In situ construction of NiCo-layered double hydroxide nanobranches with adjustable layer spacing on micro-sized carbon plate for high-performance supercapacitors.

Binary layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an emerging class of materials for supercapacitors owing to their tunable topological structure and excellent theoretical energy storage capacity. However, aggregation and restacking cause a decrease in the interlayer distance of LDHs, resulting in a considerable drop in real specific capacitance. To address this, large-sized anions are intercalated into the interlayer space. Herein, we constructed 3D top-tangled NiCo-LDH nanobranches in situ on a biomass micro-sized carbon plate (CP). By varying the amount of benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (BDC), we prepared a BDC-intercalated CP/NiCo-LDH composite material with adjustable interlayer spacing. Remarkably, the CP/NiCo-LDH-BDC(0.03) composite exhibited excellent electrochemical properties (1530 F g-1/212.5 mAh/g at 1 A/g). It retained 88.36 % capacity after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The constructed CP/NiCo-LDH-BDC(0.03)//CP asymmetric supercapacitor showed excellent gravimetric capacitance (123 F g-1/54.7 mAh/g at 1 A/g) and energy density (43.7 Wh kg-1 at 800 W kg-1). Furthermore, two asymmetric capacitors connected in series powered a small lightbulb for 2 min, even in a bent state. These findings show that the fabricated CP and CP/NiCo-LDH-BDC(0.03) electrode materials can be applied in flexible and wearable energy storage systems.

Core-shell structured MgCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 nanorods as electrode materials for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

In the field of energy storage, supercapacitors have received extensive attention in recent years. However, achieving the expected electrochemical performance and energy density of supercapacitors is still a huge challenge. The design and synthesis of binder-free composite electrode with core-shell structure is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. In this paper, a heterogeneous core-shell structured and binder-free electrode material MgCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 (MCO@NH) grown on nickel foam (NF) is prepared by a simple hydrothermal and oil bath method. The unique core-shell structure makes the MCO@NH have a large specific surface area, which provides abundant active sites for ion transport and storage, thereby improving the electrochemical performance. The MCO@NH/NF nanocomposite demonstrates a high specific capacitance (Cs) of 1583 F g-1 at 1 A/g. A solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) assembled with MCO@NH/NF and active carbon (AC) exhibits excellent energy density (45 Wh kg-1 at 457.5 W kg-1) and outstanding capacitance (89.51 %) and coulombic efficiency (97.8 %) after 12,000 cycles, evidencing its good operation stability and potential practical applications. Therefore, the prepared core-shell MCO@NH/NF electrode can be a promising candidate for energy storage devices.

Precision encoder grating mounting: a near-sensor computing approach.

The rotary motor plays a pivotal role in various motion execution mechanisms. However, an inherent issue arises during the initial installation of the encoder grating, namely, eccentricity between the centers of the encoder grating and motor shaft. This eccentricity substantially affects the accuracy of motor angle measurements. To address this challenge, we proposed a precision encoder grating mounting system that automates the encoder grating mounting process. The proposed system mainly comprises a near-sensor detector and a push rod. With the use of a near-sensor approach, the detector captures rotating encoder grating images, and the eccentricity is computed in real-time. This approach substantially reduces the time delays in image data transmission, thereby enhancing the speed and accuracy of eccentricity calculation. The major contribution of this article is a method for real-time eccentricity calculation that leverages an edge processor within the detector and an edge-vision baseline detection algorithm. This method enables real-time determination of the eccentricity and eccentricity angle of the encoder grating. Leveraging the obtained eccentricity and eccentricity angle data, the position of the encoder grating can be automatically adjusted by the push rod. In the experimental results, the detector can obtain the eccentricity and eccentricity angle of the encoder grating within 2.8 s. The system efficiently and precisely completes a encoder grating mounting task in average 25.1 s, and the average eccentricity after encoder grating mounting is 3.8 µm.

Pyrazole carbodithiolate-driven iterative RAFT single-additions.

