Thiophanate-methyl (TM) acts as a bifunctional supramolecular modulator. At 1 wt% addition, TM leads to an anion-derived SEI, enabling stable operation of lithium metal batteries.

Due to the coexistence of carrier transport and carrier absorption, it is difficult to achieve a synergistic effect of infrared transparency and conductivity in single-layer materials. The conventional approach to realize optoelectronic synergy involves stacking oxide and metal layers, each tens-of-nanometers thick, as transparent and conductive unit, respectively. However, excessive thickness leads to severe carrier absorption. Unlike traditional tens-of-nanometer-thick unit layers, this study utilizes sub-nanometer thin atomic layers to construct both transparent and conductive units. As a proof of concept, Bi-Bi bilayer (BL) and Te-Bi-Te-Bi-Te quintuple layer (QL) of bismuth telluride were selected to construct [QL-QL-QL] as the transparent unit and [QL-BL-QL] as the conductive unit. A series of ultra-thin superlattice-like films with a thickness of only 10 nm were fabricated by designing stacking sequences. The optimal sample achieved the integration of DC conductivity (sigma(dc)) of 5376 S cm(-1) and infrared transmittance (T-IR) of 84%, and these films also demonstrated a wide range of optoelectronic property coverage (Delta sigma(dc) > 2800 S cm(-1), Delta T-IR > 35%). This work overturns the traditional thick film stacking approach, introducing a new method for optimizing infrared transparency and carrier transport through sub-nanometer atomic layer stacking, and providing a class of infrared transparent conductive films with the potential to be epitaxially grown to wafer-level size.

ABSTRACT Robust detection and tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in passive radar systems remains challenging when targets enter the Doppler‐blind‐zone (DBZ), where severe energy attenuation and ground clutter contamination cause model mismatch and degrade tracking performance. To address this issue, this study proposes a micro‐Doppler‐assisted particle filtering track‐before‐detect (mD‐PF‐TBD) algorithm. Firstly, within a bistatic geometry based on digital terrestrial multimedia broadcast (DTMB) signals, a detailed mD motion model of multi‐rotor UAVs is established, and an observation model incorporating mD signatures is derived. To mitigate the model mismatch‐induced particle weight degradation, a variable‐particle strategy is introduced, which adaptively redistributes particles according to variations in Doppler frequency. As the target Doppler frequency approaches zero, the algorithm allocates more particles to the mD harmonic side peaks, which remain detectable outside the DBZ, thereby maintaining robust tracking. The proposed method is validated through both simulations and field experiments. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the variable‐particle strategy significantly enhances tracking performance for DBZ targets. Field experiments using DJI M300 RTK and M600 UAVs confirm that the proposed algorithm maintains stable tracking and accurate state estimation, even when the target remains in the DBZ for an extended duration.

Ultrafast laser processing inside semiconductor materials faces the challenge of energy nonlinear transmission saturation, and it is difficult to observe the behavior of low-density plasma outside the focus region by traditional pump-detection technology. In this study, laser-induced plasma fluorescence imaging technology is used to visualize the low-density plasma in the pre-focal region of gallium arsenide (GaAs). By analyzing the relationship between fluorescence distribution and laser energy, the influence mechanism of incident energy on the actual energy flow at the focal point is revealed, and the simulation results further verify the process. This work provides a new way for quantitative evaluation of laser energy transfer in semiconductor materials.

Electrocatalytic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) plays crucial role in various renewable energy conversion processes. Particularly, it offers new opportunities for sustained electrochemical ammonia synthesis when coupled with lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction. But it remains tremendous challenges due to slow reaction kinetics and rapid poisoning of catalysts in non-aqueous electrolyte. Here, we report Ni single atom mediated Pt sites on Ni substrate (PtNi1/Ni) to boost efficient and durable HOR in organic electrolyte. PtNi1/Ni exhibits high performance of nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency (FE) and long-term stability over 1000 h in tetrahydrofuran (THF) electrolyte, far beyond commercial Pt electrode (<0.2 h). Theoretical calculations combined with spectroscopic characterizations indicated that Ni single atom contributes to tailoring electronic structure of Pt sites via ligand effects, which effectively reduces the energy barrier of the rate-determining step, and simultaneously as synergistic site in suppressing organic poison species through changing THF adsorption configuration and increasing energy barriers of THF oxidative decomposition. In the lithium-mediated electrochemical ammonia synthesis electrolyzer, it also exhibits good feasibility with high ammonia FE of ∼62%. This work sheds light on the effective strategy of single atom doping for developing active and durable nonaqueous HOR electrocatalyst and presents insightful understanding of anti-poisoning mechanism.

