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

Boron interstitially inserted Ru catalyst (B-Ru/C) is synthesized and used as an anode catalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cell, achieving a peak power density of 1.37 W cm−2. Moreover, an inflection point behavior in the pH-dependent hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics on B-Ru is observed, showing an anomalous behavior that the HOR activity under alkaline electrolyte surpasses acidic electrolyte.

Developing high-performance electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is crucial for the commercialization of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Here, boron interstitially inserted ruthenium (B-Ru/C) is synthesized and used as an anode catalyst for AEMFC, achieving a peak power density of 1.37 W cm−2, close to the state-of-the-art commercial PtRu catalyst. Unexpectedly, instead of the monotonous decline of HOR kinetics with pH as generally believed, an inflection point behavior in the pH-dependent HOR kinetics on B-Ru/C is observed, showing an anomalous behavior that the HOR activity under alkaline electrolyte surpasses acidic electrolyte. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations reveal that the upshifted d-band center of Ru after the intervention of interstitial boron can lead to enhanced adsorption ability of OH and H2O, which together with the reduced energy barrier of water formation, contributes to the outstanding alkaline HOR performance with a mass activity of 1.716 mA µgPGM −1, which is 13.4-fold and 5.2-fold higher than that of Ru/C and commercial Pt/C, respectively.

The universal laser ablation synthesis strategy of single-atom alloy (PtMo, RhMo, IrMo, and RuMo) self-standing electrodes is developed. Attributed to the optimized electron distribution and strong bonding between the Pt single atom and Mo substrate, the self-standing PtMo single-atom alloy electrode (Pt-SA0.056/Mo-L) possesses the splendid catalytic activity and high-current-density stability for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Maximizing atom-utilization efficiency and high current stability are crucial for the platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, the Pt single-atom anchored molybdenum (Mo) foil (Pt-SA/Mo-L) as a single-atom alloy electrode is synthesized by the laser ablation strategy. The local thermal effect with fast rising–cooling rate of laser can achieve the single-atom distribution of the precious metals (e.g., Pt, Rh, Ir, and Ru) onto the Mo foil. The synthesized self-standing Pt-SA/Mo-L electrode exhibits splendid catalytic activity (31 mV at 10 mA cm−2) and high-current-density stability (≈850 mA cm−2 for 50 h) for HER in acidic media. The strong coordination of Pt-Mo bonding in Pt-SA/Mo-L is critical for the efficient and stable HER. In addition, the ultralow electrolytic voltage of 0.598 V to afford the current density of 50 mA cm−2 is realized by utilization of the anodic molybdenum oxidation instead of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here a universal synthetic strategy of single-atom alloys (PtMo, RhMo, IrMo, and RuMo) as self-standing electrodes is provided for ultralow voltage and membrane-free hydrogen production.

A photochromic (PC) film that simultaneously regulates solar heat and visible light entrance is introduced. On a sunny day, the film tints and blocks sunlight, which reduces energy consumption for cooling and preventing excessive brightness and glare. With weak sunlight intensity, the photochromic film becomes transparent to let sunlight enter the room, which prevents additional heating and lighting energy use.

The adaptive control of sunlight through photochromic smart windows could have a huge impact on the energy efficiency and daylight comfort in buildings. However, the fabrication of inorganic nanoparticle and polymer composite photochromic films with a high contrast ratio and high transparency/low haze remains a challenge. Here, a solution method is presented for the in situ growth of copper-doped tungsten trioxide nanoparticles in polymethyl methacrylate, which allows a low-cost preparation of photochromic films with a high luminous transparency (luminous transmittance T lum = 91%) and scalability (30 × 350 cm2). High modulation of visible light (ΔT lum = 73%) and solar heat (modulation of solar transmittance ΔT sol = 73%, modulation of solar heat gain coefficient ΔSHGC = 0.5) of the film improves the indoor daylight comfort and energy efficiency. Simulation results show that low-e windows with the photochromic film applied can greatly enhance the energy efficiency and daylight comfort. This photochromic film presents an attractive strategy for achieving more energy-efficient buildings and carbon neutrality to combat global climate change.

