Double-skeleton interpenetrating network-structured alkaline solid-state electrolyte enables flexible zinc-air batteries with enhanced power density and long-term cycle life.

The alkaline solid-state electrolytes have received widespread attention for their good safety and electrochemical stability. However, they still suffer from low conductivity and poor mechanical properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of double-network featured hydroxide-conductive membranes fabricated by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS) as the double-skeletons.

Strong Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism of MoS Compound Produced by Defect Generation.

Ferromagnetic materials have been attracting great interest in the last two decades due to their application in spintronics devices. One of the hot research areas in magnetism is currently the two-dimensional materials, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), which have unique physical properties. The origins and mechanisms of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), especially the correlation between magnetism and defects, have been studied recently.

Tailoring MXene Thickness and Functionalization for Enhanced Room-Temperature Trace NO Sensing.

In this study, precise control over the thickness and termination of TiCT MXene flakes is achieved to enhance their electrical properties, environmental stability, and gas-sensing performance. Utilizing a hybrid method involving high-pressure processing, stirring, and immiscible solutions, sub-100 nm MXene flake thickness is achieved within the MXene film on the Si-wafer. Functionalization control is achieved by defunctionalizing MXene at 650 °C under vacuum and H gas in a CVD furnace, followed by refunctionalization with iodine and bromine vaporization from a bubbler attached to the CVD.

F-Doped Carbon Nanoparticles-Based Nucleation Assistance for Fast and Uniform Three-Dimensional Zn Deposition.

Aqueous Zn metal-based batteries have considerable potential as energy storage system; however, their application is extremely limited by dendrite development and poor reversibility. In this study, to overcome both challenges, F-doped carbon nanoparticles (FCNPs) are uniformly constructed on substrates (Ti, Zn, Cu, and steel) by a plasma-assisted surface modification, which endows reversible and uniform deposition of Zn metal. FCNPs with high surface charge density act as nucleation assistors and form numerous homogenous Zn nucleation sites toward Zn 3D growth, which improves Zn plating kinetic and results in uniform Zn deposition.

Synthesis of CoO Nanoparticles-Decorated BiOCl Hierarchical Microspheres for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of RhB and BPA.

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical microspheres of BiOCl (BOC) were prepared via a facile solvothermal method using a binary solvent for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) and Bisphenol-A (BPA). CoO nanoparticles (NPs)-decorated BOC (CoO/BOC) heterostructures were synthesized to further enhance their photocatalytic performance. The microstructural, morphological, and compositional characterization showed that the BOC microspheres are composed of thin (~20 nm thick) nanosheets with a 3D hierarchical morphology and a high surface area.

Indirect Band Gap in Scrolled MoS Monolayers.

MoS nanoscrolls that have inner core radii of ∼250 nm are generated from MoS monolayers, and the optical and transport band gaps of the nanoscrolls are investigated. Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals that a MoS monolayer, originally a direct gap semiconductor (∼1.85 eV (optical)), changes into an indirect gap semiconductor (∼1.

Straw-sheaf-like CoO for preparation of an electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensor.

3D straw-sheaf-like cobalt oxide (SS-CoO) was prepared via the hydrothermal method and inert gas calcination of precursors without the assistance of any template or surfactant. It was composed of numerous nanoneedles with a length of ~ 8 µm and a diameter of ~ 30 nm strongly tied in the center. The SS-CoO exhibited high crystallinity, a large surface area (39.

Inspection of the Defect State Using the Mobility Spectrum Analysis Method.

Mobility spectrum analysis (MSA) is a method that enables the carrier density (and mobility) separation of the majority and minority carriers in multicarrier semiconductors, respectively. In this paper, we use the -GaAs layer in order to demonstrate that the MSA can perform unique facilities for the defect analysis by using its resolvable features for the carriers. Using two proven methods, we reveal that the defect state can be anticipated at the characteristic temperature Tdeep, in which the ratio (RNn/Nh) that is associated with the density of the minority carrier Nn, to the density of the majority carrier Nh, exceeds 50%.

A dual-functional flexible sensor based on defects-free Co-doped ZnO nanorods decorated with CoO clusters towards pH and glucose monitoring of fruit juices and human fluids.

Herein, ZnO nanorods were doped with Co and decorated with CoO clusters through an in situ technique to create a CoO/Co-doped ZnO (CO/CZO) heterostructure at low temperatures (150 °C) on a flexible PET substrate. In the CO/CZO heterostructure, the Co dopant has a low energy barrier to substitute Zn atoms and adsorb over oxygen atoms and their vacancies. Therefore, it decreased the charge density (N = 2.

Z-Scheme Heterojunction of 3-Dimensional Hierarchical BiOCl/BiOI for a Significant Enhancement in the Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants (RhB and BPA).

In this study, we report the synthesis of a 3-dimensional (3D) hierarchical BiOCl/BiOI (BOC/BOI) heterostructure for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) dye and colorless Bisphenol-A (BPA) pollutant under visible light. The heterostructure was prepared using in situ solvothermal and calcination methods. BOC/BOI exhibits a 3D hierarchical structure constructed with thin nano-platelets.

Construction of quantum dots self-decorated BiVO/reduced graphene hydrogel composite photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic performance for antibiotics degradation.

In this study, we report the construction of a novel composite photocatalyst (BiVO/rGH) composed of quantum dots (QDs) self-decorated BiVO-nanoparticels (NPs) and reduced graphene hydrogel (rGH). The composite structures were prepared using an in-situ growth method. The BiVO/rGH composite photocatalysts exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCHCl).

