Stable Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Simultaneous Hole and Electron Interlayer Engineering

The development of high-performance organic solar cells(OSCs)with high operational stability is essential to accelerate their commercialization.Unfortunately,our understanding of the origin of instabilities in state-of-the-art OSCs based on bulk heterojunction(BHJ)featuring non-fullerene acceptors(NFAs)remains limited.Herein,we developed NFA-based OSCs using different charge extraction interlayer materials and studied their storage,thermal,and operational stabilities.Despite the high power conversion efficiency(PCE)of the OSCs(17.54%),we found that cells featuring self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)as hole-extraction interlayers exhibited poor stability.The time required for these OSCs to reach 80%of their initial performance(T_(80))was only 6h under continuous thermal stress at 85℃in a nitrogen atmosphere and 1 h under maximum power point tracking(MPPT)in a vacuum.Inserting MoO_(x)between ITO and SAM enhanced the T_(80)to 50 and~15 h after the thermal and operational stability tests,respectively,while maintaining a PCE of 16.9%.Replacing the organic PDINN electron transport layer with ZnO NPs further enhances the cells'thermal and operational stability,boosting the T_(80)to 1000 and 170 h,respectively.Our work reveals the synergistic roles of charge-selective interlayers and device architecture in developing efficient and stable OSCs.

Growth and physical characterization of high resistivityFe:β-Ga2O3 crystals

High quality 0.02 mol%,0.05 mol%,and 0.08 mol%Fe:β-Ga2O3 single crystals were grown by the floating zone method.The crystal structure,optical,electrical,and thermal properties were measured and discussed.Fe:β-Ga2O3 single crystals showed transmittance of higher than 80%in the near infrared region.With the increase of the Fe doping concentration,the optical bandgaps reduced and room temperature resistivity increased.The resistivity of 0.08 mol%Fe:β-Ga2O3 crystal reached to 3.63×1011Ω·cm.The high resistivity Fe:β-Ga2O3 single crystals could be applied as the substrate for the high-power field effect transistors(FETs).

Fabrication and Applications of Micro/Nanostructured Devices for Tissue Engineering

Nanotechnology allows the realization of new materials and devices with basic structural unit in the range of1–100 nm and characterized by gaining control at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular level. Reducing the dimensions of a material into the nanoscale range usually results in the change of its physiochemical properties such as reactivity,crystallinity, and solubility. This review treats the convergence of last research news at the interface of nanostructured biomaterials and tissue engineering for emerging biomedical technologies such as scaffolding and tissue regeneration. The present review is organized into three main sections. The introduction concerns an overview of the increasing utility of nanostructured materials in the field of tissue engineering. It elucidates how nanotechnology, by working in the submicron length scale, assures the realization of a biocompatible interface that is able to reproduce the physiological cell–matrix interaction. The second, more technical section, concerns the design and fabrication of biocompatible surface characterized by micro- and submicroscale features, using microfabrication, nanolithography, and miscellaneous nanolithographic techniques.In the last part, we review the ongoing tissue engineering application of nanostructured materials and scaffolds in different fields such as neurology, cardiology, orthopedics, and skin tissue regeneration.

Strain engineering of electronic and magnetic properties of Ga_2S_2 nanoribbons

Using first-principles calculations, we study the tailoring of the electronic and magnetic properties of gallium sulfide nanoribbons（Ga2S2NRs） by mechanical strain. Hydrogen-passivated armchair-and zigzag-edged NRs（ANRs and ZNRs）with different widths are investigated. Significant effects in band gap and magnetic properties are found and analyzed. First,the band gaps and their nature of ANRs can be largely tailored by a strain. The band gaps can be markedly reduced, and show an indirect-direct（I-D） transition under a tensile strain. While under an increasing compressive strain, they undergo a series transitions of I-D-I-D. Five strain zones with distinct band structures and their boundaries are identified. In addition,the carrier effective masses of ANRs are also tunable by the strain, showing jumps at the boundaries. Second, the magnetic moments of（ferromagnetic） ZNRs show jumps under an increasing compressive strain due to spin density redistribution,but are unresponsive to tensile strains. The rich tunable properties by stain suggest potential applications of Ga2S2 NRs in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.

