The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 (CO 2 RR) offers a sustainable route to generate multi‐carbon products (C 2 ), but achieving high activity and selectivity remains a challenge. Dual metal‐site catalysts (DMSCs), composed of two adjacent metal sites, provide unique active centers that enable simultaneous CO adsorption, a key step for C─C coupling. Here, we systematically investigated 156 DMSCs supported on nitrogen‐doped carbon to identify promising candidates for CO 2 RR. Stability screening revealed that 8 DMSCs are unstable, while hydrogen adsorption calculations excluded 6 additional systems due to strong * H binding. Among the remaining catalysts, 33 DMSCs exhibit CO dimerization energies (∆G *CO dimer‐2*CO ) below 0.75 eV, indicating favorable activity toward C 2 products. To explain these trends, we performed a linear correlation analysis of CO dimerization energy against 71 electronic parameters, which revealed that the occupancy of the dz 2 ↓ orbital (denoted O‐dz 2 ↓) exhibits the highest correlation (R 2 = 0.69). This suggested that combinations of electronic parameters could further improve the correlation and accurately predict CO 2 RR toward C 2 products. To achieve this, multiple machine learning models were trained, with the random forest regressor (RFR) achieving superior performance (R 2 = 0.98 for training and 0.96 for testing), demonstrating its suitability for predicting CO dimerization energy. Furthermore, the overpotential for C 2 production of the 33 DMSCs was correlated with electronic descriptors, revealing that O‐dz 2 ↓ exhibited the highest correlation (R 2 = 0.87), attributable to the substantial population of dz 2 ↓ states near the Fermi level (E F ), thereby underscoring its significance as a key descriptor. Overall, we emphasize the importance of using a multi‐descriptor predictive model to accurately estimate CO dimerization energies, and we identify key electronic parameters of DMSCs that can predict the overpotential for C 2 products. These insights offer a valuable framework for the rapid screening of low‐cost materials with high selectivity toward C 2 products.
{"title":"Integrating Machine Learning and DFT Descriptors for Screening Dual Metal‐Site Catalysts for CO 2 Reduction to C 2 Products","authors":"Mukaddar Sk, Arupjyoti Pathak, Ranjit Thapa","doi":"10.1002/smll.202513368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513368","url":null,"abstract":"The electrochemical reduction of CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> RR) offers a sustainable route to generate multi‐carbon products (C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> ), but achieving high activity and selectivity remains a challenge. Dual metal‐site catalysts (DMSCs), composed of two adjacent metal sites, provide unique active centers that enable simultaneous CO adsorption, a key step for C─C coupling. Here, we systematically investigated 156 DMSCs supported on nitrogen‐doped carbon to identify promising candidates for CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> RR. Stability screening revealed that 8 DMSCs are unstable, while hydrogen adsorption calculations excluded 6 additional systems due to strong <jats:sup>*</jats:sup> H binding. Among the remaining catalysts, 33 DMSCs exhibit CO dimerization energies (∆G <jats:sub>*CO dimer‐2*CO</jats:sub> ) below 0.75 eV, indicating favorable activity toward C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> products. To explain these trends, we performed a linear correlation analysis of CO dimerization energy against 71 electronic parameters, which revealed that the occupancy of the dz <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ↓ orbital (denoted O‐dz <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ↓) exhibits the highest correlation (R <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.69). This suggested that combinations of electronic parameters could further improve the correlation and accurately predict CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> RR toward C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> products. To achieve this, multiple machine learning models were trained, with the random forest regressor (RFR) achieving superior performance (R <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.98 for training and 0.96 for testing), demonstrating its suitability for predicting CO dimerization energy. Furthermore, the overpotential for C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> production of the 33 DMSCs was correlated with electronic descriptors, revealing that O‐dz <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ↓ exhibited the highest correlation (R <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.87), attributable to the substantial population of dz <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ↓ states near the Fermi level (E <jats:sub>F</jats:sub> ), thereby underscoring its significance as a key descriptor. Overall, we emphasize the importance of using a multi‐descriptor predictive model to accurately estimate CO dimerization energies, and we identify key electronic parameters of DMSCs that can predict the overpotential for C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> products. These insights offer a valuable framework for the rapid screening of low‐cost materials with high selectivity toward C <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> products.