Silicon (Si) composite anodes that integrate solid electrolytes (SEs) and hard carbon (HC) are promising for all-solid-state lithium batteries, offering improved ionic transport, electronic conduction, and mechanical buffering. Although mechanistic studies of such Si composite anodes with sulfide-based SEs have revealed performance benefits, the high costs, moisture sensitivity, and pressure requirements of sulfide-based SEs hinder scale-up. Polymer composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) provide simpler processing, pressure-free operation, and scalable manufacturing. However, their compatibility with Si composite anodes remains unclear. Here, detailed mechanisms of the roles of lithiation, SE, and HC in Si composite anodes paired with CSEs are elucidated through in-situ Raman spectroscopy, ex-situ characterizations, and finite element simulations. Lithiation offsets irreversible Li+ loss during solidelectrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, while HC mitigates mechanical cracking. However, in SEcontaining anodes, HC accelerates SE decomposition and excessive SEI formation, increasing interfacial resistance and capacity loss. Interestingly, unlike sulfide systems, where mechanical failure dominates interfacial resistance, CSE-based systems suffer primarily from the accumulation of insulating SEI products. These mechanistic insights help to establish design rules that balance lithiation protocol, SE fraction, and HC content by elucidating the chemical-mechanical degradation, guiding customizable and pressure-free Si anodes compatible with scalable CSE processing. (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.

The availability and accessibility of economical renewable energy remains a key driving factor towards encouraging the uptake of clean energy. By incorporating economical hard carbon (HC), recycled from waste into anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and treating the resulting HC-anode with a focused laser beam, the functionalised HC-anode exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 516 mAh g- 1 at 0.1 A g- 1. It achieves over 100% capacity retention for 700 cycles at 1 A g- 1, and demonstrates super-long durability for 4000 cycles at 2 A g- 1. The improvements are attributed to laser-tunable expanded interlayer spacing and fluorescing defects in the engineered HC-anode. DFT calculations further established that these fluorescent defects correspond to carbon vacancies (cyan fluorescence), and their complexes with H heteroatoms (green fluorescence). These defects lead to the improved electrochemical performance via enhancing Li+ adsorption energies. Given such correlation, fluorescence studies are proposed as an interesting mechanism for guiding the development of carbon materials for energy applications, which serves as a highly efficient tool for assessing the electrochemical performance, eliminating the need for costly battery fabrication and testing processes. The performance achieved and its correlation to the observable fluorescence will not only contribute towards the effort of making cheaper batteries with better performance, but also serves as a rapid and scalable probe for preliminary evaluation of battery performance.

There has been ongoing interest in the fabrication of silver-iron oxide composite nanostructures due to their effectiveness in antimicrobial, catalytic, and sensing applications. However, traditional processes involve multiple steps and harsh conditions, making them time-consuming and energy-intensive. A focused laser beam is used as an alternative tool to fabricate fluorescent silver-iron oxide composite nanostructures. The rapid thermal annealing and quenching process results in uniformly distributed particles that form site-selectively in the laser-irradiated regions. When performing without demanding conditions or additives, this process is more precise, energy-efficient, and cost-effective compared to traditional methods. The presence of silver within the composite enhances the intrinsic fluorescence of Fe3O4 by more than 10 times through surface plasmon resonance effects. This exclusive trait turns the composite into an effective micro-beta particle detector with in situ optical feedback. This work provides a glimpse into the benefits of developing alternative synthesis processes as a means to uncover new applications.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with Li or Si anodes promise enhanced safety and high energy densities but face challenges with complex fabrication, stringent storage requirements, and pressure-dependent operation. Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) enable easy processing and flexible interfaces, supporting pressure-free operation and reducing costs. However, their low ionic conductivity remains a key limitation. Here, we present a rapid (similar to 5 min) and eco-friendly laser modification strategy for post-synthesized PEO CSEs, achieving enhanced ionic conductivity while retaining the attributes of simple fabrication and compatibility with Li and Si anodes under pressure-free operation. Laser engineering reduces PEO crystallinity, introduces additional Li* coordination sites, and improves interfacial stability through tailored solid electrolyte interphases. The laser-modified electrolyte enables LiFePO4//Li cells to retain 142.4 mAh g-1 after 800 cycles with 99.8 % Coulombic efficiency at 1 C and 60 degrees C. Moreover, without stack pressure, a Si anode paired with the laser-modified electrolyte delivers a high capacity of 1710.3 mAh g-1 with 56 % retention at 0.5 A g-1 after 50 cycles at 60 degrees C. Beyond performance enhancements, this work establishes a link between fluorescence emission and Li* transport in CSEs. Specifically, fluorescence shifts to shorter wavelengths correspond to shorter molecular chain lengths and lower coordination bonds, supported by time-dependent density functional theory calculations. These factors give rise to improved Li* transport. This optical probe offers a non-destructive approach for rapidly assessing electrolyte properties and enriching electrolyte design. Overall, this work demonstrates laser engineering as a practical post-synthetic strategy and highlights fluorescence as a practical indicator for advancing next-generation ASSBs. (c) 2025 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.

