Surface-Confined Disordered Hydrogen Bonds Enable Efficient Lithium Transport in All-Solid-State PEO-Based Lithium Battery.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based electrolytes are essential to advance all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) with high safety/energy density due to their inherent flexibility and scalability. However, the inefficient Li+ transport in PEO often leads to poor rate performance and diminished stability of the ASSLBs. The regulation of intermolecular H-bonds is regarded as one of the most effective approaches to enable efficient Li+ transport, while the practical performances are hindered by the electrochemical instability of free H-bond donors and the constrained mobility of highly ordered H-bonding structures.

Broadband and large surface enhancements of the local electric field enabled by cross-etched hyperbolic metamaterials.

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) have recently attracted significant research attention due to their hyperbolic wavevector iso-frequency contour, which leads to substantial local electric field (EF) enhancements that benefit optical processes, such as the nonlinear generation, quantum science, biomedical sensing, and more. However, three main challenges hinder their practical implementation: the difficulty in exciting their resonant modes using free-space incidence, the weak enhancement of surface EF, and the narrow spectral range of EF enhancements. Herein, we proposed cross-etched HMMs (CeHMMs) as a novel type of HMM, addressing these issues.

Weak Antilocalization and Negative Magnetoresistance of the Gate-Tunable PbTe Thin Films.

We have systematically studied the electromagnetic transport properties of PbTe thin films under gate voltage modulation. The system demonstrates pronounced electron-electron interactions exclusively within the gate voltage range where only hole carriers are present. Furthermore, the Berry phase is utilized to qualitatively elucidate the transition between weak antilocalization (WAL) and weak localization (WL) through the regulation of gate voltage and temperature.

Semiconducting Cu(I) Framework for Room Temperature NO Sensing via Efficient Charge Transfer.

Efficient room-temperature sensors for toxic gases are essential to ensure a safe and healthy life. Conducting frameworks have shown great promise in advancing gas sensing technologies. In this study, two new organic-inorganic frameworks [CuX(PPh)(L)], CP1 (X = I) and CP2 (X = Br) have been synthesized using (pyridin-4-yl)-N-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)methanimine (L) and triphenylphosphine.

Ultrahigh Exchange Bias Field/Coercive Field Ratio in In Situ Formed Two-Dimensional Magnetic Te-CrO/CrTe Heterostructures.

The exchange bias (EB) effect is a fundamental magnetic phenomenon, in which the exchange bias field/coercive field ratio (|H/H|) can improve the stability of spintronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic heterostructures have the potential to construct low-power and high-density spintronic devices, while their typically air unstable and |H/H| lesser, limiting the possibility of applications. Here, 2D CrTe nanosheets have been systematically synthesized with an in situ formed ≈2 nm-thick Te doped CrO layer (Te-CrO) on the upper surface by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

Ultrathin Rare-Earth Oxyhalides as High-κ van der Waals Layered Dielectrics.

Van der Waals (vdW) dielectrics are extensively employed to enhance the performance of 2D electronic devices. However, current vdW dielectric materials still encounter challenges such as low dielectric constant (κ) and difficulties in synthesizing high-quality single crystals. 2D rare-earth oxyhalides (REOXs) with exceptional electrical properties present an opportunity for the exploration of novel high-κ dielectrics.

Towards a standard application of the Reynolds number in studies of aquatic animal locomotion.

Nondimensional groups of measured quantities enable comparison between measurements of animals under different conditions and comparison between species. One of the most used such group is the Reynolds number, which compares inertial and viscous contributions to forces on swimming animals. This group includes two quantities that are chosen by the researcher: a typical length and speed.

Enhanced Efficiency and Stability of Tin Halide Perovskite Solar Cells Through MOF Integration.

Tin halide perovskites are promising candidates for lead-free perovskite solar cells due to their ideal bandgap and high charge-carrier mobility. However, poor crystal quality and rapid degradation in ambient conditions severely limit their stability and practical applications. This study demonstrates that incorporating UiO-66, a zirconium-based MOF, significantly enhances the performance and stability of tin halide perovskite solar cells (TPSCs).

Surface Template Realizing Oriented Perovskites for Highly Efficient Solar Cells.