In this Communication, we comprehensively investigated substituent effects relevant to iterative reversible activation fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) single unit monomer insertion (SUMI) reactions. Through the use of the pyrazole carbodithiolate (PCDT) "Z-group" as the chain transfer component in RAFT SUMI, we show the importance of "Z-group" effects and its interplay with "R-group" (the carbon-centred radical precursor) effects. We also expanded the scope of RAFT SUMI to new monomer types and sequences thereof. As such, the C-S bond dissocation/reformation steps were found to be crucial factors in SUMI, and it was found that general substituent effects must be wholistically examined for every step of this reaction. This stands in contrast with conventional knowledge of RAFT polymerisation, where the main consideration is often centred around the propagation stage, i.e., the key C-C bond formation step. Indeed, contrary to SUMI, the latter characteristic was observed in the analogous alternating copolymerisation.

Protonated amine and pyrene co-functionalized sodium alginate templated on reduced graphene oxide for highly efficient removal of formaldehyde and acid pollutants.

Indoor formaldehyde pollution can cause inestimable harm to human health and even cancers, thus studies on the removal of formaldehyde attract extensive attentions. In this paper, an environmentally friendly and low-cost biomass material, sodium alginate (SA) was utilized to prepare pyrene functionalized amido-amine-alginic acid (AmAA-Py) by acidification and two-step amidation, which is subsequently self-assembled on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by π-π stacking interaction, and the final composites were acidified to afford a highly porous composite material for chemical removal of formaldehyde. The formaldehyde chemical removal performance of composite is evaluated at different conditions and find that 1.0 g of acidified alginate derivatives and graphene composites (HCl·AmAA-Py-rGO) can adsorb 69.2 mg of HCHO. Simultaneously, amino groups in amido-amine derivative of acidified sodium alginate (AmAA) can react with acidic pollutants such as H2S and HCl via forming ionic bonding without generating any other by-products, which enables efficient and environment-friendly removal of acidic pollutants. The subtle design of the highly porous composite material utilizing low-cost SA and rGO with large specific surface area opens up a new methodology for fabricating highly porous materials for efficient removal of formaldehyde and other indoor hazardous pollutants.

Smart Galactosidase-Responsive Antimicrobial Dendron: Towards More Biocompatible Membrane-Disruptive Agents.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global healthcare challenge that urgently needs the development of new therapeutic agents. Antimicrobial peptides and mimics thereof are promising candidates but mostly suffer from inherent toxicity issues due to the non-selective binding of cationic groups with mammalian cells. To overcome this toxicity issue, this work herein reports the synthesis of a smart antimicrobial dendron with masked cationic groups (Gal-Dendron) that could be uncaged in the presence of ß-galactosidase enzyme to form the activated Enz-Dendron and confer antimicrobial activity. Enz-Dendron show bacteriostatic activity toward Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 96 µm and exerted its antimicrobial mechanism via a membrane disruption pathway, as indicated by inner and outer membrane permeabilization assays. Crucially, toxicity studies confirmed that the masked prodrug Gal-Dendron exhibited low hemolysis and is at least 2.4 times less toxic than the uncaged cationic Enz-Dendron, thus demonstrating the advantage of masking the cationic groups with responsive immolative linkers to overcome toxicity and selectivity issues. Overall, this study highlights the potential of designing new membrane-disruptive antimicrobial agents that are more biocompatible via the amine uncaging strategy.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Ignition Behavior of Low Palmitic Acid-Coated Nanoaluminum Powder.

Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) was used to perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the phase transition and decoating behavior of aluminum nanopowder (ANP)-palmitate composite particles under typical water ram engine conditions. We originally intended to investigate the effect of the degree of coating on the decorrelation behavior of the composite particles but accidentally discovered the premixed ignition behavior of low-coated composite particles. Therefore, we summarized and subdivided the four stages of precombustion adsorption, premixed ignition, melt-off, and full-scale combustion of palmitic acid-coated nanoaluminum powders by combining the simulations and studies of palmitic acid pyrolysis, ANP phase transition, and water molecule adsorption efficiency. We unexpectedly found that among the influencing factors of premixed ignition, the influence of hot and cold mixing degrees was greater than that of the ignition temperature.

Multi-laser source interference suppression using the time-coding method for SPAD-based flash DToF systems.

