Theoretical design of rhombohedral-stacked MoS-based ferroelectric tunneling junctions with ultra-high tunneling electroresistances.

The sliding ferroelectrics formed by rhombohedral-stacked transition metal dichalcogenides (R-TMDs) greatly broaden the ferroelectric candidate materials. However, the weak ferroelectricity and many failure behaviors (such as irreversible lattice strains or defects) regulated by applied stimuli hinder their application. Here we systematically explore the interface electronic and transport properties of R-MoS-based van der Waals heterojunctions (vdWHJs) by first-principles calculations.

Initiating a composite membrane with a localized high iodine concentration layer based on adduct chemistry to enable highly reversible zinc-iodine flow batteries.

The issue of polyiodide crossover at an iodine cathode significantly diminishes the efficiency and practicality of aqueous zinc-iodine flow batteries (ZIFBs). To address this challenge, we have introduced a localized high iodine concentration (LHIC) coating layer onto a porous polyolefin membrane, which featured strong chemical adsorption by exploiting adduct chemistry between the iodine species and a series of low-cost oxides, , MgO, CeO, ZrO, TiO, and AlO. Leveraging the LHIC based on the potent iodine adsorption capability, the as-fabricated MgO-LHIC composite membrane effectively mitigates iodine crossover Donnan repulsion and concentration gradient effects.

A binary 2D perovskite passivation for efficient and stable perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells.

To achieve high power conversion efficiency in perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, it is necessary to develop a promising wide-bandgap perovskite absorber and processing techniques in relevance. To date, the performance of devices based on wide-bandgap perovskite is still limited mainly by carrier recombination at their electron extraction interface. Here, we demonstrate assembling a binary two-dimensional perovskite by both alternating-cation-interlayer phase and Ruddlesden-Popper phase to passivate perovskite/C interface.

Electrostatic-Field-Induced Collapse of Nanobubbles in Nanochannels.

The adsorbed nanobubbles inside the nanochannels can cause fluid transport blockages, which will obviously degrade the nanodevice performance and reduce the lifetime. However, due to small-scale effects, the removal of nanobubbles is a huge challenge at the nanoscale. Herein, molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to study the effect of the electrostatic field on underwater nitrogen nanobubbles confined in nanochannels.

Crystallization of smooth amorphous calcium phosphate microspheres to core-shell hydroxyapatite microspheres.

Calcium phosphates (Ca-P) represent a significant class of biological minerals found in natural hard tissues. Crystallization through phase transformation of a metastable precursor is an effective strategy to guide the growth of crystalline Ca-P with exceptional functionality. Despite extensive research on Ca-P, the exact process during the crystallization of amorphous particles to hydroxyapatite (HA) remains elusive.

Controlled Synthesis of 2D Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic CrTe/MnTe Vertical Heterostructures for High-Tunable Coercivity.

Two-dimensional ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (2D-FM/AFM) heterostructures are of great significance to realize the application of spintronic devices such as miniaturization, low power consumption, and high-density information storage. However, traditional mechanical stacking can easily damage the crystal quality or cause chemical contamination residues for 2D materials, which can result in weak interface coupling and difficulty in device regulation. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an effective way to achieve a high-quality heterostructure interface.

Structures of Mature and Urea-Treated Empty Bacteriophage T5: Insights into Siphophage Infection and DNA Ejection.

T5 is a siphophage that has been extensively studied by structural and biochemical methods. However, the complete in situ structures of T5 before and after DNA ejection remain unknown. In this study, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structures of mature T5 (a laboratory-adapted, fiberless T5 mutant) and urea-treated empty T5 (lacking the tip complex) at near-atomic resolutions.

Atomic-Thin WS Kirigami for Bidirectional Polarization Detection.

The assembly and patterning engineering in two-dimensional (2D) materials hold importance for chip-level designs incorporating multifunctional detectors. At present, the patterning and stacking methods of 2D materials inevitably introduce impurity instability and functional limitations. Here, the space-confined chemical vapor deposition method is employed to achieve state-of-the-art kirigami structures of self-assembled WS, featuring various layer combinations and stacking configurations.

Numerical simulation study on opening blood-brain barrier by ultrasonic cavitation.

Experimental studies have shown that ultrasonic cavitation can reversibly open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to assist drug delivery. Nevertheless, the majority of the present study focused on experimental aspects of BBB opening. In this study, we developed a three-bubble-liquid-solid model to investigate the dynamic behavior of multiple bubbles within the blood vessels, and elucidate the physical mechanism of drug molecules through endothelial cells under ultrasonic cavitation excitation.

Spontaneous grain refinement effect of rare earth zinc alloy anodes enables stable zinc batteries.

Irreversible interfacial reactions at the anodes pose a significant challenge to the long-term stability and lifespan of zinc (Zn) metal batteries, impeding their practical application as energy storage devices. The plating and stripping behavior of Zn ions on polycrystalline surfaces is inherently influenced by the microscopic structure of Zn anodes, a comprehensive understanding of which is crucial but often overlooked. Herein, commercial Zn foils were remodeled through the incorporation of cerium (Ce) elements via the 'pinning effect' during the electrodeposition process.

Spin Polarization Enhances the Catalytic Activity of Monolayer MoSe for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The key factors in achieving high energy efficiency for proton exchange membrane fuel cells are reducing overpotential and increasing the oxygen reduction rate. Based on first-principles calculations, we induce H atom adsorption on 4 × 4 × 1 monolayer MoSe to induce spin polarization, thereby improving the catalytic performance. In the calculation of supercells, the band unfolding method is used to address the band folding effect in doped systems.

Carica Papaya leaf-infused metal oxide nanocomposite: a green approach towards water treatment and antibacterial applications.

