An Environment‑Tolerant Ion‑Conducting Double‑Network Composite Hydrogel for High‑Performance Flexible Electronic Devices

High-performance ion-conducting hydrogels(ICHs)are vital for developing flexible electronic devices.However,the robustness and ion-conducting behavior of ICHs deteriorate at extreme tempera-tures,hampering their use in soft electronics.To resolve these issues,a method involving freeze–thawing and ionizing radiation technology is reported herein for synthesizing a novel double-network(DN)ICH based on a poly(ionic liquid)/MXene/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PMP DN ICH)system.The well-designed ICH exhibits outstanding ionic conductivity(63.89 mS cm^(-1) at 25℃),excellent temperature resistance(-60–80℃),prolonged stability(30 d at ambient temperature),high oxidation resist-ance,remarkable antibacterial activity,decent mechanical performance,and adhesion.Additionally,the ICH performs effectively in a flexible wireless strain sensor,thermal sensor,all-solid-state supercapacitor,and single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator,thereby highlighting its viability in constructing soft electronic devices.The highly integrated gel structure endows these flexible electronic devices with stable,reliable signal output performance.In particular,the all-solid-state supercapacitor containing the PMP DN ICH electrolyte exhibits a high areal specific capacitance of 253.38 mF cm^(-2)(current density,1 mA cm^(-2))and excellent environmental adaptability.This study paves the way for the design and fabrication of high-performance mul-tifunctional/flexible ICHs for wearable sensing,energy-storage,and energy-harvesting applications.

Tuning electronic structure of RuO_(2)by single atom Zn and oxygen vacancies to boost oxygen evolution reaction in acidic medium

The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct activity-stability trade-off model is full of significance but challenging.Herein,a single atom Zn stabilized RuO_(2)with enriched oxygen vacancies(SA Zn-RuO_(2))is developed as a promising alternative to iridium oxide for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Compared with commercial RuO_(2),the enhanced Ru–O bond strength of SA Zn-RuO_(2)by forming Zn-O-Ru local structure motif is favorable to stabilize surface Ru,while the electrons transferred from Zn single atoms to adjacent Ru atoms protects the Ru active sites from overoxidation.Simultaneously,the optimized surrounding electronic structure of Ru sites in SA ZnRuO_(2)decreases the adsorption energies of OER intermediates to reduce the reaction barrier.As a result,the representative SA Zn-RuO_(2)exhibits a low overpotential of 210 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(-2)and a greatly enhanced durability than commercial RuO_(2).This work provides a promising dual-engineering strategy by coupling single atom doping and vacancy for the tradeoff of high activity and catalytic stability toward acidic OER.

Introducing hydroxyl groups to tailor the d-band center of Ir atom through side anchoring for boosted ORR and HER

Tuning the coordination atoms of central metal is an effective means to improve the electrocatalytic activity of atomic catalysts.Herein,iridium(Ir) is proposed to be asymmetrically anchored by sp-N and pyridinic N of hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne(HsGDY),and coordinated with OH as an Ir atomic catalyst(Ir_(1)-N-HsGDY).The electron structures,especially the d-band center of Ir atom,are optimized by these specific coordination atoms.Thus,the as-synthesized Ir_(1)-N-HsGDY exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performances for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions in both acidic and alkaline media.Benefiting from the unique structure of HsGDY,IrN_(2)(OH)_(3) has been developed and demonstrated to act as the active site in these electrochemical reactions.All those indicate the fresh role of the sp-N in graphdiyne in producing a new anchor way and contributing to promote the electrocatalytic activity,showing a new strategy to design novel electrochemical catalysts.