Flash-type direct time-of-flight (DToF) image sensors use an in-pixel successive approximation register time-to-digital converter (SAR TDC) for time quantization. However, in a scene where multiple DToF systems exist simultaneously, different laser signals from multiple sources will produce mutual signal interference between DToF systems, causing the DToF system's incorrect measurement. In this paper, we present a method called time coding, which inserts delay time bins between different working periods to suppress the interference laser together with the SAR TDC. The time-coding method is designed using a 110 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and verified by behavioral model and circuit simulation. Regardless of traditional systems or systems equipped with time coding, DToF systems with certain patterns of time coding can reduce interference noise by at least 95%, maintaining a measurement accuracy of 99% or higher at long distances.

V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 4 inhibits oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation to attenuate Parkinson's disease progression by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 4 (VSIG4) inhibits neurological dysfunction, microglial M1 polarization, and inflammation to participate in the progression of neurological disorders, but evidence regarding Parkinson's disease (PD) is scarce. The present study intended to investigate the engagement of VSIG4 in PD progression, and the potential mechanism. METHODS: BV-2 cells were treated with 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) to establish PD model. MPP+ treated BV-2 cells were infected with VSIG4 overexpression adenovirus-associated virus (AAV) (oeVSIG4) and negative control AAV (oeNC), and AZD1480 (JAK2 inhibitor) was added to these cells. RESULTS: MPP+ reduced VSIG4 mRNA (P < 0.05) and protein (P < 0.05) in BV-2 cells. Interestingly, VSIG4 reduced malondialdehyde (P < 0.01), reactive oxygen species (P < 0.01), NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (P < 0.05), cleaved-caspase1 (P < 0.05), tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), and interleukin-1ß (P < 0.05), but increased glutathione (P < 0.05), mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05), phosphorylation (p)-JAK2 (P < 0.05), and p-STAT3 (P < 0.01) in MPP+ treated BV-2 cells, which indicated that VSIG4 inhibited oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, as well as activated the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in PD model. Moreover, AZD1480 inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and aggravated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in PD model (all P < 0.05). Importantly, AZD1480 attenuated the influence of VSIG4 on oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in PD model (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VSIG4 suppresses oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, which may be helpful in attenuating PD progression.

Robust Hydrogel Actuators Functioning in Multi-Environments Enabled by Thermo-Responsive Polymer Nanoparticle Coatings on Hydrogel Surfaces.

Hydrogel actuators with anisotropic structures exhibit reversible responsiveness upon the trigger of various external stimuli, rendering them promising for applications in many fields including artificial muscles and soft robotics. However, their effective operation across multiple environments remains a persistent challenge, even for widely studied thermo-responsive polymers like poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm). Current attempts to address this issue are hindered by complex synthetic procedures or specific substrates. This study introduces a straightforward methodology to grow a thin, dense PNIPAm nanoparticle layer on diverse hydrogel surfaces, creating a highly temperature-sensitive hydrogel actuator. This actuator demonstrates adaptability across various environments, including water, oil, and open air, owing to its distinct structure facilitating self-water circulation during actuation. The thin PNIPAm layer consists of interconnected PNIPAm nanoparticles synthesized via in situ interfacial precipitation polymerization, seamlessly bonded to the hydrogel substrate through an interfacial layer containing hybrid hydrogel/PNIPAm nanoparticles. This unique anisotropic structure ensures exceptional structural stability without interfacial delamination, even enduring harsh treatments such as freezing, ultrasonic irradiation, and prolonged water immersion. Remarkably, PNIPAm films on hydrogel surfaces which enable programmable 3D actuation can also be precisely patterned. This synthetic approach opens a novel pathway for fabricating advanced hydrogel actuators with broad-ranging applications.

Composite of CoS1.97 nanoparticles decorated CuS hollow cubes with rGO as thin film electrode for high-performance all solid flexible supercapacitors.