Metal nitrides are promising and widely used coating materials for their excellent hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and good chemical stability. In this work, chromium nitride (CrNx) films were prepared by dual ion beam deposition. The structure and mechanical properties including hardness, elastic modulus, and film-substrate adhesion strength of the films were characterized. The influence of N2 flow rate Q and assisting ion energy Ea and current Ia on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the films were systematically investigated. The results revealed that as one of these parameters increases, all the hardness, elastic modulus, and critical load initially increase and then decrease. At optimal parameters, the CrNx film achieved a hardness of 23.9 GPa and a critical load of 212 mN, which demonstrates an optimal combination of high hardness and strong film-substrate adhesion. The findings confirm that assisting ion beam technology enables the fabrication of high-performance CrNx films.

To gain insights into the combustion mechanism of turpentine oil, the oxidation reaction of turpentine was investigated using ReaxFF reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed that the decomposition of camphene, a component of turpentine, was significantly slow due to the presence of bridged rings in the molecular structure. The oxidation of camphene requires the destruction of six-membered and five-membered rings in sequence. Different oxygen concentrations influenced the initial reactions of turpentine oil. In oxygen-rich conditions, O radicals primarily attacked the CC bonds of turpentine, resulting in the formation of an epoxy structure, C-O-C. In oxygen-poor environments, the thermal decomposition of turpentine is primarily associated with reactions involving C-C bonds. In oxidation, free radicals such as OH, HO2, and H played a significant role in accelerating the reaction rate, with OH exerting the most substantial influence on the reaction involving turpentine oil. The oxidation products of turpentine (C10H16O2 and C10H15O) were unstable at high temperatures and decomposed to yield the earliest intermediate, acetone (C3H6O), with the dehydrogenation reaction mainly assisted by OH radicals. The formation and consumption of intermediate ketene were closely linked to C2 compounds. Furthermore, almost all formaldehyde was consumed by the free radical OH. The activation energy value of alpha-pinene is 80.68 kJ/mol, aligns well with the experimentally estimated activation energy (81.3 +/- 3.1 kJ/mol). This study elucidates the intricate effects of environmental variations on the oxidation process of turpentine oil, providing crucial atomic-level insights for designing environmentally friendly fuels.

Metal nitride superhard coating is an important way to protect metallic materials from wear and corrosion. In this work, series of TiNx films were prepared by dual ion beam deposition, in which ion-sputtered particles were bombarded by low energy assisting ions on substrates. The crystal structure and mechanical properties of the films deposited by assisting ion energy Ea and current density Ja were studied. The films exhibit fcc-(111) optimal alignment. Assisting ion bombardment can further enhance the crystallinity of the films. Assisting ions can also promote the performances of the hardness, elastic modulus, critical load and wear resistance of the films to a significant extend. The results show that assisting ion beam is a promising technique to fabricate and modulate the properties of superhard nitride coatings.

ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the behavior of ammonia and ethanol mixed fuel in different conditions, focusing on their combustion reaction mechanisms, intermediates, free radicals, and final product formation at different equivalence ratios. The results reveal that ammonia is primarily consumed by OH free radicals, leading to the formation of the NH2 free radical. NH2 radical undergoes further transformations, forming H2NO, H3NO, HNO, HO2, NO, NO2, HONO, and NH free radicals. The CH3, an intermediate of ethanol, influences the abundance of other free radicals such as H and OH, which also leads to a significant increase in CH2O. In oxygen-rich conditions, OH, HO2, and H2O2 demonstrate higher concentrations compared to oxygen-poor conditions. The NOx species include NO, NO2, and NO3 in rich- and stoichiometricoxygen conditions, whereas in oxygen-poor conditions, only NO is formed. The number of H2O decreases as the proportion of ethanol decreases due to the lack of O atoms, and the amount of H2 continues to increase in the oxygen-poor system. The limited availability of oxygen alters the reaction mechanism, reducing the occurrence of primary form reactions of H2O with the assistance of O, OH, and HO2. Instead, an increasing number of branching chain reactions become prominent at high temperature, leading to the formation of a significant amount of H2.

Aqueous zinc batteries offer significant potential for large-scale energy storage, wearable devices, and medium-to low-speed transportation due to their safety, affordability, and environmental friendliness. However, the uneven zinc deposition at the anode side caused by localized reaction activity from the passivation layer presents challenges that significantly impact the battery's stability and lifespan. In this study, we have proposed an expandable and maneuverable gel sustained-release (GSR) treatment to polish the Zn metal, which in situ converts its native passivation layer into a composite interphase layer with nanocrystal zinc phosphate and flexible polyvinyl alcohol. Such a thin and uniform interface contributes to fast and homogeneous Zn ion transport and improved anti-corrosion ability, enabling uniform zinc deposition without dendrite growth and thereby improving the battery performance with high-rate ability and long cycle life. This GSR treatment method, characterized by its simplicity, low cost, and universality, facilitates the widespread application of aqueous zinc batteries.

