Dokyoung Lee, Minseo Cha, Hyeonsik Ahn, Jusung Kim and Sungho Kim
{"title":"Landauer-consistent interpretation of carrier mobility in quasi-ballistic field-effect transistors: overcoming the limitations of the Y-function method","authors":"Dokyoung Lee, Minseo Cha, Hyeonsik Ahn, Jusung Kim and Sungho Kim","doi":"10.1039/D6NH00069J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6NH00069J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Carrier mobility extracted from low-field electrical measurements is widely used to interpret transport in field-effect transistors; however, its physical meaning becomes ambiguous as devices approach the quasi-ballistic regime. The Y-function method, although numerically robust, implicitly assumes drift–diffusion transport and attributes deviations in measured characteristics solely to gate-field-dependent mobility degradation. Here, we show that this assumption leads to a systematic breakdown of mobility interpretation in short-channel devices, even when polynomial Y-function analysis remains numerically stable. Temperature-dependent analysis of linear-regime transfer characteristics demonstrates that conventional Y-function-based extraction yields unphysical mobility attenuation parameters as transport departs from the diffusive limit. These anomalies do not arise from fitting instability or enhanced scattering, but from neglecting finite channel-length and injection-limited effects inherent to quasi-ballistic transport. By reinterpreting Y-function-extracted mobility within the Landauer transport formalism, we introduce a Landauer-consistent framework that explicitly separates scattering-limited mobility from ballistic constraints imposed by finite channel length. This minimal correction restores physically meaningful mobility parameters and enables self-consistent reproduction of both drain current and transconductance across the diffusive-to-quasi-ballistic transition, establishing a physically grounded approach for mobility analysis beyond the conventional applicability of the Y-function method.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1726-1736"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/nh/d6nh00069j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147696853","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}
Vignesh K. Rangasami, Cameron J. Moore, Baixue Xiao and Danielle S. W. Benoit
{"title":"Regenerative bone-targeted nanoparticles modulate osteoclast function","authors":"Vignesh K. Rangasami, Cameron J. Moore, Baixue Xiao and Danielle S. W. Benoit","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00503E","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00503E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Osteoclasts are vital for maintaining bone health. Indeed, dysregulated osteoclast activity is linked to pathological conditions such as Paget's disease, osteoporosis, and impaired fracture healing. Despite their importance in bone regeneration, few biomaterial-based strategies have been developed to alter osteoclast recruitment, differentiation, activity, or crosstalk with osteoblasts. To improve bone healing, we previously developed a drug delivery system (DDS) that expedites fracture repair. The DDS is composed of poly(styrene-<em>alt</em>-maleic anhydride)-<em>block</em>-poly(styrene) (PSMA-<em>b</em>-PS) functionalized with a peptide with inherent specificity to tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a protein deposited by osteoclasts after bone injury (fracture, non-union, <em>etc.</em>). When loaded with a Wnt/β-catenin agonist (AR28), the TRAP binding peptide (TBP)-functionalized nanoparticle (TBP-NP<small><sub>AR28</sub></small>) enhanced fracture healing by promoting pro-regenerative polarization of macrophages, enhancing osteogenic differentiation, and expediting fracture healing. Given their crucial role in bone healing and proximity during fracture repair, here we investigated the impact of NP on osteoclasts. Murine bone marrow-derived osteoclasts treated with NPs exhibited decreased osteoclastogenesis due to downregulation of key osteoclast genes (NFATc, cFOS, and CTSK) and function as assessed by reduced bone resorption capacity. The inhibition of osteoclastogenesis and the reduction in osteoclast function demonstrated here suggest that TBP-NP<small><sub>AR28</sub></small> is a promising approach for improving bone regeneration by combining osteoclast inhibition with its previously reported effects on bone formation. This offers new therapeutic strategies for bone diseases characterized by dysregulation of bone homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1614-1628"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13034928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147571372","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}
DeChun Tian, Peijun Shi, Xiaokang Zhang, Lijun Sun, Bin Wang and Qiang Zhang
