Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172900
Jiaqi Huang, Ulla Lassi, Yin Hu, Xiaoyan Ji
Composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) combine the flexibility of polymers with the stability of inorganic electrolytes, making them promising candidates for next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). However, their practical application is limited by low room-temperature ionic conductivity, primarily due to poor polymer-inorganic interfacial compatibility that hinders Li+ transport. In this work, we introduce a polymer-compatible ionic liquid (IL) to mediate the interphase between the polymer and ceramic components, simultaneously preventing ceramic particle aggregation for uniform dispersion and activating ceramic-polymer interfaces to construct continuous Li+ transport pathways across ceramic domains and interfacial boundaries. The interfacial engineered CSEs exhibit a substantial enhancement in room-temperature ionic conductivity to 1.64 × 10−3 S cm−1. At the ambient temperature, the Li||Li symmetric cells demonstrate stable and reversible lithium plating/stripping for 4000 h, and the Li||LiFePO4 cell delivers an initial specific capacity of 172.1 mAh g−1 at 0.5C with 90.4% capacity retention after 300 cycles. Furthermore, the Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cells demonstrate stable performance even under high-voltage operation (4.5 V). This work provides a practical interfacial design strategy for developing high-.
复合固体电解质（cse）结合了聚合物的灵活性和无机电解质的稳定性，使其成为下一代固态锂金属电池（lmb）的有希望的候选者。然而，它们的实际应用受到室温离子电导率低的限制，主要是由于聚合物-无机界面相容性差，阻碍了Li+的传输。在这项工作中，我们引入了一种聚合物兼容离子液体（IL）来调节聚合物和陶瓷组分之间的界面相，同时阻止陶瓷颗粒聚集以均匀分散，激活陶瓷-聚合物界面以构建连续的Li+传递途径，跨越陶瓷畴和界面边界。界面工程cse的室温离子电导率显著提高至1.64 × 10−3 S cm−1。在环境温度下，Li||锂对称电池在4000 h下表现出稳定和可逆的锂电镀/剥脱，Li||LiFePO4电池在0.5C下的初始比容量为172.1 mAh g−1，在300次 循环后容量保持率为90.4%。此外，Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2电池即使在高压（4.5 V）下也表现出稳定的性能。本工作为开发高交互性界面提供了一种实用的界面设计策略。
{"title":"Interfacial engineering of composite solid electrolytes for high-performance solid-state lithium-metal batteries","authors":"Jiaqi Huang, Ulla Lassi, Yin Hu, Xiaoyan Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172900","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172900","url":null,"abstract":"Composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) combine the flexibility of polymers with the stability of inorganic electrolytes, making them promising candidates for next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). However, their practical application is limited by low room-temperature ionic conductivity, primarily due to poor polymer-inorganic interfacial compatibility that hinders Li<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> transport. In this work, we introduce a polymer-compatible ionic liquid (IL) to mediate the interphase between the polymer and ceramic components, simultaneously preventing ceramic particle aggregation for uniform dispersion and activating ceramic-polymer interfaces to construct continuous Li<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> transport pathways across ceramic domains and interfacial boundaries. The interfacial engineered CSEs exhibit a substantial enhancement in room-temperature ionic conductivity to 1.64 × 10<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−3</ce:sup> S cm<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup>. At the ambient temperature, the Li||Li symmetric cells demonstrate stable and reversible lithium plating/stripping for 4000 h, and the Li||LiFePO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> cell delivers an initial specific capacity of 172.1 mAh g<ce:sup loc=\"post\">−1</ce:sup> at 0.5C with 90.4% capacity retention after 300 cycles. Furthermore, the Li||LiNi<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.8</ce:inf>Co<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.1</ce:inf>Mn<ce:inf loc=\"post\">0.1</ce:inf>O<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> cells demonstrate stable performance even under high-voltage operation (4.5 V). This work provides a practical interfacial design strategy for developing high-.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Multifunctional materials offering high-temperature thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption have become a research focus in recent years. Mullite offers excellent thermal insulation; however, it exhibits high infrared transmittance and lacks EMW absorption capability. Silicon carbide (SiC) exhibits infrared-shielding and EMW absorption capabilities but suffers from insufficient stability under long-term high-temperature oxidative exposure. Here, this research designed and fabricated a composite structure by embedding hollow SiC spheres (HSSs) into mullite fibers, aiming to synergistically combine the advantages of both materials. Compared to pure mullite nanofibers, the composite with an