Progress in Materials Science最新文献

Wound healing is a complex biological process that, when impaired, can lead to the formation of scars. Electrospun nanofibrous wound dressings have emerged as a promising option for promoting scar-free wound healing. This paper explores the complex role of physical, compositional, and chemical cues, each contributing to the remarkable healing potential of these wound dressings. The physical properties of these dressings, such as porosity and mechanical characteristics, can guide cellular behaviors and promote vascularization, fostering a conducive environment for reduced scarring. Furthermore, the integration of natural polymers that mimic the skin’s extracellular matrix, known as compositional cues, adds another layer of complexity to these wound dressings. As chemical cues, therapeutic agents have demonstrated their potential to combat chronic wound scenarios leading to scar formation. However, achieving the desired therapeutic effect hinges on the nature of these agents and their controlled release. Therefore, the paper also delves into various loading techniques for tailoring the release profiles of these bioactive agents. Although electrospun nanofibrous wound dressings are promising as wound dressings, a viable commercial product remains elusive. This gap can be attributed to a lack of comprehensive in vivo studies, particularly in animal models that mimic human wound healing.

Electrolyte composition strongly affects the performance of Li-ion batteries in terms of their general electrochemical properties, electrode stability, cycle life, long-term stability (especially at elevated temperatures), and safety. Additives are essential constituents of efficient electrolyte systems for advanced batteries. Their nature and chemical identity are highly diverse, and their modes of action are sometimes not fully understood, seemingly related to “alchemy”. Additives play a crucial role in stabilizing interfaces, enhancing cycle life, and significantly improving safety. Here, a wide scope of additives used in rechargeable Li batteries is examined. Various additives are surveyed emphasizing the importance of their functional groups. We examine routes for judicious optimization of electrolyte solutions by selecting suitable additives for improved rechargeable batteries. As there are many types of additives, their judicious classification is very challenging. We suggest herein the classification and specification of important and representative additives by their central elements. A first classification is based on additives with central atoms other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Then, we mention additives based on unsaturated bonds and/or unstable ring organic molecules. Dual salt systems are also briefly discussed. Finally, we briefly discussed modelling efforts related to additives.

High-temperature oxidation can precipitate chemical and mechanical degradations in materials, potentially leading to catastrophic failures. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind high-temperature oxidation and enhancing the oxidation resistance of thermal structural materials are endeavors of significant technical and economic value. Addressing these challenges often involves dissecting phenomena that span a broad range of scales, from micro to macro, a task that can prove challenging and costly through in-situ experimental approaches alone. Advancements in computational techniques have revolutionized the study of high-temperature oxidation. Various calculation and simulation methodologies now offer the means to rapidly acquire data with cost efficiency, providing a powerful complement to traditional experimental research. This review concentrates on the evolution and utility of these computational approaches in the domain of high-temperature oxidation. It underscores the critical role of calculation and simulation in materials science, offering insights into mass transport, mechanical failure, chemical reactions, and other multi-scale phenomena associated with oxidation processes. In this context, detailed discussions are presented on computational analyses at both atomic and mesoscopic levels, elucidating their respective contributions to our understanding of high-temperature oxidation mechanisms. Furthermore, the review highlights the impact of high-throughput computing in streamlining research and development processes, facilitating a more expedited exploration of innovative solutions in materials science. Through these discussions, the review aims to illustrate the indispensable nature of computational methods in advancing our comprehension and management of high-temperature oxidation phenomena.

Phototherapy, referring to photodynamic/photothermal therapy, has been extensively validated to promote enhanced immunotherapeutic effects by stimulating tumor cell immunogenic death. Photoimmunotherapy has been persistently investigated to establish potent antitumor effects against primary and distant tumors, synchronously eliciting powerful immunological memory effects, thus ultimately preventing and eradicating rechallenged tumors. Phototherapeutic nanoagents play essential roles in ensuring the sufficient efficacy of photoimmunotherapy, which provides a flexible platform to integrate multifunctional types of phototherapy into a single platform. In particular, tailored nanoparticles are available to amplify tumor immunogenicity and to modulate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment simultaneously and spatiotemporally for the treatment of cancers. In this review, we summarized commonly adopted strategies to achieve enhanced cancer immunotherapies induced by conventionally designed phototherapeutic nanoagents. We also analyzed the immunotherapeutic performance and characteristics of phototherapy in detail. The manuscript implies our thoughts on the following aspects: directional design of photosensitizing agents, functional construction of nanomedicines, rational modulation of immunotherapy, and augmented phototherapeutic effects.