{"title":"A pH-regulated camouflage strategy for access control in molecular systems","authors":"DeChun Tian, Peijun Shi, Xiaokang Zhang, Lijun Sun, Bin Wang and Qiang Zhang","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00848D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00848D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Continuous advancements in DNA nanotechnology have resulted in innovative information security strategies utilizing biomolecular-based encryption mechanisms to achieve effective protection and reliable storage. However, existing molecular encryption schemes are limited in their practical expansion due to their focus on the precise design and strict management of the key itself while neglecting the impact of complex environments, causing them to suffer from insufficient concealment and poor adaptability to complex access control scenarios. Here, we propose a pH-regulated camouflage strategy that significantly enhances the encryption concealment of molecular systems. Using pH-regulated logical operation transformations, we establish a switchable cascaded logic operation strategy that implements a two-layer DNA molecular firewall access control system. By integrating two distinct camouflage rules, the system constructs four differentiated access modes. This design effectively prevents unauthorized access, conceals true input addresses, and deceives potential attackers, thereby ensuring internal information security. This approach provides a simple method for the design and management of molecular systems and is expected to be applied in fields such as information security and environmental monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1604-1613"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147519354","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}
Kaito Nitta, Yoshiaki Shoji, Takanori Fukushima and Go Watanabe
{"title":"Molecular dynamics insights into orientation and hexagonal ordering of tripodal triptycenes on solid surfaces","authors":"Kaito Nitta, Yoshiaki Shoji, Takanori Fukushima and Go Watanabe","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00837A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00837A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Triptycene derivatives bearing long alkoxy chains at the 1,8,13- or 1,8-positions have been demonstrated to self-assemble on solid substrates into highly ordered thin films featuring a two-dimensional (2D) nested hexagonal packing of the triptycene moieties and a one-dimensional (1D) stacking layer. Although the bulk-phase structures of these derivatives have been clarified, the molecular-level mechanism governing their assembly near solid interfaces remains elusive. Here, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate three triptycene derivatives (Trip1, Trip2, and Trip3) with different alkoxy-chain substitution patterns, revealing their assembly structures, thermodynamic stabilities, and interfacial ordering processes. Our simulations showed that antiparallel molecular alignment is thermodynamically stable in bulk assemblies, whereas thin films preferentially adopt a parallel alignment, indicating that solid interfaces promote this orientation. Furthermore, thermal annealing of stair-stepped trilayers drove their transformation into flat bilayers and the growth of hexagonally ordered domains, quantified by radial distribution functions and hexatic order parameters. Comparative analysis demonstrated that alkoxy substitution patterns dictate packing density, structural order, and phase stability, in excellent agreement with experimental observations. These findings provide molecular-level insights into interface-driven self-assembly and establish design principles for constructing thermodynamically stable, highly ordered organic thin films, enabling simulation-guided strategies for next-generation nanoscale materials design.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 4","pages":" 999-1005"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/nh/d5nh00837a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147508137","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}
Zhuohao Yang, Md Sakib Hasan Khan, Zhehao Sun, Jiayi Chen, Xuechen Jing, Yi-Lun Chen, Nicholas Cox, Ary Wibowo, Xiaolin Wang, Rino Wu, Daniel Macdonald, Dongchen Qi and Zongyou Yin
{"title":"Ni–N interfacial engineering enables noble-metal-free ammonia photodecomposition","authors":"Zhuohao Yang, Md Sakib Hasan Khan, Zhehao Sun, Jiayi Chen, Xuechen Jing, Yi-Lun Chen, Nicholas Cox, Ary Wibowo, Xiaolin Wang, Rino Wu, Daniel Macdonald, Dongchen Qi and Zongyou Yin","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00819K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00819K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A noble-metal-free Ni–NC@TiO<small><sub>2</sub></small> core–shell photocatalyst was developed for efficient hydrogen production from ammonia photodecomposition under visible light without the use of sacrificial agents. In this architecture, Ni nanoparticles are anchored on the nitrogen-doped carbon shell through strong Ni–N interfacial coordination. The conductive NC shell promotes the separation and transport of photogenerated charge carriers, while the Ni sites provide favourable centres for NH<small><sub>3</sub></small> adsorption and dehydrogenation. Under visible-light irradiation, Ni–NC@TiO<small><sub>2</sub></small> exhibits a hydrogen evolution rate approximately 43 times higher than that of pristine TiO<small><sub>2</sub></small>. Combined experimental characterizations and DFT calculations reveal that the interfacial Ni–N coupling not only accelerates carrier migration, but also modulates the electronic structure of the Ni sites, thereby lowering the reaction barrier for NH<small><sub>3</sub></small> decomposition. Meanwhile, the catalyst shows excellent durability, maintaining stable activity over 40 h without detectable deactivation.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1629-1635"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147588767","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}
