Hydrogel electrolytes are widely used in zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) due to their advantages of regulating zinc deposition/stripping process, and limiting dendrite growth. However, their relatively poor ionic conductivity and mechanical properties remain significant obstacles to their practical application in ZIBs. Herein, the multi-component cross-linked polyacrylamide/carboxymethyl cellulose/agarose (PCA) hydrogel polymerized electrolytes are designed via a heat-initiated polymerization approach. The PCA hydrogel electrolytes exhibit high ionic conductivity of 38.78 mS/cm and excellent mechanical strength from 2.9 MPa to 5.6 MPa. Meanwhile, the ample hydroxyl (-OH) functional groups on the PCA hydrogel electrolytes chain can capture and anchor H2O molecules via hydrogen bonding, thus fundamentally regulating the coordination environment of Zn2+ and inhibiting side reactions. The combined effect of carboxyl (-COOH) groups and amino (-NH2) groups in PCA hydrogel electrolytes can induce the uniform deposition of zinc ions. Consequently, The Zn//Zn symmetrical cell assembled with this hydrogel electrolytes demonstrate excellent cycling stability over 2500 h at the current density of 1 mA/cm2. Furthermore, the Zn//MnO2/CNT full cell retains a specific capacity of 127.2 mAh/g after 1000 cycles at 1 A/g, with 97.8% capacity retention.

Target therapy represents a paradigm shift to a precise and personalized approach. Unlike the great success of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in clinical practice, peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) with good tissue penetration and drug loading capacity exhibits poor stability, quick blood clearance and cellular internalization that limit their translation. In this study, a feasible approach for constructing an in vivo self-assembling peptide-drug conjugate (sPDC) was proposed by rationally designing the combination of tumor-specific targeting peptide module, responsive self-assembling peptide module, and therapeutic drug. Two optimized sPDCs (sPDC1 and sPDC2) capable of specifically targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) on the surface of tumors were reported. sPDCs could selectively target HER2-positive tumors and effectively kill HER2 overexpressing tumor cells. In addition, weak but significant efficacy of sPDCs was also observed in HER2-negative tumors, which was likely by-stander effect due to the release of monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, in HER2-positive xenograft mouse models, sPDC1 showed superior therapeutic efficacy over the clinical HER2-targeted therapeutic agents trastuzumab and lapatinib, and roughly equivalent therapeutic efficacy compared with RC48 even in large tumor-bearing mouse models. Therefore, sPDC1 was promising to serve as a lead compound for further clinical development for oncology therapy.

Hydrogen production in aqueous alkaline media is constrained by both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, we report an anion-environment-regulated synthesis strategy that enables uniform Ce incorporation into NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) by replacing NH4F with NH4Cl during hydrothermal growth. The chloride precursor provides a milder coordination environment, enabling homogeneous Ce doping and improved charge transfer. The optimized NiFe0.95Ce0.05 LDH requires only a 307 mV overpotential to reach 1000 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and density functional theory analyses indicate that Ce doping accelerates Ni oxidation and stabilizes beta-NiOOH active species. When paired with a Ni&Ni0.2Mo0.8N cathode, the resulting anion exchange membrane electrolyzer (AEMWE) delivers 1 A cm-2 at 1.616 V and 8 A cm-2 at 2.185 V in 1 M KOH at 80 degrees C without iR compensation for high-current-density alkaline water electrolysis.

The irradiation tolerance of amorphous AlCrTiNbSi high-entropy alloy coatings under 6 MeV Au2+ ions irradiation was studied. After irradiation, the coatings still maintained a complete amorphous phase structure, and the surface morphology became smoother. Slight hardness softening was observed under RT-irradiation, but significant hardness hardening was observed under 400 degrees C-irradiation. XRD results indicated that irradiation would introduce excessive free volume and destroy the short-range order in amorphous coatings. While increased temperature would induce atomic structural relaxation and consume abundant free volume. In addition, the excessive free volume introduced by irradiation contributed to the nucleation and growth of the voids, resulting in larger void size and density inside the RT-irradiated coating. With the increase of temperature, the mobility of FV was further enhanced, and more voids with small size encountered and merged with each other. As a result, the void size increased, but the void density decreased. Our results help to understand the mechanism of the irradiation effect in amorphous high-entropy alloy coatings.