In this work, buried interface and heterojunction engineering are synergistically employed to regulate the film growth and optimize the band alignment. Thus, the interfacial trap-assisted nonradiative recombination loss has been successfully minimized, and heterojunction band alignment has been optimized. Hence, the champion device presents a power conversion efficiency of 9.24%, representing the highest efficiency in sputtered-derived Sb2Se3 solar cells.

Antimony triselenide (Sb2Se3) has possessed excellent optoelectronic properties and has gained interest as a light-harvesting material for photovoltaic technology over the past several years. However, the severe interfacial and bulk recombination obviously contribute to significant carrier transport loss thus leading to the deterioration of power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this work, buried interface and heterojunction engineering are synergistically employed to regulate the film growth kinetic and optimize the band alignment. Through this approach, the orientation of the precursor films is successfully controlled, promoting the preferred orientational growth of the (hk1) of the Sb2Se3 films. Besides, interfacial trap-assisted nonradiative recombination loss and heterojunction band alignment are successfully minimized and optimized. As a result, the champion device presents a PCE of 9.24% with short-circuit density (J SC) and fill factor (FF) of 29.47 mA cm−2 and 63.65%, respectively, representing the highest efficiency in sputtered-derived Sb2Se3 solar cells. This work provides an insightful prescription for fabricating high-quality Sb2Se3 thin film and enhancing the performance of Sb2Se3 solar cells.

Functional electrolytes are prepared by employing the weak-solvation and low-viscosity isobutyronitrile as a cosolvents. The as-prepared electrolyte exhibits a sufficiently high conductivity (1.152 mS cm−1) at −70 °C, and enables the LiCoO2//graphite pouch cells to retain 68.7% of the room-temperature capacity at −70 °C and present stable cycling performance at −40 and 60 °C.

Low-temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has always posed a significant challenge, limiting their wide application in cold environments. In this work, the high-performance LIBs working under ultralow-temperature conditions, which is achieved by employing the weak-solvation and low-viscosity isobutyronitrile as a cosolvent to tame the affinity between solvents and lithium ions, is reported. The as-prepared electrolytes exhibit a sufficiently high conductivity (1.152 mS cm−1) at −70 °C. The electrolytes enable LiCoO2 cathode and graphite anode to achieve high Coulombic efficiency of >99.9% during long-term cycling at room temperature, and to respectively achieve 75.8% and 100.0% of their room-temperature capacities at −40 °C. Even the LiCoO2//graphite pouch cells can retain 68.7% of the room-temperature capacity when discharged at −70 °C, and present stable cycling performance at −40 and 60 °C. This work provides a solution for the development of advanced electrolytes to enable LIBs working at wide-temperatures range.

A NIR-activated immunomodulatory nanoadjuvant based on the yolk–shell CoP/NiCoP heterostructure is developed to potentiate photoimmunotherapy through modulating lactic acid (LA) metabolism. Meanwhile, nanotherapeutic platform also has the potential for LA metabolic intervention to improve the effectiveness of Photocatalytic therapy and mild photothermal therapy, providing new insights into more advanced oncotherapy with optimal efficacy, precision, and safety.

Near-infrared (NIR) laser-induced photoimmunotherapy has aroused great interest due to its intrinsic noninvasiveness and spatiotemporal precision, while immune evasion evoked by lactic acid (LA) accumulation severely limits its clinical outcomes. Although several metabolic interventions have been devoted to ameliorate immunosuppression, intracellular residual LA still remains a potential energy source for oncocyte proliferation. Herein, an immunomodulatory nanoadjuvant based on a yolk–shell CoP/NiCoP (CNCP) heterostructure loaded with the monocarboxylate transporter 4 inhibitor fluvastatin sodium (Flu) is constructed to concurrently relieve immunosuppression and elicit robust antitumor immunity. Under NIR irradiation, CNCP heterojunctions exhibit superior photothermal performance and photocatalytic production of reactive oxygen species and hydrogen. The continuous heat then facilitates Flu release to restrain LA exudation from tumor cells, whereas cumulative LA can be depleted as a hole scavenger to improve photocatalytic efficiency. Subsequently, potentiated photocatalytic therapy can not only initiate systematic immunoreaction, but also provoke severe mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupt the energy supply for heat shock protein synthesis, in turn realizing mild photothermal therapy. Consequently, LA metabolic remodeling endows an intensive cascade treatment with an optimal safety profile to effectually suppress tumor proliferation and metastasis, which offers a new paradigm for the development of metabolism-regulated immunotherapy.