van der Waals heterojunctions based on transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer advanced strategies for manipulating light-emitting and light-harvesting behaviors. A crucial factor determining the light-material interaction is in the band alignment at the heterojunction interface, particularly the distinctions between type-I and type-II alignments. However, altering the band alignment from one type to another without changing the constituent materials is exceptionally difficult. Here, utilizing Bi2O2Se with a thickness-dependent band gap as a bottom layer, we present an innovative strategy for engineering interfacial band configurations in WS2/Bi2O2Se heterojunctions. In particular, we achieve tuning of the band alignment from type-I (Bi2O2Se straddling WS2) to type-II and finally to type-I (WS2 straddling Bi2O2Se) by increasing the thickness of the Bi2O2Se bottom layer from monolayer to multilayer. We verified this band architecture conversion using steady-state and transient spectroscopy as well as density functional theory calculations. Using this material combination, we further design a sophisticated band architecture incorporating both type-I (WS2 straddles Bi2O2Se, fluorescence-quenched) and type-I (Bi2SeO5 straddles WS2, fluorescence-recovered) alignments in one sample through focused laser beam (FLB). By programming the FLB trajectory, we achieve a predesigned localized fluorescence micropattern on WS2 without changing its intrinsic atomic structure. This effective band architecture design strategy represents a significant leap forward in harnessing the potential of TMD heterojunctions for multifunctional photonic applications.

Alkali metal halides have recently received great attention as additives in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to promote the growth of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). However, the multi-faceted role of these halide salts in modulating the properties and quality of TMD monolayers remains mechanistically unclear. In this study, by introducing excessive gaseous sodium chloride (NaCl) into the CVD system, we demonstrate that preferential NaCl deposition along the monolayer edges causes large in situ strain that can invoke localized domains of high defect density and 2H to 1T phase transition. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, Raman mapping and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that higher NaCl concentrations can promote the coalescence of independent local strain domains, further increasing the 1T/2H phase ratio and defect density. Furthermore, excessive NaCl was also proven by density functional theory calculations to convert thermodynamic growth to kinetic growth, accounting for the unique cloud-shaped MoS 2 crystals acquired. Compared with post-growth strain processing methods, this one-step approach for phase and defect engineering not only represents a deeper understanding of the role that NaCl plays in the CVD process, but also provides a convenient means to controllably synthesize conductive/defect-rich materials for further electrocatalysis and optoelectronic applications.

With increasing population and limited resources, a potential route for improving sustainability is increased reuse of waste materials. By re-looking at wastes, interesting properties and multifunctionalities can be discovered in materials previously explored. Despite years of research on bio-compatible fish scales, there is limited study on the fluorescence property of this abundant waste material. Controlled denaturation of collagen and introduction of defects can serve as a means to transform the fluorescence property of these fish scale wastes while providing more adsorption sites for pollutant removal, turning multifunctional fish scales into a natural steganographic material for transmitting text and images at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels and effectively removing Rhodamine B pollutants (91 % removal) within a short contact time (10 minutes). Our work offers a glimpse into the realm of engineering defects-induced fluorescence in natural material with potential as bio-compatible fluorescence probes while encouraging multidimensional applicability to be established in otherwise overlooked waste resources.