Rational design of α-FeO nanocubes supported BiVO Z-scheme photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic under visible light.

The Z-scheme BiVO/α-FeO photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The photocatalyst is composed of α-FeO nanocubes with a regular cubic structure and the BiVO particles distributed on the surface of the α-FeO nanocubes. The photocatalytic performance of Z-scheme BiVO/α-FeO photocatalyst was investigated in terms of its capacity for photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.

Highly Deformable Fabric Gas Sensors Integrating Multidimensional Functional Nanostructures.

Highly strain-endurable gas sensors were implemented on fabric, which was taken from a real T-shirt, employing a sequential coating method. Multidimensional, functional nanostructures such as reduced graphene oxide, ZnO nanorods, palladium nanoparticles, and silver nanowires were integrated for their realization. It was revealed that the fabric gas sensors could detect both oxidizing and reducing gases at room temperature with differing signs and magnitudes of responses.

Biomarkers to quantify cell migration characteristics.

Background: Because cell movement is primarily driven by the connection between F-actin and integrin through a physical linkage, cellular elasticity and adhesion strength have been considered as biomarkers of cell motility. However, a consistent set of biomarkers that indicate the potential for cell motility is still lacking.

Methods: In this work, we characterize a phenotype of cell migration in terms of cellular elasticity and adhesion strength, which reveals the interdependence of subcellular systems that mediate optimal cell migration.

One Stone, Two Birds: pH- and Temperature-Sensitive Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots for Multiple Anticounterfeiting and Multiple Cell Imaging.

Carbon dots (CDs) as new fluorescent materials with excellent fluorescence properties have shown enormous potential applications, especially in anticounterfeiting and cell imaging. Herein, nitrogen-doped CDs (NCDs) with excellent biocompatibility were prepared by a simple thermal sintering method. An extremely large red shift (∼130 nm) of the emission peak was observed when the excitation wavelength changes from 355 to 550 nm, indicating that NCDs are excellent fluorescent labeling materials for multiple cell imaging.

Separation and Recovery of Refined Si from Al-Si Melt by Modified Czochralski Method.

Separation of refined silicon from Al-Si melt is still a puzzle for the solvent refining process, resulting in considerable waste of acid and silicon powder. A novel modified Czochralski method within the Al-Si alloy is proposed. After the modified Czochralski process, a large amount of refined Si particles was enriched around the seed crystalline Si and separated from the Al-Si melt.

Polarity Control of ZnO Films Grown on Ferroelectric (0001) LiNbO Substrates without Buffer Layers by Pulsed-Laser Deposition.

For this study, polarity-controlled ZnO films were grown on lithium niobate (LiNbO) substrates without buffer layers using the pulsed-laser deposition technique. The interfacial structure between the ZnO films and the LiNbO was inspected using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to support these HR-TEM results. The polarity determination of the ZnO films was investigated using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and a chemical-etching analysis.

Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic Ultrathin α-MoO:Te Nanoflakes.

We materialized room-temperature ferromagnetism in ultrathin α-MoO:Te nanoflakes. The α-MoO:Te nanoflakes, which had been grown by vapor-phase epitaxy, clearly exhibited an A Raman band from symmetric stretching of υ(Mo-O-Mo) in the 2D-like ultrathin α-MoO:Te layer. Due to the intentional incorporation of smaller Te ions into bigger Mo sites, the pentacoordinated Mo bonds were created inside the orthorhombic α-MoO:Te lattice system.

Correction: Performance evaluation of interfacial polymerisation-fabricated aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes in forward osmosis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C9RA00787C.].

Biomechanical properties of red blood cells infected by Plasmodium berghei ANKA.

Malaria is a pathogenic disease in mammal species and typically causes destruction of red blood cells (RBCs). The malaria-infected RBCs undergoes alterations in morphology and its rheological properties, and the altered rheological properties of RBCs have a significant impact on disease pathophysiology. In this study, we investigated detailed topological and biomechanical properties of RBCs infected with malaria Plasmodium berghei ANKA using atomic force microscopy.

Performance evaluation of interfacial polymerisation-fabricated aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes in forward osmosis.

Aquaporins play a promising role in the fabrication of high-performance biomimetic membranes. Interfacial polymerisation is a promising strategy for synthesizing aquaporin-based membranes. In this study, robust and high-performance aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes were successfully fabricated by interfacial polymerisation, and the membrane separation performance and interfacial polymerisation method were systematically evaluated.

Wafer-Scale van der Waals Heterostructures with Ultraclean Interfaces via the Aid of Viscoelastic Polymer.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures exhibit novel physical and chemical properties, allowing the development of unprecedented electronic, optical, and electrochemical devices. However, the construction of wafer-scale vdW heterostructures for practical applications is still limited due to the lack of well-established growth and transfer techniques. Herein, we report a method for the fabrication of wafer-scale 2D vdW heterostructures with an ultraclean interface between layers via the aid of a freestanding viscoelastic polymer support layer (VEPSL).

Diffusion-Driven Al-Doping of ZnO Nanorods and Stretchable Gas Sensors Made of Doped ZnO Nanorods/Ag Nanowires Bilayers.

A crystal-damage-free nanodoping method, which utilized the vacuum drive-in diffusion of Al into ZnO nanorods, was developed. In this method, vertical ZnO nanorod arrays that were grown by chemical bath deposition beforehand were deposited with Al thin film and subsequently heat-treated under a high vacuum. At an optimum condition, the surface Al atoms were completely diffused into ZnO nanorods, resulting in Al-doped ZnO nanorods.