Magnesium alloys as alternative anode materials for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries:Review on the alloying phase and reaction mechanisms

Magnesium-ion batteries(MIBs)are promising candidates for lithium-ion batteries because of their abundance,non-toxicity,and favorable electrochemical properties.This review explores the reaction mechanisms and electrochemical characteristics of Mg-alloy anode materials.While Mg metal anodes provide high volumetric capacity and dendrite-free electrodeposition,their practical application is hindered by challenges such as sluggish Mg^(2+)ion diffusion and electrolyte compatibility.Alloy-type anodes that incorporate groups XIII,XIV,and XV elements have the potential to overcome these limitations.We review various Mg alloys,emphasizing their alloying/dealloying reaction mechanisms,their theoretical capacities,and the practical aspects of MIBs.Furthermore,we discuss the influence of the electrolyte composition on the reversibility and efficiency of these alloy anodes.Emphasis is placed on overcoming current limitations through innovative materials and structural engineering.This review concludes with perspectives on future research directions aimed at enhancing the performance and commercial viability of Mg alloy anodes and contributing to the development of high-capacity,safe,and cost-effective energy storage systems.

Nanotechnology and bio-functionalisation for peripheral nerve regeneration

There is a high clinical demand for new smart biomaterials, which stimulate neuronal cell proliferation, migration and increase cell-material interaction to facilitate nerve regeneration across these critical-sized defects. This article briefly reviews several up-to-date published studies using Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid peptide sequence, nanocomposite based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticle and nanofibrous scaffolds as promising strategies to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration by influencing cellular behaviour such as attachment, spreading and proliferation. The aim is to establish the potent manipulations, which are simple and easy to employ in the clinical conditions for nerve regeneration and repair.

Defect mediated losses and degradation of perovskite solar cells:Origin impacts and reliable characterization techniques

The rapid advancement of halide-based hybrid perovskite materials has garnered significant research attention,particularly in the domain of photovoltaic technology.Owing to their exceptional optoelec-tronic properties,they demonstrated power conversion efficiency(PcE)of over 25%in single junction solar cells.Despite the notable progress in PCE over the past decade,the inherent high defect density pre-senting in perovskite materials gives rise to several loss mechanisms and associated ion migration in per-ovskite solar cells(PsCs)during operational conditions.These factors collectively contribute to a significant stability challenge in PsCs,placing their longevity far behind for commercialization.While numerous reports have explored defects,ion migration,and their impacts on device performance,a com-prehensive correlation between the types of defects and the degradation kinetics of perovskite materials and PsCs has been lacking.In this context,this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the origins of defects and ion migration,emphasizing their correlation with the degradation kinetics of per-ovskite materials and PsCs,leveraging reliable characterization techniques.Furthermore,these charac-terization techniques are intended to comprehend loss mechanisms by different passivation approaches to enhance the durability and PCE of PSCs.

Advances in regenerative therapies for spinal cord injury:a biomaterials approach

Spinal cord injury results in the permanent loss of function, causing enormous personal, social and economic problems. Even though neural regeneration has been proven to be a natural mech- anism, central nervous system repair mechanisms are ineffective due to the imbalance of the inhibitory and excitatory factors implicated in neuroregeneration. Therefore, there is growing re- search interest on discovering a novel therapeutic strategy for effective spinal cord injury repair. To this direction, cell-based delivery strategies, biomolecule delivery strategies as well as scaf- fold-based therapeutic strategies have been developed with a tendency to seek for the answer to a combinatorial approach of all the above. Here we review the recent advances on regenerativel neural engineering therapies for spinal cord injury, aiming at providing an insight to the most promising repair strategies, in order to facilitate future research conduction.

Spatially Bandgap-Graded Mo S2（1-x）Se2x Homojunctions for Self-Powered Visible–Near-Infrared Phototransistors

Ternary transition metal dichalcogenide alloys with spatially graded bandgaps are an emerging class of two-dimensional materials with unique features,which opens up new potential for device applications.Here,visible–near-infrared and self-powered phototransistors based on spatially bandgap-graded MoS2(1−x)Se2x alloys,synthesized by a simple and controllable chemical solution deposition method,are reported.The graded bandgaps,arising from the spatial grading of Se composition and thickness within a single domain,are tuned from 1.83 to 1.73 eV,leading to the formation of a homojunction with a builtin electric field.Consequently,a strong and sensitive gate-modulated photovoltaic effect is demonstrated,enabling the homojunction phototransistors at zero bias to deliver a photoresponsivity of 311 mA W−1,a specific detectivity up to^10^11 Jones,and an on/off ratio up to^10^4.Remarkably,when illuminated by the lights ranging from 405 to 808 nm,the biased devices yield a champion photoresponsivity of 191.5 A W−1,a specific detectivity up to^1012 Jones,a photoconductive gain of 10^6–10^7,and a photoresponsive time in the order of^50 ms.These results provide a simple and competitive solution to the bandgap engineering of two-dimensional materials for device applications without the need for p–n junctions.

