ABSTRACT Water scarcity poses a critical challenge to sustainable hydrogen (H 2 ) production via electrolysis. Here, we present a solar‐driven, rotary sorption‐based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) system integrated with an electrolytic cell for decentralized H 2 generation. The core of the device is a hygroscopic porous gel (HSN–Li) featuring interconnected channels and photothermal TiN nanoparticles, enabling rapid sorption/desorption kinetics and high water uptake performance (up to 2.62 g water g sorbent −1 at 25°C and 60% RH). Coupled with a Janus membrane modified electrode, the system achieves efficient bubble detachment and continuous H 2 evolution. Under outdoor conditions, the prototype delivers a water yield of 1.55‐2.1 L water kg sorbent −1 day −1 and an ultrafast H 2 production rate of 8.4 L m −2 h −1 , powered entirely by solar energy. This multifunctional platform eliminates dependence on liquid water, offering a scalable, low‐cost route for H 2 generation in water‐stressed regions. Our approach establishes a new paradigm for integrated water harvesting and green energy production, paving the way for sustainable H 2 technologies.

The carbon emissions are becoming increasingly severe. Hydrogen, as a high-quality carbon-free energy, requires extremely high reliance on freshwater resources. Interfacial solar evaporation holds great promise for low-carbon, high-efficiency seawater desalination. However, the pore blockage and photothermal performance degradation caused by the enrichment of salt ions while resisting salt evaporation remains a challenging scientific bottleneck, which restricts its widespread applications. Herein, we manufacture a salt-resistant hydrogel evaporator with unique microstructured surface via 3D printing technology. The surface temperature of the hydrogel evaporator increased by 14.6 °C within 40 min (solar irradiation: 1000 W m−2), achieves remarkable solar evaporation capability (2.35 kg m−2 h−1, 92.1%). More importantly, the evaporator exhibits excellent evaporation efficiency under varying salinities. Furthermore, the efficient utilization of freshwater obtained by the solar evaporation to produce H2 in the daytime and salt release at night, achieves an average hydrogen production rate of 3.55 L m−2 h−1 within one week and an average evaporation rate of 2.14 kg m−2 h−1 within two weeks after salt release. This work achieves sustainable utilization of low-carbon devices, and provides new ideas for all-weather resource utilization systems in the fields of freshwater and low-carbon H2 production.

The bubbles formed on the electrodes tend to stick to the reaction area during hydrogen (H _2 ) production, hindering the continuous reaction, which drastically reduces the H _2 production efficiency. In this work, a customizable multifunctional three-dimensional (3D) electrode with bionic structures is proposed and precisely fabricated by the projection microstereolithography (PμSL) 3D printing technique, which facilitates the catalytic reaction and the detachment of H _2 bubbles with an asymmetrically wetted bioinspired functional membrane to allow bubbles to pass through based on Janus effects. The 3D bionic functional electrodes exhibit excellent H _2 production performance. At the same voltage, the current density of our 3D electrode is 2.5 times greater than that of a two-dimensional (2D) electrode and 8 times greater than that of a one-dimensional (1D) common flat electrode with the same surface area. Moreover, the amount of H _2 collected from a 3D bionic functional electrode is 53.9% and 172.1% greater than that collected from 2D and 1D electrodes with the same catalyst size, respectively. Significantly, a 400 cm ^2 panel reactor system based on biomimetic 3D functional electrodes enables one-week continuous operation with ultra-high safety and durability in H _2 production. Coupled with a solar panel, it achieves long-term outdoor H _2 production and gas collection.

The development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential to overcome the efficiency limitations of water electrolysis. In this study, the CN- and NH2- provided by the amide, along with 2-methylimidazole as the coordination anchor points for the metal, lock the excess Co2+ into a cyanide-bridged bimetallic structure of Co2(CN)5NH2, spontaneously achieving single-atom dispersion. A self-supported Co2(CN)5NH2/Ni-3D electrode with high catalytic activity and stability is developed as a versatile platform for large-scale water electrolysis and oxygen production. The Co2(CN)5NH2 catalyst demonstrates exceptional OER performance, achieving an overpotential of 218.5 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH. The Co2(CN)5NH2/Ni-3D electrode maintains stable operation for over 110, 100, and 140 h at current densities of 20, 50, and 100 mA cm-2, respectively. Notably, the electrode features unique interconnected pore structure, enabling the rapid bubble release and determining the long-term performance of OER catalysts. We achieve the synergistic optimization of the macrostructural morphology of the electrode and the microscale catalytic activity, thereby endowing the electrode with excellent adaptability for long-term OER applications outdoors.

