Browse Articles

Robust self supervised symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization to the graph clustering

Base editing reduces prion protein

Multicolor Organic Single‐Crystal Microcavity Light Emitting Diodes With High Color‐Purity and High Brightness

Abstract The development of ultra‐high‐definition (UHD) displays demands organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) with high color purity of all three primary colors for a wide color gamut and high brightness essential for future AR/VR applications. However, the vibronic coupling in organic emitters typically results in broad emissions, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) exceeding 40–50 nm. Herein, multicolor organic single‐crystal microcavity light‐emitting diodes (SC‐MC‐OLEDs) are demonstrated by embedding ultrathin 2D organic single crystals (2D‐OSCs) between two silver layers that serve as both electrodes and mirrors. By leveraging the microcavity effect, the resonant output frequencies of SC‐MC‐OLEDs can be continuously tuned from 448 to 602 nm by adjusting the thickness of 2D‐OSCs (i.e., the microcavity length), achieving high color purity with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of <10 nm. Furthermore, the Purcell effect in SC‐MC‐OLEDs enhances the radiative rate and improves light‐coupling efficiency, resulting in a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of up to 4% and minimal efficiency roll‐off. Due to the excellent bipolar transport properties of OSCs, the brightness of SC‐MC‐OLEDs surpasses 10 6 cd m −2 , along with a degree of linear polarization exceeding 0.9, unlocking new application opportunities.

High‐Modulus Homochiral Torsional Oxide Ceramic Artificial Muscles

Abstract Fiber‐based artificial muscles are soft actuators used to mimic the movement of human muscles. However, using high modulus oxide ceramics to fabricate artificial muscles with high energy and power is a challenge as they are prone to brittle fracture during torsion. Here, a ceramic metallization strategy is reported that solves the problem of low torsion and low ductility of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) ceramics by chemical plating a thin copper layer on alumina filaments. These filaments with a high modulus of ≈180 GPa can be twisted into chiral coiled artificial muscles, exhibiting a unique electric thermal actuation mechanism. This tough and robust alumina artificial muscle can carry objects equivalent to 0.28 million times its weight and provide high actuation stress of up to 483.5 MPa. In addition, it exhibits 18 times higher contraction power and 240 times higher energy density than human muscles, as well as a high energy conversion efficiency of up to 7.59%, which far exceeds most reported actuated carbon and polymer artificial muscles. This work has achieved large‐scale manufacturing of high‐modulus oxide ceramic muscles for the first time.

RF-sputtered Al-doped ZnO-based transparent electrochemical capacitors developed as a structural energy storage to replace double-glazed window for a smart building

Structural energy storage combines energy storage with structural strength, reducing weight, saving space, and improving efficiency. Among various types, transparent structural energy storage shows strong potential for seamless integration into windows, screens, surfaces, consumer electronics, and automotive applications. Developing new electrode designs with environmentally abundant materials is essential to achieving global decarbonization goals and the net-zero target. In this work, we developed a transparent electrochemical capacitor (TEC) as a structural energy storage using aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) film prepared by radio frequency sputtering on an indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) glass. We observed that the excellent electrical properties of the AZO film including high carrier concentration 6.54 × 1020 cm−3, Hall mobility 25.8 cm2 V−1 s−1, and resistivity 3.7 × 10−4 Ω cm contributed to enhancing the electrochemical performance of the TEC. The prepared transparent AZO exhibits a high specific capacitance of 44.4 μF cm−2 at 1 mV s−1 for a three-electrode study in a liquid electrolyte. The TEC fabricated using gel electrolyte shows a specific capacitance of 5.93 μF cm−2 at 1 mV s−1. We observed that both the electrochemical double-layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance contributed to the charge storage in TEC, which was measured using Dunn's method. The double-glazed window shape of the TEC exhibits its promising potential for implementation as structural energy storage in smart buildings. We demonstrated TEC performance under various temperatures (−10 to 30 °C), its transparency of about 85% in the visible light range, and its integration capabilities with solar cells. This TEC aims to develop a structural element for smart buildings or autonomous electric vehicles.

Scalable production and purification of engineered ARRDC1-mediated microvesicles in a HEK293 suspension cell system

Abstract Engineering of human ARRDC1-mediated microvesicles (ARMMs) as non-viral vehicles for delivery of gene therapies bears the potential to enable novel therapeutic paradigms. We evaluated two scalable strategies to generate ARMMs loaded with protein cargo, by transient transfection or stable cell line-based production. The upstream ARMMs production processes utilized a suspension-adapted HEK293-derived line, termed 5B8. 5B8 cells yielded robust production of ARMMs after transient transfection with the ARMMs loading construct or using a stable cell line containing a transgene that encodes the ARMMs loading cassette, in shake flasks or a stirred tank bioreactor, respectively. ARMMs were purified by ultracentrifugation (small scale) or a combination of TFF and AEX (scalable production). Both purification methods produced comparable ARMMs, in terms of size and payload incorporation. Single particle analysis showed approximately 50% were payload-containing ARMMs. Additionally, an in vivo study was conducted in mice to investigate the half-life and biodistribution of ARMMs administered intravenously. ARMMs showed rapid biodistribution predominantly to the spleen and liver and, to a lesser extent, kidneys, and lungs. The half-life of ARMMs in plasma was 6 ± 0.4 min. Altogether, this work advances knowledge on scale-up of engineered cell-derived vesicles for future in vivo delivery of therapeutic molecules.

