Lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) have gained significant interest due to their ultra-high theoretical energy density (3458 Wh kg⁻¹), abundant oxygen supply, and low environmental footprint. Despite this potential, practical application and commercialization remain limited by rapid capacity fading, electrolyte degradation, lithium anode instability, and cathode corrosion. This review provides a critical assessment of these challenges and the strategies developed to address them. We examine the four principal electrolyte systems used in LOBs, specifically aqueous, aprotic (non-aqueous), hybrid, and solid-state electrolytes. Fundamental reaction mechanisms, as well as the structure and properties of discharge products, such as lithium superoxide (LiO₂), lithium peroxide (Li₂O₂), and lithium hydroxide (LiOH) in LOBs, are discussed. The roles of lithium salts, electrode materials, and functional additives, ranging from immobile heterogeneous catalysts to mobile redox mediators, are further analyzed. The review also expands on the contamination effects of H₂O, CO₂, and N₂ in aprotic systems. Particular emphasis is placed on emerging semiconductor photocathodes and electrolyte systems, including room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), RTIL-based mixed solvents, solvated ionic liquids, and inorganic molten salts, which offer unique advantages in terms of safety, conductivity, and electrochemical stability. Finally, we highlight the use of multinuclear magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches (^6,7Li,¹H,¹³C, and¹⁷O) and advanced 2D homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation NMR techniques to investigate the evolution of electrochemical and decomposition products during galvanostatic cycling.

Multimodal therapeutic strategies that integrate photothermal therapy (PTT) with chemodynamic therapy (CDT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) have been shown to generate synergistic therapeutic effects in biomedical applications. These synergistic effects significantly enhance treatment efficacy and offer promising approaches for the treatment of serious diseases such as tumors and drug-resistant bacterial infections. This review systematically summarizes the underlying mechanisms and energy conversion processes in PTT, CDT, PDT, and SDT that are responsible for tumor cell ablation and bacterial eradication. In particular, the unique advantages of MXene materials in integrating these distinct therapeutic modalities are presented. On this basis, recent advances in various MXene-based composite materials for multimodal therapy are also comprehensively reviewed. The structural design strategies, synergistic functionalities and performance advantages of different composite systems are highlighted. Finally, the challenges and opportunities associated with MXene-based materials in multimodal therapeutic applications are discussed. These discussions provide guiding insights for the rational design of this emerging class of nanomedicines, offering potential strategies for treating tumors and drug-resistant bacterial infections.

A new organic emitter, mPhCz-QAO, was designed and synthesized through an asymmetric steric-hindrance donor strategy, establishing a distinctive molecular-engineering approach for achieving both high efficiency and narrowband emission in organic light-emitting materials. By introducing a meta-position asymmetric bulky donor, the strong intermolecular π-π interactions intrinsic to the QAO framework are effectively suppressed, thereby preventing aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) in the solid state. This asymmetric donor simultaneously promotes a more delocalized distribution of the frontier molecular orbitals and strengthens the radiative transition process, leading to enhanced emission properties. Devices incorporating mPhCz-QAO exhibit exceptionally good performance at elevated doping levels, maintaining a maximum external quantum efficiency of approximately 22% as the doping concentration increases from 3 wt.% to 10 wt.%. The emission peak displays only a minimal shift (from 486 to 488 nm), while the narrow emission bandwidth of 38 nm remains fully preserved. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of asymmetric donor engineering in overcoming concentration-related emission quenching and provide a powerful design framework for developing next-generation high-efficiency, high-color-purity organic emitters suitable for advanced display and lighting technologies.