A solution-processable high-spin donor–acceptor conjugated polymer provides large negative magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperatures and positive MR at room temperature that correlates with its electronic and spin structure. The performance of a simple, monolithic device exceeds other organic materials including those utilized in conjunction with ferromagnetic electrodes or complex device architectures. These materials open new opportunities for emerging spin-based applications.

Open-shell conjugated polymers (CPs) offer new opportunities for the development of emerging technologies that utilize the spin degree of freedom. Their light-element composition, weak spin-orbit coupling, synthetic modularity, high chemical stability, and solution-processability offer attributes that are unavailable from other semiconducting materials. However, developing an understanding of how electronic structure correlates with emerging transport phenomena remains central to their application. Here, the first connections between molecular, electronic, and solid-state transport in a high-spin donor–acceptor CP, poly(4-(4-(3,5-didodecylbenzylidene)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b’]dithiophen-2-yl)-6,7-dimethyl-[1,2,5]-thiadiazolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline), are provided. At low temperatures (T < 180 K), a giant negative magnetoresistance (MR) is achieved in a thin-film device with a value of −98% at 10 K, which surpasses the performance of all other organic materials. The thermal depopulation of the high-spin manifold and negative MR decrease as temperature increases and at T > 180 K, the MR becomes positive with a relatively large MR of 13.5% at room temperature. Variable temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that modulation of both the sign and magnitude of the MR correlates with the electronic and spin structure of the CP. These results indicate that donor–acceptor CPs with open-shell and high-spin ground states offer new opportunities for emerging spin-based applications.

A large π-delocalized and π-stacked Schottky junction that synergistically knits a rebuilt extended π-delocalized network of D–A1–A2 system (multiple donor or acceptor units) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is developed. The catalyst realizes high-efficient charge separation and transport in both lateral and vertical directions, thus resulting in an outstanding photocatalytic activity and selectivity for CO2-to-formate.

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are emerging as a promising molecular platform for photocatalysis. Nevertheless, the construction of highly effective charge transfer pathways in CTFs for oriented delivery of photoexcited electrons to enhance photocatalytic performance remains highly challenging. Herein, a molecular engineering strategy is presented to achieve highly efficient charge separation and transport in both the lateral and vertical directions for solar-to-formate conversion. Specifically, a large π-delocalized and π-stacked Schottky junction (Ru-Th-CTF/RGO) that synergistically knits a rebuilt extended π-delocalized network of the D–A1–A2 system (multiple donor or acceptor units, Ru-Th-CTF) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is developed. It is verified that the single-site Ru units in Ru-Th-CTF/RGO act as effective secondary electron acceptors in the lateral direction for multistage charge separation/transport. Simultaneously, the π-stacked and covalently bonded graphene is regarded as a hole extraction layer, accelerating the separation/transport of the photogenerated charges in the vertical direction over the Ru-Th-CTF/RGO Schottky junction with full use of photogenerated electrons for the reduction reaction. Thus, the obtained photocatalyst has an excellent CO2-to-formate conversion rate (≈11050 µmol g−1 h−1) and selectivity (≈99%), producing a state-of-the-art catalyst for the heterogeneous conversion of CO2 to formate without an extra photosensitizer.

This manuscript describes the first electrochemical artificial muscle that can realize color-changing and actuation dual responses in air, which effectively solves the problem of connection of the electrolyte with the active layer during the operation of independently operating electrochemically actuated devices in air by hot pouring of the rapidly cooling electrolyte layer.