Evaluation of Novel 3D Architectures Based on Knitting Technologies for Engineering Biological Tissues

Textile-based technologies are considered as potential routes for the production of 3D porous architectures for tissue engineering( TE) applications. We describe the use of two polymers,namely polybutylene succinate( PBS) and silk fibroin(SF) to produce fiber-based finely tuned porous architectures by weft and warp knittings. The obtained knitted constructs are described in terms of their morphology, mechanical properties,swelling ability,degradation behaviour,and cytotoxicity. Each type of polymer fibers allows for the processing of a very reproducible intra-architectural scaffold geometry,with distinct characteristics in terms of the surface physicochemistry,mechanical performance,and degradation capability,which has an impact on the resulting cell behaviour at the surface of the respective biotextiles. Preliminary cytotoxicity screening shows that both materials can support cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, different surface modifications were performed( acid /alkaline treatment, UV radiation,and plasma) for modulating cell behavior. An increase of cell-material interactions were observed,indicating the important role of materials surface in the first hours of culturing. Human adipose-derived stem cells( hASCs) became an emerging possibility for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement therapies. The potential of the recently developed silk-based biotextile structures to promote hASCs adhesion,proliferation,and differentiation is also evaluated. The obtained results validate the developed constructs as viable matrices for TE applications. Given the processing efficacy and versatility of the knitting technology, and the interesting structural and surface properties of the proposed polymer fibers,it is foreseen that our developed systems can be attractive for the functional engineering of tissues such as bone,skin,ligaments or cartilage and also for develop more complex systems for further industrialization of TE products.

Gradient-induced long-range optical pulling force based on photonic band gap

Optical pulling provides a new degree of freedom in optical manipulation.It is generally believed that long-range optical pulling forces cannot be generated by the gradient of the incident field.Here,we theoretically propose and numerically demonstrate the realization of a long-range optical pulling force stemming from a self-induced gradient field in the manipulated object.In analogy to potential barriers in quantum tunnelling,we use a photonic band gap design in order to obtain the intensity gradients inside a manipulated object placed in a photonic crystal waveguide,thereby achieving a pulling force.Unlike the usual scattering-type optical pulling forces,the proposed gradient-field approach does not require precise elimination of the reflection from the manipulated objects.In particular,the Einstein-Laub formalism is applied to design this unconventional gradient force.The magnitude of the force can be enhanced by a factor of up to 50 at the optical resonance of the manipulated object in the waveguide,making it insensitive to absorption.The developed approach helps to break the limitation of scattering forces to obtain longrange optical pulling for manipulation and sorting of nanoparticles and other nano-objects.The developed principle of using the band gap to obtain a pulling force may also be applied to other types of waves,such as acoustic or water waves,which are important for numerous applications.

Microbially-mediated formation of Ca-Fe carbonates during dissimilatory ferrihydrite reduction:Implications for the origin of sedimentary ankerite

The origin of sedimentary dolomite has become a long-standing problem in the Earth Sciences.Some carbonate minerals like ankerite have the same crystal structure as dolomite,hence their genesis may provide clues to help solving the dolomite problem.The purpose of this study was to probe whether microbial activity can be involved in the formation of ankerite.Bio-carbonation experiments associated with microbial iron reduction were performed in batch systems with various concentrations of Ca^(2+)(0–20 mmol/L),with a marine iron-reducing bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3 as the reaction mediator,and with lactate and ferrihydrite as the respective electron donor and acceptor.Our biomineralization data showed that Ca-amendments expedited microbially-mediated ferrihydrite reduction by enhancing the adhesion between WP3 cells and ferrihydrite particles.After bioreduction,siderite occurred as the principal secondary mineral in the Ca-free systems.Instead,Ca-Fe carbonates were formed when Ca^(2+)ions were present.The CaCO_(3) content of microbially-induced Ca-Fe carbonates was positively correlated with the initial Ca2+concentration.The Ca-Fe carbonate phase produced in the 20 mmol/L Ca-amended biosystems had a chemical formula of Ca_(0.8)Fe_(1.2)(CO_(3))_(2),which is close to the theoretical composition of ankerite.This ankeritelike phase was nanometric in size and spherical,Ca-Fe disordered,and structurally defective.Our simulated diagenesis experiments further demonstrated that the resulting ankerite-like phase could be converted into ordered ankerite under hydrothermal conditions.We introduced the term“proto-ankerite”to define the Ca-Fe phases that possess near-ankerite stoichiometry but disordered cation arrangement.On the basis of the present study,we proposed herein that microbial activity is an important contributor to the genesis of sedimentary ankerite by providing the metastable Ca-Fe carbonate precursors.

