{"title":"Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution of 2D Multinary Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals Enabled by Tuning Metal Precursors","authors":"Yu Li, Zheming Liu, Liya Zhang, Jie Chen, Shuaibing Wang, Mengmeng Ma, Zhe Yin, Zhongwei Man, Ding Yi, Zhijie Wang, Aiwei Tang","doi":"10.1002/smll.202501503","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501503","url":null,"abstract":"It is challenging to clarify modulation mechanisms and structure-activity relationships in the ion-regulation engineering of multinary copper chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) for solar-to-hydrogen conversion. Herein, quaternary 2D Cu–In–Zn–S NCs are fabricated using various indium precursors to expose a high proportion of (0002) crystal facets that are positively correlated with their photocatalytic activities. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the specific adsorption of anions on the crystal facets significantly influences their anisotropic growth and, in turn, photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, 2D Cu–In–Ga–Zn–S (CIGZS) NCs are prepared by partially or completely substituting In<sup>3+</sup> with Ga<sup>3+</sup> cations. As the Ga<sup>3</sup>⁺ content gradually increases, the resulting photocatalytic activities follow a bell-shaped trend. The initial increase is attributed to a synergistic effect of optimized catalytic ability and a stronger electron driving force introduced by Ga<sup>3</sup>⁺ incorporation. However, excessive Ga<sup>3</sup>⁺ substitution widens the bandgap, reducing light absorption and conversion, ultimately leading to a decline in photocatalytic activities. Notably, the photocatalytic activity of Cu–Ga–Zn–S NCs with the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 1566.8 µmol g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> under visible light surpassed those of all In-based NCs due to enhanced electron-hole separation efficiency and highly effective active sites. This study provides valuable insights into the rational design of multinary copper-based photocatalysts for solar-driven hydrogen production.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SmallPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/smll.202500493
Yucheng Pan, Min Sang, Shilong Duan, Zimu Li, Zhentao Zhang, Shuai Liu, Jianpeng Wu, Hong Chen, Yuan Hu, Xinglong Gong
{"title":"MXene Assisted Shear Thickening Fluids Reinforced Anti-Impact Composite Aerogel with Superior Electromagnetic Shielding and Flame Retardant Performance","authors":"Yucheng Pan, Min Sang, Shilong Duan, Zimu Li, Zhentao Zhang, Shuai Liu, Jianpeng Wu, Hong Chen, Yuan Hu, Xinglong Gong","doi":"10.1002/smll.202500493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202500493","url":null,"abstract":"The ubiquitous mechanical and thermal damage in extreme environments puts new demands on protective equipment. At the same time, with the continuous development of electronic equipment, electromagnetic hazards and information leakage risks are increasing, so equipment with force/thermal/magnetic protection performance needs to be developed urgently. Herein, a shear thickened composite aerogel (MS) with host–guest structure is developed by a two-step reinforcement process involving unidirectional freeze casting and ultrasonic assisted penetration of shear thickening fluid (STF). An interweaved skeleton is established by introducing MXene nanosheets, thus improving the structure stability. Moreover, the MS composite with further reinforced structure is obtained through the synergetic enhancement of STF, which achieves high compressive strength (570 kPa) and superior impact resistance (80% impact dissipation). Meanwhile, MS composite shows reliable heat insulation and flame retardant ability, and the total heat release is as low as 4.8 kJ g<sup>−1</sup>. Furthermore, MS demonstrates an efficient shielding performance of 45.5 dB at an extremely low MXene load of 0.43 wt%. As a result, this functionally integrated composite is proving to be a competitive candidate for resistance to impact damage, thermal threats and electromagnetic interference hazards in complex environments.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Closed-Loop Recyclable Polyhexahydrotriazine Aerogels Derived From PET Waste","authors":"Christos Pantazidis, Chang-lin Wang, Keita Saito, Yi-Ru Chen, Željko Tomović","doi":"10.1002/smll.202502885","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202502885","url":null,"abstract":"The global plastic waste crisis stems from unsustainable design and a linear economy that leads to massive environmental pollution. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), widely used in packaging and textiles is one of the primary contributors to this issue. While mechanical recycling of PET results in degraded material quality, chemical recycling offers a promising alternative, enabling the transformation of PET waste into valuable monomers and precursors. In this study, postconsumer PET waste is chemically upcycled into bifunctional aromatic amine that can serve as an effective building block for polyhexahydrotriazine (PHT) aerogels. Additionally, terephthalamide moieties incorporated into the molecular design, enhance the formed network by hydrogen bonding. The resulting PHT aerogels exhibit low density, high mechanical robustness, and outstanding thermal insulation properties. More importantly, these novel PHT aerogels are designed for recyclability, enabling depolymerization under aqueous acidic conditions and efficient monomer recovery in high yield and purity. The recycled monomer can then be immediately reused to produce new aerogels with nearly identical material properties. This work highlights the potential of upcycling plastic waste into sustainable thermally superinsulating materials designed for a circular economy.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multiple Regulation of Electrolyte with Trace Amounts of Sodium Dehydroacetate Additives Enables High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries","authors":"Lubo Li, Zeqi Liu, Geliang Dai, Yong Xia, Lijian Xu, Aokui Sun, Jingjing Du","doi":"10.1002/smll.202501731","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501731","url":null,"abstract":"Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) draw much attention for low cost and high safety. However, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and uneven Zn<sup>2+</sup> deposition shorten lifespan, hampering commercial use. In this study, sodium dehydroacetate (SD) containing carbonyl and keto-carbonyl is introduced as multifunctional electrolyte additives, which effectively modifies the solvent shell structure, achieving a Zn<sup>2+</sup> transference number of up to 0.72. Acting as a hydrogen bond acceptor, SD disrupts the water network structure, thereby increasing the HER overpotential by 22 mV and the corrosion potential by 9 mV. The polar functional groups in SD can reversibly capture H⁺ ions and dynamically neutralize OH⁻ ions, maintaining interfacial pH balance on the zinc anode and suppressing HER. Notably, SD not only alters the electrolyte's kinetic but also induces uniform Zn<sup>2+</sup> deposition along the (002) plane, inhibiting dendrite growth and minimizing side reactions. This phenomenon is demonstrated in both symmetric and full-cell configurations. The Zn//Zn symmetric cell achieves an ultra-long cycling lifespan of 2800 hours at 5 mA cm⁻<sup>2</sup>, and the Zn//VO<sub>2</sub> full battery maintains a capacity retention rate of 73.09% after 2000 cycles with a high average coulombic efficiency of 99.98%, underscoring the effectiveness of this electrolyte additive in enhancing battery performance.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Critical Role of Carrier Cooling Mechanism in WS2/CsPbBr3 Hybrid Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photodetector Performances","authors":"Sudhanshu Kumar Nayak, Chinmay Barman, Lavadiya Sireesha, Arunkumar Sakthivel, Sree Satya Bharati Moram, Subbiah Alwarappan, Venugopal Rao Soma, Sai Santosh Kumar Raavi","doi":"10.1002/smll.202410099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202410099","url":null,"abstract":"Heterostructures and nanocomposites comprising transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are prominently used in several optoelectronic devices. Hot carriers (HCs) are the charge carriers possessing higher kinetic energy than surrounded thermal distributions. Properly utilizing these HCs by slowing down their cooling mechanism reduces the energy losses in optoelectronic devices. Herein, employing the femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS) technique, the slowdown processes of HC relaxations are reported in WS<sub>2</sub>/CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> hybrid-nanocomposites due to the hot-phonon bottleneck. HCs relaxation time increases from ≈6 ps in CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> NCs to ≈10 ps in WS<sub>2</sub>/CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> nanocomposites at an excitation fluence of 17.7 µJ cm<sup>−2</sup>. The maximum HCs temperature T<sub>C</sub> increased to 1181 K in WS<sub>2</sub>/CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> nanocomposites with an observed T<sub>C</sub> of 856 K in pristine NCs. The electron transfer process from NCs to WS<sub>2</sub> nanosheets has been observed in these nanocomposites with time component <i>t</i><sub>2</sub> ≈38.0-102.4 ps in pristine NCs and 20.9–66.9 ps in nanocomposites, became faster at excitation-fluence of 17.7–99.8 µJ cm<sup>−2</sup>. Furthermore, a significant enhancement in nanocomposite-based photodetector confirmed the efficient charge transfer at the heterojunction, resulting ≈400%, ≈420%, and ≈200% increase in the photocurrent, responsivity, and detectivity, respectively, compared to the pristine devices.