Research articles

Pressure-induced phase transitions in GeSe are investigated from theory and experiment. Two new phases are predicted to exist in-between the well-known α-GeSe and the recently discovered β-GeSe under pressures. It is predicted that α-GeSe transforms into a rhombohedral structure with a space group of R3m and exhibits robust ferroelectricity at a low hydrostatic pressure. Laser-heated DAC experiments have been conducted to provide further evidence on the existence of the R3m phase. By increasing the hydrostatic pressure to approximately 6 GPa, the R3m phase is predicted to transform into a rock-salt crystal structure (\(Fm\bar 3m\)) and become a topological crystalline insulator.

Through combining nanochannel technique and host–guest interaction, a universal tuneable nanofluidic diode is fabricated. By changing different azobenzene derivatives, the system can achieve replaceable surface charges, and realize the light and pH dual stimuli responses. The system has potential applications in fields such as photosensitive nanofluidic devices, light-controlled drug transport, pH-activated drug release and devices for optical information storage.

We have developed a method to obtain a polymer gel consisting of a relatively homogeneous network structure composed of polymers of narrow molecular weight simply by mixing the necessary compounds. In this method, two kinds of reactions with greatly different kinetics occurred sequentially only when all the compounds were mixed and allowed to stand at a constant temperature, and a relatively homogeneous network structure comprising cross linked polymers of low-molecular-weight distribution was spontaneously constructed.

A composite of fibrin gel/PLGA microspheres, as well as cells from peripheral blood can be used to generate a pre-vascularized scaffold in vitro for improved repair of alveolar bone defects. The capillary-like structures formed in the scaffolds are supposed to anastomose with host blood capillaries to supply oxygen and nutrition to the cells inside the scaffold.

Dielectric gels, a new type of polymer-based dielectric material have been designed. The gels achieve a unique combination of ultra-high dielectric constant, low elastic modulus, and excellent transparency, which are extremely challenging or impossible to realize by traditional polymer dielectrics. We have demonstrated the use of the dielectric gel by fabricating a bioinspired tunable lens, the focal length of which can be adjusted by varying the applied voltage. Dielectric gels offer new opportunities for soft robotics, sensors, electronics, optics, and biomimetics.

We present the degradation behaviors and mechanisms of CVD-grown monolayer MoS₂ crystals relevant to bioabsorbable electronics, triggered and extended based on the intrinsic defects such as grain boundaries and point defects for their high chemical reactivity caused by broken lattice and dangling bonds. Higher misorientation angle leads to higher degradation speed. This work paves the way for lifetime modulation and bioabsorbable device application by using 2D materials.

A general ligand-assisted self-assembly approach allows the synthesis of thermally stable and highly crystalline mesoporous transition-metal oxide. Carboxyl contained ligands and metal precursors are linked by coordination bonds, and the ligand molecules attach to the PEO chains through hydrogen bonds, which cooperatively ensure the controllable co-assembly and the formation of well-defined mesostructure. The mesoporous structures provide abundant reaction sites in electrolyte, which makes them have the possibility to be used as remarkable electrochemical materials.

This study is to investigate and systemically study the mechanical performance of supramolecular PEG hydrogels in comparison with those of the chemical hydrogels cross-linked by conventional PEG diacrylate (PEGDA). The supramolecular cross-links based on the host-guest complexation significantly enhance the energy dissipation, fatigue resistance, and stress-relaxation of supramolecular PEG hydrogels and protect cells from deleterious mechanical insults. This research provides valuable guidance on the design of prosthetic hydrogels for loading bearing implantations sites with surrounding mechanosensitive cells or tissues and critical insights on the translation of host-guest hydrogels to biomedical applications.

Sodium ion hybrid capacitors is fabricated by interlayer-expanded MoS₂/rGO composite and it shows greater performance than lithium ion capacitor.

Amphiphilic Janus camptothecin-floxuridine (CF) conjugate was synthesized for engineering CF microbubbles (CF MBs) with ultrahigh drug-loading contents. CF MBs exhibited excellent capability to enhance ultrasound (US) imaging for identifying the location and size of the tumors, while it can be efficiently converted into CF NPs upon sonication, conducing to remarkably high drug tumor accumulation via sonoporation effect. Both camptothecin (CPT) and floxuridine (FUDR) could be released at an exact 1:1 ratio in the tumor microenvironment, achieving significantly improved therapeutic efficacy. Overall, the CF MBs combining with US technique will provide a step toward the application of targeted theranostics.

