http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/rss/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095

This work presents a breakthrough in wave manipulation physics and technology, enabling perfect absorption and precise wavefront control. The proposed concept of metagrating surpasses the size and efficiency limitations of conventional ones. Its compact, lightweight design tackles the key challenge inherent to all elastic wave-manipulation metastructures, which consists in the unavoidable vibration modes in finite structures hindering their implementation in real-world applications.

Optical and acoustic metagratings have addressed the challenges of low-efficiency wave manipulation and high-complexity fabrication associated with metamaterials and metasurfaces. In this research, the concept of locally resonant elastic metagrating (LREM) is both theoretically and experimentally demonstrated, which is underpinned by the unique elastic impedance modulation and the hybridization of intrinsic evanescent waves. Remarkably, the LREM overcomes the size limitations of conventional metagratings and offers a distinctive design paradigm for highly efficient, compact, and lightweight structures for wave manipulation in elastic wave systems. Importantly, the LREM tackles a key challenge inherent to all elastic wave-manipulation metastructures, which consists in the unavoidable vibration modes in finite structures hindering their real-world applications.

In this work, a highly scalable chemical approach based on the anion exchange reaction is developed to engineer an amorphous metal compound layer on the surface of argyrodite-type electrolyte grains. Further, a novel localized grain engineering concept is introduced, which combines engineered and pure electrolyte grains to enable aggregates with favorable macroscopic properties for suppressing Li intrusion.

Li intrusion is the primary factor contributing to the undesirable cycling durability and rate capability of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. However, conventional engineering methodologies for solid electrolytes (SEs) that focus on crystalline scales, such as doping, have limited efficacy in addressing this issue, as they not only involve cumbersome trial-and-error processes but also struggle to simultaneously optimize the multiple macroscopic properties necessary for effectively suppressing Li intrusion. Herein, rather than following the conventional practice of SE engineering, it is concentrated on optimizing SEs at the grain-aggregate level. A highly scalable chemical approach based on a thermodynamic-favored anion exchange reaction is first developed to engineer an amorphous metal compound layer on the surface of argyrodite-type electrolyte grains. Further, a novel localized grain engineering concept is introduced, which combines engineered and pure electrolyte grains to enable aggregates with favorable macroscopic properties for suppressing Li intrusion. The localized grain-engineered electrolyte aggregates greatly enhance Li reversibility and are able to suppress Li intrusion under practical working conditions. Notably, the 20 µm-Li||LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 cell using localized grain-engineered electrolyte aggregates can stably cycle for over 2000 cycles at a high current density of 1.6 mA cm−2.

A novel vapor phase method is first proposed to reconstruct a robust LiF coating layer on the Li-rich Mn-based oxide cathodes. The designed LiF layer effectively modulates the electric field distribution on the electrode surface, thereby promoting the formation of a uniform LiF-rich cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). The optimized CEI facilitates homogeneous Li+ fluxes on the electrode surface, contributing to a stable electrode-electrolyte interface.

Constructing a stable cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) is crucial to enhance the battery performance of Li-rich Mn-based oxide (LMO) cathodes. To achieve an ideal CEI, a gas-phase fluorination technique is proposed to pre-structure a robust LiF layer (≈1 nm) on the LMO surface. The designed LiF layer effectively modulates the electric field distribution on the electrode surface and mitigates undesirable side reactions between the electrode and electrolyte, thereby promoting the formation of a uniform LiF-rich CEI layer on the LMO-F-1. The optimized CEI facilitates homogeneous Li+ fluxes across the electrode surface and enhances Li+ diffusion in the electrode during (de)intercalation, contributing to a stable electrode-electrolyte interface. Moreover, the robust LiF-rich CEI layer effectively suppresses the decomposition of lithium salts in the electrolyte and reduces autocatalytic side reactions triggered by the by-products. In addition, it improves the structural stability of LMO by increasing the formation energies of oxygen and manganese vacancies. As a result, the modified LMO with the LiF-rich CEI retains 95% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles, demonstrating remarkable electrochemical stability. The proposed gas-phase Li+ flux homogenization strategy offers a promising avenue for enhancing the interface stability of high-voltage cathode materials with lithium storage.