With the advancement of equipment, development of detection technologies, and innovation in methodologies, the preparation of micro-nano materials with excellent homogeneity and high dispersibility has become increasingly feasible. However, the synthesis process still confronts challenges such as prolonged reaction cycles and substantial energy consumption. In response to the advocacy for energy-efficient and green synthesis approaches, this study innovatively conducts a comparative analysis of the effects of the micro-pressure microwave method, atmospheric-pressure microwave method, and hydrothermal method on the synthesis of GdPO4 center dot H2O: Eu3 * micro/nano materials. Pure hexagonal phase GdPO4 center dot H2O:Eu3+ micro/nano luminescent materials with hexagonal prisms (prism lengths of 2.0-5.0 mu m), 3D spherical shapes (diameters of 2.2-2.5 mu m), and 3D flowerlike shapes (diameters of 4.7-5.2 mu m) were synthesized, and the luminescence performance was orange-red. A significant 12.5-fold increase in luminous intensity was observed in the calcined (800 degrees C) sample compared to the pre-calcined sample, which showed a low colour temperature (2206 K). In order to broaden the application scope of gadolinium-containing rare earth micro-and nanomaterials and further explore the electrocatalytic properties of GdPO4 center dot H2O:Eu3 * synthesized by different methods, novel rare earth electrocatalysts of coated GdPO4 center dot H2O@NiFe and homogeneous Gd-NiFe were designed and prepared. The homogeneous Gd-NiFe catalysts synthesized by micro-pressure microwave technique showed excellent catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions(100 mA cm-2, 282 mV). The enhancement mechanism of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is explained using the synergistic effect of heterogeneous structures, promising to be an ideal electrocatalytic material to replace precious metals such as ruthenium oxide.This paper provides a favorable opportunity for the large-scale production of rare-earth gadolinium phosphate micro-and nanomaterials for their multifunctional applications in luminescence and electrocatalysis.

Hydrogel electrolytes have been proven effective in addressing issues such as dendrite growth, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution side reactions on Zn anodes in zinc-ion batteries. However, most polyacrylamide (PAM)based hydrogel electrolytes studied in previous research still suffer from problems like low ionic conductivity and poor interfacial compatibility. Herein, a biomass-based hydrogel electrolyte (PAGa) with strong interfacial interactions was constructed by introducing gum arabic (Ga) into a PAM polymer matrix. The aim is to improve the interfacial compatibility between the hydrogel electrolyte and the Zn anode, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of the Zn anode. PAGa features a polyhydroxy structure that forms abundant intermolecular hydrogen bonds, promoting the transformation of free water into bound water to mitigate the hydrogen evolution side reaction. Additionally, the strong interfacial interactions of the PAGa gel electrolyte can reduce the interfacial internal resistance of the Zn anode and facilitate uniform Zn2+ deposition. The adhesive strength of the PAGa gel electrolyte to Zn (134.2 kPa) is significantly higher than that of the PAM gel electrolyte (61.4 kPa). Consequently, the assembled Zn//Zn symmetric cells exhibit a long cycling lifespan of 5000 h at 1 mA cm- 2 and 1500 h at 5 mA cm- 2. This work sheds light on constructing hydrogel electrolytes with strong interfacial compatibility to promote dendrite-free Zn anodes for long-lifespan AZIBs.

Vicinal bis(tetraarylphosphonium) salts have scarcely been reported in the literature. In this study, we demonstrate that visible-light-induced difunctionalization of ortho-trifluoromethylsulfonylated diaryliodonium salts conveniently furnishes bis(phosphonium) salts without additional catalysts or photoinitiators. The methodology establishes a practical platform for the preparation of bis(phosphonium) salts using readily available tertiary phosphines. The bis(tetraarylphosphonium) salts are anticipated to garner a great deal of interest in catalytic and medicinal chemistry.