ABSTRACT Solar‐driven water evaporation is a highly promising low‐carbon technology owing to its clean operation and off‐grid applicability. However, diurnal variations in solar position cause significant fluctuations in freshwater production, hindering its practical deployment. Inspired by the omnidirectional light‐harvesting capability of natural tree canopies, we design and fabricate a biomimetic canopy evaporator via projection micro‐stereolithography (P µ SL) based 3D printing technique. The optimized configuration enables spontaneous capillary‐driven liquid transport, achieving a rising height up to 27.8 mm. Through rational 3D assembly, these unit cells form a continuous curved canopy‐like evaporation surface, which maintains an average solar‐weighted absorptance of 92.13% over a wide incidence angle range (0°–90°). Combined with a capillary‐driven microstructure that ensures stable water supply, the system delivers an average evaporation rate of 3.57 kg m −2 h −1 under 1 sun illumination, with an evaporation rate fluctuation of only 2.77%. This work presents a novel design strategy that integrates biomimicry with modular fabrication, offering new insights into the development of high‐performance solar evaporators.

Efficient thermal management is increasingly critical for high-performance computing and emerging artificial intelligence hardware, where heat fluxes exceed the capabilities of conventional heat sinks. Here, a 3D-printed bioinspired Janus microchannel heat sink is reported that enables ultrafast bubble transport and stable two-phase cooling for electronic devices. Inspired by the Namib desert beetle, the heat sink integrates asymmetric wettability-a superhydrophobic top surface and hydrophilic bottom surface-creating a Laplace pressure-driven pathway for millisecond-scale bubble removal. This architecture suppresses vapor-film formation, maintains continuous liquid replenishment, and achieves a critical heat flux (CHF) of 105 W cm-2, representing an up to 125% improvement over conventional microchannel heat sinks. Integrated into a commercial CPU, the Janus microfluidic heat sink maintains maximum clock frequency under full load without thermal throttling, demonstrating a scalable material-driven solution for next-generation thermal management. This bioinspired approach establishes a platform for programmable surface functionality in high-power electronics, with potential applications in data centers, electric vehicles, and aerospace systems.

As the demand for sustainable energy continues to rise, the development of high-efficient hydrogen (H2) production via water electrolysis based on precise bubble manipulation is garnering significant attention. This study presents a novel three-dimensional (3D) micro-cone engineered electrode to enhance the ion exchange rate and catalytic active site regeneration during the electrochemical water splitting process, thereby improving H2 production rates. The unique micro-cones enables precise manipulation of H2 bubble behavior, which achieves directional transport from nucleation to detachment at the top within a mere 224 ms. Simultaneously, the bubble manipulation performance of micro-cones with varying geometric configurations and dimensional parameters is investigated. The optimal bubble manipulation performance is achieved when the micro-cones have a circular base with a diameter of 100 mu m, a height of 300 mu m, and an array center distance of 100 mu m. The performance of the 3D micro-cone engineered electrode outperforms conventional commercial electrodes, with its capacitance (Cdl) value reaching 35.1 mF cm- 2, which is significantly higher than those of Ni foam and Ni-CP. Additionally, under a 1.7 V vs. RHE condition, the electrode achieves a current density of 80 mA cm- 2, with a H2 collection rate 32.3 % higher than that of a Ni foam under identical conditions. Large-scale outdoor experiments driven by solar energy further confirm the scalability and stability of the micro-cone engineered electrodes, which is capable of producing substantial H2 quantities over extended periods without bubbles blockage. The large-area micro-cone electrodes, when operated continuously under high outdoor current density, still exhibit excellent H2 production and bubble directional manipulation stability. This research highlights the transformative impacts of advanced electrode design on water electrolysis efficiency and H2 bubbles manipulation, offering new insights for ultra-high efficient sustainable H2 production.

Bionic structured milli-fluidics, as an emerging interdisciplinary subject of fluidics and biomimetics, is fast developing due to its diverse applications in various fields such as biomedical detection, material synthesis, water collection, etc. Researchers have mimicked natural surfaces with unique milli-structures like Araucaria leaves and cactus to achieve droplet manipulation for milli-fluidics. Furthermore, wetting gradient surfaces and external stimuli, including light, thermal, electricity, magnetism, and acoustics, have been utilized to create energy gradients and enhance bionic structured milli-fluidic performance. We comprehensively review the passive methods (bioinspired structures) and active strategies (external fields) for milli-fluidics. Moreover, the relationships between Laplace pressure, wettability gradients, and milli-fluidics are discussed first. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of different external stimuli are examined, and future directions for the field are suggested as well. Finally, a brief overview of key issues, current obstacles, and emerging trends of bionic structured milli-fluidics is presented, aiming to provide guidance for future research endeavors.

