Self-Assembly of Hierarchical Silicon-Containing Block Copolymers with Cross-Linkable 3 nm Smectic Motifs for Nanopatterning and Osmotic Energy Conversion Membranes.

Highly-dense small-feature-size nanopatterns and nanoporous membranes are important in advanced microelectronics, nanofiltration, and biomimic device manufacturing. Here, we report the synthesis and self-assembly of a series of high-interaction-parameter (high-χ) silicon-containing hierarchical block copolymers (BCPs) with cross-linkable subordering chalcone motifs, which possess both an intrinsic native etching contrast for nanofabrication and cross-linkability under ultraviolet light for generating free-standing membranes. BCPs with a volume fraction of chalcone block of 55-74% form ordered primary nanostructures with period 15-22 nm including lamellae, double gyroid, hexagonally packed cylinders, and body-centered cubic spheres of the minority Si-containing block. The majority PChMA block self-assembles into a highly ordered 3 nm smectic sublattice, and cross-linking after self-assembly enables the formation of free-standing isoporous membranes. Both silicon oxide nanopatterns and free-standing nanoporous osmotic energy conversion membranes are generated by etching films of these BCPs. This work demonstrates that the combination of hierarchical ordering and cross-linkable motifs in a high-interaction parameter BCP enables applications in both nanofabrication and free-standing functional porous membranes.

Tailoring midwifery care to women's needs in early labour: The cultivation of relational care in free-standing birth centres.

AIM: To understand and interpret the lived experience of newly qualified midwives in their first year in a free standing birth centre caring for women in early labour. BACKGROUND: Women who present in hospital labour wards in early labour are encouraged by hospital staff to go home. This leaves women to navigate early labour without professional care, leaving them on their own to manage the transition from early to active labour. However, some women request care for this transition. DESIGN: This is a Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology study. METHODS: Three unstructured interviews were conducted with 15 newly qualified midwives in their first year working in a free-standing birth centre. This paper focuses on the research participants' lived experience offering care to women in early labour. The study was conducted from 2021-2024. FINDINGS: Three themes were revealed in analysis: "Paving the way into labour": Tailoring care to women's needs in early labour; "Perhaps it was intuition.": Experiencing deeper knowing as a newly qualified midwife; and "She locked the door and wouldn't let me in.": Navigating uncomfortable situations in early labour. CONCLUSIONS: The lived experience of newly qualified midwives offering care in early labour shows potential for midwives to build trusting relationships with women in this phase. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Prioritizing relational care over interventions in early labor can enhance trust and confidence between midwives and birthing women, particularly in settings where policies discourage early admissions. ISSUE: Women presenting in hospital labour wards in early labour who are sent home are often discouraged, feeling that their concerns and embodied experiences have not been heard. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN: When labouring women are admitted to hospitals in early labour, they are prone to receive a cascade of interventions. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: When newly qualified midwives began working in free-standing birth centres, they acquired skills and knowledge to accompany women in early labour who requested care. Relational care in early labour builds women's trust in their ability to give birth and does not rely on interventions to augment labour.

Dual-Functional Metal-Organic Framework Freestanding Aerogel Boosts Sulfur Reduction Reaction for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) technology stands out as a promising energy storage system. However, its journey toward practical implementation is hindered by sluggish sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) kinetics. A free-standing graphene aerogel (GA) combined with a copper-based metal-organic framework (MOF-GA) is fabricated as the sulfur host material for Li-S battery cathodes. The presence of MOF particles assumes a dual role, demonstrating its efficacy not only as a catalyst for the reduction reaction of graphene oxide (GO) but also as an electrochemical catalyst to promote sluggish SRR kinetics. The former amplifies electron transfer kinetics within the electrode, and the latter elevates the overall cell performance. Experimental results and theoretical calculations have proven the catalytic activity of MOF-GA electrodes, leading to a higher sulfur utilization of over 80% and a lower capacity decay of 0.082% per cycle. Under extreme conditions, the Li-S cells show a high initial specific capacity of 1113.0 mAh·g-1 under an elevated loading of 4.25 mg·cm-2 and a high sulfur fraction >70%. This study shows the effectiveness of the synergist effects of MOF particles within the GA framework in promoting the sulfur redox reaction in Li-S batteries.

