow netting forming technology and needle punching combined with stepped heat treatment.

Polyurethane Foam Skeleton-Based Phase Change Hydrogel for Efficient Battery Thermal Management with Favorable Antivibration Performance.

Efficient thermal management is critical to ensure the safe and reliable operation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as they are highly sensitive to temperature changes. Meanwhile, LIBs are exposed to various external forces during operation, such as vibration, shock, and oscillation, which may disrupt the physical and chemical processes inside the battery and lead to a decreased performance and shortened life. Here, we designed a phase change hydrogel (PCH) pad based on the polyurethane (PU) foam skeleton and demonstrated its effectiveness in efficient thermal management and improving antivibration performance.

Shape-Stable Hybrid Emulsion Gel with Sodium Acetate Trihydrate and Paraffin Wax for Efficient Solar Energy Storage and Building Thermal Management.

Organic-inorganic composite phase change materials (PCMs) are promising in the fields of solar energy storage and building thermal management. However, combining inorganic with organic PCMs meets a great challenge. In the current work, a shape-stable hybrid emulsion gel (EGel/GO) is developed via Pickering emulsion polymerization, which seamlessly combines sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) in the water phase with paraffin wax (PW) in the oil phase.

Enhancing solar photothermal conversion and energy storage with titanium carbide (TiC) MXene nanosheets in phase-change microcapsules.

We propose to enhance photothermal conversion via doping titanium carbide (TiC) MXene nanosheets on the surfaces of phase-change microcapsules consisted of the n-Octadecane core and styrene divinylbenzene copolymer shell. Detected by scanning electron microscopy, the microcapsules showed a usually circular form with an appropriate dispersion. The thermal properties of the microcapsules were characterized using the differential scanning calorimetry and thermal conductivity instruments, realizing an excellent phase-change enthalpy of around 140 J/g, high encapsulation ratio of over 64 %, good heat transfer of 0.

Nickel nanoparticle decorated silicon carbide as a thermal filler in thermal conductive aramid nanofiber-based composite films for heat dissipation applications.

Aramid nanofibers (ANFs) have shown potential applications in the fields of nanocomposite reinforcement, battery separators, thermal insulation and flexible electronics. However, the inherent low thermal conductivity limits the application of ANFs, currently, to ensure long lifetime in electronics. In this work, new nickel (Ni) nanoparticles were employed to decorate the silicon carbide (SiC) filler by a rapid and non-polluting method, in which nickel acetate tetrahydrate (Ni(CHCOO)·4HO) and SiC were mixed and heated under an inert atmosphere.

Inorganic phosphate regulated high luminescence NaYF:Yb, Er as an iron ion fluorescent nanoprobe.

The iron ion in industrial circulating cooling water is an important indicator for early warning of equipment corrosion and control level. It is interesting to construct an upconversion luminescence iron ion nanoprobe with a common inorganic phosphate water treatment agent. Herein, inorganic phosphate sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was used to regulate the morphology and functionalization of NaYF:Yb, Er upconversion luminescent nanoprobe (UCNPs) and applied to fluorometric detection of trace Fe(III) in water based on the fluorescence quenching which is caused by the selective coordination between hexametaphosphate on the surface of UCNPs and Fe(III).

Chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid and other novel multifunctional hydrogel dressings for wound healing: A review.

Wound healing is a complex project, and effectively promoting skin repair is a huge clinical challenge. Hydrogels have great prospect in the field of wound dressings because their physical properties are very similar to those of living tissue and have excellent properties such as high water content, oxygen permeability and softness. However, the single performance of traditional hydrogels limits their application as wound dressings.

Research Advances in Mechanical Properties and Applications of Dual Network Hydrogels.

Hydrogels with a three-dimensional network structure are particularly outstanding in water absorption and water retention because water exists stably in the interior, making the gel appear elastic and solid. Although traditional hydrogels have good water absorption and high water content, they have poor mechanical properties and are not strong enough to be applied in some scenarios today. The proposal of double-network hydrogels has dramatically improved the toughness and mechanical strength of hydrogels that can adapt to different environments.