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI) perovskite films, ensuring optically active phase purity with uniform crystal orientation, are ideal for photovoltaic applications. However, the optically active α-FAPbI phase is easy to degrade into δ-phase due to numerous defects within randomly oriented films. Here, a "quasi-2D" perovskite template is pre-deposited on the film surface within the crystallization process based on the two-step preparation technology, which directly induced pure and highly orientated crystallization of α-FAPbI across the downward growth process.

Designing Robust Quasi-2D Perovskites Thin Films for Stable Light-Emitting Applications.

Quasi-2D perovskite made with organic spacers co-crystallized with inorganic cesium lead bromide inorganics is demonstrated for near unity photoluminescence quantum yield at room temperature. However, light emitting diodes made with quasi-2D perovskites rapidly degrade which remains a major bottleneck in this field. In this work, It is shown that the bright emission originates from finely tuned multi-component 2D nano-crystalline phases that are thermodynamically unstable.

Local Structure Distortion in Mn, Zn Doped Cu₂V₂O₇: Supercapacitor Performance and Emergent Spin-Phonon Coupling.

Supercapacitors are rapidly gaining attention as next-generation energy storage devices due to their superior power and energy densities. This study pioneers the investigation of Mn/Zn co-doping in α-Cu₂V₂O₇ (CVO) to enhance its performance as a supercapacitor electrode material. Structural and local Structural properties of Mn/Zn co-doped CVO have been investigated through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), revealing significant distortions that enhance supercapacitor performance.

Crystal Structural Editing: Novel Biaxial MgTeO Crystal as Zero-Order Waveplates.

Waveplates are important optical components to control the polarization of light. Currently, they are often fabricated from uniaxial crystals, and there is no report about waveplates based on the biaxial crystals. In this work, a novel biaxial crystal MgTeO with a structure constructed by 0D TeO groups is designed and grown as waveplate materials for the first time.

MXene Nanoribbon Aerogel-Based Gradient Conductivity Electromagnetic Interference Shields with Unprecedented Combination of High Green Index and Shielding Effectiveness.

The desire to reduce secondary pollution from shielded electronics devices demands electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields with high green index (GI), which is the ratio of absorbance over reflectance. Achieving high GI values simultaneously with high shielding effectiveness (SE) over 50 dB is a serious unresolved challenge. Reducing the impedance mismatch between the shield and free space is the key to reducing the reflection of incoming radiation and enabling more penetration into the body of the shield for absorption.

Optically Readable Multilevel Magnetic Memory States in Perpendicularly Exchange-Biased Ferromagnetic Multilayers.

The construction of multilevel magnetic states using materials with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) offers a novel approach to enhancing the storage density and read/write efficiency of nonvolatile magnetic memory devices. In this study, optically readable multilevel magnetic domain states are achieved by inducing asymmetric interlayer interactions and decoupling the magnetic reversal behavior of individual ferromagnetic (FM) layers in exchange-biased FM multilayers with PMA. Hepta-level magnetic domain states are formed in [Co/Pt] FM multilayers grown on an antiferromagnetic FeO layer within a relatively low magnetic field range of ∼±400 Oe.

Ultrahigh-Power Carbon-Based Supercapacitors through Order-Disorder Balance.

Although carbon-based supercapacitors (SCs) hold the advantages of high-power and large-current characteristics, they are difficult to realize ultrahigh-power density (> 200 kW kg) and maintain almost constant energy density at ultrahigh power. This limitation is mainly due to the difficulty in balancing the structural order related to the electrical conductivity of carbon materials and the structural disorder related to the pore structure. Herein, we design a novel super-structured tubular carbon (SSTC) with a crosslinked porous conductive network to solve the structure order-disorder tradeoff effect in carbon materials.

Phase transition and superconductivity of selenium under pressure.

Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted to unravel the structural configurations of selenium under pressure, the exquisite sensitivity of selenium's p-orbital electrons to this external force, leading to a plethora of structural variations, leaves several intermediary phases still shrouded in mystery. We, herein, systematically identify the structural and electronic transformations of selenium under high pressure up to 300 GPa, employing crystal structure prediction in conjunction with first-principles calculations. Our results for the transition sequence (321 → 2/ → 3̄ → 3̄) of selenium are in good agreement with experimental ones.

