The Royal Society of Chemistry最新文献

Electrolyte optimization is recognized as a critical strategy for enhancing both the long-term cycling stability and safety performance of lithium-ion batteries. Modified electrolytes must possess the following critical properties, including suppressed decomposition reactions, reduced viscosity at low temperatures, and enhanced ionic transport capabilities, while ensuring compatibility with high-voltage cathodes and optimizing the formation of both solid electrolyte interphases (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphases (CEI). With the inherent limitations of traditional carbonate-based systems, emerging solvents including fluorinated, ether, sulfone and siloxane-based solvents demonstrate significant potential due to their intrinsic safety and wide temperature adaptability. Fluorinated solvents reduce the formation of lithium dendrites to improve safety, and ether-based solvents have low viscosity and excellent low-temperature performance for extreme environments, while sulfone and siloxane-based solvents exhibit excellent thermal stability and interfacial compatibility to extend cell longevity, respectively. Through synergistic molecular design and experimental optimization, such advanced electrolyte systems not only underpin the development of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries but also establish the basis for breakthroughs in energy storage technology, especially in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and operation under extreme conditions. Future research should prioritize innovations in high-performance electrolytes that will accelerate the progress of the global energy transition and contribute to carbon neutrality objectives.

Conductive hydrogels are promising materials for advanced applications in artificial muscles, biomimetic soft robotics, and wearable electronics. However, the simultaneous realization of rapid reversible actuation, superior mechanical robustness, and high-resolution multimodal sensing remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we present a multifunctional hydrogel based on thermos-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), reinforced via acrylamide (AM) copolymerization and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) network integration, which synergistically enhance mechanical strength and toughness. The incorporation of MXene nanosheets endows the hydrogel with stable, repeatable, and ultrasensitive piezoresistive sensing performance. Moreover, the hydrogel exhibits excellent photothermal actuation under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, enabling remote, light-actuation deformation coupled with real-time self-sensing. To enrich its sensing modalities, a piezoelectric composite layer composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) and barium titanate [P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO] is integrated, allowing simultaneous detection of strain amplitude, movement direction, and velocity. As a proof of concept, a biomimetic octopus predation system was constructed, showcasing the potential of this integrated actuator-sensor platform for intelligent soft robotic systems.

Wireless technology advances exacerbate electromagnetic interference challenges, fueling the demand for microwave absorption (MA) materials with broadband compatibility and adaptive tunability. This work proposes a dual-layer intelligent broadband MA composite. The upper and lower layers exhibit complementary microwave loss characteristics across the frequency spectrum. Synergistically, this ensures high-efficiency MA that seamlessly covers the entire 2-18 GHz band. Specifically, the dual-layer structure utilizes carbonyl iron powder (CIP)/boron nitride (BN) and FeSiAl/BN/vanadium dioxide (VO₂) composite powders, prepared via plasma ball milling, for the upper-layer and lower-layer absorbers, respectively. The BN coating modulates the dielectric properties of the composite powders. As a result, the upper layer, featuring a lower characteristic impedance, primarily attenuates X/Ku-band microwaves, while the lower layer, with a higher characteristic impedance, is designed to absorb S/C-band microwaves. Strong magnetic loss from CIP in the X/Ku band and FeSiAl in the S/C band further enhances layer-specific MA within their target frequency ranges. Ultimately, this structure achieved an ultra-wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of up to 13.49 GHz at a thickness of 3.70 mm. Compared with the application of a single magnetic absorber, it demonstrated a 48% enhancement in EAB. Additionally, the VO₂ enables dynamic Ku-band MA modulation through insulator-to-metal transition, yielding a maximum tunable EAB range (ΔEAB) of 8.35 GHz. A dynamic poly(urethane urea) matrix enables the composite to achieve adhesive-free layer assembly through self-healing. Thus, this composite is promising for applications in 5G/6G telecommunications, multi-band radar and health-monitoring flexible devices.