Integrated Stratigraphy and Mineralogy of the Doushantuo Formation in Weng’an,South China,and Implications for Ediacaran Phosphogenesis

The Ediacaran–Cambrian Phosphogenic Episode is the Earth’s first true phosphogenic event and resulted in worldwide phosphate deposits,which occurred during the processes of the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event.The Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation(ca.635–551 Ma)of Weng’an area in central Guizhou,South China,contains two economic phosphorite beds(the Lower and Upper Phosphorite Beds).This paper presents a detailed stratigraphic,sedimentological and mineralogical study of multiple outcrop and drill core sections of the Doushantuo Formation across the Weng’an area,and identified 11 lithofacies and 4 types of phosphatic grains.Significant differences in lithofacies and grain types between the upper and lower phosphate deposits are observed,indicating that the two sets of phosphate deposits are the products of two distinct phosphogenic processes.The Lower Phosphorite Bed mainly consists of banded and laminated phosphorites,contains micro-oncoids formed by microbially-mediated precipitation and peloids formed by in-situ chemically oscillating reactions,indicating a biochemical and chemical enrichment of phosphorus to sediments during the Early Ediacaran Period.The Upper Phosphorite Bed is mainly composed of carbonaceous,massive,and stromatolitic phosphorites,contains bioclasts(phosphatized spheroidal fossils),and intraclasts formed by hydrodynamic agitation,suggesting that the major accesses of phosphorus to sediments were the remineralization of organic P.Deposition of the two economic phosphorite beds was controlled by two sea-level cycles.Such differences have also been documented in contemporaneous phosphate-bearing successions in Brazil and Mangolia,indicating a significant shift in global phosphogenic mechanism during the early and middle Ediacaran,which may be due to the changes in redox conditions in seawater,associated with the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event.These regional active P-cycle processes could produce more free oxygen,which may have contributed to the upcoming Phanerozoic global oxidation.

Printable organic light-emitting diodes for next-generation visible light communications:a review

Visible light communication(VLC)is an emerging technology employing light-emitting diodes(LEDs)to provide illumination and wireless data transmission simultaneously.Harnessing cost-efficient printable organic LEDs(OLEDs)as environmentally friendly transmitters in VLC systems is extremely attractive for future applications in spectroscopy,the internet of things,sensing,and optical ranging in general.Here,we summarize the latest research progress on emerging semiconductor materials for LED sources in VLC,and highlight that OLEDs based on nontoxic and cost-efficient organic semiconductors have great opportunities for optical communication.We further examine efforts to achieve high-performance white OLEDs for general lighting,and,in particular,focus on the research status and opportunities for OLED-based VLC.Different solution-processable fabrication and printing strategies to develop high-performance OLEDs are also discussed.Finally,an outlook on future challenges and potential prospects of the next-generation organic VLC is provided.

Current progress in use of adipose derived stem cells in peripheral nerve regeneration

Unlike central nervous system neurons; those in the peripheral nervous system have the potential for full regeneration after injury. Following injury, recovery is controlled by schwann cells which replicate and modulate the subsequent immune response. The level of nerve recovery is strongly linked to the severity of the initial injury despite the significant advancements in imaging and surgical techniques. Multiple experimental model shave been used with varying successes to augment the natural regenerative processes which occur following nerve injury. Stem cell therapy in peripheral nerve injury may be an important future intervention to improve the best attainable clinical results. In particular adipose derived stem cells(ADSCs) are multipotent mesenchymal stem cells similar to bone marrow derived stem cells, which are thought to have neurotrophic properties and the ability to differentiate into multiple lineages. They are ubiquitous within adipose tissue; they can form many structures resembling the mature adult peripheral nervous system. Following early in vitro work; multiple small and large animal in vivo models have been used in conjunction with conduits, autografts and allografts to successfully bridge the peripheral nerve gap. Some of the ADSC related neuroprotective and regenerative properties have been elucidated however much work remains before a model can be used successfully in human peripheral nerve injury(PNI). This review aims to provide a detailed overview of progress made in the use of ADSC in PNI, with discussion on the role of a tissue engineered approach for PNI repair.