The gasotransmitter-nanodonor FSG@AB co-releases hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and glucose oxidase (GOx) at bone metastases, disrupting mitochondrial function and inhibiting glycolysis to deplete tumor energy sources, exerting robust anti-tumor effects. The released H₂S travels to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), upregulating glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) expression, reducing extracellular glutamate levels, and mitigating glutamatergic hyperactivity, ultimately alleviating anxiety-like behaviors.

Anxiety is highly prevalent among cancer patients, significantly impacting their prognosis. Current cancer therapies typically lack anxiolytic properties and may even exacerbate anxiety. Here, a gasotransmitter-nanodonors (GND) system is presented that exerts dual anxiolytic and anti-tumor effects via a “tumor-brain axis” strategy. The GND, synthesized by co-embedding Fe2⁺ and S2⁻ ions along with glucose oxidase (GOx) within bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (FSG@AB), enables the controlled release of the gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in the acidic tumor microenvironment. H₂S and GOx synergistically deplete tumor energy sources, resulting in robust anti-tumor effects. Meanwhile, H₂S generated at the tumor site is transported through the bloodstream to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the brain, where it modulates neuronal activity. Specifically, in the ACC, H₂S upregulates glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1), which reduces extracellular glutamate levels and attenuates the hyperactivity of glutamatergic neurons, thereby alleviating anxiety-like behavior. This study proposes a GND system that targets both oncological and psychiatric dimensions of cancer through the “tumor-brain axis” strategy, resulting in improved therapeutic outcomes.

The miniaturized and portable bio-battery, fabricated by 3-D printing of living hydrogels containing electroactive Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 biofilms, represents a novel class of engineered living energy materials. The electricity generated by this device can be harnessed for nerve stimulation to enable precise control over bioelectrical stimulation and physiological blood pressure signals.

Harnessing engineered living materials for energy application represents a promising avenue to sustainable energy conversion and storage, with bio-batteries emerging as a pivotal direction for sustainable power supply. Whereas, the realization of miniaturized and portable bio-battery orchestrating off-the-shelf devices remains a significant challenge. Here, this work reports the development of a miniaturized and portable bio-battery using living hydrogels containing conductive biofilms encapsulated in an alginate matrix for nerve stimulation. These hydrogels, which can be 3-D printed into customized geometries, retained biologically active characteristics, including electroactivity that facilitates electron generation and the reduction of graphene oxide. By fabricating the living hydrogel into a standard 2032 battery shell with a diameter of 20 mm, this work successfully creates a miniaturized and portable bio-battery with self-charging performance. The device demonstrates remarkable electrochemical performance with a coulombic efficiency of 99.5% and maintains high cell viability exceeding 90% after operation. Notably, the electricity generated by the bio-battery can be harnessed for nerve stimulation to enable precise control over bioelectrical stimulation and physiological blood pressure signals. This study paves the way for the development of novel, compact, and portable bio-energy devices with immense potential for future advancements in sustainable energy technologies.

Development of Marine-Degradable Poly(Ester Amide)s

This cover illustrates the development of high-performance poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) for marine-degradable applications. Combining strength and biodegradability, PEAs promise sustainable solutions for fishing gear, reducing ocean plastic pollution with upcycled, eco-friendly materials. More details can be found in article number 2417266 by Hyeonyeol Jeon, Hyo Jeong Kim, Jeyoung Park, Dongyeop X. Oh, and co-workers.

Spin-Orbit-Locking Holography

In article number 2415142, Xiaocong Yuan, Puxiang Lai, Qinghua Song, and co-workers present a multi-channel vectorial holography technique encoded by both the spin and orbital angular momentum using a minimalist, non-interleaved, geometry-phase metasurface. It not only substantially enhances the selectivity of input light, exhibiting intriguing spin-orbit-locking behavior, but also expands the multiplexing channels of the output optical field, holding great potential for advanced light manipulation.

