3D Tomography

In article number 2107349, Stefan Ringe, Youngkook Kwon, Hyung Mo Jeong, and co-workers suggest a new catalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) environment, sub-nano scale spacing within Sn nanoparticles, which is achieved by a Li electrochemical tuning method. In this small spacing structural environment, space confinement induces enhances the activity and selectivity of CO₂RR by stabilization of rate-limiting intermediates, resulting in effectively suppressed hydrogen evolution reaction.

Medical Microrobots

In article number 2109741, Metin Sitti and co-workers report FePt-covered Janus microrollers that travel in the blood stream to reach the tumor site. The Janus microrollers have a special magnetic alloy with an L10 crystal structure that enables magnetic locomotion, imaging, and biocompatibility.

Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

In article number 2107838, Yunhua Xu, Xifei Li, and co-workers design Ni/Zn dual-doped CoSe₂ with bifunctional catalytic configuration to enhance the catalytic effect of CoSe₂ for improving sulfur cathode performance. More importantly, Ni functions better in catalyzing the conversion of LiPSs into Li₂S than Zn, while Zn demonstrates a better catalytic effect for Li₂S decomposition than Ni.

3D Electrical Adhesive

In article number 2107285, Min-Seok Kim, Changhyun Pang, and co-workers report a highly skin-adaptive, sweat-drainable patch with an isotropically stretchable and durable nanotube-implanted electrode via a selective-transfer technique for multiplexed bioelectronics. Inspired by the wrinkled suction cups in the forelegs of diving beetles, the water-repellent adhesive patch can stably monitor multiple biosignals (electrocardiography and skin temperature) without delamination on skin in sweaty and even harsh dynamic conditions.

A comprehensive overview of applications of perovskite materials in dual-functional light-emitting solar cells is presented in this review. The effects of defect passivation, interface optimization, energy level alignment, and dimensional control on the performance are highlighted. Along with its current status from existing literature, future research directions to address their challenges are also discussed.

This review starts with the basic physical properties of tin halide perovskites and subsequently presents the origin of open-circuit voltage loss (V_loss) in tin halide perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) in detail. Some recently emerged strategies to suppress V_loss in TPSCs are further summarized, together with a perspective on the development of TPSCs.

Herein, a comprehensive review of the recent developments in nanoenzymes including systematic introduction and fundamentals, nanoenzyme tailoring and synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biological application, and energy-oriented application are provided. The emerging approaches for nanoenzyme to monitor environmental pollutants, CO₂ sequestration and valorization, and its use as a water disinfectant are summarized. Finally, the conclusion and future perspectives are presented.

This review comprehensively summarizes the attenuation mechanisms of lithium ion batteries from the aspects of cathode materials, anode materials, electrolytes, diaphragm, current collectors, and their mitigation strategies. The related conclusions and perspectives in this review will provide the necessary support for the improvement of power battery performance and sustainable development of electric vehicles.

Combining distinct dynamic chemistries can transform static polymers to responsive materials. Using noncovalent and dynamic covalent linkers can lead to materials, which combine the responsiveness of each linker, or synergistically use the advantages of each linker. This review focuses on the unique chemistries, materials properties, and applications enabled by powerful combinations of multiple types of dynamic linkers into macromolecules.

The space-confinement approach to Sn-based nanoparticles enhances the activity of Sn and its selectivity to formic acid. When the spacing between the active surfaces of Sn reaches <1 nm, an order of magnitude increase in the current density and the product selectivity is observed for the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ at a given applied potential.

FePt (L1₀) film-coated magnetic surface microrollers outperform the previous ones with other magnetic films during surface locomotion against the fluidic flow direction. They also exhibit high imaging contrast during magnetic resonance and photoacoustic medical imaging-based tracking of the microrollers in ex vivo settings and high biocompatibility with macrophages and endothelial cells in vitro.

A bifunctional Ni/Zn dual-doped CoSe₂ is designed and used as a catalyst for lithium-sulfur batteries, to improve the catalytic effect of CoSe₂. Ni/Zn dual-doped CoSe₂ exhibits excellent catalytic effect due to bifunctional roles in catalyzing conversion reaction of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), precipitation, and decomposition of Li₂S, by combining the function of Ni and Zn.

A highly skin-conformal patch with a bioinspired, sweat-drainable adhesive and stretchable nanocomposite-based electrode is presented for multiplexed bioelectronics. Inspired by the wrinkled suction cups in the forelegs of insects (diving beetles), these adhesive patches are utilized as stretchable electrodes via the selective-transfer technique to monitor biosignals (electrocardiography and body temperature) without delamination on skin in sweaty and even harsh conditions.

