Materials Today最新文献

{"title":"Engineering multifunctional conductive carbon-based cathode additives to stabilize high-performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries","authors":"Ya Chen ,&nbsp;Zhifeng Xia ,&nbsp;Ling Huang ,&nbsp;Lifeng Cui ,&nbsp;Xin Gao ,&nbsp;Meixuan Niu ,&nbsp;Xiao Chen ,&nbsp;Deli Zhou ,&nbsp;Ziyang Guo ,&nbsp;Tengfei Hu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Chen ,&nbsp;Ortal Breuer ,&nbsp;Miryam Fayena-Greenstein ,&nbsp;Duu-Jong Lee ,&nbsp;Doron Aurbach ,&nbsp;Guoxiu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exceptional electrochemical performances of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs) can be achieved by effectively inhibiting damaging of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) formed by oxidation of the inevitably present surface groups on the carbon-based conductive agents (CCAs) and upon charging transition metal oxide based cathodes. Herein, we report on the use of highly effective novel CCA additive based on biomass-derived carbonaceous nanomaterials produced from carbonized pollen uniformly coated by nano MoO₂ through a bio-templating method (CP@MoO₂) in composite high energy cathodes of ASSLMBs. The rational design of this porous nano-composite additive not only makes it difficult for oxygen-containing functional groups to survive on the surface, but also promotes electrocatalytic adsorption and transformation of ROSs within composite cathodes, thus avoiding their detrimental effects. And rapid and homogeneous conductions of Li⁺/e⁻ within the composite cathodes are ensured thanks to the use of the CP@MoO₂ additive. As a result, ASSLMBs employing typical LiCoO₂ and promising Li-rich Mn-based oxide cathodes could demonstrate excellent cycling stability retaining 99.9 % of discharge capacity after 500 cycles at 0.2C and display capacity retention of over 87 % after 3000 cycles at 5C with a steady average coulombic efficiency (&gt;99.98 %).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 368-381"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 inverse design of high entropy alloys using symbolic regression-oriented optimization","authors":"Shang Zhao ,&nbsp;Jinshan Li ,&nbsp;Jun Wang ,&nbsp;Turab Lookman ,&nbsp;Ruihao Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>Rapidly finding new materials that are distinct to those in existing datasets continues to be a challenge for machine learning-driven approaches. Here, we propose a closed-loop framework to accelerate the inverse design of target materials, with emphasis on the use of symbolic regression-guided optimization. The refractory high entropy alloys are used as a model system to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. Symbolic regression learns a simple formula between a basic physical descriptor (enthalpy of fusion) and target property (yield strength at 1000 °C), which allows us to devise a new alloy system (V-Ti-Mo-Nb-Zr). The property optimization is enabled by combining heuristic algorithms and an uncertainty-aware utility function to recommend candidates for experiment. With only four iterations, we fabricate 21 alloys, of which 12 exhibit improved specific yield strength and two surpass 110 MPa/(g/cm</span><span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msup></math></span>). The gradual rise in density coupled with the quick increase in lattice distortion underpin the enhanced yield strength. This study highlights the effectiveness of symbolic regression-oriented optimization in identifying target materials from complex systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 263-271"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the pathway towards superionic transport in polymer electrolytes","authors":"Ain Uddin ,&nbsp;Michelle Lehmann ,&nbsp;Harmandeep Singh ,&nbsp;Vera Bocharova ,&nbsp;Logan T. Kearney ,&nbsp;Joshua T. Damron ,&nbsp;Yifan Liu ,&nbsp;Valentino R. Cooper ,&nbsp;Rajeev Kumar ,&nbsp;Kenneth S. Schweizer ,&nbsp;Alexei P. Sokolov ,&nbsp;Tomonori Saito ,&nbsp;Catalin Gainaru","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ionic transport in polymers is critical for Li-ion batteries, fuel cells, flow batteries<span><span><span> and many other energy storage and conversion technologies. A significant enhancement of ion conductivity in polymers may be achieved through an increase in the polarity of side chains and their self-organization into specific morphologies, which can potentially act as percolated ionic structures. However, higher polarity increases attractive interactions within a polymer matrix and slows down its segmental dynamics, which conversely hinders ionic transport. To overcome this tradeoff, we designed the functionalization of a Li salt-doped polymer matrix by tailored amounts of zwitterionic (ZI) groups. Our results suggest the emergence of a self-assembled </span>percolation conductivity regime above a specific ZI concentration, in which ion hopping decouples from segmental dynamics by up to ten orders of magnitude. Consequently, in the highly concentrated ZI regime, our polymeric materials exhibit in their glassy state energy barriers for ion hopping similar to, or even smaller than, those reported for superionic ceramics. Our study also reveals that ion dynamics in the poly(zwitterion) with all </span>monomers<span> carrying ZI groups is significantly faster than that of a monomeric ZI compound, although the latter has much faster structural relaxation. This result highlights the crucial role played by the local morphology on the ion transport of polymer electrolytes and opens a new pathway for the design of superionic polymers, significantly expanding the current limited portfolio of solid-state electrolytes for energy applications.