Ni Single Atoms/FeN Nanoparticles Supported by N-Doped Carbon Hollow Nanododecahedras with Nanotubes on the Surface for Efficient Electro-Reduction of CO to CO.

The transition metal single atoms (SAs)-based catalysts with M-N coordination environment have shown excellent performance in electrocatalytic reduction of CO, and they have received extensive attention in recent years. However, the presence of SAs makes it very difficult to efficiently improve the coordination environment. In this paper, a method of direct high-temperature pyrolysis carbonization of ZIF-8 adsorbed with Ni and Fe ions is reported for the synthesis of Ni SAs and FeN nanoparticles (NPs) supported by the N-doped carbon (NC) hollow nanododecahedras (HNDs) with nanotubes (NTs) on the surface (Ni SAs/FeN NPs@NC-HNDs-NTs).

Biocompatible and stretchable chitosan piezoelectric gel with antibacterial capability and motion monitoring function for Achilles tendon rupture treatment.

Achilles tendon rupture is a common and serious condition that remains a challenge in the restoration of tendon structure and function. The design and use of high-performance piezoelectric materials serve as an effective solution to enhance repair outcomes, shorten recovery times, and reduce the risk of recurrence. In this study, we prepared a chitosan piezoelectric gel (CSPG) as an organic polymer with excellent biocompatibility, stretchability, and piezoelectric properties as well as excellent antibacterial properties.

Coherent Strain-Inhibiting Phase Construction of Lithium-Rich Manganese-Based Oxide Toward High Mechanochemical Stability.

A layered lithium-rich manganese-based oxide cathode, containing 3̅ (LiTMO, TM = Mn, Ni, Co) and 2/ (LiMnO) nanodomains, utilizes both transition metals and oxygen redox to yield substantial energy density. However, the inherent heterogeneous nature and distinct nanodomain redox chemistries of layered lithium-rich oxides will inevitably cause pernicious lattice strain and structural displacement, which can hardly be eliminated by conventional doping or coating strategies and result in accelerated performance decay. Herein, we incorporate a strain-inhibiting perovskite phase coherently grown within the layered structure to effectively restrain the displacement and lattice strain during uneven Li-ion extraction.

Enhanced Polysulfide conversion in Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur batteries via nanoscale TiO modified porous carbon structures.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries, known for their high-energy density, low cost and environmental friendliness, have attracted much attention. However, the development of RT Na-S batteries has encountered a number of challenges, including low conductivity and large volume changes of sulfur during the charge-discharge cycles. In this study, TiO nanoparticles modified porous carbon hosts for sulfur in RT Na-S batteries were prepared by a simple and efficient spray drying method combined with solution immersion.

NiFe-based arrays with manganese dioxide enhance chloride blocking for durable alkaline seawater oxidation.

Seawater splitting is increasingly recognized as a promising technique for hydrogen production, while the lack of good electrocatalysts and detrimental chlorine chemistry may hinder further development of this technology. Here, the interfacial engineering of manganese dioxide nanoparticles decorated on NiFe layered double hydroxide supported on nickel foam (MnO@NiFe LDH/NF) is reported, which works as a robust catalyst for alkaline seawater oxidation. Density functional theory calculations and experiment findings reveal that MnO@NiFe LDH/NF can selectively enrich OH and repel Cl in oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Tunning valence state of cobalt centers in Cu/Co-CoO for significantly boosting water-gas shift reaction.

Dual active sites with synergistic valence state regulation under oxidizing and reducing conditions are essential for catalytic reactions with step-wise mechanisms to modulate the complex adsorption sites of reactant molecules on the surfaces of heterogeneous catalysts with maximized catalytic performances, but it has been rarely explored. In this work, uniformly dispersed CuCo alloy and CoO nanosheet composite catalysts with dual active sites are constructed, which shows huge boost in activity for catalyzing water-gas shift reaction (WGSR), with a record high reaction rate reaching 204.2 μmol g s at 300 °C for CuCoO amongst the reported Cu-based and Co-based catalysts.

Direct Observation of Dipole Interlocking Effect Occurrence in Two-Dimensional Ferroelectricity.

The electric dipole in materials is closely associated with their electronic transport, optical properties, and mechanical behavior. Here, we have employed the differential phase contrast (DPC) technique of the scanning transmission electron microscopy technique (STEM) to directly analyze the local electric dipole at the sub-Angstrom scale. By utilizing DPC-STEM technology, we successfully visualized the ferroelectric polarization of van der Waals material 3R α-InSe and directly confirmed the dipole interlocking effect (DIE) between in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) polarizations.

