Olivine-type LiMnPO4 is a promising lithium-ion battery cathode with high energy density, yet its application is hindered by low electronic conductivity and slow lithium-ion diffusion kinetics. Herein, a synergistic multi-element doping strategy combining Na+ doping at the Li site with Fe2+ and Sc3+ co-doping at the Mn site is proposed to overcome these limitations. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations verify that the Fe-Sc co-doping narrows the band gap and introduces intermediate impurity states, while Na+ expands the lithium-ion diffusion channels. The optimized Li0.95Na0.05Mn0.75Fe0.2Sc0.03PO4/C material exhibits a well-crystallized nanorod/spindle morphology with uniform elemental distribution, delivering a discharge capacity of 152.7 mAh g−1 at 0.05C and 101.3 mAh g−1 at 5C, higher than that of pristine and Fe-Sc co-doped LiMnPO4/C. This synergistic co-doping strategy reduces charge-transfer resistance and enhances Li+ diffusion kinetics, providing a rational design pathway for high-power lithium-ion battery cathodes.

ABSTRACT Silicon–carbon (Si/C) anodes, as an attractive alternative to traditional anode materials, have been extensively studied for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, their widespread application still faces several key obstacles, including low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and a fast capacity decay rate. Pre‐lithiation as an effective strategy has been widely used to address these issues through compensating for active lithium loss. This review comprehensively analyzes the failure mechanisms of Si/C anodes during cycling, including structural degradation, SEI instability, and kinetic constraints. The recent pre‐lithiation progresses are evaluated in three categories based on the different manufacturing stages: pre‐lithiation during active material synthesis, pre‐lithiation during electrode fabrication, and pre‐lithiation after full‐cell assembly. This classification integrates pre‐lithiation strategies and industrial production workflows, enabling a systematic evaluation of the relationships between cost, lithium utilization efficiency, and battery performance. Novel techniques such as dry pre‐lithiation, bifunctional electrolyte additives, and topological intercalation are also investigated for their contributions to improved ICE, cycling stability, and energy density. Although significant progress has been made, obstacles related to the degree of pre‐lithiation, lithiation uniformity, and process compatibility continue to restrict the large‐scale application of Si/C anodes. Finally, a detailed analysis of these challenges in Si/C anodes is provided, and future development prospects are discussed for next‐generation LIBs with enhanced performance and expanded commercial viability.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Listeria monocytogenes, a hazardous foodborne pathogen, is still a great challenge in food safety monitoring. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of Acharia stimulea-like In-doped ZnO nanofibers via a simple electrospinning-calcination process for highly sensitive sensing towards 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H-2B), a key biomarker produced by Listeria monocytogenes. Synergetic combination of In-doping and morphological engineering greatly enhances the gas-sensing performance. In-doping creates abundant oxygen vacancies and free carriers whereas the unique nanofiber structure ensures maximum exposure of active sites and fast gas diffusion. The optimized 3% In-ZnO sensor exhibits an exceptional response of 830 toward 100 ppm 3H-2B at 170 degrees C, with an ultra-fast response/recovery time of 1/5 s and a low detection limit of 26.2 ppb. The grain size of the 3% In-ZnO sample is tuned close to twice the Debye length, enabling full electron depletion and optimal sensing behavior. More importantly, a multi-parameter intelligent sensing system is designed for real-time and on-site 3H-2B detection. This study not only establishes In-doped ZnO nanofibers as a superior sensing platform for Listeria but also opens a new avenue for the detection of foodborne pathogens.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) permeates every compass point and every setting, making high-fidelity, low-cost sensors an urgent public-health imperative. We answer this need by incorporating zinc ions into the bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) lattice to enhance its NO2 gas-sensing performance, with the resulting Zn-doped Bi2S3 nanoparticles fabricated via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Gas-sensing measurements demonstrate the 7 % Zn-doped Bi2S3 achieves a room-temperature response to 4 ppm NO2 gas molecules, which is 2.1-fold greater than the bare Bi2S3, yielding a response value of 143.5 %, along with excellent selectivity, repeatability, and long-term stability, confirming the effectiveness of Zn doping in optimizing the gas-sensing performance of Bi2S3. The boost arises from a tandem tuning of lattice structure engineering, band structure tuning, and charge transfer kinetics modulation. This paper offers a simple strategy for constructing high-performance, low-energy-consumption NO2 sensors operating at room temperature, holding significant implications for practical environmental sensing applications.