Facile Preparation of High-Performance Free-Standing Micro-Supercapacitors by Optimizing Oxygen Groups on Graphene.

Free-standing micro-supercapacitor (MSC) devices without substrate or current collectors are promising for practical applications. However, it is still difficult to prepare high-performance free-standing MSC devices because of the requirement of optimized active sites, conductivity, ion diffusion, controlled patterns, moisture susceptibility, etc. Here, it is proposed that the optimization of oxygen level on graphene is promising to solve these requirements because of the balance of sp2 and sp3 hybridization. Using the medium-oxidized graphene, the flexible, conductive, hydro-stable, easy-processing film can be facilely obtained, which facilitates the preparation of free-standing MSC electrodes. After constructing with gel electrolyte, the free-standing MSC device shows a high capacitance of 898.4 mF cm-2 using aqueous-gel electrolyte and 383.6 mF cm-2 using ion-gel electrolyte with mass loading of ca. 10 mg cm-2. Correspondingly, the MSC device can achieve a landmark energy density of 42.6 µWh cm-2 at 0.85 mW cm-2 (7.1 mWh cm-3 at 141.7 mW cm-3). The advantages of high performance, facile preparation, and low inactive components make the free-standing MSC device promising for practical applications.

Scalable Layer-Controlled Oxidation of Bi2O2Se for Self-Rectifying Memristor Arrays With sub-pA Sneak Currents.

Smart memristors with innovative properties are crucial for the advancement of next-generation information storage and bioinspired neuromorphic computing. However, the presence of significant sneak currents in large-scale memristor arrays results in operational errors and heat accumulation, hindering their practical utility. This study successfully synthesizes a quasi-free-standing Bi2O2Se single-crystalline film and achieves layer-controlled oxidation by developing large-scale UV-assisted intercalative oxidation, resulting ß-Bi2SeO5/Bi2O2Se heterostructures. The resulting ß-Bi2SeO5/Bi2O2Se memristor demonstrates remarkable self-rectifying resistive switching performance (over 105 for ON/OFF and rectification ratios, as well as nonlinearity) in both nanoscale (through conductive atomic force microscopy) and microscale (through memristor array) regimes. Furthermore, the potential for scalable production of self-rectifying ß-Bi2SeO5/Bi2O2Se memristor, achieving sub-pA sneak currents to minimize cross-talk effects in high-density memristor arrays is demonstrated. The memristors also exhibit ultrafast resistive switching (sub-100 ns) and low power consumption (1.2 pJ) as characterized by pulse-mode testing. The findings suggest a synergetic effect of interfacial Schottky barriers and oxygen vacancy migration as the self-rectifying switching mechanism, elucidated through controllable ß-Bi2SeO5 thickness modulation and theoretical ab initio calculations.

Enhanced Supercapacitor and Cycle-Life Performance: Self-Supported Nanohybrid Electrodes of Hydrothermally Grown MnO2 Nanorods on Carbon Nanotubes in Neutral Electrolyte.

Efficient and sustainable energy storage remains a critical challenge in the advancement of energy technologies. This study presents the fabrication and electrochemical evaluation of a self-supporting electrode material composed of MnO2 nanorods grown directly on a carbon paper and carbon nanotube (CNT) substrate using a hydrothermal method. The resulting CNT/MnO2 electrodes exhibit a unique structural architecture with a high surface area and a three-dimensional hierarchical arrangement, contributing to a substantial electrochemical surface area. Electrochemical testing reveals remarkable performance characteristics, including a specific capacitance of up to 316.5 F/g, which is 11 times greater than that of conventional CP/MnO2 electrodes. Moreover, the CNT/MnO2 electrodes demonstrate outstanding retention capacity, exhibiting a remarkable 165% increase over 10,000 cycles. Symmetric supercapacitor devices utilizing CNT/MnO2 electrodes maintain a large voltage window of 3 V and a specific capacitance as high as 200 F/g. These results underscore the potential of free-standing CNT/MnO2 electrodes to advance the development of high-performance supercapacitors, which can be crucial for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions in various industrial and manufacturing applications.

Free-Standing, Water-Resistant, and Conductivity-Enhanced PEDOT:PSS Films from In Situ Polymerization of 3-Hydroxymethyl-3-Methyl-Oxetane.

