Interdisciplinary Materials最新文献

Efficient and cost-effective catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are crucial for the commercialization of metal-air batteries. In this study, we utilized theoretical calculations to guide the material synthesis strategy for preparing catalysts. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we systematically explored the ORR performance of metal metaphosphates (A-M(PO₃)₂, B-M(PO₃)₂, M = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) with both amorphous and crystalline structures. Amorphous A-Mn(PO₃)₂ showed optimal adsorption energy and the lowest ORR overpotential of 0.32 eV. Phytic acid was employed as a phosphorus source, and the chelating structure of phytic acid molecules and metal ions was broken through the “metal ion pre-adsorption and spatial confinement strategy” of carbon materials with electron-rich centers. Following high-temperature calcination, we successfully prepared a series of amorphous metal metaphosphate composite catalysts for the first time. In 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, both amorphous Mn(PO₃)₂-C/C₃N₄/CQDs (carbon quantum dots) and Mn(PO₃)₂-C/C₃N₄/CNTs (carbon nanotubes) exhibited excellent ORR catalytic activity, with half-wave potentials of 0.85 V and 0.80 V, respectively. A linear correlation between theoretical overpotentials and experimental half-wave potentials was discovered through comparison. This work could open a new avenue to the discovery of highly efficient non-precious metal-based catalysts with amorphous structures.

Bioinspired energy-autonomous interactive electronics are prevalent. However, self-powered artificial skins are often challenging to be combined with excellent mechanical properties, optical transparency, autonomous attachability, and biocompatibility. Herein, a robust ecological polyionic skin (polyionic eco-skin) based on triboelectric mechanism consisting of ethyl cellulose/waterborne polyurethane/Cu nanoparticles (EWC) green electroactive sensitive material and polyethylene oxide/waterborne polyurethane/phytic acid (PWP) polyionic current collector is proposed. The polyionic eco-skin features sufficient stretchability (90%) and low Young's modulus (0.8 MPa) close to that of human soft tissue, high transparency (> 84% of transmission) in the visible light range, and broad static/dynamic adhesiveness, which endows it with strong adaptive implementation capacity in flexible curved electronics. More importantly, the self-powered polyionic eco-skin exhibits enhanced force-electric conversion performance by coordinating the effect of nanoparticle-polymer interfacial polarization and porous structure of sensitive material. Integrating multiple characteristics enables the polyionic eco-skin to effectively convert biomechanical energy into electrical energy, supporting self-powered functionality for itself and related circuits. Moreover, the eco-skin can be utilized to construct an interactive system and realize the remote noncontact manipulation of targets. The polyionic eco-skin holds tremendous application potential in self-powered security systems, human–machine interaction interfaces, and bionic robots, which is expected to inject new vitality into a human–cyber–physical intelligence integration.

Direct hydrazine-hydrogen peroxide fuel cells (DHzHPFCs) offer unique advantages for air-independent applications, but their commercialization is impeded by the lack of high-performance and low-cost catalysts. This study reports a novel dual-site Co-Zn catalyst designed to enhance the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) activity. Density functional theory calculations suggested that incorporating Zn into Co catalysts can weaken the binding strength of the crucial N₂H₃* intermediate, which limits the rate-determining N₂H₃* desorption step. The synthesized p-Co₉Zn₁ catalyst exhibited a remarkably low reaction potential of −0.15 V versus RHE at 10 mA cm⁻², outperforming monometallic Co catalysts. Experimental and computational analyses revealed dual active sites at the Co/ZnO interface, which facilitate N₂H₃* desorption and subsequent N₂H₂* formation. A liquid N₂H₄-H₂O₂ fuel cell with p-Co₉Zn₁ catalyst achieved a high open circuit voltage of 1.916 V and a maximum power density of 195 mW cm⁻², demonstrating the potential application of the dual-site Co-Zn catalyst. This rational design strategy of tuning the N₂H₃* binding energy through bimetallic interactions provides a pathway for developing efficient and economical non-precious metal electrocatalysts for DHzHPFCs.

Outside Back Cover: The review of doi:10.1002/idm2.12202 summarizes recent advancements in interface engineering for solid-state lithium metal batteries. As illustrated in the image, an interface layer is between lithium metal and solid-states electrolyte, which should not only play as buffer layer to void the intrinsic solid-solid contact but also severe as fast lithium pathway to uniform lithium deposition. Moreover, future viable interfacial layers should demonstrate exceptional chemical and electrochemical stability, high lithium ion conductivity, and soft yet intimate contact with both lithium and the electrolyte.

Outside Front Cover: The study in doi:10.1002/idm2.12212 reports a novel design of onedimensional (1D) Pt–Pd dendritic nanotubular heterostructures (DTHs). The Pt–Pd bimetallic DTHs catalyst shown in the image exhibited uniform dense Pt dendritic nanobranches on the surface of 1D hollow Pt–Pd alloy nanotubes, possessing superior catalytic activity for ORR compared to the state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalysts. The Pt-Pd bimetallic DTHs configuration combines the advantages of 1D hollow nanostructures and dense Pt dendritic nanobranches, which results in rich electrochemical active surface sites, fast charge transport, and multiple dendritic anchoring points contact on carbon support, thus boosting its catalytic activity and stability towards electrocatalysis.