Mechanical Metamaterial

In article number 2410865, Fei Pan, Yuli Chen, and co-workers propose an automatically on-demand reprogrammable mechanical metamaterial. Driven by the pre-established structure-performance relations, the metamaterial can automatically tune its building blocks' states using built-in actuators to match different target stress-strain curves in real time. This offers a new solution for the physical properties reprogramming of artificial systems.

Pixel Circuit Integrated MicroLED

In article number 2416015, Kyungwook Hwang, Hojin Lee, Geonwook Yoo, and co-workers demonstrate advanced technology that will transform the current display industry beyond the backplane limits. The pixel circuit integrated micro-LED (PIMLED) not only incorporates an active-pixel circuit but is also compatible with the intrinsic randomness of fluidic-based transfer technology, ensuring no angular misalignment. The results bring forward scalable, transparent, and form-factor free active-matrix micro-LED display.

Sapphire Machining Integrated with Superconducting Qubits

In article number 2411780, Connor D. Shelly and co-workers from OQC and the University of Southampton present the integration of machining of sapphire substrates with superconducting qubits and quantum processors. It is shown that this sapphire machining process is compatible with the production of high-coherence qubits whilst maintaining tight Josephson junction parameter spread. This work provides a route to further scaling of quantum processors on sapphire.

Molecular Design

In article number 2414080 by Ziyi Ge, Daobin Yang, and co-workers report that the O-shaped dimeric acceptor, 5-IDT, as a guest component can boost the efficiency of organic solar cells to nearly 20%. Moreover, the root reason for the significantly improved thermal stability of the device is clearly revealed.

Self-Assembled Metal Complexes

In article number 2416122, Yuqi Tang, Quan Li, and co-workers present a comprehensive overview of the self-assembly of various metal complexes into the nanoparticles with different morphologies, the mechanisms of self-assembly, and their applications in biomedical fields such as detection, bioimaging, and antitumor therapy.

Metal complexes are widely used in biomedical research due to their excellent properties. To further overcome the pharmacological limitations of metal complexes, the multifunctional nanomaterials are developed. This review introduces the self-assembly of metal complexes into nanoparticles of various shapes, the mechanism of self-assembly, and their applications in biomedical fields such as detection, imaging, and antitumor therapy.

Cisplatin is widely used in clinical cancer treatment; however, its application is often hindered by severe side effects, particularly inherent or acquired resistance of target cells. To address these challenges, an effective strategy is to modify the metal core of the complex and introduce alternative coordination modes or valence states, leading to the development of a series of metal complexes, such as platinum (IV) prodrugs and cyclometalated complexes. Recent advances in nanotechnology have facilitated the development of multifunctional nanomaterials that can selectively deliver drugs to tumor cells, thereby overcoming the pharmacological limitations of metal-based drugs. This review first explores the self-assembly of metal complexes into spherical, linear, and irregular nanoparticles in the context of biomedical applications. The mechanisms underlying the self-assembly of metal complexes into nanoparticles are subsequently analyzed, followed by a discussion of their applications in biomedical fields, including detection, imaging, and antitumor research.

A rapidly and on-demand reprogrammable mechanical metamaterial with an embedded digital interface to its structure-performance relationships is proposed. For a given stress–strain curve, the optimal state can first be calculated based on pre-established structure-performance relationships. Subsequently, the state of the metamaterial can be changed using integrated soft actuators, enabling accurate and fast performance reprogramming.

