The 50 most-cited articles in Advanced Materials, 2016

Ultrapure blue-fluorescent molecules based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence are developed. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices employing the new emitters exhibit a deep blue emission at 467 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of 28 nm, CIE coordinates of (0.12, 0.13), and an internal quantum efficiency of ≈100%, which represent record-setting performance for blue OLED devices.

Flexible and stretchable physical sensors that can measure and quantify electrical signals generated by human activities are attracting a great deal of attention as they have unique characteristics, such as ultrathinness, low modulus, light weight, high flexibility, and stretchability. These flexible and stretchable physical sensors conformally attached on the surface of organs or skin can provide a new opportunity for human-activity monitoring and personal healthcare. Consequently, in recent years there has been considerable research effort devoted to the development of flexible and stretchable physical sensors to fulfill the requirements of future technology, and much progress has been achieved. Here, the most recent developments of flexible and stretchable physical sensors are described, including temperature, pressure, and strain sensors, and flexible and stretchable sensor-integrated platforms. The latest successful examples of flexible and stretchable physical sensors for the detection of temperature, pressure, and strain, as well as their novel structures, technological…

Flexible nanogenerators that efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical energy have been extensively studied because of their great potential for driving low-power personal electronics and self-powered sensors. Integration of flexibility and stretchability to nanogenerator has important research significance that enables applications in flexible/stretchable electronics, organic optoelectronics, and wearable electronics. Progress in nanogenerators for mechanical energy harvesting is reviewed, mainly including two key technologies: flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) and flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). By means of material classification, various approaches of PENGs based on ZnO nanowires, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), 2D materials, and composite materials are introduced. For flexible TENG, its structural designs and factors determining its output performance are discussed, as well as its integration, fabrication and applications. The latest representative achievements regarding the hybrid nanogenerator are also…

A nonfullerene-based polymer solar cell (PSC) that significantly outperforms fullerene-based PSCs with respect to the power-conversion efficiency is demonstrated for the first time. An efficiency of >11%, which is among the top values in the PSC field, and excellent thermal stability is obtained using PBDB-T and ITIC as donor and acceptor, respectively.

Increasing energy demands and environment awareness have promoted extensive research on the development of alternative energy conversion and storage technologies with high efficiency and environmental friendliness. Among them, water splitting is very appealing, and is receiving more and more attention. The critical challenge of this renewable-energy technology is to expedite the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) because of its slow kinetics and large overpotential. Therefore, developing efficient electrocatalysts with high catalytic activities is of great importance for high-performance water splitting. In the past few years, much effort has been devoted to the development of alternative OER electrocatalysts based on transition-metal elements that are low-cost, highly efficient, and have excellent stability. Here, recent progress on the design, synthesis, and application of OER electrocatalysts based on transition-metal elements, including Co, Ni, and Fe, is summarized, and some invigorating perspectives on the future developments are provided.

Zinc-air batteries have attracted much attention and received revived research efforts recently due to their high energy density, which makes them a promising candidate for emerging mobile and electronic applications. Besides their high energy density, they also demonstrate other desirable characteristics, such as abundant raw materials, environmental friendliness, safety, and low cost. Here, the reaction mechanism of electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries is discussed, different battery configurations are compared, and an in depth discussion is offered of the major issues that affect individual cellular components, along with respective strategies to alleviate these issues to enhance battery performance. Additionally, a section dedicated to battery-testing techniques and corresponding recommendations for best practices are included. Finally, a general perspective on the current limitations, recent application-targeted developments, and recommended future research directions to prolong the lifespan of electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries is provided.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), also known as coordination polymers, represent an interesting type of solid crystalline materials that can be straightforwardly self-assembled through the coordination of metal ions/clusters with organic linkers. Owing to the modular nature and mild conditions of MOF synthesis, the porosities of MOF materials can be systematically tuned by judicious selection of molecular building blocks, and a variety of functional sites/groups can be introduced into metal ions/clusters, organic linkers, or pore spaces through pre-designing or post-synthetic approaches. These unique advantages enable MOFs to be used as a highly versatile and tunable platform for exploring multifunctional MOF materials. Here, the bright potential of MOF materials as emerging multifunctional materials is highlighted in some of the most important applications for gas storage and separation, optical, electric and magnetic materials, chemical sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine.