Seungme Kang, Suhyeon Kim, Benoît H. Lessard, Sooji Nam, Hyun-Suk Kim and Hocheon Yoo
{"title":"Charge traps revisited: from unwanted defects to functional synapses in photosynaptic devices","authors":"Seungme Kang, Suhyeon Kim, Benoît H. Lessard, Sooji Nam, Hyun-Suk Kim and Hocheon Yoo","doi":"10.1039/D6NH00033A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6NH00033A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Charge trap sites have often been considered defects that induce bias stress, reduce stability, and compromise device reliability. In an out-of-the-box perspective, recent work shows that these sites can also act as useful elements that store charge, tune responses, and mimic biological learning. While past research focused on suppressing or eliminating traps, a growing body of studies now takes the opposite view and explores their deliberate use for synaptic functions. This new direction shifts charge traps from unwanted sites to functional components in memory, synaptic, and optoelectronic devices. Studies now demonstrate trap-based weight storage, light-driven plasticity, and hybrid electro-photonic learning. This review summarizes progress in using interface traps for adaptive and multifunctional electronics. We compare device designs that exploit trap dynamics and highlight their impact on neuromorphic and optoelectronic systems. Key challenges include reproducibility, stability, and integration at large scale. This review offers a timely perspective on exploiting charge traps, with an emphasis on their emerging roles in next-generation neuromorphic and optoelectronic technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 5","pages":" 1192-1214"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/nh/d6nh00033a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147626457","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}
Dong Geun Kim, Dongyeon Won, Inyeong Yang, Sukkyung Kang, Jae Young Seok, Hyunwoong Baek and Sanha Kim
{"title":"Surface-modified anode current collectors via lithiophilic zinc-based bimetallic co-electrodeposition for lithium–metal batteries","authors":"Dong Geun Kim, Dongyeon Won, Inyeong Yang, Sukkyung Kang, Jae Young Seok, Hyunwoong Baek and Sanha Kim","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00766F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00766F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Lithium–metal batteries (LMBs) are considered promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their extremely high theoretical capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, their practical application is limited by the formation of lithium dendrites and poor interfacial stability during cycling. In this study, we propose a scalable CuZn bimetallic co-electrodeposition strategy for modification of current collector surfaces that effectively suppress dendritic growth and enhance cyclic reversibility. Zinc, a lithiophilic metal, was selected as a surface modifier owing to its favorable alloying characteristics with lithium. Substantial differences in standard reduction potentials exist between Cu and Zn, yet we successfully deposited Cu and Zn simultaneously by introducing potassium pyrophosphate into the electrolyte, which modulates the ion activity through complexation. The CuZn morphology was further tuned from flat films to branched nanostructures by controlling the electrolyte composition and deposition voltage. Post-deposition annealing facilitated interdiffusion at the Cu/CuZn interface, resulting in the formation of a recrystallized Cu<small><sub>0.75</sub></small>Zn<small><sub>0.25</sub></small> alloy and improved mechanical bonding. Compared to bare Cu foils, the heat-treated CuZn current collectors extended the cell lifespan by 44.3% and the nanostructured CuZn further improved it by 87.2%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and lithium nucleation overpotential analysis confirmed reduced interfacial resistance and improved uniformity in Li plating behavior. This work offers a practical and scalable approach for surface modification of anode current collectors for stable and long-life LMBs.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1578-1589"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/nh/d5nh00766f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147483887","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}
