Nanoscience News (<front>)

Biological Tissue Microstructures

The Morpho butterfly wing is a natural photonic crystal that interacts selectively with polarized light. Lisa V. Poulikakos and co-workers interface the Morpho wing with breast cancer tissue sections and illuminate the system with polarized light for quantitative, contact- and stain-free assessment of tissue microstructures. This imaging approach enables improved understanding of the role of tissue microstructure in the origin and progression of disease. More details can be found in article number 2407728.

Lignocellulose-Mediated Functionalization of Liquid Metals Composites

In article number 2415761, Wei Li, Liyu Zhu, Ying Xu, Guanhua Wang, Ting Xu, and Chuanling Si summarize the state-of-the-art of lignocellulose-based liquid metals materials for the frontiers of multifunctional materials and discuss how to design and functionalize lignocellulose-based liquid metals materials with specific performance. The cover image shows a lignocellulose-based liquid metals materials for the frontiers application.

Heterogeneous Integration of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and 2D Materials

The heterogeneous integration of 2D materials and WBG enables the growth of high-quality WBG films and the 2D material-assisted layer transfer of them, facilitating flexible electronics and micro- LEDs. This cover image illustrates the transfer process of WBG/2D heterostructures and their potential applications in HEMTs and micro-LEDs. More details can be found in article number 2411108 by Soo Ho Choi, Yongsung Kim, Il Jeon, and Hyunseok Kim.

Nanomedicine Accumulation

Accurate prediction of nanomedicine accumulation is crucial for guiding patient stratification and optimizing treatment strategies in precision medicine. In article number 2416696, Shouju Wang and colleagues present an interpretable radiomics model capable of predicting nanomedicine tumor accumulation using routine medical imaging, achieving an impressive accuracy of 0.851. This study demonstrates the potential of noninvasive imaging for patient stratification and the precise tailoring of nanomedicine therapies, paving the way for more personalized and effective cancer treatment.

Nanoplastics

In article number 2413413, Acelya Yilmazer, Marco Orecchioni, Lucia Gemma Delogu, and co-workers explore the interaction of nanoplastics with human immune cells, using advanced single-cell mass cytometry. Findings reveal nanoplastics uptake on several immune cell subpopulations, affecting cell viability and functionality. Art by the team of INMYWORK Studio.

Suppression of Sepsis Cytokine Storm

Escherichia coli can be transformed into therapeutic nanodrugs through high-temperature treatment, alluding to the concept of the ‘phoenix bathing in fire, attaining nirvana, and being reborn, transforming defilement into purity.’ This suggests that drugs for combating infectious diseases can be derived from the transformation of pathogens themselves, offering a versatile and promising approach for drug development with broad potential applications. More details can be found in article number 2414237 by Yang Zhang, Wenqing Gao, Huijuan Liu, Tao Sun, and co-workers.

3D-Bio-NanoRulers

Central to super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is the need for reliable, biocompatible 3D nanostructures to validate resolution capabilities. The selection of these standards is challenging due to precise geometric and specific labelling requirements. In article number 2403365, José Ignacio Galle, Oleksii Nevskyi, Mark Bates, Jörg Enderlein, and co-workers propose the T4 virus as a 3D-Bio-NanoRuler. Using a simple preparation protocol and DNA-PAINT with astigmatic imaging, we detail viral structures, showcasing the benchmarking potential of T4.

The heterogeneous integration of wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBGs) and 2D materials is emerging as a promising way to address various challenges faced by WBGs. This review covers recent advancements in fabrication techniques, mechanisms, devices, and novel functionalities of WBG/2D heterostructures. Furthermore, the directions and perspectives are outlined for realizing practical applications in the near future.

Wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBGs) are crucial building blocks of many modern electronic devices. However, there is significant room for improving the crystal quality, available choice of materials/heterostructures, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of WBGs. In this regard, utilizing layered 2D materials in conjunction with WBG is emerging as a promising solution. This review presents recent advancements in the integration of WBGs and 2D materials, including fabrication techniques, mechanisms, devices, and novel functionalities. The properties of various WBGs and 2D materials, their integration techniques including epitaxial and nonepitaxial growth methods as well as transfer techniques, along with their advantages and challenges, are discussed. Additionally, devices and applications based on the WBG/2D heterostructures are introduced. Distinctive advantages of merging 2D materials with WBGs are described in detail, along with perspectives on strategies to overcome current challenges and unlock the unexplored potential of WBG/2D heterostructures.

Lignocellulose-mediated liquid metal (LM) composites exhibit significant potential across various applications due to their chemical bonding capabilities and tailored microstructures. This review comprehensively summarizes the fundamental principles and recent advancements in lignocellulose-mediated LM composites, highlighting the advantages of lignocellulose in composite fabrication, including facile synthesis, versatile interactions, and inherent functionalities. Challenges and future directions for these composites are also summarized.