Enhancing the CO Oxidation Performance of Copper by Alloying with Immiscible Tantalum.

Copper-tantalum (Cu-Ta) immiscible alloy nanoparticles (NPs) have been the subject of extensive research in the field of structural materials, due to their exceptional nanostructural stability and high-temperature creep properties. However, Cu is also a highly active oxidation catalyst due to its abundant valence changes. In this study, we have for the first time obtained homogeneous CuTa ( = 0.

Universal Construction of Electrical Insulation and High-Thermal-Conductivity Composites Based on the In Situ Exfoliation of Boron Nitride-Graphene Hybrid Filler.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), with excellent thermal conductivity and insulation capability, has garnered significant attention in the field of electronic thermal management. However, the thermal conductivity of the h-BN-enhanced polymer composite material is far from that expected because of the insurmountable interfacial thermal resistance. In order to realize the high thermal conductivity of polymer composite thermal interface materials, herein, an in situ exfoliation method has been employed to prepare a boron nitride nanosheet-graphene (BNNS-Gr) hybrid filler.

Dual-Modal Memory Enabled by a Single Vertical N-Type Organic Artificial Synapse for Neuromorphic Computing.

Complementary neural network circuits combining multifunctional high-performance p-type with n-type organic artificial synapses satisfy sophisticated applications such as image cognition and prosthesis control. However, implementing the dual-modal memory features that are both volatile and nonvolatile in a synaptic transistor is challenging. Herein, for the first time, we propose a single vertical n-type organic synaptic transistor (VNOST) with a novel polymeric organic mixed ionic-electronic conductor as the core channel material to achieve dual-modal synaptic learning/memory behaviors at different operating current densities via the formation of an electric double layer and the reversible ion doping.

Simultaneous Toughening and Strengthening of Ductile Polymer by Rigid Polymeric Fillers: The Role of Interfacial Entanglement.

The modification of thermoplastic polymers is frequently impeded by the inherent contradiction between their toughness and strength. In this study, an effective strategy to significantly improve the mechanical properties of ductile polymers by simply adding a complimentary rigid polymer is introduced. This work uses a semi-crystalline polymer aliphatic polyketone (POK) as the matrix material and a small quantity of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the rigid polymer, through establishing molecular chain entanglements at the interface to produce POK/PMMA blends with exceptional mechanical property.

Stress Release of Zincophilic N-Doped Carbon@Sn Composite on High-Curvature Surface of Zinc Foam for Dendrite-Free 3D Zinc Anode.

Commercial 3D zinc foam anodes with high deposition space and ion permeation have shown great potential in aqueous ion batteries. However, the local accumulated stress from its high-curvature surface exacerbates the Zn dendrite issue, leading to poor reversibility. Herein, we have employed zincophilic N-doped carbon@Sn composites (N-C@Sn) as nano-fillings to effectively release the local stress of high curvature surface of 3D Zn foams toward dendrite-free anode in aqueous zinc ion battery (AZIB).

Electrolyte design weakens lithium-ion solvation for a fast-charging and long-cycling Si anode.

Silicon (Si) is considered a promising anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity and earth-abundancy. However, challenges such as significant volume expansion, unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in incompatible electrolytes, and slow lithium-ion transport lead to its poor cycling and rate performance. In this work, it is demonstrated that superior cyclability and rate capability of Si anodes can be achieved using ethyl fluoroacetate (EFA) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) solvents with low binding energy with Li but with sufficiently high relative dielectric constants.

Copper-Catalysed Electrochemical CO Methanation via the Alloying of Single Cobalt Atoms.

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO) to methane (CH) presents a promising solution for mitigating CO emissions while producing valuable chemical feedstocks. Although single-atom catalysts have shown potential in selectively converting CO to CH, their limited active sites often hinder the realization of high current densities, posing a selectivity-activity dilemma. In this study, we developed a single-atom cobalt (Co) doped copper catalyst (CoCu) that achieved a CH Faradaic efficiency exceeding 60 % with a partial current density of -482.

Interfacial Metal Oxides Stabilize Cu Oxidation States for Electrocatalytical CO2 Reduction.

Modulating the oxidation state of copper (Cu) is crucial for enhancing the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), particularly for facilitating deep reductions to produce methane (CH4) or multi-carbon (C2+) products. However, Cuδ+ sites are thermodynamically unstable, fluctuating their oxidation states under reaction conditions, which complicates their functionality. Incorporating interfacial metal oxides has emerged as an effective strategy for stabilizing these oxidation states.

Stabilizing Lattice Oxygen of Bi2O3 by Interstitial Insertion of Indium for Efficient Formic Acid Electrosynthesis.

Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) emerges as a potent catalyst for converting CO2 to formic acid (HCOOH), leveraging its abundant lattice oxygen and the high activity of its Bi-O bonds. Yet, its durability is usually impeded by the loss of lattice oxygen causing structure alteration and destabilized active bonds. Herein, we report an innovative approach via the interstitial incorporation of indium (In) into the Bi2O3, significantly enhancing bond stability and preserving lattice oxygen.

Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Cross-Linked Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Optimizing the Solvation Structure of Lithium Ions.

Lithium metal electrodes inevitably lead to the decomposition of the liquid electrolyte and lithium dendrite growth, both of which result in the formation of unstable solid electrolyte intermediates (SEIs). Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are expected to replace liquid electrolytes for optimizing the SEI issues of lithium metal. Herein, a cellulose-based gel electrolyte cross-linked by thiol-modified polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (thiol-modified-POSS) was successfully obtained based on "thiol-ene" click chemistry.

Regenerative properties of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell derived exosomes in rotator cuff tears.

Rotator cuff injury (RCI), characterized by shoulder pain and restricted mobility, represents a subset of tendon-bone insertion injuries (TBI). In the majority of cases, surgical reconstruction of the affected tendons or ligaments is required to address the damage. However, numerous clinical failures have underscored the suboptimal outcomes associated with such procedures.

Anion vacancy engineered Cu/ZnInS-V/TiO-V S-scheme heterojunction for enhancing photocatalytic overall water splitting.

Heterojunction materials for photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS) become popular in recent times. However, even in the superior S-scheme heterojunction, the two semiconductor materials still do not have an efficient activity to separate and migrate photogenerated carriers. To further improve the charge separation and enhance the activity of POWS, a novel S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst, Cu/ZnInS-V/TiO-V, was synthesized using solvothermal and calcination methods.

Three-Dimensional Stacked Stretchable Thermoelectric Device for Virtual Sensation.

Stretchable electronics have significant applications in wearable applications. However, the extremely low thermal conductivity of elastic encapsulation hinders heat dissipation, leading to performance degradation. For instance, stretchable thermoelectric devices (TEDs) can be used for skin temperature regulation, but poor thermal management limits their cooling performance.

Room temperature synthesis of one-dimensional hierarchical hollow BiOBr with tunable photocatalysis reaction pathway for RhB under visible light.

One-dimensional (1D) hierarchical photocatalyst has the advantages of 1D materials and hierarchical materials, which is a kind of potential high performance photocatalytic materials. However, how to efficiently synthesize 1D hierarchical BiOBr is still a huge challenge. Herein, 1D rod-like BiO(OH)(NO)·3HO, the hydrolysis product of Bi(NO)·5HO, was acted as both the template and Bi source to synthesize 1D hierarchical hollow BiOBr (1DHHBr) through a facile solution stirring method at room temperature, using KBr as Br source.

Synergetic Contributions of High Quenching Concentration and Tuned Square Antiprism Geometry Boosting Far-Red Emission of Eu with Near-Unit Efficiency.

Far-red phosphors have emerged as a desirable research hotspot owing to their critical role in promoting plant growth. Especially, Eu ions typically present the D→F (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions, which overlap with the far-red light required for plant photosynthesis. However, achieving high-efficiency far-red emission of Eu remains challenging due to weak D→F transition and concentration quenching.

Controlled Multi-Dimensional Assembly of Calcium Carbonate Particles with Industrial By-Product Carbide Slag and CO.

The utilization of carbide slag, an industrial by-product, as a resource to prepare value-added products has a profound impact not only for sustainable synthesis and the circular economy but also for CO reduction. Herein, we report the very first example of the controlled multi-dimensional assembly of calcium carbonate particles at the micrometer scale with industrial by-product carbide slag and CO. Calcium carbonate particles of distinctly different sizes, shapes, and morphologies are obtained by finely tuning the assembly conditions.

Lattice Oxygen Redox Dynamics in Zeolite-Encapsulated CsPbBr Perovskite OER Electrocatalysts.

Understanding the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) mechanism is pivotal for improving the overall efficiency of water electrolysis. Despite methylammonium lead halide perovskites (MAPbX) have shown promising OER performance due to their soft-lattice nature that allows lattice-oxygen oxidation of active α-PbO layer surface, the role of A-site MA or X-site elements in the electrochemical reconstruction and OER mechanisms has yet to be explored. Here, it is demonstrated that the OER mechanism of perovskite@zeolite composites is intrinsically dominated by the A-site group of lead-halide perovskites, while the type of X-site halogen is crucial for the reconstruction kinetics of the composites.