Liquid metals (LMs), particularly gallium-based alloys, have attracted increasing interests as a unique materials platform spanning soft and hard matter. When transforming from bulk LM to micro/nanoscale particles, LMs undergo a fundamental transition: the formation of a metal-oxide core-shell structure imparts interfacial stability, tunable chemistry, and dynamic reconfigurability inaccessible to bulk LMs. The LM particles not only mitigate intrinsic drawbacks of bulk LMs such as high surface tension, poor substrate adhesion, and uncontrolled spreading but also unlock new functionalities through scale effects, interfacial engineering, and external-field responsiveness. As building blocks, LM particles exhibit high specific surface area, programmable wettability, and facile dispersion, enabling multifunctional integration across fields ranging from soft robotics and stretchable electronics to catalysis, energy storage, and biomedicine. This review systematically outlines fabrication strategies that govern LM particle formation, emphasizing how processing parameters control size, composition, and surface state. Building on a comparative, application-oriented framework, the review innovatively clarifies where LM particles-based structure offers decisive advantages over bulk LMs across soft actuation, stretchable electronics, energy-related systems, catalysis, thermal management, solar interfacial evaporation, synthesis, and biomedicine. Importantly, transferable design principles are distilled within each application. Finally, persistent challenges in long-term interfacial stability, oxide control, and scalable manufacturing are discussed, together with practical pathways toward robust, intelligent, and multifunctional LM particle-based systems.

Renewable energy-driven electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) provides a sustainable technical solution to solve increasingly severe environmental and energy problems. Focusing on improving the intrinsic activity of Cu-based catalysts for CO2 methanation, two kinds of CeO2 with different crystal face exposures are successfully constructed and used as substrates to load Cu sites (Cu-CeO2). The study finds that Cu sites can exhibit excellent catalytic activity when loaded on CeO2 (110) crystal faces, possessing FECH4 = 62 % and jCH4 = -270.4 mA cm- 2 at -1.8 V vs. RHE. Theoretical calculations confirm that the crystal face of the carrier plays a key role in reducing the reaction energy barrier of CO2 methanation. Meanwhile, the catalyst and reaction of anodic oxidation are also optimized, which could not only achieve the decrease of energy consumption but also improve the practicality of coupled electrolysis in the ECO2RR system.

Bionic microfluidics is garnering increasing attention due to the superior fluidic performance enabled by biomimetic microstructures. Inspired by the unique structures of young pumpkin stems, we fabricate helicoidally patterned microchannels with precisely controlled morphologies using the projection micro-stereolithography (P μ SL)-based 3D printing technique. Our helicoidally patterned microchannels achieve approximately twice the liquid lifting height compared to similarly sized smooth microchannels. This improvement is attributed to the enhanced capillary force. The additional meniscus formed between the helicoidally patterned microstructures significantly contributes to the increased capillary effects. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of fluidic performance in helicoidally patterned microchannels are theorized using a newly developed equation, which is also employed to optimize the geometric parameters and fluidic performance of the biomimetic helicoidal microchannels. Additionally, our biomimetic helicoidally patterned microchannels facilitate a significant step-lifting phenomenon, mimicking tall trees’ transpiration. The fluidic performance of our biomimetic helicoidally patterned microchannels show promise for applications in enhanced liquid lifting, step-lifting, clean-water production, and others.

The ability to transport liquids in a controllable and directed manner enables significant applications in various fields. Herein, inspired by horned lizards and tree vessels, we propose a unique type of periodic directional liquid transport milli-channels (DLTMCs). The bionic structures are fully compatible with 3D printing technique. The DLTMCs can spontaneously transport liquids in the forward direction while selectively rejecting liquids in the reverse direction. By adjusting the surface tension of the transported liquids, the unidirectionality of DLTMCs can be precisely tailored, enabling them to effectively regulate the rate of liquid transport. Moreover, liquid diodes and selective switches can be precisely constructed based on DLTMCs. In addition, their high spatial adaptability can be utilized to construct complex liquid paths for precise directional transport within a two-dimensional plane. In the vertical direction, the DLTMCs also demonstrate effective liquid transport in the forward direction and rejection in the reverse direction. Most significantly, a J-shaped siphon channel made from the improved bionic DLTMCs can achieve spontaneous siphoning at a maximum rate of 11.2 ml/min, validating their excellent ability to efficiently and quickly transport large volumes of liquids in a unidirectional manner.