A Generic Strategy to Create Mechanically Interlocked Nanocomposite/Hydrogel Hybrid Electrodes for Epidermal Electronics

Stretchable electronics are crucial enablers for next-generation wearables intimately integrated into the human body.As the primary compliant conductors used in these devices,metallic nanostructure/elastomer composites often struggle to form conformal contact with the textured skin.Hybrid electrodes have been consequently developed based on conductive nanocomposite and soft hydrogels to establish seamless skin-device interfaces.However,chemical modifications are typically needed for reliable bonding,which can alter their original properties.To overcome this limitation,this study presents a facile fabrication approach for mechanically interlocked nanocomposite/hydrogel hybrid electrodes.In this physical process,soft microfoams are thermally laminated on silver nanowire nanocomposites as a porous interface,which forms an interpenetrating network with the hydrogel.The microfoam-enabled bonding strategy is generally compatible with various polymers.The resulting interlocked hybrids have a 28-fold improved interfacial toughness compared to directly stacked hybrids.These electrodes achieve firm attachment to the skin and low contact impedance using tissue-adhesive hydrogels.They have been successfully integrated into an epidermal sleeve to distinguish hand gestures by sensing mus-cle contractions.Interlocked nanocomposite/hydrogel hybrids reported here offer a promising platform to combine the benefits of both materials for epidermal devices and systems.

Investigation on taste characteristics and sensory perception of soft-boiled chicken during oral processing based on electronic tongue and electronic nose

The sensory perception of food is a dynamic process,which is closely related to the release of flavor substances during oral processing.It’s not only affected by the food material,but also subjected to the individual oral environment.To explore the oral processing characteristics of soft-boiled chicken,the sensory properties,texture,particle size,viscosity,characteristic values of electronic nose and tongue of different chicken samples were investigated.The correlation analysis showed that the physical characteristics especially the cohesiveness,springiness,resilience of the sample determined oral processing behavior.The addition of chicken skin played a role in lubrication during oral processing.The particle size of the bolus was heightened at the early stage,and the fluidity was enhanced in the end,which reduced the chewing time to the swallowing point and raised the aromatic compounds signal of electronic nose.But the effect of chicken skin on chicken thigh with relatively high fat content,was opposite in electronic nose,which had a certain masking effect on the perception of umami and sweet taste.In conclusion,fat played a critical role in chicken oral processing and chicken thigh had obvious advantages in comprehensive evaluation of soft-boiled chicken,which was more popular among people.

Growth mechanism and characteristics of electron drift instability in Hall thruster with different propellant types

The existence of a significant electron drift instability(EDI) in the Hall thruster is considered as one of the possible causes of the abnormal increase in axial electron mobility near the outlet of the channel. In recent years, extensive simulation research on the characteristics of EDI has been conducted, but the excitation mechanism and growth mechanism of EDI in linear stage and nonlinear stage remain unclear. In this work, a one-dimensional PIC model in the azimuthal direction of the thruster near-exit region is established to gain further insights into the mechanism of the EDI in detail, and the effects of different types of propellants on EDI characteristics are discussed. The changes in axial electron transport caused by EDI under different types of propellants and electromagnetic field strengths are also examined. The results indicate that EDI undergoes a short linear growth phase before transitioning to the nonlinear phase and finally reaching saturation through the ion Landau damping. The EDI drives a significant ion heating in the azimuthal direction through electron–ion friction before entering the quasi-steady state, which increases the axial mobility of the electrons. Using lighter atomic weight propellant can effectively suppress the oscillation amplitude of EDI, but it will increase the linear growth rate, frequency, and phase velocity of EDI. Compared with the classical mobility, the axial electron mobility under the EDI increases by three orders of magnitude, which is consistent with experimental phenomena. The change of propellant type is insufficient to significantly change the axial electron mobility. It is also found that the collisions between electrons and neutral gasescan significantly affect the axial electron mobility under the influence of EDI, and lead the strength of the electric field to increase and the strength of the magnetic field to decrease, thereby both effectively suppressing the axial transport of electrons.

Advances in Wireless,Batteryless,Implantable Electronics for Real‑Time,Continuous Physiological Monitoring

This review summarizes recent progress in developing wireless,batteryless,fully implantable biomedical devices for real-time continuous physiological signal monitoring,focusing on advancing human health care.Design considerations,such as biological constraints,energy sourcing,and wireless communication,are discussed in achieving the desired performance of the devices and enhanced interface with human tissues.In addition,we review the recent achievements in materials used for developing implantable systems,emphasizing their importance in achieving multi-functionalities,biocompatibility,and hemocompatibility.The wireless,batteryless devices offer minimally invasive device insertion to the body,enabling portable health monitoring and advanced disease diagnosis.Lastly,we summarize the most recent practical applications of advanced implantable devices for human health care,highlighting their potential for immediate commercialization and clinical uses.