The advent of laser-assisted methods for material slicing attracts a particular attention for technologically important materials as silicon carbide (SiC). Using femtosecond lasers, one can locally initiate multiphoton ionization inside SiC, leading to internal material modifications for slicing SiC ingots into individual wafers. However, intense focused light inside SiC suffers from strong nonlinear effects, such as plasma shielding and self-focusing, which limit energy localization and affect the quality of internal modifications. In this research, we employ temporally-shaped ultrafast trains of pulses for semi-insulating SiC crystal modification. These are generated through an engineered stack of birefringent crystals and permitted successfully slicing a SiC wafer. By adjusting laser parameters, we demonstrate improved energy deposition near the laser focal point and find an optimal combination of laser energy (total energy of pulse train: 10 mu J) and number of sub-pulses (8 sub-pulses) to achieve thin single-layer modifications and cracks (thickness: 16.5 mu m). The suppression of pre-focal plasma shielding and improved control for energy deposition inside crystals are confirmed by side-view luminescence microscopy. Ultimately, the benefits from the technique allow a reduction of the modification layer down to 16.5 mu m, corresponding to an important advancement for low material-loss SiC wafer slicing.

Elucidation of a physicochemical process on nanocatalysts,especially under continuously evolving conditions,is often heavily tool-driven because of technical challenges.Recently,ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(APXPS)emerges as an emerging photon-in-electron-out technique in in-situ/operando analysis by bridging the pressure-gap between conventional ultra-high vacuum(UHV)and near ambient or even close to operating conditions,rendering the advancement of XPS from a UHV-based technique to a versatile and powerful tool that enables the specific probe of numerous events taking place at the gas-solid,liquid-solid and liquid-gas nanoscale interfaces which are critical to nanocatalysis research.For example,APXPS probes information on catalytically active phase and reaction kinetics in nanocatalytic processes;details inside the electric double-layer at an electrolyte/electrode interface can now be accessed;more efficient nanocatalyst design can be achieved and energy transfer venues can be optimized.Here,we aim to critically review the recent advances in instrumentation and the probe of the gas-solid,liquid-solid,and gas-liquid nanoscale interfaces using APXPS-based methodologies,followed by putting forward an outlook of the development of APXPS as a rising in-situ/operando analytical means in surface science,nanocatalysis,nanoscience and materials science.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied for various complex electrocatalytic reactions, such as nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia. Currently, their real active sites are controversial due to the inevitable structure transformations of MOFs during the catalytic process, limiting the rational design of effective electrocatalysts. Here, we clarified the structural evolution of zeolitic imidazole framework-67 (ZIF-67) with Co-N units and Co3(hexahydroxytriphenylene)2 (Co-HHTP) with Co-O units on carbon paper (CP) toward enhancing NO3RR. Both ZIF-67/CP and Co-HHTP/CP achieve NH3 Faradaic efficiencies more than 95% within the wide potential range of -0.2 to -1.0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). At -1.0 V versus RHE, they deliver NH3 yield rates of 87.41 and 79.11 mg h-1 cm-2, respectively, which outperform the most reported MOF-based electrocatalysts. Combining with in-situ Raman and ex-situ X-ray diffraction analysis, we verified the faster transformation of ZIF-67 into Co(OH)2 compared to Co-HHTP. The newly generated Co(OH)2 was recognized as the catalytic species and presented more favorable hydrogenation as elucidated by in-situ Fourier transform infrared and differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy. This work offers insightful understanding on the active phase of MOFs for designing reasonable active units toward different electrochemical reactions.

The energy potential stored in water is tremendous, and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) offer a compact and efficient means of harnessing hydroelectric power. However, the practical implementation of liquid-solid TENG imposes more stringent demands on power output. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to manipulate the contact mode of droplets on flexible friction layer interfaces by leveraging precise spatiotemporal control offered by femtosecond laser nanofabrication. Based on dynamic electronic regulation, we efficiently fabricate tear-shaped gradient micro-nano composite structures based on the Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) interfaces. This technique enhances the contact area between microstructures and liquid droplets at the micrometer scale while simultaneously reducing adhesive forces between droplets and the friction layer at the nanometer scale. As a result, we observe a remarkable 24-fold increase in friction-induced electric performance compared to blank PDMS. Furthermore, augmenting sliding speed of droplets leads to significantly enhanced charge generation. This groundbreaking advancement not only facilitates practical utilization of liquid-solid TENGs but also enables impressive applications such as successfully illuminating 520 LED bulbs and the charging power bank. The present study introduces an innovative approach to enhance TENG performance by regulating liquid-solid contact mode through interfacial micro-nano structures, offering potential for further advancements in output power of liquid-solid TENGs.