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Tough and Sustainable Bioinspired Low-Carbon Building Material Reinforced by Glass Fibers","authors":"Ziyun Chen, Jiankun Lai, Yu Kang, Yanqiang Wei, Xuetao Xu, Shutao Wang","doi":"10.1002/smll.202500740","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202500740","url":null,"abstract":"Low-carbon building materials are urgently needed due to the tremendous carbon emissions and energy consumption associated with traditional concrete building materials. However, limited mechanical performance usually restricts the practical applications of current low-carbon building materials, and the massive adhesive utilization can cause their high embodied CO<sub>2</sub>. Here, the tough and sustainable bioinspired low-carbon building materials are fabricated by binding sand grains and glass fibers with a small amount of natural-based adhesive (below 3.2 wt.%) at low-temperature and atmospheric pressure. These bioinspired low-carbon building materials possess ultra-low embodied CO<sub>2</sub> of 0.031–0.064 kgCO<sub>2</sub>eq kg<sup>−1</sup> and embodied energy of 0.29–0.59 MJ kg<sup>−1</sup>, over one order of magnitude lower than concrete building materials. Additionally, the bioinspired low-carbon building materials are versatile with various grains, such as sand grains, mineral residues etc., and exhibit good mechanical performance that can meet the cement mortar standard. This study provides a promising strategy to design the low-carbon building materials for practical application in next-generation constructions.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SmallPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/smll.202501116
Mei Yi So, Bingang Xu
{"title":"Adaptive Ultra-Low Resilience Woven Triboelectric Nanogenerators for High-Performance Wearable Energy Harvesting and Motion Sensing","authors":"Mei Yi So, Bingang Xu","doi":"10.1002/smll.202501116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501116","url":null,"abstract":"As electronic devices become increasingly compact and functional, the demand for renewable energy sources and self-powered systems has risen dramatically. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) provide a sustainable energy solution, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. This study introduces an advanced woven double-cloth triboelectric nanogenerator (WDC-TENG) for energy harvesting and sensing applications. Composed of BaTiO₃-doped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and copper-nickel alloy fabric (CNF), the WDC-TENG features a double-cloth woven structure that minimizes deformation during the contact-separation process, making it ideal for compact applications such as insoles. Its modular design allows each weft yarn to function as an independent energy-generating unit, which can operate individually or in combination, significantly enhancing flexibility and scalability. The WDC-TENG achieves a high-power density of 15 W m<sup>2</sup>, generating a current output of 0.7 mA. Furthermore, its structure ensures excellent mechanical durability, enabling long-term wearing. Beyond energy harvesting, the WDC-TENG exhibits multifunctionality in reliably powering microelectronic devices as insole, while as carpets, it not only harvests energy from foot but also acts as a sensor for real-time wireless monitoring of pedestrian density and walking paths. The WDC-TENG's low deformation, durability, and versatility position it as a promising solution for advancing wearable technology and intelligent environments.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SmallPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/smll.202501145
Subhrajyoti Bhandary, Tara Ryan, Pavan Sreenivasa Rao, Noel O'Dowd, Anthony Linden, Anna M. Kaczmarek, Sarah Guerin, Kristof Van Hecke
{"title":"Elusive Interplay of 3D Structural Similarity and Twinning in Mechanical Flexibility of Luminescent Organic Crystals","authors":"Subhrajyoti Bhandary, Tara Ryan, Pavan Sreenivasa Rao, Noel O'Dowd, Anthony Linden, Anna M. Kaczmarek, Sarah Guerin, Kristof Van Hecke","doi":"10.1002/smll.202501145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501145","url":null,"abstract":"The properties of molecular crystalline solids are critically dependent on the spatial arrangement of molecules and underlying noncovalent interactions. Here, two new isoelectronic cocrystals of a substituted carbazole-based emitter are presented, with bipyridyl ethylene and azene molecules, namely, cocrystal <b>1</b> and cocrystal <b>2</b>, respectively. Though both isoelectronic cocrystals are also three-dimensional (3D) isostructural at the supramolecular level, they show similar photoluminescence properties as anticipated, but irreconcilable macroscopic mechanical properties. Upon applying external stress on their respective major crystal faces, cocrystal <b>1</b> is elastically flexible, while the 3D isostructural cocrystal <b>2</b> exhibits brittle fracture. Remarkably, elastic flexibility in cocrystal <b>2</b> can be induced through twinning-mediated crystal face modification, without any change in crystal structure.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"212 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SmallPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/smll.202502633
