Improving the charge kinetics through in-situ growth of NiSe nanoparticles on g-C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets for efficient hybrid supercapacitors

Nickel selenide(NiSe)has been a promising positive electrode for hybrid supercapacitors due to its multiple oxidation states,tunability,and high specific capacity.However,sluggish ion transfers and particle agglomeration hamper its electrochemical performance.In the present study,we have grown NiSe nanoparticles on two-dimensional(2D)graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))nanosheets to realize three-dimensional(3D)architecture.The 2D support,high nitrogen content,and features of g-C_(3)N_(4)enhanced the specific capacity of the NiSe/g-C_(3)N_(4)nanocomposite material.The resulting nanocomposite shows a specific capacity of 320 mA h g^(-1)at a current density of 1 A g^(-1),which is considerably higher than pristine NiSe.Later,the hybrid supercapacitor(HSC)device was fabricated using NiSe/g-C_(3)N_(4)composite as positive and activated carbon(AC)as negative electrodes.The cell delivered an energy density of 52.5 Wh kg^(-1)at a power density of 1488 W kg^(-1)with excellent cyclic stability of 84.9%over 8000 cycles.The electrochemical performance enhancement corresponds to a 3D structure,high electrochemical active sites,and improved charge transportation at the electrode/electrolyte interface.Thus,the present work offers an easy approach and architectural design for high-performance HSC.

Propagation of kink–antikink pair along microtubules as a control mechanism for polymerization and depolymerization processes

Among many types of proteinaceous filaments, microtubules （MTs） constitute the most rigid components of the cellular cytoskeleton. Microtubule dynamics is essential for many vital cellular processes such as intracellular transport, metabolism, and cell division. We investigate the nonlinear dynamics of inhomogeneous microtubulin systems and the MT dynamics is found to be governed by a perturbed sine-Gordon equation. In the presence of various competing nonlinear inhomogeneities, it is shown that this nonlinear model can lead to the existence of kink and antikink solitons moving along MTs. We demonstrate kink-antikink pair collision in the framework of Hirota＇s bilinearization method. We conjecture that the collisions of the quanta of energy propagating in the form of kinks and antikinks may offer a new view of the mechanism of the retrograde and anterograde transport direction regulation of motor proteins in microtubulin systems.

Peptide self‐assembly as a strategy for facile immobilization of redox enzymes on carbon electrodes

Redox-enzyme‐mediated electrochemical processes such as hydrogen production,nitrogen fixation,and CO_(2) reduction are at the forefront of the green chemistry revolution.To scale up,the inefficient two‐dimensional(2D)immobilization of redox enzymes on working electrodes must be replaced by an efficient dense 3D system.Fabrication of 3D electrodes was demonstrated by embedding enzymes in polymer matrices.However,several requirements,such as simple immobilization,prolonged stability,and resistance to enzyme leakage,still need to be addressed.The study presented here aims to overcome these gaps by immobilizing enzymes in a supramolecular hydrogel formed by the self‐assembly of the peptide hydrogelator fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyldiphenylalanine.Harnessing the self‐assembly process avoids the need for tedious and potentially harmful chemistry,allowing the rapid loading of enzymes on a 3D electrode under mild conditions.Using the[FeFe]hydrogenase enzyme,high enzyme loads,prolonged resistance against electrophoresis,and highly efficient hydrogen production are demonstrated.Further,this enzyme retention is shown to arise from its interaction with the peptide nanofibrils.Finally,this method is successfully used to retain other redox enzymes,paving the way for a variety of enzyme‐mediated electrochemical applications.

Innovation leading development:a glimpse into three-dimensional bioprinting in Israel

Three-dimensional(3D)printing has attracted increasing research interest as an emerging manufacturing technology for devel-oping sophisticated and exquisite architecture through hierarchical printing.It has also been employed in various advanced industrial areas.The development of intelligent biomedical engineering has raised the requirements for 3D printing,such as flexible manufacturing processes and technologies,biocompatible constituents,and alternative bioproducts.However,state-of-the-art 3D printing mainly involves inorganics or polymers and generally focuses on traditional industrial fields,thus severely limiting applications demanding biocompatibility and biodegradability.In this regard,peptide architectonics,which are self-assembled by programmed amino acid sequences that can be flexibly functionalized,have shown promising potential as bioinspired inks for 3D printing.Therefore,the combination of 3D printing and peptide self-assembly poten-tially opens up an alternative avenue of 3D bioprinting for diverse advanced applications.Israel,a small but innovative nation,has significantly contributed to 3D bioprinting in terms of scientific studies,marketization,and peptide architectonics,including modulations and applications,and ranks as a leading area in the 3D bioprinting field.This review summarizes the recent progress in 3D bioprinting in Israel,focusing on scientific studies on printable components,soft devices,and tissue engineering.This paper further delves into the manufacture of industrial products,such as artificial meats and bioinspired supramolecular architectures,and the mechanisms,physicochemical properties,and applications of peptide self-assembly.Undoubtedly,Israel contributes significantly to the field of 3D bioprinting and should thus be appropriately recognized.

