Photoresponsive polymers can be conveniently used to fabricate anti-counterfeiting materials through photopatterning. However, an unsolved problem is that ambient light and heat can damage anti-counterfeiting patterns on photoresponsive polymers. Herein, we develop photo- and thermostable anti-counterfeiting materials by photopatterning and thermal annealing of a photoresponsive conjugated polymer

In recent years, the use of single atoms (SAs) has become of a rapidly increasing significance in photocatalytic H2 generation; here SA noble metals (mainly Pt SAs) can act as highly effective co-catalysts. The classic strategy to decorate oxide semiconductor surfaces with maximally dispersed SAs relies on “strong electrostatic adsorption” (SEA) of suitable noble metal complexes. In the case of TiO2

Sluggish reaction kinetics and severe shuttling effect of lithium polysulfides seriously hinder the development of lithium-sulfur batteries. Heterostructures, due to unique properties, have congenital advantages that are difficult to be achieved by single-component materials in regulating lithium polysulfides by efficient catalysis and strong adsorption to solve the problems of poor reaction kinetics

Benefiting from the merits of low cost, non-flammability and high operational safety, aqueous rechargeable batteries have emerged as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage applications. Among various metal-ion/non-metallic charge carriers, proton (H+) as a charge carrier possesses numerous unique properties such as a fast proton diffusion dynamics, a low molar mass and a small hydrated

The high reliability and proven ultra-longevity make aqueous hydrogen gas (H2) batteries ideal for large-scale energy storage. However, the low alkaline hydrogen evolution and oxidation reaction (HER/HOR) activities of expensive platinum catalyst severely hampered its widespread applications in the H2 batteries. Here, cost-effective, highly active electrocatalysts, with a model of ruthenium-nickel

To demonstrate potent efficacy, a cancer vaccine needs to activate both innate and adaptive immune cells. Personalized cancer vaccine strategies often require the identification of patient-specific neoantigens; however, the clonal and mutational heterogeneity of cancer cells presents inherent challenges. Here, we present extracellular nanovesicles derived from alpha-galactosylceramide-conjugated autologous

The bioimpedances of tissues beyond the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of skin, contain crucial clinical information. Nevertheless, bioimpedance measurements of both the viable skin and the adipose tissue, though easy and innocuous, are not widely used, mainly because of the complex multi-layered skin structure and of the electrically insulating nature of the stratum corneum. Here, first

Strain engineering has been utilized as an effective approach to regulate the binding of reaction intermediates and modify catalytic behavior on noble metal nanocatalysts. However, the continuous, precise control of strain for a depiction of strain-activity correlation remains a challenge. Herein, Pd-based nanooctahedrons coated with two Ir overlayers are constructed, and subject to different post-synthetic

High kinetics oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts under low temperature are critical and highly desired for temperature-tolerant energy conversion and storage devices, but remain insufficiently investigated. Herein, oxygen vacancy-rich porous perovskite oxide (CaMnO3) nanofibers coated with reduced graphene oxide coating (V-CMO/rGO) are developed as the air electrode catalyst for low-temperature

Narrow-bandgap (NBG) mixed tin/lead-based (Sn-Pb) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted extensive attention for use in tandem solar cells. However, they are still plagued by serious carrier recombination due to inferior film properties resulting from the alloying of Sn with Pb elements, which leads to p-type self-doping behaviors. Herein, we report an effective tin oxide (SnOx) doping strategy

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the primary bacterial toxin that is vital to the pathogenesis and progression of sepsis associated with extremely high morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, specific clearance of LPS from circulating blood is highly challenging because of the structural complexity and its variation between/within bacterial species. Herein, we propose a robust strategy based on phage

MoS2 nanoribbons have attracted an increased interest due to their properties, which can be tailored by tuning their dimensions. Herein, we demonstrate the growth of MoS2 nanoribbons and 3D triangular crystals formed by the reaction between ultra-thin films of MoO3 grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition and NaF in a sulfur-rich environment. The multilayer nanoribbons can reach up to 10 μm in length, and

Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are strong candidates for next-generation display and lighting technologies due to their high color purity and low-cost solution-processed fabrication. However, PeLEDs are not superior to commercial organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in efficiency, as some key parameters affecting their efficiency, such as the charge carrier transport and light outcoupling

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) coatings have attracted enormous scientific and industrial interest due to their outstanding tribological behavior. The paradigmatic example is MoS2, even though selenides and tellurides have demonstrated superior tribological properties. Here, we describe an innovative in-operando conversion of Se nano-powders into lubricious 2D selenides by sprinkling them onto

