Impact of organic carbon on sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification: Insights from isotope fractionation and functional genes.

Additional organics are generally supplemented in the sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification system to accelerate the denitrification rate and reduce sulfate production. In this study, different concentrations of sodium acetate (NaAc) were added to the sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification reactor, and the S0 accumulation increased from 7.8% to 100% over a 120-day operation period. Batch experiments revealed a threefold increase in total nitrogen (TN) removal rate at an Ac--C/N ratio of 2.8 compared to a ratio of 0.5. Addition of organic carbon accelerated denitrification rate and nitrite consumption, which shortened the emission time of N2O, but increased the N2O production rate. The lowest N2O emissions were achieved at the Ac--C/N ratio of 1.3. Stable isotope fractionation is a powerful tool for evaluating different reaction pathways, with the 18ε/15ε values in nitrate reduction ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. This study further confirmed that isotope fractionation can reveal denitrifying nutrient types, with the 18ε (isotopic enrichment factor of oxygen)/15ε (isotopic enrichment factor of nitrogen) value approaching 1.0 for autotrophic denitrification and 0.5 for heterotrophic denitrification. Additionally, the 18ε/15ε values can indicate changes in nitrate reductase. There is a positive correlation between the 18ε/15ε values and the abundance of the functional gene napA, and a negative correlation with the abundance of the gene narG. Moreover, 18ε and 15ε were associated with changes in kinetic parameters during nitrate reduction. In summary, the combination of functional gene analysis and isotope fractionation effectively revealed the complexities of mixotrophic denitrification systems, providing insights for optimizing denitrification processes.

Facile Approach for Metallic Precursor Engineering for Efficient Kesterite Thin-Film Solar Cells.

Kesterite-based Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) are a promising candidate for low-cost, clean energy production owing to their environmental friendliness and the earth-abundant nature of their constituents. However, the advancement of kesterite TFSCs has been impeded by abundant defects and poor microstructure, limiting their performance potential. In this study, we present efficient Ag-alloyed CZTSSe TFSCs enabled by a facile metallic precursor engineering approach. The positioning of the Ag nanolayer in the metallic stacked precursor proves crucial in expediting the formation of Cu-Sn metal alloys during the alloying process. Specifically, Ag-included metallic precursors promote the growth of larger grains and a denser microstructure in CZTSSe thin films compared to those without Ag. Moreover, the improved uniformity of Ag, facilitated by the evaporation deposition technique, significantly suppresses the formation of detrimental defects and related defect clusters. This suppression effectively reduces nonradiative recombination, resulting in enhanced performance in kesterite TFSCs. This study not only introduces a metallic precursor engineering strategy for efficient kesterite-based TFSCs but also accelerates the development of microstructure evolution from metallic stacked precursors to metal chalcogenide compounds.

Oleanolic acid alleviates obesity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpene with reported protective effects against various diseases, including diabetes, hepatitis, and different cancers. However, the effects of OA on obesity-induced muscle atrophy remain largely unknown. This study investigated the effects of OA on skeletal muscle production and proliferation of C2C12 cells. We report that OA significantly increased skeletal muscle mass and improved glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. OA inhibited dexamethasone (Dex)-induced muscle atrophy in C2C12 myoblasts by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In addition, it also inhibited expression of MuRF1 and Atrogin1 genes in skeletal muscle of obese mice suffering from muscle atrophy, and increased the activation of PI3K and Akt, thereby promoting protein synthesis, and eventually alleviating muscle atrophy. Taken together, these findings suggest OA may have potential for the prevention and treatment of muscle atrophy.

Unveiling the Role of Ge in CZTSSe Solar Cells by Advanced Micro-To-Atom Scale Characterizations.

