High-entropy oxides (HEOs) hold great potential as electromagnetic absorption (EMA) materials due to their fascinating "cocktail" effect. However, its intrinsic poor dielectric loss hinders EMA capability, while the ingredient design can facilitate dielectric loss regulation, which is critically lacking. Herein, an electronic delocalization engineering that is motivated by metal elements modulation, is implemented on 2D spinel-type HEOs, which enhances the dielectric loss. In the HEOs with coexisting Cu and Mn (CuMn-HEOs), the electronic delocalization triggers the restructuring of transition metal valence states and generates abundant oxygen vacancies, which effectively adjust the dielectric loss. Due to the electronic delocalization and unique nanosheet structure, the CuMn-HEOs exhibit markedly superior absorption performance to other HEOs without Cu and Mn coexisting. Among them, the (CrMnFeNiCu)3O4 achieves a remarkable minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -50.7 dB (1.94 mm) and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EABmax) of 4.7 GHz. Moreover, through radar scattering cross-section simulation and assembling HEOs with polyvinyl alcohol into a soft membrane, the practical application potential of CuMn-HEOs has been proven. This work demonstrates the great potential of electronic delocalization engineering on improving the intrinsic electromagnetic loss capability of metal oxides and paves new insights for developing advanced EMA materials.

Molybdenum modified SiC powders were synthesized via a C-H-2 reduction and uniformly mixed with ZrB2 to ensure an even distribution of Mo. ZrB2-SiC based ceramics were prepared through hot-press sintering, and the effects of Mo on composition, microstructure, and properties were investigated. As the Mo content increased, the MoB phase gradually increased, while the structural continuity of ZrB2 was disrupted. Toughness and fracture work, exhibited an initial improvement followed by a decline with increasing Mo content. The introduction of 10 vol% Mo resulted in the ceramic with a uniform phase distribution, a fine-grained microstructure (2.12 mu m), improved toughness (7.42 MPa m(1/2)), and enhanced fracture work (200.05 J/m(2)). Its critical thermal shock temperature difference was 416 degrees C, which increased to 536 degrees C after pre-oxidation. After ablation for 100 s, it showed linear and mass ablation rates of -0.27 mu m/s and -0.05 mg/s, respectively, with a maximum surface temperature reaching 2398 degrees C.

Bismuth (Bi) has demonstrated great promise as Cl- capture anode for capacitive deionization (CDI), owing to large desalination capacity and environmental benefits. However, Bi anode suffers from severe volume expansion of similar to 158% during Cl- capture, leading to electrode degradation and rapid capacity decay. Herein, a two-dimensional Bi/BiOCl heterojunction anchored into carbon microrods (Bi-BiOCl/C) is constructed via tailored electrochemical construction process, which is achieved by ordinal charging-discharging under appropriate voltage. In the two-dimensional (2D) heterojunction, ultrafine Bi nanoparticles tightly bind with in-situ formed BiOCl nanosheet, forming abundant two-phase heterointerfaces. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that significant charge redistribution occurs at Bi/BiOCl interface, greatly promoting Cl- adsorption. Moreover, the robust Bi-O-C bonds not only accelerate electrons transport between heterojunction and carbon, but also strengthen structural integrity of the Bi-BiOCl/C. As expected, the Bi-BiOCl/C anode delivers an impressive Cl- removal capacity of 172.8 mg g(-1) at 1.2 V and maintains robust cyclic stability, retaining 86.2% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles. This work paves an efficient path for the design and construction of high-performance CDI electrode.

Solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SSLBs) employing Si-based anode are promising high energy-density storage devices owing to enhanced safety and electrochemical stability. Nevertheless, developing solid-state electrolytes featuring easiness of forming intimate interface with electrode, high ionic conductivity, and good mechanical compatibility with Si/C still remains challenging. Herein, we report a poly (vinylene carbonate)/LiTFSI/succinonitrile (PVC/Li/SN) polymer electrolyte and construct a highly integrated Si/C-electrolyte architecture with stable interfacial affinity. Benefitting from unique polar molecule-derived segmental motion, the PVC/Li/SN electrolyte exhibits both high ionic conductivity (5.1 & times; 10-4 S cm-1) and good mechanical compatibility, as well as wide electrochemical window, high thermal stability, and fire resistance. Moreover, the integrated architecture with infiltrated polymer electrolyte ensures sufficient and intimate interface contact with Si/C anode during the whole charging/discharging processes. In addition, the generated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer consisting of multiple inorganic components and PVC chains further improves the interfacial stability and ionic conductivity. As a result, the integrated solid half-cell manifests excellent cyclic stability and rate capability, superior to the liquid electrolyte counterpart. We also assemble the integrated Li||PVC/Li/SN-30||LiFePO4 and Li||PVC/Li/SN-30||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 solid half-cells, both of which exhibit high capacity retention after 100 cycles. Moreover, the Si/C||PVC/Li/SN-30||LiFePO4 full cell exhibits excellent cycling stability over repeated cycles. This work provides new design guideline of solid-state polymer electrolytes for matching high-capacity Si-based anode. (c) 2026 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Antimicrobial resistance represents a major global public health challenge, with infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens such as MRSA being a core difficulty in clinical anti-infective therapy. Traditional fluoroquinolones are severely limited by cross-resistance and inadequate biofilm eradication. The 1,8-naphthyridin-4-one-3-carboxylic acid scaffold is privileged for quinolone antibacterials, and novel benzo[b]naphthyridinone-3-carboxylic acid derivatives offer a key strategy to overcome resistance. Herein, we optimized two complementary synthetic routes for the preparation of benzo[b]naphthyridinone-3-carboxylic acid derivatives, and systematically evaluated their antibacterial activity, safety profiles and mechanism of action using standard microbiological assays and molecular modeling. We synthesized eight 1,8-naphthyridinone derivatives, nine benzo[b]naphthyridinone derivatives and 85 key intermediates, with a shortest 6-step route overcoming the long-standing bottleneck of lengthy synthetic steps for this series. Lead compound 13kb displayed potent broad-spectrum activity (MIC = 0.08–0.63 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, MRSA and Shigella flexneri), outperforming positive controls. It showed low cytotoxicity and hemolysis, concentration-dependent bactericidal effects, mature biofilm elimination and efficient DNA gyrase binding. This study provides efficient synthetic methodology and promising drug candidates for novel antibacterial development.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) holds great potentials as eco-friendly and cost-effective desalination technology. However, its application is hindered by (i) insufficient energy efficiency due to electricity waste during regeneration process, (ii) low desalination capacity, because traditional coating electrode suffers from blocked ions transfer path and limited mass loading. Herein, high-efficiency integration of saline desalination and electricity generation in a single CDI cycle is achieved based on basswood-derived free-standing electrode, which is modified by carbon nanotube branches and nitrogen dopants (N-CBW@CNT). The N-CBW@CNT well inherits the unobstructed channels of basswood, ensuring rapid ions diffusion, while interwoven CNTs branches improve the electronic conductivity and salt adsorption capacity. Moreover, N-doping enhance the electrode hydrophilicity for boosting ions accessibility. The symmetrical CDI module based on N-CBW@CNT60 shows ultrahigh desalination capacity of 0.65 mg cm-2, top level of reported carbon electrodes, and fast desalination rate. Importantly, the electricity generation during desorption process is in-depth uncovered, where the output power could be enlarged by scaling up the solution concentration and by tailoring numbers and series/parallel connections of module. Impressively, the output power successfully drives various electronic devices including LED bulb, integrated LED board, and fan. This work provides technological/theoretical guidance for integrated desalination and energy generation technologies.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based all-solid-state lithium‑sulfur batteries have attracted considerable attention recently. However, the inherently low Li+ ion transport efficiency of PEO-based electrolytes, combined with the inevitable complex polysulfide shuttle effects, significantly impedes sulfur redox kinetics and results in substantial loss of active materials. Herein, a composite solid electrolyte (CSE) is developed by integrating TiO2 and a high-entropy Prussian blue analog (HEPBA) as dual-functional fillers into a PVDF-HFP/PEO copolymer matrix. Intertwined polymer network improves mechanical robustness and reduces PEO crystallinity, facilitating Li+ migration. Moreover, the interfacial regions between the inorganic fillers and the polymer matrix establish additional Li+ conduction pathways. Importantly, both TiO2 and HEPBA effectively immobilize lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) via strong chemisorption, thereby suppressing the shuttle effect. HEPBA further contributes through catalytic conversion of trapped LiPSs. Benefiting from this synergistic design, the PPHTH-4 CSE exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 8.9 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 60 °C. Assembled solid-state lithium‑sulfur battery deliver an initial discharge capacity of 918 mAh g−1 and delivers a superior cycle stability over 500 cycles at 0.2C (with a capacity decay of only 0.0671% per cycle) with an average Coulombic efficiency exceeding 98.6%. This work provides a feasible strategy for high-performance all-solid-state lithium‑sulfur batteries.