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Overcoming the trade-off between multiphase coexistence and phase transformation in piezoelectrics remains a critical challenge for achieving high and stable piezoelectric performance over a broad temperature range. Here, we resolve this long-standing dilemma by constructing a continuous phase transition through multilayer ceramic texture engineering. Specifically, two types of (K,Na)NbO3-based piezoelectric ceramics with distinct polymorphic phase boundary (PPB) features are physically composed. The composite ceramics exhibit hierarchic phase and domain structures, particularly a continuous phase transition, enabling outstanding piezoelectric performance and thermal stability across a wide temperature range. As a result, the multilayer composite ceramics prepared in this work demonstrate excellent room-temperature piezoelectric properties, with a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) ∼ 420 pC N−1 and an inverse piezoelectric coefficient (d33*) ∼ 600 pm V−1. More importantly, within the temperature range of 25°C–100°C, the variation in d33 and d33* values is merely 2%. This work establishes a continuous phase transition-driven paradigm for enhancing piezoelectric thermal stability, demonstrating universal potential to decouple the constraints imposed by multiphase coexistence and phase transformation in next-generation piezoelectric materials.
{"title":"Continuous Phase Transition Enables Piezoelectric Thermal Stability in KNN-Based Multilayer Textured Ceramics","authors":"Caixia Zhu, Huirong Yang, Jin Qian, Luomeng Tang, Peng Li, Xiaoqian Wu, Cheng Shi, Guohui Li, Guanglong Ge, Bo Shen, Jiwei Zhai","doi":"10.1002/smll.73175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.73175","url":null,"abstract":"Overcoming the trade-off between multiphase coexistence and phase transformation in piezoelectrics remains a critical challenge for achieving high and stable piezoelectric performance over a broad temperature range. Here, we resolve this long-standing dilemma by constructing a continuous phase transition through multilayer ceramic texture engineering. Specifically, two types of (K,Na)NbO<sub>3</sub>-based piezoelectric ceramics with distinct polymorphic phase boundary (PPB) features are physically composed. The composite ceramics exhibit hierarchic phase and domain structures, particularly a continuous phase transition, enabling outstanding piezoelectric performance and thermal stability across a wide temperature range. As a result, the multilayer composite ceramics prepared in this work demonstrate excellent room-temperature piezoelectric properties, with a piezoelectric coefficient (<i>d</i><sub>33</sub>) ∼ 420 pC N<sup>−1</sup> and an inverse piezoelectric coefficient (<i>d</i><sub>33</sub>*) ∼ 600 pm V<sup>−1</sup>. More importantly, within the temperature range of 25°C–100°C, the variation in <i>d</i><sub>33</sub> and <i>d</i><sub>33</sub>* values is merely 2%. This work establishes a continuous phase transition-driven paradigm for enhancing piezoelectric thermal stability, demonstrating universal potential to decouple the constraints imposed by multiphase coexistence and phase transformation in next-generation piezoelectric materials.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147479042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Boyou Wang, Wenxia Xu, Man Zhang, Jing Pan, Cong Wang, Qitao Zhou, Fan Xia
The recovery of osmotic energy through nanochannel membrane materials offers advantages such as zero CO 2 emissions and high resistance to weather and other external factors. Therefore, it holds great promise as a potential renewable energy source in the context of carbon neutrality. However, there are still numerous challenges before the relevant technology can be practically applied. Among them, large‐area and reproducible fabrication of membrane materials and overcoming the performance degradation caused by the ionic concentration polarization (ICP) effect at the interface between the membrane material and salt solution during system operation are key research focuses. Existing reviews primarily focus on the latest advancements in the field of material preparation. This review, however, starts from the approaches to mitigate the ICP effect. It categorizes the existing methods for ICP mitigating into physical means and material design strategies. Furthermore, it summarizes the matching patterns among nanopore size, charge characteristics during material design, and concentration gradients during operation. We believe that this review can offer valuable guidance to relevant researchers and facilitate the progression of osmotic energy conversion technology toward practical applications.