HSS content of 30% exhibited 24.4% and 29.3% lower thermal conductivity values at 25 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. The infrared transmittance in the 2.5–8 μm wavelength range decreased from 90% to 32%. Furthermore, at a thickness of 2.0 mm, the composite achieved a minimum reflection loss of −45.37 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.32 GHz. These improvements originate from synergistic mechanisms enabled by the HSSs. The intrinsic infrared shielding and dielectric loss properties of SiC provide a fundamental performance baseline. Meanwhile, the hollow structure not only hinders solid-phase heat conduction but also enhances infrared attenuation via multiple reflection, scattering, and absorption. Moreover, the introduced heterogeneous interfaces promote interfacial polarization and multiple relaxation processes, which optimize impedance matching and loss capacity, leading to significantly enhanced EMW absorption performance. Overall, this research offers a new approach for designing materials with thermal protection and electromagnetic stealth performance.
{"title":"Hollow SiC sphere–embedded mullite fibers for infrared shielding and electromagnetic wave absorption","authors":"Chen Ma, Jinshuo Duan, Furong Liang, Jiawei Liu, Haowen Deng, Wanxin Zhi, Fan Xiao, Wanjing Zhang, Baojie Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172934","url":null,"abstract":"Multifunctional materials offering high-temperature thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption have become a research focus in recent years. Mullite offers excellent thermal insulation; however, it exhibits high infrared transmittance and lacks EMW absorption capability. Silicon carbide (SiC) exhibits infrared-shielding and EMW absorption capabilities but suffers from insufficient stability under long-term high-temperature oxidative exposure. Here, this research designed and fabricated a composite structure by embedding hollow SiC spheres (HSSs) into mullite fibers, aiming to synergistically combine the advantages of both materials. Compared to pure mullite nanofibers, the composite with an HSS content of 30% exhibited 24.4% and 29.3% lower thermal conductivity values at 25 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. The infrared transmittance in the 2.5–8 μm wavelength range decreased from 90% to 32%. Furthermore, at a thickness of 2.0 mm, the composite achieved a minimum reflection loss of −45.37 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.32 GHz. These improvements originate from synergistic mechanisms enabled by the HSSs. The intrinsic infrared shielding and dielectric loss properties of SiC provide a fundamental performance baseline. Meanwhile, the hollow structure not only hinders solid-phase heat conduction but also enhances infrared attenuation via multiple reflection, scattering, and absorption. Moreover, the introduced heterogeneous interfaces promote interfacial polarization and multiple relaxation processes, which optimize impedance matching and loss capacity, leading to significantly enhanced EMW absorption performance. Overall, this research offers a new approach for designing materials with thermal protection and electromagnetic stealth performance.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172924
Zijian Zhang, Yue Qiu, Zhiwei Ge
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, offers significant potential for resource recycling and greenhouse gas emission reduction through its CO2 gasification technology, which plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and improving environmental quality. However, most research in this field has focused on syngas production, with relatively little attention given to the formation mechanisms of pollutants, particularly the migration patterns of nitrogen. In this study, a combined approach of ReaxFF MD simulations and DFT calculations was employed to construct a glutamic acid-CO2 system. The effects of varying temperature and CO2 concentration on the gasification process were analyzed, and key reaction pathways were investigated through transition state searches and energy barrier calculations. The results indicate that increasing CO2 concentration suppresses HCN formation while promoting the formation and stabilization of NH3. Higher temperatures accelerate the decomposition rate of glutamic acid, though the NH3 yield decreases at elevated temperatures due to the influence of side reactions. DFT analysis reveals differences in the energy barriers for NH3 and HCN formation pathways, with the NH3 pathway exhibiting thermodynamic and kinetic advantages due to its smaller energy difference and lower transition state energy barrier. These findings provide significant insights for advancing the practical application of CO2 gasification of biomass and lay a theoretical foundation for the development of subsequent pollution control technologies.
