Perovskite photodetectors (ePDs) have shown significant promise for applications in imaging and optical communications due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Dark current density (J_d) plays a crucial role in determining the performance of 3D PePDs based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Herein, a novel viologen derivative, 1-allyl-1′-(2-phosphonoethyl)-viologen (APV), is introduced into PEDOT:PSS to improve the crystalline quality of the perovskite film and effectively suppress dark current. Consequently, the optimized 3D PePD achieves an ultra-low J_d of 5.75 × 10^-7 mA cm^-2 at -0.5 V and a maximum specific detectivity of 2.08 × 10¹³ Jones at 705 nm, positioning it among the top high-performance 3D PePDs for visible photodetection. Furthermore, the optimized PePD exhibits a fast response time of 256 ns and a large bandwidth of 1.5 MHz. Upon successful integration into an optical wireless communication (OWC) system as the signal receiver, it demonstrates a data rate of up to 12.5 Mbps with minimal distortion. We believe that APV modification provides a universal strategy to realize sensitive PePDs, potentially revolutionizing the applications of OWC and imaging.

Fibrous stretchable actuators, distinguished by their lightweight, flexibility, and high robustness, are capable of operating in confined, complex environments and can be seamlessly integrated into wearable textiles, demonstrating significant potential for applications in soft robotics, smart healthcare, and prosthetics. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) offer high energy density, large mechanical outputs, and versatile shape changes, but their inherent rigidity limits their use in soft actuators. Significant challenges remain to achieve stretchable SMA actuators with high conformability, excellent reversibility, large mechanical outputs, and the ability to achieve different morphing modes. In this study, we present an artificial muscle fiber designed by combining the phase transition of SMAs under temperature changes and the polymer chain realignment of stretchable elastomer under mechanical strains to tackle the issue. The fibrous actuators exhibit high stretchability (120%), robust reversibility under cyclic thermal activation, and large actuation strain (32%), producing bidirectional forces (1.2 N extension, 4.3 N contraction). Importantly, the actuators can undergo repetitive shape programming for different morphing modes. With excellent output performance, the fibrous actuators enabled various soft robotic applications, including a fibrous robot for curvilinear pipe navigation, a stretchable wearable exoskeleton, and an untethered soft actuator driven by external electromagnetic fields.

Molecular-level encapsulation of conjugated polymers serves as a potent approach to isolate the conjugated backbone for reducing intermolecular interactions and manipulating optoelectronic properties in solid state. Herein, by tuning the generation of dendritic carbazoles (Cz) in side chains, polydiarylfluorenes with efficient deep-blue emission have been successfully synthesized and explored. The nonplanar twisted Cz dendrons endow their photoluminescence (PL) spectra with enhanced air-aging stability and thermal stability owing to the formation of a self-encapsulation layer. Their impact on solution-state chain conformation and aggregation was thoroughly studied, combining small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Furthermore, benefiting from the suppressed intermolecular interactions, their films exhibit optimal behavior of singlet excitons in the excited state. Polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) adopting the spin-coated and blade-coated films both present comparable properties and stable electroluminescence (EL) spectra, with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates (x + y) < 0.3, demonstrating the feasibility of a self-encapsulated molecular design strategy.

van der Waals (vdW) metal–semiconductor interfaces offer new pathways for overcoming Fermi level pinning (FLP) in 2D electronic and optoelectronic devices. Herein, we demonstrate an ultrasensitive and spectrally selective photodetector based on a WSe₂/MoS₂ heterojunction, in which a vdW metal contact significantly suppresses FLP by minimizing mid-gap states at the contact interface. This dramatically enhances carrier injection and transport efficiency. The photodetector exhibits narrowband wavelength discrimination as fine as 5 nm, even in the IR region, with an accuracy of over 99% in heart rate detection compared with commercial photoplethysmography systems. Our strategy establishes a universal framework for precision optical sensing and infrared signal recognition, paving the way for high-performance intelligent optoelectronic systems.

Prolonged sitting is a major risk factor for lumbar spine disorders, significantly affecting both physical and mental health. However, conventional clinical diagnosis primarily relies on imaging evaluations conducted after symptom onset, often missing opportunities for early intervention and allowing for disease progression. To address this, this paper presents a diagnostic method based on electromyography (EMG) using an adaptive flexible electromyography sensor (FES). The FES consists of a thermo-responsive in situ gelation hydrogel and flexible mesh electrode patch. The hydrogel undergoes a sol–gel transition at body temperature, enabling conformal skin contact and strong adhesion. As a result, the adhesion of the FES is 15 times stronger than that of conventional EMG electrodes. Consequently, the contact impedance is significantly reduced to 40 kΩ/cm² at 10 Hz, and a high signal-to-noise ratio of 23.28 dB is achieved, allowing for the effective monitoring of subtle electrophysiological signals during prolonged sitting. Overall, this research provides a foundation for the early-stage diagnosis of lumbar disorders, facilitating the transition of lumbar disease management from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.