Superhydrophobic Co/Fe sulfide nanoparticles and single-atoms doped carbon nanosheets composite air cathode for high-performance zinc-air batteries

Development of a high-performance bifunctional catalyst is essential for the actual implementation of zinc-air batteries in practical applications.Herein,a bifunctional cathode of Co_(3)S_(4)/FeS heterogeneous nanoparticles embedded in Co/Fe single-atom-loaded nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets is designed.Cobalt-iron sulfides and single atomic sites with Co-N_(4)/Fe-N_(4)configurations are confirmed to coexist on the carbon matrix by EXAFS spectroscopy.3D self-supported super-hydrophobic multiphase composite cathode provides abundant active sites and facilitates gas–liquid-solid three-phase interface reactions,resulting in excellent electrocatalytic activity and batteries performance,i.e.,an OER overpotential(η_(10))of 260 mV,a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.872 V for ORR,aΔE of 0.618 V,and a discharge power density of 170 mW cm^(−2),a specific capacity of 816.3 mAh g^(−1).DFT analysis shows multiphase coupling of sulfide heterojunction through single-atomic metal doped carbon nanosheets reduces offset on center of electronic density of states before and after oxygen adsorption,and spin density of adsorbed oxygen with same spin orientation,leading to weakened charge/spin interactions between adsorbed oxygen and substrate,and a lowered oxygen adsorption energy to accelerate OER/ORR.

GaInX_3(X=S,Se,Te):Ultra-low thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric performance

Seeking intrinsically low thermal conductivity materials is a viable strategy in the pursuit of high-performance thermoelectric materials.Here,by using first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory,we systemically investigate the carrier transport and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te).It is found that the lattice thermal conductivities can reach values as low as 3.07 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),1.16 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)and 0.57 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively,at room temperature.This notably low thermal conductivity is attributed to strong acoustic-optical phonon coupling caused by the presence of low-frequency optical phonons in GaInX_(3) materials.Furthermore,by integrating the charac teristics of electronic and thermal transport,the dimensionless figure of merit ZT can reach maximum values of 0.95,2.37,and 3.00 for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively.Our results suggest that monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te)is a promising candidate for thermoelectric and heat management applications.

Elastic wave insulation and propagation control based on the programmable curved-beam periodic structure

Curved-beams can be used to design modular multistable metamaterials(MMMs)with reprogrammable material properties,i.e.,programmable curved-beam periodic structure(PCBPS),which is promising for controlling the elastic wave propagation.The PCBPS is theoretically equivalent to a spring-oscillator system to investigate the mechanism of bandgap,analyze the wave propagation mechanisms,and further form its geometrical and physical criteria for tuning the elastic wave propagation.With the equivalent model,we calculate the analytical solutions of the dispersion relations to demonstrate its adjustability,and investigate the wave propagation characteristics through the PCBPS.To validate the equivalent system,the finite element method(FEM)is employed.It is revealed that the bandgaps of the PCBPS can be turned on-and-off and shifted by varying its physical and geometrical characteristics.The findings are highly promising for advancing the practical application of periodic structures in wave insulation and propagation control.

Effects of multimodal microstructure on fracture toughness and its anisotropy of LPSO-type extruded Mg-1Zn-2Y alloys

The fracture toughness of extruded Mg-1Zn-2Y(at.%)alloys,featuring a multimodal microstructure containing fine dynamically recrystallized(DRXed)grains with random crystallographic orientation and coarse-worked grains with a strong fiber texture,was investigated.The DRXed grains comprised randomly oriented equiaxedα-Mg grains.In contrast,the worked grains includedα-Mg and long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)phases that extended in the extrusion direction(ED).Both types displayed a strong texture,aligning the(10.10)direction parallel to the ED.The volume fractions of the DRXed and worked grains were controlled by adjusting the extrusion temperature.In the longitudinal-transverse(L-T)orientation,where the loading direction was aligned parallel to the ED,there was a tendency for the conditional fracture toughness,KQ,tended to increase as the volume fraction of the worked grains increased.However,the KQ values in the T-L orientation,where the loading direction was perpendicular to the ED,decreased with an increase in the volume fraction of the worked grains.This suggests strong anisotropy in the fracture toughness of the specimen with a high volume fraction of the worked grains,relative to the test direction.The worked grains,which included the LPSO phase and were elongated perpendicular to the initial crack plane,suppressed the straight crack extension,causing crack deflection,and generating secondary cracks.Thus,these worked grains significantly contributed to the fracture toughness of the extruded Mg-1Zn-2Y alloys in the L-T orientation.

Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond Improved Durability and Kinetics for Zinc‑Organic Batteries

Organic compounds have the advantages of green sustainability and high designability,but their high solubility leads to poor durability of zinc-organic batteries.Herein,a high-performance quinone-based polymer(H-PNADBQ)material is designed by introducing an intramolecular hydrogen bonding(HB)strategy.The intramolecular HB(C=O⋯N-H)is formed in the reaction of 1,4-benzoquinone and 1,5-naphthalene diamine,which efficiently reduces the H-PNADBQ solubility and enhances its charge transfer in theory.In situ ultraviolet-visible analysis further reveals the insolubility of H-PNADBQ during the electrochemical cycles,enabling high durability at different current densities.Specifically,the H-PNADBQ electrode with high loading(10 mg cm^(-2))performs a long cycling life at 125 mA g^(-1)(>290 cycles).The H-PNADBQ also shows high rate capability(137.1 mAh g^(−1)at 25 A g^(−1))due to significantly improved kinetics inducted by intramolecular HB.This work provides an efficient approach toward insoluble organic electrode materials.

Engineering the Coordination Sphere of Isolated Active Sites to Explore the Intrinsic Activity in Single-Atom Catalysts

Reducing the dimensions of metallic nanoparticles to isolated,single atom has attracted considerable attention in heterogeneous catalysis,because it significantly improves atomic utilization and often leads to distinct catalytic performance.Through extensive research,it has been recognized that the local coordination environment of single atoms has an important influence on their electronic structures and catalytic behaviors.In this review,we summarize a series of representative systems of single-atom catalysts,discussing their preparation,characterization,and structure-property relationship,with an emphasis on the correlation between the coordination spheres of isolated reactive centers and their intrinsic catalytic activities.We also share our perspectives on the current challenges and future research promises in the development of single-atom catalysis.With this article,we aim to highlight the possibility of finely tuning the catalytic performances by engineering the coordination spheres of single-atom sites and provide new insights into the further development for this emerging research field.

Resolving co- and early post-seismic slip variations of the 2021 MW 7.4 Madoi earthquake in east Bayan Har block with a block-wide distributed deformation mode from satellite synthetic aperture radar data

On 21 May 2021(UTC),an MW 7.4 earthquake jolted the east Bayan Har block in the Tibetan Plateau.The earthquake received widespread attention as it is the largest event in the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings since the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake,and especially in proximity to the seismic gaps on the east Kunlun fault.Here we use satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar data and subpixel offset observations along the range directions to characterize the coseismic deformation of the earthquake.Range offset displacements depict clear surface ruptures with a total length of~170 km involving two possible activated fault segments in the earthquake.Coseismic modeling results indicate that the earthquake was dominated by left-lateral strike-slip motions of up to 7 m within the top 12 km of the crust.The well-resolved slip variations are characterized by five major slip patches along strike and 64%of shallow slip deficit,suggesting a young seismogenic structure.Spatial-temporal changes of the postseismic deformation are mapped from early 6-day and 24-day InSAR observations,and are well explained by time-dependent afterslip models.Analysis of Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)velocity profiles and strain rates suggests that the eastward extrusion of plateau is diffusely distributed across the east Bayan Har block,but exhibits significant lateral heterogeneities,as evidenced by magnetotelluric observations.The block-wide distributed deformation of the east Bayan Har block along with the significant co-and post-seismic stress loadings from the Madoi earthquake imply high seismic risks along regional faults,especially the Tuosuo Lake and Maqên-Maqu segments of the Kunlun fault that are known as seismic gaps.

Realization of THz dualband absorber with periodic cross-shaped graphene metamaterials

A dualband terahertz(THz) absorber including periodically distributed cross-shaped graphene arrays and a gold layer spaced by a thin dielectric layer is investigated.Numerical results reveal that the THz absorber displays two perfect absorption peaks.To elucidate the resonant behavior, the LC model is introduced to fit the spectra.Moreover, the strength and linewidth of the absorption peak can be effectively tuned with structural parameters and the relaxation time of graphene.Owing to its rotational symmetry, this THz absorber exhibits polarization insensitivity.Our designed absorber is a promising candidate in applications of tunable optical sensors and optical filters.