Role of nanotopography in the development of tissue engineered 3D organs and tissues using mesenchymal stem cells

Recent regenerative medicine and tissue engineering strategies(using cells, scaffolds, medical devices and gene therapy) have led to fascinating progress of translation of basic research towards clinical applications. In the past decade, great deal of research has focused on developing various three dimensional(3D) organs, such as bone, skin, liver, kidney and ear,using such strategies in order to replace or regenerate damaged organs for the purpose of maintaining or restoring organs' functions that may have been lost due to aging, accident or disease. The surface properties of a material or a device are key aspects in determining the success of the implant in biomedicine, as the majority of biological reactions in human body occur on surfaces or interfaces. Furthermore, it has been established in the literature that cell adhesion and proliferation are, to a great extent, influenced by the micro- and nanosurface characteristics of biomaterials and devices. In addition, it has been shown that the functions of stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells in particular, could be regulated through physical interaction with specific nanotopographical cues. Therefore, guided stem cell proliferation, differentiation and function are of great importance in the regeneration of 3D tissues and organs using tissue engineering strategies. This review will provide an update on the impact of nanotopography on mesenchymal stem cells for the purpose of developing laboratory-based 3D organs and tissues, as well as the most recent research and case studies on this topic.

Characterization and optimization of EPSproducing and diesel oil-degrading Ochrobactrum anthropi MP3 isolated from refinery wastewater

Petroleum refinery wastewater （PRW） containing hydrocarbon is highly toxic to the environment and the surrounding ecosystem. Proper treatment of the PRW effluent is necessary to remove the pollutants before discharge. Bioremediation is considered to be a promising approach as it is eco- friendly and efficient. The exopolysaccharide （EPS） produced by the O. anthropi acts as a bioemulsifier and showed the highest emulsification activity of 60% on diesel. An EPS yield of about 0.42 g/L was obtained under optimized conditions. The carbohydrate and protein content of the EPS was found to be 71.1% and 19.7% respectively, showing the glycoprotein nature. The structural properties of EPS were analyzed by FT-IR and 1H NMR. The batch degradation of oil in PRW by O. anthropi was studied gravimetrically, and showed about 53% degradation in 7 days, indicating the strong ability of the isolated strain to degrade the hydrocarbons in PRW.

Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

Stem cells are capable of long-term self-renewal and differentiation into specialised cell types, making them an ideal candidate for a cell source for regenerative medicine. The control of stem cell fate has become a major area of interest in the field of regenerative medicine and therapeutic intervention. Conventional methods of chemically inducing stem cells into specific lineages is being challenged by the advances in biomaterial technology, with evidence highlighting that material properties are capable of driving stem cell fate. Materials are being designed to mimic the clues stem cells receive in their in vivo stem cell niche including topographical and chemical instructions. Nanotopographical clues that mimic the extracellular matrix(ECM) in vivo have shown to regulate stem cell differentiation. The delivery of ECM components on biomaterials in the form of short peptides sequences has also proved successful in directing stem cell lineage. Growth factors responsible for controlling stem cell fate in vivo have also been delivered via biomaterials to provide clues to determine stem cell differentiation. An alternative approach to guide stem cells fate is to provide genetic clues including delivering DNA plasmids and small interfering RNAs via scaffolds. This review, aims to provide an overview of the topographical, chemical and molecular clues that biomaterials can provide to guide stem cell fate. The promising features and challenges of such approaches will be highlighted, to provide directions for future advancements in this exciting area of stem cell translation for regenerative medicine.

Reusing oxide-based pulverised fly ash and medical waste particles to develop electroless nickel composite coatings(Ni–P/fly ash and Ni–P/SiO2–Al2O3)

Recycling and reusing materials from waste have become a nexus in the development of sustainable materials,leading to more balanced technologies.In this study,we developed a composite coating by co-depositing recycled ceramic particles,pulverised fly ash(PFA)and medical ceramics(MC),into a nickel–phosphorus matrix using a typical electroless plating process.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images indicated well-dispersed particles in the Ni–P matrix.However,compared with the MC particles,the PFA particles were distributed scantily with a lower content in the matrix,which could be due to the less impingement effect during the co-deposition.A modified microstructure with refined grains was obtained for the PFA-incorporated composite coating,as seen in the SEM micrograph.The X-ray diffraction result of the MC-incorporated composite coating showed the formation of Nix Siy phases in addition to the typical Ni3 P phases for the heattreated electroless Ni–P coatings.Upon heat treatment,the PFA-reinforced composite coating,due to a modified microstructure,exhibited a higher microhardness up to HK0.05818,which is comparable to that of the traditional SiC particle-embedded composite coating(HK0.05825).The findings can potentially open up a new strategy to further advance the green approach for industrial surface engineering.

