On-water surface synthesis of electronically coupled 2D polyimide-MoS van der Waals heterostructure.

The water surface provides a highly effective platform for the synthesis of two-dimensional polymers (2DP). In this study, we present an efficient on-water surface synthesis of crystalline monolayer 2D polyimide (2DPI) through the imidization reaction between tetra (4-aminophenyl) porphyrin (M1) and perylenetracarboxylic dianhydride (M2), resulting in excellent stability and coverage over a large area (tens of cm). We further fabricate innovative organic-inorganic hybrid van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) by combining with exfoliated few-layer molybdenum sulfide (MoS).

Hybrid Aeromaterials for Enhanced and Rapid Volumetric Photothermal Response.

Conversion of light into heat is essential for a broad range of technologies such as solar thermal heating, catalysis and desalination. Three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanomaterial-based aerogels have been shown to hold great promise as photothermal transducer materials. However, until now, their light-to-heat conversion is limited by near-surface absorption, resulting in a strong heat localization only at the illuminated surface region, while most of the aerogel volume remains unused.

Overcoming Water Diffusion Limitations in Hydrogels via Microtubular Graphene Networks for Soft Actuators.

Hydrogel-based soft actuators can operate in sensitive environments, bridging the gap of rigid machines interacting with soft matter. However, while stimuli-responsive hydrogels can undergo extreme reversible volume changes of up to ≈90%, water transport in hydrogel actuators is in general limited by their poroelastic behavior. For poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) the actuation performance is even further compromised by the formation of a dense skin layer.

High-throughput Synthesis of Solution-Processable van der Waals Heterostructures through Electrochemistry.

Two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures (2D vdWHs) have recently gained widespread attention because of their abundant and exotic properties, which open up many new possibilities for next-generation nanoelectronics. However, practical applications remain challenging due to the lack of high-throughput techniques for fabricating high-quality vdWHs. Here, we demonstrate a general electrochemical strategy to prepare solution-processable high-quality vdWHs, in which electrostatic forces drive the stacking of electrochemically exfoliated individual assemblies with intact structures and clean interfaces into vdWHs with strong interlayer interactions.

Covalently Functionalized MXenes for Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensors.

Transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) are an emerging class of 2D materials, which are attracting ever-growing attention due to their remarkable physicochemical properties. The presence of various surface functional groups on MXenes' surface, e.g.

Ultrathin positively charged electrode skin for durable anion-intercalation battery chemistries.

The anion-intercalation chemistries of graphite have the potential to construct batteries with promising energy and power breakthroughs. Here, we report the use of an ultrathin, positively charged two-dimensional poly(pyridinium salt) membrane (C2DP) as the graphite electrode skin to overcome the critical durability problem. Large-area C2DP enables the conformal coating on the graphite electrode, remarkably alleviating the electrolyte.

3D printed neural tissues with in situ optical dopamine sensors.

Engineered neural tissues serve as models for studying neurological conditions and drug screening. Besides observing the cellular physiological properties, in situ monitoring of neurochemical concentrations with cellular spatial resolution in such neural tissues can provide additional valuable insights in models of disease and drug efficacy. In this work, we demonstrate the first three-dimensional (3D) tissue cultures with embedded optical dopamine (DA) sensors.

Electrochemical Exfoliation to Produce High-Quality Black Phosphorus.

To obtain high-quality two-dimensional (2D) materials from the bulky crystals, delamination under an externally controlled stimulus is crucial. Electrochemical exfoliation of layered materials requires simple instrumentation yet offers high-quality exfoliated 2D materials with high yields and features straightforward upscalability; therefore, it represents a key technology for advancing fundamental studies and industrial applications. Moreover, the solution processability of functionalized 2D materials enables the fabrication of (opto)electronic and energy devices via different printing technologies such as inkjet printing and 3D printing.

Graphene Oxide Framework Structures and Coatings: Impact on Cell Adhesion and Pre-Vascularization Processes for Bone Grafts.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising material for bone tissue engineering, but the validation of its molecular biological effects, especially in the context of clinically applied materials, is still limited. In this study, we compare the effects of graphene oxide framework structures (F-GO) and reduced graphene oxide-based framework structures (F-rGO) as scaffold material with a special focus on vascularization associated processes and mechanisms in the bone. Highly porous networks of zinc oxide tetrapods serving as sacrificial templates were used to create F-GO and F-rGO with porosities >99% consisting of hollow interconnected microtubes.

Molecularly Engineered Black Phosphorus Heterostructures with Improved Ambient Stability and Enhanced Charge Carrier Mobility.

Overcoming the intrinsic instability and preserving unique electronic properties are key challenges for the practical applications of black phosphorus (BP) under ambient conditions. Here, it is demonstrated that molecular heterostructures of BP and hexaazatriphenylene derivatives (BP/HATs) enable improved environmental stability and charge transport properties. The strong interfacial coupling and charge transfer between the HATs and the BP lattice decrease the surface electron density and protect BP sheets from oxidation, resulting in an excellent ambient lifetime of up to 21 d.

Scalable one-step production of electrochemically exfoliated graphene decorated with transition metal oxides for high-performance supercapacitors.

Graphene and related materials have been widely studied due to their superior properties in a wide range of applications. However, large-scale production remains a critical challenge to enable commercial acceptance. Here, we present a facile, scalable, one-step electrochemical method for producing hybrid transition metal oxide (V, Fe, Ti, or Mn)/graphene materials (TMO-EGs) as active materials for supercapacitors.

A Two-Dimensional Polyimide-Graphene Heterostructure with Ultra-fast Interlayer Charge Transfer.

