Carbon capture plays a crucial role in both climate mitigation and carbon-based analytical technologies involving gas-liquid separation. Nanoporous graphene membranes (NGMs) provide an atomically thin platform for studyi...Carbon capture plays a crucial role in both climate mitigation and carbon-based analytical technologies involving gas-liquid separation. Nanoporous graphene membranes (NGMs) provide an atomically thin platform for studying CO transport. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the CO transport mechanism through NGMs at the gas-liquid interface. We show that pore-edge electrostatics strongly modulate interfacial hydration. Surface charges and polar functional groups promote water accumulation near the pore mouth and suppress CO transport, whereas hydrophobic pores reduce water blockage and enhance permeance. By comparing pristine, H-terminated, charged, and functionalized pores, we identify interfacial hydration as a key factor governing transport at the gas-liquid interface. Contrary to the common expectation that stronger electrostatic interactions facilitate CO transport, our results show that enhanced electrostatics strengthen interfacial hydration and thereby suppress transport, limiting the performance of carbon-based analytical technologies that require precise detection.
Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a high-resolution additive manufacturing technique that enables the deposition of conductive materials onto diverse substrates. However, a significant challenge in AJP is the occurrence of c...Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a high-resolution additive manufacturing technique that enables the deposition of conductive materials onto diverse substrates. However, a significant challenge in AJP is the occurrence of cracking in printed lines, which undermines both electrical conductivity and structural integrity. Herein, we examine the desiccation-induced cracking mechanism in AJP and introduce optimization strategies to mitigate cracking and enhance the conductivity of printed silver lines. Through a detailed analysis of crack morphology and distribution, key factors such as the deposition thickness and overspray regions are identified. The proposed optimizations, comprising regulation of the deposition thickness, enhancement of resolution, and minimization of overspray, yielded crack-free, high-quality silver lines with superior conductivity. These findings offer crucial insights for the advancement of reliable conductive structures in conformal electronics and microelectronics applications.
We report the observation of beating Aharonov-Bohm (AB) conductance oscillations in Sb-doped BiSe nanowires and attribute their origin to the quantum interference between topological surface states (TSSs) and a coexistin...We report the observation of beating Aharonov-Bohm (AB) conductance oscillations in Sb-doped BiSe nanowires and attribute their origin to the quantum interference between topological surface states (TSSs) and a coexisting two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The interference of trajectories encircling TSSs and a 2DEG generates a characteristic beating envelope and regularly spaced satellite peaks in the Fourier spectra. Our temperature-dependent analysis confirms that these satellite peaks arise from coherent multiple-electron circulations along the nanowire perimeter. Crucially, we demonstrate that while the beating envelope and relative amplitudes evolve continuously for varying back-gate voltages, the AB frequencies remain insensitive, supporting their geometric origin. Our theoretical simulations successfully reproduce these features, supporting the idea that the AB beating originates from the dual channels. Our findings provide evidence for the coexistence of topological and trivial states in topological-insulator nanowires and highlight their interplay as a route to engineering interference in topological materials.
The ampere-level alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires catalysts that combine high activity with long-term stability, yet benchmark NiMo alloys suffer from severe Mo leaching during operation. Here, we repo...The ampere-level alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires catalysts that combine high activity with long-term stability, yet benchmark NiMo alloys suffer from severe Mo leaching during operation. Here, we report a surface passivation strategy using CeO-stabilized NiMo alloys on MoO (CeO-NiMo/MoO) for robust alkaline HER. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that surface CeO suppresses hydroxide-induced Mo dissolution while maintaining the reduced state of NiMo and promoting interfacial water dissociation, thereby accelerating HER kinetics and increasing stability. Our catalyst delivers 1.0 A cm at an overpotential of 165 mV and sustains hydrogen production for more than 3000 h with negligible decay. When used as the cathode in a platinum-group-metal-free AEM water electrolyzer, it achieves a value of 2.0 A cm at 1.68 V, surpassing the DOE 2026 AEM benchmark of 2.0 A cm at 1.8 V, and operates for 1200 h at 1.0 A cm with a low degradation rate of 42.8 μV h.
Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) enables real-time visualization of nanoscale dynamics in electrochemical, biological, and catalytic reactions. However, accelerated electrons employed as probes can p...Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) enables real-time visualization of nanoscale dynamics in electrochemical, biological, and catalytic reactions. However, accelerated electrons employed as probes can perturb the chemical environment through electron-liquid interactions, thereby complicating reliable data acquisition and interpretation. Although these interactions have been studied based on kinetic modeling of water radiolysis, a comprehensive understanding of the influence of interfaces and confinement within microfluidic liquid cells remains less understood. Prior γ-irradiation and electron-beam studies have shown that adsorbed water on solid-liquid interfaces can dramatically modify radical yields, yet the effect of specific interfaces in liquid cells on radiolysis has been less understood. Herein, we reveal effects at interfaces and their influence on water radiolysis by liquid-cell interface engineering using radiolysis-driven oxidative etching of palladium nanocubes as a probing system. Complementary density functional theory calculations show that graphene coatings suppress interfacial water dissociation and electron transfer, thereby modulating beam interaction pathways.
Metabolomic detection enables a systems-level understanding of biological processes, while many emerging demands remain unmet. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has recently evolved into a promising platform for...Metabolomic detection enables a systems-level understanding of biological processes, while many emerging demands remain unmet. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has recently evolved into a promising platform for metabolic detection yet not reaching true metabolomics. This Mini-Review is motivated by recent advances in understanding molecule-nanomaterial interactions aimed at addressing the related limitations. We first outline the fundamental principles enabling SERS-based metabolomic detection, including specificity, sensitivity, near-field compatibility with small metabolites, and nondestructiveness. Gaps between current SERS techniques and true metabolomics are delineated, and the key technical advances to overcome these challenges are also highlighted, including digital SERS, SERSome, molecule-resolvable SERSome, probe-functionalized nanomaterials, and artificial intelligence-assisted analysis. These developments have enabled SERS across multiple analytical paradigms, spanning targeted detection, phenotypic profiling, and emerging metabolomics. At last, we discuss the future challenges in hopes of advancing SERS from a sensing-oriented technique to a true metabolomic platform, ultimately facilitating the decoding of biological systems.
Lacking plasticity at room temperature is a critical limiting factor preventing the widespread use of hard ceramics, which exhibit many superior qualities but are brittle and susceptible to catastrophic failure. Coherent...Lacking plasticity at room temperature is a critical limiting factor preventing the widespread use of hard ceramics, which exhibit many superior qualities but are brittle and susceptible to catastrophic failure. Coherent twin boundaries (CTBs) hold the potential to solve this difficult problem, but challenges remain. Here, we unveil a radically contrasting twin boundary migration (TBM)-driven detwinning mechanism that creates high plasticity in hard ceramics via collective motion and eventual annihilation of CTBs. Translational crystal symmetry breaking induced by CTBs allows strain concentration and energy-efficient segmented sequential local bond flipping to drive the TBM process while maintaining the intrinsic ultimate strength. Electronic structure analysis further reveals that CTBs enhance electron delocalization and weaken local bonding, thus enabling bond flipping and structural rearrangement. This work provides a conceptual breakthrough in understanding plastic deformation in hard and brittle crystals and opens a new pathway for overcoming the long-standing strength-toughness trade-off in transition-metal nitrides.
Atomic structures of a Lu-segregated grain boundary (GB) in α-AlO are identified using hybrid Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics (MCMD) simulations based on a neural-network potential (NNP) trained on density-functional-...Atomic structures of a Lu-segregated grain boundary (GB) in α-AlO are identified using hybrid Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics (MCMD) simulations based on a neural-network potential (NNP) trained on density-functional-theory (DFT) data, in combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The NNP accurately reproduces the relationship between the potential energy and atomic structures. This enables us to screen candidate atomic structures by performing many structural relaxations and long time-scale MD simulations, prior to final DFT validation, significantly reducing computational cost. The NNP predicts that multiple Lu configurations are energetically favorable, with variations in the occupied site and segregation level. The Lu atomic configurations observed in the experimental STEM images are fully explained by the present calculations, allowing for quantitative analyses of the atomic and electronic structures. The present NNP approach opens the way for a deeper understanding of impurity-segregated GBs at the atomic level.
