The review outlines recent advances in phase engineering of two‑dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs), highlighting how controlled synthesis and phase transitions unlock electronic, optical, and magnetic functionalities. It surveys direct growth techniques such as CVD, MBE, and colloidal routes alongside post‑growth transformations like seed epitaxy and electrochemical exfoliation. The authors discuss emerging applications ranging from surface‑enhanced Raman scattering and electrocatalysis to superconductivity, ferroelectricity, and self‑intercalation‑induced magnetism. Finally, they identify key hurdles—thermal stability, precise phase patterning, and twist‑angle control—while proposing future research directions.
The study uncovers that zebrafish skin changes from slate‑blue in darkness to bright‑blue in light due to coordinated movement of a dual‑layer guanine crystal reflector. The upper S‑iridophore layer contains inclined crystals while the lower L‑iridophore layer holds horizontal crystals,...
Researchers have introduced an underwater micro‑bubble lattice that enables ultraclean self‑assembly of micro‑objects, eliminating residues during transfer. The water‑air interface of the bubbles provides capillary adhesion, preserving the original state of delicate particles. Numerical analysis identified wettability contrast and particle‑to‑bubble...
Researchers have demonstrated lead‑free all‑inorganic double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 memristors that combine robust analog resistive switching with biologically relevant synaptic plasticity. The devices rely on reversible Ag⁺ ion migration to form filamentary conduction paths, as confirmed by impedance spectroscopy, c‑AFM, and...
Researchers have covalently incorporated a merocyanine metastable‑state photoacid into soft polymers, turning insulating matrices into light‑responsive, proton‑conducting materials. Upon illumination, the photoacid undergoes a reversible isomerization that releases protons and alters its charge, causing a measurable drop in conductivity. The...
Researchers have created a high‑entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst composed of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu, derived from a layered double hydroxide precursor. The HEA nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on nitrogen‑doped carbon nanotubes via dicyandiamide‑assisted pyrolysis, yielding a single‑phase fcc...
The study introduces BG/SOD@ZIF‑zc, a multifunctional nanoplatform that encapsulates superoxide dismutase within a copper‑doped ZIF framework and coats it with bacterial ghosts for targeted delivery to the colon. The formulation retains SOD activity in the harsh gastrointestinal tract, efficiently scavenges...
Researchers have created a poly(urea‑urethane) elastomer that simultaneously delivers ultra‑high toughness, strong mechanical strength, and bright blue fluorescence. By employing a double‑aggregation strategy and embedding La³⁺ ions, the material forms nine‑level hierarchical hydrogen‑bond networks that restrict molecular motion, boosting both...
Researchers have created an electrocatalyst featuring ruthenium single‑atom sites anchored on a cobalt‑titanium oxide (Co₂TiO₄/Ti) support using a Ru‑EDTA precursor. The catalyst delivers an ultra‑low Ru loading (<0.1 wt %) yet achieves an overpotential of only 26.2 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel...
Researchers have engineered a hydrogenated Au@Cu2O/TiO2 nanocrystal featuring a core‑shell architecture and a Z‑scheme heterojunction that enables efficient interband hot‑electron transfer. The plasmonic Au core injects electrons into the Cu2O shell, while the TiO2 partner suppresses recombination, delivering a hydrogen...
Researchers synthesized Mn‑doped NiTe2 Dirac semimetals via a one‑step hydrothermal method, discovering that a 5% Mn substitution dramatically reshapes the Dirac cone and boosts Fermi velocity. The doping also raises the density of states near the Fermi level, accelerating interfacial...
Researchers have developed a spray‑dry synthesis for zinc ferrite nanoparticles whose Curie temperature can be tuned from room temperature up to 250 °C. By adjusting zinc doping levels and post‑synthesis annealing, the induction heating profile is precisely controlled, while aqueous dispersions...
Researchers have introduced a single‑stranded RNA origami platform that uses dual duplex bundles as wireframe edges, delivering markedly defined geometries. The approach enables the construction of intricate RNA polygons and grid lattices with high yield and structural fidelity. By bundling...
Researchers introduced a solvent‑minimized mechanochemical method to embed fullerene C₆₀ within amino‑functionalized ZIF‑12, creating a visible‑light‑driven bifunctional photocatalyst. The C₆₀@ZIF‑12‑NH₂ composite exhibits enhanced charge separation, generating hydroxyl radicals that efficiently inactivate bacteriophage P22 in saline water and eradicate E. coli and...
Researchers have covalently attached tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) to nickel‑iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe‑LDH), creating a more ordered crystal structure and enabling high‑temperature hydrothermal synthesis. The TRIS‑functionalized material forms stable, water‑based inks that allow binder‑free electrode fabrication. These electrodes deliver higher oxygen...
Magnetic hydrogel microrobots (MHMs) are emerging untethered soft robots that combine magnetic actuation with responsive hydrogel matrices. Recent research highlights dual design strategies that integrate material optimization and functional integration, enabling precise, spatiotemporal control. Innovations in bionic structures and multimodal...