Strong light-matter coupling in van der Waals materials

In recent years,two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals materials have emerged as a focal point in materials research,drawing increasing attention due to their potential for isolating and synergistically combining diverse atomic layers.Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)are one of the most alluring van der Waals materials owing to their exceptional electronic and optical properties.The tightly bound excitons with giant oscillator strength render TMDs an ideal platform to investigate strong light-matter coupling when they are integrated with optical cavities,providing a wide range of possibilities for exploring novel polaritonic physics and devices.In this review,we focused on recent advances in TMD-based strong light-matter coupling.In the foremost position,we discuss the various optical structures strongly coupled to TMD materials,such as Fabry-Perot cavities,photonic crystals,and plasmonic nanocavities.We then present several intriguing properties and relevant device applications of TMD polaritons.In the end,we delineate promising future directions for the study of strong light-matter coupling in van der Waals materials.

Effects of Substrate Temperature and Vacuum Annealing on Properties of ITO Films Prepared by Radio-Frquency Magnetron Sputtering

Indium tin oxide （ITO） films were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering under two conditions： （i） at substrate temperature Ts from room temperature （RT） to 350℃ （ii） with additional post-annealing in vacuum at 400℃ for 30 min in comparison of their crystalline structures, and electrical-optical properties of the films deposited. From the experimental results, it is found that, under the first condition, the crystalline structures and the electrical-optical properties of the films are improved with the increasing Ts. Under the other condition, i.e. with the additional post-annealing, the films exhibit higher degree of crystallinities and better electrical-optical properties. Under the two deposition conditions, inter-relation between electrical-optical properties and the crystalline structure is observed clearly. However, even under the same annealing condition, it is observed that improved properties of the films are different, depending on their deposition temperatures, which implies that an initial stage of the ITO film before annealing is an important factor for the film＇s properties improved after annealing. The resistivity of 2.33 × 10-4 Ω·cm can be achieved at Ts of 350℃after annealing.

Synthesis and characterization of axially periodic Zn_2SnO_4 dendritic nanostructures

Zn2SnO4 （ZTO） nanowires with a unique dendritic nanostructure were synthesized via a simple one-step thermal evaporation and condensation process. The morphology and microstructure of the ZTO nanodendrite have been investigated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, x-ray diffraction （XRD） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. SEM observation revealed the formation of branched nanostructures and showed that each branch exhibited a unique periodic structure formed by a row of overlaid rhombohedra of ZTO nanocrystals along the axis of the nanobranch. HRTEM studies displayed that the branches grew homoepitaxially as single-crystalline nanowires from the ZTO nanowire backbone. A possible growth model of the branched ZTO nanowires is discussed. To successfully prepare branched structures would provide an opportunity for both fundamental research and practical applications, such as three-dimensional nanoelectronics, and opto-electronic nanodevices.

Remote excitation and remote detection of a single quantum dot using propagating surface plasmons on silver nanowire

Using propagating surface plasmons （SPs） on a silver nanowire （NW）, we demonstrate that a focused laser light at the end of the silver NW can excite a single quantum dot （QD） microns away from the excitation spot. The QD-NW interaction allows the excited QD convert part of its energy into propagating SPs, which then can be detected at remote sites. Simultaneous multi-QD remote excitation and remote detection can also be realized. Furthermore, the tight confinement of the propagating SPs around the NW surface enables the selective excitation of QDs very close in space, which cannot be realized under the conventional excitation condition. This remote excitation and remote detection approach may find applications in optical imaging and the sensing of chemical and biological systems.

Employment of Jacobian elliptic functions for solving problems in nonlinear dynamics of microtubules

We show how Jacobian elliptic functions （JEFs） can be used to solve ordinary differential equations （ODEs） describing the nonlinear dynamics of microtubules （MTs）. We demonstrate that only one of the JEFs can be used while the remaining two do not represent the solutions of the crucial differential equation. We show that a kinkbtype soliton moves along MTs. Besides this solution, we also discuss a few more solutions that may or may not have physical meanings. Finally, we show what kind of ODE can be solved by using JEFs.

The propagation of shape changing soliton in a nonuniform nonlocal media

Magnetization dynamics in uniformly magnetized ferromagnetic media is studied by using Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The nonlinear evolution equation is integrable with site-dependent and biquadratic exchange interaction by means of Landau-Lifshitz （LL） equation which is well understood. In the present work, we construct the exact solitary solutions of the nonlinear evolution equation, particularly, we employ the modified extended tangent hyperbolic function method. We show the shape changing property of solitons for the given integrable system in the presence of damping as well as inhomogeneities.

