Interfacial Engineering with a Conjugated Conductive Polymer for a Highly Reversible Zn Anode.

For Zn metal batteries, the Zn anode faces several challenges, including Zn dendrites, hydrogen evolution, and corrosion. These issues are closely related to the Zn deposition process at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Herein, we propose interfacial engineering to protect the Zn anode and induce homogeneous deposition using conjugated cyclized polyacrylonitrile (cPAN) polymer nanofibers.

Engineering NiSe/CoSe heterojunction for enhanced bifunctional Catalysis in Urea-Assisted hydrogen production.

Coupling the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) represents a highly promising energy-saving strategy for hydrogen production. However, the development of cost-effective and high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts remains a challenge. In this study, a NiSe/CoSe heterojunction was constructed via electrodeposition, leveraging interfacial synergy to significantly enhance catalytic performance.

A fully polydicyclopentadiene skeletonized epoxy resin system and its fundamental properties as an electronic material.

A low-cost fully dicyclopentadiene (DCPD)-networked epoxy system was designed. Compared to commercial diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin counterparts, the cured DCPD-based resin demonstrates excellent thermal properties ( > 250 °C) and a low dissipation factor (0.0065 at 10 GHz), indicating its potential as a promising thermoset for high-performance electronic applications.

Efficient HO production from a SrTiO-based thermoelectrocatalyst for harvesting low-grade waste heat.

Building on the concept of a thermoelectrocatalyst (TECatal), we propose a simple yet efficient TECatal material, vacancy defect engineered SrTiO, for stable HO production under temperature gradients. A solid-phase reaction was applied to introduce oxygen vacancies, generating free electrons and inducing a thermoelectric response in SrTiO. This approach achieved an impressive HO production rate of approximately 764 μmol L g h at a temperature gradient of 130 °C conceiving the feasibility of the thermoelectrocatalyst for harvesting low-grade waste heat.

Zirconia crowns manufactured using digital light processing: Effects of build angle and layer thickness on the accuracy.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of build angle and layer thickness on the trueness and precision of zirconia crowns manufactured using digital light processing (DLP) technology.

Materials And Methods: Single crowns were fabricated from zirconia using DLP technology. The crowns were manufactured with three different representative build angles (0°, 45°, and 90°) and two different layer thicknesses (30 μm and 50 μm).

Roll-to-Roll Manufactured Polyetherimide Nanocomposite With Different Diameters of SiO Nanoparticles Exhibiting Improved High-Temperature Dielectric Energy Storage Performance.

To enhance the high-temperature energy storage performance of the polymer-based dielectric film, inorganic nanofillers with large band gaps are much more effective and have been widely adopted. However, the impact of nanoparticle diameters on the dielectric properties of polymer nanocomposites has been less studied. Herein, silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO-NPs) with varying diameters (20, 60, 120, 200 nm) prepared by the sol-gel method are incorporated in the PEI matrix to form PEI/SiO nanocomposites.

Porous sodium alginate/cellulose nanofiber composite hydrogel microspheres for heavy metal removal in wastewater.

High adsorption capacity, high adsorption rate and reusable adsorbents are urgent needed for removing heavy metals from wastewater. In this study, porous sodium alginate/cellulose nanofiber (SA/CNF) composite hydrogel microspheres were prepared by combining sodium alginate with cellulose nanofibers by microfluidics technology and adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) as pore making agent. The SA/CNF composite hydrogel microspheres could efficiently adsorb heavy metals (Pb, Cu and Cd) in wastewater.

Theoretical Insights into the Mechanism and Origin of Solvent-Dependent Selectivity in the Cyclization of Propargyl Alcohols for the Divergent Synthesis of N-Heterocycles.

This study elucidates the mechanisms and principles governing chemoselectivity in synthesizing two distinct N-heterocycles, benzimidazole thiazine and benzothiazole imidazole, through BF•OEt-catalyzed cyclization reactions of propargyl alcohols with benzimidazole thiols. Employing density functional theory calculations, we highlight the crucial role of fluorine source in influencing chemoselectivity. In DCM, BF, as the catalytic center, coordinates with propargyl alcohol's hydroxyl group to form a precursor.

Ferroelectric polarization and magnetic structure at domain walls in a multiferroic film.

Domain walls affect significantly ferroelectric and magnetic properties of magnetoelectric multiferroics. The stereotype is that the ferroelectric polarization will reduce at the domain walls due to the incomplete shielding of depolarization field or the effects of gradient energy. By combining transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that the ferroelectric polarization of tail-to-tail 180° domain walls in ε-FeO is regulated by the bound charge density.

Ultrahigh energy storage in high-entropy ceramic capacitors with polymorphic relaxor phase.

Ultrahigh-power-density multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are critical components in electrical and electronic systems. However, the realization of a high energy density combined with a high efficiency is a major challenge for practical applications. We propose a high-entropy design in barium titanate (BaTiO)-based lead-free MLCCs with polymorphic relaxor phase.

Pre-oxidized and composite strategy greatly boosts performance of polyacrylonitrile/LLZO nanofibers for lithium-metal batteries.

The active cyano-group in polyacrylonitrile has severe passivation of lithium anode under larger current density, which restricts the wide application of polyacrylonitrile(PAN) in lithium metal batteries. Herein, in order to address the excessive passivation of lithium metal by PAN, inspired by the pre-oxidation of carbon fibers, PAN was pre-oxidized at 230 °C, which transformed part of the cyano group into a more chemically stable cyclized structure. The electrochemical and mechanical properties of the composite solid electrolyte were effectively improved by introducing the fast ionic conductor LiLaZrAlO into PAN by electrospinning.