Artificial muscles are indispensable components for next-generation robotics to mimic the sophisticated movements of living systems and provide higher output energies when compared with real muscles. However, artificial muscles actuated by electrochemical ion injection have problems with single actuation properties and difficulties in stable operation in air. Here, air-working electrochromic artificial muscles (EAMs) with both color-changing and actuation functions are reported, which are constructed based on vanadium pentoxide nanowires and carbon tube yarn. Each EAM can generate a contractile stroke of ≈12% during stable operation in the air with multiple color changes (yellow-green-gray) under ±4 V actuation voltages. The reflectance contrast is as high as 51%, demonstrating the excellent versatility of the EAMs. In addition, a torroidal EAM arrangement with fast response and high resilience is constructed. The EAM's contractile stroke can be displayed through visual color changes, which provides new ideas for future artificial muscle applications in soft robots and artificial limbs.

Drawing parallels from nonlinear optics, artificial intelligence assists a configurable nonlinear thermal material whose effective thermal conductivity being responsive to its temperature gradient. Such deep learning-assisted nonlinear thermal material promotes two typical self-adaptive devices, which can perceive their environment deeply. One maintains stable function, and another switches its function, in a changeable environment.

Heat management is crucial for state-of-the-art applications such as passive radiative cooling, thermally adjustable wearables, and camouflage systems. Their adaptive versions, to cater to varied requirements, lean on the potential of adaptive metamaterials. Existing efforts, however, feature with highly anisotropic parameters, narrow working-temperature ranges, and the need for manual intervention, which remain long-term and tricky obstacles for the most advanced self-adaptive metamaterials. To surmount these barriers, heat-enhanced thermal diffusion metamaterials powered by deep learning is introduced. Such active metamaterials can automatically sense ambient temperatures and swiftly, as well as continuously, adjust their thermal functions with a high degree of tunability. They maintain robust thermal performance even when external thermal fields change direction, and both simulations and experiments demonstrate exceptional results. Furthermore, two metadevices with on-demand adaptability, performing distinctive features with isotropic materials, wide working temperatures, and spontaneous response are designed. This work offers a framework for the design of intelligent thermal diffusion metamaterials and can be expanded to other diffusion fields, adapting to increasingly complex and dynamic environments.

3D bioprinting and bioengineering approaches are combined to cultivate 3D vascularized tumors, including patient-derived ones, at the mesoscopic scale. Functional connections between self-evolved vascular networks and bioprinted endothelium enable the spontaneous migration of cancer cells from tumor spheroids to the fluid flow. This work opens new avenues for exploring the metastatic cascade in vitro at physiologically relevant spatial and temporal scales.

Advanced in vitro systems such as multicellular spheroids and lab-on-a-chip devices have been developed, but often fall short in reproducing the tissue scale and self-organization of human diseases. A bioprinted artificial tumor model is introduced with endothelial and stromal cells self-organizing into perfusable and functional vascular structures. This model uses 3D hydrogel matrices to embed multicellular tumor spheroids, allowing them to grow to mesoscopic scales and to interact with endothelial cells. It is shown that angiogenic multicellular tumor spheroids promote the growth of a vascular network, which in turn further enhances the growth of cocultivated tumor spheroids. The self-developed vascular structure infiltrates the tumor spheroids, forms functional connections with the bioprinted endothelium, and can be perfused by erythrocytes and polystyrene microspheres. Moreover, cancer cells migrate spontaneously from the tumor spheroid through the self-assembled vascular network into the fluid flow. Additionally, tumor type specific characteristics of desmoplasia, angiogenesis, and metastatic propensity are preserved between patient-derived samples and tumors derived from this same material growing in the bioreactors. Overall, this modular approach opens up new avenues for studying tumor pathophysiology and cellular interactions in vitro, providing a platform for advanced drug testing while reducing the need for in vivo experimentation.

The utilization of a microstructural-informed thermodynamic model enables the creation of pseudoelastic Fe–Mn–Al–Ni shape-memory alloys with enhanced reversibility. The feasibility of the proposed alloy-design strategy is proven by complementary spherical nanoindentation and in situ compression tests. The innovative computational-thermodynamics approach allows a direct composition design for improved functional properties, marking a substantial advance in shape-memory alloy research.