{"title":"Measures for Mitigating Ionic Concentration Polarization During Osmotic Energy Conversion","authors":"Boyou Wang, Wenxia Xu, Man Zhang, Jing Pan, Cong Wang, Qitao Zhou, Fan Xia","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514089","url":null,"abstract":"The recovery of osmotic energy through nanochannel membrane materials offers advantages such as zero CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions and high resistance to weather and other external factors. Therefore, it holds great promise as a potential renewable energy source in the context of carbon neutrality. However, there are still numerous challenges before the relevant technology can be practically applied. Among them, large‐area and reproducible fabrication of membrane materials and overcoming the performance degradation caused by the ionic concentration polarization (ICP) effect at the interface between the membrane material and salt solution during system operation are key research focuses. Existing reviews primarily focus on the latest advancements in the field of material preparation. This review, however, starts from the approaches to mitigate the ICP effect. It categorizes the existing methods for ICP mitigating into physical means and material design strategies. Furthermore, it summarizes the matching patterns among nanopore size, charge characteristics during material design, and concentration gradients during operation. We believe that this review can offer valuable guidance to relevant researchers and facilitate the progression of osmotic energy conversion technology toward practical applications.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jianyu Guan, Zeyuan Gao, Lu Bai, Fangxu Fan, Tianyou Li, Hongjin Li, Fake Sun, Yijun Liu, Gaohong He, Canghai Ma
The fabrication of carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes via pyrolysis of crosslinked polymeric precursors has proven highly effective for hydrogen purification, offering unparalleled molecular sieving capabilities. However, conventional approaches typically require pyrolysis temperatures above 800°C to achieve precise H 2 /CO 2 discrimination, posing substantial challenges to industrial scalability and cost‐effectiveness. In this study, an oxidative crosslinking strategy employing potassium ferrate (K 2 FeO 4 ) is introduced to synergistically integrate proton transfer, hydrogen bonding, and covalent crosslinking, enabling the formation of a highly selective CMS membrane at a significantly reduced pyrolysis temperature of 650°C. The optimized FeO 42− ‐PBI‐12 h CMS@650°C membrane demonstrated remarkable gas transport performance, elevating H 2 permeability from 3.4 Barrer to 66 Barrer and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity from 14.4 to 75.3 under industrially relevant conditions (11 atm, 100°C), compared to its polymer precursor. These metrics transcend the 2008 Robeson upper bound and rank among the highest reported for H 2 /CO 2 separation. This work establishes an energy‐efficient pathway for producing high‐performance CMS membranes, offering a promising pathway toward more economically viable hydrogen purification.