Stretchable flexible thin-film electrodes are extensively explored for developing new wearable energy storage devices. However, traditional carbon-based materials used in such independent electrodes have limited practical applications owing to their low energy storage capacity and energy density. To address this, a unique structure and remarkable mechanical stability thin-film flexible positive electrode comprising CoS1.97 nanoparticles decorated hollow CuS cubes and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), hereinafter referred to as CCSrGO, is prepared. Transition metal sulfide CoS1.97 and CuS shows high energy density owing to the synergistic effects of its active components. The electrode can simultaneously meet the high-energy density and safety requirements of new wearable energy storage devices. The electrode has excellent electrochemical performance (1380 F/g at 1 A/g) and ideal capacitance retention (93.8 % after 10,000 cycles) owing to its unique three-dimensional hollow structure and polymetallic synergies between copper and cobalt elements, which are attributed to their different energy storage mechanisms. Furthermore, a flexible asymmetric supercapacitor (FASC) was constructed using CCSrGO as the positive electrode and rGO as the negative electrode (CCSrGO//rGO), which delivers an energy density of 100 Wh kg-1 and a corresponding power density of 2663 W kg-1 within a voltage window of 0-1.5 V. The resulting FASC can power a light-emitting diode (LED) at different bending and twisting angles, exerting little effect on the capacitance. Therefore, the prepared CCSrGO//rGO FASC devices show great application prospects in energy storage.

Inspecting the "health poverty trap" mechanism: self-reinforcing effect and endogenous force.

INTRODUCTION: The term "health poverty trap" describes a vicious cycle in which developing countries or regions become trapped in low levels of health and poverty during the process of modernization. Although significant progress has been made in alleviating poverty in China, there is still a need to further enhance the living conditions of its impoverished population. METHODS: This research utilizes the data of the three national representative panel surveys from 2014 to 2020. The primary objective is to gain a better understanding of the intricate relationship between health and poverty. To examine the self-reinforcing effects of the cumulative cycle between health and poverty, we employ unconditional quantile regression analysis. RESULT: The low-income group exhibits lower overall health status compared to the average level. Economic constraints partially hinder the ability of low-income individuals to access healthcare resources, thereby reinforcing the cyclical relationship between health and poverty. Additionally, the unique psychological and behavioral preferences of individuals in health poverty act as indirect factors that further strengthen this cycle. Health poverty individuals can generate endogenous force to escape the "health poverty trap" by enhancing their confidence levels and digital literacy. CONCLUSIONS: The research examines the coexistence of health gradients and economic inequality among Chinese residents. Additionally, the study explores the endogenous force mechanism of escaping the health poverty trap from psychological and behavioral perspectives. This research also offers insights into optimizing government poverty alleviation programs to effectively address this issue.

Cotton swabs wrapped with three-dimensional silver nanoflowers as SERS substrates for the determination of food colorant carmine on irregular surfaces.

A lightweight, portable, low-cost, and accessible cotton swab was employed as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) matrix template. The silver nanoflowers were in situ grown on the surface of cotton swabs to form three-dimensional Ag nanoflower@cotton swabs (AgNF@CS) SERS substrate with high-density and multi-level hot spots. The SERS performance of AgNFs@CS substrates with various reaction time was systematically studied. The optimal AgNF-120@CS SERS substrate exhibits superior detection sensitivity of 10-10 M for methylene blue, good signal reproducibility, high enhancement factor of 1.4 × 107, and excellent storage stability (over 30 days). Moreover, the AgNF-120@CS SERS substrate also exhibits prominent detection sensitivity of 10-8 M for food colorant of carmine. Besides, the portable AgNF-120@CS SERS substrate is also capable of detecting food colorant residues on irregular food surfaces.

Hybrid Multimodal Feature Fusion with Multi-Sensor for Bearing Fault Diagnosis.

Aiming at the traditional single sensor vibration signal cannot fully express the bearing running state, and in the high noise background, the traditional algorithm is insufficient for fault feature extraction. This paper proposes a fault diagnosis algorithm based on multi-sensor and hybrid multimodal feature fusion to achieve high-precision fault diagnosis by leveraging the operating state information of bearings in a high-noise environment to the fullest extent possible. First, the horizontal and vertical vibration signals from two sensors are fused using principal component analysis, aiming to provide a more comprehensive description of the bearing's operating condition, followed by data set segmentation. Following fusion, time-frequency feature maps are generated using a continuous wavelet transform for global time-frequency feature extraction. A first diagnostic model is then developed utilizing a residual neural network. Meanwhile, the feature data is normalized, and 28 time-frequency feature indexes are extracted. Subsequently, a second diagnostic model is constructed using a support vector machine. Lastly, the two diagnosis models are integrated to derive the final model through an ensemble learning algorithm fused at the decision level and complemented by a genetic algorithm solution to improve the diagnosis accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in achieving superior diagnostic performance with a 97.54% accuracy rate.

