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Polymer dielectric capacitors are widely used in microelectronics to industrial systems, such as oil extraction and electronic circuits, due to their good reliability, excellent voltage endurance, and minimal dissipation factor. This review examines persistent challenges in scaling laboratory innovations to industrial production, with particular emphasis on polymer dielectrics in the laboratory as well as developments in capacitor manufacturing processes.

Abstract

Since the 18th century, capacitors have significantly advanced in theoretical research and industrial applications. With the increasing demand for high-performance capacitors, the focus on advanced materials and manufacturing techniques has become critical. This review aims to provide a comprehensive survey of polymer capacitors, emphasizing their manufacturing processes and the connection between theoretical research and practical applications. Beginning with the fundamental principles of dielectric materials and capacitor design, this review delves into key aspects such as material preparation, film fabrication, and capacitor assembly while addressing the challenges in scale-up manufacturing for practical usage. Special attention is given to the metallization and winding processes, as these are pivotal for ensuring high reliability and performance in polymer capacitors. Additionally, this review analyzes the growing market demand for capacitors with enhanced thermal stability and operational efficiency, identifying research directions to address current limitations. By integrating the latest advancements in high-temperature polymer dielectrics, this review aims to provide valuable insights for both academia and industry. Finally, a forward-looking perspective is provided on future development trends and the obstacles that lie ahead, emphasizing the necessity for stronger collaboration between research and industry to foster innovation in this vital field.

A purely electric-modulated ferroelectric tunnel junction synapse capable of multimodal recognition and spatiotemporal learning has been successfully designed. Its unique functionality is achieved by integrating volatile oxygen vacancy migration and the nonvolatile polarization switching mechanisms within a single device, providing bidirectional relaxation and adaptive long-term plasticity characteristics, which are essential for multimodal recognition and spatiotemporal learning, respectively.

Abstract

The brain's unique processing power, such as perception, understanding, and interaction with the multimodal world, is achieved through diverse synaptic functionalities, which include varied temporal responses and adaptation. Although specific functions in brain-like computing have been successfully realized, emulating multimodal recognition and spatio-temporal learning remain significant challenges due to the difficulties in achieving multimodal signal processing and adaptive long-term plasticity in a single electronic synapse. Here, a purely electrically-modulated ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) memristive synapse which realizes multimodal recognition and spatio-temporal pattern identification, through the integration of oxygen vacancies migration and ferroelectric polarization switching mechanisms, providing bi-directional relaxation and adaptive long-term plasticity simultaneously in the isolated device. The bi-directional relaxation enables multimodal recognition in the purely electrically-modulated FTJ device by encoding distinct sensory signals with different electrical polarities. The multimodal perception task is implemented with a multimodal computing system combining visual and speech pattern recognition. Moreover, the adaptive long-term plasticity allows spatio-temporal pattern recognition, which is demonstrated by identifying object orientation and direction of motion with a neural network incorporating the arrayed synapses. This work provides a feasible approach for designing bio-realistic electronic synapses and achieving highly intelligent neuromorphic computing.

Employing a two-step synthesis approach, a library of high-entropy metal sulfide (HEMS) materials spanning quinary to duodenary compositions are built by arbitrarily combining 5–12 elements from 28 candidates in the periodic table. The septenary HEMS particles exhibit remarkable cycling stability—retaining≈230 mAh g−1 over 3000 cycles—attributed to uniform metal mixing during discharge.

Abstract

Controlled synthesis of high-entropy materials offers a unique platform to explore unprecedented electrochemical properties. High-entropy metal sulfides (HEMSs) have recently emerged as promising electrodes in electrochemical energy storage applications. However, synthesizing HEMSs with a tunable number of components and composition is still challenging. Here, a HEMS library is built by using a general synthetic approach, enabling the synthesis of HEMS with arbitrary combinations of 5 to 12 out of 28 elements in the periodic table. The formation of a solid solution of HEMS is attributed to the two-step method that lowers the energy barrier and facilitates the sulfur diffusion during the synthesis. The hard soft acid base (HSAB) theory is used to precisely describe the conversion rates of the metal precursors during the synthesis. The HEMSs as cathodes in Na-ion batteries (SIBs) is investigated, where 7-component HEMS (7-HEMS) delivers a promising rate capability and an exceptional sodium storage performance with reversible a capacity of 230 mAh g−1 over 3000 cycles. This work paves the way for the multidisciplinary exploration of HEMSs and their potential in electrochemical energy storage.