Anode-free Li metal batteries (AFLMBs) impose stringent demands on active Li utilization due to the absence of exogenous Li. Moreover, the poor cycling reversibility of Li metal and significant active Li loss have hindered the development of AFLMBs. Herein, for the first time, we establish the correlation between the electrochemical structural connectivity of Li deposits and the loss pathways of active Li. Li nucleation behavior is optimized via the self-driven formation of hydroxyl-modified lithiophilic Cu nanoparticles from CuOHF. Dense columnar Li stacks with stable bulk-phase electronic pathways and interfacial kinetic structures are achieved through a high-density spatial multidimensional nucleation mechanism, which restricts the quasi-linear accumulation of irreversible Li to only 0.003 mg per cycle. Meanwhile, the regulated Li growth process exhibits homogeneous and rapid interfacial mass transfer with extremely low concentration polarization. The anode-free LiFePO₄ pouch cell retains 61.4% of its initial reversible capacity after 100 cycles. Insights into active Li utilization derived from this work will accelerate the development of high-performance AFLMBs.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a pivotal process in electrochemical energy conversion. Herein, we report a computational study-guided experimental work that uncovers the dynamics of active sites in a heterostructure composed of two distinct phases: Brunogeierite (Fe₂GeO₄) and serpentine (Ni₃Ge₂O₅(OH)₄). This heterostructure is synthesized by introducing varying amounts of a nickel precursor into pristine Fe₂GeO₄. When comparing pristine materials, Fe in Fe₂GeO₄ is better for OER as compared with the Ni in Ni₃Ge₂O₅(OH)₄. Interestingly, the Ni becomes more active in the heterostructure following the structural distortion and the induced increased electron transfer, which we proved by ex situ/in situ XAS studies. These findings highlight the dynamic evolution of active sites in the heterostructure, elucidating how the synergy between structural and electronic factors transforms catalytic behavior. The optimized heterostructure as an ideal model reveals enhanced electrocatalytic performance with an overpotential of 325 mV versus RHE to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm^–2, a Tafel slope of 42 mV dec^–1, and long-term stability exceeding 50 h even at high current densities, making it highly promising for a wide range of critical electrolysis applications.

Zinc-air batteries are crucial for next-generation energy storage; however, challenges related to energy efficiency persist owing to the kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction in conventional cathodes. Groundbreaking zinc-air/iodine hybrid batteries (ZAIHBs) incorporate reversible iodine redox reactions; however, the design of bifunctional catalysts capable of synergistically mediating oxygen and iodine redox reactions remains challenging. In this study, we achieve efficient and reversible oxygen/iodine catalysis using a pioneering hierarchical heterointerface-engineered catalyst comprising single Co atoms coupled with Co/CoSe₂ nanoclusters within a three-dimensionally ordered macroporous carbon framework (3DOM Co(Se)/NC). Spectroscopic analysis and density functional theory calculations reveal that CoSe₂ incorporation induces partial electron delocalization at the Co single-atom@Co-cluster interface, while preserving a locally enriched electron density. This electronic configuration balances the adsorption/desorption energetics of the oxygen and iodine intermediates, while the 3DOM architecture facilitates rapid mass transport and exposes abundant active sites. Consequently, ZAIHBs equipped with 3DOM Co(Se)/NC deliver a remarkably low voltage gap (ΔE = 0.40 V) and outstanding cycling stability over 400 h at 10 mA cm^-2. This study provides a novel approach to multi-redox cathode design and facilitates the development of highly efficient hybrid batteries.

The rapid expansion of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals semiconductors has enabled new possibilities for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic technologies. However, the absence of robust, scalable, and CMOS-compatible doping strategies remains a key bottleneck for their circuit-level integration. Conventional doping techniques, such as ion implantation and substitutional doping, are fundamentally incompatible with atomically thin crystals due to lattice damage, poor dopant activation, and limited spatial precision. In this context, photodoping has emerged as a promising alternative, offering non-invasive, reversible, and highly tunable modulation of carrier density through light–matter interactions without compromising structural integrity. By precisely controlling illumination parameters and employing optical patterning techniques, photodoping offers nanometer-scale spatial resolution and enables programmable modulation of doping polarity and carrier concentration. Moreover, specific mechanisms allow for nonvolatile doping states through long-lived charge trapping effects. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in photodoping strategies for 2D materials, encompassing device configurations, physical mechanisms, and state-of-the-art characterization methods. We further highlight emerging applications in multifunctional transistors, photodetectors, memory, neuromorphic, and reconfigurable devices, and discuss the challenges and future prospects of integrating photodoping into large-scale 2D material platforms.

Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation photonics, owing to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and scalable fabrication processes, particularly for flexible wearable electronics, intelligent lighting systems, and ultra-high-definition displays. This review comprehensively examines recent advancements in perovskite materials, device architectures, operational mechanisms, and optimization strategies for the functional layers of PeLEDs. Despite significant progress, the practical deployment of high-performance flexible PeLEDs (FPeLEDs) faces three major challenges: efficiency droop at high current densities, limited light extraction efficiency, and thermal management issues during operation. Future research efforts should focus on tackling these obstacles to improve the overall performance and reliability of FPeLEDs. This systematic overview aims to provide valuable insights and guidance for the development of FPeLED technology and its applications in emerging fields.