Ion migration and gas diffusion are two of the most critical topics in water electrolysis. Many self-supported electrodes (SSEs) exhibit efficient performance in fundamental research studies due to their excellent gas diffusion. However, such performance is not guaranteed in large-scale electrolyzers due to the extremely large ion-migration resistance of these SSEs. Here we find that a commercial SSE (Ni foam) exhibits efficient performance in fundamental research but performs poorly in an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE). Further investigations reveal that the poor performance of the AEMWE originates from the large ionmigration resistance caused by the long OH- migration distance within the SSE. After its design is optimized to minimize the ion-migration resistance and enhance gas-diffusion efficiency, the AEMWE is found to deliver a current density of 1 A/cm2 at 1.778 V in 1 M KOH at 65 degrees C. A triple-cell stack is further assembled and found to reach 1 A/cm2 at 5.464 V and to exhibit excellent stability over 216 h in 1 M KOH, showing its good potential for scalable production.

Because of their special physical and chemical characteristics, the design and synthesis of nanomaterials with a synergistic interfacial structure offer a wide variety of prospective uses in the sphere of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In the article, a nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) nanotube-coated Co/CoN heterojunction (Co/CoN@NC) derived from the Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIFs)@g-C3N4 is reported. In addition to serving as a carbon and nitrogen source for the in-situ growth of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNT), ZIF67@g-C3N4 also functions as a self-template for the morphogenesis of a three-dimensional carbonized skeleton. Utilizing the beneficial interaction between the carbon coating and cobalt/cobalt nitride heterojunction, the optimized Co/CoN@NC catalyst drives a current density of 10 mA cm- 2 (eta 10) in 1 M KOH, 0.5 M H2SO4, and 1 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 92, 91 and 136 mV, respectively. This research presents a route towards the preparation of ZIFs-based electrocatalysts for all-pH hydrogen evolution.

The multielectron nature of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) imposes severe kinetic constraints on water splitting efficiency. NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDHs) are promising OER catalysts but suffer from few active sites and low conductivity. We developed self-supported porous nanosheet arrays of sulfur-doped NiFe-layered double hydroxide (S-NiFe-LDH/NF) via a facile room-temperature electrodeposition-corrosion method. Sulfur doping creates porous structures and oxygen vacancies that expose active sites and enhance conductivity while tuning the electronic configuration of Ni/Fe active centers to reduce the activation barrier of the *O -> *OOH step. Additionally, sulfur doping accelerates the gamma-NiOOH formation kinetics. In 1.0 M KOH, S-NiFe-LDH/NF requires only 159 and 235 mV to drive 10 and 100 mAcm-2, respectively. The corresponding Tafel slope is 26.3 mVdec-1, surpassing those of both NiFe-LDH/NF and commercial RuO2. Coupled with a Ni3S2/Ni/NF cathode exhibiting a 61 mV HER overpotential at 10 mAcm-2, the integrated electrolyzer delivers 10 and 100 mAcm-2 at 1.45 and 1.61 V, respectively, and sustains 1000 mAcm-2 at 1.94 V for 200 h. This study presents a scalable and economical approach for designing efficient electrocatalysts for industrial-scale water splitting.

NiFe-based (oxy)hydroxides are widely recognized as the most active non-noble-metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts, yet their application is constrained by poor stability under ampere-scale current densities and complicated, energy-intensive syntheses. Here, we introduce a one-step, room-temperature corrosion strategy applied to commercial stainless-steel mats to directly fabricate large-area MoO4 2--modified NiFe (oxy)hydroxide (Mo-NiFeOOH/SSM) electrodes. The incorporation of MoO4 2- effectively regulates the electronic structure and charge distribution of NiFeOOH, which strengthens the adsorption of OER intermediates while suppressing the competitive adsorption of chloride ions. Combined with a porous, hydrophilic surface that facilitates electrolyte transport and bubble release, the electrodes exhibit robust corrosion resistance and high catalytic activity for seawater OER, sustaining operation at current densities of >= 1000 mA cm-2. This facile, scalable, and low-cost fabrication method highlights the potential of Mo-NiFeOOH/SSM as a practical electrode design for large-scale seawater electrolysis.