Effects of sputtering power and annealing temperature on surface roughness of gold films for high-reflectivity synchrotron radiation mirrors

Gold films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering are used for synchrotron radiation optics. In this study, the microstructure and surface roughness of gold films were investigated for the purpose of developing high-reflectivity mirrors. The deposition process was first optimized. Films were fabricated at different sputtering powers (15, 40, 80, and 120 W) and characterized using grazing incidence X-ray reflectometry, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The results showed that all the films were highly textured, having a dominant Au (111) orientation, and the film deposited at 80 W had the lowest surface roughness. Subsequently, post-deposition annealing from 100 to 200℃ in a vacuum was performed on the films deposited at 80 W to investigate the effect of annealing on the microstructure and surface roughness of the films. The grain size, surface roughness, and their relationship were investigated as a function of annealing temperature. AFM and XRD results revealed that at annealing temperatures of 175 ℃ and below, microstructural change of the films was mainly manifested by the elimination of voids. At annealing temperatures higher than 175℃, grain coalescence occurred in addition to the void elimination, causing the surface roughness to increase.

Engineering Spin States of Isolated Copper Species in a Metal-Organic Framework Improves Urea Electrosynthesis

The catalytic activities are generally believed to be relevant to the electronic states of their active center, but understanding this relationship is usually difficult. Here, we design two types of catalysts for electrocatalytic urea via a coordination strategy in a metal–organic frameworks: Cu^(Ⅲ)-HHTP and Cu^(Ⅱ)-HHTP. Cu^(Ⅲ)-HHTP exhibits an improved urea production rate of 7.78 mmol h^(−1)g^(−1) and an enhanced Faradaic efficiency of 23.09% at-0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, in sharp contrast to Cu^(Ⅱ)-HHTP.Isolated CuⅢspecies with S = 0 spin ground state are demonstrated as the active center in Cu^(Ⅲ)-HHTP, different from Cu^(Ⅱ) with S = 1/2 in Cu^(Ⅱ)-HHTP. We further demonstrate that isolated Cu^(Ⅲ)with an empty dx2-y20orbital in Cu^(Ⅲ)-HHTP experiences a single-electron migration path with a lower energy barrier in the C–N coupling process, while Cu^(Ⅱ)with a single-spin state( d_(x2-y2)^(1)) in Cu^(Ⅱ)-HHTP undergoes a two-electron migration pathway.

Fabrication and measurement of traceable pitch standard with a big area at trans-scale

Atom lithography with chromium can be utilized to fabricate a pitch standard, which is chrectly traceable to me wavelength of the laser standing waves. The result of a calibrated commercial AFM measurement demonstrates that the pitch standard is （212.8±0.1） nm with a peak-to-valley-height （PTVH） better than 20 nm. The measurement results show the high period accuracy of traceability with the standing laser wavelength （λ/2 = 212.78 nm）. The Cr nano-grating covers a 1000μm×500 μm area, with a PTVH better than 10 nm. The feature width broadening of the Cr nanostructure has been experimentally observed along the direction of the standing waves. The PTVH along the Gaussian laser direction is similar to a Gaussian distribution. Highly uniform periodic nanostructures with a big area at the millimeter scale, and the surface growth uniformity of the Cr nano-grating, show its great potential in the application of a traceable pitch standard at trans-scales.

Photophysics and electrochemistry relevant to photocatalytic water splitting involved at solid–electrolyte interfaces

Direct photon to chemical energy conversion using semiconductor–electrocatalyst–electrolyte interfaces has been extensively investigated for more than a half century. Many studies have focused on screening materials for efficient photocatalysis. Photocatalytic efficiency has been improved during this period but is not sufficient for industrial commercialization. Detailed elucidation on the photocatalytic water splitting process leads to consecutive six reaction steps with the fundamental parameters involved: The photocatalysis is initiated involving photophysics derived from various semiconductor properties(1: photon absorption, 2: exciton separation). The generated charge carriers need to be transferred to surfaces effectively utilizing the interfaces(3: carrier diffusion, 4: carrier transport). Consequently, electrocatalysis finishes the process by producing products on the surface(5: catalytic efficiency, 6: mass transfer of reactants and products). Successful photocatalytic water splitting requires the enhancement of efficiency at each stage. Most critically, a fundamental understanding of the interfacial phenomena is highly desired for establishing 'photocatalysis by design' concepts, where the kinetic bottleneck within a process is identified by further improving the specific properties of photocatalytic materials as opposed to blind material screening. Theoretical modeling using the identified quantitative parameters can effectively predict the theoretically attainable photon-conversion yields. This article provides an overview of the state-of-the-art theoretical understanding of interfacial problems mainly developed in our laboratory.Photocatalytic water splitting(especially hydrogen evolution on metal surfaces) was selected as a topic,and the photophysical and electrochemical processes that occur at semiconductor–metal, semiconductor–electrolyte and metal–electrolyte interfaces are discussed.