{"title":"Ferrate‐Crosslinked Polybenzimidazole‐Derived Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Enhanced H 2 /CO 2 Separation","authors":"Jianyu Guan, Zeyuan Gao, Lu Bai, Fangxu Fan, Tianyou Li, Hongjin Li, Fake Sun, Yijun Liu, Gaohong He, Canghai Ma","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514458","url":null,"abstract":"The fabrication of carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes via pyrolysis of crosslinked polymeric precursors has proven highly effective for hydrogen purification, offering unparalleled molecular sieving capabilities. However, conventional approaches typically require pyrolysis temperatures above 800°C to achieve precise H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> /CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> discrimination, posing substantial challenges to industrial scalability and cost‐effectiveness. In this study, an oxidative crosslinking strategy employing potassium ferrate (K <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> FeO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> ) is introduced to synergistically integrate proton transfer, hydrogen bonding, and covalent crosslinking, enabling the formation of a highly selective CMS membrane at a significantly reduced pyrolysis temperature of 650°C. The optimized FeO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> <jats:sup>2−</jats:sup> ‐PBI‐12 h CMS@650°C membrane demonstrated remarkable gas transport performance, elevating H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> permeability from 3.4 Barrer to 66 Barrer and H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> /CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> selectivity from 14.4 to 75.3 under industrially relevant conditions (11 atm, 100°C), compared to its polymer precursor. These metrics transcend the 2008 Robeson upper bound and rank among the highest reported for H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> /CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> separation. This work establishes an energy‐efficient pathway for producing high‐performance CMS membranes, offering a promising pathway toward more economically viable hydrogen purification.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"88 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Min Ki Kim, Swarup Biswas, Yongju Lee, Dong Hyun Nam, Sein Chung, Byeong Jin Kim, Kilwon Cho, Hyeok Kim
Fully solution‐processed ambipolar organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) are attractive for flexible, large‐area, and low‐cost electronics; however, their circuit‐level implementation has remained limited by mobility imbalance, trap‐induced instability, and complex fabrication. This study employs bulk‐heterojunction blends of the benchmark n‐type polymer N2200 and the high‐mobility donor polymer DPP‐DTT as a single active semiconductor platform for ambipolar OTFTs and complementary‐like logic. Systematically tuning the DPP‐DTT:N2200 composition enables balanced electron and hole transport, high on/off current ratios of ∼10 5 , and threshold voltages suitable for rail‐to‐rail operation, with the 5:95 blend providing the optimal compromise between mobility symmetry and operational stability. The optimized ambipolar behavior is attributed to a semi‐intermixed morphology with bi‐continuous percolation pathways and controlled crystallinity, as confirmed by correlated optical, energetic, and structural characterizations. Using a simple top‐gate device architecture and geometry‐scaled channel widths, all‐polymer ambipolar inverters exhibited sharp switching voltage‐transfer characteristics and high small‐signal gains of up to 19 at an optimized width ratio of 2:1. This study establishes a manufacturing‐compatible strategy for co‐engineering blend composition, microstructure, and device geometry, enabling scalable printed organic logic using a single bulk heterojunction semiconductor rather than separate p‐type and n‐type materials.
{"title":"Solution‐Processed Ambipolar Thin Film Transistors‐Based Inverters for Circuit Applications","authors":"Min Ki Kim, Swarup Biswas, Yongju Lee, Dong Hyun Nam, Sein Chung, Byeong Jin Kim, Kilwon Cho, Hyeok Kim","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514974","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514974","url":null,"abstract":"Fully solution‐processed ambipolar organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) are attractive for flexible, large‐area, and low‐cost electronics; however, their circuit‐level implementation has remained limited by mobility imbalance, trap‐induced instability, and complex fabrication. This study employs bulk‐heterojunction blends of the benchmark n‐type polymer N2200 and the high‐mobility donor polymer DPP‐DTT as a single active semiconductor platform for ambipolar OTFTs and complementary‐like logic. Systematically tuning the DPP‐DTT:N2200 composition enables balanced electron and hole transport, high on/off current ratios of ∼10 <jats:sup>5</jats:sup> , and threshold voltages suitable for rail‐to‐rail operation, with the 5:95 blend providing the optimal compromise between mobility symmetry and operational stability. The optimized ambipolar behavior is attributed to a semi‐intermixed morphology with bi‐continuous percolation pathways and controlled crystallinity, as confirmed by correlated optical, energetic, and structural characterizations. Using a simple top‐gate device architecture and geometry‐scaled channel widths, all‐polymer ambipolar inverters exhibited sharp switching voltage‐transfer characteristics and high small‐signal gains of up to 19 at an optimized width ratio of 2:1. This study establishes a manufacturing‐compatible strategy for co‐engineering blend composition, microstructure, and device geometry, enabling scalable printed organic logic using a single bulk heterojunction semiconductor rather than separate p‐type and n‐type materials.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuanxia Zhao, Yan Liang, Jin Hu, Zhiwei Chen, Hongru Zhou, Bo Jiang, Qianshuo Wang, Min Wang
The adsorption configuration regulation of molecules on the metal site is crucial in the targeted conversion of specific functional groups. Herein, we propose a strategy to adjust the adsorption configuration of substrate molecules by switching the channel screening effect of MOF, thereby achieving the targeted regulation of the selective hydrogenation pathway of furfural. Specifically, two Pd‐containing MOF with different Pd locations were fabricated, in which Pd nanoclusters are confined within the MOF cavities and Pd nanoparticles grow on the MOF external surface. Since furfural must pass through the MOF to contact with the Pd cluster, thus forcing furfural to present a linear adsorption configuration and selectively activates the C═O bonds. In contrast, surface Pd particles shield the channel effect, allowing furfural to adopt a thermodynamically stable planar adsorption mode, resulting in hydrogenation of both C═O and C═C bonds. This work provides insights into the adjustment of substrate adsorption configurations, and the proposed channel screening adsorption mechanism also provides ideas for designing catalysts with complex molecular orientation conversion.