Free-standing films based on conducting polymers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), offer many benefits over traditional metal electrodes for applications in flexible electronics. However, to ensure structural integrity when contacting aqueous environments and high levels of electrical conductivity, solution-processed polymers require additives that act as crosslinking agents and conductivity enhancers. In this work, a new approach is presented to fabricate water-resistant free-standing films of PEDOT:PSS and simultaneously increase their conductivity, using an oxetane compound as an additive. It is shown that at moderate temperatures, oxetane polymerizes within the PEDOT:PSS acidic medium, forming hydroxymethyl-substituted polyether compounds that form a network upon crosslinking with PSS. The polymer composite films show self-sustainability, structural stability in aqueous environments, and enhanced conductivity. Finally, the potential of the free-standing films as health-monitoring electrodes, specifically for human electrocardiography, is explored.

Ultra-Mild Fabrication of Highly Concentrated SWCNT Dispersion Using Spontaneous Charging in Solvated Electron System.

The efficient dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been the subject of extensive research over the past decade. Despite these efforts, achieving individually dispersed SWCNTs at high concentrations remains challenging. In this study, we address the limitations associated with conventional methods, such as defect formation, excessive surfactant use, and the use of corrosive solvents. Our novel dispersion method utilizes the spontaneous charging of SWCNTs in a solvated electron system created by dissolving potassium in hexamethyl phosphoramide (HMPA). The resulting charged SWCNTs (c-SWCNTs) can be directly dispersed in the charging medium using only magnetic stirring, leading to defect-free c-SWCNT dispersions with high concentrations of up to 20 mg/mL. The successful dispersion of individual c-SWCNT strands is confirmed by their liquid-crystalline behavior. Importantly, the dispersion medium for c-SWCNTs exhibits no reactivity with metals, polymers, or other organic solvents. This versatility enables a wide range of applications, including electrically conductive free-standing films produced via conventional blade coating, wet-spun fibers, membrane electrodes, thermal composites, and core-shell hybrid microparticles.

One Stone, Three Birds: Feasible Tuning of Barrier Heights Induced by Hybridized Interface in Free-Standing PEDOT@Bi2Te3 Thermoelectric Films.

Converting low-grade thermal energy into electrical energy is crucial for the development of modern smart wearable energy technologies. The free-standing films of PEDOT@Bi2Te3 prepared by tape-casting hold promise for flexible thermoelectric technology in self-powered sensing applications. Bi2Te3 nanosheets fabricated by the solvothermal method are tightly connected with flat-arranged PEODT molecules, forming an S-Bi bonded interface in the composite materials, and the bandgap is reduced to 1.63 eV. Compared with the PEDOT film, the mobility and carrier concentration of the composite are significantly increased at room temperature, and the conductivity reaches 684 S/cm. Meanwhile, the carrier concentration decreased sharply at 360 K indicating the creation of defect energy levels during the interfacial reaction of the composites, which increased the Seebeck coefficient. The power factor was improved by 68.9% compared to PEDOT. In addition, the introduction of Bi2Te3 nanosheets generated defects and multidimensional interfaces in the composite film, which resulted in weak phonon scattering in the conducting polymer with interfacial scattering. The thermal conductivity of the film is decreased and the ZT value reaches 0.1. The composite film undergoes 1500 bending cycles with a 14% decrease in conductivity and has good flexibility. This self-supporting flexible thermoelectric composite film has provided a research basis for low-grade thermal energy applications.

Ultrafast 2D Nanosheet Assembly via Spontaneous Spreading Phenomenon.

In 2D materials, a key engineering challenge is the mass production of large-area thin films without sacrificing their uniform 2D nature and unique properties. Here, it is demonstrated that a simple fluid phenomenon of water/alcohol solvents can become a sophisticated tool for self-assembly and designing organized structures of 2D nanosheets on a water surface. In situ, surface characterizations show that water/alcohol droplets of 2D nanosheets with cationic surfactants exhibit spontaneous spreading of large uniform monolayers within 10 s. Facile transfer of the monolayers onto solid or flexible substrates results in high-quality mono- and multilayer films with high coverages (>95%) and homogeneous electronic/optical properties. This spontaneous spreading is quite general and can be applied to various 2D nanosheets, including metal oxides, graphene oxide, h-BN, MoS2, and transition metal carbides, enabling on-demand smart manufacture of large-size (>4 inchϕ) 2D nanofilms and free-standing membranes.