A robust in situ cross-linked polymer electrolyte and its derived Mg3N2-rich bilayer interphase are obtained by a multifunctional diamine additive. The assembled Mo6S8//Mg cells demonstrate stable cycling over 200 cycles at 150 °C with 80% capacity retention.

Abstract

The electrolyte and its interfacial chemistry are crucial for the development of high-temperature magnesium metal batteries. Here, a robust in situ cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte (MgB@CGPE) and its derived Mg3N2-rich (Mg3N2 and related Mg─N─H complexes) interphase are obtained by a multifunctional diamine additive. The Mg3N2-rich interphase exhibits low magnesium ion migration activation energy and can effectively inhibit the continuous decomposition of electrolyte at the interface under elevated temperatures. Moreover, the MgB@CGPE can enable reversible magnesium deposition and dissolution over a wide temperature range of 30–180 °C. The assembled Mo6S8//MgB@CGPE//Mg cells demonstrate stable cycling over 200 cycles at 150 °C with 80% capacity retention. Additionally, these cells also address crucial mechanical and thermal safety concerns, indicating their potential for use under extreme conditions. This work presents a universal and practical strategy for designing polymer electrolytes that operate at elevated temperatures.

Through delicate design of host-guest active layer, the hydrogen bonding interactions between host donor D18 and guest BTO-BO facilitate the formation of predominant J-type stacking of D18 during crystallization, significantly reducing visible absorption and enhancing hole transport. The resultant ST-OSCs with optical modulation achieved record light utilization efficiencies of 6.02%, while also demonstrating excellent flexibility and scalability.

Abstract

The trade-off between average visible transmittance (AVT) and power conversion efficiency (PCE), governed by the molecular stacking of the donor and acceptor materials in semitransparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs), significantly constrains improvements in light utilization efficiency (LUE). Here, simultaneous enhancement of AVT and PCE is achieved by meticulously designing host-guest active layers to fine-tune the molecular stacking. A systematic investigation of various host donor and guest material combinations reveals that the donor material (D18) with more electron-deficient hydrogen atoms tends to form C─H···O interactions with the guest material (BTO-BO) that features electron-rich oxygen atoms. Hydrogen bonding interactions between host donor D18 and guest BTO-BO facilitate the transition from mixed J-type and H-type molecular stacking modes of the donor to predominant J-type stacking during crystallization, significantly reducing visible absorption and enhancing hole transport. Additionally, BTO-BO can act as a nucleation agent for the host acceptor BTP-eC9 to increase the crystallinity and absorption coefficient of the active layer, thereby, enhancing near-infrared light absorption. The resultant toluene-processed ST-OSCs with optical modulation exhibit simultaneous improvement in PCE and AVT, delivering record LUEs of 6.02%. Notably, this host-guest active layer demonstrates exceptional compatibility with flexible devices and promising scalability for greenhouse photovoltaic applications.

PDMS materials have found widespread applications in flexible wearable devices, medical technologies, coating protection, and thermal management. The development of smart PDMS materials featuring self-healing, self-cleaning, and self-reporting functionalities offers effective strategies to mitigate and prevent damage and degradation caused by exposure to harsh environments and mechanical/thermal stresses during practical applications.

Abstract

Bio-inspired autonomous smart polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and its composite materials hold immense promise for a wide range of applications in electrical and electronic devices. These materials mimic natural protective mechanisms with self-healing, self-reporting, and self-cleaning properties, enabling innovative and efficient device design. Smart PDMS materials autonomously activate repair mechanisms in response to mechanical or electrical damage, achieving rapid structural and functional recovery and preventing failure due to the accumulation of minor damage. These materials can intuitively report their status through striking color changes, fluorescence, or luminescence when exposed to external stimuli, providing efficient and practical visual feedback for device health monitoring and fault warning. They also have the capacity to effectively eliminate contaminants and ice deposits from their surfaces, thereby ensuring stable device operation. This review aims to introduce the current research progress in self-healing, self-cleaning, and self-reporting PDMS materials. The review systematically discusses the principles, methodological innovations, mechanistic analysis, and applications of these materials, highlighting their significant potential for applications in the field of electrical and electronic devices. Moreover, the review provides an in-depth analysis of the key challenges facing current research and offers insights into future research directions and strategies.