The development of highly sensitive and selective gas sensors for detection of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is imperative for environmental monitoring and industrial safety. Herein, we report a novel multi-dimensional heterostructure, 1D MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanofibers were derived from 2D MXene (Ti3C2Tx) through alkaline treatment, then integrated with 0D ZnO nanoparticles for high-performance NO2 sensing. The unique architecture synergistically combines the high carrier mobility and abundant surface functional terminals of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) with tunable semiconducting characteristics of ZnO. Benefiting from enhanced charge transfer at the heterointerfaces and maximized active sites, optimized sensor demonstrates exceptional responses to NO2 at room temperature, realizing a substantial response value of 64.58% towards 50 ppm NO2, significantly surpassing pristine MXene (Ti3C2Tx). Notably, the multi-dimensional composite exhibits an ultra-low limit of detection of 25.14 ppb for NO2, which meets the requirements for ppb-level detection. Additionally, the response of sensor to NO2 (64.58%) significantly exceeds that to other interfering gases at equivalent concentrations, such as NH3 (0.7%) and trimethylamine (7.3%). Furthermore, during long-term stability testing, the response to NO2 at equivalent concentrations exhibited only a 4.7% decay over approximately 30 days. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the binding energy of this multi-dimensional structure for NO2 is 0.5 eV, significantly higher than that for other gas species. Theoretical simulations reveal that improved performance originates from strengthened NO2 adsorption energy and modulated electron depletion layers at hybrid interface. This work provides viable solution for fabricating advanced gas sensors through multi-dimensional material engineering, demonstrating great potential in real-time air quality analysis.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been considered among the most promising next-generation battery systems owing to their exceptionally high theoretical energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, their development continues to be hindered by the dissolution and sluggish conversion kinetics of the intermediate polysulfides. Efficient catalysts have shown significant potential in anchoring and catalytically converting polysulfides. Among them, dual-atom catalysts (DACs) are gaining increasing attention due to their high atomic utilization efficiency and structurally well-defined active sites. Through the synergistic interaction between neighboring metal atoms, DACs demonstrate enhanced capabilities for the coordinated adsorption and catalytic conversion of polysulfides, which helps minimize the shuttle effect and improve reaction kinetics. This review offers a comprehensive overview of recent advances in DACs for Li-S batteries, including the controlled synthesis, atomic-scale structural characterization, and detailed mechanistic insights into both homonuclear and heteronuclear DACs. It also highlights the promising role of combined first-principles calculations and machine learning in guiding the rational design and rapid screening of high-performance DACs. Finally, key challenges and future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the pathway toward computationally-guided design and practical implementation of DACs in advanced energy storage systems.

Listeria monocytogenes is a life-threatening foodborne pathogen, and indirect detection via its specific metabolite 3-hydroxy-2-butanone has emerged as a validated strategy. However, reliable early monitoring of LM requires rapid response kinetics for real-time analysis and high selectivity against food-derived volatile organics, and achieving both simultaneously at the ppb level remains a significant challenge. Herein, we have synthesized Fe-doped ZnO nanofibers and the introduction of Fe induces the formation of a mixed Fe2 + /Fe3+ valence that facilitates dynamic redox cycling, thereby enhancing charge transfer efficiency and creating additional active sites to improve gas-sensing performance. Systematic gas-sensing evaluations showed that the 0.5% Fe-doped ZnO sensor exhibits an optimal response of 168.9-100 ppm 3H-2B at 170 degrees C, with a rapid response time of 2 s and a low detection of 110 ppb, significantly outperforming the undoped ZnO and higher Fe-doped counterparts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the coexistence of Fe2+/Fe3+, whose dynamic redox cycles enhanced electron exchange between the nanofibers and 3H-2B, thereby boosting sensing performance. This study offers an economical method for 3H-2B detection and demonstrates variable-valence Fe is a potential dopant to tailor ZnO-based gas sensors toward food safety and environmental applications.