Human hair is a huge untapped waste resource whose useful compounds require toxic and environmentally harmful chemicals to extract. Herein, the optical properties of human hair without using such chemicals, turning waste into a site‐selective multicolored display, and a chemical sensor with a visual indicator through tunable fluorescence are transformed. The tunable fluorescence color, which includes both visible light and infrared components, is achieved using a scanning laser beam (microscopic) and hotplate heating at a low temperature of 360 °C for 3 min (macroscopic and large‐scale production). These fluorescing hair readily detects methylene blue molecules within a concentration range of 10−12–10−21 M due to the formation of tryptophan byproducts and electron contributing pyrrolic nitrogen. This work's simple yet impactful consequence lays the foundation on which the industrial applicability of the functionalized human hair waste can be achieved, realizing a possible cyclical economy through sustainable resources.

First-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) observed in strongly correlated systems such as vanadium dioxide (VO2) holds potential in electronics, energy, to optical applications. Starting from a vanadium diselenide (VSe2) bulk crystal, we demonstrated a direct surface conversion from VSe2 to VO2 via laser exposure in ambient condition. The process generates defects, and the heat from the laser promotes oxidation forming VOx. Raman spectra at room temperature suggest the resulting oxide formed is monoclinic (M1) VO2. Above the transition temperature (T-C), all the phonon modes are damped indicating formation of the rutile phase (metallic). Photoluminescence (PL) intensity enhancement and peak shifts observed at T-C suggest correlation to the band structure transformation. In addition, we observed electrically induced MIT in our lateral VSe2-VOx heterojunction device.

With their special hierarchical fractal and highly symmetric formation, silver dendrites have a large surface area and plentiful active sites at edges, which have allowed them to exhibit unique properties ranging from superhydrophobic surfaces to biosensors. Yet, many suggested synthesis processes either require a long reaction time or risk contamination from sacrificial elements. Limited research in directing while enhancing the growth of these silver dendrites also hinders the application of these unique microstructures as site-selective hydrophobicity of surfaces and location-dependent SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy). A possible solution to this is to utilize WO3 nanocubes as beacons to accelerate and conduct the growth of these silver dendrites through the electrochemical migration process. These nanocubes effortlessly altered the applied electric field distributed between the electrodes, depending on their orientations and positions. As the silver dendrites branched from the nanocubes, the dendrites themselves further concentrated the electric field to encourage the growth of more loose fractal silver dendrites. The combinatory effect successfully directs the growth of silver dendrites along the concentrated electric field paths. Both changes to the electric field and directed growth of silver dendrites are underscored using Multiphysics COMSOL simulations and time-lapse microscopy. This work provided insight into the possibility of designing microstructures to direct and accelerate the growth of silver dendrites.

The feasibility of laser‐engineered fluorescence emission from carbon black (CB) with three laser sources of different wavelengths—660 nm (red), 532 nm (green), and 405 nm (blue) is demonstrated. From which the 660 nm focused laser beam produces the most intense fluorescence. Detailed systematic studies on how the laser‐engineered fluorescence emission from CB depends on laser power, laser patterning speed, and environmental control during the laser modification process are carried out. From the systematic studies, the CB samples in ambience undergo most noticeable modifications with a laser power of ≈7 mW and patterning speed of ≈12 μms −1 . The fluorescence emission is attributed to the creation of complex defects states into the oxidized form of the pristine system by the formation of 1) C60 fullerene and fullerites; 2) ZnO; 3) Zn 2 SiO 4 , and more complex hybrid such as 4) carbon‐induced mid‐gap states in Zn 2 SiO 4 , and 5) Ca‐induced defects in ZnO. Such incorporations resulted in the formation of intermediate states in the large bandgap materials. As a result, distinct multicolored fluorescence is emitted by these laser‐quenched material systems. Accordingly, multicolored fluorescence designs can be created with elaborative control of focused laser treatment in an ambient and helium environment.