New criterion in predicting glass forming ability of various glass-forming systems

It has been confirmed that glass-forming ability （GFA） of supercooled liquids is related to not only liquid phase stability but also the crystallization resistance. In this paper, it is found that the liquid region interval （T1 - Tg） characterized by the normalized parameter of Tg/T1 could reflect the stability of glass-forming liquids at the equilibrium state, whilst the normalization of supercooled liquid region △Tx=（Tx - Tg）, i.e. △Tx/Tx （wherein T1 is the liquidus temperature, Tg the glass transition temperature, and Tx the onset crystallization temperature） could indicate the crystallization resistance during glass formation. Thus, a new parameter, defined as ζ = Tg/T1＋△Tx/Tx is established to predict the GFA of supercooled liquids. In comparison with other commonly used criteria, this parameter demonstrates a better statistical correlation with the GFA for various glass-forming systems including metallic glasses, oxide glasses and cryoprotectants.

Uniform light emission from electrically driven plasmonic grating using multilayer tunneling barriers

Light emission by inelastic tunneling(LEIT)from a metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction is an ultrafast emission process.It is a promising platform for ultrafast transduction from electrical signal to optical signal on integrated circuits.However,existing procedures of fabricating LEIT devices usually involve both top-down and bottom-up techniques,which reduces its compatibility with the modern microfabrication streamline and limits its potential applications in industrial scale-up.Here in this work,we lift these restrictions by using a multilayer insulator grown by atomic layer deposition as the tunnel barrier.For the first time,we fabricate an LEIT device fully by microfabrication techniques and show a stable performance under ambient conditions.Uniform electroluminescence is observed over the entire active region,with the emission spectrum shaped by metallic grating plasmons.The introduction of a multilayer insulator into the LEIT can provide an additional degree of freedom for engineering the energy band landscape of the tunnel barrier.The presented scheme of preparing a stable ultrathin tunnel barrier may also find some applications in a wide range of integrated optoelectronic devices.

Eco-friendly Sustainable Multiphase Polymer Systems for Advanced Functions

When Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson discovered polyethylene accidentally,they never realized how useful their discovery will be for mankind,similar to how Charles Goodyear’s idea of adding sulphur to polyisoprene would revolutionize the tire and other rubber industries.Although those discoveries centuries ago have never realized their current impact,however,the fact is undeniable on how polymer science has conquered the world,gaining an irreplaceable position from a utilitarian perspective.We are currently bombarded with multifarious polymer compositions which differ on the basis of source,origin,and dimensions.

Multicolor Circularly Polarized Luminescence of a Single-Component System Revealing Multiple Information Encryption

Metal-free materials with multicolor tunable circularly polarized luminescence(CPL)are attractive because of their potential applications in information storage and encryption.Here,we designed two enantiomers composed of chiral dialkyl glutamides and achiral vibration-induced emission(VIE)moiety,which can switch on CPL after a simple gelation process.It is noteworthy that the CPL colors vary in different solvents,and this is attributed to various self-assembly-induced microstructures,in which the VIE moiety is restrained to different degrees.Accordingly,a multidimensional code system composed of a quick response code,a ultraviolet(UV)light-activated color code,and a CPL information figure was constructed.To our satisfaction,the system possesses multiple information-storage functions.The orthogonal anticounterfeiting and CPLenhanced encryption functions also improve the system information encryption ability.In brief,this study provides a practical example of CPL applied to information security and an effective approach to obtain a single-component color-tunable CPL material with multiple information storage and encryption functions as well.

A biomimetic upconversion nanoreactors for near-infrared driven H2 release to inhibit tauopathy in Alzheimer’s disease therapy

Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau protein is a principal pathological hallmark in the onset of neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer’s disease(AD),which can be induced by an excess of reactive oxygen species(ROS).As an antioxidant,hydrogen gas(H_(2))has the potential to mitigate AD by scavenging highly harmful ROS such as·OH.However,conventional administration methods of H_(2) face significant challenges in controlling H_(2) release on demand and fail to achieve effective accumulation at lesion sites.Herein,we report artificial nanoreactors that mimic natural photosynthesis to realize near-infrared(NIR)light-driven photocatalytic H_(2) evolution in situ.The nanoreactors are constructed by biocompatible crosslinked vesicles(CVs)encapsulating ascorbic acid and two photosensitizers,chlorophyll a(Chla)and indoline dye(Ind).In addition,platinum nanoparticles(Pt NPs)serve as photocatalysts and upconversion nanoparticles(UCNP)act as light-harvesting antennas in the nanoreacting system,and both attach to the surface of CVs.Under NIR irradiation,the nanoreactors release H_(2) in situ to scavenge local excess ROS and attenuate tau hyperphosphorylation in the AD mice model.Such NIR-triggered nanoreactors provide a proof-of-concept design for the great potential of hydrogen therapy against AD.