The physical reprogrammability of metamaterials provides unprecedented opportunities for tailoring changeable mechanical behaviors. It is envisioned that metamaterials can actively, precisely, and rapidly reprogram their performances through digital interfaces toward varying demands. However, on-demand reprogramming by integration of physical and digital merits still remains less explored. Here, a real-time reprogrammable mechanical metamaterial is reported that is guided by its own structure-performance relations. The metamaterial consists of periodically tessellated bistable building blocks with built-in soft actuators for state switching, exhibiting rich spatial heterogeneity. Guided by the pre-established relations between state sequences and stress–strain curves, the metamaterial can accurately match a target curve by digitally tuning its state within 4 s. The metamaterial can be elastically tensioned and compressed under a strain of 4%, and its modulus tuning ratio reaches >30. Moreover, it also shows highly tunable shearing and bending performances. This work provides a new thought for the physical performance reprogrammability of artificial intelligent systems.

Inspired by the Namib Pachydactylus Rangei , a Power-Free Cooling moisture harvester with Luneburg Lens Array is fabricated using Self-Developed μ-ECM process. The synergy between the surface and interface functions endows the PFCMH with Exceptional Passive sub-Dewpoint Cooling and Efficient Harvesting Performance. Installing every 1 m2 of PFCMH can Yield ≈294.5–490.6 kg per year of water and Save ≈198.7–331.0 kWh per year of electricity.

The development of zero-power moisture-harvesting technology in an unsaturated atmosphere is of great significance for coping with global freshwater scarcity. Here, inspired by Pachydactylus rangei's (Namib sand gecko) ability to evade thermal radiation and harvest moisture, a power-free cooling moisture harvester (PFCMH) is fabricated using the continuous, industrialized micro-extrusion compression molding. A Luneburg lens is introduced in the PFCMH for the first time, endowing it with a high reflectivity of ≈92.9% in 0.3 to the 2.5 µm waveband and emissivity of ≈98.1% in 8–13 µm waveband, which are ≈19.2% and ≈15.4% higher than those of the unstructured radiative cooler, respectively. Consequently, a temperature reduction of ≈6.9 °C is achieved. In addition, the wettability of PFCMH is well regulated, at a contact angle of ≈153° and a rolling angle of ≈42°, enabling its surface to efficiently nucleate and transport water droplets. The synergy between the surface and interface functions endows the PFCMH with exceptional passive sub-dewpoint cooling and efficient harvesting performance. Importantly, every 1 m2 of PFCMH can yield ≈294.5–490.6 kg year−1 of water and save ≈198.7–331.0 kWh year−1 of electricity. The PFCMH offers an environmentally, power-free, and promising solution to freshwater scarcity.

This work presents a general multi-channel vectorial holography technique encoded by both the spin and orbital angular momentum using a minimalist, non-interleaved, geometry-phase metasurface. The approach not only substantially enhances the selectivity of the input light, exhibiting spin-orbit-locking behavior, but also expands the multiplexing capacity of the output optical field, opening new avenues for advanced light manipulation.

Vectorial metasurface holography, allowing for independent control over the amplitude, phase, and polarization distribution of holographic images enabled by metasurfaces, plays a crucial role in the realm of optical display, optical, and quantum communications. However, previous research on vectorial metasurface holography has typically been restricted to single degree of freedom input and single channel output, thereby demonstrating a very limited modulation capacity. This work presents a novel method to achieve multi-channel vectorial metasurface holography by harnessing spin-orbit-locking vortex beams. In each channel, the optical vectorial field is encoded with a pair of total angular momentums (TAMs) featuring two orthogonal spin angular momentums (SAMs) independently locked with arbitrary orbital angular momentums (OAMs). The methodology relies on a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, enabling the encoding of various TAM channels within a single phase profile. Consequently, a pure geometry-phase metasurface with a non-interleaved approach can be used to support such multi-channel vectorial holography, achieving high selectivity of both SAM and OAM, and offering precise routing and manipulation of complex light channels. The work presents a paradigm shift in the field of holography, offering promising avenues for high-density optical information processing and future photonic device design.

A novel method for fabricating poly(ester amide)s combines the benefits of biodegradable polyesters and strong polyamides. These materials, made from upcycled monomers, form films, and yarns with a tensile strength of 109 MPa, tenacity of 5.0 g de−1, and withstand ironing temperatures. They achieve 92% marine biodegradability in 12 months and have a low environmental impact.

