Xiao Ma, Gong Zhang, Jie Du, Xiaoyun Lin, Shiyu Zhen, Dongfang Cheng, Chaoxi Wang, Xin Chang, Shican Wu, Xiangcheng Shi, Lyudmila Moskaleva, Peng Zhang, Zhi-Jian Zhao, Jinlong Gong
{"title":"Directing CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction to ethanol <i>via</i> delicate geometrical modification of copper-based alloys.","authors":"Xiao Ma, Gong Zhang, Jie Du, Xiaoyun Lin, Shiyu Zhen, Dongfang Cheng, Chaoxi Wang, Xin Chang, Shican Wu, Xiangcheng Shi, Lyudmila Moskaleva, Peng Zhang, Zhi-Jian Zhao, Jinlong Gong","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00417a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00417a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes a detailed simulation approach to simulate the redox process on CuZn alloys, bridging traditional calculations with large-scale, multi-step processes. Through comprehensive redox process simulation, we identify the specific active sites for ethanol production on redox-treated CuZn surfaces while establishing a universally applicable simulation method.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075127","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}
Keren Stein, Gautham Vijayan, Ron Bessler, Elad Koren
{"title":"Mesoscale superlubric Brownian machine based on 2D graphitic interfaces.","authors":"Keren Stein, Gautham Vijayan, Ron Bessler, Elad Koren","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00495k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00495k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brownian motors utilize thermal activation and asymmetric physical interactions to generate directed motion of nanoscale elements in space. On the other hand, structural superlubricity refers to a macroscopic correlated state of nearly vanishing friction due to structural mismatch between sliding interfaces. In fact, the effective sliding barrier in these systems was shown to depend on temperature, manifested by the thermal lubrication phenomenon. Herein, the unique combination of a carefully designed tilted periodic potential landscape and virtually zero friction in 2D layered systems are used to demonstrate mesoscopic superlubric Brownian operation. We perform mechanical shearing of superlubric graphite contacts to examine the influence of velocity on friction and adhesion. Our results show that while friction is virtually independent of velocity below 2500 nm s<sup>-1</sup>, the adhesion force increases by ∼10% with respect to the lowest measured velocity. This indicates that the system can intriguingly exhibit a counterclockwise hysteretic force loop in which a greater amount of energy can be generated once the retraction velocity is set above the protraction velocity, which is explained by utilizing the available thermal energy to reduce adhesion. The ability to realize mesoscopic mechanical systems that can conceptually extract useful mechanical energy by thermal fluctuations can potentially lead to disruptive technologies such as artificial surfaces, in which controlled motion of elements is manifested by manipulated Brownian motion and self-powered actuators with energy harvest capabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075089","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":"Natural wood with optimal capillary water content and evaporation enthalpy for efficient interfacial solar steam generation.","authors":"Maosong Tian, Junbo Chen, Jingfu Tian, Zhihao Liang, Yuanpeng Xie","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00394f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00394f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural wood has garnered significant interest in the field of solar steam generation (SSG), due to its merits of widespread availability, hydrophilicity, and inherent porous structure. However, the limited capillary water content and high evaporation enthalpy of wood hinder the evaporation rates of wood-based SSG. In this study, a sulfonated porous wood with high capillary water content and small evaporation enthalpy was developed for efficient solar evaporation. The relatively hydrophobic lignin and hemicellulose were initially removed to enhance capillary effects, achieving a water absorption rate of 5.2 g g<sup>-1</sup>. Subsequently, sulfonic acid groups were grafted onto the wood surface to weaken the hydrogen bond interaction between water molecules, and thereby reducing the evaporation enthalpy to 1197 J g<sup>-1</sup>. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the sulfonated wood surface contains abundant hydrogen bonding sites, which thermodynamically enhance the escape behavior of water molecules. As a result, the all-biomass SSG demonstrated an evaporation rate of up to 3.4 kg m<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> when combined with bamboo carbon black as a photothermal material, representing the highest evaporation rate for wood-based solar evaporation to date. This work provides an effective strategy for efficient wood-based solar steam generation.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075091","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}