Kesterite is an earth-abundant energy material with high predicted power conversion efficiency, making it a sustainable and promising option for photovoltaics. However, a large open circuit voltage Voc deficit due to non-radiative recombination at intrinsic defects remains a major hurdle, limiting device performance. Incorporating Ge into the kesterite structure emerges as an effective approach for enhancing performance by manipulating defects and morphology. Herein, how different amounts of Ge affect the kesterite growth pathways through the combination of advanced microscopy characterization techniques are systematically investigated. The results demonstrate the significance of incorporating Ge during the selenization process of the CZTSSe thin film. At high temperature, the Ge incorporation effectively delays the selenization process due to the formation of a ZnSe layer on top of the metal alloys through decomposition of the Cu-Zn alloy and formation of Cu-Sn alloy, subsequently forming of Cu-Sn-Se phase. Such an effect is compounded by more Ge incorporation that further postpones kesterite formation. Furthermore, introducing Ge mitigates detrimental "horizontal" grain boundaries by increasing the grain size on upper layer. The Ge incorporation strategy discussed in this study holds great promise for improving device performance and grain quality in CZTSSe and other polycrystalline chalcogenide solar cells.

Effects of ß-mannanase supplementation on productive performance, inflammation, energy metabolism, and cecum microbiota composition of laying hens fed with reduced-energy diets.

The objective of this study is to investigate the beneficial effects and underlying mechanism of dietary ß-mannanase supplementation on the productive performance of laying hens fed with metabolic energy (ME)-reduced diets. A total of 448 Hy-Line gray laying hens were randomly assigned to seven groups. Each group had 8 replicates with 8 hens. The groups included a control diet (CON) with a ME of 2750 kcal/Kg, diets reduced by 100 kcal/Kg or 200 kcal/Kg ME (ME_100 or ME_200), and diets with 0.15 g/Kg or 0.2 g/Kg ß-mannanase (ME_100+ß-M_0.15, ME_100+ß-M_0.2, ME_200+ß-M_0.15, and ME_200+ß-M_0.2). The productive performance, egg quality, intestinal morphology, inflammatory response, mRNA expression related to the Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and AMPK pathway, and cecum microbiome were evaluated in this study. ME-reduced diets negatively impacted the productive performance of laying hens. However, supplementation with ß-mannanase improved FCR, decreased ADFI, and restored average egg weight to the level of the CON group. ME-reduced diets increased the levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6 while decreasing the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in the jejunum of laying hens. However, dietary ß-mannanase supplementation improved jejunum morphology, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations, and increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors in laying hens fed with ME-reduced diets. The mRNA levels of IL-6, IFN-γ, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the jejunum of ME-reduced diets were significantly higher than that in CON, dietary ß-mannanase supplementation decreased these genes expression in laying hens fed with ME-reduced diets. Moreover, dietary ß-mannanase supplementation also decreased the mRNA levels of AMPKα and AMPKγ, and increased the abundance of mTOR in the jejunum of laying hens fed with ME-reduced diets. Cecum microbiota analysis revealed that dietary ß-mannanase increased the abundance of various beneficial bacteria (e.g., g_Pseudoflavonifractor, g_Butyricicoccus, and f_Lactobacillaceae) in laying hens fed with ME-reduced diets. In conclusion, dietary ß-mannanase supplementation could improve the productive performance of laying hens fed with a ME-reduced diet by improving intestinal morphology, alleviating intestinal inflammation, changing energy metabolism-related signaling pathways, and increasing cecum-beneficial microbiota.

Exercise-inducible circulating extracellular vesicle irisin promotes browning and the thermogenic program in white adipose tissue.