In view of the climate changes caused by the continuously rising levels of atmospheric CO2 , advanced technologies associated with CO2 conversion are highly desirable. In recent decades, electrochemical reduction of CO2 has been extensively studied since it can reduce CO2 to value-added chemicals and fuels. Considering the sluggish reaction kinetics of the CO2 molecule, efficient and robust electrocatalysts are required to promote this conversion reaction. Here, recent progress and opportunities in inorganic heterogeneous electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction are discussed, from the viewpoint of both experimental and computational aspects. Based on elemental composition, the inorganic catalysts presented here are classified into four groups: metals, transition-metal oxides, transition-metal chalcogenides, and carbon-based materials. However, despite encouraging accomplishments made in this area, substantial advances in CO2 electrolysis are still needed to meet the criteria for practical applications. Therefore, in the last part, several promising strategies, including surface…

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have cemented their position as an exceptional class of optoelectronic materials thanks to record photovoltaic efficiencies of 22.1%, as well as promising demonstrations of light-emitting diodes, lasers, and light-emitting transistors. Perovskite materials with photoluminescence quantum yields close to 100% and perovskite light-emitting diodes with external quantum efficiencies of 8% and current efficiencies of 43 cd A(-1) have been achieved. Although perovskite light-emitting devices are yet to become industrially relevant, in merely two years these devices have achieved the brightness and efficiencies that organic light-emitting diodes accomplished in two decades. Further advances will rely decisively on the multitude of compositional, structural variants that enable the formation of lower-dimensionality layered and three-dimensional perovskites, nanostructures, charge-transport materials, and device processing with architectural innovations. Here, the rapid advancements in perovskite light-emitting devices and lasers are reviewed. The key…

Isolated single-atom platinum (Pt) embedded in the sub-nanoporosity of 2D g-C3 N4 as a new form of co-catalyst is reported. The highly stable single-atom co-catalyst maximizes the atom efficiency and alters the surface trap states of g-C3 N4 , leading to significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, 8.6 times higher than that of Pt nanoparticles and up to 50 times that for bare g-C3 N4 .

Advances in wireless technologies, low-power electronics, the internet of things, and in the domain of connected health are driving innovations in wearable medical devices at a tremendous pace. Wearable sensor systems composed of flexible and stretchable materials have the potential to better interface to the human skin, whereas silicon-based electronics are extremely efficient in sensor data processing and transmission. Therefore, flexible and stretchable sensors combined with low-power silicon-based electronics are a viable and efficient approach for medical monitoring. Flexible medical devices designed for monitoring human vital signs, such as body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, pulse oxygenation, and blood glucose have applications in both fitness monitoring and medical diagnostics. As a review of the latest development in flexible and wearable human vitals sensors, the essential components required for vitals sensors are outlined and discussed here, including the reported sensor systems, sensing mechanisms, sensor fabrication, power, and data…

Fine energy-level modulations of small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) are realized via subtle chemical modifications on strong electron-withdrawing end-groups. The two new SMAs (IT-M and IT-DM) end-capped by methyl-modified dicycanovinylindan-1-one exhibit upshifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels, and hence higher open-circuit voltages can be observed in the corresponding devices. Finally, a top power conversion efficiency of 12.05% is achieved.

Over the past few years, there has been a great deal of interest in the development of hydrogel materials with tunable structural, mechanical, and rheological properties, which exhibit rapid and autonomous self-healing and self-recovery for utilization in a broad range of applications, from soft robotics to tissue engineering. However, self-healing hydrogels generally either possess mechanically robust or rapid self-healing properties but not both. Hence, the development of a mechanically robust hydrogel material with autonomous self-healing on the time scale of seconds is yet to be fully realized. Here, the current advances in the development of autonomous self-healing hydrogels are reviewed. Specifically, methods to test self-healing efficiencies and recoveries, mechanisms of autonomous self-healing, and mechanically robust hydrogels are presented. The trends indicate that hydrogels that self-heal better also achieve self-healing faster, as compared to gels that only partially self-heal. Recommendations to guide future development of self-healing hydrogels are offered and the…