Directional Mushroom‐Derived Scaffold for Microenvironment Regulation in Infected Bone Defects

AbstractInfected bone defects are a common clinical condition, but conventional treatments often fail to achieve the desired outcomes, including addressing antibiotic resistance and preventing nonunion complications. In the presented study, a functionalized decellularized mushroom stem scaffold is developed composed of its naturally aligned channels, Zn2+/curcumin MOFs, hydroxyapatite minerals, and icariin. In vitro, It is found that functionalized acellular mushroom stem scaffold can control bacterial infections through Zn2+/curcumin MOFs. The naturally aligned channels guide bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) migration, and the components adsorbed on the acellular substrate further promote the migration of BMSCs. Moreover, these functional components further accelerated the polarization of M2 macrophage and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. In vivo, the functionalized decellularized mushroom stem scaffold cleared infected bacteria within 3 days, induced extracellular matrix secretion and alignment, and promoted new bone formation to cover defects within 8 weeks. The functionalized decellularized mushroom stem scaffold provides a promising strategy for treating infectious bone defects.

Bifunctional Group Modulation Strategy Enables MR‐TADF Electroluminescence Toward BT.2020 Green Light Standard

Abstract Herein, a parallel “bifunctional group” modulation method is proposed to achieve controlled modulation of the emission wavelength and full‐width at half‐maximum (FWHM) values. As a result, three proof‐of‐concept emitters, namely DBNDS‐TPh, DBNDS‐DFPh, and DBNDS‐CNPh, are designed and synthesized, with the first functional dibenzo[ b,d ]thiophene unit concurrently reducing the bandgap and elevate their triplet state energy. A second functional group 1 , 1 ′: 3 ′, 1 ″‐ triphenyl , and electron acceptors 1,3‐difluorobenzene and benzonitrile , respectively, to deepen the HOMO and LUMO levels. Accordingly, the CIE coordinates of DBNDS‐TPh, DBNDS‐DFPh, and DBNDS‐CNPh are (0.13, 0.77), (0.14, 0.77), and (0.14, 0.76) respectively, in a dilute toluene solution. This marks the first instance of achieving a CIE y value of 0.77 in dilute toluene solutions. Significantly, the non‐sensitized pure‐green OLEDs based on DBNDS‐TPh and DBNDS‐DFPh demonstrate peak EQE of 35.0% and 34.5%, with corresponding CIE coordinates of (0.18, 0.75), (0.17, 0.76) at the doping concentration of 1 wt.%, representing the first green OLED with a CIE y value reaching 0.76 in a bottom‐emitting device structure as reported in the literature.

Corrigendum to “Solventless ordering of colloidal particles through application of patterned elastomeric stamps under pressure” [Appl. Phys. Lett. <b>85</b> , 2643 (2004)]

A novel Kayvirus species phage RuSa1 removes biofilm and lyses multiple clinical strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Quantum‐Dot‐Electrolyte Light‐Emitting Diodes for Displays

Abstract Electroluminescence (EL) is essential for modern technologies, such as displays, lighting, and optical communications. To date, some kinds of artificial EL devices have been developed, including organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), quantum‐dot (QD) LEDs, and light‐emitting electrochemical cells. However, issues (e.g., inefficient charge injection, exciton quenching) limit the further EL performance. Here, another promising kind of EL device is reported, which is called QD‐electrolyte LED (QE‐LED). The key feature of QE‐LED is that an ionic liquid is doped into QDs as the electrolyte emitter of multi‐layer device architectures. Both theoretical and experimental analyses reveal that an enhanced interface electric field from the in situ formed electrical double layer is leveraged to improve the charge injection and transport. With the introduction of insulating polymers into QD‐electrolyte emitters, red QE‐LED achieves an external quantum efficiency of 20.5% and a lifetime (T 95 ) over 3.74 × 10 5  h at the display‐related luminance of 100 cd m −2 , indicating that the QE‐LED is among the best EL devices. Furthermore, an active‐matrix QE‐LED display is demonstrated with superior stability that overtakes the commercial benchmark. These results offer an avenue to discover unexplored EL devices and provide potential pathways to enhance charge dynamics for EL devices.