Haoze Zhang, Yufan Shen, Pankaj Sharma, Lei Wang, Dawei Zhang, Kousuke Ooe, Shunsuke Kobayashi, Yuichi Shimakawa, Daisuke Kan, Jan Seidel
{"title":"Humidity-driven modulation of ferroelectricity in hafnia-zirconia membranes.","authors":"Haoze Zhang, Yufan Shen, Pankaj Sharma, Lei Wang, Dawei Zhang, Kousuke Ooe, Shunsuke Kobayashi, Yuichi Shimakawa, Daisuke Kan, Jan Seidel","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00397k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00397k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ferroelectric hafnia-based compounds, known for exhibiting strong ferroelectricity in films of sub-5 nm thickness, hold significant potential for being integrated into complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. Due to the polymorphic nature of hafnia, their ferroelectric properties can be modulated through various mechanisms, including defects, strain, and electrochemical states. In this study, we fabricated ultrathin freestanding hafnia membranes, free from substrate and electrode-capping effects, to explore the relationship between their intrinsic ferroelectricity and surface electrochemical state by modulating humidity conditions during scanning probe microscopy measurements. Our results demonstrate enhanced ferroelectricity in hafnia under low-humidity conditions without requiring a wake-up process. This enhancement is attributed to reduced adsorption of water molecules on the membrane surface, which helps preserve oxygen vacancies that stabilize the ferroelectric phase in hafnia under an applied electric field. These findings suggest that beyond electrical control <i>via</i> field-cycling-induced phase transitions, electrochemical modulation through humidity provides an effective approach for tuning the ferroelectric properties of hafnia-based compounds, optimizing their performance in flexible nanoelectronics applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075087","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":"Enhancing stable and high-rate lithium ion storage through multifunctional molecular release in a phosphorus/carbon-bipyridine hybrid anode.","authors":"Gengchang Lai, Zhilin Huo, Haoyu Wang, Zihui Liu, Zunbin Duan, Xiaoxiao Feng, Xiaoyi Zhang, Xin Fan, Xingchen He, Xue-Feng Yu, Jiahong Wang","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00405e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00405e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phosphorus has emerged as a promising anode material due to its high specific capacity of 2594 mA h g<sup>-1</sup> and medium redox potential of about 0.7 V (<i>vs.</i> Li<sup>+</sup>/Li). However, large volume changes and low ion reaction kinetics are still the dominant challenges that affect the long-term cycle stability and high-rate performance of phosphorus anodes. Herein, bipyridine is introduced to modify phosphorus/carbon composites. The highly doped bipyridine can be slowly released into the electrolyte during cycling, utilizing its Lewis base properties to effectively neutralize HF acid byproducts, thereby protecting the electrode integrity. Meanwhile, it can reduce the binding energy of lithium ions and solvent molecules, and promote the desolvation of lithium ions, thus improving the high-rate performance. As a result, P/C-bpy still provides a specific capacity of 1043.44 mA h g<sup>-1</sup> after 800 cycles at a current density of 1 A g<sup>-1</sup>, corresponding to a capacity retention of 97.30%. And even at a high-rate of 15 A g<sup>-1</sup>, it still provides a high specific capacity of 599.09 mA h g<sup>-1</sup>.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075129","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}
Lingxiao Wang, Kai Yin, Xun Li, Xiaolong Liu, Jianqiang Xiao, Jiaqing Pei, Xinghao Song