A microstructural informed thermodynamic model is utilized to tailor the pseudoelastic performance of a series of Fe–Mn–Al–Ni shape-memory alloys. Following this approach, the influence of the stability and the amount of the B2-ordered precipitates on the stability of the austenitic state and the pseudoelastic response is revealed. This is assessed by a combination of complementary nanoindentation measurements and incremental-strain tests under compressive loading. Based on these investigations, the applicability of the proposed models for the prediction of shape-memory capabilities of Fe–Mn–Al–Ni alloys is confirmed. Eventually, these thermodynamic considerations enable the guided enhancement of functional properties in this alloy system through the direct design of alloy compositions. The procedure proposed renders a significant advancement in the field of shape-memory alloys.

A simple but effective LiOH-NaCl molten salt strategy is developed for recycling of highly degraded Ni-rich cathode (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2) to performance-enhanced single-crystalline cathodes. The structural and chemical evolution during the recycling process is revealed. Meanwhile, this approach can also be successfully extended to recycle other cathode materials with varied Li and Ni compositions.

The ever-growing demand for resources sustainability has promoted the recycle of spent lithium-ion batteries to a strategic position. Direct recycle outperforms either hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical approaches due to the high added value and facile treatment processes. However, the traditional direct recycling technologies are only applicable for Ni-poor/middle cathodes. Herein, spent Ni-rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (S-NCM) to performance-enhanced single-crystalline cathode materials is directly recycled using a simple but effective LiOH-NaCl molten salt. The evolution process of the Li-supplement and grain-recrystallization during regeneration is systematically investigated, and the successful recovery of the highly degraded microstructure is comprehensively proven, including significant elimination of Ni2+ and O vacancies. Beneficial from the favorable reconstructed single-crystalline particles, the regenerated NCM (R-NCM) represents remarkably enhanced structural stability, electrochemical activity, O2 and cracks suppression during charge/discharge, thus achieving the excellent performances in long-term cycling and high-rate tests. As a result, R-NCM maintains the 86.5% reversible capacity at 1 C after 200 cycles. Instructively, the present molten salt can be successfully applied for recycling spent NCMs with various Li and Ni compositions (e.g., LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2).

This work reports the synthesis of novel platinum group metal free catalysts, heterostructure of molybdenum selenide-nickel selenide (Mo3Se4-NiSe) core–shell nanowire arrays constructed on nickel foam by single-step in situ hydrothermal process through optimized shape engineering and structural control technology. The Mo3Se4-NiSe core–shell nanowire arrays electrocatalyst shows superior electrocatalytic performance, hydrogen evolution reaction with low overpotential from alkaline/seawater electrolysis, respectively.

The rational design and steering of earth-abundant, efficient, and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen generation is highly desirable but challenging with catalysts free of platinum group metals (PGMs). Mass production of high-purity hydrogen fuel from seawater electrolysis presents a transformative technology for sustainable alternatives. Here, a heterostructure of molybdenum selenide-nickel selenide (Mo3Se4-NiSe) core–shell nanowire arrays constructed on nickel foam by a single-step in situ hydrothermal process is reported. This tiered structure provides improved intrinsic activity and high electrical conductivity for efficient charge transfer and endows excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in alkaline and natural seawater conditions. The Mo3Se4-NiSe freestanding electrodes require small overpotentials of 84.4 and 166 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline and natural seawater electrolytes, respectively. It maintains an impressive balance between electrocatalytic activity and stability. Experimental and theoretical calculations reveal that the Mo3Se4-NiSe interface provides abundant active sites for the HER process, which modulate the binding energies of adsorbed species and decrease the energetic barrier, providing a new route to design state-of-the-art, PGM-free catalysts for hydrogen production from alkaline and seawater electrolysis.

Exceptionally conductive and stable bismuth oxides are developed through the rational doping of isovalent and aliovalent elements for low-temperature applications. The triple-doped bismuth oxides are incorporated into composite oxygen electrodes and bilayer electrolytes for low-temperature solid oxide electrochemical cells, resulting in unprecedentedly high performance in both fuel cell and electrolysis cell modes.