This study investigates the physical properties of the double perovskite oxide series A₂TiCrO₆ (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra) using different exchange-correlation functionals based on density functional theory (DFT). Structural stability of the A₂TiCrO₆ compounds at the equilibrium lattice constant ensures the cubic Fm ̄3m symmetry through analyses of tolerance factors, while the Birch-Murnaghan equation reveals that the ferromagnetic (FM) phase is energetically preferred over the non-magnetic (NM) configuration. The spin-polarized electronic band structure and density of states (DOS) demonstrated that all compounds under investigation are half-metallic with nearly integral magnetic moments of 2 𝜇_B. The PDOS analysis indicates that the valence band is dominated by O-2p orbitals, while Ti-d states prevail in the conduction band near the Fermi level. All the compounds satisfy Born stability criteria and the ductile nature of the materials was demonstrated through Poisson’s, Pugh’s ratios, and Cauchy’s pressure. The dynamical stability of these compounds is demonstrated through phonon dispersion curves. In thermodynamic properties, the high melting temperature and specific heat capacities demonstrate that the investigated compounds are thermally suitable for high-temperature device applications. Optical analyses show that the static refractive index exceeds unity and aligns well with predictions from the Penn model. Furthermore, the absorption, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical conductivity spectra suggest that these compounds are suitable for UV-based optoelectronic applications. The electronic, optical, mechanical, and magnetic properties suggest that these materials are promising candidates for spintronic applications. Moreover, the coexistence of high spin polarization, a tunable dielectric response, and strong UV optical activity establishes the A₂TiCrO₆ compounds as multifunctional materials suitable for spintronic and optoelectronic applications.

Natural polysaccharides derived carbon aerogels possess multiple advantages, including diverse sources, inherent heteroatom doping, abundant functional groups, and unique primitive biological channels, rendering them suitable as electrode materials in capacitive deionization (CDI). In this work, we construct a novel N, S co-doped composite carbon aerogel (FuKNCA- y) derived from konjac glucomannan (KGM)/fucoidan (Fu)/nitrogen-enriched carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) via directional freezing method. Among them, KGM serves as both the carbon source and structural matrix, Fu acts as the S source and a secondary component, while N-CNTs provide rich N source and optimize the pore structure, significantly boosting the overall electrical conductivity. The synthesized FuKNCA- y exhibits a large specific surface area, a hierarchical porous structure, excellent mechanical properties, and N, S co-doping. These characteristics collectively improve its hydrophilicity, increase active sites, modulate the electronic structure, and ultimately lead to the improved desalination performance. Specifically, the optimal FuKNCA-6 electrode achieves a salt adsorption capacity of 32.8 mg g⁻¹ and an average salt adsorption rate of 4.02 mg g⁻¹ min⁻¹ (500 mg L⁻¹ NaCl solution and 1.2 V), with superior cycling stability. Density functional theory calculations reveal the underlying enhancement mechanism of N, S co-doping and its significant synergistic effect on CDI performance. Therefore, this work provides a new method for synthesizing advanced heteroatom-doped carbon aerogels derived from natural polysaccharides for high-performance CDI electrodes.

Featuring low manufacturing costs and excellent operational safety, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as one of the most competitive candidates in the energy storage field. Yet cathode materials with slow ion transport kinetics or low ion storage capacity limit the electrochemical performance to be fully utilized in practical applications. Herein, an advanced organic-inorganic hybrid cathode material with amorphous state was developed, in which nanosized inorganic polyoxovanadate, K₅MnV₁₁O₃₂·10H₂O (MVO), interacted with organic polyaniline (PANI) by electrostatic interaction presents weak element dissolution and high redox activity. Combining multiple experimental characterizations, it was confirmed that this novel cathode (P-MVO) exhibited Zn²⁺/H⁺ dual carriers insertion mechanism. The as-prepared cathode yields a high specific capacity of 412 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.3 A g⁻¹, and it preserves a 286 mAh g⁻¹ capacity even at 5 A g⁻¹. Moreover, Zn//P-MVO batteries exhibit better electrochemical stability at a wide temperature range. This work enriches the organic-inorganic hybrid chemistry and provides a promising strategy for developing organic-inorganic hybrid cathode materials targeting AZIBs.