AIM: Exercise can reduce body weight and promote white fat browning, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study investigated the role of fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5)/Irisin, a hormone released from exercising muscle, in the browning of white fat in circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs). METHODS: Mice were subjected to a 4 weeks of running table exercise, and fat browning was analyzed via histology, protein blotting and qPCR. Circulating EVs were extracted by ultrahigh-speed centrifugation, and ELISA was used to measure the irisin concentration in the circulating EVs. Circulating EVs that differentially expressed irisin were applied to adipocytes, and the effect of EV-irisin on adipocyte energy metabolism was analyzed by immunofluorescence, protein blotting, and cellular oxygen consumption rate analysis. RESULTS: During sustained exercise, the mice lost weight and developed fat browning. FNDC5 was induced, cleaved, and secreted into irisin, and irisin levels subsequently increased in the plasma during exercise. Interestingly, irisin was highly expressed in circulating EVs that effectively promoted adipose browning. Mechanistically, the circulating EV-irisin complex is transported intracellularly by the adipocyte membrane receptor integrin αV, which in turn activates the AMPK signaling pathway, which is dependent on mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 to cause mitochondrial plasmonic leakage and promote heat production. After inhibition of the AMPK signaling pathway, the effects of the EV-irisin on promoting fat browning were minimal. CONCLUSION: Exercise leads to the accumulation of circulating EV-irisin, which enhances adipose energy metabolism and thermogenesis and promotes white fat browning in mice, leading to weight loss.

Multifunctional Surface Treatment against Imperfections and Halide Segregation in Wide-Band Gap Perovskite Solar Cells.

Mixed-halide wide-band gap perovskites (WBPs) still suffer from losses due to imperfections within the absorber and the segregation of halide ions under external stimuli. Herein, we design a multifunctional passivator (MFP) by mixing bromide salt, formamidinium bromide (FABr) with a p-type self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to target the nonradiative recombination pathways. Photoluminescence measurement shows considerable suppression of nonradiative recombination rates after treatment with FABr. However, WBPs still remained susceptible to halide segregation for which the addition of 25% p-type SAM was effective to decelerate segregation. It is observed that FABr can act as a passivating agent of the donor impurities, shifting the Fermi-level (Ef) toward the mid-band gap, while p-type SAM could cause an overweight of Ef toward the valence band. Favorable band bending at the interface could prevent the funneling of carriers toward I-rich clusters. Instead, charge carriers funnel toward an integrated SAM, preventing the accumulation of polaron-induced strain on the lattice. Consequently, n-i-p structured devices with an optimal MFP treatment show an average open-circuit voltage (VOC) increase of about 20 mV and fill factor (FF) increase by 4% compared with the control samples. The unencapsulated devices retained 95% of their initial performance when stored at room temperature under 40% relative humidity for 2800 h.

The Intermediate Connection of Subcells in Si-based Tandem Solar Cells.

Tandem solar cells are rationally designed and fabricated by stacking multiple subcells to achieve power conversion efficiency well above the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit. There is a large selection pool for the subcell candidates, such as Si, III-V, Kesterite, Perovskite, and organic solar cells. A series of different combinations of these subcells have been successfully demonstrated in practical tandem solar cell devices. However, there has not been a systematic summary of how to connect subcells in a tandem solar cell using a practical, cost-effective, and efficiency-beneficial fashion. In this work, the connection manners of subcells within a tandem cell are classified into three main categories, performing sequential growth, using the physical connection, and applying an intermediate layer, focusing on systematical description of intermediate layers using different materials. The advantages and disadvantages of these connection methods and their applicability to tandem cell types are further elaborated using two typical example models, III-V/Si and Perovskite inclusive tandem cell devices. Eventually, this work can provide useful guidance on how to carry out a suitable intermediate connection in the design of tandem solar cells depending on the selected subcells and device structure.

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.

Ultra-stable mixotrophic denitrification coupled with anammox under organic stress for mainstream municipal wastewater treatment.

Sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SAD) coupled with anammox is a promising process for autotrophic nitrogen removal in view of the stable nitrite accumulation during SAD. In this study, a mixotrophic nitrogen removal system integrating SAD, anammox and heterotrophic denitrification was established in a single-stage reactor. The long-term nitrogen removal performance was investigated under the intervention of organic carbon sources in real municipal wastewater. With the shortening of hydraulic retention time, the nitrogen removal rate of the mixotrophic system dominated by the autotrophic subsystem reached 0.46 Kg N/m³/d at an organic loading rate of 0.57 Kg COD/m³/d, with COD and total nitrogen removal efficiencies of 82.5 % and 94 %, respectively, realizing an ideal combination of autotrophic and heterotrophic systems. The 15NO3--N isotope labeling experiments indicated that thiosulfate-driven autotrophic denitrification was the main pathway for nitrite supply accounting for 80.6 %, while anammox exhibited strong competitiveness for nitrite under the dual electron supply of sulfur and organic carbon sources and contributed to 65.1 % of nitrogen removal. Sludge granulation created differential functional distributions in different forms of sludge, with SAD showing faster reaction rate as well as higher nitrite accumulation rate in floc sludge, while anammox was more active in granular sludge. Real-time quantitative PCR, RT-PCR and high-throughput sequencing results revealed a dynamically changing community composition at the gene and transcription levels. The decrease in heterotrophic denitrification bacteria abundance indicated the effectiveness of the operational strategy for introduction of thiosulfate and maintaining the dominance of SAD in denitrification process in suppressing the excessive growth of heterotrophic bacteria in the mixotrophic system. The high transcriptional expression of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) (Thiobacillus and Sulfurimonas) and anammox bacteria (Candaditus_Brocadia and Candidatus_Kuenenia) played a crucial role in the stable nitrogen removal.

Cd-Free Pure Sulfide Kesterite Cu2 ZnSnS4 Solar Cell with Over 800 mV Open-Circuit Voltage Enabled by Phase Evolution Intervention.

The Cd-free Cu2 ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cell is an ideal candidate for producing low-cost clean energy through green materials owing to its inherent environmental friendliness and earth abundance. Nevertheless, sulfide CZTS has long suffered from severe open-circuit voltage (VOC ) deficits, limiting the full exploitation of performance potential and further progress. Here, an effective strategy is proposed to alleviate the nonradiative VOC loss by manipulating the phase evolution during the critical kesterite phase formation stage. With a Ge cap layer on the precursor, premature CZTS grain formation is suppressed at low temperatures, leading to fewer nucleation centers at the initial crystallization stage. Consequently, the CZTS grain formation and crystallization are deferred to high temperatures, resulting in enhanced grain interior quality and less unfavorable grain boundaries in the final film. As a result, a champion efficiency of 10.7% for Cd-free CZTS solar cells with remarkably high VOC beyond 800 mV (63.2% Schockley-Queisser limit) is realized, indicating that nonradiative recombination is effectively inhibited. This strategy may advance other compound semiconductors seeking high-quality crystallization.

Thermal Disorder-Induced Strain and Carrier Localization Activate Reverse Halide Segregation.

The reversal of halide ions is studied under various conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of heat-induced reversal remains unclear. This work finds that dynamic disorder-induced localization of self-trapped polarons and thermal disorder-induced strain (TDIS) can be co-acting drivers of reverse segregation. Localization of polarons results in an order of magnitude decrease in excess carrier density (polaron population), causing a reduced impact of the light-induced strain (LIS - responsible for segregation) on the perovskite framework. Meanwhile, exposing the lattice to TDIS exceeding the LIS can eliminate the photoexcitation-induced strain gradient, as thermal fluctuations of the lattice can mask the LIS strain. Under continuous 0.1 W cm⁻2 illumination (upon segregation), the strain disorder is estimated to be 0.14%, while at 80 °C under dark conditions, the strain is 0.23%. However, in situ heating of the segregated film to 80 °C under continuous illumination (upon reversal) increases the total strain disorder to 0.25%, where TDIS is likely to have a dominant contribution. Therefore, the contribution of entropy to the system's free energy is likely to dominate, respectively. Various temperature-dependent in situ measurements and simulations further support the results. These findings highlight the importance of strain homogenization for designing stable perovskites under real-world operating conditions.

Barrier Strategy for Strain-Free Encapsulation of Perovskite Solar Cells.