A Hybrid Local/Nonlocal Continuum Mechanics Modeling and Simulation of Fracture in Brittle Materials

Classical continuum mechanics which leads to a local continuum model,encounters challenges when the discontinuity appears,while peridynamics that falls into the category of nonlocal continuum mechanics suffers from a high computational cost.A hybrid model coupling classical continuum mechanics with peridynamics can avoid both disadvantages.This paper describes the hybrid model and its adaptive coupling approach which dynamically updates the coupling domains according to crack propagations for brittle materials.Then this hybrid local/nonlocal continuum model is applied to fracture simulation.Some numerical examples like a plate with a hole,Brazilian disk,notched plate and beam,are performed for verification and validation.In addition,a peridynamic software is introduced,which was recently developed for the simulation of the hybrid local/nonlocal continuum model.

Efficient and stable wireless power transfer based on the non-Hermitian physics

As one of the most attractive non-radiative power transfer mechanisms without cables,efficient magnetic resonance wireless power transfer(WPT)in the near field has been extensively developed in recent years,and promoted a variety of practical applications,such as mobile phones,medical implant devices and electric vehicles.However,the physical mechanism behind some key limitations of the resonance WPT,such as frequency splitting and size-dependent efficiency,is not very clear under the widely used circuit model.Here,we review the recently developed efficient and stable resonance WPT based on non-Hermitian physics,which starts from a completely different avenue(utilizing loss and gain)to introduce novel functionalities to the resonance WPT.From the perspective of non-Hermitian photonics,the coherent and incoherent effects compete and coexist in the WPT system,and the weak stable of energy transfer mainly comes from the broken phase associated with the phase transition of parity-time symmetry.Based on this basic physical framework,some optimization schemes are proposed,including using nonlinear effect,using bound states in the continuum,or resorting to the system with high-order parity-time symmetry.Moreover,the combination of non-Hermitian physics and topological photonics in multi-coil system also provides a versatile platform for long-range robust WPT with topological protection.Therefore,the non-Hermitian physics can not only exactly predict the main results of current WPT systems,but also provide new ways to solve the difficulties of previous designs.

Vibration and acoustic radiation of bogie area under random excitation in high-speed trains

Based on the experiments on a platform with real vehicle structure and finite element simulation, the vibration and interior acoustic radiation under random excitations of high-speed trains’ bogie area were studied. Firstly, combined with line tests, a vehicle body with a length of 7 m was used as the research object. By comparing the results of experiment and simulation, the accuracy of the finite element model was verified. Secondly, the power spectral density curves at typical measuring points in bogie area were obtained by processing and calculating the line test data, which was measured when the vehicle ran at high speeds, and the standard vibration spectrum of the bogie area was obtained by the extreme envelope method. Furthermore, the random vibration test and simulation prediction analysis of the real vehicle structure were carried out to further verify the accuracy of the noise and vibration prediction model. Finally, according to the vibration and acoustic radiation theory, the indirect boundary element method was adopted to predict the acoustic response of the real vehicle. The analysis shows that the simulated power spectral density curves of acceleration and sound pressure level are highly consistent with the experimental ones, and the error between the simulated prediction and the experimental result is within the allowable range of 3 dB.

Effect of united refining and modification on mechanical properties of A356 aluminium alloys

The refining and modification effect of Ti (from GRAI), B, Sr and RE (cerium-riched mixtures of rare earth) on the mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloys under T5 and T6 treatment condition were studied by OM, SEM, EDAX, etc. It is found that the addition of RE to A356 alloys containing Ti and/or B and Sr makes strength and elongation increase in T6 treatment, but make elongation decrease in T5 treatment, at the same time, the long axis ofα(Al) grain structure decreases and the mean diameters of silicon particles increase with RE additions increasing. Grain refining with 0.01%Ti plus 0.03% B makes the dendriteα(Al) grain structure transform into equiaxed structure, resulting in obvious increase of elongation percentage. The mean diameters of silicon particles in T5 treatment are smaller than that in T6 treatment. Roundness of silicon particles in T5 treatment is higher than that in T6 treatment. A356 alloys modified and refined with Ti, B and Sr obtain the best mechanical properties in T5 treatment, however, the alloys with Ti, B, RE and Sr additions obtain the best mechanical properties in T6 treatment.