{"title":"MD simulation of nitrogen migration in CO2 gasification of glutamic acid","authors":"Zijian Zhang, Yue Qiu, Zhiwei Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172924","url":null,"abstract":"Biomass, as a renewable energy source, offers significant potential for resource recycling and greenhouse gas emission reduction through its CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> gasification technology, which plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and improving environmental quality. However, most research in this field has focused on syngas production, with relatively little attention given to the formation mechanisms of pollutants, particularly the migration patterns of nitrogen. In this study, a combined approach of ReaxFF MD simulations and DFT calculations was employed to construct a glutamic acid-CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> system. The effects of varying temperature and CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> concentration on the gasification process were analyzed, and key reaction pathways were investigated through transition state searches and energy barrier calculations. The results indicate that increasing CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> concentration suppresses HCN formation while promoting the formation and stabilization of NH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>. Higher temperatures accelerate the decomposition rate of glutamic acid, though the NH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> yield decreases at elevated temperatures due to the influence of side reactions. DFT analysis reveals differences in the energy barriers for NH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> and HCN formation pathways, with the NH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> pathway exhibiting thermodynamic and kinetic advantages due to its smaller energy difference and lower transition state energy barrier. These findings provide significant insights for advancing the practical application of CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> gasification of biomass and lay a theoretical foundation for the development of subsequent pollution control technologies.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ionic conductive eutectogels have emerged as promising materials for flexible and wearable sensors to detect human motions. However, the poor stimuli-responsiveness, low stretchability with high hysteresis, as well as the complicated preparation process significantly hinder their applications. Herein, a thermosensitive stretchable eutectogel with excellent environmental responsibility has been prepared by in-situ polymerizing of hydroxypropyl acrylate (HPA) in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) of malic acid/choline chloride/ethylene glycol (MA/ChCl/EG). The unique phase separated structure with multiple hydrogen bonds endows the eutectogel with high stretchability (1600%), low hysteresis (2.4%), good ionic conductivity, excellent thermal responsiveness, outstanding temperature tolerance, and long-term stabilities. Moreover, these eutectogels show special upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behaviour with tunable and reversible phase transition, demonstrating potential application for temperature-dependent information encryption. Importantly, the eutectogel-based flexible visual strain/pressure sensors exhibit high mechanical/thermal sensitivity, fast response time, excellent durability/stability, and wide working temperature range, which can monitor real-time human motions. Furthermore, the developed 4 × 4 pressure sensing array can accurately detect the magnitude and distribution of pressure. Therefore, this strategy of fabricating high-performance thermosensitive stretchable eutectogel via a one-step method provides new idea for flexible wearable conductive materials.
{"title":"Facile fabrication of stretchable thermosensitive eutectogel with low hysteresis and long-term stability for flexible sensors","authors":"Jiali Zhang, Jixing Xie, Fangzheng Zuo, Yushu Liu, Yajie Li, Xinru Liu, Jiaxin Tong, Qingshang Peng, Zhuoyou Gao, Hongzan Song","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172914","url":null,"abstract":"Ionic conductive eutectogels have emerged as promising materials for flexible and wearable sensors to detect human motions. However, the poor stimuli-responsiveness, low stretchability with high hysteresis, as well as the complicated preparation process significantly hinder their applications. Herein, a thermosensitive stretchable eutectogel with excellent environmental responsibility has been prepared by in-situ polymerizing of hydroxypropyl acrylate (HPA) in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) of malic acid/choline chloride/ethylene glycol (MA/ChCl/EG). The unique phase separated structure with multiple hydrogen bonds endows the eutectogel with high stretchability (1600%), low hysteresis (2.4%), good ionic conductivity, excellent thermal responsiveness, outstanding temperature tolerance, and long-term stabilities. Moreover, these eutectogels show special upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behaviour with tunable and reversible phase transition, demonstrating potential application for temperature-dependent information encryption. Importantly, the eutectogel-based flexible visual strain/pressure sensors exhibit high mechanical/thermal sensitivity, fast response time, excellent durability/stability, and wide working temperature range, which can monitor real-time human motions. Furthermore, the developed 4 × 4 pressure sensing array can accurately detect the magnitude and distribution of pressure. Therefore, this strategy of fabricating high-performance thermosensitive stretchable eutectogel via a one-step method provides new idea for flexible wearable conductive materials.