Advanced Materials Interfaces最新文献

Self-catalyzed AlGaAs nanowires (NWs) offer advantageous properties, including lattice matching to GaAs, a wide range of electronic bandgaps, and monolithic integration with the mature Si platform due to elastic strain relaxation. However, the growth of self-catalyzed AlGaAs NWs is typically characterized by morphological challenges, such as branching and tapering. Here, we comprehensively investigate the optimization of the group III growth rate and V/III ratio. We demonstrate the growth of AlGaAs NWs using a Ga/Al alloy droplet as a co-catalyst, achieving minimal branching and NW uniformity with up to 40% nominal Al content. Embedding a single GaAs segment in an optimized NW structure results in QD-like properties, including strong spatially localized emission at room temperature. Our findings demonstrate the control of branching events in self-catalyzed AlGaAs NWs, highlighting their potential for applications including nanolasers and quantum light emitters.

The exceptional biomechanical performance of the intervertebral disc (IVD) arises from its complex hierarchical structure, where interlamellar and radial fiber networks play critical roles in load transfer and mechanical resilience. However, the precise contribution of these fiber networks remains incompletely understood. Here, we present a biomimetic strategy that replicates these native interfacial architectures using silk-based suture reinforcement, forming annulus fibrosus–nucleus pulposus (AF–NP) constructs designed to emulate native IVD functionality. Mechanical testing revealed that suture-reinforced laminates achieved superior shear resistance (0.87 ± 0.06 MPa) while reducing modulus variability from 43% to 4%, indicating enhanced interlamellar cohesion. Radial fibers further improved compressive performance, limiting radial expansion and maintaining internal pressurization under load. Finite element modeling demonstrated that radial fibers redistributed interfacial stresses, reduced peak stress concentrations, and enhanced circumferential fiber activation, promoting more uniform load distribution. These findings establish that interlamellar and radial fibers are essential for maintaining IVD structural integrity and optimizing load distribution. Our biomimetic design offers a robust framework for developing next-generation IVD repair and replacement constructs, providing insights that may advance clinical strategies for IVD degeneration and improve the durability of soft tissue implants.

Surfaces play a central role in catalytic processes, and understanding the transformation of ruthenium metal into ruthenium oxide during annealing is essential for tailoring functional catalytic interfaces. In this study, we systematically investigate ≈22 nm thick Ru metal films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 300°C, focusing on their chemical composition, structural evolution, and surface hydration behavior following post-deposition annealing in air from 400 to 600°C. Lab-based and synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal a gradual conversion from metallic Ru to fully oxidized Ru⁴⁺ with increasing annealing temperature, accompanied by a corresponding increase in lattice oxygen. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows amorphous Ru oxide phases at 400°C and 500°C that evolve into crystalline RuO₂ at 600°C, while atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicates enhanced grain growth and surface roughening upon annealing. Ambient-pressure XPS (AP-XPS) under controlled H₂O vapor environments (1–17 Torr) demonstrates that samples annealed at 400°C and 500°C exhibit initially high hydroxyl coverage that decreases with increasing water vapor pressure, concurrent with a rise in molecular H₂O adsorption. In contrast, the crystalline RuO₂ surface formed at 600°C maintains stable hydroxylation and supports increased water uptake. Overall, this work provides fundamental insight into Ru oxide–H₂O interactions and establishes design principles for engineering oxide surfaces optimized for electrocatalytic applications.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a leading photovoltaic technology, with efficiencies now exceeding 28%. However, their commercialization is hindered by poor long-term stability against moisture, oxygen, heat, and UV radiation. A promising solution is presented by graphene and its functionalized derivatives, e.g., graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and so forth, due to their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and barrier properties. In this review, the application of these graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) to enhance PSC stability is systematically examined. The integration of GBNs into all key device components—including transparent electrodes, electron and hole transport layers (ETLs/HTLs), interfacial layers, and encapsulation coatings—is analyzed. Key findings show that GBNs significantly improve device performance and durability. For instance, rapid electron extraction is facilitated by GBN-modified ETLs, while robust moisture resistance is provided by graphene-based HTLs and encapsulants, enabling high PCE retention (>90%) under harsh conditions. Recent advancements are summarized in this paper, highlighting how functionalized graphene derivatives are critical enablers for the development of commercially viable, stable next-generation PSCs.