The performance loss caused by encapsulation has been an obstacle to guarantee the excellent power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in practical application. This work revealed that the encapsulation-induced performance loss is highly related to the tensile strains imposed on the functional layers of the device when the PSC is exposed directly to the deformed encapsulant. A barrier strategy is developed by employing a nonadhesive barrier layer to isolate the deformed encapsulant from the PSC functional layer, achieving a strain-free encapsulation of the PSCs. The encapsulated device with a barrier layer effectively reduced the relative performance loss from 21.4% to 5.7% and dramatically improved the stability of the device under double 85 environment conditions. This work provides an effective strategy to mitigate the negative impact of encapsulation on the performance of PSCs as well as insight into the underlying mechanism of the accelerated degradation of PSCs under external strains.

Analysis of serum insulin-like growth factor-1, fibroblast growth factor 23, and Klotho levels in girls with rapidly progressive central precocious puberty.

To study the levels of serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and Klotho, and to study their relationship with girls with rapidly progressive central precocious puberty (RP-CPP). This is a cross-sectional study on the progression rate of central precocious puberty in girls, who complained of breast development before the age of 8 years and were followed between June 2021 and June 2022. At the same time, 28 healthy girls less than 8 years old who had not started puberty were recruited as the control group. The physical examination and laboratory evaluation of each group was completed. Only patients with CPP received pelvic ultrasound examination and bone age test. Bone age index (BAI), basal LH levels (BLH), basal LH levels/basal FSH levels (BFSH), peak LH (PLH)/peak FSH (PFSH), IGF-1, Klotho, FGF23, and ovarian volume in the RP-CPP group were higher than those in slowly progressive CPP (SP-CPP) group. In the RP-CPP group, IGF-1 was correlated with Klotho, FGF23, and BLH; Klotho was correlated with FGF23 and BLH; FGF23 was correlated with BLH. CONCLUSION: The BLH, FGF23, Klotho, and IGF-1 have a certain correlation with RP-CPP, which may play an important role in the speed of girls' sexual development. WHAT IS KNOWN: • The association between IGF-1 and RP-CPP. WHAT IS NEW: • We found the association between FGF23, Klotho and RP-CPP.

Bifacial and Semitransparent Sb2 (S,Se)3 Solar Cells for Single-Junction and Tandem Photovoltaic Applications.

Thin-film solar cells are expected to play a significant role in the space industry, building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), indoor applications, and tandem solar cells, where bifaciality and semitransparency are highly desired. Sb2 (S,Se)3 has emerged as a promising new photovoltaic (PV) material for its high absorption coefficient, tunable bandgap, and nontoxic and earth-abundant constituents. However, high-efficiency Sb2 (S,Se)3 solar cells exclusively employ monofacial architectures, leaving a considerable gap toward large-scale application in aforementioned fields. Here, a bifacial and semitransparent Sb2 (S,Se)3 solar cell and its extended application in tandem solar cells are reported. The transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) and the ultrathin inner n-i-p structure provide high long-wavelength transmittance. Despite the MnS/ITO Schottky junction, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 7.41% and 6.36% are achieved with front and rear illumination, respectively, contributing to a great bifaciality of 0.86. Consequently, the reported device gains great enhancement in PV performance by exploiting albedo of surroundings and shows exceptional capability in absorbing tilt incident light. Moreover, an Sb2 (S,Se)3 /Si tandem solar cell with a PCE of 11.66% is achieved in preliminary trials. These exciting findings imply that bifacial and semitransparent Sb2 (S,Se)3 solar cells possess tremendous potential in practical applications based on their unique characteristics.

Extrinsic Interstitial Ions in Metal Halide Perovskites: A Review.

Perovskite solar cells have rapidly developed as a promising technology for the next generation of low-cost photovoltaics, receiving enormous attention from researchers and industries. Compared to traditional semiconducting materials, metal halide perovskite exhibits outstanding tolerance to extrinsic ions. At a certain range of doping concentration, the interstitial occupancy of extrinsic ions provides appealing benefits to the perovskite films, contributing to higher performance and stability of the devices. This review summarizes the research progress of interstitial ions for metal halide perovskite, providing insights into the mechanism and identification of interstitial doping of extrinsic ions, covering the benefits of interstitial ions in regulating crystal growth, inhibiting ion migration, and reducing defect density. Finally, based on the latest progress and findings, further topics and directions of research on interstitial ions in metal halide perovskite are proposed to advance the understanding of interstitial ions in perovskite and promote the development of perovskite photovoltaic technology.