{"title":"Switching the Channel Screening Effect of Metal–Organic Frameworks to Control the Selectivity of Furfural Hydrogenation","authors":"Yuanxia Zhao, Yan Liang, Jin Hu, Zhiwei Chen, Hongru Zhou, Bo Jiang, Qianshuo Wang, Min Wang","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514192","url":null,"abstract":"The adsorption configuration regulation of molecules on the metal site is crucial in the targeted conversion of specific functional groups. Herein, we propose a strategy to adjust the adsorption configuration of substrate molecules by switching the channel screening effect of MOF, thereby achieving the targeted regulation of the selective hydrogenation pathway of furfural. Specifically, two Pd‐containing MOF with different Pd locations were fabricated, in which Pd nanoclusters are confined within the MOF cavities and Pd nanoparticles grow on the MOF external surface. Since furfural must pass through the MOF to contact with the Pd cluster, thus forcing furfural to present a linear adsorption configuration and selectively activates the C═O bonds. In contrast, surface Pd particles shield the channel effect, allowing furfural to adopt a thermodynamically stable planar adsorption mode, resulting in hydrogenation of both C═O and C═C bonds. This work provides insights into the adjustment of substrate adsorption configurations, and the proposed channel screening adsorption mechanism also provides ideas for designing catalysts with complex molecular orientation conversion.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emmanuel Odella, Miryam Criado‐Gonzalez, Rodrigo A. Ponzio, David Mecerreyes, Matías L. Picchio, Daniele Mantione
Supramolecular gels formed by low‐molecular‐weight gelators (LMWGs) are valuable soft materials due to their remarkable versatility and wide range of applications. Developing ambidextrous LMWGs that self‐assemble in diverse solvents remains challenging, as such versatility requires precise molecular engineering to ensure robust structuring across varying polarity and hydrogen‐bonding environments. Here, we present a family of sugar‐based molecules functionalized with naphthyl (DNapS), benzothiadiazole (DBTDS), and coumarin (MCumS) moieties, synthesized by a green, scalable method, which serve as fluorescent LMWGs. Their gelation abilities are evaluated in water, organic solvents of different polarities, and deep eutectic solvents (DES). Among them, MCumS forms gels in water, short‐chain alcohols, and terpene‐based hydrophobic DES, highlighting its potential as a rare example of an LMWG capable of gelation across chemically diverse environments. Morphological analysis of MCumS gels reveals fibrous network formation in water and distinct, solvent‐dependent architectures in eutectogels. Interestingly, supramolecular gels based on this LMWG and zwitterionic DES show superior viscoelastic behavior and injectability. These findings not only expand the library of fluorescent LMWGs but also contribute to the fundamental understanding of structure‐property relationships in versatile supramolecular gel systems.
