Abstract FexGeTe2 (x = 3; 5) are van der Waals magnets which, under the right conditions, can attain above-room-temperature Curie temperatures (TC). Owing to their high TC, their persistent spin order holds potential for a myriad of nanodevice applications both at and beyond room temperature. While the applications of thin films of these metallic two-dimensional ferromagnets have been explored in depth, use of their nanoparticles as catalysts for applications in green chemistry remains an untapped territory. Here, recent experimental investigations providing insights into the catalytic behavior of FexGeTe2 are discussed. Furthermore, employing in operando synchrotron-based X-ray radiation techniques in order to detect spectroscopic fingerprints of magnetic ordering in nanoparticles of FexGeTe2 is also proposed as a unique tool to gain fundamental insights into the role of their spin polarization in the catalytic process. This perspective is expected to endorse future research on the use of FexGeTe2 as magneto-catalysts for green chemistry.
Abstract MXene-based materials are promising anodes for lithium-ion batteries due to their metallic conductivity and layered structures. However, conventional surface terminations create heterogeneous interlayer chemistry, causing uneven charge distribution, sluggish Li+ transport, and inefficient utilization of active sites. Herein, we report a vapor-phase sulfurization strategy to construct sulfur-modulated layered materials from MAX precursors. Sulfur incorporation modulates the local electronic environment, enhancing electronic coupling and Li+ migration pathways. Density functional theory calculations reveal increased electronic states near the Fermi level, reduced charge localization, and lower Li+ diffusion barriers compared with Ti3C2Tx MXene. Consequently, Li+ storage in sulfur-modulated S–Ti3C2 involves both interlayer insertion and sulfur-related Faradaic reactions, delivering a reversible capacity of 955 mAh g–1, approximately 2.6 times that of conventional HF-etched Ti3C2Tx. This work demonstrates that vapor-phase sulfurization provides an effective route for regulating the electronic structure and charge-storage chemistry of MAX-derived layered materials.
Abstract Radiotherapy plays an indispensable role in clinical cancer treatment. Designing dual-modal agents for computed tomography (CT) imaging and radiotherapy sensitization remains a great challenge in tumor therapy. In this study, we designed and synthesized bismuth-based nanomaterials (Bi2Se3-TPP, TPP refers to triphenylphosphonium) with mitochondria-preferential accumulation and favorable CT imaging performance and prominent glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like catalytic activity. The obtained Bi2Se3-TPP can efficiently catalyze the reaction between H2O2 and glutathione (GSH), which induces intracellular GSH depletion and disrupts cellular antioxidant defense. Compared to Bi2Se3-PEG, Bi2Se3-TPP exhibited superior radiosensitization efficiency due to its mitochondrial targeting capability and impaired cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging ability, which facilitates ROS accumulation upon irradiation enhanced ROS generation capacity. In vivo studies demonstrated that Bi2Se3-TPP possessed good biocompatibility, achieving a tumor suppression rate of up to 82.6% in the synergistic treatment group, indicating significant potential for tumor diagnosis and therapy.
Abstract The ability to localize external mechanical stimuli is fundamental to human tactile perception, making its hardware implementation of significant interest for advanced human–machine interaction. Here, a resistive position sensor (RPS) is proposed for touch location recognition, exhibiting a high sensitivity of ∼55 kΩ/cm and excellent stability. A tactile perceptual system (TPS) is proposed by integrating the RPS with a chitosan-gated oxide ionotronic neuromorphic transistor. Benefiting from the strong proton relaxation effects of the chitosan-based electrolyte, the neuromorphic transistor can effectively process electrical signals generated from the RPS. The TPS can emulate various synaptic behaviors under mechanical stimuli. As a proof of concept, it demonstrates Braille code recognition. Furthermore, the TPS enables touch intention recognition through machine learning, demonstrating a high recognition accuracy of ∼99.2%. The results demonstrate great promise in human−machine interaction.
Abstract The P2-type Na0.67Fe0.5Mn0.5O2 (NFMO) is an attractive positive electrode for Na-ion batteries. However, NFMO’s capacity is limited by the amount of sodium stored in its initial framework. Here, we show that direct contact presodiation is a facile way to introduce cyclable sodium into NFMO before cycling and increases first cycle desodiation to 241 mAh/g, exceeding its theoretical capacity. We characterize the structural and surface changes that occur during presodiation. We report full conversion to the Jahn–Teller distorted P′2 phase, NaFe0.5Mn0.5O2, before cycling using presodiation. Furthermore, a NaF, PF5–, and Na2CO3-rich interphase is created on PS-NFMO. With electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation times analysis, we show that the charge-transfer impedance contribution is reduced due to differences in interphase speciation of NFMO and PS-NFMO. Lastly, we show that a robust cathode electrolyte interphase is created during presodiation, which enables high coulombic efficiency (>90%).