This review comprises a detailed survey of ongoing methodologies for soft actuators, highlighting approaches suitable for nanometer- to centimeter-scale robotic applications. Soft robots present a special design challenge in that their actuation and sensing mechanisms are often highly integrated with the robot body and overall functionality. When less than a centimeter, they belong to an even more special subcategory of robots or devices, in that they often lack on-board power, sensing, computation, and control. Soft, active materials are particularly well suited for this task, with a wide range of stimulants and a number of impressive examples, demonstrating large deformations, high motion complexities, and varied multifunctionality. Recent research includes both the development of new materials and composites, as well as novel implementations leveraging the unique properties of soft materials.

Energy-storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors have become fundamental building blocks in modern society. Recently, the emerging direction toward the ever-growing market of flexible and wearable electronics has nourished progress in building multifunctional energy-storage systems that can be bent, folded, crumpled, and stretched while maintaining their electrochemical functions under deformation. Here, recent progress and well-developed strategies in research designed to accomplish flexible and stretchable lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors are reviewed. The challenges of developing novel materials and configurations with tailored features, and in designing simple and large-scaled manufacturing methods that can be widely utilized are considered. Furthermore, the perspectives and opportunities for this emerging field of materials science and engineering are also discussed.

quantum-dot light-emitting diodes with a 50-fold external quantum efficiency improvement (up to 6.27%) are achieved through balancing surface passivation and carrier injection via ligand density control (treating with hexane/ethyl acetate mixed solvent), which induces the coexistence of high levels of ink stability, photoluminescence quantum yields, thin-film uniformity, and carrier-injection efficiency.

Defects derived by the removal of heteroatoms from graphene are demonstrated, both experimentally and theoretically, to be effective for all three basic electrochemical reactions, e.g., oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER), and hydrogen evolution (HER). Density function theory calculations further reveal that the different types of defects are essential for the individual electrocatalytic activity for ORR, OER, and HER, respectively.

Using tetrahexahedral gold nanorods as a heterogeneous electrocatalyst, an electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction is shown to be possible at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, with a high Faradic efficiency up to 4.02% at −0.2 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (1.648 µg h−1 cm−2 and 0.102 µg h−1 cm−2 for NH3 and N2H4·H2O, respectively).

As an emerging class of porous crystalline materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are excellent candidates for various applications. In particular, they can serve as ideal platforms for capturing CO2 to mitigate the dilemma caused by the greenhouse effect. Recent research achievements using COFs for CO2 capture are highlighted. A background overview is provided, consisting of a brief statement on the current CO2 issue, a summary of representative materials utilized for CO2 capture, and an introduction to COFs. Research progresses on: i) experimental CO2 capture using different COFs synthesized based on different covalent bond formations, and ii) computational simulation results of such porous materials on CO2 capture are summarized. Based on these experimental and theoretical studies, careful analyses and discussions in terms of the COF stability, low- and high-pressure CO2 uptake, CO2 selectivity, breakthrough performance, and CO2 capture conditions are provided. Finally, a perspective and conclusion section of COFs for CO2 capture is presented. Recent advancements in the…

A two-step ligand-exchange strategy is developed, in which the long-carbon- chain ligands on all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbX3, X = Br, Cl) quantum dots (QDs) are replaced with halide-ion-pair ligands. Green and blue light-emitting diodes made from the halide-ion-pair-capped quantum dots exhibit high external quantum efficiencies compared with the untreated QDs.

Flexible and stretchable electronics and optoelectronics configured in soft, water resistant formats uniquely address seminal challenges in biomedicine. Over the past decade, there has been enormous progress in the materials, designs, and manufacturing processes for flexible/stretchable system subcomponents, including transistors, amplifiers, bio-sensors, actuators, light emitting diodes, photodetector arrays, photovoltaics, energy storage elements, and bare die integrated circuits. Nanomaterials prepared using top-down processing approaches and synthesis-based bottom-up methods have helped resolve the intrinsic mechanical mismatch between rigid/planar devices and soft/curvilinear biological structures, thereby enabling a broad range of non-invasive, minimally invasive, and implantable systems to address challenges in biomedicine. Integration of therapeutic functional nanomaterials with soft bioelectronics demonstrates therapeutics in combination with unconventional diagnostics capabilities. Recent advances in soft materials, devices, and integrated systems are reviewes, with…

Ti2O3 nanoparticles with high performance of photothermal conversion are demonstrated for the first time. Benefiting from the nanosize and narrow-bandgap features, the Ti2O3 nanoparticles possess strong light absorption and nearly 100% internal solar–thermal conversion efficiency. Furthermore, Ti2O3-nanoparticle-based thin film shows potential use in seawater desalination and purification.