{"title":"Fluorescent Supramolecular Gels Based on D‐Sorbitol Derivatives","authors":"Emmanuel Odella, Miryam Criado‐Gonzalez, Rodrigo A. Ponzio, David Mecerreyes, Matías L. Picchio, Daniele Mantione","doi":"10.1002/smll.202511765","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202511765","url":null,"abstract":"Supramolecular gels formed by low‐molecular‐weight gelators (LMWGs) are valuable soft materials due to their remarkable versatility and wide range of applications. Developing ambidextrous LMWGs that self‐assemble in diverse solvents remains challenging, as such versatility requires precise molecular engineering to ensure robust structuring across varying polarity and hydrogen‐bonding environments. Here, we present a family of sugar‐based molecules functionalized with naphthyl (DNapS), benzothiadiazole (DBTDS), and coumarin (MCumS) moieties, synthesized by a green, scalable method, which serve as fluorescent LMWGs. Their gelation abilities are evaluated in water, organic solvents of different polarities, and deep eutectic solvents (DES). Among them, MCumS forms gels in water, short‐chain alcohols, and terpene‐based hydrophobic DES, highlighting its potential as a rare example of an LMWG capable of gelation across chemically diverse environments. Morphological analysis of MCumS gels reveals fibrous network formation in water and distinct, solvent‐dependent architectures in eutectogels. Interestingly, supramolecular gels based on this LMWG and zwitterionic DES show superior viscoelastic behavior and injectability. These findings not only expand the library of fluorescent LMWGs but also contribute to the fundamental understanding of structure‐property relationships in versatile supramolecular gel systems.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) demonstrate tremendous application potential in the field of flexible actuation due to their excellent actuation performance. Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (RDEAs) in the form of fibers, featuring a bionic actuation form that more closely mimics the biological motion, enable a more natural actuation mode. This review systematically elaborates on the typical physical configurations and core actuation mechanisms of RDEAs, and sorts out the key geometric parameters and output performance characteristics of RDEAs in existing research. Through practical examples, it showcases the application achievements of robot systems based on RDEAs in multiple fields, covering areas such as crawling robots, bionic robots, end‐effectors, and interactive devices. Finally, the paper conducts an in‐depth analysis of the key challenges currently faced by RDEAs, including the improvement of output performance, the optimization of preparation and integration technologies, and the adaptation to human‐robot collaboration scenarios. Based on this analysis, it proposes the key future development directions.
{"title":"A Review of Fiber‐Shape Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators: A Pivotal Pathway in Advancing Bionic Actuation","authors":"Ziqi Zhang, Wei Yu, Jianghua Zhao, Yingjie Li, Chuizhou Meng, Shijie Guo","doi":"10.1002/smll.202513229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513229","url":null,"abstract":"Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) demonstrate tremendous application potential in the field of flexible actuation due to their excellent actuation performance. Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (RDEAs) in the form of fibers, featuring a bionic actuation form that more closely mimics the biological motion, enable a more natural actuation mode. This review systematically elaborates on the typical physical configurations and core actuation mechanisms of RDEAs, and sorts out the key geometric parameters and output performance characteristics of RDEAs in existing research. Through practical examples, it showcases the application achievements of robot systems based on RDEAs in multiple fields, covering areas such as crawling robots, bionic robots, end‐effectors, and interactive devices. Finally, the paper conducts an in‐depth analysis of the key challenges currently faced by RDEAs, including the improvement of output performance, the optimization of preparation and integration technologies, and the adaptation to human‐robot collaboration scenarios. Based on this analysis, it proposes the key future development directions.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chengang Pei, Jaekyum Kim, Dong Zhang, Won Tae Hong, Jong Hun Kim, Xu Yu, Jongwook Park, Chan‐Hwa Chung, Byung‐Hyun Kim, Ho Seok Park, Jung Kyu Kim
Supported metal catalysts provide a highly effective route to achieving high‐performance water electrolysis with minimized noble‐metal usage, where precise engineering of the catalyst–support interface is crucial to unlock outstanding activity. Herein, we present a strategy to engineer catalyst interfaces by introducing holey defects for highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction. The holey defects promote uniform dispersion of Pt nanoclusters across the basal planes, rather than the edge‐confined deposition observed on pristine ReS 2 (Pt‐hReS 2 ). Beyond geometric templating, the holey architecture enriches local electron density, stabilizes Pt–S interfacial bridge motifs, tunes the adsorption energy toward near‐thermoneutral values, and lowers the water‐dissociation barrier. These synergistic effects shift the catalytic regime, moving the rate‐determining step from dissociation to desorption, which is revealed in characterizations and density functional theory calculations. Consequently, Pt‐hReS 2 requires only 12 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm −2 , which outperforms commercial Pt/C while using substantially less Pt. In an anion‐exchange membrane water electrolyzer, a Pt‐hReS 2 cathode achieves 1.77 V at 0.5 A cm −2 and 1.99 V at 1.0 A cm −2 , with stable operation exceeding 100 h. This work establishes holey‐defect engineering as a powerful approach for interface optimization, opening new avenues for rational catalyst design in energy‐conversion applications.
