Graphdiyne (GDY)-based nanomaterials are a novel class of two-dimensional carbon structures characterized by a distinctive arrangement of sp- and sp²-hybridized carbon atoms that have garnered significant interest because of their unique properties. The presence of alkyne linkages in these materials leads to a highly conjugated system with uniform pores, offering a plethora of opportunities in diverse technological applications. This review delves into the intrinsic properties of GDY, including its electronic, mechanical, and optical characteristics, which are pivotal for its biomedical utility in fields such as sensing and detection, bio-imaging, tumor therapy, drug delivery, and antibacterial treatments. Despite these promising attributes, the field faces ongoing challenges, including a deeper comprehension of the formation mechanisms, development of scalable synthesis routes for single- or few-layer GDY sheets, and thorough investigation of the basic physical and chemical properties. This paper highlights the existing applications of GDY-based nanomaterials in nanotechnology and identifies the critical research directions necessary for harnessing the full potential of this emerging material.

Membrane separation is an efficient method with significant applications across various fields. Graphdiyne (GDY), a novel carbon allotrope composed of sp and sp² hybridized carbon atoms, possesses unique physical and chemical properties that enable its application in catalysis, electronics, and sensing. Additionally, its two-dimensional planar structure and homogeneous pore distribution facilitate the adsorption and transport of various metal ions and gases, highlighting its potential in separation processes. This review summarizes the structure and properties of GDY, outlines its synthesis strategies, and describes its detailed applications in gas separation, heavy metal ion separation, organic separation, and desalination. Finally, the challenges associated with the separation of GDY-based materials are discussed.

The field of tissue engineering has witnessed significant progress with the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies. The ability to fabricate precise structures with complex geometries combined with the integration of two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene, graphene oxide, and transition metal dichalcogenides, has provided novel opportunities. This integration enables the fabrication of functional structures with tailored properties, leveraging the exceptional mechanical, electrical, and chemical characteristics of these materials, in conjunction with the design flexibility offered by 3D printing. Herein, we review the recent advancements in the selection of appropriate 2D materials, diverse 3D printing methods employed for integration, and characterization techniques used to evaluate the performance of the resulting constructs. The successful integration of 3D printing and 2D materials holds immense potential for advancing tissue engineering and paving the way for personalized medicine, regenerative therapies, and point-of-care diagnostics.

Catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are crucial for energy conversion and storage. Notably, the number of available active sites directly influences the catalyst activity. A large specific surface area is conducive to the creation of more active sites on a catalyst, thereby improving its performance. Zn precursors easily decompose or volatilize at high temperatures, forming a structure with abundant pores, thereby facilitating nitrogen doping. A method for enhancing the ORR activity of nitrogen-doped graphdiyne (GDY) was developed by employing zinc acetylacetonate as a pore-forming agent to increase the exposure of the active N sites. The as-prepared catalyst (denoted as ZnT-N-GDY, where T refers to the template) outperformed Pt/C in the ORR and maintained stable cycling over 2000 cycles in zinc-air batteries, facilitated by the increased exposure of the active N sites, especially pyridinic nitrogen.

The evolution of the structural and electronic properties of the van der Waals layered ferromagnet CrBr₃ across the semiconductor-metal transition was investigated using X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy at high pressures up to 38 GPa and by density functional theory (DFT) calculations at high pressures up to 120 GPa. The pressure behavior of the structural parameters and vibrational modes revealed a crossover from the quasi-two-dimensional system with weakly interacting atomic layers to the three-dimensional-like system with strongly interacting layers at P ≈ 15 GPa. This resulted in a significant modification of the pressure coefficients of the lattice parameters and interlayer distances. DFT calculations using first-principles generalized gradient approximations of the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) and Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof-sol (PBEsol) functionals qualitatively reproduced the high pressure effects on the structural and electronic properties of CrBr₃, with more accurately results obtained by PBEsol. The relative increase of the binding energy absolute value between the van der Waals layers by 75 times in the pressure range up to 60 GPa was evaluated. Band gap closure associated with the semiconductor–metal transition was found at P = 60 GPa, which is higher than the experimentally determined value.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for energy conversion and storage but is hindered by sluggish kinetics, low efficiency, and high overpotentials. Although RuO₂ and IrO₂ are efficient catalysts, their high cost and scarcity limit their large-scale application. In contrast, nonmetallic catalysts have gained traction as promising alternatives due to their cost-effectiveness, high stability, and environmental sustainability. The OER efficiency depends on optimal adsorption/desorption of oxygen intermediates, such as^∗O, OH^∗, and OOH^∗, on the catalyst surface. The electronic structure of carbon materials can be optimized via nitrogen doping, which introduces a higher polarity than carbon atoms, thereby optimizing the adsorption free energy of oxygen species during an OER. However, conventional high-temperature pyrolysis methods suffer from limitations such as inaccuracy and high energy consumption. The unique and facile bottom-up synthesis of graphdiyne (GDY) enables precise control over the doping positions of the three sp²-N atoms in GDY (1NGDY, 2NGDY, and 3NGDY) via monomer design engineering. By integrating density functional theory (DFT) calculations with experimental validation, we tailored the adsorption free energy of the oxygen intermediates in the OER, thereby optimizing the rate-determining step of^∗OOH generation. Among these three kinds of nitrogen-doped GDY catalysts, 3NGDY which incorporates three sp2-N atoms exhibited the optimal electrocatalytic performance, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² in 1 M KOH with a low overpotential of approximately 310 mV. This study demonstrates the significant potential of GDY-based metal-free catalysts in the development of cost-effective, high-performance electrocatalysts.