Piezoelectric polymers hold great promise in flexible electromechanical conversion devices. The conventional view is that the piezoelectric phase of these polymers is dominated by a polar crystal phase. Guided by this understanding, enormous effort has been dedicated to enhancing piezoelectric performance via mediating the proportion or orientation of polar crystal. However, theoretical and experimental results indicate that the piezoelectric response of a pure polymer cannot be doubled, and the piezoelectric constant (|d|) can hardly reach 60 pm/V, greatly hindering the future progress of piezoelectric polymers. Recent evidence suggests that the structure distortions within the polar crystal phase as well as the paracrystal between the polar crystal and amorphous fraction are closely connected with piezoelectricity. With this new understanding, pure polymers with a giant piezoelectric response (featuring a |d| above 60 pm/V) can be readily achieved. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated the great potential of this new understanding in obtaining high-performance piezoelectric polymers. Herein, this review highlights the newly discovered piezoelectric phase structures, including structure distortion (within polar crystal) and interphase paracrystal, via analyzing the structure features and their piezoelectric contributions. Inspired by the newly evolved phase structure, the possibility of obtaining a giant piezoelectric response is expected in renewable and biodegradable piezoelectric polymers due to the similar phase configuration. Furthermore, possible theoretical developments, including new insight into the giant piezoelectric response and the dynamics at piezoelectric polymer/liquid interface are discussed. The feasibility and great promise of these developments have been demonstrated via the emerging applications in piezoelectric sensor/nanogenerator/actuator, self-display sensing, air filtration, droplet hydraulic generator, solar interfacial vapor, battery with liquid electrolyte, water treatment and electrical stimulation therapy.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), renowned for their cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness, have attracted widespread attention in the field of energy storage, especially for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). By virtue of its environmental adaptability, superior safety, and effortless production with low cost, it provides the possibility to alleviate the notorious safety issues associated with LIBs, as well as the environmental problems caused by the high toxicity of electrolytes. Given that, it is massively argued that cost-effective DESs may serve as a feasible substitute for ionic liquids in the formulation of electrolytes and electrodes for LIBs. Therefore, despite the fact that the relevant research is still in its infancy, there has been a proliferation of studies on the application of DESs to LIBs in recent years. However, the drawbacks of DESs, such as the high viscosity, pull down the upper limit of their electrochemical performance, limiting the potential for large-scale application as well as troubling the research of relevant scholars. Thereupon, a thorough and critical review of the recent progress in applying DESs for LIBs is essential for advancing this emerging research field. This paper, therefore, investigates the transport mechanism of Li⁺ in liquid electrolytes of DESs, provides insights into the interfacial challenges in solid electrolytes of DESs, focuses on the role of DESs in electrode synthesis, and compares the electrochemical performance of DESs with that of ionic liquids (ILs). Finally, this paper discusses the challenges faced by the application of DESs in LIBs, and proposes possible future directions, such as the development of novel DESs systems and the modulation of the interrelationships between the components and electrochemical properties of existing DESs systems, hoping to provide guidance for the relevant studies in the promotion and development of DESs in LIBs.