A unique type of pH/H2 O2 dual-responsive intelligent nanoscale delivery system based on albumin-coated MnO2 is presented, which is capable of modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) by relieving hypoxia. Additionally, TME-responsive size changes enable effective intratumor diffusion. A highly effective combined photodynamic and chemotherapy is realized with these nanoparticles in a mouse tumor model.

Extremely efficient sky-blue organic electroluminescence with external quantum efficiency of ≈37% is achieved in a conventional planar device structure, using a highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter based on the spiroacridine-triazine hybrid and simultaneously possessing nearly unitary (100%) photoluminescence quantum yield, excellent thermal stability, and strongly horizontally oriented emitting dipoles (with a horizontal dipole ratio of 83%).

A black phosphorus (BP)-based drug delivery system for synergistic photodynamic/photothermal/chemotherapy of cancer is constructed. As a 2D nanosheet, BP shows super high drug loading capacity and pH-/photoresponsive drug release. The intrinsic photothermal and photodynamic effects of BP enhance the antitumor activities. The synergistic photodynamic/photothermal/chemotherapy makes BP-based drug delivery system a multifunctional nanomedicine platform.

5 mm-scale large FAPbI 3 single crystals and corresponding photoconductive properties are shown. The phase transition of FAPbI3 between the α-phase and δ-phase is studied. The carrier mobility is 4.4 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) with a lifetime of 484 ns in the bulk of the single crystal. Finally, photodetectors based on single-crystal FAPbI3 are demonstrated.

Li dendrite-free growth is achieved by employing glass fiber with large polar functional groups as the interlayer of Li metal anode and separator to uniformly distribute Li ions. The evenly distributed Li ions render the dendrite-free Li deposits at high rates (10 mA cm(-2)) and high lithiation capacity (2.0 mAh cm(-2)).

An artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is demonstrated for the efficient and safe operation of a lithium metal anode. Composed of lithium-ion-conducting inorganic nanoparticles within a flexible polymer binder matrix, the rationally designed artificial SEI not only mechanically suppresses lithium dendrite formation but also promotes homogeneous lithium-ion flux, significantly enhancing the efficiency and cycle life of the lithium metal anode.

Graphene oxide-based aerogels with carefully tailored properties are developed to enable efficient solar steam generation. Aerogels, with inherent porous structures, are excellent thermal insulators and provide channels for water supply and vapor escape. With enhanced absorption and hydrophilicity by incorporation of carbon nanotubes and sodium alginate, the resulting aerogels can enable efficient (≈83%) solar steam generation under one-sun illumination.

An Fe-doped CoP nanoarray behaves as a robust 3D monolithic multifunctional catalyst for electrolytic and hydrolytic hydrogen evolution with high activity. Its two-electrode electrolyzer needs a cell voltage of only 1.60 V for 10 mA cm−2 water-splitting current. It also catalyzes effectively NaBH4 hydrolysis with a low activation energy of ≈39.6 kJ mol−1 and a hydrogen generation rate of 6.06 L min−1 g−1.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets have emerged as a fascinating new class of materials for catalysis. These nanosheets are active for several important catalysis reactions including hydrogen evolution from water. The rich chemistry of TMDs combined with numerous strategies that allow tuning of their electronic properties make these materials very attractive for understanding the fundamental principles of electro- and photocatalysis, as well as for developing highly efficient, renewable, and affordable catalysts for large-scale production of hydrogen. Recent developments are highlighted and important challenges in using TMDs as catalysts are also discussed.