Tuning the electronic conductance of REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,Pr)by structural deformation

Hydride ion(H-)conductors have drawn much attention due to their potential applications in hydrideion-based devices.Rare earth metal hydrides(REH_(x))have fast H-conduction which,unfortunately,is accompanied by detrimental electron conduction preventing their application as ion conductors.Here,REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,and Pr)with varied grain sizes,rich grain boundaries,and defects have been prepared by ball milling and subsequent sintering.The electronic conductivity of the ball-milled REH_(x)samples can be reduced by 2-4 orders of magnitude compared with the non-ball-milled samples.The relationship of electron conduction and miscrostructures in REH_(x)is studied and discussed based on experimental data and previously-proposed classical and quantum theories.The H-conductivity of all REH_(x)is about 10^(-4)to 10^(-3)S cm^(-1)at room temperature,showing promise for the development of H-conductors and their applications in clean energy storage and conversion.

Probing the Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Bismuth Nanoparticles via In-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

The nucleation and growth mechanism of nanoparticles is an important theory,which can guide the preparation of nanomaterials.However,it is still lacking in direct observation on the details of the evolution of intermediate state structure during nucleation and growth.In this work,the evolution process of bismuth nanoparticles induced by electron beam was revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy(TEM)at atomic scale.The experimental results demonstrate that the size,stable surface and crystallographic defect have important influences on the growth of Bi nanoparticles.Two non-classical growth paths including single crystal growth and polycrystalline combined growth,as well as,corresponding layer-by-layer growth mechanism along{012}stable crystal plane of Bi nanoparticles with dodecahedron structure were revealed by in-situ TEM directly.These results provide important guidance and a new approach for in-depth understanding of the nucleation and growth kinetics of nanoparticles.

Design of the electron cyclotron emission diagnostic on EXL-50 spherical torus

The electron cyclotron emission(ECE)diagnostic system has been developed on the ENN spherical torus(EXL-50).The ECE system is designed to detect radiation emitted by energetic electrons,rather than conventional 1D electron temperature profile measurement,in the frequency range of 4-40 GHz.The system is composed of five subsystems,each covering a different frequency band,including the C-band(4-8 GHz),X-band(8-12 GHz),Ku-band(12-18 GHz),K-band(18-26.5 GHz)and Kα-band(26.4-40 GHz).The system uses heterodyne detection to analyze the received signals.The K-band and Kα-band subsystems are located horizontally in the equatorial plane of the EXL-50,while the C-band,X-band and Ku-band subsystems are located under the vacuum vessel of the EXL-50.To direct the microwaves from the plasma to the antennas for the horizontal detection subsystems,a quasi-optical system has been developed.For the vertical detection subsystems,the antennas are directly attached to the port located beneath the torus at R=700 mm,which is also the magnetic axis of the torus.The system integration,bench testing and initial experimental results will be thoroughly discussed,providing a comprehensive understanding of the ECE system s performance and capabilities.

Bioelectronic medicine in modulation of cortical spreading depolarization and beyond

Bioelectronic interventions,specifically trigeminal nerve st imulat ion(TNS),have attracted considerable attention in conditions where cortical spreading depolarizations(CSDs)accompanied by compromised cerebral perfusion may exacerbate neurological damage.While pharmacological interventions have demonstrated initial potential in addressing CSDs,a standardized treatment approach has not yet been established.The objective of this perspective is to explore emerging bioelectronic methodologies for addressing CSDs,particularly emphasizing TNS,and to underscore TNS’s capacity to enhance neurovascular coupling and cerebral perfusion.