Extreme fast charging (XFC) is one of the most direct means to improve the competitiveness of electric vehicles (EVs) against gasoline vehicles in terms of mileage covered per unit of time (including time to replenish power source). Solid-state batteries (SSBs) with high energy density are more capable of addressing the challenges of range anxiety and XFC safety than traditional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, inadequate interfacial contact, lithium intrusion, and high tortuosity of Li⁺/e^- transport limit the performance of SSBs at high current densities. In this review, we comprehensively explore the multi-layered mechanisms that restrict the XFC capability of SSBs and analyze possible attempts to enhance the acceptable charging current density. We also highlight the unique role of coupled strategies of state-of-the-art characterization techniques and numerical simulation, as well as intelligent charging protocols in addressing the XFC challenges for SSBs. In addition, we systematically summarise the latest achievements of battery companies in developing fast-charging SSBs. Finally, we present several potential strategies for the future development of fast-charging SSBs to alleviate range anxiety and realise the vision of EV ubiquity.

All-solid-state metal–oxygen batteries are considered promising for next-generation energy storage applications owing to their superior theoretical capacity, energy density, and safety. In this review, we cover the latest advances in the development of solid-state Li-O₂ and Na-O₂ batteries. First, we summarize the problems associated with liquid-based Li-O₂ and Na-O₂ batteries. We then discuss the reaction pathways in all-solid-state Li-O₂ and Na-O₂ batteries and examine their components, discharge products, and possible side reactions during charging/discharging processes. In addition, we describe the outstanding advances in solid electrolytes, electrocatalysts, and anodic/cathodic electrodes. We also review the solid-electrolyte interfaces in these batteries and developing advanced characterization methods recently applied to evaluate changes during electrochemical reactions. As part of future research, a separate section focuses on the expanded concept of next-generation all-solid-state K-O₂, Mg-O₂, Al-O₂, and Fe-O₂ batteries. Finally, we evaluate several unsolved problems associated with solid-state Li-O₂ and Na-O₂ batteries and present our perspectives and ideas for future endeavors. We propose timely and significant research directions for the rational development of new electrode materials, catalysts, and solid electrolytes with superior ionic conductivity, low-impedance interfaces, multiple three-phase boundaries, and modified charge/discharge reaction pathways with more compatible discharge products.

Bismuth ferrite-barium titanate (BF-BT) ceramics show promise for high-temperature device applications, potentially supplanting lead-based counterparts. Recent studies have focused on optimizing their functional properties through various synthesis methods, including sol–gel, spark plasma sintering, and microwave sintering, to tailor their microstructure and enhance the overall performance for various applications. This review focuses on optimization strategies such as synthesis methods, heat treatment, doping, and domain engineering. Challenges in the current research landscape include a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in dopant-induced changes, especially concerning the interplay between crystal structure, microstructure, and resulting properties. The enduring stability of certain properties, notably piezoelectricity, under various conditions, such as elevated temperatures, remains an area of interest. Addressing issues related to processing techniques, scalability, and the environmental impact of manufacturing processes is also paramount. Future research is poised to explore novel applications and integration challenges of BF-BT ceramics into advanced electronic and electromechanical devices, such as energy storage capacitors, high-temperature accelerometers and multilayer actuators, magnetoelectric coupling, piezocatalysis devices, and BF-BT/PVDF composite-based devices, while also emphasizing the crucial need for device characterization.

Platinum (Pt)-based nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in many catalytic reactions benefiting from their inherent electronic surface properties. However, due to their high surface energy, they easily agglomerate and grow in size in catalytic reactions, resulting in significantly decreasing catalytic performance. To address this problem, encapsulating Pt-based NPs in porous materials to form core–shell structures or to physically isolate Pt-based NPs in pores is a highly efficient and promising strategy. In this review, the synthetic strategies, advantageous properties and catalytic applications of encapsulated Pt-based NPs are comprehensively summarized. We first describe the synthetic strategies of Pt-based NPs encapsulated in different porous materials, including metal–organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, zeolites, carbon materials and inorganic oxides. The advantageous properties of encapsulated Pt-based NPs such as enhanced stability, improved selectivity and accelerated electron transfer are then demonstrated. After that, the catalytic applications of encapsulated Pt-based NPs in thermal-, photo- and electro-catalysis are discussed. At the end of this review, we present our views on future developments and challenges in this direction.