In artificial van der Waals (vdW) layered devices, twisting the stacking angle has emerged as an effective strategy to regulate the electronic phases and optical properties of these systems. Along with the twist registry, the lattice reconstruction arising from vdW interlayer interaction has also inspired significant research interests. The control of twist angles is significantly important because the moiré periodicity determines the electron propagation length on the lattice and the interlayer electron-electron interactions. However, the moiré periodicity is hard to be modified after the device has been fabricated. In this work, we have demonstrated that the moiré periodicity can be precisely modulated with a localized laser annealing technique. This is achieved with regulating the interlayer lattice mismatch by the mismatched lattice constant, which originates from the variable density of sulfur vacancy generated during laser modification. The existence of sulfur vacancy is further verified by excitonic emission energy and lifetime in photoluminescence measurements. Furthermore, we also discover that the mismatched lattice constant has the equivalent contribution as the twist angle for determining the lattice mismatch. Theoretical modeling elaborates the moiré-wavelength-dependent energy variations at the interface and mimics the evolution of moiré morphology.

Fluorescent nanomaterials have long been recognized as essential contributors to the advancement of material technologies. Over the years, the rapid expansion in this massive selection of materials has led to the emergence of systems with tunable and unique fluorescent properties, occupying pivotal roles across niche areas in imaging, photonics, micro-encryption, and steganographic applications. In recent years, research interest in the translation of laser-based operations towards the production and modulation of nanomaterial fluorescence has been reignited, owing to its ease of operation and low cost. In this paper, we summarize the assortment of laser operations for the fabrication, modification, and spatial positioning of various fluorescent nanomaterials, ranging from metallic nanoparticles, carbon dots, 2D ultrathin films to wide-bandgap nanomaterials, and upconversion nanocrystals. In addition, we evaluate the importance of laser-modified fluorescence for various applications and offer our perspective on the role of laser-based techniques in the forthcoming advancement of nanomaterials. ACCEPTED ARTICLE PREVIEW

A class of compounds sharing the properties of 2D materials and electrolytes, namely 2D electrolytes is described theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. 2D electrolytes dissociate in different solvents, such as water, and become electrically charged. The chemical and physical properties of these compounds can be controlled by external factors, such as pH, temperature, electric permittivity of the medium, and ionic concentration. 2D electrolytes, in analogy with polyelectrolytes, present reversible morphological transitions from 2D to 1D, as a function of pH, due to the interplay of the elastic and Coulomb energies. Since these materials show stimuli-responsive behavior to the environmental conditions, 2D electrolytes can be considered as a novel class of smart materials that expand the functionalities of 2D materials and are promising for applications that require stimuli-responsive demeanor, such as drug delivery, artificial muscles, and energy storage.

Herein, we report defect-introduction via focused-laser-beam (FLB) modification to introduce carbon defects into zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film. The approach begins with a carbon nanotube (CNT) array covered by a thin layer of sputtered Zn on top of the array. When FLB irradiates the covered CNT array under ambient conditions, effective laser energy absorption by CNT results in ZnOCNT nanohybrid formation, it also enables site-selective transformation to be achieved. By adjusting the laser power, the degree of carbon incorporation into the pristine Zn system can be tuned and this exerts some degree of control over the fluorescent properties of the nanohybrid. Generating a higher defect density increases the intensity and changes the wavelength of the fluorescence emitted by ZnO under ultraviolet (UV) excitation and enhances its field emission properties. In particular, the turn-on electric field (ETO) of the nanohybrid decreases. A lower ETO reduces the probability of arc formation, a significant problem currently undermining the industrial feasibility of field emission displays (FED). Electron emission from these samples can be enhanced by exciting the laser-treated sample with an external laser source. The normalised current produced increases by as much as 6 mu A/(mW/mm2) when the sample is excited by a 405 nm monochromatic laser.