Tungsten (W) has different electron configuration and oxidation state as well as the ionic radius from titanium, which is helpful to the separation of photo-excited carriers and improve the photocatalytic performance of titanium dioxide. Here, W-doped brookite TiO2 nanoparticles (W/b-TiO2 NPs) were prepared using a one-step hydrothermal method. The results showed that W doping caused the formation of a small amount of anatase in the brookite TiO2 and the particle size of W/b-TiO2 NPs decreased with the increase of W doping amount due to the local lattice distortion and atomic vacancies. The 5 %W/b-TiO2 NPs showed better photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) compared with other samples, due to its larger specific surface area and higher separation efficiency of photoexcited carriers and the photodegradation rate of MB is more than 91 % under UV irradiation for 120 min.

The precise monitoring of ammonia (NH3) is paramount for environmental protection and public health, necessitating the development of high-performance gas sensors. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess intrinsic open metal sites with Lewis acidity, enabling the stable adsorption of NH3 molecules via Lewis acid-base interactions. Herein, we present a strategy integrating mild ammonia etching with Au modification to fabricate zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) derived ZnO, aiming to expose more acidic sites and further enhance the NH3 sensing properties. The as-synthesized Au-ZnO sensor achieves an outstanding sensitivity of 51.83 toward 100 ppm NH3 at 170 °C, accompanied by rapid response/recovery dynamics of 8 s/6 s and an ultra-low detection limit down to 0.5 ppm. The superior sensing performance is attributed to the synergistic interactions among the enlarged specific surface area, plentiful unsaturated Lewis acidic sites, and the catalytic sensitization effect of Au nanoparticles. This work introduces a new paradigm to tailor the morphology and adsorption sites of MOF derived materials through etching strategies for enhanced ammonia sensing capability.

Targeted detection of the 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H-2B) biomarker represents a feasible and reliable strategy for monitoring Listeria monocytogenes, a highly virulent foodborne pathogen that poses severe threats to public health and food safety. The significance of this study lies in addressing the urgent demand for rapid, sensitive, and on-site detection of Listeria monocytogenes, as traditional detection methods are often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unsuitable for field applications. Herein, we successfully prepared Sn-doped ZnO hollow nanotubes via an electrospinning process, and further designed a multi-parameter intelligent sensing system based on this material for portable 3H-2B detection. A key improvement of our work is the synergistic integration of Sn doping and morphological engineering, which dramatically enhances gas-sensing performance: Sn doping introduces a high density of oxygen vacancies and free charge carriers, while the tailored hollow nanotube configuration maximizes the accessibility of active sites and facilitates rapid gas diffusion across the sensing interface. The optimized 3% Sn-doped ZnO sensor exhibits excellent 3H-2B sensing performance, with an optimal response of 155.1 to 100 ppm 3H-2B at 200 °C, a rapid response time of 1 s, and a low detection limit of 100 ppb, significantly outperforming undoped ZnO and other Sn-doped counterparts. This sensing system shows promising application prospects in food safety supervision, catering industry, and food processing workshops, enabling rapid on-site monitoring of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This study not only establishes Sn-doped ZnO hollow nanotubes as a superior sensing platform for 3H-2B but also opens a new avenue for the rapid, sensitive detection of foodborne pathogens, providing technical support for food safety guarantee.

Developing high-performance and cost-effective cathode materials is crucial for advancing lithium-ion batteries toward higher energy density and sustainability. This study explores a dual modification strategy involving Sn4+ doping and Li2SnO3 coating to address the challenges confronting the rate performance and cycling stability of Co-free LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 cathode material. The combination of Sn4+ doping and Li2SnO3 coating effectively enhances both the bulk and surface properties of LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2, leading to significant improvements in electrochemical performance. The sample with 2 mol% Sn exhibits a capacity of 170 mAh g-1 at 5 C rate and a capacity retention of 84.3 % after 197 cycles at 1 C rate, significantly exceeding the pristine sample's capacity of 159.5 mAh g-1 and capacity retention of 70.8 %. This work highlights the synergistic effect of these modifications, which significantly enhances the material's electrochemical performance, making it a promising candidate for high-energy-density and sustainable lithium-ion batteries.