With the rapid advancement of modern power systems, the capacity and power density of power electronic converters continue to escalate. Thermal performance has emerged as the primary limitation to further capacity increases in converters. To enhance the thermal performance of converters, this study introduces a beveled-cut enhanced heat transfer heat sink utilizing phase-change cooling and investigates its heat transfer characteristics. First, an experimental platform for phase-change cooling of power devices was established to compare the cooling performance of various beveled-cut enhanced heat transfer heat sinks. Second, the internal heat transfer and flow characteristics of the working fluid within the beveled-cut heat sink were analyzed, with a focus on the impact of bevel angle on thermal performance under varying fin heights, fin widths, and fin counts. The findings reveal that for heat sinks with large fin heights and widths exhibiting superior flow characteristics, bevel cutting has a limited effect on optimizing the working fluid’s flow dynamics. Conversely, for heat sinks with weaker flow characteristics and high, wide fins, bevel cutting significantly improves the working fluid’s flow dynamics, thereby enhancing the thermal performance of the heat sink.

With the continuous grid connection of new energy sources, the capacity of converters increases accordingly, and the demand for cooling capacity becomes increasingly stronger. To enhance the heat dissipation capacity of the converter, this paper proposes a straight-ribbed enhanced heat exchange radiator based on phase change cooling and studies its enhanced heat exchange characteristics. Firstly, an IGBT phase change cooling experimental platform was established to compare the differences in cooling capacity among straight-ribbed enhanced heat exchange radiators. Secondly, the internal heat exchange characteristics and the internal working medium flow characteristics of the straight-ribbed enhanced heat exchange radiator were studied, and the influences of the rib height, rib width and rib number inside the straight-ribbed enhanced heat exchange radiator on the heat dissipation characteristics of the radiator were explored. The research results show that, under the condition of a certain heat exchange area, increasing the rib height, widening the rib width and reducing the number of ribs are beneficial to improving the flow characteristics of the working medium inside the radiator and enhancing the heat exchange capacity of the radiator.

Extensive research has investigated the enhancement of boiling heat transfer through electric fields, primarily focusing on the effects of direct current (DC) electric fields. This study seeks to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms involved in boiling heat transfer enhancement when using alternating current (AC) electric fields. By examining the deformation of bubbles in uniform electric fields and the electric potential distribution at the bubble edges, we assess the impact of electric field strength and frequency on boiling heat transfer. The variation in density and dielectric constants between the gaseous and liquid phases results in a polarization charge density at the bubble boundary, causing the bubbles to elongate in the direction of the electric field. Our findings reveal that the electric field not only induces significant bubble deformation but also facilitates bubble detachment, thereby enhancing heat transfer. Specifically, the electric field influences the diameter of detached bubbles, leading to a reduction in size and an increase in detachment frequency, which collectively contribute to improved boiling heat transfer.

Self-circulating evaporative cooling technology makes use of the latent heat of working medium phase change to meet high heat flux requirement during the operation of flexible HVDC converter valve. In this paper, a one-dimensional simulation model is established to solve the problem of multi-branch parallel heat source with strong non-uniform heat flux, and a multi-branch self-circulating evaporative cooling experimental system is designed. The accuracy of this model is verified to be better than 9.3

In this letter, a novel Al2O3 atomic in-situ dipole buffer layer (DBL) technique is proposed for achieving VFB linear fine-tunability and interface improvement in La2O3 dipole-first gate stack. 10 VFB levels with minimum 9 mV linear fine-tuning step in 400 mV range are achieved by manipulating sub-5-& Aring; Al2O3 between SiO2 interfacial layer (IL) and La2O3 dipole layer in metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs). Furthermore, the Si/SiO2 interface is improved with more than 60.3% interface trap density (D-it) decrease by suppressing La-Si interdiffusion with Al-DBL. A mechanism of La-dipole fine-tuning is proposed and indicates that the Al-DBL is one of the promising techniques for multi-VT integration in future NS GAA-FETs.

Direct seawater electrolysis (DSE) is a sustainable technology for green hydrogen production. However, implementing this technology remains highly challenging owing to the poor catalytic activity and limited lifetime that result from corrosion, chlorine-related side reactions and metal precipitates. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview and critical discussion of current challenges and possible solutions for DSE in terms of the seawater electrolyte, catalysts, membranes and electrolysers. We first discuss challenges and opportunities stemming from impurity ions in seawater and explore potential seawater treatment solutions to improve DSE performance. We then summarize and propose effective strategies for designing efficient hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction catalysts for DSE. Next, recent progress in, and challenges for, membranes used in DSE are presented, including analysis of the membrane degradation mechanisms and possible mitigation strategies. We also critically review and discuss the advantages and challenges of both conventional and novel electrolysers for DSE. Importantly, to guide future research, we emphasize how to further optimize strategies and solutions to tackle degradation and corrosion in DSE under real-world operating conditions. Finally, we discuss future challenges and prospects for the large-scale application of DSE technology. Direct seawater electrolysis (DSE) offers a sustainable route for green hydrogen production but faces major challenges from corrosion and side reactions. This Review discusses key obstacles and potential solutions across electrolytes, catalysts, membranes and electrolyser designs to improve DSE performance.