Mott Gap Filling by Doping Electrons through Depositing One Sub-Monolayer Thin Film of Rb on Ca_(2)CuO_(2)Cl_(2)

Understanding the doping evolution from a Mott insulator to a superconductor probably holds the key to resolve the mystery of unconventional superconductivity in copper oxides. To elucidate the evolution of the electronic state starting from the Mott insulator, we dose the surface of the parent phase Ca_(2)CuO_(2)Cl_(2) by depositing Rb atoms, which are supposed to donate electrons to the CuO_(2) planes underneath. We successfully achieved the Rb sub-monolayer thin films in forming the square lattice. The scanning tunneling microscopy or spectroscopy measurements on the surface show that the Fermi energy is pinned within the Mott gap but close to the edge of the charge transfer band. In addition, an in-gap state appears at the bottom of the upper Hubbard band(UHB), and the Mott gap will be significantly diminished. Combined with the Cl defect and the Rb adatom/cluster results, the electron doping is likely to increase the spectra weight of the UHB for the double occupancy. Our results provide information to understand the electron doping to the parent compound of cuprates.

Sweat-permeable electronic patches by designing threedimensional liquid diodes

Wearable electronics face a significant challenge related to the limited permeability of electronic materials/devices.This issue results in sweat accumulation across the interface of the device and skin following a specific period of use[1−3].Not only does it bring about discomfort for users regarding thermos-physiology,but it also has a detrimental effect on interface adhesion and signal quality,thus hindering exact sig-nal monitoring during prolonged periods[4−6].

Electron density measurement by the three boundary channels of HCOOH laser interferometer on the HL-3 tokamak

Far-infrared(FIR)interferometer is widely used to measure the electron density in the magnetically confined fusion plasma devices.A new FIR laser interferometer with a total of 13 channels(8 horizontal channels and 5 oblique channels)is under development on the HL-3tokamak by using the formic-acid laser(HCOOH,f=694 GHz).In order to investigate the boundary electron density activity during the divertor discharge,three horizontal interferometry channels located at Z=-97,-76,76.5 cm have been successfully developed on HL-3 in 2023,and put into operation in recent experimental campaign,with a time resolution of<1.0μs and lineintegrated electron density resolution of~7.0×10^(16) m^(-2).This paper mainly focuses on the optical design of the three-channel interferometry system,as well as optical elements and recent experimental result on HL-3.

Calculatons of the Electron Radius

Equating the Rest Mass Energy of a free electron to its Rest Charge Energy we prove that the electron cannot be a dimensionless point particle because if it were dimensionless, it would contain an infinite amount of Rest Charge Energy at the location of its charge since r = 0 gives , which is clearly not possible. Since the electron has no internal structure, equating its Rest Mass Energy to its Rest Charge Energy, we calculate the electron to be a sphere of radius 4.68 × 10-16 meters. We calculate the Electric Field at the surface of the electron due to its charge and the Repulsive Force two electrons in proximity exert on each other.

Low-energy inelastic electron scattering from carbon monoxide:Excitation and de-excitation of the X^(1)Σ^(+),a^(3)Π,a'^(3)∑^(+),A^(1)Π,d^(3)Δ,e^(3)∑^(-),I^(1)∑^(-)and D^(1)Δelectronic states

Cross-sections for electronic excitation and de-excitation among the ground state and lowest-lying seven electronic excited states of carbon monoxide(CO)by low-energy electron impact are computed using the R-matrix method.The excitation cross-sections from the ground state to the electronic states a^(3)Π,a'^(3)Σ^(+)+and A^(1)Πagree with previous experimental and theoretical results.In addition,the cross-sections for the I^(1)Σ^(+)-and D^(1)Δstates of CO,which will cascade to CO a'^(3)Σ^(+)+and A^(1)Πstates,are calculated.Furthermore,in contrast to the typical increase in electronic excitation cross-sections with collision energy,the de-excitation cross-sections show a negative trend with increasing energy.

Observation of parabolic electron bands on superconductor LaRu_(2)As_(2)

Ru-based superconductor LaRu_(2)As_(2) has been discovered exhibiting the highest critical temperature of ~ 7.8 K among iron-free transition metal pnictides with the ThCr_(2)Si_(2)-type crystal structure. However, microscopic research on this novel superconducting material is still lacking. Here, we utilize scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to uncover the superconductivity and surface structure of LaRu_(2)As_(2). Two distinct terminating surfaces are identified on the cleaved crystals, namely, the As surface and the La surface. Atomic missing line defects are observed on the La surface. Both surfaces exhibit a superconducting gap of ~ 1.0 me V. By employing quasiparticle interference techniques, we observe standing wave patterns near the line defects on the La atomic plane. These patterns are attributed to quasiparticle scattering from two electron type parabolic bands.

