National Engineering Research Center of Electromagnetic Radiation Control Materials

The review summarizes the recent progress in the synthesis, fundamental properties, morphology, photocatalytic applications and challenges of CdS-based photocatalysts.

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs), by virtue of their unique electronic structure, high electrical conductivity, superior chemical stability, and excellent mechanical robustness, have triggered tremendous research interest over the past decade, and showed great potential for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. However, bulk TMNs usually suffer from limited numbers of active sites and sluggish ionic kinetics, and eventually ordinary electrochemical performance. Designing nanostructured TMNs with tailored morphology and good dispersity has proved an effective strategy to address these issues, which provides a larger specific surface area, more abundant active sites, and shorter ion and mass transport distances over the bulk counterparts. Herein, the most up-to-date progress on TMN-based nanomaterials is comprehensively reviewed, focusing on geometric-structure design, electronic-structure engineering, and applications in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, including electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, and rechargeable batteries. Finally, we outline the future challenges of TMN-based nanomaterials and their possible research directions beyond electrochemical energy applications.

We have calculated the longitudinal acoustic phonon limited electron mobility of 14 two-dimensional semiconductors with composition of MX 2, where M (= Mo, W, Sn, Hf, Zr and Pt) is the transition metal, and X is S, Se and Te. We treated the scattering matrix by the deformation potential approximation. We found that out of 14 compounds, MoTe2, HfSe2 and ZrSe2 are promising regarding to their possible high mobility and finite band gap. The phonon limited mobility can be above 2,500 cm2·V−1·s−1 at room temperature.

Natural wood-based materials are directly utilized to construct ultra-thick all-wood-structured supercapacitors with ultra-high capacitance and energy density.

The present work theoretically and experimentally provides an insight into the internal mechanism of Li⁺ transport within an artificial hybrid SEI layer consisting of lithium-antimony (Li₃Sb) alloy and lithium fluoride (LiF).

Soft electronics are intensively studied as the integration of electronics with dynamic nonplanar surfaces has become necessary. Here, a discussion of the strategies in materials innovation and structural design to build soft electronic devices and systems is provided. For each strategy, the presentation focuses on the fundamental materials science and mechanics, and example device applications are highlighted where possible. Finally, perspectives on the key challenges and future directions of this field are presented.

Sulfur-doped disordered carbon exhibits high capacity and excellent cyclability as an anode for sodium ion batteries.

Abstract Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor Ga 2 O 3 based electronic devices are expected to perform beyond wide bandgap counterparts GaN and SiC. However, the reported power figure-of-merit hardly can exceed, which is far below the projected Ga 2 O 3 material limit. Major obstacles are high breakdown voltage requires low doping material and PN junction termination, contradicting with low specific on-resistance and simultaneous achieving of n- and p-type doping, respectively. In this work, we demonstrate that Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction PN diodes can overcome above challenges. By implementing the holes injection in the Ga 2 O 3 , bipolar transport can induce conductivity modulation and low resistance in a low doping Ga 2 O 3 material. Therefore, breakdown voltage of 8.32 kV, specific on-resistance of 5.24 mΩ⋅cm 2 , power figure-of-merit of 13.2 GW/cm 2 , and turn-on voltage of 1.8 V are achieved. The power figure-of-merit value surpasses the 1-D unipolar limit of GaN and SiC. Those Ga 2 O 3 power diodes demonstrate their great potential for next-generation power electronics applications.

A novel approach to effectively suppress the “polysulfide shuttle” in Li–S batteries is presented by designing a freestanding, three-dimensional graphene/1T MoS₂ (3DG/TM) heterostructure with highly efficient electrocatalysis properties for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs).