Controlling the direction of photogenerated carrier transfer in two-dimensional heterostructures is a longstanding challenge for optoelectronic logic and photocatalysis. Here we show that tensile strain can drive a compl...Controlling the direction of photogenerated carrier transfer in two-dimensional heterostructures is a longstanding challenge for optoelectronic logic and photocatalysis. Here we show that tensile strain can drive a complete inversion of band-edge alignment in type-II transition-metal dichalcogenide/transition-metal carbide (TMDC/MXene) heterostructures, reversing the carrier transfer direction without sacrificing efficient charge separation. This unusual behavior originates from opposite orbital responses of the two sublayers: strain lowers the band edges of weakly ionic TMDCs but raises those of strongly ionic MXenes, enabling strain-driven band-alignment inversion. In WSe/ZrCO heterostructures, this mechanism reverses both electron and hole transfer directions while preserving ultrafast femtosecond charge separation and nanosecond carrier lifetimes, as revealed by nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. These results establish strain-driven band-alignment inversion as a general strategy for mechanically programmable control of carrier flow in van der Waals heterostructures.
Ionic-liquid gating enables electrostatic carrier accumulation, allowing transport-based band-edge determination while extending chemical potential into high-density regimes where interaction effects emerge strongly. PtS...Ionic-liquid gating enables electrostatic carrier accumulation, allowing transport-based band-edge determination while extending chemical potential into high-density regimes where interaction effects emerge strongly. PtSe exhibits a pronounced thickness-dependent electronic structure, evolving from a gapped semiconductor in the ultrathin limit to a metallic state in thicker crystals. While the metallic regime has been widely studied, quantitative determination of the transport gap and controlled carrier tuning in the ultrathin semiconducting thickness range require electrostatic access beyond conventional dielectric gating. Here, by using ambipolar ionic liquid-gated transistors, we systematically probe transport in ultrathin PtSe. We extract electrical bandgaps of ∼1.1 eV (2L), ∼0.8 eV (3L), and ∼0.46 eV (4L), followed by complete gap closure at five layers. In 4L PtSe, high carrier densities drive a metal-insulator crossover and reveal distinct temperature-dependent regimes, including Fermi-liquid resistivity, extended -linear behavior, and a low-temperature logarithmic upturn, establishing PtSe as a thickness- and carrier-density-tunable correlated system.
We developed a microfluidic high-throughput screening (HTS) platform for continuous, in situ physicochemical profiling of model lipid membranes, overcoming the limitations of traditional low-throughput methods. By integr...We developed a microfluidic high-throughput screening (HTS) platform for continuous, in situ physicochemical profiling of model lipid membranes, overcoming the limitations of traditional low-throughput methods. By integrating gradient mixing with in-line spectroscopy, the system enables dynamically programmable liposome synthesis across a broad landscape and simultaneous analysis of the membrane interfacial environment (GP) and hydrophobic core fluidity (). We applied this platform to analyze model drug (bupivacaine hydrochloride)-induced perturbations in ternary model membranes. This approach generated 786 composition-resolved physicochemical data points within a single day, enabling high-density mapping of drug-induced membrane perturbations. Therefore, it enables lipid membrane analysis and high-resolution mapping and serves as a platform for composition-resolved analysis of physicochemical perturbations induced by membrane-active compounds.
Conventional ultrafast pulse characterization relies on bulk nonlinear crystals. While effective, these crystals are constrained by strict phase-matching conditions that restrict bandwidth, and their bulky sizes hinder o...Conventional ultrafast pulse characterization relies on bulk nonlinear crystals. While effective, these crystals are constrained by strict phase-matching conditions that restrict bandwidth, and their bulky sizes hinder on-chip integration. Here, we present a plasmonic metasurface platform that addresses these limitations by enabling second-harmonic generation over a subwavelength propagation. Our plasmonic nanoantennas with broken structural symmetry are designed to support a broadband electric-dipole resonance centered around 830 nm. For the first time, we introduce metasurfaces to ultrafast metrology by demonstrating both a metasurface-based interferometric autocorrelator for pulse intensity characterization and interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating for complete intensity-phase characterization. Furthermore, we characterize the device's photothermal resistance under extended pulsed excitation, establishing the operational fluence level for continuous metrology operation. This work paves the way for the development of broadband and chip-scale metrology systems.