A Sustainable Free-Standing Triboelectric Nanogenerator Made of Flexible Composite Film for Brake Pattern Recognition in Automobiles.

In recent years, the automotive industry has made significant progress in integrating multifunctional sensors to improve vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. As the number of integrated sensors keeps increasing, there is a growing interest in alternative energy sources. Specifically, self-powered sensor systems based on energy harvesting are drawing much attention, with a main focus on sustainability and reducing reliance on typical batteries. This paper demonstrates the use of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) in a computer mouse for efficient energy harvesting and in automobile braking systems for safety applications using SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBTO) perovskite, blended PDMS composite operating in free-standing mode with an interdigitated patterned aluminum electrode. This self-powered sensor is capable of distinguishing between normal and abnormal braking patterns using digital signal processing techniques. It is noteworthy that the addition of 15% wt. of the SBTO in PDMS composite-based TENG delivered 13.5 V, 45 nA, and an output power of 0.98 µW. This new combination of energy harvesting and safety applications enables real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance in the automotive industry.

Preparation of Free-Standing Defect-Free ZIF-8/PVA Membranes via Confined Reaction at the Quasi-Interface.

Developing a facile strategy to synthesize free-standing defect-free metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes with high separation selectivity and good mechanical stability is very appealing but challenging. Herein, by confining the reaction of metal and ligand at the quasi-interface, a representative membrane composed of a continuous ZIF-8 layer and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was fabricated. The continuous ZIF-8 layer endowed the membrane with high separation efficiency, while PVA acted as a filler to eliminate the defection, synergistically achieving high selective ion transport and good mechanical stability. The continuous defect-free ZIF-8/PVA membrane showed excellent separation performance of selective ion transport with high Li+ permeance of 17.83 mol·m-2·h-1 as well as decent Li+/Mg2+ and Li+/Ca2+ selectivities of 24.60 and 244.58, respectively. The separation performance of the ZIF-8/PVA membrane remained stable after 10% strain, indicating its good mechanical stability. This work will promote the development of MOF-based membranes in practical applications.

Mo2C-Co heterostructure with carbon nanosheets decorated carbon microtubules: Different means for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

The practical applications of lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs) are hindered by notorious shuttle effect and sluggish conversion kinetics of intermediate polysulfides. Herein, Mo2C-Co heterogeneous particles decorated two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets grown on hollow carbon microtubes (CCC@MCC) are synthesized. Three-dimensional (3D) carbon framework with Mo2C-Co heterogeneous particles combines the conductivity, adsorption and catalysis, effectively trapping and accelerating the conversion of polysulfides. As evidenced experimentally, the hetero-structured Mo2C-Co with high Li+ diffusion coefficient enables uniform precipitation and complete oxidation of Li2S. Meanwhile, CCC@MCC is found to have multiple application possibilities for lithium-sulfur batteries. As an interlayer, the cells deliver an excellent capacity of 881.1 mAh/g at 2C and still retain 438.2 mAh/g after 500 cycles under the low temperature of 0 ℃. As a sulfur carrier, the cell with a sulfur loading of 7.0 mg cm-2 exhibits a high area capacity of 5.3 mAh cm-2. This work provides an effective strategy to prepare heterostructured material and imaginatively exploit the application potential of it.

Human Platelet Lysate-Derived Nanofibrils as Building Blocks to Produce Free-Standing Membranes for Cell Self-Aggregation.

