Themed collection Nanoscale Most Popular 2020 Articles

Organic photovoltaics are a promising candidate for indoor applications. Recent progresses in optimization of indoor photovoltaic materials and devices, and the key strategies to optimize the indoor photovoltaic characteristics will be discussed.

MXenes are a new type of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide or carbonitride material with a 2D structure similar to graphene.

Recent advances in nanotechnology, especially the development of integrated nanostructured materials, have offered unprecedented opportunities for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

Luminescence nanothermometry requires standardization for reliable and quantitative evaluation.

This review covers CBRAM-based artificial synapses and neurons towards emerging computing applications from the operation principles of CBRAMs to state-of-the-art experimental demonstrations.

A systematic summary of the acidic OER catalytic mechanism and catalysts is given, and some experimental phenomena are explained.

Various strategies to functionalize SBA-15 mesoporous silica have been reviewed with a view to evaluating its efficacy in different catalytic transformation reactions.

Low dimensional materials based sensors have improved the detection strategy for sensing complex substances present in environment and human body.

This in-depth review deals with the subject of how mechanical reinforcement takes place in polymer nanocomposites containing graphene and carbon nanotubes and offers guidelines for the maximization of the performance of such systems.

This review article gives an overview of the molecular adhesion mechanisms and recent development of mussel inspired functional adhesives.

The self-healing mechanism and applications of conductive self-healing hydrogels are summarized and their future development direction is presented.

The self-assembly of DNA hybrids with tetraphenylethylene sticky ends into vesicular architectures is demonstrated.

A gelatin methacryloyl based microneedle patch has been developed for transdermal gene delivery both in vitro and in vivo.

A novel heterostructure consisting of highly ordered TiO₂ nanoarrays grown on the MXene nanosheets displays formidable dual chemisorption capability to trap polysulfides and superior electrochemical performance for Li–S batteries.

Unveiling the nanomechanical stability of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein

Stretchable electronic devices nowadays have become more and more necessary in our daily lives, and most of the present electronic devices are based on inorganic materials.

Iodide-doping of silver coated gold nanorods increases sensitivity to RONS.

As a durable electrocatalyst for water oxidation, a hierarchical heterostructured CuO@ZnCo layered double hydroxide nanowire array on a copper foil requires a low overpotential of 270 mV to attain 10 mA cm⁻² in 1.0 M KOH.

High purity synthesis yields Cs₃Sb₂Br₉ nanocrystals exhibiting 10-fold higher CO₂ reduction activity then CsPbBr₃ due to exposure of active site.

Hot charge carriers created by plasmons break the C–B bond of 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid, transforming it into benzenethiol in nanogaps.

A NO-release platform based on upconversion dendritic mesoporous silica nanocomposites was invented for combined imaging-guided synergistic chemodynamic/photodynamic/gas therapy.

Graphene oxide encapsulation of liquid metal particles creates a physical barrier that protects the particles against chemically etching environments and mechanical input.

We find that the solar energy absorption efficiency is high under a solar spectrum at AM 1.5, and it also has polarization-independence and incidence insensitivity. Our absorber has the widest operating band compared with similar absorbers reported previously.

It is the first time that a dominantly displacive short-range order is reported at the atomic scale.

We designed a security-enhanced anti-counterfeiting tag using chiral photonic crystal films, which has polarization-dependent transmission color changes.

A nanochannel liquid cell was used to quantify the electron inelastic mean free path (λ_IMFP) in water. The experimental values show large offsets from the generally accepted models, and can be used to determine the liquid thickness in a liquid cell.

Defect-engineered vanadium bronzes with ultra-fast zinc-ion diffusion kinetics and excellent stability were created by a two-pronged strategy as cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Influences of growth parameters on the shape and ferroelectric properties of a 2D-In₂Se₃ layered structure grown by CVD were systematically studied.

MXenes, a new family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, have been exploited in 3D bioprinting owing to their outstanding properties such as a large specific surface area, high electrical conductivity, and biodegradability.

Design an in-situ semi-transformation strategy for the development of Fe-Ni LDH/MOF hierarchical architecture exhibiting large accessible surface, open electron transport channel and multiple active sites to promote the electrocatalytic capacity.

Twisted WSe₂ bilayers exhibit hybridized K–Λ excitons with flat moiré bands, which become visible through phonon-assisted photoluminescence.

Exploitation of the nanoparticle protein corona to identify proteomic fingerprints in blood that differentiate non-bacterial systemic inflammation from sepsis.

Results of this study provide clear design guidelines for developing highly active electrocatalysts using thiolate-protected gold and alloy clusters.

Well-aligned Ni-MOF nanosheet arrays vertically grown on nickel foam were synthesized via a facile in situ solvothermal strategy, which exhibited remarkably improved photocatalytic activities to typical VOCs under visible light irradiation.

Herein, pathogen-targeting phototheranostic nanoparticles, Van-OA@PPy, are in situ developed for efficient elimination of MRSA infection, which is reflected by dual-modality magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging.

Novel nanostructured non-redox-metal potassium metal–organic framework, [C₇H₃KNO₄]_n, as an effective organic anode for long-cycle life OPIBs.

Mechanisms of laser-assisted surface nanostructuring and generation of nanoparticles are revealed in a closely integrated computational and experimental study.

Group VB transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are emerging two-dimensional materials and have attracted significant interests in the fields of physics, chemistry, and material sciences.

The comparison of the operating schemes and LIR definitions of the conventional ratiometric (A, B) and excited state absorption-based ratiometric (C, D) luminescent thermometry at low (A, C) and high (B, D) temperatures.

Biomorphic Co₂P-Co₃O₄/rGO/C, consisting of Co₂P-Co₃O₄ heterogeneous particles and rGO sheets on a C substrate, is in situ fabricated using G+ bacteria as both a P source and template, which leads to good electrocatalytic performances for the ORR.

We report a simple, flexible and substrate-independent method for pumpless under-oil directional transport of water.

We describe a novel antibiotic delivery system based on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP).

Lithium ion capacitors (LICs) are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices since they can bridge the gap between lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Flexible, lightweight, and high-energy-density asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) are highly attractive for portable and wearable electronics.

An effective strategy is developed to synthesize graphene-wrapped NiGa₂O₄, and graphene-wrapped NiFe₂O₄ for supercapacitors.

PM type OPDs are firstly achieved based on electron tunneling injection with electron-only transport properties.

Engineered exosomes have become popular drug delivery carriers for cancer treatment. Systemic injection of organotropic exosome carrier leads to efficient targeting and efficacious anti-cancer outcome.

Sandwich-like Co-embedded N-doped carbon polyhedron/graphene with a hierarchical porous structure was fabricated through a solution dip-coating method using sponge templates.

The lead/surfactant ratio controls the formation, composition and surface passivation of cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals.

Porous PtPd NPs with reversed bimetallic structures from Pd-on-Pt to Pt-on-Pd can be one-pot prepared in aqueous solution under the modulation of [C₁₆mim]Cl and glycine and show superior catalytic activities for AB hydrolysis to produce hydrogen.