Despite the great potential of solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs) as highly efficient energy conversion devices, the undesirable high operating temperature limits their wider applicability. Herein, a novel approach to developing high-performance low-temperature SOCs (LT-SOCs) is presented through the use of an Er, Y, and Zr triple-doped bismuth oxide (EYZB). This study demonstrates that EYZB exhibits > 147 times higher ionic conductivity of 0.44 S cm−1 at 600 °C compared to commercial Y-stabilized zirconia electrolyte with excellent stability over 1000 h. By rationally incorporating EYZB in composite electrodes and bilayer electrolytes, the zirconia-based electrolyte LT-SOC achieves the unprecedentedly high performance of 3.45 and 2.02 W cm−2 in the fuel cell mode and 2.08 and 0.95 A cm−2 in the electrolysis cell mode at 700 °C and 600 °C, respectively. Further, a distinctive microstructural feature of EYZB that largely extends triple phase boundary at the interface is revealed through digital twinning. This work provides insights for developing high-performance LT-SOCs.

Highly robust conductive organo-hydrogels are fabricated via self-assembly assisted stretch training. The fabricated conductive organo-hydrogels exhibit remarkable strength and toughness, as well as impressive sensitivity even when subjected to significant stress. This study addresses the mechanical limitations of traditional conductive hydrogels, making them suitable for facing the practical complex conditions in motion monitoring of strenuous activities and the soft robotics.

The low mechanical strength of conductive hydrogels (<1 MPa) has been a significant hurdle in their practical application, as they are prone to fracturing under complex conditions, limiting their effectiveness. Here, this work fabricates a strong and tough conductive hierarchical poly(vinyl alcohol) (PEDOT:PSS/PVA) organo-hydrogel (PPS organo-hydrogel) via a facile combining strategy of self-assembly and stretch training. With PVA/PEDOT:PSS microlayers and aligned PVA/PEDOT:PSS nanofibers, PVA and PEDOT:PSS nanocrystalline domains, and semi-interpenetrating polymer networks, PPS organo-hydrogels display outstanding mechanical performances (strength: 54.8 MPa, toughness: 153.97 MJ m−3). Additionally, PPS organo-hydrogels also exhibit powerful sensing capabilities (gauge factor (GF): 983) due to the aligned hierarchical structures and organic liquid phase of DMSO. Notably, with the synergy of such mechanical and sensing properties, organo-hydrogels can even detect objects as light as 1 gram, despite bearing a tensile strength of ≈23 MPa. By incorporating these materials into human-machine interfaces, such as controlling artificial arms for grabbing objects and monitoring sport behaviors in soccer training, this work has unlocked a new realm of possibilities for these high-performance hierarchical organo-hydrogels. This approach to designing hierarchical structures has the potential to lead to even more high-performance hydrogels in the future.

Dynamic regulation of the metabolism of probiotics for precise colorectal cancer therapy by using inducible artificial enzymes as switchable “nano-promoter” to upregulate the expression of acidic metabolites in probiotics and “nano-effector” to produce a great deal of lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) to combat the tumors.

Probiotics have the potential as biotherapeutic agents for cancer management in preclinical models and human trials by secreting antineoplastic or immunoregulatory agents in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, current probiotics lack the ability to dynamically respond to unique TME characteristics, leading to limited therapeutic accuracy and efficacy. Although progress has been made in customizing controllable probiotics through synthetic biology, the engineering process is complex and the predictability of production is relatively low. To address this, here, for the first time, this work adopts pH-dependent peroxidase-like (POD-like) artificial enzymes as both an inducible “nano-promoter” and “nano-effector” to engineer clinically relevant probiotics to achieve switchable control of probiotic therapy. The nanozyme initially serves as an inducible “nano-promoter,” generating trace amounts of nonlethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress to upregulate acidic metabolites in probiotics. Once metabolites acidify the TME to a threshold, the nanozyme switches to a “nano-effector,” producing a great deal of lethal ROS to fight cancer. This approach shows promise in subcutaneous, orthotopic, and colitis-associated colorectal cancer tumors, offering a new methodology for modulating probiotic metabolism in a pathological environment.

Ultraflexible self-powered perovskite sensors are developed by integrating high-performance solar cells and monochromatic light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These ultraflexible perovskite solar cell modules power ultraflexible perovskite nanocrystal LEDs (PNC-LEDs) even with the indoor light, with excellent power-conversion and current efficiencies of 18.2% and 15.2 cd A−1, respectively. The narrowband electroluminescence (EL) of PNC-LED eliminates Fabry–Pérot (FP) interference, resulting selective photo-plethysmography with a signal selectivity of 98.2%.