Maryam Rezaie, Maedeh Mohammadifar, Seokheun Choi
{"title":"Dissolvable Probiotic-Powered Biobatteries: A Safe and Biocompatible Energy Solution for Transient Applications","authors":"Maryam Rezaie, Maedeh Mohammadifar, Seokheun Choi","doi":"10.1002/smll.202502633","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202502633","url":null,"abstract":"For decades, science fiction has imagined electronic devices that spring to life on demand, function as programmed, and then vanish without a trace. Today, transient and bioresorbable electronics are making that vision a reality, sparking revolutionary progress in biomedicine, environmental stewardship, and hardware security. Yet one critical barrier remains: a fully transient power source with the same disappearing act. Microbial-based biobatteries have emerged as strong contenders, harnessing the power of microorganisms—found virtually everywhere—as natural biocatalysts. However, toxicity and health risks have limited these systems to single-use, often incinerable applications. Here, a transformative approach: a transient biobattery powered by commercially available probiotics that dissolves harmlessly is introduced, releasing only beneficial microbes. Fabricated on water-soluble or pH-responsive substrates, this biobattery capitalizes on a 15-strain probiotic blend to generate electricity across diverse electrode materials. By manipulating device length or encapsulating it with pH-sensitive polymers, power delivery can be fine-tuned from 4 min up to over 100 min. A single module outputs 4 µW of power, 47 µA of current, and an open-circuit voltage of 0.65 V. This groundbreaking design ushers in a new era of safe, effective transient bioenergy systems, opening unprecedented opportunities in biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and disposable electronics.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143703456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SmallPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/smll.202404457
Ella Stimson, Delaney Shea, Michelle M. Gomes, Srivathsan Ranganathan, Sarah Mitchell, Jason Ware, Randall Armstrong, Christian Ross, Michael Heller, Stuart D. Ibsen
{"title":"Utilizing Two Electrokinetic Techniques on a Single Device for Detection of Extracellular Vesicle-Associated Protease Activity","authors":"Ella Stimson, Delaney Shea, Michelle M. Gomes, Srivathsan Ranganathan, Sarah Mitchell, Jason Ware, Randall Armstrong, Christian Ross, Michael Heller, Stuart D. Ibsen","doi":"10.1002/smll.202404457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404457","url":null,"abstract":"Protease activity is an emerging biomarker for cancer detection as activity levels are often increased in tumor tissue compared to healthy tissue. Of particular interest is the activity of proteases carried by extracellular vesicle (EV) nanoparticles which are oversecreted by tumors into circulation. Current methods to analyze the activity of proteases bound to EVs require complex multi-instrument sample processing to separate EVs from plasma to quantify protease activity. This makes EV-based protease activity detection a challenge for diagnostic or point-of-care applications. Here, a method is reported that manipulates EV nanoparticles and charged molecular byproducts from protease activity using two different electrokinetic phenomena generated by a single electrode microarray within a microfluidic channel. Dielectrophoresis is first generated to recover EVs carrying active trypsin-like proteases from human plasma followed by electrophoresis for subsequent analysis of peptide cleavage products indicating protease activity. This method demonstrates signal amplification through protease catalytic activity in combination with concentrating mechanisms of dielectrophoresis and electrophoresis. Using this approach, a significant difference in protease activity is observed between patients with pancreatic cancer and benign cysts. This demonstrates dual-electrokinetic chip-based technology as a useful tool to manipulate different sized and charged analytes in a single device enabling future clinical translation of EV-based protease diagnostics.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"170 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}