{"title":"Research on light-responsive luminescence properties of carbon dots and their applications.","authors":"Zhimeng Ma, Qiang Fu, Kailin Zhang, Shouhong Sun, Mingbo Yue","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00676g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00676g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Carbon dots (CDs), as zero-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials, have become a new generation of smart luminescent materials because of their tunable optical properties, excellent biocompatibility and controllable synthesis strategies. On the basis of the difference in their optical response behavior, CDs can be classified into two main systems: photoluminescent and photochromism. Photoluminescent CDs achieve luminescence, including fluorescence, room temperature phosphorescence (RTP), and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), through the modulation of the carbon core structure, surface state engineering, molecular state jumping, and crosslink-enhanced emission (CEE) mechanisms. On the other hand, photochromic CDs confer dynamic optical response properties to materials through free radical-mediated electron transfer, energy transfer modulation, or molecular isomerization. In this review, we systematically elucidate the underlying luminescence mechanisms of these two types of systems and introduce the unique properties and application prospects of photoresponsive CDs in biomedicine, catalysis, and anticounterfeiting. We summarize the latest research progress on photoresponsive CDs, analyze their material properties, and discuss the key challenges to be addressed in their future development.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155304","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":"Harnessing mesoporous g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>-based photocatalytic materials for sustainable fuel production <i>via</i> solar energy conversion: a review.","authors":"Pratikshya Dash, Ashish Kumar Kar, Rajendra Srivastava, Kulamani Parida","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00294j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00294j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The current energy production technology is associated with incompetent and unsustainable global conditions like climate change, the greenhouse effect, <i>etc.</i> Therefore, the call for sustainable and renewable energy practices is essential to address future energy crises, preserve ecological balance and combat climate change. Harnessing solar energy conversion <i>via</i> artificial photosynthesis over an efficient semiconductor is a key strategy to maintain the circular energy cycle and achieve zero-emission energy missions. g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> is one of the most exclusively studied semiconductor-photocatalysts; however, its bulk structure suffers from several significant limitations. Rational modifications of morphology and porosity led to the development of a mesoporous-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (mp-g-CN) framework, which has excellent photoresponsive features. mp-g-CN enriched with superior physicochemical properties, improved optoelectronic features, and well-dispersed active site distribution can be synthesized by either template-assisted or template-free synthesis methods. The template-free synthesis approach is more appealing than the template-assisted synthesis method, which can reduce the multiple synthesis steps and avoid the use of hazardous chemicals. Further, the strategic functional modifications deliver more efficient mp-g-CN structures, which can be considered as a reference photoactive material for producing H<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, NH<sub>3</sub>, carbonated fuel and biofuels from renewable precursors. Finally, some unresolved hitches in advancing mp-g-CN photocatalysts to achieve high efficiency in artificial photosynthesis have been encountered as current challenges and future prospects.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155302","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":"Debonding-on-demand adhesives for recycling and reusing of electronic devices.","authors":"Daewhan Kim, Youngjoo Park, Min Sang Kwon","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00468c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00468c","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams, largely due to surging demand for devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. While e-waste contains valuable resources, its disposal also involves hazardous components that threaten human health and the environment. A critical barrier to effective recycling is the adhesives used in device assembly, which complicate disassembly and reduce material recovery. Recent research has explored diverse residue-free and efficient debonding methods. Notably, irreversible photo-debondable adhesives show particular promise by enabling precise, controlled, and on-demand release without damaging sensitive components. Moving forward, developing adhesives that incorporate both debonding capabilities and degradability will be essential for achieving efficient, sustainable recycling and minimizing the environmental impact of e-waste.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155300","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":"Bioinspired rational design of nanozymes.","authors":"Zhihong Chen, Bingyan Li, Yiqing Zhang, Xinyue Shang, Cheng Ma, Weiwei Gao, Zhiling Zhu","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00746a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00746a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nanozymes, an emerging class of artificial enzymes, have attracted increasing attention for their potential in environmental monitoring, industrial catalysis, food safety, and biomedicine. To date, more than 1500 nanomaterials have been identified with enzyme-like activities, some demonstrating catalytic performances that match or even exceed those of natural enzymes. Despite this progress, key challenges remain, including poorly understood catalytic mechanisms, ambiguous structure-activity relationships, and a heavy dependence on nonspecific surface sites, all of which limit the efficiency, selectivity, and broader application of nanozymes. To address these limitations, researchers are turning to nature for inspiration, seeking to reconstruct enzyme active centers at the atomic scale and establish innovative design principles. This review examines the catalytic mechanisms and structural characteristics of natural enzymes, integrating machine learning approaches to investigate nanozyme kinetics, transition state stabilization, electron/proton transfer, and cooperative effects. It highlights bioinspired strategies such as three-dimensional structure design, cofactor incorporation, and artificial organelle systems. Furthermore, the review explores rational nanozyme design using activity descriptors and predictive modeling. Finally, it outlines the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and multiscale simulations in optimizing nanozyme performance, offering a theoretical foundation for the development of next-generation intelligent nanozymes.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148724","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}