The advancement of lithium-ion battery technology necessitates large-scale production of electrode materials with high energy density, power density, and safety. TiNb2O7 (TNO), a promising anode material with a Wadsley-Roth structure, offers high theoretical capacity (387.6 mAh g- 1), suitable voltage (1.65 V vs Li+/Li), and structural stability. However, the practical application of TNO is hindered by its low electronic conductivity and slow lithium-ion diffusion coefficient, necessitating performance enhancement through strategies such as nanosizing, morphology control, conductive material decoration, and ion doping. This study presents a novel precursor preparation approach using acidified hydrogen peroxide-assisted spray drying, which significantly lowers the subsequent heat treatment temperature, enabling the successful synthesis of tungsten (W6+)-doped TNO porous spherical nanomaterials at a lower calcination temperature of 750 degrees C. Optimal W6+ doping enhances the material's crystallinity, reduces the charge transfer resistance, accelerates lithium-ion transport, and markedly improves the charge-discharge performance at high rates. The prepared W0.1Ti0.9Nb2O7 material achieves a high specific capacity of 167.7 mAh g- 1 at a 20C rate and maintains a capacity retention of 93.4 % after 250 cycles at a 1C rate. This approach enables scalable production of high-performance TNO anodes.

Triethylamine(TEA) exhibits a potent irritant effect on human skin, mucous membranes, the nervous system and prolonged exposure may result in severe pulmonary edema and potentially fatal outcomes, but the current detection methods are time-consuming and laborious, so we need to develop a convenient and cheap detection method for TEA. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) represented by ZnO constitutes a class of admirable chemiresistive gas-sensing. However, optimizing the gas selectivity, enhancing sensitivity and response speed of ZnO are the key to the practical applications. Heterogeneous ion doping is a feasible strategy to improve the gas sensitive properties of ZnO, which can be improved by adjusting the band gap width and oxygen vacancy concentration. Herein, Co-doped ZnO nanorods were prepared by solvothermal method. It is demonstrated that the significant improvement of the gas-sensing properties of Co-ZnO, making a significant contribution to the application of chemiresistive MOS in the gas sensing field. The response of 0.7 ​% Co-ZnO to 100 ​ppm TEA at 270 ​°C is 63, which is almost 7 times that of pure ZnO. Additionally, the response and recovery times of 0.7 ​% Co-ZnO are 3 ​s and 165 ​s, respectively, compared to 5 ​s and 226 ​s for pure ZnO. Finally, a possible reason for the enhanced gas-sensitive properties of Co-doped ZnO nanorods is proposed.

Although the antibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles have been widely studied for potential biomedical applications, their relatively mild antibacterial activity still limits the clinical application of ZnO-based antibacterial materials. Here, we reported a new method to improve the antibacterial activity and visible light absorption of ZnO nanoparticles by incorporating allicin on the surface. The synthesis was performed through a simple condensation reflux reaction to obtain the designed series of ZnO/Allicin composites. FT-IR, XRD, and TEM analysis proved the structure and composition of the obtained composites. All composites show visible light absorption in the UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis. Through antibacterial activity tests, the ZnO/allincin-1 % sample showed significantly enhanced activity (2-fold increase) against Staphylococcus aureus after visible light excitation. Antibacterial mechanistic investigations reveal that the composition of allicin with the ZnO nanoparticles not only improves ROS productive ability but also enhances the release of Zn2+. Overall, this study provides a practical, convenient, and economic strategy to refine the visible light absorption and antibacterial activity of ZnO without introducing more toxic metal ions. In the meantime, this new nanomaterial could be a good starting point for initiating clinically applicable ZnO nanocomposites.