Antibacterial properties are as critical as filtration efficiency in water treatment membranes, as they determine longevity and biofouling resistance. This study reports the fabrication of flexible antibacterial films featuring an in situ fluorine-doped laser-induced graphene (F-LIG) surface, generated via direct CO₂ laser writing on fluorinated polyimide (F-PI) substrates. By adjusting laser parameters, the surface wettability of F-LIG is tuned from hydrophilic to highly hydrophobic (contact angle: 131.5°). The hydrophobic F-LIG exhibited synergistic antibacterial activity through (1) chemical inhibition, where fluorination-induced low surface energy suppressed bacterial adhesion, and (2) physical disruption, where nanoscale roughness mechanically damaged bacterial cells. Antibacterial tests against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated up to 80.7% bacterial removal, surpassing the hydrophilic variant. Furthermore, a bacterial-responsive Janus membrane is fabricated by combining an F-LIG top layer with a porous fluorinated polyimide (F-PPI) substrate, prepared via non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). Permeability and dye removal experiments using pigment blue 15:3 and methylene blue revealed that the porous F-LIG membranes achieved removal efficiencies of up to 96.3% and 83.9%, respectively, despite slightly lower permeability than commercial PVDF filter paper. These results highlight the promise of F-LIG-based membranes that integrate antibacterial and filtration functions within a single platform.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have long become an important element of modern nanotechnology. Apart from their primary use in tailoring the chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces, they can be modified by physical tools, with electron irradiation being probably the most useful and versatile one. Here, the development and current state of this field is reviewed, addressing both fundamental aspects of this modification and the related implications and applications. Various types of SAMs, differing in their reaction to electron irradiation, are considered, and the impact of relevant factors affecting these reactions, such as the SAM quality, primary electron energy, and temperature, is analyzed. Based on this knowledge, the current applications of SAM engineering by electrons are introduced and discussed. These applications include tuning the SAM properties, preparation of binary SAMs, conventional and chemical lithography, fabrication of carbon nanomembranes (CNMs), enabling metal deposition onto SAMs, and design and fabrication of biointerfaces. Some of these applications, like chemical lithography and functional CNMs, are unique and can hardly be realized with any other technology. They hold significant potential for the future and will presumably soon make a transition from prototype laboratory experiments to real-life industrial applications.

The development of functional surfaces with engineered wetting properties and droplet behaviors has attracted significant interest for applications in biomedical engineering, electronics, and microfluidics. However, achieving precise, localized engineering of surface wettability remains a significant challenge in both fabrication and modeling. In this study, a novel acoustic assembly photopolymerization (AAP) method is introduced for fabricating surfaces with predictable anisotropic and gradient wettability. The relationship between the APP process parameters and the fabricated film properties is established to enable the accurate fabrication of surfaces capable of self-guided liquid manipulation. Theoretical models of flow dynamics in open capillary grooves are developed to predict the liquid flow behavior within microchannels. By tailoring the process-property relationship, the droplet motion and droplet transport time can be precisely controlled within a 5–30 s window. Experimental validation confirms that AAP-fabricated surfaces enable predictable droplet transport with less than 5% mean error from theoretical predictions, demonstrating tunable hydrodynamic performance. This work advances the understanding of microscale fluid dynamics on anisotropic surfaces and presents a scalable approach for manufacturing next-generation microfluidic devices. Notably, the demonstrated capability for designed, gradient-driven liquid transport without external energy input opens new avenues for on-chip chemical synthesis, point-of-care diagnostics, and biosensing applications.