Local Polarization Piezoelectric Electric Field Promoted Water Dissociation for Hydroxyl Radical Generation under Ambient Humidity Condition

Abstract Combining piezocatalysts with mechanical ball milling for dissociating water to generate hydroxyl radicals (·OH) offers unprecedented opportunities for energy conversion and environmental remediation. However, the in‐depth insights into the relationship between water and local polarization piezoelectric electric field (LPPEF) are currently lacking, in particularly, the ·OH formation mechanism in ball milling driven piezocatalyst system is not systematically elucidated. To this end, the present work constructs a ball milling driven piezoelectric solid/liquid interface between piezoelectric Pb 2 B 5 O 9 Cl (PBOC) and different contents of water to investigate LPPEF initiated catalytic reaction. Results show that PBOC exhibits an excellent Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) degradation efficiency with a 68.94 and 12.43 times faster rate constant than traditional SiO 2 and BaTiO 3 , respectively. Under ambient humidity condition, the lower energy barrier of water dissociation (0.23 eV) endows ·OH generation more energetically favorable than under the water‐oversaturated condition (0.66 eV), and trace water magnifies the polarizability of [BO 3 ] and [BO 4 ] units in PBOC to initiate an enhanced LPPEF, thus it enhances the trapping of lone pairs electrons in trace adsorbed water by holes to contribute a higher yield of ·OH. This study constructs a highly correlated field‐initiated electron transfer system that provides opportunities for promoting the performance of piezocatalytic materials.

Single-shot Fourier ptychography using polarization-encoded illumination

Fourier ptychography (FP) is widely adopted for label-free, high-resolution quantitative phase imaging (QPI) of biological samples. However, its imaging speed is limited by the need for multiple acquisitions. In this work, we propose a single-shot FP technique that uses linear polarizers to encode multiple illumination wavevectors and a polarization camera to capture multiple sets of information simultaneously. A multiplexed FP algorithm, utilizing both the bright-field and dark-field information, reconstructs a high-resolution quantitative phase image from the single-shot intensity image. Verified with resolution targets and a histological sample, our method achieved a resolution improvement of 2.5 times the diffraction limit of the objective lens and provided QPI over a large field-of-view. Additionally, we demonstrated high-speed FP at 75 frames per second, limited only by the sensor's readout speed, enabling QPI of fast-moving microorganisms.

Provision, cough efficacy and treatment satisfaction of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation in a large multicenter cohort of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) addresses cough deficiency to achieve major therapeutic goals: improving costal muscle and joint function, reducing atelectasis through insufflation, and clearing bronchial secretions via exsufflation. Despite its perceived benefits, there is limited systematic research on MI-E provision, symptom alleviation, or patient satisfaction. The research platform Ambulanzpartner coordinated this longitudinal observational study conducted in 12 German ALS centers from July 2018 to September 2023. Patients were enrolled based on ALS-related cough deficiency requiring MI-E therapy. The study recorded provision, reasons for withholding MI-E, clinical parameters, therapy frequency, subjective cough deficiency, and symptomatic relief. Satisfaction with MI-E therapy was determined by the likelihood of recommendation. Out of 694 ALS patients indicated for MI-E, 527 (75.9%) received the therapy. The primary reason for non-provision was that the patient had died before provision (n = 66 of 167; 39.5%). These patients were significantly more affected as represented by higher progression rates and lower cough peak flows (CPF) at the time of MI-E indication ( p  &lt; 0.05). Most patients who received MI-E used it daily (n = 290 of 370; 78.4%). Self-assessed cough deficiency correlated with clinical measurements, especially for patients with higher deficits. At follow-up visits, patients reported reduced cough deficiency ( p  &lt; 0.001). Frequent MI-E use was linked to greater symptom relief and higher likelihood of recommending the therapy. This study highlights the symptomatic and palliative potential of MI-E therapy for ALS patients.

Double Confinement Design to Access Highly Stable Intermetallic Nanoparticles for Fuel Cells

AbstractMaintaining the stability of low Pt catalysts during prolonged operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) remains a substantial challenge. Here, a double confinement design is presented to significantly improve the stability of intermetallic nanoparticles while maintaining their high catalytic activity toward PEMFCs. First, a carbon shell is coated on the surface of nanoparticles to form carbon confinement. Second, O2 is introduced during the annealing process to selectively etch the carbon shell to expose the active surface, and to induce the segregation of surface transition metals to form Pt‐skin confinement. Overall, the intermetallic nanoparticles are protected by carbon confinement and Pt‐skin confinement to withstand the harsh environment of PEMFCs. Typically, the double confined Pt1Co1 catalyst exhibits an exceptional mass activity of 1.45 A mgPt−1 at 0.9 V in PEMFCs tests, with only a 17.3% decay after 30 000 cycles and no observed structure changes, outperforming most reported PtCo catalysts and DOE 2025 targets. Furthermore, the carbon confinement proportion can be controlled by varying the thickness of the coated carbon shell, and this strategy is also applicable to the synthesis of double‐confined Pt1Fe1 and Pt1Cu1 intermetallic nanoparticles.

