Science China Materials最新文献

Due to the influence of quantum confinement effect, two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene exhibit unique and exceptional properties, highlighting the significance of low-dimensional materials in fundamental research and practical applications. This has led to high expectations for one-dimensional (1D) atomic chain materials with even lower dimensions. Compared with 2D materials, single 1D atomic chains reach their physical limits in both dimensions, resulting in a more pronounced quantum confinement effect that gives rise to unexpected physical phenomena and will establish a new field for exploration. Herein, we review the emerging field concerning 1D van der Waals (vdW) atomic chains. We first summarize the various types and structures of their bulk of the 1D vdW materials. Subsequently, we discuss the methods employed for their preparation and characterization. Finally, we analyze the challenges faced during the development of 1D atomic chains and provide prospects for their future development.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) using gel polymer electrolytes with satisfactory theoretical capacity and low cost hold great promise for high energy density storage systems. However, the inherently unwanted polarizations and uncontrolled lithium dendrites resulting from inferior Li-ion transporting efficiency hinder the practical application of conventional gel electrolytes. Herein, a highly conductive composite gel polymer electrolyte with effective Li-ion conducting channels is designed via swelling nanofibrous membrane, where the single-ion conducting polymer of lithium sulfonate-based polyether (DEBS-Li) used as the Li-ion accelerator is combined with poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP) matrix by the electrospinning technology. The DEBS-Li having rich sulfonic groups can promote lithium salts dissociation via electrostatic interaction, thus expediting the ionic migration and enabling the as-developed gel electrolyte with high ionic conductivity (∼1.58× 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹) and lithium transference number (0.62) at 25°C. Such optimization of ionic transfer kinetics can highly delay the nucleation time of lithium dendrite and significantly inhibit dendritic formation, which leads to a stable Li plating/stripping in the symmetrical battery over 250 h at 1.5 mA cm⁻². Benefiting from these advantages, the Li∥LiFe-PO4 cell using the electrolyte realizes ultralong stable cycling over 500 cycles at a high rate of 10 C with ∼90% capacity retention. We believe this novel lithium sulfonate-based polyether gel polymer electrolyte has profound potential for practical applications in high-performance LMBs.

Achieving an in-depth understanding of the nexus between temperature and phase transitions is paramount for advancing the electrochemical efficiency of aqueous zinc ion batteries. Yet, the intricacies of electrochemical interactions, particularly those associated with the structural evolution over extended periods, remain enigmatic. In this research, we leverage V₂O₅ as an initial structural model of crystals to demystify the kinetics of electrode reactions and the decay mechanism of global electrochemical degradation by meticulously controlling the crystal defects via applying different mechanical grounding intensities. It is noted that the grounding V₂O₅ (GVO) can exhibit a stable crystal structure that suppresses the dissolution/shuttling of vanadium and mitigates Zn anodes by-products caused by electrochemical processes. Thus, the GVO is utilized as the cathode material, achieving excellent Zn storage capacity at both room temperature and low temperatures, e.g., 380 and 246 mA h g⁻¹ at room temperature and −20°C, respectively. Remarkably, the GVO cathode retains a specific capacity of 160 mA h g⁻¹ with a capacity retention rate of 99% after 1500 cycles at −20°C and 1 A g⁻¹. This work provides a novel insight into the electrochemical crosstalk behavior of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) in a wide range of temperatures.

High-resolution organic arrays with diverse pixel types hold significant promise for various applications, such as full-color displays and photonic crystals. The direct growth of such arrays (e.g., high-resolution multi-color patterns) cannot be achieved in a single step with conventional strategies. Here, we present a viable approach integrating a bottom-up solution strategy with phase-change materials (PCMs), specifically aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials. Through intentional self-assembly, color-programmable organic micro-patterns featuring distinct phases or colors were created. Notably, manipulating the amount of involved substance for nucleation/crystallization was achieved by adjusting the sizes of pre-defined nucleation sites. This precise control resulted in varied phases and colors for each pixel. Thus, high-resolution organic micro-arrays with transfer-free multi-color pixels were directly achieved. These may open avenues for seamless, transfer-free growth of multifunctional micro-patterns using PCMs, holding immense potential for applications in high-resolution full-color imaging/displays, photonic crystals, information storage, and encryption, etc.