Rapid, Tough, and Trigger-Detachable Hydrogel Adhesion Enabled by Formation of Nanoparticles In Situ.

Integrating hydrogel with other materials is always challenging due to the low mass content of hydrogels and the abundance of water at the interfaces. Adhesion through nanoparticles offers characteristics such as ease of use, reversibility, and universality, but still grapples with challenges like weak bonding. Here, a simple yet powerful strategy using the formation of nanoparticles in situ is reported, establishing strong interfacial adhesion between various hydrogels and substrates including elastomers, plastics, and biological tissue, even under wet conditions. The strong interfacial bonding can be formed in a short time (60 s), and gradually strengthened to 902 J m-2 adhesion energy within an hour. The interfacial layer's construction involves chain entanglement and other non-covalent interactions like coordination and hydrogen bonding. Unlike the permanent bonding seen in most synthetic adhesives, these nanoparticle adhesives can be efficiently triggered for removal by acidic solutions. The simplicity of the precursor diffusion and precipitation process in creating the interfacial layer ensures broad applicability to different substrates and nanoparticle adhesives without compromising robustness. The tough adhesion provided by nanoparticles allows the hydrogel-elastomer hybrid to function as a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), facilitating reliable electrical signal generation and output performance due to the robust interface.

Less is More: Underlying Mechanism of Zn Electrode Long-Term Stability using Sodium L-Ascorbate as Electrolyte Additive.

Structured passivation layers and hydrated Zn2+ solvation structure strongly influence Zn depositions on Zn electrodes and then the cycle life and electrochemical performance of aqueous zinc ion batteries. To achieve these, the electrolyte additive of sodium L-ascorbate (Ass) is introduced into aqueous zinc sulfate (ZnSO4, ZS) electrolyte solutions. Combined experimental characterizations with theoretical calculations, the unique passivation layers with vertical arrayed micro-nano structure are clearly observed, as well as the hydrated Zn2+ solvation structure is changed by replacing two ligand water molecules with As-, thus regulating the wettability and interfacial electric field intensity of Zn surfaces, facilitating rapid ionic diffusions within electrolytes and electrodes together with the inhibited side reactions and uniform depositions of Zn2+. When tested in Zn||Zn symmetric cell, the electrolyte containing Ass is extraordinarily stably operated for the long time ≈3700 h at both 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. In Zn||MnO2 full coin cells, the energy density can still maintain as high as ≈184 Wh kg-1 at the power density high up to 2 kW kg-1, as well as the capacity retention can reach up to 80.5% even after 1000 cycles at 2 A g-1, which are substantially superior to the control cells.

Photochromic biomaterials: Synthesis and fluorescence properties of spiroxanthenes-grafted alginate derivatives.

Herein, we reported a general and green synthetic strategy for photochromic functional alginate derivatives grafting with isoindolinone spiroxanthenes. Under mild condition, diverse 2-aminoalkyl isoindolinone spiroxanthene derivatives have been prepared from organic photochromic isobenzofuranone spiroxanthenes (including rhodamine B, rhodamine 6G and fluorescein), and grafted on alginate chains through amidation reaction using diamine as a linkage with water as a green solvent at room temperature. The photochromic properties of the fluorophores-modified polymers and the effect of pH value have been explored. Under acid conditions, the spiroisoindolinone rings of alginate derivatives are opened resulting in showing absorption bands and fluorescence with orange to green emission, while the alginate derivatives turned to colourless under basic conditions which is reversibly. In addition to biodegradability and biocompatibility, the polymers exhibit good film-forming properties simultaneously. The films and fibers produced from the alginate derivatives also project good fluorescence properties.

Aramid nanofiber membrane decorated with monodispersed silver nanoparticles as robust and flexible SERS chips for trace detection of multiple toxic substances.