2D Nanochannel Interlayer Realizing High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract Commercialization of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries is largely limited by polysulfide shuttling and sluggish kinetics. Herein, 2D nanochannel interlayer composed of alternatively‐stacked porous silica nanosheets (PSN) and Ti 3 C 2 T x ‐MXene are developed. The 2D nanochannels with selective cation transport characteristics facilitate lithium ion rapid transport, while reject the translocation of polysulfide anions across the separator. The hydroxylated MXene shifts the p ‐band center of the surface O on PSN closer to the Fermi level, leading to strong absorptive/catalytic effect for polysulfides and thus fast polysulfide transformation kinetics. Together with the ion/electron bi‐conduction function of PSN/MXene, the Li–S batteries deliver high initial capacity of 1443 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C, low‐capacity decay rate of 0.049% per cycle over 800 cycles at 2 C, and excellent rate capability. At a high sulfur loading of 5.2 mg cm −2 , the cells present higher areal specific capacity than commercial lithium ion batteries. The pouch cells with lean electrolyte (E/S = 3.9 µL mg −1 ) yield a capacity of 2‐Ah at 100 mA, high energy density and excellent cycling stability. This contribution opens up new avenues for expanding application of 2D nanofluidics in electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

Line width narrowing of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors using atomic layer etching

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) have shown remarkable photon detection characteristics, and scalable architectures allow for the fabrication of SNSPD cameras with over a hundred thousand pixels. Producing such large format devices requires the use of a high throughput lithography process such as stepper photolithography. This restricts nanowire widths to the resolution limit of the photolithography system, which limits performance, particularly for mid-infrared wavelengths. In this paper, we develop an SNSPD fabrication process that uses bidirectional atomic layer etching to reduce nanowire widths by &amp;gt; 100 nm, achieving performance that has only previously been attained using low throughput electron beam lithography. This fabrication process will allow for high-pixel count SNSPD cameras with improved performance due to reduced nanowire widths.

Profiling of RNA N6-Methyladenosine methylation reveals the critical role of m6A in betaine alleviating hepatic steatosis

Interface Engineering of 2D Materials toward High‐Temperature Electronic Devices

AbstractHigh‐temperature electronic materials and devices are highly sought after for advanced applications in aerospace, high‐speed automobiles, and deep‐well drilling, where active or passive cooling mechanisms are either insufficient or impractical. 2D materials (2DMs) represent promising alternatives to traditional silicon and wide‐bandgap semiconductors (WBG) for nanoscale electronic devices operating under high‐temperature conditions. The development of robust interfaces is essential for ensuring that 2DMs and their devices achieve high performance and maintain stability when subjected to elevated temperatures. This review summarizes recent advancements in the interface engineering of 2DMs for high‐temperature electronic devices. Initially, the limitations of conventional silicon‐based materials and WBG semiconductors, alongside the advantages offered by 2DMs, are examined. Subsequently, strategies for interface engineering to enhance the stability of 2DMs and the performance of their devices are detailed. Furthermore, various interface‐engineered 2D high‐temperature devices, including transistors, optoelectronic devices, sensors, memristors, and neuromorphic devices, are reviewed. Finally, a forward‐looking perspective on future 2D high‐temperature electronics is presented. This review offers valuable insights into emerging 2DMs and their applications in high‐temperature environments from both fundamental and practical perspectives.

Maximizing Output Energy via Suppressing Charge Loss and Increasing Load Voltage in Charge Extraction Process

Abstract The effective collection of interfacial tribo‐charges and an increase in load voltage are two essential factors that improve the output energy of triboelectric nanogenerators. However, some tribo‐charges are hardly collected through one or multiple integrated side electrodes based on corona discharge, and their load voltages are limited by air breakdown in adjacent electrodes. In this study, a dynamic quasi‐dipole potential distribution model is proposed to systematically reveal the mechanisms of interfacial tribo‐charge loss. Based on this model, an optimization route is designed to reduce the interfacial charge loss stepwise, achieving a 15‐fold improvement in charge collection from the tribo‐interface. A potential difference enhancement strategy is used for the first time to increase the air breakdown threshold between the inner electrodes and increase the output voltage under a large load. By effective increase in charge collection efficiency and load voltage, a historical record output energy density of 5.03 J m −2 is obtained. This study refined and optimized the interfacial charge loss mechanisms and provided advanced guidance for efficiently extracting energy during the triboelectrification process.