Water pollution caused by heavy metals and antibiotics poses a significant global challenge, necessitating the development of efficient remediation strategies. In this study, zinc (Zn) doped CuFeS₂ (copper iron sulfide) composites were used as highly efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and oxytetracycline (OTC) under visible light. The composites were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method with various Zn doping concentrations (1 mol%, 5 mol%, and 10 mol%). The synthesized composites were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis revealed their structural, morphological, optical, and surface area properties. Among the composites, 10 mol% CuFeS@Zn exhibited the highest degradation efficiency, achieving 99 % Cr(VI) and OTC removal within 100 min. This performance significantly surpasses the efficiencies of CuFeS₂, and the CuFeS₂@Zn 1 mol%, and CuFeS₂@Zn 5 mol% composites. Kinetic analysis revealed a high reaction rate constant of 3.041 min⁻¹, and optimal photocatalytic activity was observed at pH 6 and a catalyst dosage of 6 mg, with excellent recyclability and stability demonstrated over multiple cycles for the CuFeS₂@Zn 10 mol% composite. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the improved charge carrier separation and transfer resulting from Zn incorporation, which facilitated redox reactions at the catalyst-pollutant interface. This study provides valuable insights into the design of Zn-doped CuFeS₂ composites offering a promising pathway for the development of advanced photocatalytic materials for environmental remediation.

Large-scale ultraviolet photodetectors are highly promising for detection of weak signals and have the potential for widespread applications in high-tech areas such as aerospace detection and wearable devices. However, the commonly used window electrodes lack transparency to ultraviolet light. Although ultraviolet photodetectors based on Ag nanowires exhibit good response due to their broad transparency range, the sharp interface between the Ag nanowires and the semiconductor renders them extremely unstable. Surface protection is considered to enhance the stability and lifespan of these devices. Our research has revealed that amorphous Ga₂O₃ can fully encapsulate the surface of Ag nanowires and securely affix it to the NiO film, resulting in a stable performance with a high responsivity of 48 mA W⁻¹ and detectivity of 6.1 × 10¹¹ Jones for 254 nm light. The unpacked device exhibited a stable photocurrent, showing only 6.8% degradation after 3 months in ambient air. Finally, a large-scale (5 cm × 4 cm, with 12 cm² of active area) ultraviolet photodetector with a Ga₂O₃-protected Ag nanowire electrode was prepared, which demonstrated a milliamp-level photocurrent under weak ultraviolet illumination that can be directly read by a conventional multimeter in practical scenarios, indicating the promising prospects of this device for future commercial applications.

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate (NO₃⁻) to ammonia (NH₃) is a promising approach for addressing water pollution caused by nitrate and producing industrial feedstock NH₃. However, a significant challenge lies in effectively suppressing the formation of undesired byproducts such as H₂, N₂, NO₂⁻, and N₂H₄. In this study, three Pd single-atom catalysts (SACs) supported on graphdiyne (GDY) derivatives functionalized with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups denoted as Pd/GDY-F, Pd/GDY-H and Pd/GDY-OMe were prepared. Structural characterization showed that due to the electron induction effect of the functional groups, Pd/GDY-F displays the highest Pd valence state, followed by Pd/GDY-H and Pd/GDY-OMe. Interestingly, the nitrate reduction activity also follows the order Pd/GDY-F > Pd/GDY-H > Pd/GDY-OMe, indicating that the nitrate reduction activity of Pd depends on the Pd oxidation state. In addition, the anion exchange ionomers and high nitrate concentrations are beneficial for nitrate reduction. Under optimized conditions, Pd/GDY-F displays a high Faraday efficiency (FE) of 96.2% ± 2.5% toward NH₃. Mechanistic studies revealed that high-valence Pd atoms favor the adsorption of nitrate reduction intermediates, leading to a high Faraday efficiency for NH₃.