Soft, flexible electronics is boosting the monitoring physiological data and assessing health conditions. However, their further practical utilization is limited due to the lack of intrinsic adhesion interfaces for mechanical deformation, self-healing capability against mechanical damages, and degradable properties for the waste electronic products treatment. Herein, we report the design concepts, materials, fabrication methods, and multifunctional applications of a new type of self-healing and degradable flexible health-detection electronics based on three-dimensional (3D) printable polymers and liquid metals. The 3D printed elastomer processes amazing self-healing efficiency (99.5 %), excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength: 3104 kPa), degradable, intrinsic adhesion, etc. Polymer elastomers combined with the fluidity of Galinstan (GaInSn) allow the electronic devices to heal from fracture and restore electrical performance. Our polymer elastomers effectively solve the coordination problems between solid-state electronic devices and substrates, greatly improving the integration and functional complexity of the functional devices. The reliable connection between the GaInSn circuit, commercial components and elastomers can easily measure various physiological signals such as electrophysiology, temperature, and body motions. In addition, the commercial components and GaInSn circuits can be well recycled through ethanol to reduce pollution to the environment. The present 3D printed self-healing multi-functional electronics enables new opportunities for promising applications of flexible electronic devices.

Silicon (Si)-based anode has emerged as the most promising anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high specific capacity, suitable operating potential and abundant natural reserves. Nevertheless, the drastic volume effect of Si particles during lithiation/delithiation leads to particle pulverization, electrode structure collapse, and solid electrolyte interfacial (SEI) film instability, which results in a rapid reversible capacity degradation of Si-based anodes. It is essential to deeply analyze the failure mechanism of silicon-based electrodes and explore suitable improvement methods to achieve higher capacity retention. Herein, we systematically summarize the improvement strategies for Si-based anodes, including regulating material particle size, optimizing structure and composition, and exploring new binders, along with their enhancement mechanisms. In addition, the preparation of high-performance Si-based electrodes based on newly developed 3D printing technology in recent years is discussed. Lastly, several possible directions and emerging challenges for Si anode are presented to facilitate further improvement in practical applications. Overall, this review is expected to provide basic understanding and insights into the practical application of Si-based materials in next-generation LIBs negative electrodes.

Micro-nano spectral emitters are crucial in applications such as radiative cooling, gas detection, and infrared stealth. However, current designs depend heavily on optimization algorithms that require extensive calculations. Therefore, achieving the rapid design of target-oriented spectral emitters remains a fundamental challenge. A comprehensive investigation into the mechanisms of microscale radiation regulation ensures the rapid design of spectral emitters. Among these mechanisms, magetic polaritons (MPs) have become a significant resonance mode in the field of micro nano scale thermal radiation due to its Perfect absorption. Equivalent inductor-capacitor circuit (LC) model is an important theoretical model for calculating the resonance frequency of MP, but it requires a constant for fitting, which seriously restricts the Fast design of micro-nano emitters. In this paper, transmission line (TL) theory is proposed to directly determine the frequency of MP excitation for grating and slit arrays without fitting. Numerical simulation results indicate that the MP excitation frequency calculated by TL theory are accurate. Moreover, TL model directly gives the fitting constants in the LC model. Compared with previous studies, TL theory has achieved the calculation of the excitation frequency of MP without fitting. Finally, as a practical application, TL model is employed to illustrate the Fast design of heat emitter. Our research seeks to facilitate the expedited design of target-oriented spectral emitters and to advance the application of LC model and TL model in spectral emitters.