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"111 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In advanced electronic manufacturing, additives play a pivotal role in achieving high-quality metal interconnect by enabling precise pattern filling during electrodeposition. Currently, due to complex mechanisms, vast molecular spaces and lack of predictive models, the development of additives still relies on inefficient trial-and-error methods. In this work, a machine learning (ML)-based data-driven framework is developed to accelerate the discovery of cobalt electrodeposition additives. Focusing on molecular adsorption dynamics at the cobalt electrolyte interface during electrodeposition, this work employs quantum chemical properties to guide the construction of machine learning models for identifying molecules with ideal adsorption potential. Bayesian optimization is employed to optimize model accuracy by tuning hyperparameters, and SHAP analysis provides interpretable chemical insights. Three novel additives are identified, which are 2-aminopyrazine (APZ), 1-methylimidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile (MIDCN), and 2-amino-4-ethylpyridine (AEP). Electrochemical and electroplating validation confirms that all additives exhibit strong inhibition effects, enabling grain refinement that reduces cobalt film surface roughness below 10 nm Ra, with the optimal performer achieving 4.58 nm Ra. Furthermore, superconformal filling of through‑silicon vias (TSVs) with aspect ratios >5 is achieved. This work establishes a machine learning-based data-driven strategy as an effective tool for accelerating the discovery of high-performance electrodeposition additives. The identified additives provide new insights into industrial metallization solutions for scaled-down nodes.
{"title":"Data-driven discovery of novel additives for superconformal cobalt electrodeposition in 3D interconnects","authors":"Yuhang Jiang, Guoxiang Cui, Sibo Zhao, Xiangyu Ren, Shenghong Ju, Yunwen Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172903","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172903","url":null,"abstract":"In advanced electronic manufacturing, additives play a pivotal role in achieving high-quality metal interconnect by enabling precise pattern filling during electrodeposition. Currently, due to complex mechanisms, vast molecular spaces and lack of predictive models, the development of additives still relies on inefficient trial-and-error methods. In this work, a machine learning (ML)-based data-driven framework is developed to accelerate the discovery of cobalt electrodeposition additives. Focusing on molecular adsorption dynamics at the cobalt electrolyte interface during electrodeposition, this work employs quantum chemical properties to guide the construction of machine learning models for identifying molecules with ideal adsorption potential. Bayesian optimization is employed to optimize model accuracy by tuning hyperparameters, and SHAP analysis provides interpretable chemical insights. Three novel additives are identified, which are 2-aminopyrazine (APZ), 1-methylimidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile (MIDCN), and 2-amino-4-ethylpyridine (AEP). Electrochemical and electroplating validation confirms that all additives exhibit strong inhibition effects, enabling grain refinement that reduces cobalt film surface roughness below 10 nm <ce:italic>R</ce:italic><ce:inf loc=\"post\">a</ce:inf>, with the optimal performer achieving 4.58 nm <ce:italic>R</ce:italic><ce:inf loc=\"post\">a</ce:inf>. Furthermore, superconformal filling of through‑silicon vias (TSVs) with aspect ratios >5 is achieved. This work establishes a machine learning-based data-driven strategy as an effective tool for accelerating the discovery of high-performance electrodeposition additives. The identified additives provide new insights into industrial metallization solutions for scaled-down nodes.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A persistent challenge in photothermal conversion elastomers (PTCEs) is simultaneously achieving high photothermal conversion efficiency and robust mechanical properties. Herein, an efficient strategy, constructing extended conjugate structure at the interface of matrix and filler, was developed. Specifically, caterpillar-like Janus particles (CJPs), composed of alternating 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde copolymer bulb and SiO2 bulb, were first synthesized using an oil-water interface growth and assembly method. These CJPs were then integrated into an aqueous polyurethane matrix through imine bond that was formed by the condensation of amine group on the particle and aldehyde group on the matrix. Interestingly, the interfacial imine bonds are playing three roles, i.e., facilitating uniformly dispersing of the fillers, bridging the benzene rings existing in the matrix and the filler, and endowing the PTCEs with self-repairing properties. Consequently, the obtained PTCEs exhibited both excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 29.63 MPa and elongation at break of 1602%) and high photothermal conversion efficiency (86.79%). This synergistic performance enables the PTCEs to act as next-generation solutions for practical applications including photothermal generators and reversible adhesive tapes. In general, this work not only establishes a new application direction for the Janus particles, but also provides a design guideline for high-performance of PTCEs.