Aramid nanofibers (ANFs) as an innovative nanoscale building block exhibit great potential for novel high-performance multifunctional membranes attributed to their extraordinary performance. However, the application of aramid nanofibers in the field of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing has been rarely reported. In this work, aramid nanofibers derived from commercial Kevlar fibers were synthesized by a facile dimethyl sulfoxide/potassium hydroxide (DMSO/KOH) solution treatment. The monodispersed silver nanoparticle-decorated aramid nanofiber (m-Ag@ANF) membranes were constructed by an efficient vacuum filtration technique. Taking advantages of unique intrinsic properties of ANF, the m-Ag@ANF substrates exhibit good flexibility, excellent mechanical properties and prominent thermal stability. Besides, due to the abundance of positively charged amino-group on the ANF substrates, the negatively charged m-AgNPs were uniformly and firmly deposited on the surface of ANF substrate through electrostatic interactions. As a result, the optimal flexible m-Ag-9@ANF SERS substrate exhibits high sensitivity of 10-9 M for methylene blue (MB) and excellent signal reproducibility (RSD = 6.37 %), as well as outstanding signal stability (up to 15 days). Besides, the 2D Raman mapping and FDTD simulations further reveal prominent signal homogeneity and strong electric field distribution for flexible m-Ag-9@ANF SERS substrate. Finally, it is demonstrated that the flexible m-Ag-9@ANF SERS substrate can also be used for detection of toxic molecules on irregular surfaces by a feasible paste-and-read process. The m-Ag@ANF paper exhibits potential applications as a flexible, low-cost, robust and stable SERS sensing platform for trace detection of toxic materials.

Construction of Binder-Free, Self-Supported, Hetero-Core-Shell Honeycomb Structured CuCo2 O4 @Ni0.5 Co0.5 (OH)2 with Abundant Mesopores and High Conductivity for High-Performance Energy Storage.

Clever and rational design of structural hierarchy, along with precise component adjustment, holds profound significance for the construction of high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials. In this study, a binder-free self-supported CCO@N0.5 C0.5 OH/NF cathode material is constructed with hierarchical hetero-core-shell honeycomb nanostructure by first growing CuCo2 O4 (CCO) nanopin arrays uniformly on highly conductive nickel foam (NF) substrate, and then anchoring Ni0.5 Co0.5 (OH)2 (N0.5 C0.5 OH) bimetallic hydroxide nanosheet arrays on the CCO nanopin arrays by adjusting the molar ratio of Ni(OH)2 and Co(OH)2 . The constructed CCO@N0.5 C0.5 OH/NF electrode material showcases a wealth of multivalent metal ions and mesopores, along with good electrical conductivity, excellent electrochemical reaction rates, and robust long-term performance (capacitance retention rate of 87.2%). The CCO@N0.5 C0.5 OH/NF electrode, benefiting from the hierarchical structure of the material and the exceptional synergy between multiple components, demonstrates an excellent specific capacitance (2553.6 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 ). Furthermore, the assembled asymmetric CCO@N0.5 C0.5 OH/NF//AC/NF supercapacitor demonstrates a high energy density (70.1 Wh kg-1 at 850 W kg-1 ), and maintains robust capacitance cycling stability performance (83.7%) after undergoing 10 000 successive charges and discharges. It is noteworthy that the assembled supercapacitor exhibits an operating voltage (1.7 V) that is well above the theoretical value (1.5 V).

Biomimetic Electronic Skin through Hierarchical Polymer Structural Design.

Human skin comprises multiple hierarchical layers that perform various functions such as protection, sensing, and structural support. Developing electronic skin (E-skin) with similar properties has broad implications in health monitoring, prosthetics, and soft robotics. While previous efforts have predominantly concentrated on sensory capabilities, this study introduces a hierarchical polymer system that not only structurally resembles the epidermis-dermis bilayer structure of skin but also encompasses sensing functions. The system comprises a polymeric hydrogel, representing the "dermis", and a superimposed nanoporous polymer film, forming the "epidermis". Within the film, interconnected nanoparticles mimic the arrangement of interlocked corneocytes within the epidermis. The fabrication process employs a robust in situ interfacial precipitation polymerization of specific water-soluble monomers that become insoluble during polymerization. This process yields a hybrid layer establishing a durable interface between the film and hydrogel. Beyond the structural mimicry, this hierarchical structure offers functionalities resembling human skin, which includes (1) water loss protection of hydrogel by tailoring the hydrophobicity of the upper polymer film; (2) tactile sensing capability via self-powered triboelectric nanogenerators; (3) built-in gold nanowire-based resistive sensor toward temperature and pressure sensing. This hierarchical polymeric approach represents a potent strategy to replicate both the structure and functions of human skin in synthetic designs.