Multicolor bandgap fluorescent carbon quantum dots (MCBF-CQDs) from blue to red with quantum yield up to 75% are synthesized using a solvothermal method. For the first time, monochrome electroluminescent light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with MCBF-CQDs directly as an active emission layer are fabricated. The maximum luminance of blue LEDs reaches 136 cd m−2, which is the best performance for CQD-based monochrome electroluminescent LEDs.

A white light-emitting diode (0.33, 0.33) is fabricated using perovskite quantum dot/silica composites. It is shown to have greatly improved stability.

A carbonized plain-weave silk fabric is fabricated into wearable and robust strain sensors, which can be stretched up to 500% and show high sensitivity in a wide strain range. This sensor can be assembled into wearable devices for detection of both large and subtle human activities, showing great potential for monitoring human motions and personal health.

The preparation of highly efficient perovskite nanocrystal light-emitting diodes is shown. A new trimethylaluminum vapor-based crosslinking method to render the nanocrystal films insoluble is applied. The resulting near-complete nanocrystal film coverage, coupled with the natural confinement of injected charges within the perovskite crystals, facilitates electron-hole capture and give rise to a remarkable electroluminescence yield of 5.7%.

The emergence of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a new class of crystalline porous materials is attracting considerable attention in many fields such as catalysis, energy storage and conversion, sensors, and environmental remediation due to their controllable composition, structure and pore size. MOFs are versatile precursors for the preparation of various forms of nanomaterials as well as new multifunctional nanocomposites/hybrids, which exhibit superior functional properties compared to the individual components assembling the composites. This review provides an overview of recent developments achieved in the fabrication of porous MOF-derived nanostructures including carbons, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides (metal sulfides and selenides), metal carbides, metal phosphides and their composites. Finally, the challenges and future trends and prospects associated with the development of MOF-derived nanomaterials are also examined.

A critical overview of the latest developments in the aluminum battery technologies is reported. The substitution of lithium with alternative metal anodes characterized by lower cost and higher abundance is nowadays one of the most widely explored paths to reduce the cost of electrochemical storage systems and enable long-term sustainability. Aluminum based secondary batteries could be a viable alternative to the present Li-ion technology because of their high volumetric capacity (8040 mAh cm(-3) for Al vs 2046 mAh cm(-3) for Li). Additionally, the low cost aluminum makes these batteries appealing for large-scale electrical energy storage. Here, we describe the evolution of the various aluminum systems, starting from those based on aqueous electrolytes to, in more details, those based on non-aqueous electrolytes. Particular attention has been dedicated to the latest development of electrolytic media characterized by low reactivity towards other cell components. The attention is then focused on electrode materials enabling the reversible aluminum intercalation-deintercalation…

The fast development of photoactivation for cancer treatment provides an efficient photo-therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, but traditional photodynamic or photothermal therapy suffers from the critical issue of low in vivo penetration depth of tissues. As a non-invasive therapeutic modality, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) can break the depth barrier of photoactivation because ultrasound has an intrinsically high tissue-penetration performance. Micro/nanoparticles can efficiently augment the SDT efficiency based on nanobiotechnology. The state-of-art of the representative achievements on micro/nanoparticle-enhanced SDT is summarized, and specific functions of micro/nanoparticles for SDT are discussed, from the different viewpoints of ultrasound medicine, material science and nanobiotechnology. Emphasis is put on the relationship of structure/composition-SDT performance of micro/nanoparticle-based sonosensitizers. Three types of micro/nanoparticle-augmented SDT are discussed, including organic and inorganic sonosensitizers and micro/nanoparticle-based but sonosensitizer-free…

2D black phosphorus (BP) nanomaterials are presented as a delivery platform. The endocytosis pathways and biological activities of PEGylated BP nanosheets in cancer cells are revealed for the first time. Finally, a triple-response combined therapy strategy is achieved by PEGylated BP nanosheets, showing a promising and enhanced antitumor effect.

A 3D porous Cu current collector is fabricated through chemical dealloying from a commerial Cu-Zn alloy tape. The interlinked porous framework naturally integrated can accommodate Li deposition, suppressing dendrite growth and alleviating the huge volume change during cycling. The Li metal anode combined with such a porous Cu collector demonstrates excellent performance and commerial potentials in Li-based secondary batteries.