Guoda Vecelytė, Vygailė Dudkaitė, Ondrej Šedo, Zbyněk Zdráhal, Gintautas Bagdžiūnas
{"title":"Tyrosine-specific bioconjugation allowing hole hopping along aromatic chains of glucose oxidase.","authors":"Guoda Vecelytė, Vygailė Dudkaitė, Ondrej Šedo, Zbyněk Zdráhal, Gintautas Bagdžiūnas","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00520e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00520e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The potential of bioconjugated glucose oxidase enzymes for bioelectronic applications has been revealed in this research. By selectively modifying the enzyme with redox-active groups, we aimed to enhance the electrochemical properties of the enzyme while maintaining its biocatalytic activity. The phenothiazin-5-oxide and phenoxazine groups were selectively bioconjugated to the tyrosine residues on the enzyme surface. This bioconjugation was confirmed by mass spectrometry after enzymatic digestion of the protein. The self-assembly monolayer of modified enzyme exhibited improved bioelectrochemical behaviour, with enhanced anodic currents compared to the native enzyme. Marcus theory-based theoretical calculations revealed that hole hopping through the internal residues and from the electrode to the bioconjugated residues of the enzyme is thermodynamically favourable. The rate-limiting step for the bioelectrocatalytic process was identified as hole injection from the electrode to the bioconjugated enzyme surface. These findings demonstrate the potential of bioconjugated glucose oxidase for single molecule-based biosensing and bioelectronics.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148731","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":"Intrinsic ferroelastic valleytronics in 2D Pd<sub>4</sub>X<sub>3</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> (X = S, Se) materials: a new platform for ultrafast intervalley carrier dynamics.","authors":"Chengan Lei, Zhao Qian, Yandong Ma, Rajeev Ahuja","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00567a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00567a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Realizing and manipulating valley polarization remains a significant challenge in the field of valleytronics. The prevailing paradigm in this area primarily focuses on valleys associated with ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties. In this study, we go beyond the existing paradigm to propose a novel mechanism, termed ferroelastic valleytronics. The inversion of the valley index is achieved through transformations of the ferroelastic state. Using first-principles calculations and model analysis, we validate this concept in Pd<sub>4</sub>X<sub>3</sub>Te<sub>3</sub>, a material with intrinsic valley polarization that is ferroelastically controllable. Beyond its intrinsic valley polarization and ferroelasticity, Pd<sub>4</sub>X<sub>3</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> exhibits a range of intriguing physical phenomena, including anisotropic carrier mobility at valleys, ferroelastic-correlated Hall coefficients, and valley-contrasted selectivity for linearly polarized light. Furthermore, non-adiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulations reveal the dynamics of intervalley carrier transfer and recombination in Pd<sub>4</sub>X<sub>3</sub>Te<sub>3</sub>. Our results indicate that hole transfer between valleys occurs more rapidly than electron transfer and that intervalley carrier recombination takes place on the nanosecond timescale. This theoretical research not only provides a promising approach to control valley polarization but also advances the emerging field of valleytronics.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148727","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":"Ligand effect on In-Ti-oxo nanoclusters for nanolithography.","authors":"Jiao Wu, Jiali Chen, Liming Wang, Yuting Ye, Xiaozhi Zhan, Yihang Song, Qiao-Hong Li, Xiaofeng Yi, Jian Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d4mh01920b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4mh01920b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metal-oxo clusters have emerged as promising candidates for nanolithography technology. However, achieving precise control over their structures and compositions to enhance solution processability and film properties remains a significant challenge. This study introduces a novel ligand-regulation strategy for modularly assembling In-Ti-oxo clusters and represents the pioneering application of In-Ti-oxo clusters in nanolithography. Specifically, we explore the indium-based flexible trifurcate InL<sub>3</sub> as a metalloligand (L = salicylate derivatives) to stabilize isomeric In<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>12</sub>-cores with varying spherical shells: InOC-20V, InOC-21V, InOC-22V and InOC-23H. These isomers, in turn, induce markedly distinct solution processabilities. InOC-20V to InOC-22V feature vertically connected Ti<sub>6</sub>In<sub>2</sub>-SBUs, resulting in superior solubility compared to InOC-23H, which has parallel-connected Ti<sub>6</sub>In<sub>2</sub>-SBUs. In addition, the organic periphery is critical for film formation, and only InOC-20V, decorated with salicylate groups, produces high-quality films <i>via</i> spin-coating with 50 nm resolution patterns for lithography. To gain insight into the exposure mechanisms, a combination of DFT calculations, TGA-MS, XPS, and AFM-IR was used, indicating that the decarboxylation of the ligands significantly contributes to the solubility-switching behaviors necessary for lithography. These findings offer generalizable