The study designs a bifunctional core/shell-structured carbon support with the core of highly graphitized carbon and the shell of heteroatom-doped amorphous carbon, precise control of Pt nanoparticles semi-embedded by the amorphous shell contributes to the realization of simultaneously exceeded durability targets of electrocatalysts and carbon support for PEMFCs.

Abstract

To enhance the lifetime of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, developing highly durable platinum-based cathode catalysts is essential. While two degradation pathways for the cathode catalyst—carbon corrosion and electrocatalyst (platinum nanoparticles) coarsening—have been identified, current approaches to enhance its durability are limited to addressing individual degradation pathways. Herein, the study develops a core/shell-structured carbon support that is designed to afford cathode catalysts capable of simultaneously inhibiting carbon corrosion and electrocatalyst coarsening. The core/shell structure is distinguished by its bifunctional nature: the core is made of highly graphitized carbon tailored to build a robust carbon skeleton, and the shell comprises heteroatom-doped amorphous carbon engineered to prevent electrocatalyst coarsening by chemical/physical anchoring of platinum nanoparticles. Thanks to this elaborate design, the catalyst surpasses the durability targets for carbon supports and electrocatalysts set by the U.S. Department of Energy, as supported by the achieved durability metrics after the square-wave/triangle-wave accelerated stress tests: electrochemical surface area loss at 13%/3%, mass activity loss at 27%/17%, and voltage loss of 29 mV (at 0.8 A cm− 2)/4 mV (at 1.5 A cm− 2).

This work presents the design and functionality of a gradient-metasurface-contact CPL photodetector that operates at zero bias, offering a high discrimination ratio (≈1.6 ✗ 104), broadband response (500–1100 nm), and immunity to non-CPL fields. By integrating InSe flakes with CPL-selective metasurface contacts, it achieves CPL-dependent vectorial photocurrents. Additionally, its application in multivalued logic and CPL-encrypted communication showcases its potential in advanced on-chip polarization detection systems.

Abstract

Spin light detection is a rapidly advancing field with significant impact on diverse applications in biology, medicine, and photonics. Developing integrated circularly polarized light (CPL) detectors is pivotal for next-generation compact polarimeters. However, previous compact CPL detectors, based on natural materials or artificial resonant nanostructures, exhibit intrinsically weak CPL polarization sensitivity, are susceptible to other polarization states, and suffer from limited bandwidths. A gradient-metasurface-contact CPL photodetector is demonstrated operating at zero-bias with a high discrimination ratio (≈1.6 ✗ 104), broadband response (500–1100 nm), and immunity to non-CPL field components. The photodetector integrates InSe flakes with CPL-selective metasurface contacts, forming an asymmetric junction interface driven by CPL-dependent unidirectional propagating surface plasmon waves, generating zero-bias vectorial photocurrents. Furthermore, it is implemented the developed CPL photodetector in a multivalued logic system and demonstrated the optical decoding of CPL-encrypted communication signals. This metasurface contact engineering represents a new paradigm in light property detection, paving the way for future integrated optoelectronic systems for on-chip polarization detection.

This study presents an ultrahigh drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) antibody-polymeric imidazoquinoline complex (αPDL1-PLG-IMDQ) that activates intratumoral immature dendritic cells (imDCs) and enhances T-cell responses. By preferentially targeting PDL1-high DCs, it efficiently delivers the TLR7/8 agonist IMDQ, overcoming systemic inflammation and imDC-mediated immunosuppression, leading to significant tumor growth and metastasis inhibition, with potential for advancing tumor-targeted immunotherapy.

