The lack of efficient electrocatalysts has been a main obstacle for the large-scale commercialization of CO2 electroreduction. In this work, we demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) β-PdBi2 monolayer is a promising solution for this issue. β-PdBi2 monolayer is a stable 2D crystal, and the three-dimensional bulk interlayer energy is similar as for other layered materials that can be exfoliated into

As a newcomer to the family of two-dimensional (2D) material, 2D metals and alloys have seen rapid development in recent years because of their unique physical and chemical properties. Unlike freestanding atomistically thin 2D materials, such as graphene, the synthesis of 2D metals and alloys has been focused on either atomistically thin films under nanoscale geometric confinements or freestanding

Conducting polymers have attracted tremendous attention because of their unique characteristics, such as metal-like conductivity, ionic conductivity, optical transparency, and mechanical flexibility. Texture and nanostructural engineering of conjugated conducting polymers provide an outstanding pathway to facilitate their adoption in a variety of technological applications, including energy storage

Hydrogels possess exceptional physical and chemical properties that render them appealing components for soft actuators, wearable technologies, healthcare devices, and human interactive robots. Especially, the stimuli-responsive hydrogels can sense and perform smart functions in the presence of various stimuli that collectively contribute to the intelligence of the soft machine systems. Furthermore

Water electrolysis in neutral media has attracted concerted research efforts because of its practical applications including microbial electrolysis of wastewater and large-scale hydrogen generation by direct electrolysis of seawater. Because the corrosion of electrochemical devices is effectively reduced in neutral environments, the associated cost is consequently lowered. In this context, two-dimensional

Electrocatalytic water splitting is considered as the next-generation strategy for large-scale ultrapure hydrogen production. However, the high thermodynamic potential (1.23 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode) and slow kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) restrict the wide application of electrocatalytic water splitting. Replacing OER by hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) with

Topology and magnetism are both very classical subjects of condensed matter physics, and chiral helimagnets with topological spin textures provide new pathways to explore them together. In parallel, two-dimensional (2D) materials with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order have aroused raising research attention. However, 2D materials with helimagnetic order or with topological spin configurations

Metallic glasses (MGs) with amorphous structures and tunable compositions have been considered excellent structural and functional materials, especially in the frontier fields of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), biomedical engineering, energy conversion, etc. Making these materials into desired structures for different applications has always been one of the research focuses in the past decades

The layered materials, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted increasing attention because of their unique properties in the atomic structures, bandgaps, electronic properties, electrochemistry activities, and the potential applications in devices. Till now, most research has focused on the group VIB metal TMDs, like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten disulfide

Electrochemical energy storage (EES) plays an important role in personal electronics, electrified vehicles, and smart grid. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors (SCs) are two of the most important EES devices that have been widely used in our daily life. The energy density of LIBs is heavily dependent on the electrode capacity, in which the charge storage proceeds mainly in three different

Recently, multilayered WSe2 patterns consisting of a mixture of curved and linear edge segments and a mixture of cusps and apices have been obtained by combining chemical vapor deposition growth and etching. The underlying mechanisms and kinetics of the formation of such fascinating patterns, however, remain elusive. Here, we formulate a kinetic Monte Carlo model aiming at revealing the etching mechanisms

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites as promising light-harvesting materials have been the focus of scientific research and development of photovoltaics recently. Especially, metal halide perovskites currently become one of the most competitive candidates for the fabrication of solar cells with record certified efficiency over 25%. Despite the high efficiency, many fundamental questions remain unclear

Au core and Pd shell supported on carbon structure [email protected]/C can cleave the C–C bond of ethanol molecules leading to the production of a relatively high amount of CO2 when compared with Pd/C electrocatalyst as the attenuated total reflectance - Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) experiment shows. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that this could be explained by the oxidation

Triple-negative breast cancers are extremely aggressive with limited treatment options because of the reduced response of the cancerous cells to hormonal therapy. Here, monodispersed zinc-containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs-Zn) were produced as a tuneable biodegradable platform for delivery of therapeutic zinc ions into cells. We demonstrate that the nanoparticles were internalized by

van der Waals heterojunctions (vdWHs) formed between 2D materials have attracted tremendous attention in recent years owing to their exceptional electronic and physical properties, such as formation of superlattice and intriguing electronic coupling at the interface. These unique properties promise various novel applications, for example, in electronics and optoelectronics. More recently, vdWHs have

Photoswitching dynamics of common organic photoisomers in solid state are often reduced compared to the solution state due to the close packing of molecules that limits structural changes. The facile solid-state switching of photoisomers has implications in developing novel light-controlled devices such as actuator, field-effect transistor, and photodetector, as well as photon energy storage materials

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are considered as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) especially in large-scale energy storage systems of renewable energy owing to their potentially low production cost. In view of the larger ionic size of Na ions than Li ions, the commercial graphite anode in LIBs is not suitable for NIBs. To achieve NIBs with a high energy density, various anode materials

Iron pyrite (FeS2) exhibits dynamic thermal stability and represents an ideal model system to probe complex phase transformations in materials. At elevated temperatures, the sublimation of S atoms from the FeS2 lattice results in a phase transformation to one of the many polymorphic forms of pyrrhotite, i.e., from Fe1-XS (where 0 ≤ X < 0.2) to stoichiometric FeS. The complex nature of this phase transformation

With the coming era of large-scale energy storage, development of next-generation non–Li-based rechargeable battery technologies is imperative. Owing to the abundance, economy, and high energy density, K-ion batteries (KIBs) have attracted much attention. However, the overlarge K-ion can greatly destroy the electrode materials during potassiation-depotassiation process, resulting in a sharp decrease

Injury to the central nervous system remains a significant therapeutic challenge from a tissue engineering perspective because of the soft tissue properties, anatomical and spatial complexities, and highly divergent injury mechanisms that must be addressed. Emerging strategies to approach the difficulties of central nervous system regeneration include the use of hydrogel formulations as scaffolds for

The exceptional and unique properties of cerium dioxide have encouraged scientists to exploit this material beyond its traditional role as a promoter in automotive engines. Electrochemical processes relevant to fuel cells, electrolyzers, and sensors can be facilitated or even directly catalyzed by the CeO2, whose redox properties are ideal for electrochemistry. However, given the insulating nature

Economical and efficient energy storage in general, and battery technology, in particular, are as imperative as humanity transitions to a renewable energy economy. Rare and/or expensive battery materials are unsuitable for widespread practical application, and an alternative has to be found for the currently prevalent lithium-ion battery technology. In this review article, we discuss the current state-of-the-art

Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) with internal pores less than 2 nm have potential use in gas separation, sensing, and storage, in the form of membranes, monoliths, fibers, or adsorbent granules. These covalently bonded polymers are being formed by reacting with rigid organic monomers, and MOPs have lately been studied for capturing CO2 from gas mixtures in the form of membranes and adsorbents.

As a non-invasive technology, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been widely studied for tumor ablation and infection control. In recent years, nanoparticle (NP)-based PDT has attracted significant interest in improving wound healing. By photodynamically tuning the temperature of the wounds, NP-based PDT may promote cell proliferation and generate reactive oxygen species, thereby playing a beneficial role