Biodegradable polyesters provide an attractive alternative to non-degradable plastics but often encounter a tradeoff between biodegradability and mechanical properties because esters are rotational and lack hydrogen bonds. Conversely, natural polyamides, i.e., silk exhibit excellent mechanical strength because amides are non-rotational and form hydrogen bonds. Unlike esters, the nitrogen in amides can enhance microbial biodegradation. However, protein engineering exhibits limited productivity, and artificial polyamides, i.e., nylon remain non-degradable due to their hydrophobic nature. Herein, a method is proposed for developing poly(ester amide)s (PEA)s, a polyester and polyamide hybrid, to address prevailing production challenges. These materials are synthesized from upcycled monomers in a 10 L reactor and converted into films and yarns. They achieve a tensile strength of 109 MPa and tenacity of 5.0 g de−1, while withstanding ironing temperatures. They achieve a remarkable 92% marine biodegradability in 12 months, which is rarely attained by current bioplastics, and exhibit low environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. While biodegradable polyesters have remained within the performance range of commodity plastics, PEAs fall into the high-performance category, potentially reaching markets that existing biodegradable plastics have not, such as fishing lines and clothing.

Negative swelling of hydrogel is achieved via a paradoxical hydration-induced-dehydration pathway. Chemically crosslinked polymer network generates considerable hydrostatic pressure upon swelling, which forces transformable polymers to self-assemble and collapse. The as-fabricated gels can lose 35% weight underwater and exhibit water-strengthened mechanical properties, enhanced structural responsiveness, underwater repair ability, resistance to deformation, and swelling turn-off effect, which significantly broadened potential applications.

Swelling positively in water is a common behavior of hydrogels, which, however, can lead to reduced mechanical performance and stability. Enabling negative swelling represents a promising way to address those issues but is extremely challenging to realize. Here, real negative swelling hydrogels are successfully prepared for the first time through a unique molecular architecture. Specifically designed interpenetrating transformable-rigid polymer network undergoes self-assembly and collapses upon hydration, which in turn dehydrates itself. This paradoxical hydration-induced-dehydration process brings about revolutionary outcomes. Gels can now lose up to 35% weight underwater and exhibit water-strengthened mechanical properties, enhanced structural responsiveness, underwater repair ability, resistance to deformation, and swelling turn-off effect. Those unique properties allow future material development and applications to be carried out in much broader dimensions.

Inspired by the thermal adaptability of army ant nest, an innovative textile, Army ant Nest Textile (ANT), is developed for intelligent thermal regulation and healthcare monitoring. The ANT swiftly reacts to perspiration, enhancing heat dissipation through improved radiation transmission and air exchange. Additionally, it integrates colorimetric sensors for temperature, sweat pH, and UV intensity, providing vital risk signals for users.

A textile material that can dynamically adapt to different environments while serving as an immediate alert system for early detection of life-threatening factors in the surroundings, not only enhances the individual's health management but also contributes to a reduction in energy consumption for space cooling and/or heating. In nature, different species have their own adaptation system to ambient temperature. Inspired by the army ant nest, herein a thermal adaptive textile known as Army ant Nest Textile (ANT) for thermal management and health monitoring is reported. This textile can promptly respond to perspiration, rapidly absorb sweat, and then transform its architecture to facilitate heat dissipation. Simultaneously, the colorimetric sensing function of ANT allows it to emulate the “site migration” behavior of the army ant nest, which empowers individuals to expeditiously identify multiple health-related signals such as body temperature, UV radiation, and sweat pH values, and warn them to move to a secure environment, thereby effectively reducing the likelihood of physical harm. Together with its excellent scalability and biocompatibility, the ANT offers a promising direction for the development of next-generation smart e-textiles for personal thermal and healthcare management, while satisfying the growing demand for energy saving.