Sitting time is high in older adults and has been shown to temporarily impair endothelial function and blood pressure (BP). Flavanols, plant-derived compounds, acutely enhance endothelial function and reduce BP in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute ingestion of cocoa flavanols can improve peripheral endothelial function and BP during prolonged sitting in healthy older adults. In a randomised, double-blinded, within-subject, cross-over, placebo-controlled human study, 20 apparently healthy, older adults (age, 72.4 ± 5.0 years; 7 males, 13 females) consumed a high-flavanol (695 mg) and a low-flavanol (5.6 mg) cocoa beverage immediately before a 2-hour sitting bout. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the superficial femoral (SFA; primary outcome) and brachial (BA) arteries, and BP, were assessed before and after sitting. Microvasculature haemodynamics were assessed in the gastrocnemius before, during, and after sitting. Sitting reduced both SFA FMD (Δ = -0.7%; p = 0.005) and BA FMD (Δ = -0.7%; p = 0.016) in the low-flavanol condition. The high-flavanol intervention prevented the decline in both SFA and BA FMD following sitting, with FMD measures remaining similar to pre-sitting (p > 0.3). Sitting increased both systolic (Δ = 6.1 mm Hg, p = 0.001) and diastolic BP (Δ = 2.6 mm Hg, p = 0.001), with no benefit from flavanol intake. Sitting increased muscle oxygenation resting levels (p < 0.001) and haemoglobin content (p < 0.001), and decreased muscle oxygen consumption during SFA occlusion (p < 0.001). Flavanols had no effect on the muscle microvasculature. These findings indicate that flavanol-rich foods may be efficacious nutritional strategies to counteract sitting-induced endothelial impairments during prolonged sitting in older adults, but do not alleviate sitting-induced increases in BP.

The emergence of additive manufacturing techniques offers more opportunities for fabricating complex structures with designed properties that are challenging to achieve using traditional manufacturing methods. Micro-/nano-scale metastructures are among the most promising applications of additive manufacturing and are composed of meta-atoms at the subwavelength scale with artificial design, which enables the creation of materials and structures with tailored and programmable properties that go beyond the limitations of their natural and traditional counterparts. This review depicts the thriving intersection of state-of-the-art additive manufacturing and micro-/nano-scale metastructures, such as metamaterials, metasurfaces, etc., aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current achievements and explore future potential. An array of additive manufacturing techniques are discussed, such as electrohydrodynamic printing, two-photon lithography, and aerosol jet printing, which are reshaping the fabrication of metastructures with unprecedented structural design and functional diversity. Furthermore, the selection of the materials based on fabrication principles and device functions is considered. The diverse applications based on different metastructures are highlighted. Finally, this review is concluded by discussing the current challenges and giving future perspectives.

Although often regarded as compromising the fruit's sensory quality, pear peel is an edible component that enhances the nutritional and functional value of pears within a whole food diet. Rich in diverse polyphenols with demonstrated bioactivity, the pear peel represents a valuable dietary source of health-promoting compounds; however, its role in ulcerative colitis (UC) remains underexplored. In this study, the protective effect of pear peel polyphenols (PPP) against UC was investigated using both in vitro and in vivo models. PPP markedly suppressed proinflammatory cytokine and enzyme expressions in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. In dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis mice, PPP significantly mitigated UC symptoms, suppressed serum inflammatory cytokine production, and ameliorated histological damage in colon tissues. Moreover, PPP modulated the gut microbiota by reshaping the microbial diversity, enriching beneficial taxa such as Akkermansia, and suppressing proinflammatory taxa including Bacteroides, Enterobacteriaceae, and Parabacteroides. Notably, proteomic analysis further demonstrated that PPP modulated mucosal immunity, particularly by suppressing the levels of immunoglobulin-related molecules (IgM, IgD, and IgA) and attenuating antigen presentation pathways involving major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and cluster of differentiation (Cd40) signaling. Altogether, these findings suggest that PPP exerts a protective effect against colitis through the coordinated regulation of gut microbiota and mucosal immunity, highlighting its potential as a functional food ingredient for intestinal health.

Bisphosphonates are pharmaceutical compounds commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and multiple myeloma. Their lipophilicity was evaluated using a sensor array composed of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-based ion-selective membranes (ISMs), modified with a polyaniline (PANI) layer that affects surface properties and acts as an anion-exchanger. The lipophilicity of bisphosphonates including ibandronate, clodronate, risedronate, and alendronate was analyzed in both standard and commercial samples. The influence of membrane composition (presence or absence of an anion-exchanger) and PANI deposition conditions (monomer form and/or salt content) on membrane surface properties (lipophilicity and signal stability) was investigated and confirmed using surface-wetting characterization, SEM-EDS mapping and potentiometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) enabled discrimination among the bisphosphonates based on their lipophilicity and revealed distinct contributions of individual ISMs in both standard and commercial samples.