Two-dimensional polymers (2DPs) are a class of atomically/molecularly thin crystalline organic 2D materials. They are intriguing candidates for the development of unprecedented organic-inorganic 2D van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) with exotic physicochemical properties. In this work, we demonstrate the on-water surface synthesis of large-area (cm ), monolayer 2D polyimide (2DPI) with 3.

Microengineered Hollow Graphene Tube Systems Generate Conductive Hydrogels with Extremely Low Filler Concentration.

The fabrication of electrically conductive hydrogels is challenging as the introduction of an electrically conductive filler often changes mechanical hydrogel matrix properties. Here, we present an approach for the preparation of hydrogel composites with outstanding electrical conductivity at extremely low filler loadings (0.34 S m, 0.

Ambient-Stable Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene) Enabled by Iodine Etching.

MXene (e.g., Ti C ) represents an important class of two-dimensional (2D) materials owing to its unique metallic conductivity and tunable surface chemistry.

Facile assembly of layer-interlocked graphene heterostructures as flexible electrodes for Li-ion batteries.

Flexible electrodes with robust mechanical properties and high electrochemical performance are of significance for the practical implementation of flexible batteries. Here we demonstrate a general and straightforward co-assembly approach to prepare flexible electrodes, where electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EG) is exploited as the film former/conducting matrix and different binary metal oxides (LiTiO, LiCoO, LiMnO, LiFePO) are incorporated. The resultant EG-metal oxide hybrids exhibit a unique layer-interlocked structure, where the metal oxide is conformably wrapped by the highly flexible graphene.

Glial cell responses on tetrapod-shaped graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide 3D scaffolds in brain in vitro and ex vivo models of indirect contact.

Brain implants are promising instruments for a broad variety of nervous tissue diseases with a wide range of applications, e.g. for stimulation, signal recording or local drug delivery.

Wetting Properties of Graphene Aerogels.

Graphene hydrophobic coatings paved the way towards a new generation of optoelectronic and fluidic devices. Nevertheless, such hydrophobic thin films rely only on graphene non-polar surface, rather than taking advantage of its surface roughness. Furthermore, graphene is typically not self-standing.

Emerging 2D Materials Produced via Electrochemistry.

2D materials are important building blocks for the upcoming generation of nanostructured electronics and multifunctional devices due to their distinct chemical and physical characteristics. To this end, large-scale production of 2D materials with high purity or with specific functionalities represents a key to advancing fundamental studies as well as industrial applications. Among the state-of-the-art synthetic protocols, electrochemical exfoliation of layered materials is a very promising approach that offers high yield, great efficiency, low cost, simple instrumentation, and excellent up-scalability.

Ultrafast Electrochemical Synthesis of Defect-Free In Se Flakes for Large-Area Optoelectronics.

Because of its thickness-dependent direct bandgap and exceptional optoelectronic properties, indium(III) selenide (In Se ) has emerged as an important semiconductor for electronics and optoelectronics. However, the scalable synthesis of defect-free In Se flakes remains a significant barrier for its practical applications. Here, a facile electrochemical strategy is presented for the ultrafast delamination of bulk layered In Se crystals in nonaqueous media, resulting in high-yield (83%) production of defect-free In Se flakes with large lateral size (up to 26 µm).

Wet-Chemical Assembly of 2D Nanomaterials into Lightweight, Microtube-Shaped, and Macroscopic 3D Networks.

Despite tremendous efforts toward fabrication of three-dimensional macrostructures of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the existing approaches still lack sufficient control over microscopic (morphology, porosity, pore size) and macroscopic (shape, size) properties of the resulting structures. In this work, a facile fabrication method for the wet-chemical assembly of carbon 2D nanomaterials into macroscopic networks of interconnected, hollow microtubes is introduced. As demonstrated for electrochemically exfoliated graphene, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide, the approach allows for the preparation of highly porous (> 99.

Carbon Nanoparticles' Impact on Processability and Physical Properties of Epoxy Resins-A Comprehensive Study Covering Rheological, Electrical, Thermo-Mechanical, and Fracture Properties (Mode I and II).

A trade-off between enhancement of physical properties of the final part and the processability during manufacturing always exists for the application of nanocarbon materials in thermoset-based composites. For different epoxy resins, this study elaborates the impact of nanocarbon particle type, functionalization, and filler loading on the resulting properties, i.e.

"Click"-Triggered Self-Healing Graphene Nanocomposites.

Strategies to compensate material fatigue are among the most challenging issues, being most prominently addressed by the use of nano- and microscaled fillers, or via new chemical concepts such as self-healing materials. A capsule-based self-healing material is reported, where the adverse effect of reduced tensile strength due to the embedded capsules is counterbalanced by a graphene-based filler, the latter additionally acting as a catalyst for the self-healing reaction. The concept is based on "click"-based chemistry, a universal methodology to efficiently link components at ambient reaction conditions, thus generating a "reactive glue" at the cracked site.

Carbon-Supported Copper Nanomaterials: Recyclable Catalysts for Huisgen [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions.

Highly disperse copper nanoparticles immobilized on carbon nanomaterials (CNMs; graphene/carbon nanotubes) were prepared and used as a recyclable and reusable catalyst to achieve Cu(I) -catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition click chemistry. Carbon nanomaterials with immobilized N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-Cu complexes prepared from an imidazolium-based carbene and Cu(I) show excellent stability including high efficiency at low catalyst loading. The catalytic performance evaluated in solution and in bulk shows that both types of Cu-CNMs can function as an effective recyclable catalysts (more than 10 cycles) for click reactions without decomposition and the use of external additives.

Click chemistry promoted by graphene supported copper nanomaterials.

A facile and robust approach is provided for the synthesis of highly dispersed copper nanoparticles immobilized onto graphene nanosheets, useful as a recyclable and reusable heterogeneous catalyst with excellent catalytic activity to achieve Cu(I)-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition 'click' chemistry.