Developing micronsized silicon (Si)-based anode with high reaction kinetics and structural reversibility is highly desired. Herein, honeycomb-like Si/graphitic carbon/carbon (Si/G/C) with porous micro/nano-structure and compact covalent encapsulation is prepared based...

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) hold great promise as capacitive deionization (CDI) anodes owing to high Cl - capture capacity and abundant interlamellar ion transport channels. However, their narrow interlayer spacing results in sluggish ion diffusion and huge volume variation during Cl - adsorption/desorption, which becomes worse due to large ionic radius of Cl - . Herein, we reveal the significant effectiveness of organic anions intercalation on boosting intrinsic Cl - capture capabilities of LDH anode. Compared with traditional inorganic anionsintercalated LDH anode, organic anion-intercalated LDH possess expanded interlayer spacing and increased proportion of highly active divalent metal ions in the host layer. Theoretical calculations unveil that organic anion intercalation endows LDH with stronger Cl - capture ability, faster ions diffusion behaviors, and stronger bonding strength with positively charged host layers. As expected, the prepared seven kinds of organic anion-intercalated LDH anodes all manifest fast pseudocapacitive reaction kinetics and enhanced desalination performance; particularly, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) intercalated LDH (LDH-SDS) anode exhibits a large desalination capacity of 58.6 mg g -1 and excellent cyclic stability (76.9% retention ratio over 300 cycles), surpassing most of previously reported LDH-based CDI anodes. A series of in-situ/ex-situ characterizations further reveal outstanding structural stability and electrochemical reversibility of LDH-SDS anode. This work demonstrates great potential of crystal modulation on improving intrinsic ions capture capability of LDH and paves new insights for developing advanced CDI electrodes. (c) 2025 Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Silicon/carbon (Si/C) composite anode hold great potentials for realizing high-energy density lithium-ion batteries, owing to their exceptional specific capacity and good conductivity. However, Si suffer from severe volume variation during lithiation/delithiation, resulting in particle pulverization and electrode degradation. Herein, inspired by the robust concrete structure, we constructed multi-scale carbon-protected Si/C(1)G@C-2 microspheres, where photovoltaic waste Si nanosheets act as "sand", fine graphite (G; D-50 < 3 mu m) acts as "stone", pitch-derived carbon (C-1 matrix and C-2 layer) act as "cement". Specifically, C-1 and C-2 could bind and bound ultrathin Si nanosheets that are uniformly distributed into the "cement", while fine graphite not only acts as stones to further enhance the structural strength, but also improve the electronic conductivity. The in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) tests confirm highly reversible lithiation/delithiation processes and rapid electrochemical reactions of the Si/C(1)G@C-2 electrode, and in-situ/ex-situ microscopy characterizations reveal the robust mechanical stability with a low expansion ratio of 21.8% after a whole cycle. The composite electrode fabricated by blending Si/C(1)G@C-2 with commercial artificial graphite (AG) exhibits ultrahigh initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 94.1% and remarkable capacity retention of 95.0% after 200 cycles. Furthermore, the LiFePO4//AG-Si/C(1)G@C-2 full cell also demonstrates excellent cycling stability with a high capacity retention of 85.1% after 100 cycles. This work provides new insights into developing robust Si-based anode.

To address the inherent limitations of employing single silicide or boride additives for improving the oxidation resistance of (Ti,W)C-based ceramics, this study proposes a synergistic co-addition strategy incorporating both silicides and borides into the (Ti,W)C matrix. The oxidation behavior and kinetics of TW-ZS (silicide-doped) and TW-ZS-B (silicide and boride co-doped) composites were systematically investigated at 1000, 1050, and 1100 °C. The findings demonstrate that the synergistic addition of silicides and borides outperforms single silicide doping. Specifically, the TW-ZS-B composites exhibit lower specific mass gains and thinner oxide scales compared to their TW-ZS counterparts, with both metrics decreasing as the additive content increases. The apparent activation energy for oxidation increased from 47.1 to 75.7 kJ/mol. Notably, the oxide scale thickness of the TW-30ZS-B composite was constrained to 57 μm after oxidation at 1000 °C. The superior oxidation resistance of TW-ZS-B originates from the mutual dissolution of B2O3 and SiO2 during oxidation, which generates a borosilicate liquid phase. This liquid phase fulfills multiple critical roles: it effectively seals internal pores to impede the inward diffusion of oxygen, shifts the ZrSiO4 formation kinetics from a solid–solid to a liquid–solid reaction, and facilitates the outward transport of ZrO2 to the surface to promote the development of a dense ZrSiO4 protective layer. This study elucidates the multifaceted roles of the borosilicate liquid phase during the oxidation process, providing critical insights for the structural optimization of TiC-based ceramics tailored for cutting tool applications.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that threatens to the health of global elderly population. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are an effective therapeutic agent for AD, and screening of these substances is important for AD treatment. In this work, a Pd-Pt MXene nanoenzyme was successfully synthesized by using the in-situ reduction technique. A colorimetric method for sensitive AChE inhibitor detection was designed based on enzymatic cascade reaction between Pd-Pt MXene and AChE. Briefly, The Pd-Pt MXene material exhibited excellent peroxidase (POD)-like activity due to its bimetallic composition, effectively catalyzing the oxidation of colorless 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB). Under the presence of AChE and acetylthiocholine chloride (ATCh), the POD-like activity of Pd-Pt MXene was significantly inhibited. The activity of this nanoenzyme could be restored after the addition of AChE inhibitors. Using donepezil as an example, colorimetric detection was conducted within a linear range of 0.1 nmol/L to 10 nmol/L and the lowest detection boundary was only 0.35 nmol/L (S/N = 3). Finally, a paper-based platform was designed and constructed, and it has been successfully employed for AChE inhibitor detection in real samples with the aid of a smartphone. In all, this work paves a new way for designing nanoenzyme-based devices towards medicine determination or screening like AChE inhibitor.