Topological transformation and free-space transport of photonic hopfions

Structured light fields embody strong spatial variations of polarization,phase,and amplitude.Understanding,characterization,and exploitation of such fields can be achieved through their topological properties.Three-dimensional(3D)topological solitons,such as hopfions,are 3D localized continuous field configurations with nontrivial particle-like structures that exhibit a host of important topologically protected properties.Here,we propose and demonstrate photonic counterparts of hopfions with exact characteristics of Hopf fibration,Hopf index,and Hopf mapping from real-space vector beams to homotopic hyperspheres representing polarization states.We experimentally generate photonic hopfions with on-demand high-order Hopf indices and independently controlled topological textures,including Néel-,Bloch-,and antiskyrmionic types.We also demonstrate a robust free-space transport of photonic hopfions,thus showing the potential of hopfions for developing optical topological informatics and communications.

A Self‑Powered Piezoelectric Nanofibrous Membrane as Wearable Tactile Sensor for Human Body Motion Monitoring and Recognition

Wearable sensors have drawn vast interest for their convenience to be worn on body to monitor and track body movements or exercise activities in real time.However,wearable electronics rely on powering systems to function.Herein,a self-powered,porous,flexible,hydrophobic and breathable nanofibrous membrane based on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)nanofiber has been developed as a tactile sensor with low-cost and simple fabrication for human body motion detection and recognition.Specifically,effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes(CNT)and barium titanate(BTO)as additives to the fiber morphology as well as mechanical and dielectric properties of the piezoelectric nanofiber membrane were investigated.The fabricated BTO@PVDF piezoelectric nanogenerator(PENG)exhibits the highβ-phase content and best overall electrical performances,thus selected for the flexible sensing device assembly.Meanwhile,the nanofibrous membrane demonstrated robust tactile sensing performance that the device exhibits durability over 12,000 loading test cycles,holds a fast response time of 82.7 ms,responds to a wide pressure range of 0-5 bar and shows a high relative sensitivity,especially in the small force range of 11.6 V/bar upon pressure applied perpendicular to the surface.Furthermore,when attached on human body,its unique fibrous and flexible structure offers the tactile sensor to present as a health care monitor in a self-powered manner by translating motions of different movements to electrical signals with various patterns or sequences.

Electromagnetic chirality-induced negative refraction with the same amplitude and anti-phase of the two chirality coefficients

This paper suggests a scheme of electromagnetic chirality-induced negative refraction utilizing magneto-lectric cross coupling in a four-level atomic system. The negative refraction can be achieved with the two chirality coefficients having the same amplitude but the opposite phase, without requiring the simultaneous presence of an electric-dipole and a magnetic-dipole transition near the same transition frequency.

Negative refractive index in a four-level atomic system

A closed four-level system in atomic vapour is proposed, which is made to possess left handedness by using the technique of quantum coherence. The density matrix method is utilized in view of the rotating-wave approximation and the effect of a local field in dense gas. The numerical simulation result shows that the negative permittivity and the negative permeability of the medium can be achieved simultaneously （i.e. the left handedness） in a wider frequency band under appropriate parameter conditions. Furthermore, when analysing the dispersion property of the left-handed material, we can find that the probe beam propagation can be controlled from superluminal to subluminal, or vice versa via changing the detuning of the probe field.

Reliability of organic light-emitting diodes in low-temperature environment

Organic light-emitting diode(OLED)is an electroluminescent technology that relies on charge-carrier dynamics and is a potential light source for variable environmental conditions.Here,by exploiting a self-developed low-temperature testing system,we investigated the characteristics of hole/electron transport,electro-optic conversion efficiency,and operation lifetime of OLEDs at low-temperature ranging from-40℃to 0℃and room temperature(25℃).Compared to devices operating at room temperature,the carrier transport capability is significantly decreased with reducing temperature,and especially the mobility of the hole-transporting material(HTM)and electron-transporting material(ETM)at-40℃decreases from 1.16×10-6 cm2/V·s and 2.60×10-4 cm2/V·s to 6.91×10-9 cm2/V·s and 1.44×10-5 cm2/V·s,respectively.Indeed,the temperature affects differently on the mobilities of HTM and ETM,which favors unbalanced charge-carrier transport and recombination in OLEDs,thereby leading to the maximum current efficiency decreased from 6.46 cd·A-1 at 25℃to 2.74 cd·A-1 at-40℃.In addition,blue fluorescent OLED at-20℃has an above 56%lifetime improvement(time to 80%of the initial luminance)over the reference device at room temperature,which is attributed to efficiently dissipating heat generated inside the device by the low-temperature environment.