Self-powered skin optoelectronics fabricated on ultrathin polymer films is emerging as one of the most promising components for the next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) technology. However, a longstanding challenge is the device underperformance owing to the low process temperature of polymer substrates. In addition, broadband electroluminescence (EL) based on organic or polymer semiconductors inevitably suffers from periodic spectral distortion due to Fabry–Pérot (FP) interference upon substrate bending, preventing advanced applications. Here, ultraflexible skin optoelectronics integrating high-performance solar cells and monochromatic light-emitting diodes using solution-processed perovskite semiconductors is presented. n–i–p perovskite solar cells and perovskite nanocrystal light-emitting diodes (PNC-LEDs), with power-conversion and current efficiencies of 18.2% and 15.2 cd A−1, respectively, are demonstrated on ultrathin polymer substrates with high thermal stability, which is a record-high efficiency for ultraflexible perovskite solar cell. The narrowband EL with a full width at half-maximum of 23 nm successfully eliminates FP interference, yielding bending-insensitive spectra even under 50% of mechanical compression. Photo-plethysmography using the skin optoelectronic device demonstrates a signal selectivity of 98.2% at 87 bpm pulse. The results presented here pave the way to inexpensive and high-performance ultrathin optoelectronics for self-powered applications such as wearable displays and indoor IoT sensors.

This work provides a comprehensive analysis of ultrafast chiroptical responses in planar plasmonic nano-oligomers with facile reversibility. The polarimetric measurements demonstrate the transient helicity-resolved optical transitions in chiral nanoplasmonics in an all-optical setting, providing a framework for future applications of ultrafast switching and optical logic circuits in nanophotonics and quantum optics.

Ultracompact chiral plasmonic nanostructures with unique chiral light–matter interactions are vital for future photonic technologies. However, previous studies are limited to reporting their steady-state performance, presenting a fundamental obstacle to the development of high-speed optical devices with polarization sensitivity. Here, a comprehensive analysis of ultrafast chiroptical response of chiral gold nano-oligomers using time-resolved polarimetric measurements is provided. Significant differences are observed in terms of the absorption intensity, thus hot electron generation, and hot carrier decay time upon polarized photopumping, which are explained by a phenomenological model of the helicity-resolved optical transitions. Moreover, the chiroptical signal is switchable by reversing the direction of the pump pulse, demonstrating the versatile modulation of polarization selection in a single device. The results offer fundamental insights into the helicity-resolved optical transitions in photoexcited chiral plasmonics and can facilitate the development of high-speed polarization-sensitive flat optics with potential applications in nanophotonics and quantum optics.

A binder-electrolyte integrated solid-state battery (SSB) system exploiting a new synergistic ionic conduction mechanism through supramolecular bridging with p-phenylenediamine molecules is proposed. As such, the contact issue in SSBs can be minimized, enabling the implementation of high loading SSB systems. These achievements are expected to provide a strong foundation for the development of SSB systems with exceptional energy density.

The binder is an essential component in determining the structural integrity and ionic conductivity of Li-ion battery electrodes. However, conventional binders are not sufficiently conductive and durable to be used with solid-state electrolytes. In this study, a novel system is proposed for a Li secondary battery that combines the electrolyte and binder into a unified structure, which is achieved by employing para-phenylenediamine (pPD) moiety to create supramolecular bridges between the parent binders. Due to a partial crosslinking effect and charge-transferring structure of pPD, the proposed strategy improves both the ionic conductivity and mechanical properties by a factor of 6.4 (achieving a conductivity of 3.73 × 10−4 S cm−1 for poly(ethylene oxide)-pPD) and 4.4 (reaching a mechanical strength of 151.4 kPa for poly(acrylic acid)-pPD) compared to those of conventional parent binders. As a result, when the supramolecules of pPD are used as a binder in a pouch cell with a lean electrolyte loading of 2 µL mAh−1, a capacity retention of 80.2% is achieved even after 300 cycles. Furthermore, when it is utilized as a solid-state electrolyte, an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.7% and capacity retention of 98.7% are attained under operations at 50 °C without external pressure or a pre-aging process.