P-induced electron transfer interaction for enhanced selective hydrogenation rearrangement of furfural to cyclopentanone

Optimizing the intrinsic activity of non-noble metal by precisely tailoring electronic structure offers an appealing way to construct cost-effective catalysts for selective biomass valorization.Herein,we reported a P-doping bifunctional catalyst(Ni-P/mSiO_(2))that achieved 96.6%yield for the hydrogenation rearrangement of furfural to cyclopentanone at mild conditions(1 MPaH_(2),150°C).The turnover frequency of Ni-P/mSiO_(2)was 411.9 h^(-1),which was 3.2-fold than that of Ni/mSiO_(2)(127.2 h^(-1)).Detailed characterizations and differential charge density calculations revealed that the electron-deficient Niδ+species were generated by the electron transfer from Ni to P,which promoted the ring rearrangement reaction.Density functional theory calculations illustrated that the presence of P atoms endowed furfural tilted adsorb on the Ni surface by the C=O group and facilitated the desorption of cyclopentanone.This work unraveled the connection between the localized electronic structures and the catalytic properties,so as to provide a promising reference for designing advanced catalysts for biomass valorization.

The anisotropy of suprathermal electrons in the Martian ionosphere

Suprathermal electrons are an important population of the Martian ionosphere, either produced by photoionization of atmospheric neutrals or supplied from the Solar Wind (SW). This study is dedicated to an in-depth investigation of the pitch angle distribution of suprathermal electrons at two representative energies, 19−55 eV and 124−356 eV, using the extensive measurements made by the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution. Throughout the study, we focus on the overall degree of anisotropy, defined as the standard deviation of suprathermal electron intensity among different directions which is normalized by the mean omni-directional intensity. The available data reveal the following characteristics: (1) In general, low energy electrons are more isotropic than high energy electrons, and dayside electrons are more isotropic than nightside electrons;(2) On the dayside, the anisotropy increases with increasing altitude at low energies but remains roughly constant at high energies, whereas on the nightside, the anisotropy decreases with increasing altitude at all energies;(3) Electrons tend to be more isotropic in strongly magnetized regions than in weakly magnetized regions, especially on the nightside. These observations indicate that the anisotropy is a useful diagnostic of suprathermal electron transport, for which the conversion between the parallel and perpendicular momenta as required by the conservation of the first adiabatic invariant, along with the atmospheric absorption at low altitudes, are two crucial factors modulating the observed variation of the anisotropy. Our analysis also highlights the different roles on the observed anisotropy exerted by suprathermal electrons of different origins.

The influence of boundary conditions on the distribution of energetic electrons during collisionless magnetic reconnection

We conducted 2-D particle-in-cell simulations to investigate the impact of boundary conditions on the evolution of magnetic reconnection. The results demonstrate that the boundary conditions are crucial to this evolution. Specifically, in the cases of traditional periodic boundary(PB) and fully-opened boundary(OB) conditions, the evolutions are quite similar before the system achieves the fastest reconnection rate. However, differences emerge between the two cases afterward. In the PB case, the reconnection electric field experiences a rapid decline and even becomes negative, indicating a reversal of the reconnection process. In contrast, the system maintains a fast reconnection stage in the OB case. Suprathermal electrons are generated near the separatrix and in the exhaust region of both simulation cases. In the electron density depletion layer and the dipolarization front region, a larger proportion of suprathermal electrons are produced in the OB case. Medium-energy electrons are mainly located in the vicinity of the X-line and downstream of the reconnection site in both cases. However, in the OB case, they can also be generated in the electron holes along the separatrix. Before the reverse reconnection stage, no high-energy electrons are present in the PB case. In contrast, about 20% of the electrons in the thin and elongated electron current layer are high-energy in the OB case.