Amyloid-like fibrils are garnering keen interest in biotechnology as supramolecular nanofunctional units to be used as biomimetic platforms to control cell behavior. Recent insights into fibril functionality have highlighted their importance in tissue structure, mechanical properties, and improved cell adhesion, emphasizing the need for scalable and high-kinetics fibril synthesis. In this study, we present the instantaneous and bulk formation of amyloid-like nanofibrils from human platelet lysate (PL) using the ionic liquid cholinium tosylate as a fibrillating agent. The instant fibrillation of PL proteins upon supramolecular protein-ionic liquid interactions was confirmed from the protein conformational transition toward cross-ß-sheet-rich structures. These nanofibrils were utilized as building blocks for the formation of thin and flexible free-standing membranes via solvent casting to support cell self-aggregation. These PL-derived fibril membranes reveal a nanotopographically rough surface and high stability over 14 days under cell culture conditions. The culture of mesenchymal stem cells or tumor cells on the top of the membrane demonstrated that cells are able to adhere and self-organize in a three-dimensional (3D) spheroid-like microtissue while tightly folding the fibril membrane. Results suggest that nanofibril membrane incorporation in cell aggregates can improve cell viability and metabolic activity, recreating native tissues' organization. Altogether, these PL-derived nanofibril membranes are suitable bioactive platforms to generate 3D cell-guided microtissues, which can be explored as bottom-up strategies to faithfully emulate native tissues in a fully human microenvironment.

Synergistic Coassembly of Folic Acid-Based Supramolecular Polymer with a Covalent Polymer Toward Fabricating Functional Antibacterial Biomaterials.

Supramolecular biomaterials can recapitulate the structural and functional facets of the native extracellular matrix and react to biochemical cues, leveraging the unique attributes of noncovalent interactions, including reversibility and tunability. However, the low mechanical properties of supramolecular biomaterials can restrict their utilization in specific applications. Combining the advantages of supramolecular polymers with covalent polymers can lead to the fabrication of tailor-made biomaterials with enhanced mechanical properties/degradability. Herein, we demonstrate a synergistic coassembled self-healing gel as a multifunctional supramolecular material. As the supramolecular polymer component, we chose folic acid (vitamin B9), an important biomolecule that forms a gel comprising one-dimensional (1D) supramolecular polymers. Integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into this supramolecular gel alters its ultrastructure and augments its mechanical properties. A drastic improvement of complex modulus (G*) (∼3674 times) was observed in the folic acid-PVA gel with 15% w/v PVA (33215 Pa) compared with the folic acid gel (9.04 Pa). The coassembled hydrogels possessed self-healing and injectable/thixotropic attributes and could be printed into specific three-dimensional (3D) shapes. Synergistically, the supramolecular polymers of folic acid also improve the toughness, durability, and ductility of the PVA films. A nanocomposite of the gels with silver nanoparticles exhibited excellent catalytic efficiency and antibacterial activity. The folic acid-PVA coassembled gels and films also possessed high cytocompatibility, substantiated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and live-dead assays. Taken together, the antibacterial and cell-adhesive attributes suggest potential applications of these coassembled biomaterials for tissue engineering and wound healing.

Deeper Insights into the Morphology Effect of Na2Ti3O7 Nanoarrays on Sodium-Ion Storage.

Na2Ti3O7-based anodes show great promise for Na+ storage in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), though the effect of Na2Ti3O7 morphology on battery performance remains poorly understood. Herein, hydrothermal syntheses is used to prepare free-standing Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets or Na2Ti3O7 nanotubes on Ti foil substrates, with the structural and electrochemical properties of the resulting electrodes explored in detail. Results show that the Na2Ti3O7 nanosheet electrode (NTO NSs) delivered superior performance in terms of reversible capacity, rate capability, and especially long-term durability in SIBs compared to its nanotube counterpart (NTO NTs). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations, combined with density functional theory calculations, demonstrated that the flexible 2D Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets are mechanically more robust than the rigid Na2Ti3O7 nanotube arrays during prolonged battery cycling, explaining the superior durability of the NTO NSs electrode. This work prompts the use of anodes based on Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets in the future development of high-performance SIBs.

Development of 1D-Metalloid-Induced Highly Porous Carbon Nanofiber Conjugated with PEDOT Polymer Through Concurrent Selenization of ZIF-67 for Energy Storage and Green H2 Production.