Acidic electrocatalytic CO reduction (COR) offers compelling advantages in carbon efficiency and long-term stability. However, mechanistic insights into tandem electrocatalysis in acidic media remain limited due to the d...Acidic electrocatalytic CO reduction (COR) offers compelling advantages in carbon efficiency and long-term stability. However, mechanistic insights into tandem electrocatalysis in acidic media remain limited due to the difficulty of resolving the coupled dynamics of intermediates at reactive interfaces. Here, we unveil a "CH-C-CO" selectivity evolution across composition-graded CuAg tandem catalysts as Ag fraction increases from single-atom alloy to subnanoclusters to nanoparticle clusters. The surface composition simultaneously governs *CO intermediate binding strength and reorients the interfacial water microenvironment to direct local reaction pathways. The product selectivity of CuAg tandem catalysts is dictated by the regulation of *CO spillover from Ag to adjacent Cu domains, favoring either C-C coupling or CO desorption. Our findings establish a unified *CO/*H-centric mechanistic framework for tandem COR electrocatalysis in acidic media, providing compositional design principles for selective multicarbon product generation.
Blue-emitting indium phosphide (InP) nanocrystals remain challenging to synthesize due to poorly controlled nucleation and the difficulties associated with highly curved, ultrasmall structures, which hinder the realizati...Blue-emitting indium phosphide (InP) nanocrystals remain challenging to synthesize due to poorly controlled nucleation and the difficulties associated with highly curved, ultrasmall structures, which hinder the realization of high efficiency and narrow emission. Herein, we report a reductant-activated strategy for the precise regulation of cluster intermediates during nanocrystal growth. Preactivation of safe aminophosphine precursors with a mild reductant generates highly reactive magic-sized clusters (MSC-R), which can be directed along two distinct synthetic pathways. Surface passivation with NHPF yields deep-blue clusters with a record photoluminescence quantum yield of 32.6% and excellent stability, whereas treatment with 1-dodecanethiol induces rapid dissolution-renucleation into InP quantum dots exhibiting narrow emission (full width at half-maximum ≈ 38 nm). This work establishes active intermediate engineering as a powerful approach to control nucleation pathways and advance high-performance, cadmium-free blue emitters.
Tellurene, covalently bonded tellurium (Te) atoms, is one of the most chemically tractable materials in the low-dimensional community. However, the monoelemental nature and structural simplicity limit synthesis-accessibl...Tellurene, covalently bonded tellurium (Te) atoms, is one of the most chemically tractable materials in the low-dimensional community. However, the monoelemental nature and structural simplicity limit synthesis-accessible tellurene merely in the β-phase, assembled by helical Te chains with a trigonal lattice. The nonplanar structure confines tellurene at the micrometer scale and poses technological challenges toward van der Waals integrations. Here, we report an ultraflat phase of tellurene, named as θ-tellurene, over the centimeter scale via a buffer-assisted epitaxial method on the Au(100) crystal. Such a tellurene phase possesses well-aligned flat-lying 1D Te chains in monatomic zigzag configuration, as verified by scanning tunneling microscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations. Ultraflat θ-tellurene evolves through extended Ostwald ripening and dissociation-triggered transformation on a Te buffer layer, initiated and controlled by postannealing treatment. θ-Tellurene exhibits an n-type semiconducting behavior with a band gap of ∼1.55 eV and exhibits 2-fold in-plane mirror symmetry.
Conventional sunscreens block ultraviolet B (UVB) but fail to scavenge accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing severe photodamage. Herein, we develop a room-temperature, aqueous coordination strategy that asse...Conventional sunscreens block ultraviolet B (UVB) but fail to scavenge accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing severe photodamage. Herein, we develop a room-temperature, aqueous coordination strategy that assembles metal-polyphenol networks (MPNs) to confine nucleation and growth of metal oxide nanozymes. Utilizing tannic acid coordinated ceria (CeO-TA) as a model system, we achieve programmable regulation of surface oxygen vacancies (O) by adjusting the ligand-to-metal molar ratio. This process involves ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mediated interfacial electron redistribution, resulting in significant enhancements in superoxide dismutase (SOD)- and catalase (CAT)-like activities. This "ligand-unit equivalence" design is universally applicable across diverse polyphenols, yielding highly dispersed and catalytically efficient nanozymes. , topical CeO-TA profoundly scavenges UVB-induced ROS, mitigating acute skin inflammation and preserving the extracellular matrix against photoaging. This work establishes a universal and scalable method for the development of O engineered nanozymes and promotes their integration into next-generation topical sunscreens.