</span></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 322-327"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-Situ formed Titanium-MXene nanomembrane as ultrathin van-der-Waals lubricant","authors":"Yushan Geng ,&nbsp;Huan Chen ,&nbsp;Shuang Luo ,&nbsp;Yun Teng ,&nbsp;Quanfeng He ,&nbsp;Liping Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhibo Zhang ,&nbsp;Ziyin Yang ,&nbsp;Youyuan Shi ,&nbsp;Qing Wang ,&nbsp;Jun Yang ,&nbsp;Jun Fan ,&nbsp;Yong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span>High-performance solid lubricants are pivotal in curbing frictional energy consumption and wear-related emissions under high-temperature and high-load conditions. However, under </span>nanoscale tribological contacts, layered two-dimensional materials may lose their incommensurate van der Waals (vdW) interfacial alignment in extreme environments, leading to frictional degradation. Here, we report the scalable fabrication of large-area, cost-effective Ti-MXene hybrid nanomembranes (&lt;50  nm thick), composed of </span><em>in-situ</em> chemically bonded metallic Ti and Ti₃C₂T_x<span> MXene<span> nanocrystals. Our nanomembranes exhibit outstanding isotropic tribological properties within a temperature range spanning from room-temperature to 573 K under high contact pressures. They demonstrate near-zero wear with a wear rate below 10</span></span>^-9 mm³<span><span>/Nm, and an ultra-low coefficient of friction below 0.01, achieving </span>mesoscale<span> superlubricity even at contact pressures exceeding 10 GPa and elevated temperatures (473–573  K) under atomic force microscopy<span> indentation. These remarkable properties stem from the unique nanostructure<span>, exceptional strength and high ductility of our nanomembranes, along with an </span></span></span></span><em>in-situ</em><span> nano-oxidation and carbon migration initiated by MXene decomposition during wear. </span><em>In-situ</em><span><span><span> experiments and multiscale simulations reveal that the confinement of MXene within the Ti nanocrystals not only imparts self-lubricating behavior but also enhances wear resistance by lowering the energy barrier of the tribochemical protection. Furthermore, these nanomembranes function as ultrathin vdW-enabled solid lubricants<span>, effectively reducing friction and wear on various technologically important engineering materials, such as </span></span>titanium alloy, stainless steel, and </span>polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 328-337"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sensing-actuation system with zero signal delay for ultrasensitive recognition","authors":"Rizhong Gao ,&nbsp;Wei Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Zhang ,&nbsp;Xi Chen ,&nbsp;Chao Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ionic actuators, which convert external stimuli into mechanical deformation<span>, have garnered significant attention in flexible electronics and soft robotics. It is crucial to integrate sensing capabilities into actuators so as to meet the growing demand for real-time feedback in complex scenarios. However, existing sensing-actuation systems rely on external sensors, leading to redundancy, large response delays and low integration. Here, we develop a sensing-actuation system directly integrating ionic actuator and piezoresistive sensor<span> together with simple structure, fast response and high stability. The as-designed system combines rapid ion migration inside device and dynamic reconstruction of conductive network under strain, and realizes actuating and sensing functions simultaneously. It is revealed that the sensing-actuation system eliminates signal response delay of traditional system as long as 250 ms, which is even comparable to adult reaction speed of 300 ms. The system delivers superior actuating and sensing properties with high stability over 1000 cycles in air condition, and is further utilized to detect various human activities and physiological signals. Our study provides an advanced sensing-actuation system with prompt response and high integration for soft robotics and wearable electronics.</span></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 338-347"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endowing magnesium single atoms with record-high catalytic performance in dimethyl carbonate synthesis by regulating coordination environment","authors":"Xiang-Bin Shao ,&nbsp;Hao-Cheng Xu ,&nbsp;Sai Liu ,&nbsp;Zhi-Wei Xing ,&nbsp;Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Kai Zhang ,&nbsp;Song-Song Peng ,&nbsp;Peng Tan ,&nbsp;Lin-Bing Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span><span>Magnesium (Mg) derived solid bases are generally considered catalysts with weak or medium basicity and inactive in strong-base-catalyzed reactions. Here we have successfully synthesized Mg </span>single atom catalyst through adjusting coordination environment, which shows record-high activity in strong-base-catalyzed </span>transesterification reaction. Polymer [assembled by 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole and 2,4,6-tris(bromomethyl) mesitylene] derived nitrogen-doped carbon (PNC) was employed as the support and Mg single atom catalyst (Mg</span>₁/PNC) was acquired by a grinding-pyrolysis method. Diverse characterizations and simulated studies unravel that Mg single atoms are incorporated into nitrogen-doped carbon to form a Mg-C₁N₃<span><span><span> motif, which is unlike traditional solid bases where basicity is originated from oxygen atoms. The innovative Mg single atom solid base afforded an unprecedentedly high catalytic performance with a record-breaking yield of 54.2 % in the </span>transesterification<span> process of methanol and ethylene carbonate to generate dimethyl carbonate at 70 °C for 4 h, which surpasses all previously reported state-of-the-art solid base catalysts (2.5–41.5 %). The corresponding </span></span>turnover frequency (182.9 h</span>⁻¹) exceeds than that of reported solid bases (5.0–128.0 h⁻¹). Additionally, Mg-C₁N₃ architecture inhibited possible loss and aggregation of Mg, ensuring good stability and recyclability. This research might inspire the progress of efficient solid base catalysts with exceptional sources of basicity for diversified applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 348-354"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Day-level long persistent luminescence in purely organic polymers via cascade hole trap mechanism","authors":"Wei-Guang Chen ,&nbsp;Zhi-Jian Chen ,&nbsp;Yan Wang ,&nbsp;Jing Chang ,&nbsp;Yan-Fang Zhuang ,&nbsp;Lu-Yu Wang ,&nbsp;Yi-Fan Lv ,&nbsp;Yong Wang ,&nbsp;Yin Xiao ,&nbsp;Yu Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Significant advances have been made in organic long persistent luminescence (OLPL) materials, particularly in achieving hour-level room-temperature emission through charge-separation mechanisms in host–guest systems. Nevertheless, realizing such performance using commercially available, low-cost optoelectronic-inert polymers as host matrices remains a substantial challenge. In this work, we report hour-level room-temperature OLPL in common inexpensive polymer hosts, including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), and polystyrene (PS), by incorporating electron-deficient naphthalenediimide derivatives as guest molecules. Remarkably, a combination of commercially available PMMA with polycarbonate (PC) yields an unprecedented day-level OLPL duration exceeding 168 h. We propose a cascade polymer hole trap mechanism to explain this exceptional performance. Beyond demonstrating potential for large-area fabrication and nighttime illumination, these materials exhibit stable emission under various extreme conditions and enable multi-layer information encryption. This breakthrough expands the prospects for OLPL materials to potentially supplant conventional inorganic counterparts in future applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 355-367"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geo-NH3: sustainable ammonia","authors":"Hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujie Wang ,&nbsp;Chen Chen ,&nbsp;Shuangyin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geo-NH₃<span> is a novel technology that reduces nitrates to ammonia using iron-rich rocks under natural geothermal heat and pressure, without the need for external hydrogen, electricity, or heating. It features low cost, zero carbon emissions, and resource recycling benefits. With immense potential, it can enable sustainable ammonia production for up to 2.42 million years, with broad applications in agriculture, energy, and chemical industries. However, further optimization and research are needed to improve reaction efficiency, address practical application challenges, and evaluate long-term environmental impacts.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 24-25"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-Entropy Oxides: A strategy for Next-Generation lithium and Sodium-Ion battery electrodes","authors":"Yujia Wu ,&nbsp;Mili Liu ,&nbsp;Anwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Longtao Ma ,&nbsp;Liuzhang Ouyang","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating demand for higher energy density<span>, extended service life and fast-charging capability poses significant challenges to the presented electrode materials used in next-generation Li/Na-ion batteries. High-entropy oxides (HEOs), characterized by the incorporation of multiple cations into a single-phase structure, offer exceptional flexibility in material composition, stable crystal structure and unique electronic properties. These advantages position HEOs as promising candidates for both innovative active electrode materials or the functional coating layers for existing electrodes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of HEOs in battery applications, starting with a clear definition and classification based on configurational entropy, number of principal elements, or both, which lays the groundwork for reproducible research. Representative synthesis technologies are also discussed, as they influence particle size, morphology, cation distribution, and defect structures, all of which directly impact electrochemical performance. Furthermore, we explore the structure–function relationship driven by the intrinsic high-entropy effect in practical battery applications. Additionally, we highlight the key limitations and challenges, including stability issues, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, while outlining future research directions to bridge the gap between laboratory success and industrial-scale implementation. High-entropy strategies enable atomic-scale material customization, offering a pathway to overcome the limitations of conventional electrode materials and advance next-generation battery technologies.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 1028-1042"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Illuminating gene delivery: Insights into the light-induced gene delivery systems with emphasis on mRNA therapeutics","authors":"Yongyi Xie ,&nbsp;You Zhou ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Guo ,&nbsp;Zhongqian Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongcheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Ewa M. Goldys ,&nbsp;Wei Deng ,&nbsp;Wenjie Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mattod.2025.06.034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gene therapy has seen both challenges and important breakthroughs, pointing to its vast potential and a bright future. Gene therapies, which enable the expression of therapeutic proteins by regulating diseased genes, offer the potential to cure conditions untreatable by conventional drugs. However, despite their promise, gene therapies face major delivery challenges, such as limited precision, targeting specificity, and delivery efficiency. Among the various stimulus-responsive strategies, light-induced gene delivery systems stand out as a promising solution to these hurdles. Utilizing light-triggered mechanisms can help overcome some of the key limitations of gene therapy. The combination of gene therapy with phototherapy shows great potential for clinical applications. This paper reviews the principles, mechanisms, applications, and future directions of light-assisted gene delivery systems, with a special focus on emerging mRNA therapeutics, offering new insights into this evolving field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":387,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 959-978"},"PeriodicalIF":22.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}