A critical review of MXene and MXene/polymer composites: Structure-Property relationships, applications, and data-driven perspectives
Available online 3 September 2026
MXenes have emerged as a highly versatile class of two-dimensional materials with exceptional electrical conductivity, flexibility, and hydrophilicity. Integrating MXene with polymers has unlocked extensive...
A nacre-inspired synergistic bridging and film-forming strategy for constructing lightweight, thermally insulating reed scrap/cement composites
Available online 3 September 2026
Biomass-inorganic composites prepared from agricultural and forestry residues as reinforcing materials are economical, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly. However, their broader application is...
Multistimuli-synergistic self-healing polyurethanes: mechanisms, applications, and the future
Available online 3 September 2026
Self-healing polyurethanes (SHPUs) are characterized by high structural tunability, flexible dynamic bond construction, and excellent compatibility between mechanical and functional properties. As a...
Topology-directed spatial confinement and electronic activation of CoO nanoparticles in defect-rich hybrid frameworks for efficient water oxidation
Available online 3 September 2026
Circumventing the scaling relationship among oxygenated intermediates in the adsorbate evolution mechanism remains a central challenge in oxygen evolution reaction catalysis. Here we report a topology-directed...
Nanoscale insights into triboelectric charge behavior of perovskite films for high-performance energy harvesting
Available online 2 September 2026
The outstanding performance of halide perovskites demonstrates significant potential for the fabrication of simple, efficient, and high-performance Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). In this work,...
Rare earth-doped nanomaterials: Tuning photophysical properties for enhanced photodynamic and photothermal therapy
Available online 1 September 2026
As human lifespan increases with societal development, tumors have become one of the major diseases threatening public health. However, traditional cancer therapies face inevitable limitations and side...
Targeted NO oxidation with synchronized NO2 suppression via dynamic Bi0/Biδ+@defective sites on Bi4Ti3O12 microspheres
Available online 31 August 2026
Solar-driven photocatalysis offers a sustainable pathway for the deep oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) to harmless nitrate (NO3−), yet achieving both high efficiency and strict selectivity simultaneously...
High-durable and photothermal self-healing properties of a silicon-polyaniline superhydrophobic composite network inspired by worms
August 2026
The photothermal self-healing design is very beneficial for extending the lifespan of superhydrophobic materials, but the effective balancing of self-healing and superhydrophobic durability of materials...
In-situ electrochemical fabrication of CuO/Cu2O photocathode for high-performance photo-assisted Mg/seawater battery
August 2026
Photo-assisted Mg/seawater batteries (PAMSBs) are attractive power source for marine equipment due to the advantage of simultaneous generation of electricity and hydrogen from seawater. Nonetheless,...
Precision antibody orientation on gold nanoparticles via pH control enables clinic-grade lateral flow detection of acute myocardial infarction
August 2026
Conventional colloidal gold lateral flow immunoassays (AuNPs-LFIA) frequently experience limitations in sensitivity and accuracy as a result of ineffective, random immobilization of antibodies on gold...
In situ exploration of oxygen electrocatalysis using core-shell nanostructure-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
August 2026
Advancements in fuel cells and water electrolyzers have significantly bolstered the utilization of hydrogen energy. Notably, the oxidation and reduction processes of oxygen at the electrode—termed oxygen...
Photothermally accelerated self-healing poly(urethane-urea) coating reinforced by mesoporous polydopamine modified MXene towards intelligent corrosion protection
August 2026
The efficient healing rate for self-healing anticorrosion coatings plays an essential role on resisting rapidly developed corrosion and providing sufficient protection properties. The anticorrosion...
Recent advances of Fe single atom catalysts towards high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cells
August 2026
The Fe–N–C catalysts with atomic Fe1 active sites are the most active low-cost alternatives to Pt/C for the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the activity...
Insight into SnO2-based gas-sensitive materials and readout circuits for semiconductor gas sensors
August 2026
The advent of SnO2 materials has significantly revolutionized semiconductor gas sensors. However, their high working temperature, sluggish response/recovery velocities, poor sensitivities, and baseline...
Enhanced electrochemical and bioactivity performance of porous magnesium oxide@magnesium composites with transparent hydrogenated C36 dimer fatty acid
August 2026
Structural microdefects on inorganic layers grown via soft plasma discharge can aggravate corrosion in numerous settings. Therefore, advanced surface treatments is required emergently to develop superior...
Carbon nanomaterials: Revolutionizing biomedical applications with promising potential
August 2026
Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) such as fullerene, nanodiamonds, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and carbon dots possess remarkable characteristics that render new horizons for biomedical advancements....
Recent progress in bismuth-based materials for electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate/formic acid
August 2026
The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to formate/formic acid represents a significant pathway for sustainable fuel production, addressing both environmental sustainability and the growing...
Impact of nitro and amino functional groups on the intercalation of isophthalic acid in ZnAl layered double hydroxides: An experimental and theoretical study
August 2026
This study explores the effects of nitro (–NO2) and amino (–NH2) functional groups on the intercalation of isophthalic acid (IPA) into ZnAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) through experimental and theoretical...
Synthesis of two-dimensional Dirac semi-metallic NiTe as high-performance contacts for MoS2 transistors
August 2026
Two-dimensional Dirac semi-metals have attracted extensive attention for their potential applications in next-generation electronics, optoelectronics and quantum technologies. However, numerous topological...
The importance of properly correcting the electric double layer effect in unravelling the intrinsic kinetics of electrode reactions
August 2026
Understanding the effects of the electric double layer (EDL) on electrode kinetics is of great importance for improving the performance of electrochemical devices. In this work, by using the HER at...
Vanadate-based photocatalytic materials: A perspective on synthesis approaches and pollutants photocatalytic degradation
August 2026
The progress of vanadate and vanadate-based composites has become very popular in the photocatalytic treatment of sewage. Many researches have been done on ortho-vanadates based on MVO4 (M = Bi and...
Grain size dependence of dissipation mechanisms in nanocrystalline aluminum using molecular dynamics simulations
August 2026
The effect of grain size (GS) on modulus and dissipation determines its impact on damping. This study uncovers the phenomenon of dissipation valleys in nanocrystalline metals through molecular dynamics...
Discovery of valley-hill structures on the surface of MOFs: Enhancing DOX diffusion and release through nature-made channels
August 2026
On the afternoon of October 14, 2020, we serendipitously discovered a novel “valley-hill” structure on the surface of a Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) after mixing it with a solution of tangerine peel...
Digital battery platform: extending the dynamic database of solid-state electrolytes to a diversified electrolyte database with ion migration models
Available online 27 July 2026
Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are essential for next-generation energy storage technologies, but data on their compositions, structures, processing, and transport properties are still fragmented....
Demand-driven H2 production from seawater: a switchable “on-off” mechanism
Available online 27 July 2026
Water electrolysis/photolysis is the most sustainable H2 production technology; however, expensive catalysts, halide ion interference, and low energy efficiency remain key barriers to its widespread...