{"title":"Constructing extended conjugate structure at matrix-filler interface: Enabling photothermal elastomer with enhanced mechanical performance and light-to-thermal conversion efficiency","authors":"Nana Zhao, Chen Zhou, Qiusheng Yang, Ziqing Li, Ziran Zhang, Jingjing Li, Zhicheng Pan, Mingwang Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172895","url":null,"abstract":"A persistent challenge in photothermal conversion elastomers (PTCEs) is simultaneously achieving high photothermal conversion efficiency and robust mechanical properties. Herein, an efficient strategy, constructing extended conjugate structure at the interface of matrix and filler, was developed. Specifically, caterpillar-like Janus particles (CJPs), composed of alternating 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde copolymer bulb and SiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> bulb, were first synthesized using an oil-water interface growth and assembly method. These CJPs were then integrated into an aqueous polyurethane matrix through imine bond that was formed by the condensation of amine group on the particle and aldehyde group on the matrix. Interestingly, the interfacial imine bonds are playing three roles, <ce:italic>i.e.</ce:italic>, facilitating uniformly dispersing of the fillers, bridging the benzene rings existing in the matrix and the filler, and endowing the PTCEs with self-repairing properties. Consequently, the obtained PTCEs exhibited both excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 29.63 MPa and elongation at break of 1602%) and high photothermal conversion efficiency (86.79%). This synergistic performance enables the PTCEs to act as next-generation solutions for practical applications including photothermal generators and reversible adhesive tapes. In general, this work not only establishes a new application direction for the Janus particles, but also provides a design guideline for high-performance of PTCEs.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172886
Kai Li, Ying Ye, Jiahui Wei, Enze Kang, Yibo Han, Wenchao Zhang, Lizhong Sun, Luyue Niu, Jing Ren, Jong Heo, Chao Liu
Lead-free manganese-based halides have garnered significant attention for their structural versatility, exceptional optoelectronic properties, and enhanced stability. While MnMn magnetic coupling interactions critically govern spectral modulation, photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), and decay dynamics, the fundamental PL mechanism remains obscured by insufficient understanding of the interplay between MnMn distance, magnetic coupling type/strength, and optical behavior. This work achieves precise phase-controlled synthesis of cesium manganese bromide nanocrystals (tetragonal Cs3MnBr5 NCs, orthorhombic Cs2MnBr4 NCs, hexagonal CsMnBr3 NCs) with tunable MnMn distances (3.3–7.02 Å), enabling systematic manipulation of magnetic coupling. Crucially, we demonstrate that dipole-dipole coupling – distinct from spin-exchange interactions – establishes a novel radiative energy transfer pathway from isolated [MnBr4]2− units to [MnBr4]-[MnBr4] pairs, generating efficient dual-band PL (523/626 nm). However, reduced MnMn distances enhance coupling strength, accelerating non-radiative energy migration within MnMn pairs and consequently decreasing lifetimes and PLQYs (81.8% → 49.9%). Comprehensive magnetic characterization, temperature-dependent PL, and time-resolved spectroscopy unequivocally differentiate the distinct roles of dipole-dipole versus spin-exchange coupling in PL modulation, with external magnetic field studies further confirming dipole-dipole coupling's dominance in regulating energy transfer efficiency. Furthermore, in-situ glass-encapsulated NCs exhibit exceptional stability against thermal, hydrolytic, and radiative stresses, enabling high-performance X-ray imaging with a high light yield (24,252 pH/MeV), ultra-low detection limit (52.5 nGy/s), and high spatial resolution (28.5 lp/mm). This work provides fundamental insights into magnetic coupling-directed PL mechanism while establishing a materials design paradigm for efficient, stable Mn-activated halides in radiation detection and solid-state lighting.