Lignocellulose-mediated liquid metal (LM) composites, as emerging functional materials, show tremendous potential for a variety of applications. The abundant hydroxyl, carboxyl, and other polar groups in lignocellulose facilitate the formation of strong chemical bonds with LM surfaces, enhancing wettability and adhesion for improved interface compatibility. Beyond serving as a supportive matrix, lignocellulose can be tailored to optimize the microstructure of the composites, adapting them for diverse applications. This review comprehensively summarizes the fundamental principles and recent advancements in lignocellulose-mediated LM composites, highlighting the advantages of lignocellulose in composite fabrication, including facile synthesis, versatile interactions, and inherent functionalities. Key modulation strategies for LMs and innovative synthesis methods for functionalized lignocellulose composites are discussed. Furthermore, the roles and structure–performance relationships of these composites in electromagnetic shielding, flexible sensors, and energy storage devices are systematically summarized. Finally, the obstacles and prospective advancements pertaining to lignocellulose-mediated LM composites are thoroughly scrutinized and deliberated upon. This review is expected to provide basic guidance for researchers to boost the popularity of LMs in diverse applications and provide useful references for design strategies of state-of-the-art LMs.

Researchers have developed a two-terminal AlScN/p-i-n GaN heterojunction ferroelectric memristor with ultraviolet photoelectric synapse function, enabling nonvolatile memory and optoelectronic synaptic characteristics. This innovation achieves a high memory on/off ratio and a relatively low synaptic energy consumption, advancing optoelectronics and artificial vision systems with potential applications in on-chip sensing and computing.

Ferroelectric materials represent a frontier in semiconductor research, offering the potential for novel optoelectronics. AlScN material is a kind of outstanding ferroelectric semiconductor with strong residual polarization, high Curie temperature, and mainstream semiconductor fabrication compatibility. However, it is challenging to realize multi-state optical responders due to their limited light sensitivity. Here, a two-terminal AlScN/p-i-n GaN heterojunction ultraviolet optoelectronic synapse is fabricated, overcoming this limitation by leveraging hole capture at the AlScN/p-GaN hetero-interface for multi-state modulation. The novel structure maintains excellent memristor characteristics based on the ferroelectric of AlScN, realizing an on/off ratio of 9.36 × 105. More importantly, the device can mimic synaptic characteristics essential for artificial vision systems, achieving an image recognition accuracy of 93.7% with a weight evolution nonlinearity of 0.26. This approach not only extends the applications of AlScN in optoelectronics but also paves the way for advanced artificial vision systems with image preprocessing and recognition capabilities. The findings provide a step forward in the development of non-volatile memories with potential for on-chip sensing and computing.

Can lignin revolutionize lithium-ion battery separators? A single-layer lignin-based ultrathin separator (as thin as 15 µm) is fabricated using a dry fibrillation method, enabling exceptional thermal stability, low energy consumption, and full material utilization. Sulfonate functional groups enhance interfacial stability, significantly improving cycling in graphite||NMC811 and Si-Gr||NMC811 cells. This scalable, sustainable approach paves the way for next-generation functional separators.

Separators are critical components in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), preventing internal short circuits, mitigating thermal runaway, and influencing rate capability and cycling performance. However, current polyolefin separators suffer from limitations, such as high thermal shrinkage, relatively poor wettability, and inadequate long-term stability, impacting safety and cycle life in critical applications like electric vehicles. Here, a single-layer lignin-based ultrathin separator (as thin as 15 µm) with exceptional intrinsic thermal stability and cycling performance is demonstrated. The separator is fabricated using lignosulfonate, a natural polymer derived as a byproduct of chemical pulping and biorefinery processes. By employing a dry fibrillation method, the process achieves low energy consumption and a 100% raw material conversion rate, highlighting its scalability and sustainability. Interfacial studies reveal the improved cycling performance in both graphite||NMC811 and Si-Gr||NMC811 cells is attributed to the abundant sulfonate functional groups in lignosulfonates, which promote the formation of a sulfur-rich cathode/solid electrolyte interphases (CEI/SEI) with low resistance in both the cathode and anode. The high thermal stability, manufacturing feasibility, battery performance, and low cost of such lignin-based separators offer new inspiration for developing next-generation, single-layer functional separators tailored for high-performance LIBs.

VAFe bionic cartilage hydrogel with a double-network semi-crosslinked chain entanglement structure and motion-driven magnetoelectric-coupled cyclic transformation effect shows the high water content, a porous structure, good mechanical properties, and the electromagnetic effect of the bionic cartilage, which provides a functional compensation and a suitable induced environment for the defective cartilage repair.

Enhancing defective cartilage repair by creating a bionic cartilage hydrogel supplemented with in situ electromagnetic stimulation, replicating endogenous electromagnetic effects, remains challenging. To achieve this, a unique three-phase solvent system is designed to prepare a magnetoelectric bionic cartilage hydrogel incorporating piezoelectric poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-3-hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV) and magnetostrictive triiron tetraoxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) into sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel to form a dual-network, semi-crosslinked chain entanglement structure. The synthesized hydrogel features similar composition, structure, and mechanical properties to natural cartilage. In addition, after the implantation of cartilage, the motion-driven magnetoelectric-coupled cyclic transformation model is triggered by gentle joint forces, initiating a piezoelectric response that leads to magnetoelectric-coupled cyclic transformation. The freely excitable and cyclically enhanced electromagnetic stimulation it can provide, by simulating and amplifying endogenous electromagnetic effects, obtains induced defective cartilage repair efficacy superior to piezoelectric or magnetic stimulation alone.