The focused vortex beam generates a hollow beam, which has been widely used for size-controlled nanoparticle formation on various materials. However, the size variation of the vortex beam is limited by the integral order of the 2π phase wrap, while the waste is caused by the large side lobe around the center. In this study, we propose a method for hollow beam generation by splitting a femtosecond laser and imparting opposite phases to the outer annular region and the central Gaussian region. After focusing, these two regions overlap at the focal spot, resulting in a hollow beam due to phase cancellation. By modulating the relative dimensions of these two regions, the hollow center can be continuously varied. When such a hollow beam is used for surface processing, the thermal capillary effect facilitates the convergence of the molten material toward the center, ultimately leading to the formation of nanoparticles. This ability to control size allows precise control of nanoparticle size with a diameter range from 140 nm to 940 nm. This method holds great promise for guiding research into nanoparticle properties that are influenced by size effects.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can collect and utilize mechanical friction energy. Enhancing their output performance remains a key challenge for practical applications. Crucially, the surface micro/nanostructure on the triboelectric layer significantly impacts its output performance. Here, we propose a method for fabricating random-height micropillar structures (RHMs) on the surface of the triboelectric layer by spatial-temporal shaping of the femtosecond laser composite imprinting to enhance the output performance of TENGs. Under applied pressure, the RHMs create multiple contact points that significantly expand the effective friction area. Simultaneously, differential deformation induces minor lateral displacements, generating additional triboelectric charge. Differential deformation created air gaps, induced the triboelectric effect, and generated an additional electric field. The synergistic effect of these mechanisms ultimately enhances the output performance of the TENG. Compared to unstructured PDMS, the RHMs-TENG exhibits a 20.6-fold increase in open-circuit voltage, with excellent cycling stability (2.7% attenuation after 25,000 cycles) and the ability to power 100 LEDs. This work presents an approach for fabricating micro/nano structures on triboelectric layers to improve TENG output performance.

Holographic patterns that integrate printings and holograms into a single device have received extensive attention in optical security owing to their attractive aesthetics and concealment. However, the sophisticated structures of metasurface-based optical devices require a time-consuming fabrication process, hindering the practical application of holographic patterns in optical security. In this study, a novel double-layer holographic pattern that employs simple microholes and microvoids as optical modulation units is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The two layers of the structure arrays are synchronously processed in a transparent material through a single serial-stitching of dynamic 3D spatially modulated femtosecond pulses that are proposed for the rapid fabrication of large-area multi-layered patterns. The fabricated holographic pattern appears as a dynamic grayscale image under white light incident at different angles and projects encoded holographic images under laser illumination. By transforming microholes into microcraters by ultrasonic treatment, the reconfiguration of the holographic pattern can be realized based on refractive index modulation using liquid immersion. The proposed reconfigurable holographic patterns with simple structures and visible sizes enable the recoding of multiple pieces of information, making them practical optical security elements with a wide range of applications in anti-counterfeiting and information encryption.

Hydrogen production through electrochemical seawater splitting is challenged by the energy-intensive oxygen evolution reaction and the competing chlorine evolution reaction. To overcome these obstacles, ligand-free platinum bismuth (PtBi) alloy nanoparticles (≈2 nm) are synthesized via femtosecond laser liquid ablation under nonequilibrium conditions, yielding metastable structures with tunable elemental compositions populated with defects. The Pt4Bi/C catalyst excels in alkaline methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), delivering a mass activity of 17.7 A mg-1 pt (11.5 times higher than 20% Pt/C) and a specific activity of 54.9 mA cm-2. In-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal a CO-free pathway enabled by Bi, reducing catalyst poisoning. Density functional theory calculations show that PtBi─O lowers d-band center of Pt, weakening the adsorption of *CO, promoting the adsorption of *OH, and lowering the energy barrier from *CHO to *HCOOH. As an example, a hybrid MOR-hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrolyzer demonstrates reduced voltage, suppresses side reactions, improves catalyst durability, achieves 545 mV at 10 mA cm-2, and maintains stability for 54 h below 1.1 V in natural seawater. This study demonstrates the efficacy of PtBi nanoalloys in efficient MOR catalysis for hybrid electrolysis systems toward sustainable hydrogen production.