{"title":"<i>In situ</i> construction of multifunctional femtosecond laser-induced graphene on arbitrary substrates.","authors":"Lingxiao Wang, Kai Yin, Xun Li, Xiaolong Liu, Jianqiang Xiao, Jiaqing Pei, Xinghao Song","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00144g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00144g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The construction of laser-induced graphene (LIG) on various substrates is important for expanding new applications. However, current LIG transfer technologies are hampered by limited substrates, complicated processes, induced graphene defects, and single function. Herein, a facile laser processing method is proposed for <i>in situ</i> construction of multifunctional femtosecond laser-induced graphene (FsLIG) on arbitrary substrates utilizing femtosecond laser acting on polyimide tape. Unlike previous LIG transfer research, the proposed method is applicable to any substrates without introducing additional graphene defects, while also exhibiting multifunctionality. Raman spectra results confirm successful fabrication of FsLIG on various substrates involving paper, aluminum, ceramic, and silicon. Taking paper for example, FsLIG demonstrates multifunctional characteristics including high water contact angle (∼153.4°), large absorptance (∼98.8%), low sheet resistance (∼82.0 Ω sq<sup>-1</sup>), and reliable temperature sensing (∼-0.089% °C<sup>-1</sup>) properties. Our study provides a reliable pathway for fabricating multifunctional FsLIG on arbitrary substrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075125","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}
Chanho Jeong, Ki Yoon Kwon, Di Wu, Yibo Fu, Yeong-Sinn Ye, Sang Gil Lee, Beomchan Kang, Lining Yao, Tae-Il Kim, Carmel Majidi
{"title":"Reconfigurable double-sided smart textile circuit with liquid metal.","authors":"Chanho Jeong, Ki Yoon Kwon, Di Wu, Yibo Fu, Yeong-Sinn Ye, Sang Gil Lee, Beomchan Kang, Lining Yao, Tae-Il Kim, Carmel Majidi","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00462d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00462d","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Smart textiles have emerged as a promising alternative to printed circuit boards (PCBs) for electronics that are flexible, lightweight, and stretchable. However, many existing solutions fall short of providing sufficient electrical properties or are limited to single-sided circuit designs, significantly reducing their utility. In this study, we present a smart textile based on liquid metal and silver flakes that allows for double-sided circuit configurations without the need for <i>via</i> holes, offering advantages beyond conventional PCB technologies. This approach allows users to insulate or connect top and bottom circuits as needed, even when the circuits overlap or intersect. The inherent properties of liquid metal facilitate pressure-induced sintering, working in synergy with textiles to provide users with the ability to dynamically alter circuits. This unique feature enables real-time customization, allowing for the addition, removal, or replacement of circuits through straightforward cutting and stitching processes. Demonstrating these characteristics, we showcase diverse applications, including a wristband with a replaceable LED indicator circuit, a reversible teddy bear cloth with two distinct functions, and a customizable DIY heating glove. This double-sided textile circuit that is patterned with pressure-controlled drawing offers new possibilities for multifunctional wearable electronics, bridging the gap between traditional PCBs and flexible smart textiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075094","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":"Recent advances in nanomaterial-based adsorbents for removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater.","authors":"Khalid Aziz, Nadeem Raza, Natasha Kanwal, Mohamed Khairy, Younes Ahmadi, Ki-Hyun Kim","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00627a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00627a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To cope with the environmental risks posed by pharmaceutical waste, adsorption is considered a viable option due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. This review explores the opportunities and challenges involved in applying nanomaterial-based adsorbents in their metallic, non-metallic, and hybrid forms for removal of common pharmaceuticals (<i>e.g.</i>, antibiotics, beta-blockers, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, endocrine disrupters, and anticancer drugs) from water. To improve the selectivity and scalability of diverse adsorbents against such targets, the adsorption capacity and partition coefficient (PC) of each adsorbent are evaluated. Among the reported materials, magnetic nitrogen-doped carbon displays the highest adsorption capacity (1563.7 mg g<sup>-1</sup>) for common targets such as ciprofloxacin, while carbon nanotube-SiO<sub>2</sub>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> has the highest PC (1425 mg g<sup>-1</sup> μM<sup>-1</sup>) for estradiol. Despite the advances in adsorption technologies, their commercial applications are yet limited by several defects such as low efficiency, high costs, and poor scalability. This review examines current strategies for addressing pharmaceutical contamination and outlines potential directions for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143955058","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":"<i>Ab initio</i> simulation of molecular crystal regrowth of paracetamol from solution.","authors":"Huanyu Zhou, Giuseppe Mallia, Nicholas M Harrison","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00170f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00170f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The morphology of molecular crystals depends strongly on both thermodynamic stability and the growth kinetics which are themselves dependent on the fine details of intermolecular interactions and challenging to model with <i>ab initio</i> methods. Here, the combination of density functional theory with the effective screen medium-reference interaction site model (DFT/ESM-RISM) is used to study the fast regrowth of a form I paracetamol crystal post-breakage, recently reported by [Bade <i>et al.</i>, <i>Mater. Horiz.</i>, 2023, <b>10</b>, 1425-1430]. It is demonstrated that both the thermodynamic and the kinetic factors affecting regrowth are successfully captured by DFT/ESM-RISM with relatively low computational costs. With inclusion of all the externally observed facets, the morphology predicted from thermodynamic considerations alone is found to agree well with observation. Deviation from this morphology is predicated upon inclusion into the model of the fast-growing internal (010) plane, indicating the strong influence of kinetic effects on morphology. The paracetamol molecules at the surface are characterised by unsaturated hydrogen bonds; the resultant strong interaction with the solutes and the solvent significantly altering surface thermodynamics and the structure of the near-surface solvent. For example, the competition between ethanol and solvated paracetamol molecules for the formation of hydrogen bonds is found to reduce the growth rate due to steric hindrance. This effect becomes less prominent for the (010) surface, which presents no broken hydrogen bonds, resulting in a more uniform near-surface solvent structure that facilitates surface growth. As the first attempt to investigate the complicated solid-liquid interface of molecular crystals, this study broadens the applicability of DFT/ESM-RISM. The kinetic mechanisms underpinning the fast regrowth of form I paracetamol post-breakage are qualitatively elucidated, suggesting new strategies for efficient morphology control in molecular crystals.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143951639","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}
Jiaxian Zheng, Ali Sufyan, Chong Li, Zheng Han, Xin Liu, Yuguo Zheng, J Andreas Larsson, Gang Huang, Binbin Wei, Zhengbing Qi, Zhoucheng Wang, Qiugen Zhang, Hanfeng Liang
{"title":"Regulating Zn<sup>2+</sup>/H<sup>+</sup> selectivity through functional group design of separators for long-lifespan aqueous zinc batteries.","authors":"Jiaxian Zheng, Ali Sufyan, Chong Li, Zheng Han, Xin Liu, Yuguo Zheng, J Andreas Larsson, Gang Huang, Binbin Wei, Zhengbing Qi, Zhoucheng Wang, Qiugen Zhang, Hanfeng Liang","doi":"10.1039/d5mh00358j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00358j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zn anodes in aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries (AZBs) are plagued by irreversibility issues stemming from dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and corrosion. The design of separator offers a promising approach to enhance the reversibility of Zn anodes, but a universal strategy for rational separator design remains elusive. In this study, we propose a comprehensive design principle that takes into account the selective binding with Zn<sup>2+</sup>, H<sup>+</sup> and H<sub>2</sub>O, and further suggest that separators should ideally exhibit strong binding strength with H<sup>+</sup> and H<sub>2</sub>O but weak with Zn<sup>2+</sup>. We explore four typical scenarios based on varying binding strengths and identify polyethersulfone (PES) as a highly promising separator through screening of various commercial separators. Both experiment and theoretical calculations reveal that PES effectively regulates the transfer of Zn<sup>2+</sup>, H<sup>+</sup> and H<sub>2</sub>O, thereby concurrently suppressing dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and corrosion. As a result, the Zn‖Zn symmetric battery can operate for over 4000 h at 1 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> and 1 mA h cm<sup>-2</sup>. Furthermore, the full battery can deliver an impressive lifespan of over 6400 cycles at 3 A g<sup>-1</sup>. This work not only introduces a new separator for high-performance AZBs but also provides guiding principles for functional separator design.</p>","PeriodicalId":87,"journal":{"name":"Materials Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143953380","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}