Pea-like MoS_(2)@NiS_(1.03)-carbon heterostructured hollow nanofibers for high-performance sodium storage

The rational synergy of chemical composition and spatial nanostructures of electrode materials play important roles in high-performance energy storage devices.Here,we designed pea-like MoS_(2)@NiS_(1.03)-carbon hollow nanofibers using a simple electrospinning and thermal treatment method.The hierarchical hollow nanofiber is composed of a nitrogen-doped carbon-coated NiS_(1.03) tube wall,in which pea-like uniformly discrete MoS_(2) nanoparticles are enclosed.As a sodium-ion battery electrode material,the MoS_(2)@NiS_(1.03)-carbon hollow nanofibers have abundant diphasic heterointerfaces,a conductive network,and appropriate volume variation-buffering spaces,which can facilitate ion diffusion kinetics,shorten the diffusion path of electrons/ion,and buffer volume expansion during Na^(+)insertion/extraction.It shows outstanding rate capacity and long-cycle performance in a sodium-ion battery.This heterogeneous hollow nanoarchitectures designing enlightens an efficacious strategy to boost the capacity and long-life stability of sodium storage performance of electrode materials.

Dialectics of nature in materials science:binary cooperative complementary materials

Binary cooperative complementary materials,consisting of two components with entirely opposite physiochemical properties at the nanoscale, are presented as a novel principle for the design and construct of functional materials. By summarizing recent achievement in materials science, it can be found that the cooperative interaction distance between the pair of complementary property must be comparable with the scale of related physical or chemical parameter. When the binary components are in the cooperative distance, the cooperation between these building blocks becomes dominant and endows the macroscopic materials with unique properties and advanced functionalities that cannot be achieved by either of building blocks.

Science behind nacre:matrix-directed mineralization at ambient condition

Mother Nature has demonstrated the importance of structural designs at multiscale:biological structural materials frequently adopt complex hierarchical structures to optimize their mechanical performance that is far beyond their abiotic counterparts[1].One of the most studied biological materials is the nacreous part in some mollusk shells,

Nonswellable hydrogels with robust micro/nano-structures and durable superoleophobic surfaces under seawater

Hydrogels, composed mainly of water trapped in three dimensional cross-linked polymer networks, have been widely utilized to construct underwater superoleophobic surfaces. However, the swelling nature and instability of hydrogels under complex marine environment will weaken their underwater superoleophobicity. Herein, we synthesize structured poly （2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate） （PHEMA） hydrogels by using sandpaper as templates. The robust non-swelling of PHEMA hydrogel ensures that micro/nano-structures on the surface of PHEMA hydrogels can be well maintained. Moreover, when roughness Ra of about 3-4 bun, the surface has superior oil-repellency. Additionally, even after immersing in seawater for one-month, their breaking strength and toughness can be well kept. The non-swellable hydrogels with long-term stable under seawater superoleophobicity will promote the development of robust superoleophobic materials in marine antifouling coatings, biomedical devices and oil/water separation.

Hierarchically Crosslinked Gels Containing Hydrophobic Ionic Liquids towards Reliable Sensing Applications

Human skin can function steadily regardless of surrounding circumstarices(dry or wet),while it is still a challenge for artificial ionic skins,which tend to release solvents in dry air and leach electrolytes in wetted state.Herein,a series of hierarchically crosslinked ionogels containing hydrophobic ionic liquids(ILs)is fabricated by combining a crystalline fluorinated copolymer with hydrophobic ILs.With a reasonable combination of nonvolatility,transparency,stretchablility,and sensitivity,such ionogels can work as reliable sensors for real-time monitoring huma n motions and operate steadily in complex environments as human skin does,which can contribute to the developme nt of durable sen sing devices with a simple design.

New monatomic layer clusters for advanced catalysis materials

Noble metals have been widely applied as catalysts in chemical production,energy conversion,and emission control [1-3],but their high cost and scarcity are major obstacles for any large-scale practical applications.It is therefore of great interest to explore new active material systems that require less mass loading of noble metal catalysts but with even better performance.Recently,intense research has been devoted towards downsizing the noble metals into single-atom catalysts (SACs)[4,5].

Two-dimensional ion channel based soft-matter piezoelectricity

本文重点介绍了二维层状材料中软物质压电行为的研究.生物电体系中,细胞膜上层级排列的离子通道和离子泵形成集成化的纳米尺度的离子导体,它们成为生命体系能量转换的关键结构基础.近年来,科学家们利用人工制备的基于石墨烯的二维层状材料构筑了二维纳米流体网络,来模拟生物起电细胞的结构和功能,实现了可控的物质输运和高效的能量转换.与传统的一维纳米通道不同,二维纳米通道中的物质输运仅在垂直于通道壁的方向上形成纳米受限.这种结构一个最直接的好处是能够在不牺牲通道壁的表面调控作用的前提下,大大降低了通道对流体输运的阻碍,提升了通道的集成密度.另外,现有的纳米孔道制备技术严重地依赖昂贵的科学仪器和复杂的材料处理步骤,因而使得纳米孔道技术在经济性能上离实用化的要求还有很大一段距离.本文中介绍的利用二维层状材料构筑纳米流体通道的方法,可以通过控制自组装过程中的参数控制,达到对通道结构的控制.这一合成策略大大推动了单一纳米尺度的器件研究向大规模、低成本的纳米制造技术的迈进,并且激发了其在超滤、能量存储与转换、环境和传感等方面的应用.二维层状材料中的软物质压电行为的驱动力,可以被拓展到机械压力、化学梯度、温差、光辐射等更为广义的范畴.

Nanopore-based sensing and analysis: beyond the resistive-pulse method

Solid-state nanopores are generally considered as an indispensable element in the research field of fundamental ion transport and molecular sensing. The im- provement in fabrication and chemical modification of the solid-state nanopores remains increasingly updated. During the last decades, numerous works have been reported on the nanopore-based sensing applications. More and more new analytical methods using nanopore-based devices are emerging. In this review, we highlight the recent progress on the analytical methods for the interdisciplinary and fast- growing area of nanopore research. According to the dif- ferent types of the electrical readout, whether it is steady- state ionic current or transient current fluctuation, the nanopore-based sensing and analysis can be generally di- vided into two categories. For the first type, the electrical readout shows a stable blockade or reopening of the nanopore conductance in the presence of target analytes, termed steady-state analysis, including the conductance change, electrochemical analysis, and two-dimensional scanning and imaging. The other type is based on the transient fluctuation in the transmembrane ionic current, termed transient-state analysis, including the noise analysis, transient ion transport, and transverse tunneling current. The investigation of solid-state nanopores for chemical sensing is just in its infancy. For further research work, not only new nanopore materials and chemical modifications are needed, but also other non-electric-based sensing techniques should be developed. We will focus our future research in the framework of bio-inspired, smart, multiscale interfacial materials and extend the spirit of binary cooperative complementary nanomaterials.

New conceptual microfluidics technology:light manipulation of liquid slugs in liquid crystal polymer microactuators

Microsystems that manipulate small amounts of fluids to transport in a pre-defined direction and to perform reactions or analyses are quite important in both laboratory investigations and industry applications[1],due to their close relevance to people’s daily life and commercial run.Natural creatures,after centuries’evolution,have realized the importance of structure and wettability designs in achiev-