Tree-Inspired Aerogel Comprising Nonoxidized Graphene Flakes and Cellulose as Solar Absorber for Efficient Water Generation.

As global freshwater shortages worsen, solar steam generation (SSG) emerges as a promising, eco-friendly, and cost-effective solution for water purification. However, widespread SSG implementation requires efficient photothermal materials and solar evaporators that integrate enhanced light-to-heat conversion, rapid water transportation, and optimal thermal management. This study investigates using nonoxidized graphene flakes (NOGF) with negligible defects as photothermal materials capable of absorbing over 98% of sunlight. By combining NOGF with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) through bidirectional freeze casting, we created a vertically and radially aligned solar evaporator. The hybrid aerogel exhibited exceptional solar absorption, efficient solar-to-thermal conversion, and improved surface wettability. Inspired by tree structures, our design ensures rapid water supply while minimizing heat loss. With low NOGF content (∼10.0%), the NOGF/CNF aerogel achieves a solar steam generation rate of 2.39 kg m-2 h-1 with an energy conversion efficiency of 93.7% under 1-sun illumination, promising applications in seawater desalination and wastewater purification.

Direct in Situ Fabrication of Multicolor Afterglow Carbon Dot Patterns with Transparent and Traceless Features via Laser Direct Writing.

Multicolor afterglow patterns with transparent and traceless features are important for the exploration of new functionalities and applications. Herein, we report a direct in situ patterning technique for fabricating afterglow carbon dots (CDs) based on laser direct writing (LDW) for the first time. We explore a facile step-scanning method that reduces the heat-affected zone and avoids uneven heating, thus producing a fine-resolution afterglow CD pattern with a minimum line width of 80 µm. Unlike previous LDW-induced luminescence patterns, the patterned CD films are traceless and transparent, which is mainly attributed to a uniform heat distribution and gentle temperature rise process. Interestingly, by regulating the laser parameters and CD precursors, an increased carbonization and oxidation degree of CDs could be obtained, thus enabling time-dependent, tunable afterglow colors from blue to red. In addition, we demonstrate their potential applications in the in situ fabrication of flexible and stretchable optoelectronics.

Multi-color transparent display based on perovskite quantum dots fabricated by laser-induced plasma etching.

Display technology is being revolutionized by cutting-edge transparent displays that can provide visual information on the screen while allowing the surrounding environment to be visible. In this report, a new method is proposed for patterning displays based on perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) on glass surfaces. A glass substrate with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) constraint layer is patterned using laser-induced plasma etching, and then a PQDs film is spin-coated on the etched sample. The PQDs pattern on the glass substrate is obtained after peeling off the PVDF constraint layer. The thickness of the film is obtained by carrying out simulations. The plasma output from different metal targets is recorded and analyzed to select the most suitable parameters and materials for improvement of the patterning accuracy. The transparent pattern display of PQDs is realized with an accuracy of 10-20 µm and a burial depth of about 1 µm. This method allows PQDs to be encapsulated under the substrate surface, which decreases the susceptibility of environmental impact. Additionally, encapsulation prevents the quantum dots from leaking out and causing environmental pollution. The proposed method has potential in the design of transparent displays and anti-counterfeiting applications.

Longitudinal change of serum exosomal miR-186-5p estimates major adverse cardiac events in acute myocardial infarction patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: Our recently published study discovers that exosomal microRNA (miR)-186-5p promotes vascular smooth muscle cell viability and invasion to facilitate atherosclerosis. This research aimed to explore the prognostic implication of serum exosomal miR-186-5p in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: One hundred and fifty AMI patients receiving PCI and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were screened. Serum exosomal miR-186-5p was detected by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay in AMI patients at admission and after PCI, as well as in HCs after enrollment. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were recorded during follow-up in AMI patients receiving PCI. Results: Serum exosomal miR-186-5p was raised in AMI patients vs. HCs (P < 0.001). Besides, serum exosomal miR-186-5p was positively linked to body mass index (P = 0.048), serum creatinine (P = 0.021), total cholesterol (P = 0.029), and C-reactive protein (P = 0.018); while it was reversely linked with estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.023) in AMI patients. Interestingly, serum exosomal miR-186-5p was correlated with the diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (P = 0.034). Notably, serum exosomal miR-186-5p was decreased after PCI vs. at admission (P < 0.001). The 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month accumulating MACE rates were 4.5%, 8.9%, 14.8%, and 14.8% in AMI patients. Furthermore, serum exosomal miR-186-5p ≥3.39 (maximum value in HCs) after PCI (P = 0.021) and its decrement percentage