{"title":"Magnetic coupling-directed photoluminescence in phase-engineered cesium manganese bromide nanocrystals for high-resolution X-ray imaging","authors":"Kai Li, Ying Ye, Jiahui Wei, Enze Kang, Yibo Han, Wenchao Zhang, Lizhong Sun, Luyue Niu, Jing Ren, Jong Heo, Chao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172886","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172886","url":null,"abstract":"Lead-free manganese-based halides have garnered significant attention for their structural versatility, exceptional optoelectronic properties, and enhanced stability. While Mn<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>Mn magnetic coupling interactions critically govern spectral modulation, photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), and decay dynamics, the fundamental PL mechanism remains obscured by insufficient understanding of the interplay between Mn<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>Mn distance, magnetic coupling type/strength, and optical behavior. This work achieves precise phase-controlled synthesis of cesium manganese bromide nanocrystals (tetragonal Cs<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>MnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">5</ce:inf> NCs, orthorhombic Cs<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>MnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> NCs, hexagonal CsMnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf> NCs) with tunable Mn<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>Mn distances (3.3–7.02 Å), enabling systematic manipulation of magnetic coupling. Crucially, we demonstrate that dipole-dipole coupling – distinct from spin-exchange interactions – establishes a novel radiative energy transfer pathway from isolated [MnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>]<ce:sup loc=\"post\">2−</ce:sup> units to [MnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>]-[MnBr<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf>] pairs, generating efficient dual-band PL (523/626 nm). However, reduced Mn<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>Mn distances enhance coupling strength, accelerating non-radiative energy migration within Mn<ce:glyph name=\"sbnd\"></ce:glyph>Mn pairs and consequently decreasing lifetimes and PLQYs (81.8% → 49.9%). Comprehensive magnetic characterization, temperature-dependent PL, and time-resolved spectroscopy unequivocally differentiate the distinct roles of dipole-dipole versus spin-exchange coupling in PL modulation, with external magnetic field studies further confirming dipole-dipole coupling's dominance in regulating energy transfer efficiency. Furthermore, in-situ glass-encapsulated NCs exhibit exceptional stability against thermal, hydrolytic, and radiative stresses, enabling high-performance X-ray imaging with a high light yield (24,252 pH/MeV), ultra-low detection limit (52.5 nGy/s), and high spatial resolution (28.5 lp/mm). This work provides fundamental insights into magnetic coupling-directed PL mechanism while establishing a materials design paradigm for efficient, stable Mn-activated halides in radiation detection and solid-state lighting.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heterointerface engineering based on the built-in electric field (BIEF) for guiding the construction of nanohybrids has emerged as a feasible strategy to enhance interfacial polarization and amplify the electromagnetic energy attenuation capability. Herein, we have designed a MoS2 hollow nanospheres (HNS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/Ti3C2Tx/TiO2 composite aerogel with multiple heterointerfaces. Comprehensive experimental characterization and density functional theory calculations, reveal that the 1 T/2H-MoS2 HNS and TiO2 derived from the self-oxidation of Ti3C2Tx serve as semiconductor phases to establish effective Mott-Schottky contacts with the conductive rGO phase, thereby constructing a double BIEFs system. Under alternating electromagnetic fields, the triggered BIEFs rationally tunes the electron transport behavior at the heterointerfaces, enhancing the polarization relaxation phenomenon. The 3D network structure of the aerogel can significantly enlarge the contact area of BIEF and enhance the Mott-Schottky effect. As anticipated, the prepared MSGM-10% composite aerogel demonstrates a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EABmax) value of 6.56 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −67.50 dB at an extremely low filling ratio of 1.50%. Additionally, aerogel features light weight, good hydrophobicity, and stable thermal insulation performance, showcasing remarkable environmental adaptability and promising broad application prospects in electromagnetic protection and military stealth technologies.