A new approach to characterise the defect density in graphene oxide (GO) is presented in this work. Fluorescence microscopy is employed to directly observe changes in defect density on the graphene oxide surface at the macroscopic level. The area under scan becomes darker as the electrical bias is increased from 0.5 V to 3 V. Gray level conversion of the fluorescence images is used to quantify our results. The reduction of graphene oxide as observed under fluorescence microscopy images is also verified using Raman microscopy where ID/IG ratio decreases as the voltage stress is increased. However, defect density increases for the samples from 0 V to 0.5 V range and is maintained till 1 V, which shows that this range may not be suitable for electronic applications when graphene oxide is employed as its electronic properties are poor in this range. Thus, this in-situ measurement of defect density on the graphene oxide for large area graphene samples can help in identifying the uniformity of the defect density on graphene oxide as well as its defect density changes under electrical bias condition, an information crucial for its electronic applications.

We present a novel form of Ag2MoO4-based hybrid nanowire (NW) with a few remarkable attributes. Firstly, the NW is embedded and decorated with Ag NPs. Secondly, carbon atoms are intentionally incorporated within the matrix of the NW. Thirdly the hybrid nanowires are created via a facile process. Namely, focused laser micropatterning of Ag NPs on GO film as seeding sites and subsequent formation of the hybrid NWs by placing the patterned GO films on heated Mo foil on a hotplate. This unique process resulted in the production of hybrid Ag/Ag2MoO4 NWs that emit unique red fluorescence emission. And finally remarkable photodoping effect is observed from a single strand of optically tuned carbon-doped silver nanoparticles embedded silver molybdate nanowire. We demonstrate applications of these hybrid NWs as micro-display and time limiting, logic components for secure transmission of messages. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atomic-scale defects in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) often dominate their physical and chemical properties. Introducing defects in a controllable manner can tailor properties of TMDs. For example, chalcogen atom defects in TMDs were reported to trigger phase transition, induce ferromagnetism, and drive superconductivity. However, reported strategies to induce chalcogen atom defects including postgrowth annealing, laser irradiation, or plasma usually require high temperature (such as 500 °C) or cause unwanted structural damage. Here, we demonstrate low-temperature (60 °C) partial surface oxidation in 2D PdSe2 with low disorder and good stability. The combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations provide evidence of atomic-scale partial oxidation with both atomic resolution and chemical sensitivity. We also experimentally demonstrate that this controllable oxygen incorporation effectively tailors the electronic, optoelectronic, and catalytic activity of PdSe2. This work provides a pathway toward fine-tuning the physical and chemical properties of 2D TMDs and their applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and electrocatalysis.

Recovered carbon black (rCB), a very economical and abundance source of material, is transformed into dazzling multicolour fluorescence and visual display for the first time by way of a scanning focused laser treatment. This laser-initiated process is both straightforward and versatile, catering to both micro- and macro-scopic patterning with the sample in ambient or helium environment. The observed phenomenon is attributed to both chemical and structural induced colouration of rCB powder. Chemically, carbon infusion of oxidised metal occurs when photothermal reaction takes place in ambient. After laser modification with the sample in helium environment, the powder not only fluoresces due to sulphur impurities, control annealing of these powders results in formation of periodic arrangements of carbon nanoparticles. The periodicity of these arrangement falls within the range of visible wavelength, hence contributing to the visually observable rainbow coloured rCB flakes. The patterned sample is also transferrable using PDMS stamps. This in turn broadens the application of this material in flexible electronic devices/displays. Photocurrent measurements show most significant enhancement under yellow light illumination. Furthermore, in the presence of an applied potential, the fluorescence detected from the sample can easily be switched off. All in all, we present a simple process to add multiple functionalities to a material that is both inexpensive and sustainable.