Efficacy of exercise rehabilitation for managing patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and degenerative neurological disease characterized by the deterioration of cognitive functions. While a definitive cure and optimal medication to impede disease progression are currently unavailable, a plethora of studies have highlighted the potential advantages of exercise rehabilitation for managing this condition. Those studies show that exercise rehabilitation can enhance cognitive function and improve the quality of life for individuals affected by AD. Therefore, exercise rehabilitation has been regarded as one of the most important strategies for managing patients with AD. Herein, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the currently available findings on exercise rehabilitation in patients with AD, with a focus on the exercise types which have shown efficacy when implemented alone or combined with other treatment methods, as well as the potential mechanisms underlying these positive effects. Specifically, we explain how exercise may improve the brain microenvironment and neuronal plasticity. In conclusion, exercise is a cost-effective intervention to enhance cognitive performance and improve quality of life in patients with mild to moderate cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, it can potentially become both a physical activity and a tailored intervention. This review may aid the development of more effective and individualized treatment strategies to address the challenges imposed by this debilitating disease, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Multi-Scale Dispersion Engineering on Biomass-Derived Materials for Ultra-Wideband and Wide-Angle Microwave Absorption.

Efficient electromagnetic waves (EMWs) absorbing materials play a vital role in the electronic era. In traditional research on microwave absorbing (MA) materials, the synergistic modulation of material dispersion and structural dispersion of EMWs by incorporating multi-scale effects has frequently been overlooked, resulting in an untapped absorption potential. In this study, the material dispersion customization method based on biomass carbon is determined by quantitative analysis. The study carries out thermodynamic modulation of carbon skeleton, micro-nano porous engineering, and phosphorus atom donor doping in turn. The dielectric properties are improved step by step. In terms of structural dispersion design, inspired by the theory of antenna reciprocity, a Vivaldi antenna-like absorber is innovatively proposed. With the effective combination of material dispersion and structural dispersion engineering by 3D printing technology, the ultra-wideband absorption of 36.8 GHz and the angular stability of close to 60 ° under dual polarization are successfully realized. The work breaks the deadlock of mutual constraints between wave impedance and attenuation rate through the dispersion modulation methods on multiple scales, unlocking the potential for designing next-generation broadband wide-angle absorbers.

Template-Confined Oriented Perovskite Nanowire Arrays Enable Polarization Detection and Imaging.

Polarized light detection can effectively identify the difference between the polarization information on the target and the background, which is of great significance for detection in complex natural environments and/or extreme weather. Generally, polarized light detection inevitably relies on anisotropic structures of photodetector devices, while organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites are ideal for anisotropic patterning due to their simple and efficient preparation by solution method. Compared to patterned thin films, patterned arrays of aligned one-dimensional (1D) perovskite nanowires (PNWAs) have fewer grain boundaries and lower defect densities, making them well suited for high-performance polarization-sensitive photodetectors. Here, we fabricated PNWAs crystallographically aligned with variable line widths and alignment densities employing CD-ROM and DVD-ROM grating pattern template-confined growth (TCG) methods. The photodetectors constructed from MAPbI3 PNWAs achieved responsivity of 35.01 A/W, detectivity of 6.85 × 1013 Jones, and fast response with a rise time of 172 µs and fall time of 114 µs. They were successfully applied to high-performance polarization detection with a polarization ratio of 1.81, potentially applicable in polarized light detection systems.

High-Color-Rendition White QLEDs by Balancing Red, Green and Blue Centres in Eco-Friendly ZnCuGaS:In@ZnS Quantum Dots.

White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) are the key components in the next-generation lighting and display devices. The inherent toxicity of Cd/Pb-based quantum dots (QDs) limits the further application in WLEDs. Recently, more attention is focused on eco-friendly QDs and their WLEDs, especially the phosphor-free WLEDs based on mono-component, which profits from bias-insensitive color stability. However, the imbalanced carrier distribution between red-green-blue luminescent centers, even the absence of a certain luminescent center, hinders their balanced and stable photoluminescence/electroluminescence (PL/EL). Here, an In3+-doped strategy in Zn-Cu-Ga-S@ZnS QDs is first proposed, and the balanced carrier distribution is realized by non-equivalent substitution and In3+ doping concentration modulation. The alleviation of the green emitter by the In3+-related red emitter and the compensation of blue emitter by the Zn-related electronic states contribute to the balanced red-green-blue emitting with high PL quantum yield (PLQY) of 95.3% and long lifetime (T90) of over 1100 h in atmospheric conditions. Thus, the In3+-doped WLEDs can achieve exceedingly slight proportional variations between red-green-blue EL intensity over time (∆CIE = (0.007, 0.009)), and high champion CRI of 94.9. This study proposes a single-component QD with balanced and stable red-green-blue PL/EL spectrum, meeting the requirements of lighting and display.

Fine Purification Engineering Enables Efficient Perovskite QLEDs with Efficiency Exceeding 23.

Perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) have great application prospects in fields such as displays and solar cells due to their adjustable band gap, high absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, and solution processability. However, the ionic crystal characteristic of PeQDs and their surface ligands have led to problems such as solvent sensitivity, poor crystal stability, and difficulty in adjusting the photoelectric properties, which are challenges in high-quality PeQDs. Here, to solve the problem of fluorescence degradation caused by phase change and loss of surface ligands during the purification process of CsPbI3 QDs, this work develops a purification strategy that finely regulates the polarity of the purification solvent, to obtain high-purity perovskite. This strategy can tune the surface ligand concentration and optoelectronic properties while maintaining the crystal stability. The optimized purification process enables the quantum dots to maintain the same level of luminescence performance as the original solution (PLQY is ∼90%). Meanwhile, the electrical properties are improved to significantly increase the exciton recombination rate under an electrical drive. Finally, a highly efficient QLED with an external quantum efficiency of exceeding 23% can be achieved. This scheme for fine purification of CsPbI3 QDs will provide some inspiration for the development of efficient PeQDs and the realization of high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Reactivity-matched synthesis of monodisperse Ag(In,Ga)S2 QDs with efficient luminescence.

I-III-VI quantum dots (QDs) have gained widespread attention owing to their significant advantages of non-toxicity, large structural tolerance, and efficient photoluminescence potential. However, the disbalance of reactivity between the elements will result in undesired products and compromised optical properties. Reducing the activity of highly reactive group IB elements is the most common approach, but it will reduce the overall reactivity and lead to a wide dispersion of QD sizes. In this study, we propose a method to improve the overall reactivity of the reaction system using the highly active IIIA precursor InI3, which triggers rapid nucleation and promotes the formation of Ag(In,Ga)S2 (AIGS) QDs, resulting in monodisperse particle size distributions and a significantly improved photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) (from 12% to 72%). Furthermore, narrow band edge emission is realized by coating a gallium sulfide (GaSx) shell on the basis of obtaining high-quality AIGS QDs. The core/shell QDs exhibit a 90% PLQY with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of only 31 nm at 530 nm. This study provides a viable design strategy to synthesize monodisperse AIGS QDs with a narrow peak width and efficient luminescence, promoting the application of AIGS QDs in the field of luminescent displays.

Moiré Engineering of Spin-Orbit Torque by Twisted WS2 Homobilayers.

Artificial moiré superlattices created by stacking 2D crystals have emerged as a powerful platform with unprecedented material-engineering capabilities. While moiré superlattices are reported to host a number of novel quantum states, their potential for spintronic applications remains largely unexplored. Here, the effective manipulation of spin-orbit torque (SOT) is demonstrated using moiré superlattices in ferromagnetic devices comprised of twisted WS2/WS2 homobilayer (t-WS2) and CoFe/Pt thin films by altering twisting angle (θ) and gate voltage. Notably, a substantial enhancement of up to 44.5% is observed in SOT conductivity at θ ≈ 8.3°. Furthermore, compared to the WS2 monolayer and untwisted WS2/WS2 bilayers, the moiré superlattices in t-WS2 enable a greater gate-voltage tunability of SOT conductivity. These results are related to the generation of the interfacial moiré magnetic field by the real-space Berry phase in moiré superlattices, which modulates the absorption of the spin-Hall current arising from Pt through the magnetic proximity effect. This study highlights the moiré physics as a new building block for designing enhanced spintronic devices.

Identifying atomically thin isolated-band channels for intrinsic steep-slope transistors by high-throughput study.

Developing low-power FETs holds significant importance in advancing logic circuits, especially as the feature size of MOSFETs approaches sub-10 nanometers. However, this has been restricted by the thermionic limitation of SS, which is limited to 60 mV per decade at room temperature. Herein, we proposed a strategy that utilizes 2D semiconductors with an isolated-band feature as channels to realize sub-thermionic SS in MOSFETs. Through high-throughput calculations, we established a guiding principle that combines the atomic structure and orbital interaction to identify their sub-thermionic transport potential. This guides us to screen 192 candidates from the 2D material database comprising 1608 systems. Additionally, the physical relationship between the sub-thermionic transport performances and electronic structures is further revealed, which enables us to predict 15 systems with promising device performances for low-power applications with supply voltage below 0.5 V. This work opens a new way for the low-power electronics based on 2D materials and would inspire extensive interests in the experimental exploration of intrinsic steep-slope MOSFETs.

Full-color fiber light-emitting diodes based on perovskite quantum wires.

Fiber light-emitting diodes (Fi-LEDs), which can be used for wearable lighting and display devices, are one of the key components for fiber/textile electronics. However, there exist a number of impediments to overcome on device fabrication with fiber-like substrates, as well as on device encapsulations. Here, we uniformly grew all-inorganic perovskite quantum wire arrays by filling high-density alumina nanopores on the surface of Al fibers with a dip-coating process. With a two-step evaporation method to coat a surrounding transporting layer and semitransparent electrode, we successfully fabricated full-color Fi-LEDs with emission peaks at 625 nanometers (red), 512 nanometers (green), and 490 nanometers (sky-blue), respectively. Intriguingly, additional polydimethylsiloxane packaging helps instill the mechanical bendability, stretchability, and waterproof feature of Fi-LEDs. The plasticity of Al fiber also allows the one-dimensional architecture Fi-LED to be shaped and constructed for two-dimensional or even three-dimensional architectures, opening up a new vista for advanced lighting with unconventional formfactors.