Commercial polyolefin separators in lithium batteries encounter issues of uncontrolled lithium-dendrite growth and safety incidents due to their low Li⁺ transference numbers ($��t_{{\mathrm{Li}}^{+}}�$) and low melting points. To address these challenges, this study proposes an innovative approach by upgrading conventional separators through the incorporation of metal-organic framework (MOF)-confined polyoxometalate (POM). The presence of POM restricts anion diffusion through electrostatic repulsion while facilitating Li⁺ transport within MOF nanochannels through their affinity for lithium ions. Moreover, MOF confinement effectively mitigates the acidification of electrolytes induced by POM. As a proof-of-concept, the polypropylene separators decorated with phosphotungstic acid@UIO66 (denoted as PW₁₂@UIO66-PP) exhibit remarkable lithium-ion conductivity of 0.78 mS cm⁻¹ with a high $��t_{{\mathrm{Li}}^{+}}�$ of 0.75 at room temperature. The modified separators also display excellent thermal stability, preventing significant shrinkage even at 150°C. Furthermore, Li symmetric cells employing PW₁₂@UIO66-PP separators exhibit stable cycling for 1000 h, benefiting from rapid Li-ion transport and uniform deposition. Additionally, the modified separator shows promising adaptability to industrial manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, as evidenced by the assembly of a 4 Ah NCM811/graphite pouch cell that retains 97% capacity after 350 cycles at C/3, thus highlighting its potential for practical applications.

With the rapid evolution of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data, robotics, and novel materials, the landscape of global ocean science and technology is undergoing significant transformation. Ocean wave energy stands out as one of the most promising clean and renewable energy sources. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) represent a cutting-edge technology for harnessing such random and ultra-low frequency energy toward blue energy. A high-performance TENG incorporating a double-spiral zigzag-origami structure is engineered to achieve continuous sensing and signal transmission in marine environment. Integrating the double-spiral origami into the TENG system enables efficient energy harvesting from the ocean waves by converting low-frequency wave vibrations into high-frequency motions. Under the water wave triggering of 0.8 Hz, the TENG generates a maximum peak power density of 55.4 W m⁻³, and a TENG array with six units can generate an output current of 375.2 μA (density of 468.8 mA m⁻³). This power-managed TENG array effectively powers a wireless water quality detector and transmits signals without an external power supply. The findings contribute to the development of sustainable and renewable energy technologies for oceanic applications and open new pathways for designing advanced materials and structures in the field of energy harvesting.

Stretchable conjugated polymer films are pivotal in flexible and wearable electronics. Despite significant advancements in film stretchability through molecular engineering and multicomponent blending, these conjugated polymer films often exhibit limited elastic ranges and reduced carrier mobilities under large strain or after cyclic stretching. These limitations hinder their application in wearable electronics. Therefore, it is imperative to reveal the mechanical fatigue mechanisms and incorporate multiple strain energy dissipation strategies to enhance elastic deformation and electrical performance of stretched conjugated polymer films. In this review, we begin by introducing the typical mechanical behaviors of conjugated polymer films. Subsequently, we discuss the multiscale structural evolution under various stretching conditions based on both in-situ and ex-situ characterizations. This analysis is further related to the diverse strain energy dissipation mechanisms. We next establish the correlation between strain-induced microstructure and the electrical performance of stretched conjugated polymer films. After that, we propose to develop highly elastic conjugated polymer films by constructing stable crosslinks and promoting polymer dynamics in low-crystalline polymer films. Finally, we highlight the future opportunities for high-performance and mechanically stable devices based on stretchable conjugated polymer films.

The brittleness of ceramics restricts their engineering application. Prestressing is promising to solve the problem, yet still lacks enough attention and extensive investigation. This work proposes the idea of macro-scale and micro-scale prestressed ceramics: to form compressive prestress in macro- or micro-scale range in the ceramics by designed additional force, which offsets the fracture stress at the crack tips, then enhances the strength of ceramics. The macro-scale prestressed ceramic has a designed long-range ordering stress distribution in a large scale, similar to the reinforced concrete and tempered glass. The micro-scale ceramic has a designed short-range ordered stress distribution, similar to that in the natural biomaterials. Strategies constructing the macro-scale and micro-scale prestressed ceramics are planned. Future research interests and challenges are prospected for developing the mechanical properties of ceramics.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as a groundbreaking class of materials poised to revolutionize solid-state hydrogen storage technology. This comprehensive review delves into the intricate interplay between the unique compositional and structural attributes of HEAs and their remarkable hydrogen storage performance. By meticulously exploring the design strategies and synthesis techniques, encompassing experimental procedures, thermodynamic calculations, and machine learning approaches, this work illuminates the vast potential of HEAs in surmounting the challenges faced by conventional hydrogen storage materials. The review underscores the pivotal role of HEAs' diverse elemental landscape and phase dynamics in tailoring their hydrogen storage properties. It elucidates the complex mechanisms governing hydrogen absorption, diffusion, and desorption within these novel alloys, offering insights into enhancing their reversibility, cycling stability, and safety characteristics. Moreover, it highlights the transformative impact of advanced characterization techniques and computational modeling in unraveling the structure–property relationships and guiding the rational design of high-performance HEAs for hydrogen storage applications. By bridging the gap between fundamental science and practical implementation, this review sets the stage for the development of next-generation solid-state hydrogen storage solutions. It identifies key research directions and strategies to accelerate the deployment of HEAs in hydrogen storage systems, including the optimization of synthesis routes, the integration of multiscale characterization, and the harnessing of data-driven approaches. Ultimately, this comprehensive analysis serves as a roadmap for the scientific community, paving the way for the widespread adoption of HEAs as a disruptive technology in the pursuit of sustainable and efficient hydrogen storage for a clean energy future.