van der Waals twisted bilayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit diverse excitonic phenomena arising from moiré superlattices and lattice reconstruction. While interlayer strain and relaxation reshape their ele...van der Waals twisted bilayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit diverse excitonic phenomena arising from moiré superlattices and lattice reconstruction. While interlayer strain and relaxation reshape their electronic bands, their nanoscale influence on the excitonic fine structure remains poorly understood. Here, we study the interplay between spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and the moiré lattice by probing excitons in H-type twisted (∼8-layer × 8-layer) MoTe using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) at cryogenic temperature. Spatially resolved spectra reveal moiré-site-dependent variations in excitonic absorption, including modulation of the X exciton across the moiré unit cell. We find that SOC in MoTe increases with the twist angle within the studied range (2-4.5°), with the largest value observed at 4°. These findings establish the twist angle as a tunable parameter for SOC via moiré engineering and link local structural relaxation to excitonic fine structure in twisted MoTe.
Two-dimensional hole gases (2DHGs) offer enhanced spin-orbit coupling and correlations, making them attractive for spintronic and quantum devices. Yet, most realizations require complex epitaxial structures and protectiv...Two-dimensional hole gases (2DHGs) offer enhanced spin-orbit coupling and correlations, making them attractive for spintronic and quantum devices. Yet, most realizations require complex epitaxial structures and protective encapsulation, limiting their applicability. Here, we show that a stable 2DHG emerges in Ge(111) upon deposition of a single monolayer of Pt. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals multiple Ge-derived hole subbands, including light-hole-, heavy-hole-, and split-off-like branches with two-dimensional dispersion, effective masses enhanced by a factor of about 3.5 compared to bulk Ge, and a spin-orbit splitting of about 0.3 eV. Remarkably, the subsurface hole bands persist after air exposure. Transport measurements confirm conductive behavior and hole-type carriers down to cryogenic temperatures. The coexistence of strong spin-orbit interaction and exceptional ambient robustness, combined with CMOS compatibility and without requiring complex heterostructures, gating, or encapsulation, establish Pt/Ge(111) as a versatile platform for correlated phenomena and spintronic and quantum devices.
Developing complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs) combining high flexibility and ultrastrong radiation tolerance features will expand conventional chips into ever-increasing extreme appl...Developing complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs) combining high flexibility and ultrastrong radiation tolerance features will expand conventional chips into ever-increasing extreme applications. Here, we develop a technology to fabricate flexible CMOS field-effect transistors (FETs) and ICs with ultrastrong radiation tolerance based on a semiconducting carbon nanotube (CNT) film via a system technology co-optimization strategy encompassing materials, fabrication process, device structure, circuit architecture, and passivation/encapsulation. The fabricated CNT CMOS FETs exhibit high and symmetric performances, excellent flexibility, and especially recorded radiation tolerance to total ionizing doses up to 24 Mrad (Si), and then flexible and strong radiation-tolerant ICs including inverters, ring oscillators, and static random-access memory cells have been demonstrated. Notably, high-energy irradiation introduces two competing effects where it causes damage but also reduces gate interface state density to improve the performance of the ICs. These findings position flexible CNT CMOS technology as a promising candidate for use in electronics in extreme environments.
Thermally responsive optical materials attract wide applications in information encryption, smart sensors, and intelligent interfaces. However, simultaneously achieving optical switching and multimodal responsiveness wit...Thermally responsive optical materials attract wide applications in information encryption, smart sensors, and intelligent interfaces. However, simultaneously achieving optical switching and multimodal responsiveness with long-term stability remains a challenge. Herein, we develop a thermochromic wood veneer (TWV) that integrates characteristics of color-transparency switching with multimodal thermal activation. This is achieved by incorporating thermochromic microcapsules into a porous wood scaffold and inducing interactions between PVA and cellulose molecules. The resulting TWV exhibits a response temperature about 31 °C in ambient conditions, favorable cyclic stability over 500 thermal cycles, and superior tolerant temperature (-196 °C to 100 °C). Moreover, TWV demonstrates multicolor-transparency switching and diverse thermal activation modalities, including bulk heating, heat transfer printing, and lithography printing. Leveraging the advancement of wood nanotechnology, this work establishes an insight into developing optical and thermal dynamic-response devices from natural resources for advanced applications, such as heat transfer/lithography printing, information encryption/decryption, and smart sensors and tags.