synthetic methods to expand the In-Ti-oxo cluster structural chemistry and highlight the efficacy of tailored structural modulation of cluster materials in enhancing solution processability and lithography performance, providing valuable insights for future material design and applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148728","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 smart valve for micro flow-velocity regulation based on the \"Interfacial Barrier\" effect of wettability-patterned surfaces.","authors":"Litao Chen, Yimin Luo, Jincheng Liu, Boran Hao, Shushen Lyu, Zhuangzhu Luo","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00432b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00432b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In fluid control, traditional valves are limited in their applications due to reliance on external power sources and complex structures. Current research focuses on passive driving mechanisms through structural design or surface design/enhancement. Among these, passive regulation of fluid transport through surface wettability gradient differences is a hot topic. This study constructed patterned surfaces through ordered/disordered combinations of hydrophilic/hydrophobic/superhydrophobic (wettability/hydrophobicity) properties and investigated fluid flow behavior. A \"Smart\" valve design was proposed, which utilizes changes in contact angle hysteresis force (<i>F</i><sub>h</sub>) caused by interfacial wettability differences to achieve micro flow-velocity regulation. The results showed that when water flowed through pattern I, the flow rate experienced a two-stage surge (667% and 2200%), while at pattern II, it triggered a stepwise deceleration (reductions of 79% and 75%). Furthermore, a mechanism of \"Interfacial Barrier\" was proposed, where gravitational force, viscous force (<i>F</i><sub><i>η</i></sub>), and <i>F</i><sub>h</sub> jointly contribute to energy storage and dissipation across the interface. Additionally, droplet impact experiments validated that the greater the interfacial wettability difference, the stronger the energy storage or dissipation effect. This study establishes the \"Smart\" valve as an efficient and precise fluid control solution that requires no external power, applicable in fields such as chemical engineering, biomedicine, and microfluidics.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148730","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}
Haoyu Bai, He Sun, Zhihang Ye, Zhe Li, Tianhong Zhao, Xinsheng Wang, Mingren Cheng, Ziwei Wang, Shouying Huang, Moyuan Cao
{"title":"Unravelling the aerodynamic enhancement of water harvesting <i>via</i> dynamic liquid bumps.","authors":"Haoyu Bai, He Sun, Zhihang Ye, Zhe Li, Tianhong Zhao, Xinsheng Wang, Mingren Cheng, Ziwei Wang, Shouying Huang, Moyuan Cao","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00553a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00553a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Harvesting atmospheric water offers a sustainable solution to water scarcity in arid regions. While previous reports that proved the wettability of materials play a crucial role in the fog collection process, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Despite the focus on convex-backed beetles, hydrophobic smooth-backed beetles like <i>Onymacris unguicularis</i> also efficiently harvest fog. Through comprehensive investigation, the enhancement of fog collection efficiency on hydrophobic surfaces was attributed to the <i>in situ</i> 3D patterning process of microdroplets. Hydrophobic surfaces form dynamic liquid bumps that disturb airflow, improving the capture of tiny fog droplets. With a harp-like collector configuration, the superhydrophobic surface further enhances efficiency by 57% compared to superhydrophilic collectors. COMSOL Multiphysics simulations show that surfaces with stronger hydrophobicity and lower contact angle hysteresis intercept fog droplets more effectively. This work provides insights into the aerodynamic role of wettability in fog harvesting and offers guidelines for developing high-performance, bioinspired fog collectors with optimized material properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148733","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}
Haryeong Cho, Young-Ryul Kim, Jaehun Kim, Seungjae Lee, Seokhee Jung, Jeeyoon Kim, Jinyoung Kim, Yong-Jin Park, Sung-Phil Kim, Hyunhyub Ko
{"title":"Multilayer iontronic sensors with controlled charge gradients for high-performance, self-powered tactile sensing.","authors":"Haryeong Cho, Young-Ryul Kim, Jaehun Kim, Seungjae Lee, Seokhee Jung, Jeeyoon Kim, Jinyoung Kim, Yong-Jin Park, Sung-Phil Kim, Hyunhyub Ko","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00503e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00503e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Piezoionic sensors have emerged as a promising class of self-powered tactile sensors, utilizing ion transport within soft materials to convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. These sensors offer flexibility, biocompatibility, and the ability to detect both static and dynamic forces, making them highly suitable for wearable electronics, robotic skins, and human-machine interfaces. However, conventional piezoionic sensors suffer from low output signals and slow response times due to inefficient ion transport and charge separation. To address these limitations, we propose a multilayered piezoionic sensor incorporating positively and negatively charged surface layers to create a controlled charge gradient. This design enhances ion mobility and reduces binding energy between ion pairs, and accelerates charge redistribution, leading to significantly improved sensing performance. The proposed sensor achieves an enhanced output current of 1.2 μA and a rapid response time of 19 ms, demonstrating superior sensing performances compared to single-layer designs. Additionally, the sensor effectively detects both static and dynamic forces, including vibration stimuli for surface texture detection, and enables air flow mapping by distinguishing both direction and intensity. By overcoming the fundamental limitations of existing piezoionic sensors, our multilayer approach establishes a new paradigm for high-performance, self-powered tactile sensing, paving the way for next-generation soft electronics and smart sensor systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148729","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}