The electromechanical properties of piezoelectric materials are influenced significantly by the defect chemistry, which is determined by the solid-solubility and charge-compensation mechanisms. In the present work, the effects of Sn⁴⁺ doping of lead-free (Ba_0.85Ca_0.15)([Ti_0.92-xSn_x]Zr_0.08)O₃ (x = 0.00-0.10) ceramics on these parameters and the resultant electromechanical properties and energy-storage efficiencies are reported. The complex nature of the solid solubility mechanisms as a function of dopant content is elucidated through comprehensive analyses of the structures, microstructures, and surface chemistry. The corresponding charge compensation mechanisms are determined by correlating these characterization data with corresponding defect equilibria, which then provide the basis for the interpretation of the mechanisms governing the electromechanical properties and energy-storage efficiencies. The combined data for the surface Ti oxidation state (XPS) and bulk unit cell volumes (XRD) for the three observed polymorphs (orthorhombic Pmm2, tetragonal P4mm, and cubic Pm3̄m) reveal interstitial solid solubility at low (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) and high (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) Sn⁴⁺ doping levels, with intermediate (0.04 < x < 0.08) Sn⁴⁺ doping levels exhibiting mixed interstitial-substitutional solid solubility. The trends in the electromechanical properties correlate directly with the solid solubility mechanisms, with two resultant inflections at x = 0.04 (maximal defect concentration) and x = 0.08 (minimal defect concentration). These mechanisms significantly influence the electromechanical properties, where maxima occur for polarization at x = 0.04, bipolar strain at x = 0.08, and energy storage efficiency at x = 0.10. The latter is notable because this parameter reaches >95% across the wide temperature range of 25°-130 °C.

Sustainable, autonomous, adaptive, and next generation flexible electronic systems inside Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable devices have resulted in innovative advancements in energy harvesting technologies. Despite the existence of numerous energy harvesting technologies, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as a potential option for powering smart and compact electronic devices. This study focuses on the fabrication of high-performance TENGs composed of a composite layer with SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SBTO) embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a biocompatible, natural pectin polymer layer. Utilizing the synergistic dielectric enhancement of SBTO, a lead-free Aurivillius-type perovskite, and the charge-accumulative characteristics of pectin, the TENG achieved exceptional electrical performance, with an output voltage reaching 375.7 V, an output current of 20.8 μA and a power density of 12.5 W m^-2 under optimal conditions. An optimal filler concentration of 7 wt% and an operating frequency of 5 Hz produced maximum charge transfer efficiency. The engineered devices exhibited exceptional mechanical durability (>10 000 cycles), environmental stability (>30 days), and humidity resistance (45-90% R.H) when encapsulated. Moreover, incorporating TENGs into autonomous fire alarm systems substantiates their real-time sensing and notification capabilities via the integration of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules that function without batteries. The developed system delivers prompt, location-specific alerts via human-initiated activation, even during emergencies. This work demonstrates the scalable design of flexible TENGs, offering a unique alternative for autonomous fire detection in off-grid or high-risk environments.

Drug-encapsulated scaffolds are crucial to treat challenging bone defects, but the approach for loading drugs into scaffolds is limited. Despite microspheres as carriers that improve drug efficacy and the therapeutic window, the traditional "first preparation - then encapsulation" in drug-microsphere encapsulated scaffolds remains complicated and time-consuming. Herein, we present a facile approach for fabricating drug-microsphere in site encapsulated bone-repair scaffolds (CHP@Drug), in which a solid-liquid interaction triggered by vortex oscillation can be leveraged to realize in site preparation and simultaneous encapsulation of drug-loaded microspheres, rapidly and uniformly. Owing to the induced collision, homogenized and reinforced shear stress from the solid-liquid interaction, CHP@Drug endowed a sustained drug release and an interconnected porous structure. As a proof of concept, CHP@Drugs, were loaded with three drugs respectively, demonstrating significantly enhanced healing of critical-sized, infected, and osteoporotic bone defects in vivo. This study offers a facile and universal way to load drugs into tissue-repair scaffolds, with in-clinic potential.