High-conductivity sliding electrical contact with low friction plays a significant role in the long life and high reliability of electromechanical systems.Reducing friction needs weak interfacial electronic coupling;in contrast,enhancing conductivity requires strong coupling;thus it is a serious challenge to achieve high conductivity with low friction.Here,using our self-developed thermally assisted mechanical exfoliation and transfer(TAMET)method,we experimentally achieved superlubricating electrical contact by establishing a sliding electrical system between graphite layers(Gr);the friction coefficient was as low as 0.0004,and the electric current density was as high as 510 A/cm2.Compared with the commercial Ir atomic force microscopy(AFM)tip-Gr contact,the friction force of incommensurate graphene layer friction is an order of magnitude lower,yet it has a similar high electrical conductivity.On the basis of the electronic property fluctuation(EPF)model and first principles calculations,we revealed that the sliding energy barrier remains almost unchanged under an applied current because of the negligible electron transfer variation during the sliding process.We offer a method for achieving superlubricating electrical contact with high conductivity and low friction,shedding light on improving the service life and reliability of sliding electrical contacts in a wide range of electromechanical systems.

As the most stable and common layered vanadium-based materials, V2O5 has attracted increasing attention as a cathode material for aqueous zinc ion batteries due to its adjustable layer structure, appropriate layer spacing and high theoretical capacity based on two electrons redox centers. However, its poor conductivity and large volume change during charging and discharging leads to severe capacity fading. Herein, we propose a strategy to prepare freestanding polyaniline pre-intercalated V2O5/graphene freestanding composite films (PNV/rGO-F) by synchronously reducing and assembling graphene oxide (GO) sheets with polyaniline pre-intercalated V2O5 on Zn metal surface. The as-prepared composite films electrodes combine the advantages of pre-intercalation of polyaniline with the good electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of graphene, thus enabling the rapid diffusion of Zn2+ as well as buffering the volume change of V2O5 during charge and discharge, delivering an initial specific capacity of 560.5 mAh g- 1 at 0.1 A g- 1 and 81 % capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 2 A g- 1. Additionally, PNV/rGO-F can be directly used as the electrode of flexible aqueous zinc ion batteries, and shows stable electrochemical performance in pouch batteries. The flexibility and high electrochemical performance of such batteries will enable a broad field of aqueous zinc ion batteries to be compatible with flexible and wearable electronic devices.

Li-CO2 batteries, with their excellent energy density and ability to convert CO2 into electricity, are a potential solution to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. However, due to the decomposition problem of the insulator lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), the practical process of the battery is hindered. Moreover, the battery exhibits a high over-potential and poor cycle performance. Therefore, the development of efficient and practical positive catalysts to reduce the activation energy of reactions is critical to breaking through these barriers. In this paper, a CoMoN/C@PPy positive catalyst with Co3Mo3N nanoparticles anchored on a carbon substrate was prepared by using polypyrrole (PPy) as a nitrogen source to nitride and carbonize transition metal oxides during heat treatment. Li-CO2 batteries prepared by using the positive electrode have excellent performance. At 100 mA g-1, the specific discharge capacity is as high as 16,567.2 mAh g-1, the discharge platform is ∼2.68 V, and it can stably cycle for 85 cycles (>1600 h). Moreover, calculations based on first-principles physics aid in achieving a deeper comprehension of the mechanisms involved in both the discharge and charge processes. The findings from this research present a sustainable and secure approach to fabricate cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts with multifunctional capabilities.