Spintronics and quantum information science are two promising candidates for innovating information processing technologies. The combination of these two fields enables us to build solid-state platforms for studying quantum phenomena and for realizing multi-functional quantum tasks. For a long time, however, the intersection of these two fields was limited due to the distinct properties of the classical magnetization, that is manipulated in spintronics, and quantum bits, that are utilized in quantum information science. This situation has changed significantly over the last few years because of the remarkable progress in coding and processing information using magnons. On the other hand, significant advances in understanding the entanglement of quasi-particles and in designing high-quality qubits and photonic cavities for quantum information processing provide physical platforms to integrate magnons with quantum systems. From these endeavours, the highly interdisciplinary field of quantum magnonics emerges, which combines spintronics, quantum optics and quantum information science. Here, we give an overview of the recent developments concerning the quantum states of magnons and their hybridization with mature quantum platforms. First, we review the basic concepts of magnons and quantum entanglement and discuss the generation and manipulation of quantum states of magnons, such as single-magnon states, squeezed states and quantum many-body states including Bose–Einstein condensation and the resulting spin superfluidity. We discuss how magnonic systems can be integrated and entangled with quantum platforms including cavity photons, superconducting qubits, nitrogen-vacancy centers, and phonons for coherent information transfer and collaborative information processing. The implications of these hybrid quantum systems for non-Hermitian physics and parity-time symmetry are highlighted, together with applications in quantum memories and high-precision measurements. Finally, we present an outlook on some of the challenges and opportunities in quantum magnonics.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been regarded as one of the most promising next-generation energy-storage devices, due to their low cost and high theoretical energy density (2600 W h kg⁻¹).

Abstract Semiconductor‐based Z‐scheme heterojunction photocatalysts have received considerable attention for solar energy conversion and environmental purification due to their spatially separated reduction and oxidation sites, effective separation and transportation of photo‐excited charge carriers and strong redox ability. With their wide visible‐light responsive range and high photocatalytic activity, metal sulphide is an important material in developing photocatalysts. This review summarizes and highlights recent research progress in sulphide‐based direct Z‐scheme photocatalysts, followed by analysis on the limitations over all‐solid‐state Z‐scheme photocatalyst. Furthermore, the applications and characterization methods of sulphide‐based direct Z‐scheme photocatalyst are summarized. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of sulphide‐based Z‐scheme photocatalyst are discussed.

A nonpolar/polar composite comprising tungsten sulfide nanosheets on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) is used for the cathode in lithium–sulfur batteries. These batteries demonstrate an ultra-long cycle life of 1500 cycles at a charge/discharge rate of 2 C, and they maintain about 90% specific capacity with a high specific capacity of 502 mA h g−1. These batteries present a significant performance improvement in the field of Li–S batteries. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

The terahertz region is a special region of the electromagnetic spectrum that incorporates the advantages of both microwaves and infrared light waves. In the past decade, metamaterials with effective medium parameters or gradient phases have been studied to control terahertz waves and realize functional devices. Here, we present a new approach to manipulate terahertz waves by using coding metasurfaces that are composed of digital coding elements. We propose a general coding unit based on a Minkowski closed-loop particle that is capable of generating 1-bit coding (with two phase states of 0 and 180°), 2-bit coding (with four phase states of 0, 90°, 180°, and 270°), and multi-bit coding elements in the terahertz frequencies by using different geometric scales. We show that multi-bit coding metasurfaces have strong abilities to control terahertz waves by designing-specific coding sequences. As an application, we demonstrate a new scattering strategy of terahertz waves—broadband and wide-angle diffusion—using a 2-bit coding metasurface with a special coding design and verify it by both numerical simulations and experiments. The presented method opens a new route to reducing the scattering of terahertz waves. A team in China has demonstrated a new strategy for controlling terahertz waves by using ‘coding’ metasurfaces to attain broadband diffusion. Metamaterials have previously been used to control terahertz waves and develop functional devices. Now, Tie Jun Cui and co-workers have developed metasurfaces composed of one-, two- and three-bit digital coding elements based on Minkowski loops. They demonstrated their coding surfaces by showing that metasurfaces with appropriately designed coding sequences can be used to strongly manipulate terahertz waves. In particular, they realized broadband, wide-angle diffusion using a two-bit coding metasurface with a special design and obtained good agreement between the measured results and numerical simulations. The proposed method offers a new way to control scattering of terahertz waves and can be implemented using conventional lithography.

Abstract We synthesized a series of carbon‐supported atomic metal‐N‐C catalysts (M‐SACs: M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) with similar structural and physicochemical properties to uncover their catalytic activity trends and mechanisms. The peroxymonosulfate (PMS) catalytic activity trends are Fe‐SAC>Co‐SAC>Mn‐SAC>Ni‐SAC>Cu‐SAC, and Fe‐SAC displays the best single‐site kinetic value (1.65×10 5 min −1 mol −1 ) compared to the other metal‐N‐C species. First‐principles calculations indicate that the most reasonable reaction pathway for 1 O 2 production is PMS→OH*→O*→ 1 O 2 ; M‐SACs that exhibit moderate and near‐average Gibbs free energies in each reaction step have a better catalytic activity, which is the key for the outstanding performance of Fe‐SACs. This study gives the atomic‐scale understanding of fundamental catalytic trends and mechanisms of PMS‐assisted reactive oxygen species production via M‐SACs, thus providing guidance for developing M‐SACs for catalytic organic pollutant degradation.