Manufacturing high-performance and cost-affordable non-metallic, electroactive 1D carbon material for energy storage and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of foremost importance to respond positively to the impending energy crisis. Porous N-doped carbon nanofiber (PNCNF) is successfully synthesized by electrospinning, using selenium nanoparticles as a sacrificial template (where Se is reutilized for ZIF-67 selenization as a bi-process, and the surface of PNCNF is modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PNCNT/PEDOT) by electropolymerization. The prepared materials are found ideal for energy storage (supercapacitor) and electrocatalysis (HER). The bi-functional material has shown excellent energy storage capability with the specific capacitance (CS) of 230 F g-1 (PNCNF) and 395 F g-1 (PNCNF/PEDOT), and the symmetric supercapacitor device, PNCNF/PEDOT//PEDOT/PNCNF, exhibits 32.4 Wh kg-1 energy density at 14400 W kg-1 power density with 96.6% Coulombic efficiency and 106% CS at the end of 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The rate capability of the symmetric supercapacitor cell of PNCNF/PEDOT is 51% for the current density increase from 1 to 8 A g-1, while that of PNCNF is a meager 29% only. Electrocatalytic HER at the PNCNF electrode is achieved with an overpotential of 281 mV@10 mA cm-2 relative to the Pt/C electrode and a low Tafel slop value of 96 mV dec-1.

Green synthesis of graphene for targeted recovery of silver from photovoltaic waste.

Atmospheric pressure microwave plasma can synthesize freestanding graphene in a few seconds at ambient conditions. Recent research has explored this method for the synthesis of graphene yet constrained by the utilization of toxic or non-renewable resources. This study aimed to substitute environmentally benign and sustainable precursors, synthesizing graphene from expired tangerine peel oil, an abundant natural source globally. The Raman spectrum of synthesized material showed a characteristic graphene-related 2D peak at microwave powers varied between 200 and 1000 W. The images of transmission electron microscopy revealed interstitial spacing of 0.34, which matched the value of X-ray diffraction calculated through Bragg's law. However, marginal variations in lattice spacing owing to the presence of oxygen functional groups were also observed. Additionally, the as-synthesized graphene deposited on a screen-printed electrode was used to selectively recover silver from spent photovoltaics. Our approach of creating a graphene-silver composite directly from waste material offers environmental benefits, resource utilization, waste reduction, and versatile applications in electrochemistry.

Flexible and Free-Standing Metal-Organic Framework Nanowire Paper.

Beyond traditional paper, multifunctional nanopaper has received much attention in recent years. Currently, many nanomaterials have been successfully used as building units of nanopaper. However, it remains a great challenge to prepare flexible and freestanding metal-organic framework (MOF) nanopaper owing to the low aspect ratio and brittleness of MOF nanocrystals. Herein, this work develops a flexible and free-standing MOF nanopaper with MOF nanowires as building units. The manganese-based MOF (Mn-MOF) nanowires with lengths up to 100 µm are synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. Through a paper-making technique, the Mn-MOF nanowires interweave with each other to form a three-dimensional architecture, thus creating a flexible and free-standing Mn-MOF nanowire paper. Furthermore, the surface properties can be engineered to obtain high hydrophobicity by modifying polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on the surfaces of the Mn-MOF nanowire paper. The water contact angle reaches 130°. As a proof of concept, this work presents two potential applications of the Mn-MOF/PDMS nanowire paper: (i) The as-prepared Mn-MOF/PDMS nanowire paper is compatible with a commercial printer. The as-printed colorful patterns are of high quality, and (ii) benefiting from the highly hydrophobic surfaces, the Mn-MOF/PDMS nanowire paper is able to efficiently separate oil from water.

Identifying Current Collectors that Enable Light-Battery Interactions.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on studying light-battery interactions in the context of operando optical studies and integrated photoelectrochemical energy harvesting. However, there has been little insight into identifying suitable "light-accepting" current collectors for this class of batteries. In this study, fluorine-doped tin oxide, indium-tin oxide, and silver nanowire-graphene films are analyzed along with carbon paper, carbon nanotube paper, and stainless-steel mesh as current collectors for optical batteries. They are categorized into two classes - transmissive and non-transmissive, based on the orientation of the light-electrode interaction. Various methods to prepare the electrode are highlighted, including drop casting and the fabrication of free-standing electrodes. The optical and electrical properties of these current collectors as well as their electrochemical stability are measured using linear sweep voltammetry against zinc and lithium anodes. Finally, the rate performance and long-term cycling stability of lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) cathodes are measured against lithium anodes with these current collectors and their performance is compared. These results show which current collector to choose depends on the application and cell chemistry. These guidelines will assist in the design of future optical cells for in-situ measurements and photoelectrochemical energy storage.