The synthesis of a novel circularly polarized luminescent (CPL)-active hydrogel with superior modulation properties is achieved through the self-assembly of helical G-quartet nanostructures under molecular crowding conditions. In a simulated molecularly crowded environment with polyethylene glycol (PEG), mixtures of 5 '-guanine monophosphate (GMP) and guanosine (Gua) form chiral hydrogels, with the chirality being significantly influenced by the concentration of Gua. The chiral hydrogel can induce achiral dyes to exhibit CPL with a dissymmetry factor (glum) of up to 10-2. The incorporated dyes exhibit helical structures at the nanoscale, achieving full-color CPL, and demonstrate dual CPL characteristics through the Forster resonance energy transfer mechanism. The processed chiral coassembled hydrogels into freestanding films can distinguish between the left- and right-handed circularly polarized (LCP and RCP) light, highlighting potential applications in chiral light source detectors, which paves new avenues for the design of chiral functional nanomaterials and their applications in chiral detection.

Among potential anode materials for high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), silicon (Si) stands out as one of the most promising options. Nevertheless, the significant volume expansion (over 300 %) and unstable interface lead to a rapid decline in capacity, hindering the commercialization process of Si. In this study, Sigraphite nanosheet@carbon (Si-GN@C) microsphere anode has been prepared by employing spray drying and chemical vapor deposition using Si waste powder and GN. The synthesized Si-GN@C composite electrode demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance, with an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 91.2 %. It further displayed robust rate capability, maintaining 87.5 % capacity retention following several high-rate cycles. After cycling at a high current density of 1.0 A g-1 , it maintains a reversible capacity of 616.6 mAh g-1 over 300 cycles. In-situ impedance confirms that the Si-GN@C microsphere anode develops a stable and continuous solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer during charge and discharge cycles. This study presents an effective approach to recover Si waste powder to produce excellent anode materials for LIBs.

Precise modulation of the pore structure and modification of the surface groups (–NH2) of MXene aerogels by the solid foaming method in combination with Na+ pre-intercalation can significantly increase the layer spacing and change the electronic structure of MXene, thereby significantly optimizing its electrochemical performance. The three-dimensional (3D) network structure provides numerous active sites on the surface of MXene and provides more ion transfer pathways and the large layer spacing allows electrolyte ions fast transport and the surface groups provide more active sites for the pseudocapacitive reaction. As a result, the prepared Na-Ti3C2Tx (where T is –O, –OH, –F, and/or –NH2, and x represents the number of such groups) film aerogel delivers a high mass specific capacitance of 560 F·g−1 and excellent cycling performance of 94.5% capacitance retention after 12,000 cycles in 0.5 M H2SO4. In addition, the flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor (ASC) composed of MXene film electrodes has excellent specific capacitance ~ 277 F·g−1 and high energy density ~ 52.8 Wh·kg−1 at 1600 W·kg−1. Therefore, this work not only proposes a feasible synthetic method that can precisely regulate the pore structure and surface features of film aerogels, but also demonstrates the broad application prospects of aerogel materials in wearable power devices.

Lithium‑sulfur (LiS) batteries possess a remarkably high theoretical energy density, yet their commercial application remains limited due to sluggish polysulfide conversion kinetics and the persistent shuttle effect. To address these issues, a composite of La2Ce2O7 and reduced graphene oxide (La2Ce2O7/rGO), derived from a lanthanum-cerium bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF), was synthesized as a functional separator modifier for LiS batteries. The synergistic interaction between La3+ and Ce4+ induces pronounced lattice distortions, generating numerous catalytically active sites that enable selective adsorption of various polysulfide species. These structural features accelerate the conversion of polysulfides and effectively suppress the shuttle effect. Additionally, the mesoporous architecture of La2Ce2O7 promotes fast lithium-ion (Li+) transport, thereby reducing polarization. Benefiting from these advantages, LiS batteries equipped with the La2Ce2O7/rGO modified separator exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. An initial specific capacity of 1264.4 mAh g-1 at 0.2C was achieved, with 75.5 % capacity retention (955.2 mAh g-1) after 100 cycles. At 1C, the battery delivered an initial capacity of 1092.6 mAh g-1 with a minimal capacity fade of ∼0.09 % per cycle. Even under a high sulfur loading of 4.59 mg cm-2, an initial capacity of 1094.9 mAh g-1 was maintained. These findings highlight a promising strategy for employing rare-earth-based compounds as efficient polysulfide electrocatalysts in high-performance LiS batteries.