Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMB) can maximize the energy density by eliminating active materials, conductive agents and binders from the anode. However, intrinsic issues of lithium (Li) metal anodes, such as non-uniform Li growth, large volume changes and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), become much pronounced, rapidly degrading the cyclability of AFLMB. Herein, we present a superior three-dimensional (3D) AFLMB host, which takes advantage of partially decomposed polymeric copper phthalocyanines bridged by dithioether linkers (CuPPc-S) as an ultra-thin surface coating layer. By intensive material characterizations alongside in-situ thermal gravimetric analyses coupled with mass spectrometer, we demonstrate that our controlled pyrolysis results in the formation of partially pyrolyzed CuPPc-S (PP-CuPPc-S), where intrinsic redox active sites of CuPPc-S and newly formed ultra-fine Cu-S inorganic compounds co-exist. The preserved redox active sites can not only improve lithiophilicity, but also facilitate the decomposition of TFSi-, inducing abundant LiF in the SEI, while Cu-S compounds can serve dual roles as active Li nucleation sites and ionically conductive Li2S inducer in the SEI. Benefiting from these components, PP-CuPPc-S coated carbon fiber (PP-CuPPc-S@CF) can form a multifunctional SEI and induce dense Li nucleation, achieving the stable operation of 1000 cycles with a LiFePO4 cathode in AFLMB configuration.

Driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has emerged as a technological breakthrough, taking advantage of its exceptional data transfer speed and high bandwidth using through-silicon vias (TSVs). However, the compact design and rapid operation of HBM result in elevated electromagnetic interference (EMI) and heat generation, both of which contribute to rapid performance degradation. Herein, we effectively manage EMI and heat generation issues of HBM by incorporating one-dimensional (1D) Cu-Ni composites into liquid-type epoxy molding compounds (LMC) as multifunctional fillers. As representative 1D Cu-Ni composites, we designed core-shell structured Cu-Ni nanowires and nano-necklaces (CS-CNNW and CS-CNNK, respectively), and their EMI shielding as well as heat dissipation capabilities are systematically evaluated. Benefiting from synergistic merits of elemental Cu and Ni, CS-CNNW and CS-CNNK provide high thermal conductivity and efficient EMI shielding across wide frequency ranges. Moreover, taking advantage of 1D morphologies, CS-CNNW and CS-CNNK can be uniformly dispersed in LMC, achieving enhanced particle-to-particle interconnections even at low practical loading levels. As a result, both CS-CNNW and CS-CNNK exhibit enhanced EMI shielding across broad frequency ranges and accelerated heat dissipation to mitigate thermal bottleneck issues. Finally, by three-dimensional thermal simulations of a practical HBM system, we verify the practical feasibility of CS-CNNW and CS-CNNK as efficient heat sink filler additives for LMC.

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMB) present exciting advancements to maximize the energy density. However, intrinsic challenges associated with metallic lithium (Li) anodes become exacerbated in AFLMB, leading to rapid cyclability degradation. Although LiF as a beneficial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) component can mitigate these challenges, typical strategies to generate a LiF-enriched SEI inevitably induce the coreduction of electrolyte components, resulting in a heterogeneous SEI, where salt- and solvents-derived compounds are vaguely stacked. Herein, we present a salt-philic and solvent-phobic three-dimensional (3D) host, whose chemical affinities toward electrolyte components are micro-modulated to selectively reduce Li salts. To realize such experimental design, we in-situ polymerize salt-philic and solvent-phobic polymeric cobalt phthalocyanines (CoPcphi-pho) on a 3D carbon fiber host (CoPcphi-pho@CF), which can establish a LiF-dominated SEI with minimized solvent decomposition products. The SEIs formed on CoPcphi-pho@CF exhibit maximum 70.1 and 74.4 % of salt-derived compounds as well as 8 and 18.4 % of F 1 s atomic ratios in standard ether and ester electrolytes, respectively. Moreover, intrinsic redox active sites of CoPcphi-pho can accelerate mass transport kinetics of Li. Benefiting from these attributes, CoPcphi-pho@CF enables highly reversible Li plating/stripping, reduces voltage polarizations and alleviates interfacial side reactions, altogether synergistically enhance the cyclability of AFLMB.