This study successfully synthesized ZnO-CuO nanocomposite using the hydrothermal method with Carica papaya leaf extract. The incorporation of the leaf extract significantly enhanced the nanocomposite properties, a novel approach in scientific research. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transmission Infrared spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis, confirmed a cubic crystal structure with an average size of 22.

A Photoelectrochemical Retinomorphic Synapse.

Reproducing human visual functions with artificial devices is a long-standing goal of the neuromorphic domain. However, emulating the chemical language communication of the visual system in fluids remains a grand challenge. Here, a "multi-color" hydrogel-based photoelectrochemical retinomorphic synapse is reported with unique chemical-ionic-electrical signaling in an aqueous electrolyte that enables, e.

Coordination engineering for iron-based hexacyanoferrate as a high-stability cathode for sodium-ion batteries.

Iron-based hexacyanoferrate (Fe-HCF) are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their unique open-channel structure that facilitates fast ion transport and framework stability. However, practical implementation of SIBs has been hindered by low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), poor rate performance, and short lifespan. Herein, we report a coordination engineering to synthesize sodium-rich Fe-HCF as cathodes for SIBs through a uniquely designed 10-kg-scale chemical reactor.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of N-Type PbSe Through Semi-Coherent Nanostructure by AgCuTe Alloying.

N-type PbSe thermoelectric materials encounter challenges in improving the power factor due to the single-band structure near the Fermi level, which obstructs typical band convergence. The primary strategy for enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) for n-type PbSe involves reducing lattice thermal conductivity (κ) by introducing various defect structures. However, lattice mismatches resulting from internal defects within the matrix can diminish carrier mobility, thereby affecting electrical transport properties.

Modular Fabrication of Microfluidic Graphene FET for Nucleic Acids Biosensing.

Graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) are widely used in biosensing due to their excellent properties in biomolecular signal amplification, exhibiting great potential for high-sensitivity and point-of-care testing in clinical diagnosis. However, difficulties in complicated fabrication steps are the main limitations for the further studies and applications of GFETs. In this study, a modular fabrication technique is introduced to construct microfluidic GFET biosensors within 3 independent steps.

Evidence of strong and mode-selective electron-phonon coupling in the topological superconductor candidate 2M-WS.

The interaction between lattice vibrations and electrons plays a key role in various aspects of condensed matter physics - including electron hydrodynamics, strange metal behavior, and high-temperature superconductivity. In this study, we present systematic investigations using Raman scattering and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to examine the phononic and electronic subsystems of the topological superconductor candidate 2M-WS. Raman scattering exhibits an anomalous nonmonotonic temperature dependence of phonon linewidths, indicative of strong phonon-electron scattering over phonon-phonon scattering.

Spatially Resolved Multicolor Luminescence Tuning on the Single 1D Heterogeneous Microrod.

The spatially resolvable multicolored microrods have potential applications in many fields. However, achieving spatially resolved multicolor luminescence tuning on the microrod with a fixed composition remains a daunting challenge. Herein, a strategy is proposed that allows for the tuning of spatially resolved, multicolored upconversion (UC) luminescence (UCL) along a 1D heterogeneous microrod by modifying the pulse width of an external laser.

Complementary Multisite Turnover Catalysis toward Superefficient Bifunctional Seawater Splitting at Ampere-Level Current Density.

The utilization of seawater for hydrogen production via water splitting is increasingly recognized as a promising avenue for the future. The key dilemma for seawater electrolysis is the incompatibility of superior hydrogen- and oxygen-evolving activities at ampere-scale current densities for both cathodic and anodic catalysts, thus leading to large electric power consumption of overall seawater splitting. Here, in situ construction of FeN/CoN/MoO heterostructure arrays anchoring on metallic nickel nitride surface with multilevel collaborative catalytic interfaces and abundant multifunctional metal sites is reported, which serves as a robust bifunctional catalyst for alkaline freshwater/seawater splitting at ampere-level current density.

Flash Joule Heating: A Promising Method for Preparing Heterostructure Catalysts to Inhibit Polysulfide Shuttling in Li-S Batteries.

The "shuttle effect" issue severely hinders the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, which is primarily caused by the significant accumulation of lithium polysulfides in the electrolyte. Designing effective catalysts is highly desired for enhancing polysulfide conversion to address the above issue. Here, the one-step flash-Joule-heating route is employed to synthesize a W-WC heterostructure on the graphene substrate (W-WC/G) as a catalytic interlayer for this purpose.

Advances in two-photon absorption photodynamic therapy of glioma based on porphyrin-based metal-organicframework composites.

Gliomas of the brain are characterised by high aggressiveness, high postoperative recurrence rate, high morbidity and mortality, posing a great challenge to clinical treatment. Traditional treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy; they also have significant associated side effects, leading to difficulties in tumour resection and recurrence. Photodynamic therapy has been shown to be a promising new strategy to help treat malignant tumours of the brain.

A W-Shaped Self-Supervised Computational Ghost Imaging Restoration Method for Occluded Targets.

We developed a novel method based on self-supervised learning to improve the ghost imaging of occluded objects. In particular, we introduced a W-shaped neural network to preprocess the input image and enhance the overall quality and efficiency of the reconstruction method. We verified the superiority of our W-shaped self-supervised computational ghost imaging (WSCGI) method through numerical simulations and experimental validations.

Fresh Meat Classification Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Assisted by LightGBM and Optuna.

To enhance the accuracy of identifying fresh meat varieties using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), we utilized the LightGBM model in combination with the Optuna algorithm. The procedure involved flattening fresh meat slices with glass slides and collecting spectral data of the plasma from the surfaces of the fresh meat tissues (pork, beef, and chicken) using LIBS technology. A total of 900 spectra were collected.