Electrochemical treatment was employed to systematically investigate the microstructural differences in the subsurface region of graphitic PAN-based carbon fiber (GCF). The considerable surface inertness of GCF (high tensile modulus >= 540 GPa) originates from their unique surface characteristics, including larger graphite crystals, low defect densities, and minimal functional groups, which collectively constricts the interaction between the fiber surface and the matrix resin. Consequently, the study reveals that changes in physicochemical structures on the GCF subsurface induced by electrochemical treatment occur in two distinct stages. At lower current densities, the process gradually enhances surface functionality and interface performances, without significantly affecting the tensile performances. At the higher current densities, however, electrochemical etching-induced formation of surface micron-/nanoscale imperfections lead to increases surface roughness and graphite irregularity, which is also along with the certain reduction in newly grafted functional groups on the surface. Furthermore, direct evidence from AC-TEM images indicates electrochemical oxidation reactions penetrate approximately 20 nm depth into the GCF subsurface region. Notably, newly introduced surface defects contribute to further improved interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and interface shear strength (IFSS) despite a reduction of certain surface functional groups. The differences are strongly correlated with significant increased surface roughness and irregularity, which in turn leads to the reduction of single-fiber tensile strength of GCF.

The utilization efficiency of single atoms is limited by the active sites being buried in support. To maximize atom utilization, Cu single atoms are anchored on the external surface of g-C3N4 nanofibers (CNNFs), which are fabricated by partial thermal decomposition and subsequent self-assembly in H2O. The abundant N and O-containing functional groups of CNNFs are vital for the loading of Cu. Benefited from the full utilization of Cu sites, CNNF-Cu exhibits excellent Fenton-like catalytic activity for Methylene Blue degradation. The reaction kinetic constant is more than 10 times higher than that of the traditional single-atom catalyst with Cu sites evenly distributed throughout the entire support. CNNF-Cu maintains most of its catalytic activity after five cycle tests, suggesting good stability. This work provides a convenient method to maximize the utilization of single metal atoms for catalytic applications.

Stainless steel is widely utilized in industrial applications of alkaline water electrolysis due to its high anticorrosion property, but it usually suffers from low catalytic activity. The complete activation of stainless steel to improve its efficiency while maintaining its excellent corrosion resistance is thus important for lowering the energy consumption of H2 production. Here, we developed an ultrafast one-step activation for stainless steel based on high-temperature heat treatment and quenching in an aqueous solution. After the activation, the resulting Ni-doped stainless-steel mat (Ni-SSM) exhibited significantly improved activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction and the oxygen evolution reaction in comparison to pristine SSM. When assembled for overall water electrolysis, Ni-SSM delivered a current density of 100 mA/cm2 at a cell voltage of 1.72 V in 1 M KOH at 25 degrees C, outperforming most of the stainless-steel-based electrodes reported thus far. Under a quasi-industrial environment of 6 M KOH at 60 degrees C, Ni-SSM displayed extraordinary performance, producing a current density of 500 mA/cm2 at a low cell voltage of 1.615 V. Further durability testing showed that Ni-SSM maintains high performance at a current density of 500 mA/cm2 under this quasi-industrial environment for at least 150 h. Similar activation processes were applied to different substrates to verify the versatility of this strategy, and enhanced performance for alkaline water electrolysis was observed among all the selected substrates. Finally, 5 x 5 cm2 pieces of Ni-SSM were prepared and assembled in an anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer, in which they delivered a current of 12.5 A at a cell voltage of 1.93 V in 1 M KOH at 65 degrees C. Therefore, the effectiveness of this activation strategy for improving activity and its feasibility and versatility together suggest its great potential for industrial application.