Researchers used time‑resolved terahertz spectroscopy to uncover a universal photothermal‑mediated carrier relaxation mechanism in Ti3C2Tx MXene films. The slowest relaxation time scales linearly with film thickness, reflecting lattice cooling governed by thermal boundary conductance. By selecting substrates that alter interfacial...
Researchers developed a three‑dimensional electrocatalyst composed of nickel‑manganese bimetallic particles supported on multi‑walled carbon nanotubes (Ni‑Mn@MWCNTs) to treat photovoltaic copper electroplating wastewater containing the toxic additive 2,2′‑bipyridine. Under optimal conditions—Ni:Mn ratio 2:1, 4 mA cm⁻² current density, 4 g L⁻¹ catalyst dosage, and 2 cm...
The review highlights vacancy engineering as a transformative strategy for thermoelectric (TE) materials, detailing how intentional vacancy creation can simultaneously tune electronic band structures, carrier concentrations, and phonon transport. It surveys state‑of‑the‑art characterization tools, computational predictions, and synthesis routes that...
Researchers have developed a flexible triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) using a sodium bismuth titanate (NBT) and chitosan composite film paired with PDMS. The lead‑free ferroelectric NBT particles enhance dielectric properties, delivering a peak voltage of 162.5 V, current of 4.1 µA and power...
Researchers demonstrated that stochastic resonance can trigger synchronous polarization switching in a thin‑film lead zirconate titanate (PZT) capacitor using sub‑coercive voltage pulses. By tuning the noise level to satisfy the Kramers‑time condition, the device switches reliably at half the signal...
Moisture‑electric nanogenerators (MEGs) harvest ambient humidity and convert it into electrical energy using specially designed hygroscopic materials. Recent research has introduced advanced moisture‑responsive composites that raise power output by an order of magnitude, bringing MEGs closer to practical deployment. The...
Researchers combined high‑throughput density functional theory with machine learning to screen transition‑metal additives for Al‑Zn‑Mg alloys. The study evaluated 21 candidates and identified nickel (Ni) as a superior stabilizer of the metastable η′ precipitate. Ni maintains high equilibrium solubility, enabling...
Researchers have engineered an aluminum‑based metal‑organic framework, NU‑62, that features methyl‑functionalized microporous nano‑traps for selective SF6 capture. The material exhibits a high SF6 uptake of 3.99 mmol g⁻¹ and an exceptional SF6/N2 selectivity of 209 at 298 K and 1 bar. Breakthrough experiments confirm...
Researchers have created a bioinspired B4C/CNT laminated composite using in‑situ spark plasma sintering that mimics nacre’s brick‑and‑mud structure. The material achieves a low bulk density of 1.78 g/cm³ and a dynamic compressive strength of 1,098 MPa, delivering superior energy‑absorption performance. During high‑temperature...
Researchers coated magnetic silica nanoparticles with membranes from naïve (M0), classically activated (M1) and alternatively activated (M2) macrophages to study phenotype‑dependent protein corona formation. Proteomic analysis showed M0‑derived membranes adsorbed the fewest opsonins (C3, IgG, IgM) and triggered the lowest...
The review highlights multi‑metallic organic framework (MMOF) composites as a versatile platform for electrocatalysis, emphasizing how coupling metal, carbon, and multi‑partner components creates synergistic active sites, conductivity, and stability. It surveys recent heterostructures applied to water splitting, oxygen reduction, and...
Researchers unveiled a “make‑then‑heal” strategy for covalent organic framework (COF) membranes that separates film formation from crystallization. After interfacial polymerization, an acid‑catalyzed hydrothermal step triggers reversible bond exchange, dramatically improving order. The healed TpPa‑SO3H membrane shows a 25‑fold rise in...
Researchers combined high‑energy ball milling with low‑temperature annealing to curb intrinsic germanium vacancies in rhombohedral GeTe. The treatment fragments and then re‑dissolves Ge secondary phases, while Bi/Sb co‑doping trims carrier concentration and lattice thermal conductivity. These synergistic steps lift the...
Researchers have demonstrated a vertical heterostructure where a monolayer electrolyte is sandwiched between hexagonal boron nitride and multilayer graphene. The bistable ions in the electrolyte allow electric‑force microscopy to write, read, and erase non‑volatile doping states in graphene, achieving sheet...
Researchers have created an injectable dual‑network hydrogel composed of gelatin methacrylate and κ‑carrageenan that embeds quercetin‑loaded PLGA nanoparticles for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) delivery in osteoarthritis (OA). The antioxidant hydrogel scavenges reactive oxygen species, reprograms M1 macrophages to an anti‑inflammatory...
Researchers have introduced a liquid germanium(IV) precursor, Ge(DMP)4, featuring the 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl ligand. The compound combines high volatility, exceptional thermal stability, and non‑pyrophoric handling, enabling plasma‑enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) of germanium oxide from 40 °C to 240 °C. Across this wide temperature...