The sensing capabilities of a soft arm are of paramount importance to its overall performance as they allow precise control of the soft arm and enhance its interaction with the surrounding environment. However, the actuation and sensing of a soft arm are not typically integrated into a monolithic structure, which would impede the arm’s movement and restrict its performance and application scope. To address this limitation, this study proposes an innovative method for the integrated design of actuator structures and sensing. The proposed method combines the art of kirigami with soft robotics technology. In the proposed method, sensors are embedded in the form of kirigami structures into actuators using laser cutting technology, achieving seamless integration with a soft arm. Compared to the traditional amanogawa kirigami and fractal-cut kirigami structures, the proposed middle-cut kirigami (MCK) structure does not buckle during stretching and exhibits superior tensile performance. Based on the MCK structure, an advanced interdigitated capacitive sensor with a high degree of linearity, which can significantly outperform traditional kirigami sensors, is developed. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed soft arm design in actual logistics sorting tasks, demonstrating that it is capable of accurately sorting objects based on sensor signals. In addition, the results indicate that the developed continuum soft arm and its embedded kirigami sensors have great potential in the field of logistics automation sorting. This work provides a promising solution for high-precision closed-loop feedback control and environmental interaction of soft arms.

In this study, a typical hillock surface defect was discovered in (010) β-Ga₂O₃ thin films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and the morphology and structure were systematically investigated. The observed defects exhibit a polygonal shape with a ridge-like hillock along the [001] direction. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) microanalysis reveals that polygonal hillock defects are composed of twin grains forming an inverted pyramid shape embedded in the epitaxial layer, which exhibits twofold rotational symmetry along the [100] crystal direction. The boundary between the defective and perfect lattices appears band-like, characterized by complex faults, with structural relationships between the twin region and the matrix identified as [001]_matrix∥[010]_Defect and {−310}_matrix∥{−201}_Defect. The origin of surface defects in the (010) β-Ga₂O₃ homoepitaxial layers could be attributed not only to the extent of substrate defects but also to epitaxial process conditions. The definitive explanation is the localized aggregation of gallium atoms/oxygen vacancies during the growth process, as evidenced by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and optimized experiments. This work provides brand-new perspectives into the study of defects in β-Ga₂O₃ epitaxial films, which further advances the application of Ga₂O₃ materials in power device technologies.

β-Lapachone (β-Lap) is a promising ortho-naphthoquinone drug for cancer treatment and has been in clinical trials. Its application is constrained by the low aqueous solubility, and severe side effects. Even prodrug designation is an effective approach to render it with tumor selectivity, it is limited by the lack of modifiable groups on β-Lap. Herein, a novel azo bond primary cleavage and carbon–carbon (C–C) bond secondary cleavage-based polymeric β-Lap prodrug (Azo-Lap NP) is designed, in which the self-immolated para-aminobenzyl linker is connected to poly(l-glutamic acid) (PGlu) via azo linkage and the responsive drug release of β-Lap against tumors can be achieved under high NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) expression and low pH environment in tumors. The effective covalent loading of β-Lap by Azo-Lap NPs permitted a high administration dose of β-Lap and enabled significant tumor retention time. Moreover, Azo-Lap NPs markedly reduced the side effects of β-Lap by avoiding hemolysis and the production of methemoglobin. The safety of Azo-Lap NPs administration is validated in the antitumor experiment of mice. In the 4T1 model, Azo-Lap NPs exhibited a markedly higher tumor suppression rate than β-Lap. This work provides an effective and safe polymeric prodrug for tumor selective delivery of β-Lap.

Reported herein is the first time mechanochromic materials based on sole enol-form emission of 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)azoles containing one triphenylamine (TPA). Three different single crystals were obtained and represent pristine, intermediate, and ground states, respectively. The 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)azoles containing two TPA exhibit balanced dual-emission and could be used in multi-channel imaging, and selectivity accumulated in mitochondria of living cells. In addition, we developed the first example of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) materials with sole enol-form emission and balanced dual-emission to detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs) mimic diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP) with good selectivity, highly sensitive, and fast responsive.

Immune evasion behavior and immunosuppressive characteristics of tumor extensively impede the immune initiation effect of therapy triggered immunogenic cell death (ICD). In this work, a carrier-adjuvanted immunostimulator (designated as CoCeC) is developed to boost photodynamic immunotherapy by downregulating programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and impairing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. Among these, the crosslinked chitosan oligosaccharide is applied as the drug carrier for delivery of Ce6 and Ceritinib, which also serves as an immune adjuvant to downregulate PD-L1. Meanwhile, the robust photodynamic therapy (PDT) of CoCeC exhibits lethal toxicity against tumor cells to induce ICD and release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which can also impair ATP hydrolysis by blocking CD39. In vitro and in vivo results demonstrate the robust therapeutic efficacy of CoCeC to suppress primary tumor growth and activate a superior immune elimination against lung metastasis by amplifying the immune initiation of ICD with the assistance of immune adjuvants. This work provides a self-adjuvanted strategy to enhance the immune response of therapy induced ICD, which is promising to activate systemic antitumor immunity in consideration of the complicated immunosuppressive factors.