Abstract

Intratumoral dendritic cells (DCs) are pivotal in tumor treatment due to their immature and pro-tumoral state induced by the tumor microenvironment. Clinically, these immature DCs correlate with disease progression and recurrence, adversely affecting prognosis. Activation of DCs by the TLR7/8 agonist imidazoquinoline (IMDQ) has yielded promising results, but they are limited by systemic inflammation risks, and high programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1) expression on DCs impedes CD8+ T cell activity. Thus, the study introduces an antibody-polymeric IMDQ complex (αPDL1-PLG-IMDQ) with an ultrahigh drug-to-antibody ratio, where αPDL1 is conjugated to Fc-binding peptides on polymeric IMDQ. This complex targets high PDL1-expressing intratumoral DCs with high probability, inducing PDL1-mediated endocytosis to deliver IMDQ to TLR7/8 within endosomes, effectively activating DCs (CD11c+MHC II+: 2.33% versus 1.09%, CD11c+CD86+: 2.49% versus 1.00% on tumors compared to phosphate-buffered saline treatment) and priming T cells. It also blocks PDL1/PD1 interactions, enhancing tumor-specific T-cell activation and memory. Notably, αPDL1-PLG-IMDQ achieved a 97% tumor inhibition rate, prevented tumor regrowth in rechallenge experiments, and reduced lung metastases of tumors by 83%. These findings underscore its potential for intratumoral DC-targeted immunotherapy and novel systemic IMDQ and checkpoint inhibitor combinations.

Nature Materials, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02167-0

Solid-state thermoelectrics can convert waste heat to electrical energy, but applications are hindered by long-term stability issues. Here cobalt is used as a contact layer with direct bonding to thermoelectric MgAgSb, enabling a thermoelectric module to achieve 10.2% conversion efficiency over 1,440 h of thermal cycling.

Nature Materials, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02158-1

Pockels coefficients and permittivity are measured in barium titanate and lithium niobate from 100 MHz to 330 GHz and device geometries are proposed to maintain a constant electro-optic response in BTO devices.

Nature Materials, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02154-5

The authors report subnanosecond thermal transport on a gold–hexagonal boron nitrite interface governed by hyperbolic phonon–polariton coupling, demonstrating a cooling mechanism orders of magnitude faster than those relying on phonon-mediated processes.

Nature Energy, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01741-9

Europe’s demand for high-energy batteries is likely to surpass 1.0 TWh per year by 2030, and is expected to further outpace domestic production despite the latter’s ambitious growth. To strengthen Europe’s battery self-sufficiency and competitiveness, policy-makers must accelerate the expansion of production capacity and implement reliable industrial policies that account for sustained demand growth toward and beyond 2030.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01880-w

Single-stranded RNA origami tiles transcribed and folded inside giant liposomes generate micrometre-long filaments that deform the membrane, showcasing the potential of RNA nanotechnology in building functional synthetic cells for mimicking the function of cytoskeletal proteins.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01892-6

A zeolite-confined Cu single-atom cluster was developed for the electrochemical CO reduction application, which can achieve stable CO-to-acetate conversion at an industrial current density of 1 A cm−2 at 2.7 V with a high acetate Faraday efficiency for over 1,000 h at atmospheric pressure.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01888-2

In an interferometer using the ballistic propagation of electrons in a quantum Hall conductor, the phase of a single-electron wavefunction can act as a sensor for the detection of fast electric fields of small amplitude.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01879-3

This study introduces RNA origami nanotubes as self-assembling cytoskeleton mimics for synthetic cells. Expressed in vesicles from DNA templates, these RNA structures reach micrometre lengths, deform membranes and exhibit different phenotypes.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01890-8

In the layered magnetic semiconductor CrSBr, excitons can strongly couple to nonlinear magnons. This coupling enables tunable magnon frequency mixing, parametric amplification and excitons dressed with up to 20 harmonics of magnons.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01881-9

A high-entropy nanosurface is engineered for selective glycerol electro-oxidation to a high-value-added glycerate at an industrial current density, demonstrating the effectiveness of tailoring catalytic sites by the construction of high-entropy surfaces for electrochemical catalysis.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01877-5

Tumour endothelial cell macropinocytosis is the dominant mechanism for nanoparticle entry into the tumour. Enhanced nanoparticle tumour accumulation may be due to upregulated macropinocytosis membrane ruffling compared with most healthy tissues.