Snap-through instability has been widely leveraged in metamaterials to attain non-monotonic responses for a specific subset of applications where conventional monotonic materials fail to perform. In the remaining more plentiful set of ordinary applications, snap-through instability is harmful, and current snapping metamaterials become inadequate because their capacity to snap cannot be suppressed post-fabrication

The π-expansion of non-fullerene acceptors is a promising method for boosting the organic photovoltaic performance by allowing the fine-tuning of electronic structures and molecular packing. In this work, highly efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) are fabricated using a two-dimensional (2D) π-expansion strategy to design new non-fullerene acceptors. Compared with the quinoxaline-fused cores of AQx-16

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has emerged as a treatment modality with high precision and efficacy of intractable tumors. At the core of effective tumor BNCT are 10B carriers with facile preparation as well as advantageous pharmacokinetic and therapeutic profiles. We herein report the design and preparation of sub-10 nm 10B-enriched hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles grafted with poly(glycerol)

Rare earth materials play an irreplaceable role in biomedical and high technology fields. However, typical mining and extraction approaches of rare earth elements (REEs) often lead to severe environmental problems and resource wastage due to the involvement of hazardous chemicals. Although biomining showed elegant alternatives, there are still grand challenges to sustainably isolate and recover REEs

InAs-based nanocrystals can enable RoHS-compliant optoelectronic devices, but their photoluminescence efficiency needs improvement for practical applications. We report an optimized synthesis of InAs@ZnSe core@shell nanocrystals that allows to finely tune the ZnSe shell thickness up to 7 mono-layers (MLs) and to boost the emission, reaching a quantum yield of ∼70% at ∼900 nm. We demonstrate that a

Nature provides a wide range of self-assembled structures from the nanoscale to the macroscale. Under the right thermodynamic conditions and with the appropriate material supply, structures like stalactites, icicles, and corals can grow. However, the natural growth process is time-consuming. This work demonstrates a fast, nature-inspired method for growing stalactite nanopores using heterogeneous atomic

Implantable, bioresorbable drug delivery systems offer an alternative to current drug administration techniques; allowing for patient-tailored drug dosage, while also increasing patient compliance. Mechanistic mathematical modeling allows for the acceleration of the design of the release systems, and for prediction of physical anomalies that are not intuitive and might otherwise elude discovery. This

Renewable electricity-powered NO3− reduction reaction (NO3RR) offers a net-zero carbon route to the realization of high NH3 productivity. However, this route suffers from low energy efficiency (EE, with a half-cell EE commonly <36%), since high overpotentials are required to overcome the weak NO3− binding affinity and sluggish NO3RR kinetics. To alleviate this, we suggest a rational catalyst design

After being expected as a promising analogue to cuprates for decades, superconductivity was recently discovered in infinite-layer nickelates, providing new opportunities to explore mechanisms of high-temperature superconductivity. However, in sharp contrast to the single-band and anisotropic superconductivity in cuprates, nickelates exhibit a multi-band electronic structure and an unexpected isotropic

Hydrogel electrolytes have been widely explored in Zn metal batteries for application in wearable electronics. While extensive studies have been conducted in optimizing the chemical structure and boosting the tensile elasticity, the mechanical stability of the hydrogel under repeated deformation is largely overlooked, leading to unsatisfactory performance at large cycling capacity. We systematically

Two-dimensional (2D) perovskites based on Formamidinium (FA) hold the potential for excellent stability and a broad absorption range, making them attractive materials for solar cells. However, FA-based 2D perovskites produced via one-step processing exhibit poor crystallinity and random quasi-quantum wells (QWs), leading to subpar photovoltaic performance. In this study, we introduce a seed-induced

Liquid crystal is a state of matter being intermediate between solid and liquid. Liquid crystal materials exhibit both orientational order and fluidity. Whilst liquid crystals have long been highly recognized in the display industry, in recent decades, liquid crystals provide new opportunities into the cross-field of material science and biomedicine due to its biocompatibility, multifunctionality,

Metal-halide perovskites possess great potential for electrochemical water splitting that has not been realized due to their intolerance to water. Here, methylammonium lead halide perovskites (MAPbX3) are used to electrocatalyze water oxidation in aqueous electrolytes by creating MAPbX3@AlPO-5 host-guest composites. Due to the protective feature of the zeolite matrix, halide perovskite nanocrystals