Regulating lithium (Li) plating/stripping behavior in three-dimensional (3D) conductive scaffolds is critical to stabilizing Li metal batteries (LMBs). Surface protrusions and roughness in these scaffolds can induce uneven distributions of the electric fields and ionic concentrations, forming "hot spots." Hot spots may cause uncontrollable Li dendrites growth, presenting significant challenges to the cycle stability and safety of LMBs. To address these issues, we construct a Li ionic conductive-dielectric gradient bifunctional interlayer (ICDL) onto a 3D Li-injected graphene/carbon nanotube scaffold (LGCF) via in situ reaction of exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (fhBN) and molten Li. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses reveal that ICDL consists of fhBN-rich outer layer and inner layer enriched with Li3N and Li-boron composites (Li-B). The outer layer utilizes dielectric properties to effectively homogenize the electric field, while the inner layer ensures high Li ion conductivity. Moreover, DFT calculations indicate that ICDL can effectively adsorb Li and decrease the Li diffusion barrier, promoting enhanced Li ion transport. The modulation of Li kinetics by ICDL increases the critical length of the Li nucleus, enabling suppression of Li dendrite growth. Attributing to these advantages, the ICDL-coated LGCF (ICDL@LGCF) demonstrates impressive long-term cycle performances in both symmetric cells and full cells.

Constructing functional materials on a 3D host is an efficient strategy to tackle issues of lithium (Li) metal anodes. Although non-Li-alloying materials provide structural stability during cycling due to reduced lattice distortions, low lithiophilicity and sluggish mass transport kinetics limit their functionality. Herein, a synergistic strategy is proposed to improve intrinsic lithiophilicity and mass transport kinetics of non-Li-alloying nucleation sites and demonstrate its remarkable efficacy. Two carbon fiber (CF) hosts coated by non-Li-alloying nanosheets with and without oxygen-enriched carbon filler (OCF) as lithiophilicity and mass transport booster (OCF-DSC@CF and DSC@CF, respectively) are constructed and their physiochemical properties are systematically evaluated to reveal the efficacy of OCF. By advanced characterization techniques, including 3D tomography and location-dependent electron energy loss spectroscopies, the complex heterostructure of OCF-DSC@CF with distinctive roles of each constituent is clearly identified. As verified by theoretical and electrochemical analyses, the incorporation of OCF endows OCF-DSC@CF with substantially improved lithiophilicity and mass transport kinetics. Moreover, OCF-DSC@CF induces a multifunctional SEI enriched with LiF and LiCx, which exhibits well-balanced electrical resistivity and ionic conductivity. Benefiting from these attributes, OCF-DSC@CF exhibits an unprecedented cyclability under a low N/P ratio of 1.8, achieving 700 cycles at 0.5C with an exceptional capacity retention of 97.8%. The poor intrinsic lithiophilicity and mass transport kinetics of non-Li-alloying nucleation sites are synergistically regulated by the incorporation of OCF. The complex heterostructure of OCF-DSC@CF is scrutinized by advanced characterization techniques, including location-dependent EELS and 3D tomography. Theoretical and experimental investigations verify the efficacy of OCF as a lithiophilicity- and mass transport kinetics booster. image

Establishing a multifunctional solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) can promisingly stabilize the operation of lithium metal batteries (LMBs).

One-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires and nanobelts exhibit unique characteristics. Nano-necklace structures, in particular, have demonstrated superior properties in certain applications compared to nanowire structures due to their enlarged active sites and surface area, ample transport channels as well as, multiscale surficial roughness. Various methods exist for fabricating nano-necklace structures, including chemical synthesis, self-assembly, template assistance, and electrospinning. The method we approached was to modify the chemical reduction method in an economical, facile, and quick way for large scale synthesis. In our synthetic approach, we utilized ethylenediamine as a capping and shape-directing agent in a strong base solution, which enable the mass production of Cu-Ni core-shell nano-necklace (CNNN) with a high yield within 30 minutes. Moreover, by changing the type of basic solution, we successfully obtained Cu-Ni core-shell nanowire (CNNW) as a typical 1D nanostructure. The physiochemical properties of as-obtained CNNN and CNNW were systematically investigated. Microscopic analyses demonstrated that both CNNN and CNNW are constituted by two major components: 1) surficial Ni coating layers with a thickness of about 40 nm and 2) inner Cu clusters as a shell and a core, respectively. Experimental results suggest that CNNN exhibits much stronger ferromagnetic properties with much higher specific surface area compared to CNNN, which hold potentials for various applications. To demonstrate one of the potential applications of CNNN, we employed CNNN as a charge and ionic re-distributor for stable lithium metal batteries (LMB). The electrochemical analyses demonstrated that CNNN enabled uniform charge and ionic distributions when coated on a commercial separator, which suppresses notorious dendrite formation of Li metal anodes, due to its excellent ferromagnetic properties and enlarged active sites with Li ions. Therefore, CNNN enabled the stable operation of LMB with LiFePO4 and LiNi8Co1Mn1O2 cathode. Figure 1

Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) is drawing significant attention as a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its remarkable cycle life and the distinctive Si-O-C hybrid bonding within its structure. However, a notable drawback of SiOC-based electrodes is their poor electrical conductivity. In this study, we synthesized sulfur-doped silicon oxycarbide (S-SiOC) via facile one-pot pyrolysis from a mixture of commercial silicone oil with 1-dodecanethiol. Upon testing the S-SiOC electrode materials, we observed significant attributes, including an outstanding specific capacity (650 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1), exceptional capacity retention (89.2% after 2000 cycles at 1 A g-1), and substantial potential for high mass loading of active materials (up to 2.2 mg cm-2). Sulfur doping led to enhanced diffusivity of lithium ions, as investigated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) tests. Consequently, this sulfur-doped silicon oxycarbide, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance, holds promising potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Drug disposal and abuse are increasing every year, and the use of drugs has recently reached its peak due to COVID‐19. However, there still remains a lack of awareness regarding the proper disposal of waste medications, and if not properly disposed of, these complex chemical structures can have severe environmental impacts. Furthermore, as this waste contains chemically valuable substances, a recycling strategy is needed. To address this issue, the potential of reusing expired commercial acetaminophen tablets as freeze‐dried acetaminophen (FAP) for a lithium‐ion battery (LIB) anode material is investigated. The Li storage mechanism and electrochemical performance are investigated via density functional theory, ex situ Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, galvanostatic discharge/charge analysis, and cyclic voltammetry. The FAP anode exhibited the excellent electrochemical performances and cycle stability. This study will present a new recycling approach, and the results demonstrate the application potential of waste medications in LIBs, which can contribute to resource recovery and the circular economy.

The detection of trace residues of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in water is crucial for assessing ecological hazards due to its high cytotoxicity and carcinogenic properties. In this study, we have developed a selective and sensitive fluorescent sensor utilizing carbon dots (CDs) with an average size of 2 nm. The CDs is synthesized via a low-cost and facile one-step method without the need for additional heteroatoms. The CDs-based sensor exhibits superior selectivity, even in the presence of environmentally relevant cations, and can detect Cr(VI) over a concentration range of 1-1000 mu M (with a linear range of 1 - 125 mu M and R2 >= 0.998). The detection limit of the sensor is found to be 0.6 mu M (equivalent to 31 mu g L-1), which is below the value of 50 mu g L-1 for drinking water guide-lined by the World Health Organization. This performance can be attributed to the combination of inner filter effect with the static quenching effect between the as-synthesized CDs and Cr(VI). Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the CDs-based sensor for Cr(VI) detection in real samples of drinking water and tap water.

Wearable and stretchable strain sensors have potential values in the fields of human motion and health monitoring, flexible electronics, and soft robotic skin. The wearable and stretchable strain sensors can be directly attached to human skin, providing visualized detection for human motions and personal healthcare. Conductive polymer composites (CPC) composed of conductive fillers and flexible polymers have the advantages of high stretchability, good flexibility, superior durability, which can be used to prepare flexible strain sensors with large working strain and outstanding sensitivity. This review has put forward a comprehensive summary on the fabrication methods, advanced mechanisms and strain sensing abilities of CPC strain sensors reported in recent years, especially the sensors with superior performance. Finally, the structural design, bionic function, integration technology and further application of CPC strain sensors are prospected.