Freestanding, lightweight, and flexible crosslinking polyacrylonitrile (CPAN) nanofiber (NF)/metal nanoparticles (MNPs) hybrid membrane is used as high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material. A superior EMI shielding effectiveness with a small thickness of several tens of micrometers is achieved.

Over 200% difference of the current-induced effective magnetic field was achieved through engineering the Rashba effect in a hybrid-multiferroic multilayer structure (BaTiO₃/CoFeB/Pt), where the polarization of BaTiO₃ with either up or down was controlled through interface engineering. Our works offer a new direction towards controlling the current-induced effective magnetic field and may pave the way to integrate other functional oxides into the spintronic devices.

Silver indium sulfide (AgInS₂) semiconductor nanoparticles are cadmium-free quantum dots emitting in visible to near infrared regions. The present study demonstrates the narrowing of their broad defect emission by coating AgInS₂ core nanoparticles with amorphous indium sulfide or gallium sulfide shells. The new emission from the core/shell nanoparticles originating from the band-edge transition is substantially narrower (FWHM of 28.6 nm) than the defect emission of core nanoparticles (FWHM of 220 nm). The photoluminescence quantum yield is increased to 56% after giving several modifications to the synthetic procedures so that we can see the vibrant yellow emission under room light.

A batch-by-batch free route for the continuous production black phosphorus nanosheets in a single-pass gas stream was designed, and the resulting nanosheets were directly employed in targeted chemo-phototherapy upon incorporating with doxorubicin, poly-l-lysine, and hyaluronic acid.

Compared with unipolar transistors, ambipolar transistors, which can easily switch between n-type and p-type behavior by applying an electric field, are most promising candidates since they can effectively simplify circuit design and save the layout area in CMOS. In this study, we take a deep insight into the thickness dependent physical properties of WSe₂, where the optical properties, electric field screening effect, and the ambipolar transport behavior are systematically studied. Furthermore, the investigation of ambipolar WSe₂ transistors in analogue circuits exhibiting gate-controlled phase change directly explores its practical application in 2D communication electronics.

N, S-codoped honeycomb-structured porous carbon with monodispersed in situ embedded Co₉S₈ nanoparticles were designedly fabricated as supported bifunctional electrocatalysts for OER and ORR in rechargeable Zn–air battery, which exhibited a small discharge–charge voltage gap (0.96 V) with a high voltaic efficiency of 55.1% at 10 mA cm⁻² comparable to those of assembled battery based on commercial Pt/C–IrO₂ composite catalyst (0.85 V, 57.5%), and a better cycling stability over nearly 4000 min.

A rational way to explore economically feasible high-performance electrocatalyst for OER is developed by improving the reaction kinetics of rate-determining step via the hybridization with electron-withdrawing RuO₂ nanosheet. Even with very low RuO₂ content, self-assembled Ni–Fe-/Ni–Co-layered double hydroxide (LDH)–RuO₂ nanohybrids show very small overpotentials of 207/276 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² for oxygen evolution reaction with greatly improved current densities.

Hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor monoclonal antibody (SZ-21)/docetaxel (DTX) dual-drug loaded stents exhibiting a uniform coating of nano/micro particles using coaxial electrospray were prepared. Experimental data combined with a biphasic mathematical model indicated the release of the two drugs conformed to a diffusion-controlled release system. The core/shell SZ-21/DTX dual-drug loaded stents showed good blood and cell compatibility, promoted re-endothelialization in vivo and reduced in-stent restenosis in porcine coronary arteries. The coaxial electrospray technique is a one-step and effective technique for stent coating with multiple drugs and has great potential for helping to create the enhanced implants of the future.

A terrace bilayer (TB) p–n junction of phthalocyanine (H₂Pc) and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-bis-benzimidazole (PTCBI) was studied by the use of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, and its electronic properties was analyzed through the contact potential difference (V_CPD) data for single layer region (SLR), bilayer region (BLR), and boundary region (BDR). A micrometer-localized positive potential was found in the BDR of TB of p-type on n-type, which the VCPD value was more +0.1 V than that of the BLR. Both potential gain and the design were utilized for efficient photocatalyst as oxidation power without changing molecular component, just based on the geometrical control.