Fused Functional Organic Material with the Alternating Conjugation of Quinone-Pyrazine as Cathode for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries.

Organic cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries (ARZBs) are rapidly gaining prominence, while the exploration of compounds with affordable synthesis, satisfactory electrochemical performance, and understandable mechanisms still remains challenging. In this study, 6,8,15,17-tetraaza-heptacene-5,7,9,14,16,18-hexaone (TAHQ) as an easily synthesized organic cathode material with novel quinone/pyrazine alternately conjugated molecule structure is presented. This organic electrode exhibits good capacity with highly reversible redox reactions, and the influence of multi-active structures on the Zn/H loading behavior is systematically investigated by ex situ spectroscopy, electrochemical tests, and computation.

Engineering Low-Cost Organic Cathode for Aqueous Rechargeable Battery and Demonstrating the Proton Intercalation Mechanism for Pyrazine Energy Storage Unit.

Seeking organic cathode materials with low cost and long cycle life that can be employed for large-scale energy storage remains a significant challenge. This work has synthesized an organic compound, triphenazino[2,3-b](1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene) (TPHATP), with as high as 87.16% yield.

High Thermoelectric Performance Related to PVDF Ferroelectric Domains in P-Type Flexible PVDF-BiSbTe Composite Film.

There is increasing demand to power Internet of Things devices using ambient energy sources. Flexible, low-temperature, organic/inorganic thermoelectric devices are a breakthrough next-generation approach to meet this challenge. However, these systems suffer from poor performance and expensive processing preventing wide application of the technology.

Killing two birds with one stone: A therapeutic copper-loaded bio-patch promoted abdominal wall repair via VEGF pathway.

Hernia and life-threatening intestinal obstruction often result from abdominal wall injuries, and the regeneration of abdominal wall defects is limited due to the lack of biocompatible, antibacterial and angiogenic scaffolding materials for treating injured tissues. Taking inspiration from the facile preparation of dopamine polymerization and its surface modification technology, in this study, multi-therapeutic copper element was introduced into porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) bio-patches through polydopamine (PDA) deposition, in order to regenerate abdominal wall injury. In both antibacterial assays, cytocompatibility assays and abdominal wall repair experiments, the SIS/PDA/Cu bio-patches exhibited robust antibacterial efficiency (＞99%), excellent biocompatibility to cells (＞90%), and enhanced neovascularization and improved collagen maturity compared to other commercially available patches (3.

Oxide Materials for Thermoelectric Conversion.

Thermoelectric technology has emerged as a prominent area of research in the past few decades for harnessing waste heat and improving the efficiency of next-generation renewable energy technologies. There has been rapid progress in the development of high-performance thermoelectric materials, as measured by the dimensionless figure of merit ( =  ·  · ). Several heavy-metal-based thermoelectric materials with commercial-level performance ( = 1) have so far been proposed.

Boosting Interfacial Polarization Through Heterointerface Engineering in MXene/Graphene Intercalated-Based Microspheres for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

Multi-layer 2D material assemblies provide a great number of interfaces beneficial for electromagnetic wave absorption. However, avoiding agglomeration and achieving layer-by-layer ordered intercalation remain challenging. Here, 3D reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/MXene/TiO/FeC lightweight porous microspheres with periodical intercalated structures and pronounced interfacial effects were constructed by spray-freeze-drying and microwave irradiation based on the Maxwell-Wagner effect.

Improvement in the Thermal Conductivity of Silver Epoxy Adhesive by Treating with Water Vapor.

With the miniaturization of electronic devices, electronic packaging has become increasingly precise and complex, which presents a significant challenge in terms of heat dissipation. Electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs), particularly silver epoxy adhesives, have emerged as a new type of electronic packaging material, thanks to their high conductivity and stable contact resistance. However, while there has been extensive research on silver epoxy adhesives, little attention has been paid to improving their thermal conductivity, which is a critical requirement in the ECA industry.

Local Built-In Field at the Sub-nanometric Heterointerface Mediates Cascade Electrochemical Conversion of Lithium-sulfur Batteries.

Heterogeneous catalytic mediators have been proposed to play a vital role in enhancing the multiorder reaction and nucleation kinetics in multielectron sulfur electrochemistry. However, the predictive design of heterogeneous catalysts is still challenging, owing to the lack of in-depth understanding of interfacial electronic states and electron transfer on cascade reaction in Li-S batteries. Here, a heterogeneous catalytic mediator based on monodispersed titanium carbide sub-nanoclusters embedded in titanium dioxide nanobelts is reported.

A biomimetic piezoelectric scaffold with sustained Mg release promotes neurogenic and angiogenic differentiation for enhanced bone regeneration.

Natural bone is a composite tissue made of organic and inorganic components, showing piezoelectricity. Whitlockite (WH), which is a natural magnesium-containing calcium phosphate, has attracted great attention in bone formation recently due to its unique piezoelectric property after sintering treatment and sustained release of magnesium ion (Mg). Herein, a composite scaffold (denoted as PWH scaffold) composed of piezoelectric WH (PWH) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was 3D printed to meet the physiological demands for the regeneration of neuro-vascularized bone tissue, namely, providing endogenous electric field at the defect site.

The Effects of Co on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ni-Based Superalloys Prepared via Selective Laser Melting.

In this work, two Ni-based superalloys with 13 wt.% and 35 wt.% Co were prepared via selective laser melting (SLM), and the effects of Co on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the additively manufactured superalloys were investigated.