Circular polarization-selective optical,photothermal,and optofluidic effects in chiral metasurfaces

Circular dichroism (CD) is extensively used in various material systems for applications including biological detection,enantioselective catalysis,and chiral separation.This paper introduces a chiral absorptive metasurface that exhibits a circular polarization-selective effect in dual bands-positive and negative CD peaks at short wavelengths and long wavelengths,respectively.Significantly,we uncover that this phenomenon extends beyond the far-field optical response,as it is also observed in the photothermal effect and the dynamics of thermally induced fluid motion.By carefully engineering the metasurface design,we achieve two distinct CD signals with high g factors (1) at the wavelengths of 877 nm and 1045 nm,respectively.The findings presented in this study advance our comprehension of CD and offer promising prospects for enhancing chiral light–matter interactions in the domains of nanophotonics and optofluidics.

Ultrasensitive nanosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonances:From theory to applications

The subwavelength confinement feature of localized surface plasmon resonance（LSPR） allows plasmonic nanostructures to be functionalized as powerful platforms for detecting various molecular analytes as well as weak processes with nanoscale spatial resolution. One of the main goals of this field of research is to lower the absolute limit-of-detection（LOD）of LSPR-based sensors. This involves the improvement of（i） the figure-of-merit associated with structural parameters such as the size, shape and interparticle arrangement and,（ii） the spectral resolution. The latter involves advanced target identification and noise reduction techniques. By highlighting the strategies for improving the LOD, this review introduces the fundamental principles and recent progress of LSPR sensing based on different schemes including 1） refractometric sensing realized by observing target-induced refractive index changes, 2） plasmon rulers based on target-induced relative displacement of coupled plasmonic structures, 3） other relevant LSPR-based sensing schemes including chiral plasmonics,nanoparticle growth, and optomechanics. The ultimate LOD and the future trends of these LSPR-based sensing are also discussed.

Propagation of an electromagnetic soliton in an anisotropic biquadratic ferromagnetic medium

Information storage technology based on anisotropic ferromagnets with sufficiently high magneto-optical effects has received much attention in recent years.Magneto-optical recording combines the merits of magnetic and optical techniques.We investigate the magneto-optical effects on a biquadratic ferromagnet and show that the dynamics of the system are governed by a perturbed nonlinear Schro¨dinger equation.The evolutions of amplitude and velocity of the soliton are found to be time independent,thereby admitting the lossless propagation of the electromagnetic soliton in the medium,which may have potential applications in soliton based optical communication systems.We also exploit the role of perturbation,which has a significant impact on the propagation of an electromagnetic soliton.

Seed-mediated growth of gold nanoparticles using self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene microspheres as nanotemplate arrays

Arrays of noble metal nanoparticles show potential applications in （bio-）sensing, optical storage, surface-enhanced spectroscopy, and waveguides. For all such potential devices, controlling the size, morphology, and interparticle spacing of the nanoparticles is very important. Here, we combine seed-mediated growth with nanosphere lithography to study the controllable growth of gold nanoparticles （Au NPs）, in which the self-assembly monolayer of polystyrene （PS） on a silicon surface is used to guide the modification of allaunesilanes and the subsequent adsorption of gold seeds; seed-mediated growth is applied to controlling the morphology and size of Au NPs. The size of adsorption region （determining the number of adsorbed gold seeds） is controlled by etching PS microspheres with oxygen plasma or annealing PS microspheres at the glass transition temperature. The size and morphology of the Au NPs are controlled by changing growth conditions. In such a way, we have achieved the dual control of the obtained Au NPs. Preliminary results show that this strategy holds a great promise. This approach can also be extended to a wide range of materials and substrates.

High-order plasmon resonances in an Ag/Al_2O_3 core/shell nanorice

Using numerical simulation, we investigate the high-order plasmon resonances in individual nanostructures of an Ag nanorice core surrounded by an Al2O3 shell. The peak positions of localized surface plasmon resonances （LSPRs） are red-shifted exponentially with the increase of the dielectric shell thickness. This is due to the exponential decay of electromagnetic field intensity in the direction perpendicular to the interface. This exponential red-shift depends on the wavelength of the resonance peak instead of the resonance order. In addition, we find that the LSPRs in an Ag nanorice of 60-nm width can be perfectly described by a single linear function. These features make nanorice an ideal platform for sensing applications.