The researchers confined a Bi3+–caffeic acid complex inside a guanosine monophosphate‑based G‑quadruplex hydrogel, generating intermingled metal‑catechol and metal‑phosphate coordination sites that produce defect‑rich heterojunctions. This biomimetic matrix mimics ion‑channel pathways, boosting charge transport and nitrogen diffusion. Under visible‑light irradiation the...
Researchers have introduced a deterministic method to convert liquid‑processed graphene oxide into a quasi‑amorphous 2D carbon, termed quenched reduced graphene oxide (qRGO), by applying rapid thermal quenching. The kinetic control of oxygen removal creates a distorted sp2 aromatic network with...
Researchers have engineered Au@MnFe‑Prussian Blue Analog yolk‑shell nanoparticles that combine a hollow cavity with a functional shell for biomedical use. The synthesis creates a ~75 nm interior, achieving roughly 50% loading efficiency for the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin. Partial etching and redeposition of...
Researchers introduced a donor‑acceptor (D‑A) molecular design that couples a rigid coplanar backbone with flexible side chains, dramatically raising near‑infrared molar extinction and fluorescence brightness. The resulting phenothiazine‑based photosensitizer, EL‑TPO2F, also exhibits strong type‑I reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and...
Researchers tuned gold nanocup cavity apertures from 35 to 67 nm to study plasmonic photocatalysis. The medium‑size aperture (~58 nm) delivered the highest turnover rate of 0.59 s⁻¹, outperforming smaller and larger apertures by 2.8‑8.4×. Single‑particle kinetic imaging showed that this optimum arises...
Researchers transformed waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) into electrospun nanofibers and used them as the tribonegative layer in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The nanofibrous architecture delivers an open‑circuit voltage of about 159 V, a short‑circuit current of 22 µA, and a peak power...
Researchers have created the first type II porous liquid whose permanent cavities can be exposed or blocked with light. By attaching azobenzene ligands to a charged metal‑organic cage (MSA) and dissolving it in the bulky ionic liquid P6,6,6,14Cl, they achieved a...
A plasma‑assisted micro‑modulation technique restructures Ru‑doped Co(OH)₂ nanosheets, creating oxygen vacancies and lowering metal oxidation states. These changes boost hydrogen adsorption and nitrate binding, dramatically improving nitrate‑to‑ammonia electrocatalysis under neutral pH. The resulting P‑Ru‑Co(OH)₂@PCC catalyst achieves a record ammonia yield...
Researchers have engineered a wet‑adhesion Janus hydrogel (WAJH) that mimics oral mucosa to treat diabetic oral ulcers. The hydrogel features an antifouling agar/polyacrylamide layer and a tannic‑acid‑rich adhesive layer, delivering adhesion energies of 15 J m⁻² and 316 J m⁻² respectively. Its antioxidant tannic...
The study introduces a sequential Latin hypercube sampling‑coupled Bayesian optimization (LHS‑BO) workflow that simultaneously designs multivariate zirconium‑based enzyme‑@‑MOF (E‑MOF) biocomposites and tunes the downstream glucose oxidase–horseradish peroxidase (GOx‑HRP) cascade. Optimized E‑MOFs ZG67 and ZH16 deliver encapsulation efficiencies above 90%, retain...
Researchers have engineered a tumor‑targeting, tumor‑microenvironment‑responsive supramolecular nanoprodrug that switches size to enhance deep tumor penetration. The nanoprodrug simultaneously induces redox imbalance—accumulating reactive nitrogen species and depleting glutathione—to amplify ferroptosis, while depleting cholesterol to rejuvenate exhausted T cells. This multidimensional...
Researchers have engineered β‑tricalcium phosphate (β‑TCP) granules coated with selenium‑doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (SeMIA) linked via pH‑responsive imine–alendronate bonds. The imine linkers remain stable at physiological pH but cleave in the mildly acidic osteosarcoma microenvironment, releasing nanoparticles that selectively kill...
Researchers introduced a one‑step electrodeposition method that creates NiCo‑LDH nanosheet arrays featuring simultaneous composition and channel‑size gradients. The dual‑gradient architecture dramatically improves intrinsic electrical conductivity, cycling stability, and self‑discharge resistance. Electrochemical testing shows 2200 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹, 88% capacity retention after...
Researchers have created subcellular-sized, silicon‑based microdevices that incorporate ZnO nanosheets to act as piezoelectric generators. When deformed by cellular forces or external ultrasound within the biomedical range, these nanostructures produce localized electrical potentials that depolarize cell membranes and trigger calcium...
Researchers introduced a dual‑engineering approach that combines polymer encapsulation with a wavy graphene oxide substrate to produce cobalt single‑atom catalysts derived from MOFs. The polymer layer generates mesopores, while the curved graphene modulates the Co‑Nx coordination, creating defect‑rich Co‑N3 sites....
Researchers used conducting‑probe atomic force microscopy to build molecular tunnel junctions with symmetric alkane‑ and oligophenyl‑dithiol molecules sandwiched between dissimilar metal electrodes (Ag, Au, Pt). Despite pronounced electrode‑molecule coupling asymmetry, the devices exhibited negligible current rectification. The study examined both...