Controllable polymerization is of great significance for the design of nanoscale devices with high electrochemical performances. In this study, cyclodextrin polymer (CDP)-functionalized polyaniline (PANI)/hollow carbon sphere (HCS) composites were prepared by an in-situ polymerization strategy. HCSs were used as carbon structural templates. CDP can be decorated with a controllable PANI layer owing to supramolecular interactions, effectively preventing the problem of secondary growth of PANI during the polymerization of aniline. Consequently, the integration promotes the more consistent growth of PANI on HCS and further ameliorates the capacitance performance of CDP-PANI/HCS. In a three-electrode system, the specific capacitance of PANI/HCS at 1 A g(-1) was 390 F g(-1), which can be increased to 569 F g(-1) after CDP-induced polymerization. CDP-PANI/HCS shows a high energy density of 24.5 Wh center dot kg(-1) at a power density of 700 W kg(-1), and the energy density still retains 15.5 Wh center dot kg(-1) even at a higher power density of 14000 W kg(-1). Thus, the strategy established in this work has great potential for improving the growth of polymers via CDP-assisted polymerization.

In this study, a strategy for the rapid and simple preparation of porous carbon (PC) using the microwave method was proposed. Oxygen-rich PC was synthesized by microwave irradiation in air, where potassium citrate and ZnCl2 served as the carbon source and microwave absorber, respectively. ZnCl2 achieves microwave absorption through dipole rotation, which uses ion conduction to convert heat energy in the reaction system. In addition, potassium salt etching improved the porosity of PCs. The PC prepared under optimal conditions had a large specific surface area (902 m2·g-1) and exhibited a significant specific capacitance (380 F·g-1) in the three-electrode system at 1 A·g-1. The energy and power densities of the assembled symmetrical supercapacitor device based on PC-375W-0.4 were 32.7 W·h·kg-1 and 0.65 kW·kg-1, respectively, at a current density of 1 A·g-1. Even after 5000 cycles at 5 A·g-1 current density, the excellent cycle life retained 94% of its initial capacitance.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising next-generation energy storage devices due to its high theo-retical capacity (1675 mAh g-1), environment-friendliness, low cost, and natural abundance. However, the shuttle effect and sluggish kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPs) hinder its commercialization. Herein, we report the synthesis of cobalt iron phosphide@graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (CFP@CN) modified se-parator for Li-S batteries. The Li-S cell with CFP@CN separator (CFP@CN-PP) exhibits a high specific capacity of 786.4 mAh g-1 at 1 C. Furthermore, the Li-S cell with CFP@CN-PP can still retain a discharge capacity of 528.3 mAh g-1 and a capacity decay rate of only 0.084% per cycle after 650 cycles. And, the Li-S cell with CFP@CN-PP maintains high coulombic efficiency above 99% after 650 cycles. These results indicate that the CFP@CN with a large specific surface can alleviate the shuttle effect by strong chemical interaction with lithium polysulfides. Furthermore, thanks to high electrical conductivity of CFP@CN, the utilization of sulfur and redox kinetics can be improved. Our study offers useful insights into designing materials for modified separator of lithium-sulfur battery.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limited by preparation time and ligand solubility, synthetic protocols for cyclodextrin-based metal-organic framework (CD-MOF), as well as subsequent derived materials with improved stability and properties, still remains a challenge. Herein, an ultrafast, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective microwave method is proposed, which is induced by graphene oxide (GO) to design CD-MOF/GOs. This applicable technique can control the crystal size of CD-MOFs from macro- to nanocrystals. CD-MOF/GOs are investigated as a new type of supramolecular adsorbent. It can selectively adsorb the dye molecule methylene green (MG) owing to the synergistic effect between the hydrophobic nanocavity of CDs, and the abundant O-containing functional groups of GO in the composites. Following high temperature calcination, the resulting N, S co-doped porous carbons derived from CD-MOF/GOs exhibit a high capacitance of 501 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1), as well as stable cycling stability with 90.1% capacity retention after 5000 cycles. The porous carbon exhibits good electrochemical performance due to its porous surface containing numerous electrochemically active sites after dye adsorption and carbonization. The design strategy by supramolecular incorporating a variety of active molecules into CD-MOFs optimizes the properties of their derived materials, furthering development toward the fabrication of zeitgeisty and high-performance energy storage devices.

In this work, a facile synthetic route for the preparation of high aspect ratio Cu oxide nanowires is reported. The preparation of the Cu oxide nanowires begins with the generation of pure Cu nanoparticles by inert gas condensation (IGC) method, follows by dispersing the obtained nanoparticles in methanol with the aid of ultrasonication. The mixture is stored at different temperature for the transformation from Cu nanoparticle to Cu oxide nanowires. The influences of the kind of solution, the ratio of methanol to Cu nanoparticle, dispersion time and temperature towards the generation of Cu oxide nanowires are studied in detail. Scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that high aspect ratio Cu oxide nanowires with diameter of a few tens of nanometers and length up to several tens of micrometers could be obtained under proper conditions. The mechanism for the transformation of Cu nanoparticles to Cu oxide nanowires is also investigated.