Octupolar Vortex Crystal and Toroidal Moment in Twisted Bilayer MnPSe.

Experimental detection of antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional materials is a challenging task. Identifying multidomain antiferromagnetic textures via the current techniques is even more difficult. Therefore, we investigate the higher-order multipole moments in twisted bilayer MnPSe.

LiF Artifacts in XPS Analysis of the SEI for Lithium Metal Batteries.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is considered to be the key to the performance of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). The analysis of the SEI and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) composition (especially F 1s spectra) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has become a consensus among researchers. However, the surface-sensitive XPS characterization is susceptible to LiF artifacts due to several factors, leading to the overexaggerated role of LiF in the analysis of the SEI and CEI.

Carbon Black Absorption Enhanced Fiber-Optic Photoacoustic Gas Sensing System with Ultrahigh Sensitivity.

A highly sensitive trace gas sensing system based on carbon black absorption enhanced photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy (PAS) is reported. A carbon black sheet and a fiber-optic cantilever microphone (FOCM) are integrated to form a fiber-optic cantilever spectrophone (FOCS). The gas concentration is obtained by measuring the acoustic wave amplitude generated by the carbon black sheet, which absorbs the laser passing through the interest gas.

One- and two-particle microrheology of soft materials based on optical-flow image analysis.

Particle-tracking microrheology probes the rheology of soft materials by accurately tracking an ensemble of embedded colloidal tracer particles. One-particle analysis, which focuses on the trajectory of individual tracers is ideal for homogeneous materials that do not interact with the particles. By contrast, the characterization of heterogeneous, micro-structured materials or those where particles interact directly with the medium requires a two-particle analysis that characterizes correlations between the trajectories of distinct particle pairs.

Design of Litchi-Like Al/PTFE with Superior Reactivity and Application in Solid Propellants.

The combustion efficiency and reactivity of aluminum (Al) particles, as a crucial component in solid propellants, are constrained by the inert oxide layer aluminum oxide (AlO). Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can remove the oxide layer, however, carbon deposition generated during the reaction process still limits the reaction efficiency of Al/PTFE fuel. Here, a litchi-like Al/PTFE fuel with the nano-PTFE islands distributed on the Al particles surface is successfully designed, based on localized activation and synergistic reaction strategies, to solve the AlO layer and carbon deposition.

Utilizing 4-Sulfonylcalix[4]arene as a Selective Mobile Phase Additive for the Capture of Methylated Peptides.

Protein methylation has attracted increasing attention due to its significant regulatory roles in various biological processes. However, the diversity of methylation forms, subtle differences between methylated and nonmodified sites, and their ultralow abundances pose substantial challenges for capturing and isolating methylated peptides from biological samples. Herein, we develop a chromatographic method that utilizes 4-sulfonylcalix[4]arene (SC4A) as a mobile phase additive and Click-Maltose as the stationary phase to separate methylated/nonmethylated peptides through the adsorption of the SC4A-(Me3) complex.

Antiseizure Medications: Advancements, Challenges, and Prospects in Drug Development.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Antiseizure medications (ASM) remain a critical therapeutic intervention for treating epilepsy, notwithstanding the rapid development of other therapies. There have been substantial advances in epilepsy medications over the past three decades, with over 20 ASMs now available commercially.

Introduction to Memristive Mechanisms and Models.

The increase in computational power demand led by the development of Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming unsustainable. New paradigms of computation, which potentially differ from digital computation, together with novel hardware architecture and devices, are anticipated to reduce the exorbitant energy demand for data-processing tasks. Memristive systems with resistive switching behavior are under intense research, given their prominent role in the fabrication of memory devices that promise the desired hardware revolution in our intensive data-driven era.

Observation of Real-Time Spin-Orbit Torque Driven Dynamics in Antiferromagnetic Thin Film.

In the burgeoning field of spintronics, antiferromagnetic materials (AFMs) are attracting significant attention for their potential to enable ultra-fast, energy-efficient devices. Thin films of AFMs are particularly promising for practical applications due to their compatibility with spin-orbit torque (SOT) mechanisms. However, studying these thin films presents challenges, primarily due to the weak signals they produce and the rapid dynamics driven by SOT, that are too fast for conventional electric transport or microwave techniques to capture.