Triethylamine is an organic amine compound with strong irritancy and toxicity that threatens ecological balance and human health, making accurate detection crucial. However, achieving high sensitivity and selective detection of TEA in ppb level is challenging. Herein, we have successfully prepared an Au-ZnO/ZIF-8 via an interface oxidation strategy followed by Au nanoparticles loading. The synthesis process involves three key steps: firstly, ZnO nanofibers are prepared by electrospinning, followed by in-situ coordination growth to form a ZIF-8 layer on the ZnO surface; subsequently, Au nanoparticles are decorated onto the ZnO/ZIF-8 surface through an impregnation-reduction method; finally, the composites are calcined in a tube furnace to generate oxidation layers while retaining the intrinsic properties of ZIF-8. Sensing tests toward 100 ppm TEA reveal that the Au-ZnO/ZIF-8 sensor exhibits a response of 1012.5 with a low detection limit of 2.78 ppb at 235 degrees C. This performance is 13.9-fold higher than that of ZnO/ZIF-8 (72.9 at 303 degrees C) and 30.5-fold higher than that of pristine ZnO (33.1 at 328 degrees C). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates high selectivity for TEA, short response times (7 s), as well as excellent repeatability and stability. It indicates that the Au-ZnO/ZIF-8 sensor holds great potential for practical TEA detection, thereby providing a feasible strategy to improve the gas detection capabilities of MOFbased sensors.

Constructing composite electrodes using multiple materials is emerging as a significant approach in advanced lithium-ion battery design. However, the current composite electrode design is primarily confined to the combination of electrochemically active materials, overlooking the potential roles of inactive components, such as nanoscale oxides. Here, we propose a facile processing strategy to incorporate nano-TiO2 into the carbon binder framework of LiCoO2 electrodes (TiO2-LCO), achieving simultaneous enhancement in cycling stability and thermal stability for high-loading electrodes. The TiO2-LCO electrode demonstrates superior cycling stability (capacity retention rate for 140 cycles: 73.82 % vs. 61.82 %) and rate performance (discharge capacity at 2C: 143.2 mAh g-1 vs. 59.4 mAh g-1) compared to the pristine LiCoO2 electrode. Further electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals the significant suppression of the increase of charge transfer resistance as well as the growth of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) layers. Thermal analysis further reveals the enhanced interfacial stability of the TiO2-LCO electrode. XPS measurement attributes the variation of the electrochemical dynamics to the compositional changes in CEI. A favorable carbon binder framework observed in the TiO2-LCO electrode is attributed to the variation of the CEI. This study reveals the potential role the inactive components can play in the composite electrode design and optimization.

Silicone rubber-based implantable medical devices are prone to bacterial infections due to their chemical inertness which needs to be solved. In this study, high cationic density quaternized polyethyleneimine (QPEI) modified silicone rubber (SiR) was prepared by covalently grafting. The modified SiR possessed improved hydrophilicity and positive zeta potential, and antibacterial experiments proved that it can successfully kill bacteria. This simple antibacterial strategy has a certain use for reference to SiR-based implantable medical devices.

In this work, we investigate multistep ferroelectric polarization switching dynamics of a series of poly-(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)/polystyrene, P-(VDF-TrFE)/PS, as active layers in ferroelectric capacitors with variable P-(VDF-TrFE)/PS thickness ratios and a wide range of driving voltage frequencies (1-1000 Hz). The PS electret-like modulation effects on the depolarized field fluctuation are proven to be responsible for this multistep ferroelectric polarization switching process. To be specific, the switching current density peak splits into two peaks in both positive and negative voltage ranges according to the stimulus-response (S-R) data from the metal-ferroelectric-electret-metal capacitor driven by a periodic triangular voltage wave. The double-peak current trough appears when the transitorily suppressed ferroelectric polarization switching occurs while the discharge and recharge of the PS electret by external voltage brings a specific dynamic change in the electric field across ferroelectric (E-FE). We also propose a theoretical model to simulate the ferroelectric polarization switching process at a current trough zone. This phenomenon provides new concepts on the electret-modulated multistep ferroelectric switching dynamics, and such switching mechanisms are critical for realizing reliable nonvolatile memory applications in flexible electronics.