Ultrafast Laser Lift-Off

In article number 2111920, Lingfei Ji and co-workers present a novel one-step laser lift-off (LLO) for an ultra-smooth, low-stress patterned gallium nitride (GaN) film and GaN-based light-emitting diode device without affecting the electroluminescence performance of the low-energy ultrafast laser, showing great promise in industrial fabrication of flexible GaN-based electronics.

Ultra-smooth, low-stress patterned gallium nitride (GaN) films and high-quality flexible GaN-based light-emitting diodes is achieved in a one-step process by low-energy UV ultrafast laser controlled lift-off, which has dramatic potential for the fabrication of GaN-based flexible electronic devices, as well as, novel wearable electronics.

A self-reduction and grain boundary confinement strategy has been applied to a silver imidazole resistive random access memory in which the cation movement and filament formation have confined in a crystalline switching medium. Through this facile material engineering strategy, the device exhibits tremendously enhanced performance including low spatial and temporal variation.

Bioinspired contact-sensible adhesive (CSA) is achieved by a hierarchical architecture with mushroom-shaped structures on the top layer and a capacitive force sensor on the bottom as a compliant backing. The CSA not only is sensitive to different types of external loads in normal and lateral directions, but also maintains a strong adhesion on the uneven surface.

The reduction in spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching current by the voltage-controlled magnetic easy-cone state is demonstrated. In Ta/CoFeB/Pt/MgO structures, the easy-cone state is efficiently modulated by the gate voltage, resulting in the reduction of the SOT switching current by up to 50%. The reversible and nonvolatile nature of the voltage-controlled easy-cone state facilitates multilevel spintronic devices.

Innovative scalable, vertical, ultrasharp nanowire arrays are reported that are individually addressable to enable long-term, native recordings of intracellular potentials. Stable amplitudes of intracellular potentials from 3D tissue-like networks of neurons and cardiomyocytes are obtained. Individual electrical addressability is necessary for high-fidelity intracellular electrophysiological recordings. This study paves the way toward predictive, high-throughput, and low-cost electrophysiological drug screening platforms.

An electron-withdrawing PZ-T unit is employed to incorporate into the PM6 polymer backbone as the third component, and a series of high-performance D-A₁-D-A₂ type terpolymers are synthesized by random copolymerization strategy. Among them, the PMZ-10:Y6-based polymer solar cells (PSCs) achieved an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 18.23%, which is the highest reported performance among the terpolymer-based PSCs so far.

Gallium-based liquid alloys establish liquid–liquid interfaces with electrolytic solutions. Applying a cathodic voltage to the liquid–liquid interface of eutectic gallium–bismuth binary liquid alloy triggers a phase separation where bismuth solute atoms precipitate rapidly from the interface. Bismuth atoms precipitate from the liquid alloy as nanosized entities that can be controlled to produce bismuth and bismuth oxide nanomaterials.

A simple, universal strategy is proposed to achieve high flexibility in programming porous regions throughout polyelectrolyte films. The pore-forming method here relies on photo-triggered generation of gas to foam the films and is performed with the aid of laser scanning to make the emergence of porous regions precisely follow the moving path of laser beams.

A MoS_2−x@CNTs composite is synthesized through the hydrothermal route with annealing and NaBH₄ reduction post-processing, of which the defective MoS₂ nanoflakes are fully and homogeneously wrapped on 3D CNT webs. Sulfur vacancies can induce charge re-distribution on MoS₂ nanoflakes to enable effective reversible conversion of Li_2−xO₂ at high current density.

High-performance and ultra-stable self-powered photodetectors (PDs) based on perovskite nanowires (NWs) are achieved by using n-type conjugated polymer poly{2,5-bis(2-dodecylhexadecyl)-3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo-[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4(2H,5H)-dione-alt-(E)-1,2-bis(3-cyanothiophen-2-yl)ethene} as multi-functional interfacial layer. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the performance and stability achieved herein represent the best results ever reported for perovskite PDs. More encouragingly, the application of NWs PDs for solution-processed reflective-mode pulse oximetry is also demonstrated.

A universal and scalable cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) coating strategy is proposed and developed via robustly grafting CNCs onto various substrates by constructing an intermedia adhesive layer. The highly dense CNCs coating exhibits outstanding antifouling and anti-wear performance for water purification. This study provides a useful method for addressing a long-standing challenge of the integration of rigid materials as robust surface coatings.

The transition from a conduction dominated to a radiation dominated thermal transport mechanism is revealed by light flash experiments in the range of 25 °C to 925 °C on particulate silica materials. Preconditions for this behavior are the optical transparency in the mid-infrared range and good thermal emitters at the samples’ boundaries.

In this work, formamidine acetate is used as additives to transform the low-dimensional (n = 2) phase into 3D phase in the mixed halide perovskite films (CsFA-Ac). The blue perovskite light-emitting diode based on the CsFA-Ac film is endowed with a prominent external quantum efficiency of 8.8% at 477 nm.

This study achieves a significantly increased photocurrent by almost five orders of magnitude under visible light illumination and an extension of the spectral response range to the optical communication waveband (1650 nm) in CsI₃ via pressure-tailored band engineering. These findings provide new insights for designing wide-range photosensitive, high-gain, and operable-at-ultralow-bias-input photoelectric functional materials.

High-abundance Ce and La coordinate the diffusion behavior of Tb in Nd–Fe–B magnets, resulting in deep infiltration and uniform distribution of Tb. This is important to enhance the efficiency of Tb. This work clarifies the synergistic effects of these three rare earths on the grain boundary diffusion by using both atomic-scale characterizations and computational simulations.

A perfluorinated sulfonic acid-based hybrid membrane is prepared with tungsten trioxide@graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrids and a polytetrafluoroethylene reinforced-layer. The nanohybrids block vanadium ions permeation effectively. The nanoparticles on the surface of GO nanosheets provide more paths for protons transportation. The vanadium redox flow battery of the hybrid membrane displays excellent energy efficiency and good cyclicity.

The scalable production of nacre-like PVA multifunctional nanocomposite films is presented by using the LBL assembly. The resultant low-cost nanocomposite achieves desirable flexibility, high tensile strength of 259 MPa, and an ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity of 82.4 W m^–1 K^–1, making it effectively cool for both smartphone and high-power LED modules. Moreover, as-designed nanocomposites are intrinsically fire retardant.

The heterogenous MoSe₂/N-doped carbon nanoarrays demonstrate a brilliant performance as K-ion batteries anode materials with greatly enhanced reversibility. The as-formed heterointerface greatly weakens the KSe bond of the discharge product (K₂Se) by optimizing its geometric structure, leading to the easy regeneration of the MoSe bond. The K-ion storage mechanism and structure-performance relationship are further clarified during de-/potassiation.

A facile strategy is developed to construct Ru SACs with tunable microenvironments by employing NiFe-LDH with different cation vacancies as supports. The Ru-O coordination environments and electronic configurations of Ru₁ can be easily tailored by the vacancy regulation. Hence, isolated Ru atoms anchored by M^III vacancies facilitate the desorption of benzaldehyde, thus leading to higher efficiency of benzyl alcohol oxidation.

Owing to the deposition of SnO_x on Cu₂O nanowires, an internal electric field is formed in the Cu₂O/SnO_x heterojunction under visible light irradiation, which facilitates the photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction to syngas (CO and H₂).

Van der Waals (vdW) materials are an indispensable part of functional device technology. Recently, the search for magnetic vdW materials has intensified due to the realization of magnetism in 2D. However, metallic magnetic vdW systems are still uncommon and they rarely show high-mobility charge carriers. Using chemical reasoning, it is found that TaCo₂Te₂ is an air-stable, high-mobility, magnetic vdW material.

The layered superconductor Cu_0.11TiSe₂, which can be obtained by controlled intercalation of TiSe₂ with Cu, has increased electrons and ions transfer rates. It exhibits a superior rate capability and long cycling stability as a cathode of potassium-ion batteries. Cu ions also play a role as a pillar between layers, delivering the highly reversible phase transformations during cycles.

In situ metal halide modification strategy is proposed to prepare CsPb(Br/I)₃ perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 92.0% due to the decreased nonradiative recombination rates and increased radiative recombination rates. The luminance reached 11233 cd m⁻² for pure red PNC light-emitting devices with a Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage 1931 color coordinate (0.704, 0.292) due to improved PLQY and balanced carrier injection.

The LiFePO₄ cathode using zinc acetate–diethanolamine complex (Zn(OAc)₂·DEA) as a functional binder reaches a capacity of 169 mAh g⁻¹ at the rate of 0.2C, which is close to the theoretical value. This is achieved by the rocking-chair coordination chemistry between the N atom and Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, or Fe³⁺ in discharge/charge states.

Ni bridged covalent organic framework layers show efficient photoconversion from the actual industrial exhaust to syngas by CO₂ aided bifunctional photocatalytic interface. Under 10% CO₂, the apparent quantum efficiency of CO achieves 3.96%. Moreover, the conversion rate of the catalyst to the flue gas could reach 672 L kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ under ideal conditions.