Development of type I photosensitizers (PSs) with strong hydroxyl radical (·OH) formation is particularly important in the anaerobic tumor treatment. On the other hand, it is challenging to obtain an efficient solid-state intramolecular motion to promote the development of molecular machine and molecular motor. However, the relationship between them has never been revealed. In this work, we develop

Ocular bacterial infection is a prevalent cause of blindness worldwide, with substantial consequences for normal human life. Traditional treatments for ocular bacterial infections are ineffective, necessitating the development of novel techniques to enable accurate diagnosis, precise drug delivery, and effective treatment alternatives. With the rapid advancement of nanoscience and biomedicine, increasing

Amorphous iron-calcium phosphate (Fe-ACP) plays a vital role in the mechanical properties of teeth of some rodents, which are very hard, but its formation process and synthetic route remain unknown. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of an iron-bearing amorphous calcium phosphate in the presence of ammonium iron citrate (AIC). The iron is distributed homogeneously on the nanometer scale

Cationic photosensitizers have good binding ability with negatively charged bacteria and fungi, exhibiting broad potential for use in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). However, cationic photosensitizers often display unsatisfactory transkingdom selectivity between mammalian cells and pathogens, especially for eukaryotic fungi. It is unclear which biomolecular sites may be more efficient for

The aberrant mechanical microenvironment in degenerated tissues induces misdirection of cell fate, making it challenging to achieve efficient endogenous regeneration. Herein, a hydrogel microsphere-based synthetic niche with integrated cell recruitment and targeted cell differentiation properties via mechanotransduction was constructed for enhanced endogenous regeneration. Through the incorporation

We report template-patterned, flexible Transparent Electrodes (TEs) formed from an ultrathin silver film on top of a commercial optical adhesive – Norland Optical Adhesive 63 (NOA63). NOA63 is shown to be an effective base-layer for ultrathin silver films that advantageously prevents coalescence of vapour-deposited silver atoms into large, isolated islands (Volmer-Weber growth), and so aids the formation

The release of chemicals following either pulsatile or continuous release modes is important for various potential applications, including programmed chemical reactions, mechanical actuation and treatments of various diseases. However, the simultaneous application of both modes in a single material system has been challenging. Here, we report two chemical loading methods in a liquid crystal-infused

Correlated oxides and related heterostructures are intriguing for developing future multifunctional devices by exploiting their exotic properties, but their integration with other materials, especially on Si-based platforms, is challenging. Here we demonstrate van der Waals heterostructures of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO), a correlated manganite perovskite, and MoS2 on Si substrates with multiple functions

The lung extracellular matrix (ECM) maintains the structural integrity of the tissue and regulates the phenotype and functions of resident fibroblasts. Lung-metastatic breast cancer alters these cell-ECM interactions, promoting fibroblast activation. There is a need for bio-instructive ECM models that contain the ECM composition and biomechanics of the lung to study these cell-matrix interactions in

Deep-red light-emitting diodes (DR-LEDs, >660 nm) with high color-purity and narrow-bandwidth emission are promising for full-color displays and solid-state lighting applications. Currently, the DR-LEDs are mainly based on conventional emitters such as organic materials and heavy-metal based quantum dots (QDs) and perovskites. However, the organic materials always suffer from the complicated synthesis

Currently, the full potential of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is limited by charge–carrier recombination owing to imperfect passivation methods. Here, the recombination loss mechanisms owing to the interfacial energy offset and defects are quantified. The results show that a favorable energy offset can reduce minority carriers and suppress interfacial recombination losses more effectively than chemical

Natural earthworm with ability of loosening soils that favors sustainable agriculture has inspired a worldwide interests in the design of intelligent actuators. Given the inability to carry heavy loads and uncontrolled deformation, the vast majority of actuators can only perform simple tasks by bending, contraction, or elongation. Herein, we present a degradable actuator with ability of deforming in

Pyroptosis, a distinct paradigm of programmed cell death, is an efficient strategy against cancer by overcoming resistance to apoptosis. In this study, LaCoO3 (LCO) lanthanide-based nanocrystals with multienzyme characteristics were rationally designed and engineered to trigger the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the release of lanthanum ions, ultimately inducing lung cancer

Photonic crystal fibre (PCF) embedded with functional materials has demonstrated diverse applications ranging from ultrafast lasers, optical communication to chemical sensors.[1] Many efforts have been made to fabricating carbon nanotube (CNT) based optical fibres by ex-situ transfer method, however, often suffer poor uniformity and coverage.[2] Here, we report the direct growth of CNTs on the inner