The lack of freshwater is becoming an increasingly urgent problem, and clean water production with green energy is becoming a hot topic. Among these, mimicked transpiration for water treatment enabled with solar energy is attracting more and more interest. In this work, we design unique microchannels inspired by leaf veins in nature. We experimentally observe the unique microfludic phenomena exhibited during liquid transport inside the mimicked microchannels, and the underlying mechanisms of the microfluidic performance of the mimicked microchannels are also revealed. Moreover, a type of mimicked leaf integrating "veins" for fluid transport and "stomata" for solar evaporation is designed. Our mimicked leaves achieve rapid liquid transport, when the light intensity is 1 sun, the maximum evaporation rate is 1.85 kg m-2 h-1, and the photothermal conversion efficiency is higher than 92%. In addition, with the rapid liquid transport capability of our mimicked leaves, we innovatively design a mimicked tree for spatial solar evaporation, exhibiting an evaporation rate of 1.52 kg m-2 h-1 with a light intensity of 1 sun. Our mimicked trees promise the microfluidics-powered, large-scale and multidirectional transportation of water, as well as excellent spatial evaporation of water.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is an efficient and environmental-friendly method to produce clean water that has been widely studied. However, its application in high-concentration brines (>= 20 wt% salinity) remains limited by severe salt accumulation. Inspired by the interfacial fluid dynamics of horned lizard skin scales and plant vascular systems, we developed a 3D-printed dual-biomimetic solar evaporator with superior salt resistance. The evaporator integrates bio-mimicked micro-grooves and hierarchical microchannels to address critical salt management challenges. The lizard-skin-inspired micro-grooves generate a self-sustained Marangoni effect, driving directional ion migration to suppress salt crystallization. Concurrently, the plant-root-mimetic microchannels enable rapid water replenishment and reverse ion backflow, maintaining stable evaporation in 25 wt% NaCl brine. Notably, the evaporator delivers a high evaporation rate of 1.65 kg m(-2) h(-1) (96.1 % evaporation efficiency) and sustains 1.18 kg m(-2) h(-1) output over 10 h in high-salinity brine. Outdoor tests further validate the practical viability of our bionic solar evaporators, achieving up to 3.73 L m(-2) day(-1) freshwater production with zero salt fouling in 5 days cycles. This design breakthrough in salt resistance enables reliable operation in extreme salinity environments, advancing scalable solar desalination technologies.

Solar-driven seawater evaporation is sustainable for freshwater production but limited by water sources, wastes tolerance, and durability. Here, we propose a bamboo shoot inspired conical porous evaporation made of multi-wall carbon nanotube-based composite materials, which demonstrates ultra-high-water transportation, high evaporation efficiency and salt-rejecting properties under high salinity and contaminated conditions. Its bioinspired microchannels' capillary effect can drive liquid up to 126.0 mm, offering continuous water supply for evaporation and reducing liquid surface pressure, thus increasing evaporation efficiency with a capacity of up to 2.54 kg m-2 h-1. Meanwhile, the three-dimensional structure generates a temperature gradient, which induces Marangoni convection and facilitates the flow of saline water from high-concentration areas to low-concentration areas. This convection and capillary fluid replenishment work together to maintain salt concentration balance, enabling long-term seawater desalination over 200 h in 20 wt% saline water.

Interfacial solar water evaporation has emerged as a pivotal solution for addressing global water scarcity and pollution. However, its practical deployment is often hindered by its suboptimal evaporation rates, and most of the previous solar evaporators are limited to specific types of single liquids. This study introduces a jellyfish-inspired micro-meniscus solar evaporator (JMSE) designed to enhance evaporation efficiency, particularly in complex ocean environments contaminated with oil and subjected to wave action. Leveraging a 3D micro-meniscus architecture combined with bionic spring microchannels, the JMSE facilitates the continuous transport of water from the oil-water interface, achieving a remarkable evaporation rate of 2.16 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun-a 30% improvement over conventional solar evaporation systems. Moreover, the system exhibits robust salt-rejection capabilities, maintaining effective desalination even under challenging conditions, with an evaporation rate of up to 2.86 liters m-2 day-1 for a 5 wt.% NaCl solution. Most significantly, continuous operation over extended periods underscores the JMSE's resilience and efficiency, attaining exceptional purification from various saline sources while conforming to World Health Organization standards for drinking water. This research highlights the JMSE's superior performance and guides future innovations in interfacial solar evaporation technologies, targeting low enthalpy and high efficiency for oily seawater applications.

Addressing the challenges posed by oil pollution from both domestic and industrial sources-which contributes to energy waste and environmental degradation-is critical. Here, a new, efficient, and sustainable oil/water separation system is presented using biomimetic spring microchannels created through precise projection micro-stereolithography-based 3D printing technique. This innovative system allows for the swift separation of mixed oil and water phases into distinct and pure streams, achieving a high separation flux of up to 292.5 L m-2 h-1. The separation efficiency, consistently maintained over 99%, leverages the synergistic effects of surface wettability and molecular polarity to handle multiple oils with varying densities and surface tensions. Moreover, the biomimetic microchannels precise capturing of the oil/water interface and offer flexibility to initiate separation by prefilling the channels with either oil or water. Furthermore, these microchannels effectively prevent clogging, ensuring sustained performance. A significant enhancement is also demonstrated in separating crude oil from water by solar irradiation to reduce its viscosity, with a notable separation rate of 22.5 L m-2 h-1 for individual channels. The findings underscore the potential of 3D bionic functional spring microchannels for selectively separating a wide range of oil-water mixtures with exceptional efficiency.