Three-tier hierarchical micro/nanostructrued surface with superior wicking capability and anti-wicking-degeneration performance shows excellent resistance to volatile organic compound contamination in the atmosphere, thus sustainably enhancing boiling heat transfer. Previously unidentified coexistence of several dry areas underneath a single bubble on a structured surface is visualized, revealing a new mechanism for boiling heat transfer enhancement.

An effective light-deflecting pattern is introduced to nonfullerene organic solar cells to improve energy conversion efficiency in the blue region. The normal incidence light is guided into a cavity-like chamber and mostly captured by the active layer, resulting in broadband absorption enhancement. The optimized device based on all A-D-A type nonfullerene acceptors achieves the highest reported efficiency of approaching 18%.

Thermally driven phase separation is found to improve the performance of solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes with an exciplex host:red phosphorescent light-emitting dendrimer emissive layer blend. The phase separated devices containing 2 wt% of the phosphorescent dendrimer are found to have maximum current, power, and external quantum efficiencies of 17.9 cd A⁻¹, 19.4 lm W⁻¹, and 14.8 ± 0.6%, respectively.

The viscoelastic response of graphene oxide membranes is characterized by frequency, temperature, humidity, and cross-linking agents. The low mass density, high storage modulus, and high loss coefficient of graphene oxide are ideal for simultaneously broadening operating bandwidth and suppressing resonant breakup in microspeakers.

A squaramide amino lipid that promotes specific interactions with mRNA and does not rely solely on ionic interactions for efficient complexation and assembly into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) is described. Molecular dynamics simulations provide insight into which interactions may be responsible for the unique particle characteristics. This offers the exciting possibility that in silico lipid/mRNA modeling can improve LNP component design.

In anodeless Li₂S batteries, Li deposits on the surface of Cu electrodes. The surface properties such as a roughness and a native oxide affect the Li metal deposition/dissolution. The native oxide substantially affects the nucleation behavior of Li and the reaction of the native oxide with the polysulfides strongly affects the deposited Li metal morphology and porosity. As a result, the Cu electrode with the native oxide shows porous Li metal structure resulting in poor cycle stability and kinetics. When the native oxide on the surface is removed, high cycling stability and superior kinetics are achieved in anodeless Li₂S batteries.

Through the construction of a W/Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ heterostructure with annealing treatment, the Curie temperature of Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ is raised above 150 K with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which is attributed to the interfacial orbital hybridization. Due to the weak interlayer coupling, the interfacial enhancement can be effective in long distance. The enhanced ferromagnetism can be controlled by spin-orbit torque with low current density.

A type of bioinspired radially branched nanofibrous patch with “center-to-periphery” gradient release and on-demand release is developed using a straightforward and programmable strategy. The patches exhibit rapid deployment, high bursting strength, enhanced mesenchymal stem cell migration from the periphery to the center, and promote mouse wound healing eventually, indicating great promise as wound care dressings and tissue repair patches.

A spraying/discharging strategy is employed to fabricate binder-free ω-Li₃V₂O₅ catalytic network with multi-polarization centers, which have strong positive and negative electric potential, exhibit high polarity and enough sites that can capture polysulfides effectively. In addition, the ω-Li₃V₂O₅ can catalyze polysulfides to short-chains sufficiently with a low catalyst loading. Furthermore, the networks facilitate electronic/ionic transmission and thereby boost their electrochemical performances.

Ultrathin Al nanosheets grown on carbon nanotubes (Al-NS-CNTs) with a corolla-like structure are proposed as anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). With the dominant exposed Al(111) facets, the composites are endowed with ideal structure stability during lithiation and delithiation cycling, exhibiting a high initial capacity of 990 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 C and excellent cycling performance without capacity fading after 500 cycles.

Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) exchange coupled mediated all-optical switching of a ferromagnet is a promising route to realize ultrafast storage/memory devices. An experimental proof of 3.5 ps switching of a ferromagnet mediated by RKKY coupling is demonstrated with exchange coupled CoGd/Pt/[Co/Pt]_n ferrimagnet-ferromagnet heterostructures. The extended microscopic three temperature model qualitatively describes the experimental ultrafast magnetization reversal dynamics.

This Cu doping in PtFe crystals facilitates the formation of compressive strain, consequently altering the electronic structure and then enhancing the phosphate tolerance. The maximum output power of Cu-PtFe/NC in HT-PEMFC reaches as high as 793.5 and 432.6 mW cm⁻² under the condition of H₂–O₂ and H₂–air atmosphere, respectively, exceeding that of most reported ORR electrocatalysts.