This study presents the development of a novel material capable of efficiently enriching and recovering pathogenic bacteria from food matrices without requiring surface modification of biological components or complex chemical conjugation. A nanocellulose-based chitosan aerogel (CNF-CS) is synthesized via cross-linking of nanocellulose, extracted from pulp, with chitosan. The CNF-CS aerogel enables selective adsorption of negatively charged bacterial cells through electrostatic interactions. When integrated with a custom-designed micro-injection extrusion enrichment device, the system achieves rapid and efficient enrichment and recovery of foodborne pathogens. The CNF-CS aerogel-based system demonstrated a high enrichment efficiency of (96.30 ± 1.01)% and an elution rate of (89.16 ± 3.08)% for target pathogens. The entire enrichment and elution process is completed within (6.16 ± 0.05) min using 800 mL liquid samples or complex real-food matrices, including milk, watermelon, and oyster. Furthermore, the constituent materials of the CNF-CS aerogel are environmentally benign, biodegradable, and derived from sustainable sources. The aerogel can be tailored in terms of size, shape, and thickness to meet specific application requirements, highlighting its adaptability and strong potential for practical implementation and widespread adoption.

Electronic textiles represent a transformation in wearable biomedicine by integrating sensing, actuation, data communication, and therapeutic delivery into lightweight and deformable fabric. Recent advancements in conductive polymers, carbon nanomaterials, and natural fiber composites have significantly enhanced the strain sensitivity, mechanical durability, and long-term biocompatibility of e-textiles. This review synthesizes the current state of the art in e-textile materials and addresses three core research questions: fabrication technologies and materials, sensing mechanisms, and energy harvesting and storage systems. Hybrid materials incorporating PEDOT: PSS-coated polyurethane, graphene-silver composites with sheet resistance, silk-polypyrrole hydrogels, and ZnO-patterned piezoelectric structures demonstrate tunable conductivity, exceptional stretchability, and multi-responsive properties. Multimodal sensing technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, bioimpedance, piezoelectric, tribioelectric, and optical, enable real-time monitoring of cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, and biochemical markers. Self-healing ionogel fibers with a dynamic covalent network and a degradable thermoset provide durability and sustainability. Further, integrating an energy system comprising supercapacitors, triboelectric nanogenerators, and piezoelectric fibers eliminates the need for batteries. Closed-loop therapeutic systems autonomously modulate treatment based on biosensor feedback, including glucose-responsive drug delivery and electroactive wound healing. Challenges remain in long-term reliability, standardization, and large-scale manufacturability. This review identifies future directions encompassing artificial intelligence integration, biodegradable materials, and multi-modal sensor fusion to advance clinical translation of e-textile platforms for personalized, preventive, and decentralized healthcare.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have important application prospects and value in industry and daily life. However, the practical application of superhydrophobic surfaces is severely hindered by their poor durability. Endowing artificial superhydrophobic surfaces with self-healing ability has become a key development direction for prolonging their service life. According to the fabrication principles of superhydrophobic surfaces, the repair of superhydrophobicity can be achieved through the migration of low-surface-energy substances or the reconstruction of hierarchical micro/nanostructures. While the repair of both chemical compositions and micro/nanostructures is equally important for regaining superhydrophobicity, restoring the structures is significantly more difficult. Moreover, current research focuses more on the restoration of surface chemical compositions rather than micro/nanostructures. This review systematically summarizes the recent development in structurally self-healing superhydrophobic surfaces, mainly including the biomimetic dynamic repair mechanisms and stimuli-responsive repair approaches for superhydrophobic micro/nanostructures. The recovery mechanisms of surface micro/nanostructures are mainly based on particle reconstruction, polymer swelling effect, elastic recovery behavior, shape-memory effect, phase-change property, and reversible dynamic bonds. Various stimuli-responsive repair approaches (e.g., heat-, light-, electricity-, or solvent-induced, and autonomous repair) for superhydrophobic micro/nanostructures are introduced sequentially. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of structurally self-healing superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed.