{"title":"Two decades of carbazole–triarylborane hybrids in optoelectronics","authors":"Afrin A and Chinna Ayya Swamy P","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00238A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00238A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The integration of carbazole with triarylborane has led to the development of highly efficient donor–acceptor organoboron compounds that have significantly advanced the field of optoelectronics. By combining the electron-donating properties of carbazole and the electron-accepting characteristics of organoboranes, these hybrids exhibit tunable charge-transfer characteristics, excellent photostability, and high luminous efficiency. Among these, carbazole–triarylborane systems have emerged as versatile and high-performance materials with wide-ranging applications in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), and aggregation-induced emission (AIE). This review comprehensively covers two decades of progress in the design, synthesis, and functional exploration of these materials, discussing key breakthroughs in molecular engineering, structure–property relationships, and device integration. The review also highlights critical challenges, such as scalability, stability, and material optimization for large-scale applications. Recent advancements in data encryption technologies and computational methods are also discussed, expanding the material's scope beyond traditional optoelectronic applications. The review concludes with insights into future directions, emphasizing the growing potential of carbazole–triarylboranes hybrids in next-generation optoelectronic devices, including flexible displays, bioimaging, and sustainable energy solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 12","pages":" 1794-1820"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/qm/d5qm00238a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pengcheng Yan, Yuanyuan Hou, Naizhen Sun, Mengran Yu, Yongling Wu, Mingming Liu and Hongyu Zheng
{"title":"Laser direct writing–electrochemical anodizing composite manufacturing biomimetic superwetting multifunctional surfaces†","authors":"Pengcheng Yan, Yuanyuan Hou, Naizhen Sun, Mengran Yu, Yongling Wu, Mingming Liu and Hongyu Zheng","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00147A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00147A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In recent years, superwetting functional protective surfaces owing to their exceptional wetting properties have attracted significant attention for their promising applications in anti-icing, corrosion protection, lubrication, and friction reduction. However, these surfaces still face critical challenges, including poor wetting stability, low structural strength, and lubricant leakage. Inspired by the papillary structure of lotus leaves and the high-strength honeycomb-like porous architecture, we employed a laser direct writing technique to fabricate a micropillar array on L-Al, which was subsequently combined with an anodized honeycomb nanostructure, L-AAO. This surface was further modified with organofluorosilane to achieve a superhydrophobic surface, L-AAO@PFOTS, which was then infused with a perfluoropolyether lubricant, resulting in a slippery liquid-infused porous surface, L-AAO@PFOTS@PFPE (SLIPS). A systematic experimental study was conducted to investigate the influence of laser processing parameters, anodizing conditions, and structural parameters on the physical morphology, chemical composition and wettability. Furthermore, the collision behavior and interfacial heat transfer process of supercooled droplets are simulated by COMSOL. Finally, the anti-icing, corrosion resistance, and long-term service stabilities of superhydrophobic surfaces and SLIPS were assessed. This study offers important insights into the development of SLIPS in corrosion protection and lubrication applications for engineering materials in aerospace, marine, and other industries.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1772-1783"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140067","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}
Liangliang Feng, Kaikai Zhao, Lina Dai, Danyang He, Hongyan Yin, Yonghui Zhang, Jingyi Chen, Liyun Cao and Jianfeng Huang
{"title":"Interfacial engineering of a Ni3ZnC0.7/VN heterostructure with optimized dual metal sites for alkaline electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution†","authors":"Liangliang Feng, Kaikai Zhao, Lina Dai, Danyang He, Hongyan Yin, Yonghui Zhang, Jingyi Chen, Liyun Cao and Jianfeng Huang","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00113G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00113G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Bimetallic carbide electrocatalysts have been proven to hold great promise for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nevertheless, the effective upgrading of bimetallic carbides for the HER is hampered due to the lack of efficient strategies for the modulation of catalytically active sites. Herein, a novel heterostructured electrocatalyst, comprising Ni<small><sub>3</sub></small>ZnC<small><sub>0.7</sub></small>/VN nanoparticles embedded into N-doped carbon nanotubes (Ni<small><sub>3</sub></small>ZnC<small><sub>0.7</sub></small>/VN@CNTs), is successfully synthesized <em>via</em> a one-step straightforward calcination protocol. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the synergistic coupling of Ni<small><sub>3</sub></small>ZnC<small><sub>0.7</sub></small> and VN not only enhances the density of interfacial active sites, but also triggers a redistribution of interfacial charges, driven by the work function difference between the two components. This leads to the generation of abundant high-activity Ni–V bridge sites, thereby effectively reducing the H* adsorption–desorption energy barriers and expediting the HER kinetics of Ni<small><sub>3</sub></small>ZnC<small><sub>0.7</sub></small>/VN@CNTs. The as-obtained Ni<small><sub>3</sub></small>ZnC<small><sub>0.7</sub></small>/VN@CNTs require a remarkably low overpotential of 124 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small> without iR-compensation for the HER, and exhibit outstanding long-term stability for at least 600 h in 1.0 M KOH solution. This work provides a pioneering optimized tactic of dual metal sites for exploiting high-performance bimetallic carbide electrocatalysts that can facilitate the production of sustainable hydrogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 10","pages":" 1596-1608"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143938046","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}
Oriyomi Ogunbanjo, Paramaconi Rodríguez and Paul Anderson
{"title":"MOF electrocatalysts in CO2 conversion: critical analysis of research trends, challenges and prospects","authors":"Oriyomi Ogunbanjo, Paramaconi Rodríguez and Paul Anderson","doi":"10.1039/D4QM01060D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4QM01060D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Achieving sustainable energy and a clean environment is a strong driving force behind the exploration of the electrocatalytic potential of MOFs for CO<small><sub>2</sub></small> conversion. The growing interest in the application of MOFs as electrocatalysts for CO<small><sub>2</sub></small>RR has been attributed to their high surface area and excellent catalytic properties. MOFs have been deployed in their pristine form as catalysts, as porous cavity supports for the incorporation of catalytic active material, or as precursors to obtain single-atom catalysts, showing that they can reduce CO<small><sub>2</sub></small> into CO, formic acid and even hydrocarbons and alcohols. Despite these advantages and promising early results, they still have several challenges to overcome, such as poor electrical conductivity, stability and selectivity, and high overpotential, which would limit their practical application as electrocatalysts for CO<small><sub>2</sub></small> reduction. In this review, various strategies to improve the electrocatalytic performance of MOFs are highlighted and directions that future studies in this field may take identified.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1650-1680"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/qm/d4qm01060d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chengwei Yang, Chao Yang, Yunxia Liang, Hongxia Yan, Aodi Zhang, Guixian Ge, Wentao Wang and Pengfei Ou
{"title":"Machine-learning enables nitrogen reduction reaction on transition metal doped C3B by controlling the charge states†","authors":"Chengwei Yang, Chao Yang, Yunxia Liang, Hongxia Yan, Aodi Zhang, Guixian Ge, Wentao Wang and Pengfei Ou","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00140D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00140D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Transition metal (TM)-doped monolayer semiconductors have attracted significant attention as electrocatalysts for various applications. However, conventional density functional theory calculations often yield inaccurate predictions due to the omission of charge states, due to which extensive efforts to explore promising electrocatalysts are in vain. Here, we report a computational pipeline for high-throughput screening that combines charge-state-aware DFT calculations for stability and activity predictions with machine learning (ML)-enabled feature and mechanism analysis. Applying this pipeline to a TM-doped C<small><sub>3</sub></small>B monolayer (TM@C<small><sub>3</sub></small>B) to search for potential nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) electrocatalysts, we initially identified 92 types of stable charge states of TM@C<small><sub>3</sub></small>B under B-rich conditions. By considering both activity and selectivity, we identified V<small><sub>C</sub></small>@C<small><sub>3</sub></small>B (V-doped at the C site in either the 0 or +1 charge state) as a promising candidate, which exhibited both low limiting potentials and excellent selectivity for the NRR. Further ML analysis of the N<small><sub>2</sub></small> adsorption energy and the first and last hydrogenation steps of TM@C<small><sub>3</sub></small>B revealed that charge transfer and the d-band center are critical factors governing NRR performance, both of which can be modulated by the different charge states. This study highlights the necessity of charge state calculations in electrochemical reaction modeling, paving a new pathway for the rational design of high-performance NRR electrocatalysts.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1681-1689"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140037","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}
Yuehan Qian, Shanling Lu, Yunmeng Jiang, Xu Xu, Fei Fu, Xujuan Huang, Hongxiao Wang and He Liu
{"title":"Exceptional mechanical robust and self-healable rosin-based elastomer through high steric hindrance rigid structures†","authors":"Yuehan Qian, Shanling Lu, Yunmeng Jiang, Xu Xu, Fei Fu, Xujuan Huang, Hongxiao Wang and He Liu","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00127G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00127G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The outstanding mechanical properties and self-healing properties of materials are theoretically mutually exclusive, so developing elastomers that combine these two characteristics is a significant challenge. Herein, a high-strength, tough, and room-temperature self-healing rosin-based polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer with a stress of 45.25 MPa, a substantial fracture strain of 1647%, and a superior toughness of 326.65 MJ m<small><sup>−3</sup></small> was prepared by molecular design. The introduction of rosin increases the free volume of polyurethane network segments, thereby promoting the breaking and recombination of molecular interactions. This innovative design enables the material to exhibit good ductility and room temperature self-healing properties. At the same time, the introduction of the rosin structure enhances the interaction force between segments, thereby significantly improving the mechanical properties of the material. Finally, a sensor constructed using the elastomer and liquid metal could detect human torso movements. This study presents a viable strategy for the future development of polymers that possess both room-temperature self-healing capabilities and excellent mechanical properties through the utilization of rosin.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 10","pages":" 1559-1567"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143938039","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":"The principles and recent advancements in self-powered wearable fiber sensors","authors":"Ying Chen, Tianyu Wang and Guanghui Gao","doi":"10.1039/D4QM01016G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4QM01016G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Wearable sensors are widely used in sports monitoring, health care and daily life health management due to their real-time feedback of personal health status and physiological data. However, traditional wearable sensors require a battery to provide continuous power to the device. Therefore, additional line connections, limited energy supply, and frequent battery replacement hinder the practical application of wearable sensors. Self-powered sensors present an effective solution to these challenges by harvesting energy from the environment to power the device. Among them, fibers and textiles are the preferred choice for wearable sensors because they are light weight, breathable, braided, stretchable, and suitable for everyday activities. This review explores the operational principles of wearable self-powered fiber sensors, detailing the mechanisms of moist-electric, triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic sensors. It also introduces research progress in healthcare monitoring, disease diagnosis, and human–machine interaction, focusing on materials and effects. Finally, the review discusses the challenges and prospects in the field of wearable self-powered fiber sensor research. The potential for these sensors to operate without external power sources opens new possibilities for the future of wearable devices, promoting sustainability and reducing the environmental impact associated with battery usage.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1618-1649"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140035","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}
Zhihui Xin, Lu Zhao, Jianfeng Li, Zhiqiang Bai, Yunfeng Bai and Feng Feng
{"title":"Multifunctional nanozyme for tumor-targeted photothermal/catalytic combination therapy†","authors":"Zhihui Xin, Lu Zhao, Jianfeng Li, Zhiqiang Bai, Yunfeng Bai and Feng Feng","doi":"10.1039/D5QM00065C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QM00065C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Catalytic therapy based on nanozymes has emerged as a significant approach to combat tumors. However, catalytic therapy is associated with the big challenge of insufficient treatment. Herein, an N, P dual-doped hollow carbon sphere (HCNPN)-based multifunctional nanozyme (HCNPNs/AGPM) was rationally devised and constructed to achieve targeted photothermal/catalytic combination therapy. Firstly, <small>L</small>-arginine (<small>L</small>-Arg) and glucose oxidase (GOx) were loaded onto HCNPNs to obtain HCNPNs/AG. Then, they were functionalized with an aptamer (Apt) to obtain a multifunctional nanozyme. The constructed HCNPNs/AGPM possessed multienzyme-like activities, including GOx-like, peroxidase (POD)-like and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like catalytic activities, which enabled the multifunctional nanozyme to generate sufficient hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and NO for catalytic therapy. Moreover, this multifunctional nanozyme displayed outstanding photothermal-conversion activity for photothermal therapy (PTT) upon 808 nm laser irradiation because of the strong light absorption capacity of HCNPNs. Notably, the multifunctional nanozyme showed enhanced cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells, benefiting from the specific recognition ability of Apt. The results of <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> experiments revealed that HCNPNs/AGPM could eliminate tumors without apparent side effects. Consequently, the constructed multifunctional nanozyme may provide a hopeful paradigm for tumor-targeted therapy and inspire the further development of nanozymes in clinical trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1702-1715"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140061","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}
Xufeng Mai, Jun Li, Mengting Xie, Xiaoyue Wang, Ming Sun, Ying Wu, Huijuan Yu and Lin Yu
{"title":"Self-assembled supramolecular materials based on ruthenium(ii) complexes with exceptional optical and photothermal properties†","authors":"Xufeng Mai, Jun Li, Mengting Xie, Xiaoyue Wang, Ming Sun, Ying Wu, Huijuan Yu and Lin Yu","doi":"10.1039/D4QM01133C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4QM01133C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Ruthenium complexes have been extensively studied due to their prominent photochemical, photophysical, and electrochemical properties. However, research on the construction and properties of supramolecular materials self-assembled by ruthenium complexes remains limited. Here, by designing the connecting ligands and the self-assembly process, we constructed two new supramolecular materials (<strong>Ru-bipb-<em>n</em></strong> and <strong>Ru-bdppz-<em>n</em></strong>) connected by ruthenium(<small>II</small>) complexes. These two materials exhibit unique properties compared to their parent binuclear complexes. <strong>Ru-bipb-<em>n</em></strong> displays remarkable dual-emission properties with impressive blue light emission in organic solvents. Its notable pH sensitivity makes it an ideal candidate as a ratiometric fluorescent probe for pH measurements, with a wide pH application range and an exceptionally long excited-state lifetime. By altering the connecting ligands, we obtained the second supramolecular material <strong>Ru-bdppz-<em>n</em></strong>, which has a more extended π-conjugation plane. <strong>Ru-bdppz-<em>n</em></strong> features unique full-band absorption properties from UV-visible to near-infrared (NIR) regions (200–2000 nm). Under 808 nm laser irradiation, <strong>Ru-bdppz-<em>n</em></strong> exhibits outstanding photothermal conversion ability, with temperatures as high as 220 °C and 76 °C for solid powder and water dispersion, respectively, and shows excellent thermal stability, holding promise for solar energy harvesting and conversion applications. Mechanism investigations indicate that the extended π-conjugate plane of the ligand <strong>bdppz</strong> and the formation of the polymer chain promote NIR absorption and photothermal conversion. We believe that this will provide inspiration for the rational design of ruthenium-connected supramolecular materials with specified functionality.</p>","PeriodicalId":86,"journal":{"name":"Materials Chemistry Frontiers","volume":" 11","pages":" 1716-1725"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140062","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}