Organic afterglow materials, developed recently by breaking through the difficulties in modulating ultrafast-decayed excited states, exhibit ultralong-lived emission for persistent luminescence with lifetimes of several orders of magnitude longer than traditional fluorescent and phosphorescent emissions at room temperature. Their exceptional properties, namely ultralong luminescent lifetime, large Stokes shifts, facile excited state transformation, and environmentally sensitive emission, have led to a diverse range of advanced optoelectronic applications. Here, the organic afterglow is reviewed from the perspective of fundamental concepts on both phenomenon and mechanism, examining the technical challenges in relation to excited state tuning and lifetime elongation. In particular, the advances in material design strategies that afford a large variety of organic afterglow materials for a broad utility in optoelectronics including lighting and displays, anti-counterfeiting, optical recording, chemical sensors and bio-imaging are highlighted.

Nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets (N-CNS) are synthesized by hydrothermal carbon coating of g-C3N4 nanosheets followed by high-temperature treatment in N2. g-C3N4 serves as a template, nitrogen source, and porogen in the synthesis. This approach yields N-CNS with a high nitrogen content and comparable oxygen reduction reaction catalytic activities to commercial Pt/C catalysts in alkaline media. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Rationally designed N, S co-doped graphitic sheets with stereoscopic holes (SHG) act as effective tri-functional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and oxygen evolution reaction, simultaneously. The multifunctional electrocatalytic activities originate from a synergistic effect of the N, S heteroatom doping and unique SHG architecture, which provide a large surface area and efficient pathways for electron and electrolyte/reactant transports.

Major growth in the image sensor market is largely as a result of the expansion of digital imaging into cameras, whether stand-alone or integrated within smart cellular phones or automotive vehicles. Applications in biomedicine, education, environmental monitoring, optical communications, pharmaceutics and machine vision are also driving the development of imaging technologies. Organic photodiodes (OPDs) are now being investigated for existing imaging technologies, as their properties make them interesting candidates for these applications. OPDs offer cheaper processing methods, devices that are light, flexible and compatible with large (or small) areas, and the ability to tune the photophysical and optoelectronic properties - both at a material and device level. Although the concept of OPDs has been around for some time, it is only relatively recently that significant progress has been made, with their performance now reaching the point that they are beginning to rival their inorganic counterparts in a number of performance criteria including the linear dynamic range, detectivity,…

A porous MoO2 nanosheet as an active and stable bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting, is presented. It needs a cell voltage of only about 1.53 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) and maintains its activity for at least 24 h in a two-electrode configuration.

An injectable and self-healing collagen-gold hybrid hydrogel is spontaneously formed by electrostatic self-assembly and subsequent biomineralization. It is demonstrated that such collagen-based hydrogels may be used as an injectable material for local delivery of therapeutic agents, showing enhanced antitumor efficacy.

Efficient lead (Pb)-free inverted planar formamidinium tin triiodide (FASnI3) perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) are demonstrated. Our FASnI3 PVSCs achieved average power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 5.41% ± 0.46% and a maximum PCE of 6.22% under forward voltage scan. The PVSCs exhibit small photocurrent–voltage hysteresis and high reproducibility. The champion cell shows a steady-state efficiency of ≈6.00% for over 100 s.

Porous CoFe2O4/C NRAs supported on nickel foam@NC (denoted as NF@NC-CoFe2O4/C NRAs) are directly fabricated by the carbonization of bimetal–organic framework NRAs grown on NF@poly-aniline(PANI), and they exhibit high electrocatalytic activity, low overpotential, and high stability for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media.

Incorporating carbon into Bi3 O4 Cl enhances its internal electric field by 126 times, which induces a bulk charge separation efficiency (ηbulk ) of 80%. This ultrahigh ηbulk value presents a state-of-the-art result in tuning the bulk charge separation. The generated C-doped Bi3 O4 Cl has a noble-metal- and electron-scavenger-free water-oxidation ability under visible light, which is difficult to achieve with most existing photocatalysts.

nanocrystal-embedded polymer composite films is developed by controlling the crystallization process from precursor solutions. The composite films exhibit enhanced photoluminescence properties, improved stability, and excellent piezoelectric and mechanical properties. Applications of these composite films as color converters in liquid-crystal-display backlights are demonstrated, showing bright potential in display technology.