{"title":"Boosting sodium storage in needle coke-derived hard carbon anode via mild ammonium persulfate activation","authors":"Lijun Yang, Luchao Yue, Chaohong Shi, Tianrui Zhao, Zhi Wang, Xiang Zheng, Jiacheng Zhao, Jianqing Zhao and Jing Tang","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00831J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00831J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Needle coke features low cost, high carbon yield, and good electrical conductivity. It is considered a promising precursor for the carbon anode for sodium-ion batteries, but poor structural tunability and inferior performance limit further development. Herein, we report a facile strategy to achieve needle coke-derived hard carbon (NCAPS) with multiscale structures <em>via</em> activation with ammonium persulfate (APS). Systematic characterization revealed that ammonium persulfate activation introduced appropriate oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of needle coke, while creating a turbostratic microstructure with balanced defect density and mesopores, thereby supplying abundant adsorption sites of Na<small><sup>+</sup></small> and improving electrochemical performance. Benefiting from its appropriate structure and chemical composition, NCAPS exhibited a reversible capacity of 212.6 mAh g<small><sup>−1</sup></small> after 200 cycles at 0.2C, which was 37% higher than non-activated needle coke-derived hard carbon, and an excellent rate capability of 195.0 mAh g<small><sup>−1</sup></small> at 5C. We utilized APS-assisted activation to enable multiscale structural optimization, thereby significantly enhancing Na<small><sup>+</sup></small> storage kinetics and electrochemical performance. Herein, we provide a mild activation approach for designing a high-performance sodium-ion battery hard carbon anode from a low-cost and highly aromatic precursor.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 5","pages":" 1353-1362"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147483859","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}
Raehyeong Lee, Jinyeong Choi, Soojin Choi, Ah Reum Choi, Jin Hong Lee, Jae Ho Kim and Minjoon Park
{"title":"Structural confinement engineering of current collectors enables the development of durable SiOx anodes for lithium-ion batteries","authors":"Raehyeong Lee, Jinyeong Choi, Soojin Choi, Ah Reum Choi, Jin Hong Lee, Jae Ho Kim and Minjoon Park","doi":"10.1039/D5NH00822K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5NH00822K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this study, an anode with SiO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> embedded within a pressed Cu mesh (SPCM) was developed to mitigate structural degradation and interfacial instability during cycling. The four-sided confinement of the pressed Cu mesh mechanically supported the active material, suppressing volume expansion and enabling multidirectional electron pathways for uniform charge distribution. SPCM, incorporating 0.40 wt% single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) (denoted as SPCM-40), further enhanced interparticle conductivity and mechanical integrity. Consequently, the SPCM-40 electrode exhibited superior cycling stability and rate capability compared with a conventional Cu-foil-based SiO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> electrode (SF), delivering an initial capacity of ∼1800 mAh g<small><sup>−1</sup></small> and an areal capacity of 3.2 mAh cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small>. Structural and electrochemical analyses using techniques such as SEM, EDS, GITT, EIS, and XPS confirmed suppressed pulverization, improved Li-ion transport, and the formation of a LiF-rich SEI. Delamination and cracking caused the SF electrode to expand by 267% in the vertical direction, while the SPCM-40 electrode exhibited only 117% expansion. In a pouch-cell configuration with an NCM811 cathode, SPCM-40 maintained stable cycling over 100 cycles and achieved a theoretical energy density 1.4 times higher than that of the Cu-foil SiO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> electrode. This work highlights a simple yet effective current-collector engineering strategy for achieving graphite-free, high-stability SiO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small> anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 6","pages":" 1636-1650"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147626467","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":"Nanoscale Horizons Emerging Investigator Series: Professor Chunlan Wang, Xi’an Polytechnic University, China","authors":"None","doi":"10.1039/D6NH90010K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6NH90010K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career nanoscience and nanotechnology researchers. Read Chunlan Wang’s Emerging Investigator Series article ‘A multifunctional terahertz device based on vanadium dioxide metamaterials that switches between ultra-broadband absorption and ultra-high-<em>Q</em> narrowband absorption’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NH00320B) and read more about her in the interview below.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" 5","pages":" 1176-1177"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147471945","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}