A pH-responsive curcuminoid delivery system based on supramolecular vesicles was fabricated via a novel host–guest inclusion complex between water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) and hydrophobic bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC). This WP5 and BDMC (WP5 ⊃ BDMC) inclusion complex was studied using 1H NMR, UV–vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. This resulting inclusion complex could self-assemble into well-defined supramolecular vesicles by host–guest interactions and presented a significant pH-responsive behavior, which was investigated using dynamic laser scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The suitable preservation time for WP5 ⊃ BDMC and the construction ratio between host/guest molecules were both of great significance for the aggregated morphology of supramolecular vesicles. Furthermore, the BDMC complexes showed good anticancer ability in vitro, as they could inhibit HepG2 cell proliferation and migration. Therefore, the curcuminoid vesicles could provide a promising platform for drug delivery or food packaging utilization.

Lithium (Li) metal is the ultimate anode material for next generation batteries, thanks to its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and lowest reduction potential. However, an unstable solid electrolyte interphase caused by uneven Li deposition and infinite volume expansion of Li obstruct the commercialization of Li metal anodes. Herein, we introduce a unique strategy to tune lithiophobic carbon fiber (CF) to lithiophilic pore-gradient structured and oxygen-enriched carbon fiber (PGOCF) as dense Li nucleation enabler. The simultaneous regulation of surface chemistry and structure of CF is simply achieved by using CoAl layered double hydroxide as an etchant-protectant agent in thermal treatment, in which the porosifying role of Co and the protecting role of Al elements synergistically affect the morphology of PGOCF. The O enriched PGOCF (the atomic O ratio of 10.55%) can exhibit strong Li absorption, lowering Li nucleation barrier, and the pore-gradient structure of PGOCF can effectively lower Li nuclei-substrate contact angle, leading to dense and uniform Li electrodeposition. As a result, PGOCF exhibits an impressive electrochemical performance. When paired with a LiFePO4 cathode, Li@PGOCF delivers a specific capacity of 138.3 mA h g(-1) at 2C with an exceptional capacity retention of 98.3% for 500 cycles.

The wound healing process is usually susceptible to different bacterial infections due to the complex physiological environment, which significantly impairs wound healing. The topical application of antibiotics is not desirable for wound healing because the excessive use of antibiotics might cause bacteria to develop resistance and even the production of super bacteria, posing significant harm to human well-being. Wound dressings based on adhesive, biocompatible, and multi-functional hydrogels with natural antibacterial agents have been widely recognized as effective wound treatments. Hydrogels, which are three-dimensional (3D) polymer networks cross-linked through physical interactions or covalent bonds, are promising for topical antibacterial applications because of their excellent adhesion, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility. To further improve the healing performance of hydrogels, various modification methods have been developed with superior biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, mechanical properties, and wound repair capabilities. This review summarizes hundreds of typical studies on various ingredients, preparation methods, antibacterial mechanisms, and internal antibacterial factors to understand adhesive hydrogels with natural antibacterial agents for wound dressings. Additionally, we provide prospects for adhesive and antibacterial hydrogels in biomedical applications and clinical research.

It is still a challenging task to prepare highly porous nanorod arrays of metals formed on substrates for optical and energy storage applications. Herein, we demonstrate the design and synthesis of black color, metallic and highly porous Ti nanorod arrays as novel current collectors for dendrite-free and highly stable Li-metal anodes. The high porosity of metallic nanorod arrays provides numerous heterogeneous nucleation sites and huge contact area and large space for the accommodation of Li metal. The conductive metallic Ti nanorod arrays enhance electrode integration. Effectively, it eliminates formation Li dendrites and demonstrates superior cycling stability over 300 cycles. Additionally, the unique porous structures of the nanorod arrays can decrease the amplitude of forced vibration in narrow space leading to light absorption. Interestingly, the metal is black instead of metallic color. The black metallic nanorod arrays can absorb more than 96% of both visible and infra-red lights. This black color metallic porous nanorod arrays may find additional applications in aerospace, energy, biomedical, defence, and chemical industries.