Owing to the high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mA h g −1 ) and low cost, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries offer advantages for next‐generation energy storage. However, the polysulfide dissolution and low electronic conductivity of sulfur cathodes limit the practical application of Li–S batteries. To address such issues, well‐designed yolk–shelled carbon@Fe 3 O 4 (YSC@Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoboxes as highly efficient sulfur hosts for Li–S batteries are reported here. With both physical entrapment by carbon shells and strong chemical interaction with Fe 3 O 4 cores, this unique architecture immobilizes the active material and inhibits diffusion of the polysulfide intermediates. Moreover, due to their high conductivity, the carbon shells and the polar Fe 3 O 4 cores facilitate fast electron/ion transport and promote continuous reactivation of the active material during the charge/discharge process, resulting in improved electrochemical utilization and reversibility. With these merits, the S/YSC@Fe 3 O 4 cathodes support high sulfur content (80 wt%) and loading (5.5 mg cm −2 ) and deliver high specific capacity, excellent rate capacity, and long cycling stability. This work provides a new perspective to design a carbon/metal‐oxide‐based yolk–shelled framework as a high sulfur‐loading host for advanced Li–S batteries with superior electrochemical properties.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is one of the most promising sustainable energy conversion technologies, but is limited by the sluggish electrochemical reactions. Inorganic nanomaterials have been widely used as efficient catalysts for promoting the electrochemical kinetics. Several approaches to optimize the activities of these nanocatalysts have been developed. The electronic structures of the catalysts play a pivotal role in governing the activity and thus have been identified as an essential descriptor. However, the underlying working mechanisms related to the refined electronic structures remain elusive. To establish the structure-electronic-behavior-activity relationship, a comprehensive overview of the developed strategies to regulate the electronic structures is presented, emphasizing the surface modification, strain, phase transition, and heterostructure. Current challenges to the fundamental understanding of electron behaviors in the nanocatalysts are fully discussed.

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), a unique technology for harvesting ambient mechanical energy based on the triboelectric effect, has been proven to be a cost-effective, simple, and robust approach for self-powered systems. However, a general challenge is that the output current is usually low. Here, we demonstrated a rationally designed TENG with integrated rhombic gridding, which greatly improved the total current output owing to the structurally multiplied unit cells connected in parallel. With the hybridization of both the contact-separation mode and sliding electrification mode among nanowire arrays and nanopores fabricated onto the surfaces of two contact plates, the newly designed TENG produces an open-circuit voltage up to 428 V, and a short-circuit current of 1.395 mA with the peak power density of 30.7 W/m(2). Relying on the TENG, a self-powered backpack was developed with a vibration-to-electric energy conversion efficiency up to 10.62(±1.19) %. And it was also demonstrated as a direct power source for instantaneously lighting 40 commercial light-emitting diodes by harvesting the vibration energy from natural human walking. The newly designed TENG can be a mobile power source for field engineers, explorers, and disaster-relief workers.

In mammals, physiological respiration involves respiratory cycles of inhaled and exhaled breaths, which has traditionally been an underutilized resource potentially encompassing a wealth of physiologically relevant information as well as clues to potential diseases. Recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely adopted for self-powered respiration monitoring owing to their compelling features, such as decent biocompatibility, wearing comfort, low-cost, and high sensitivity to respiration activities in the aspect of low frequency and slight amplitude body motions. Physiological respiration behaviors and exhaled chemical regents can be precisely and continuously monitored by TENG-based respiration sensors for personalized health care. This article presents an overview of TENG enabled self-powered respiration monitoring, with a focus on the working principle, sensing materials, functional structures, and related applications in both physical respiration motion detection and chemical breath analysis. Concepts and approaches for acquisition of physical information associated with respiratory rate and depth are covered in the first part. Then the sensing mechanism, theoretical modeling, and applications related to detection of chemicals released from breathing gases are systemically summarized. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of triboelectric effect enabled self-powered respiration monitoring are comprehensively discussed and criticized.

10.1179/1743280412Y.0000000011