{"title":"MoS2/rGO/MXene/TiO2 composite aerogel with enhanced Mott-Schottky effect for achieving multifunctionality and broadband microwave absorption","authors":"Naixin Zhai, Zihao Wang, Zhenzhi Cheng, Lelin Xu, Wenjun Yang, Weiping Zhou, Fei Gao, Xiaojun Zeng, Guangsheng Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172882","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172882","url":null,"abstract":"Heterointerface engineering based on the built-in electric field (BIEF) for guiding the construction of nanohybrids has emerged as a feasible strategy to enhance interfacial polarization and amplify the electromagnetic energy attenuation capability. Herein, we have designed a MoS<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> hollow nanospheres (HNS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>T<ce:inf loc=\"post\">x</ce:inf>/TiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> composite aerogel with multiple heterointerfaces. Comprehensive experimental characterization and density functional theory calculations, reveal that the 1 T/2H-MoS<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> HNS and TiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> derived from the self-oxidation of Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>T<ce:inf loc=\"post\">x</ce:inf> serve as semiconductor phases to establish effective Mott-Schottky contacts with the conductive rGO phase, thereby constructing a double BIEFs system. Under alternating electromagnetic fields, the triggered BIEFs rationally tunes the electron transport behavior at the heterointerfaces, enhancing the polarization relaxation phenomenon. The 3D network structure of the aerogel can significantly enlarge the contact area of BIEF and enhance the Mott-Schottky effect. As anticipated, the prepared MSGM-10% composite aerogel demonstrates a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">max</ce:inf>) value of 6.56 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RL<ce:inf loc=\"post\">min</ce:inf>) value of −67.50 dB at an extremely low filling ratio of 1.50%. Additionally, aerogel features light weight, good hydrophobicity, and stable thermal insulation performance, showcasing remarkable environmental adaptability and promising broad application prospects in electromagnetic protection and military stealth technologies.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172904
Yakun Ding , Sinuo Yang , Haihong Hao
The global spread of drug-resistant bacterial infections poses an urgent need for the development of novel antibacterial materials. To address the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, peptide-based nanomaterials have emerged as a cutting-edge research focus in antibacterial field. This advancement is underpinned by their intrinsic capabilities such as self-assembly, drug delivery, high stability, and multivalent binding effects. However, there is still a multi-dimensional knowledge gap in rational design of materials from the perspective of antibacterial strategy, and there is a lack of summary on the specific structural modules on which peptide-based nanomaterials depend on antibacterial mechanism. This review comprehensively outlines the antibacterial strategies employed by peptide-based nanomaterials, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms through which they exert bactericidal effects via multiple pathways, and proposes a “three-tiered lethality model”. Furthermore, we also discuss dynamically regulated assembly modules under microenvironment-responsive conditions and future AI-driven development pathways for nanomaterials. Grounded in sterilization mechanisms, this review aims to foster a paradigm shift from empirical optimization to rational design in peptide-based nanomaterials, thereby accelerating the development of intelligent systems with broad-spectrum activity and precisely controllable functions.