Development of a DAS-ELISA for Gyrovirus Homsa1 Prevalence Survey in Chickens and Wild Birds in China.

Gyrovirus homsa1 (GyH1) is an emerging pathogenic single-stranded circular DNA virus that leads to immunosuppression, aplastic anemia, and multisystem damage in chickens. However, the prevalence of GyH1 infection in chickens and wild birds remains unknown. Here, we developed a double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) to investigate GyH1 infection in 8 chicken species and 25 wild bird species. A total of 2258 serum samples from chickens (n = 2192) in 15 provinces, and wild birds (n = 66) in Jinan Wildlife Hospital were collected from 2017 to 2021 in China. The GyH1-positive rates in chickens and wild birds were 9.3% (203/2192) and 22.7% (15/66), respectively. GyH1 was present in all flocks in 15 provinces. From 2017 to 2021, the positive rate ranged from 7.93% (18/227) to 10.67% (56/525), and the highest positive rate was present in 2019. Upon chicken age, the highest positive rate (25.5%) was present in young chickens (14-35 days old). Moreover, the GyH1-positive rate in broiler breeders (12.6%, 21/167) was significantly higher than that in layer chickens (8.9%, 14/157). This study shows that GyH1 has spread in chicken flocks and wild birds, and the higher GyH1-positive rate in wild birds indicates the risk of spillover from wild birds to chickens. Our study expanded the GyH1 epidemiological aspects and provided a theoretical basis for GyH1 prevention.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes reduce insulin resistance and obesity in mice via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Obesity is a common chronic metabolic disease that induces chronic systemic inflammation in the body, eventually leading to related complications such as insulin resistance (IR), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndromes such as cardiovascular disease. Exosomes transfer bioactive substances to neighboring or distal cells through autosomal, paracrine, or distant secretion, regulating the gene and protein expression levels of receptor cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-Exos) on high-fat diet obese mice and mature 3T3-L1 adipocyte models of IR. BMSC-Exo treatment of obese mice promoted their metabolic homeostasis, including reduction of obesity, inhibition of M1-type proinflammatory factor expression, and improvement of insulin sensitivity. In vitro analysis revealed that BMSC-Exos improved IR and lipid droplet accumulation in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with palmitate (PA). Mechanistically, BMSC-Exos cause increased glucose uptake and improved IR in high-fat chow-fed mice and PA-acting 3T3-L1 adipocytes by activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway and upregulating glucose transporter protein 4 (GLUT4) expression. This study offers a new perspective for the development of treatments for IR in obese and diabetic patients.

Emerging Chalcohalide Materials for Energy Applications.

Semiconductors with multiple anions currently provide a new materials platform from which improved functionality emerges, posing new challenges and opportunities in material science. This review has endeavored to emphasize the versatility of the emerging family of semiconductors consisting of mixed chalcogen and halogen anions, known as "chalcohalides". As they are multifunctional, these materials are of general interest to the wider research community, ranging from theoretical/computational scientists to experimental materials scientists. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the development of emerging Bi- and Sb-based as well as a new Cu, Sn, Pb, Ag, and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite-based chalcohalides. We first highlight the high-throughput computational techniques to design and develop these chalcohalide materials. We then proceed to discuss their optoelectronic properties, band structures, stability, and structural chemistry employing theoretical and experimental underpinning toward high-performance devices. Next, we present an overview of recent advancements in the synthesis and their wide range of applications in energy conversion and storage devices. Finally, we conclude the review by outlining the impediments and important aspects in this field as well as offering perspectives on future research directions to further promote the development of chalcohalide materials in practical applications in the future.