Polycrystalline perovskite films fabricated on flexible and textured substrates often are highly defective, leading to poor performance of perovskite devices. Finding substrate-tolerant perovskite fabrication strategies is therefore paramount. Herein, we show that adding a small amount of Cadmium Acetate (CdAc2) in the PbI2 precursor solution results in nano-hole array films and improves the diffusion

Liquid crystals (LCs) technology have a well-established history of applications in visible light, particularly in the display industry. However, with the rapid growth in communication technology, LCs have become a topic of current interest for high-frequency microwave (MW) and millimeter-wave (mmWave) applications due to promising characteristics such as tunability, continuous tuning, low losses,

Despite being one of the pillars of high-performance materials in the industry, manufacturing carbon fiber composites with concurrent maximized multifunctionality and structural properties has remained elusive primarily due to the lack of practical bottom-up approaches with control over nanoscale interactions. Herein, a programmable spray coating is introduced for the controlled deposition of multiple

Ultrasound (US)-triggered cascade amplification of nanotherapies has attracted considerable attention as an effective strategy for cancer treatment. With the remarkable advances in materials chemistry and nanotechnology, a large number of well-designed nanosystems have emerged that incorporate presupposed cascade amplification processes and can be activated to trigger therapies such as chemotherapy

Thermocells can continuously convert heat into electricity, and they are widely used to power wearable electronic devices. However, they have a risk of leakage and poor mechanical properties. Although quasi-solid ionic thermocells can overcome the issue of electrolyte leakage, the trade-off between their excellent mechanical properties and high thermopower remains a major challenge. In this study,

Non-invasive localization of lesions and specific targeted therapy are still the main challenges for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ta, as a medical metal element, has been widely used in the treatment of different diseases because of its excellent physicochemical properties, but is still far from being explored in IBD. Here, Ta2C modified with chondroitin sulfate (CS) (TACS) was evaluated as a

Patterning biomolecules in synthetic hydrogels offers routes to visualize and learn how spatially-encoded cues modulate cell behavior (e.g., proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis). However, investigating the role of multiple, spatially defined biochemical cues within a single hydrogel matrix remains challenging because of the limited number of orthogonal bioconjugation reactions available

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) show great promise for next-generation building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications because of their abundance of raw materials, adjustable transparency, and cost-effective printable processing. Owing to the complex perovskite nucleation and growth control, the fabrication of large-area perovskite films for high-performance printed PSCs is still under active investigation

Zn metal batteries (ZnBs) are safe and sustainable because of their operability in aqueous electrolytes, abundance and recyclability. However, the thermodynamic instability of Zn metal in aqueous electrolytes is a major bottleneck for its commercialisation. As such, Zn deposition (Zn2+ → Zn(s)) is continuously accompanied by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (2H+ → H2) and dendritic growth that further

Multifunctional selectivity and mechanical properties have always been a focus of attention in the field of flexible sensors. In particular, the construction of biomimetic architecture for sensing materials can endow the fabricated sensors with intrinsic response features and extra derived functions. Here, inspired by the asymmetric structural features of human skin, w e have proposed a novel tannic

DNA self-assembly computation is attractive for its potential to perform massively parallel information processing at the molecular level while at the same time maintaining its natural biocompatibility. It has been extensively studied at the individual molecule level, but not as much as ensembles in 3D. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of implementing logic gates, the basic computation operations

Water harvesting using the metal-organic framework (MOF)-801 is restricted by limited working capacity, powder structuring, and finite stability. To overcome these issues, we crystallized MOF-801 on the surface of macroporous poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-glycidyl methacrylate) spheres, called P(NIPAM-GMA), through an in situ confined growth strategy, forming spherical MOF-801@P(NIPAM-GMA) composite with

Noninvasive fluorescence (FL) imaging and high-performance photocatalytic therapy (PCT) are opposing optical properties that are difficult to combine in a single material system. Herein, we report a facile approach to introducing oxygen-related defects in carbon dots (CDs) via post-oxidation with 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX), in which some nitrogen atoms were substituted by oxygen atoms. Unpaired electrons

Neural recording systems have significantly progressed to provide an advanced understanding and treatment for neurological diseases. Flexible transistor-based active neural probes exhibit great potential in electrophysiology applications due to their intrinsic amplification capability and tissue-compliant nature. However, most current active neural probes exhibit bulky back-end connectivity since the