{"title":"Design and modification strategies for peptide-based nanomaterials driven by antimicrobial mechanisms","authors":"Yakun Ding , Sinuo Yang , Haihong Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global spread of drug-resistant bacterial infections poses an urgent need for the development of novel antibacterial materials. To address the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, peptide-based nanomaterials have emerged as a cutting-edge research focus in antibacterial field. This advancement is underpinned by their intrinsic capabilities such as self-assembly, drug delivery, high stability, and multivalent binding effects. However, there is still a multi-dimensional knowledge gap in rational design of materials from the perspective of antibacterial strategy, and there is a lack of summary on the specific structural modules on which peptide-based nanomaterials depend on antibacterial mechanism. This review comprehensively outlines the antibacterial strategies employed by peptide-based nanomaterials, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms through which they exert bactericidal effects via multiple pathways, and proposes a “three-tiered lethality model”. Furthermore, we also discuss dynamically regulated assembly modules under microenvironment-responsive conditions and future AI-driven development pathways for nanomaterials. Grounded in sterilization mechanisms, this review aims to foster a paradigm shift from empirical optimization to rational design in peptide-based nanomaterials, thereby accelerating the development of intelligent systems with broad-spectrum activity and precisely controllable functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"529 ","pages":"Article 172904"},"PeriodicalIF":13.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172791
Shanshan Wan, Xiangyun Zheng, Qin Zhang, Guanghui Gao, Xin Liu
Zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZIHSCs) integrate the merits of both batteries and supercapacitors, exhibiting great application prospects in the field of energy storage. However, they still face the problems of zinc dendrite growth and zinc corrosion. Herein, guanosine quadruplex was used as an ordered template for inducing the directed arrangement of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to prepare a single-Zn-ion conducting hydrogel electrolyte for stabilizing Zn anode. The ordered β-CD molecules not only selectively trap SO42− through host-guest interactions but also serve as a directional Zn2+ transport channel for fast Zn2+ migration, enabling the hydrogel electrolyte to be a single-Zn-ion conductor with a high Zn2+ transference number of 0.7236. Besides, β-CD regulates Zn2+ solvation shell and effectively facilitates the desolvation of Zn2+, inhibiting zinc dendrite growth. In addition, β-CD reduces the activity of free water by disrupting the hydrogen bonds of water clusters, thus alleviating the corrosion on the zinc surface. As a result, the constructed hydrogel-based ZIHSCs exhibit a high specific capacitance of 939.7 mF cm−2. Additionally, the device exhibits long-term cycling stability, maintaining 80.3% of its capacitance and achieving 89.3% coulombic efficiency after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The ZIHSCs retain excellent capacitance retention under various mechanical deformations due to the robust adhesion of the hydrogel to the electrodes. This work provides an innovative method for designing hydrogel electrolytes with ordered Zn2+ transport channels, which are used for dendrite-free, corrosion-resistant zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors.
{"title":"Single-Zn-ion conducting hydrogel electrolyte constructed by G-quadruplex-templated anion-capturing agent with oriented structure towards dendrite-free zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor","authors":"Shanshan Wan, Xiangyun Zheng, Qin Zhang, Guanghui Gao, Xin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2026.172791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.172791","url":null,"abstract":"Zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZIHSCs) integrate the merits of both batteries and supercapacitors, exhibiting great application prospects in the field of energy storage. However, they still face the problems of zinc dendrite growth and zinc corrosion. Herein, guanosine quadruplex was used as an ordered template for inducing the directed arrangement of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to prepare a single-Zn-ion conducting hydrogel electrolyte for stabilizing Zn anode. The ordered β-CD molecules not only selectively trap SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> through host-guest interactions but also serve as a directional Zn<sup>2+</sup> transport channel for fast Zn<sup>2+</sup> migration, enabling the hydrogel electrolyte to be a single-Zn-ion conductor with a high Zn<sup>2+</sup> transference number of 0.7236. Besides, β-CD regulates Zn<sup>2+</sup> solvation shell and effectively facilitates the desolvation of Zn<sup>2+</sup>, inhibiting zinc dendrite growth. In addition, β-CD reduces the activity of free water by disrupting the hydrogen bonds of water clusters, thus alleviating the corrosion on the zinc surface. As a result, the constructed hydrogel-based ZIHSCs exhibit a high specific capacitance of 939.7 mF cm<sup>−2</sup>. Additionally, the device exhibits long-term cycling stability, maintaining 80.3% of its capacitance and achieving 89.3% coulombic efficiency after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The ZIHSCs retain excellent capacitance retention under various mechanical deformations due to the robust adhesion of the hydrogel to the electrodes. This work provides an innovative method for designing hydrogel electrolytes with ordered Zn<sup>2+</sup> transport channels, which are used for dendrite-free, corrosion-resistant zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145949965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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