负载型金属催化剂为实现高性能水电解提供了一种高效途径，同时最大限度地减少贵金属的使用，而催化剂-载体界面的精确设计对于释放出色的活性至关重要。在此，我们提出了一种通过引入孔洞缺陷来设计催化剂界面的策略，以实现高效的析氢反应。孔洞缺陷促进Pt纳米团簇在基面上均匀分散，而不是在原始ReS 2 （Pt - hReS 2）上观察到的边缘受限沉积。除了几何模板外，多孔结构丰富了局部电子密度，稳定了Pt-S界面桥基，将吸附能调整到接近热中性值，并降低了水解离势垒。这些协同效应改变了催化机制，将速率决定步骤从解离移动到解吸，这在表征和密度泛函理论计算中得到了揭示。因此,工党还是人力资源2只需要12 mV过电压马10厘米−2,优于商业Pt / C在使用Pt少得多。在一个阴离子交换膜水电解槽,一个Pt人力资源2阴极达到1.77 V 0.5厘米−2和1.99 V 1.0厘米−2,与稳定运行超过100 h。这项工作建立多洞的检测缺陷工程作为一个强大的方法界面优化,合理的催化剂设计开辟新途径的能源转换的应用程序。
{"title":"Spatially Extended Interfacial Optimization via Holey‐Defect Architectures for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction","authors":"Chengang Pei, Jaekyum Kim, Dong Zhang, Won Tae Hong, Jong Hun Kim, Xu Yu, Jongwook Park, Chan‐Hwa Chung, Byung‐Hyun Kim, Ho Seok Park, Jung Kyu Kim","doi":"10.1002/smll.202600032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202600032","url":null,"abstract":"Supported metal catalysts provide a highly effective route to achieving high‐performance water electrolysis with minimized noble‐metal usage, where precise engineering of the catalyst–support interface is crucial to unlock outstanding activity. Herein, we present a strategy to engineer catalyst interfaces by introducing holey defects for highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction. The holey defects promote uniform dispersion of Pt nanoclusters across the basal planes, rather than the edge‐confined deposition observed on pristine ReS <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (Pt‐hReS <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> ). Beyond geometric templating, the holey architecture enriches local electron density, stabilizes Pt–S interfacial bridge motifs, tunes the adsorption energy toward near‐thermoneutral values, and lowers the water‐dissociation barrier. These synergistic effects shift the catalytic regime, moving the rate‐determining step from dissociation to desorption, which is revealed in characterizations and density functional theory calculations. Consequently, Pt‐hReS <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> requires only 12 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> , which outperforms commercial Pt/C while using substantially less Pt. In an anion‐exchange membrane water electrolyzer, a Pt‐hReS <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> cathode achieves 1.77 V at 0.5 A cm <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> and 1.99 V at 1.0 A cm <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> , with stable operation exceeding 100 h. This work establishes holey‐defect engineering as a powerful approach for interface optimization, opening new avenues for rational catalyst design in energy‐conversion applications.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147478510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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