Chemical Scissors Tailored Nano‑Tellurium with High‑Entropy Morphology for Efficient Foam‑Hydrogel‑Based Solar Photothermal Evaporators

The development of tellurium(Te)-based semiconductor nanomaterials for efficient light-to-heat conversion may offer an effective means of harvesting sunlight to address global energy concerns.However,the nanosized Te(nano-Te)materials reported to date suffer from a series of drawbacks,including limited light absorption and a lack of surface structures.Herein,we report the preparation of nano-Te by electrochemical exfoliation using an electrolyzable room-temperature ionic liquid.Anions,cations,and their corresponding electrolytic products acting as chemical scissors can precisely intercalate and functionalize bulk Te.The resulting nano-Te has high morphological entropy,rich surface functional groups,and broad light absorption.We also constructed foam hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/nano-Te,which achieved an evaporation rate and energy efficiency of 4.11 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)and 128%,respectively,under 1 sun irradiation.Furthermore,the evaporation rate was maintained in the range 2.5-3.0 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)outdoors under 0.5-1.0 sun,providing highly efficient evaporation under low light conditions.

Mitochondrial components transferred by MSC-derived exosomes promoted bone regeneration under high salt microenvironment via DRP1/Wnt signaling

Bone homeostasis relies on the dynamic balance of osteoblast mediated bone construction and osteoclast-based bone resorption processes,which has been reported to be controlled by various mineral ions.However,there is no direct evidence of the effect and the underlying mechanism of high salt stimulation on bone metabolism.In this study,we demonstrated that high salt stimulation promoted excessive mitochondrial fission mediated by dynamin-related protein 1 in mesenchymal stem cells,which resulted in impaired mitochondrial morphology and function.Consequently,this impairment hindered the bone formation of mesenchymal stem cells,resulting in osteopenia in mice.Mechanically,the impaired property of mesenchymal stem cells which was caused by high salt was controlled by dynamin-related protein 1 mediated mitochondrial fission,which inhibited the classical Wnt signaling pathway.Furthermore,the osteogenic property of mesenchymal stem cells decreased by high salt could be restored by exosomes to transfer the mitochondrial DNA into the impaired mesenchymal stem cells.This study provides not only new strategies for promoting bone regeneration but also new insights into the effect and mechanism of exosome-mediated delivery.

Bone-inspired(GNEC/HAPAAm)hydrogel with fatigue-resistance for use in underwater robots and highly piezoresistive sensors

A novel bone-inspired fatigue-resistant hydrogel with excellent mechanical and piezoresistive properties was developed,and it exhibited great potential as a load and strain sensor for underwater robotics and daily monitoring.The hydrogel was created by using the high edge density and aspect ratio of graphene nanosheet-embedded carbon(GNEC)nanomaterials to form a three-dimensional conductive network and prevent the expansion of microcracks in the hydrogel system.Multiscale progressive enhancement of the organic hydrogels(micrometer scale)was realized with inorganic graphene nanosheets(nanometer scale).The graphene nanocrystals inside the GNEC film exhibited good electron transport properties,and the increased distances between the graphene nanocrystals inside the GNEC film caused by external forces increased the resistance,so the hydrogel was highly sensitive and suitable for connection to a loop for sensing applications.The hydrogels obtained in this work exhibited excellent mechanical properties,such as tensile properties(strain up to 1685%)and strengths(stresses up to 171 kPa),that make them suitable for use as elastic retraction devices in robotics and provide high sensitivities(150 ms)for daily human monitoring.

Two-Dimensional Borophene:Properties,Fabrication,and Promising Applications

Monoelemental two-dimensional(2D)materials(Xenes)aroused a tremendous attention in 2D science owing to their unique properties and extensive applications.Borophene,one emerging and typical Xene,has been regarded as a promising agent for energy,sensor,and biomedical applications.However,the production of borophene is still a challenge because bulk boron has rather intricate spatial structures and multiple chemical properties.In this review,we describe its excellent properties including the optical,electronic,metallic,semiconducting,photoacoustic,and photothermal properties.The fabrication methods of borophene are also presented including the bottom-up fabrication and the top-down fabrication.In the end,the challenges of borophene in the latest applications are presented and perspectives are discussed.