Lead-free cesium tin iodide bromide (CsSnI₂Br) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as sustainable candidates for next-generation photovoltaics, combining a suitable bandgap with environmental safety. Yet, their performance is hindered by interfacial recombination and the spontaneous oxidation of Sn²⁺ to Sn⁴⁺, which degrades carrier mobility and device stability. While chemical stabilization approaches address this oxidation experimentally, its influence on electronic processes can be systematically evaluated through numerical modeling. In this work, the SCAPS-1D simulator was employed to investigate the optoelectronic response of CsSnI₂Br PSCs integrated with different polymer-based hole transport layers (HTLs), namely PEDOT:PSS, Spiro-OMeTAD, PTAA, Poly-TPD, P3HT, and PANI. Key parameters, including HTL thickness, doping concentration, and defect density -were tuned to analyze charge extraction efficiency and minimize interfacial recombination losses. Among the tested configurations, PEDOT:PSS yielded the highest simulated power conversion efficiency of approximately 21.4%, attributed to its favorable band alignment and enhanced hole mobility. Optimal performance was obtained for an absorber thickness of 0.8 μm and HTL thickness in the 50–80 nm range, provided that bulk and interfacial defect densities were below 5 × 10¹⁴ and 1 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻³, respectively. Additional improvements were achieved with TiO₂ ETL doping levels of 10¹⁷–10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and a back-contact work function near 4.8 eV. The device maintained robust output up to 320 K, demonstrating stable charge transport and reduced trap-mediated losses. These results provide valuable theoretical insights for optimizing HTL selection and interface engineering in efficient, lead-free perovskite photovoltaics.

The extensive structural tunability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) positions them as exceptional candidates for engineering multifunctional electrocatalysts. Motivated by recent experimental advancements and guided by first-principles simulations, we introduce a new class of two-dimensional (2D) MOFs, TM₂(TCNQ)₂ (TM = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni). These MOFs exhibit versatile and multifunctional catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution (HER), oxygen evolution (OER), and oxygen reduction (ORR) reactions. Notably, in sharp contrast to the metal-centered activity observed in conventional TMN₄ catalysts, our findings reveal that the nonmetal site (specifically C) within the TCNQ linkers serve as the predominant active centers. This unique “ligand-centered” catalytic behavior is fundamentally rooted in the profound electronic coupling between the metallic centers and the π-conjugated organic components, which triggers a significant redistribution of electron density and local spin moments. Specifically, Mn₂(TCNQ)₂, Co₂(TCNQ)₂ and Ni₂(TCNQ)₂ monolayers serve as bifunctional catalysts for HER and OER, with overpotentials comparable to, or even surpassing, well-established noble-metal catalysts. These findings underscore the modular catalytic properties and the unconventional nonmetal-site-driven mechanism of the TM₂(TCNQ)₂ architecture, providing a strategic route toward cost-efficient, versatile catalysts for sustainable energy technologies.

Stretchable resistive strain sensors are generating significant interest in wearable electronics due to their exceptional stretchability, rapid response, and ability to detect complex human movements. While yarn-based strain sensors show enormous potential for textile integration, they typically suffer from low sensitivity, poor interfacial adhesion between conductive materials and yarn surfaces, and limited mechanical durability under repeated strain, undermining their long-term applicability and fruitful use. This study presents a novel high-performance yarn strain sensor created by depositing multi-walled carboxyl-functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) onto a dual-intertwined yarn (DIY) substrate, consisting of a spandex core wrapped with nylon monofilaments using a scalable, cost-effective layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly without surfactants, followed by encapsulation with Ecoflex to enhance mechanical resilience and environmental endurance. The CNT-COOH dispersion exhibited excellent coverage and adsorption on the yarn surface, resulting in a reliable and conductive sensing layer. The CNT-COOH/DIY sensor demonstrated exceptional strain responsiveness, achieving a gauge factor (GF) of 11.40 for 10%–40% strain and 8.75 for 40%–60% strain. It also exhibited a response time of 263 ms and an electrical conductivity of 6.03 × 10⁻³ S/m. The Ecoflex/CNT-COH/DIY sensor retained stable sensing performance across 2000 stretching cycles at 30% strain. Real-time assessments on the finger, wrist, elbow, and knee confirmed its practical viability for wearable motion sensors and smart textiles.

We report the synthesis of holey, textured AuAg nanoplates (HTNPs) for enhanced near-infrared (NIR) plasmonic catalysis. The nanostructures are synthesized via a micelle-directed assembly, yielding a serrated morphology that generates intense electromagnetic "hot spots" and broadband vis-NIR absorption, as confirmed by FEM simulations. This design enables efficient harvesting of photons from an 810 nm LED source. In the model reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the HTNPs exhibit a pronounced photocatalytic enhancement, with a reaction rate under NIR light ( k_light = 0.076 ± 0.016 min⁻¹) ~5.8 times greater than in the dark ( k_dark = 0.013 ± 0.0071 min⁻¹). This work establishes a template-guided strategy to tailor plasmonic surface architectures, advancing catalyst design for activation by low-energy NIR light.