Surface Technology (表面技术)•2026•DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.08.005
Organic barrier coatings fail prematurely under synergistic marine corrosion factors, necessitating autonomous damage reporting and repair. This study synthesizes DT@PU/UF microcapsules via one-step in-situ polymerization, encapsulating 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) as a reporting agent and tung oil (TO) as a healing agent within a polyurethane/urea-formaldehyde hybrid shell. Single-variable experiments established optimal processing parameters: stirring speed 400 r/min, reaction time 3 h, and emulsifier (EMA) dosage 0.5 wt.%. The resulting microcapsules achieved DCF and TO loading capacities of 1.3% and 35.82%, respectively. Incorporating these microcapsules into an epoxy matrix yielded DP coatings. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, adhesion testing, and optical microscopy revealed that a 9 wt.% microcapsule loading (DP9wt.%) delivered optimal performance. After 240 h of seawater immersion, DP9wt.% exhibited an impedance modulus of 2.88×10^5 Ω·cm^2, one order of magnitude higher than the neat epoxy (EP) coating, and a wet adhesion loss of only 37.7%. Scratch tests confirmed that microcapsule rupture releases DCF, which reacts with residual amine groups to form a red precipitate under natural light and yellow fluorescence under UV, enabling dual-mode damage reporting. Simultaneously, TO fills cracks and crosslinks with oxygen to restore barrier integrity. This dual-action mechanism offers a viable route for extending the service life of epoxy coatings in marine environments.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67064-1
The influence of thickness and annealing treatment on the microstructure and soft magnetic properties of Fe−Si−B−Cu−Nb alloy (Finemet) thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering was systematically investigated. As-deposited films are amorphous; coercivity decreases and saturation magnetization increases with thickness, stabilizing at 400 nm. Annealing at 773 K and 873 K precipitates nanocrystalline α-Fe within the amorphous matrix. Exchange coupling between nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix enhances soft magnetic properties. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) controls the heating rate to minimize grain size and optimize nanocrystal distribution, achieving low coercivity and high saturation magnetization without additional transition metals. The film annealed at 873 K for 30 min with a heating rate of 25 K/s exhibits a coercivity of 0.8 A/m and saturation magnetization of 1.45 T. Compared to the 773 K annealed film, the 873 K annealed film shows significantly lower coercivity due to smaller precipitated nanocrystals. RTP with controlled thermal gradient enables even smaller nanocrystals, further enhancing magnetic properties. These results demonstrate that RTP-treated Finemet films are promising for high-frequency, miniaturized, and integrated electronic devices.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6237-y
Intergrown ferromanganese ore resources are typical strategic mineral resources with huge reserves and abundant hematite, pyrolusite, and other valuable minerals, which is of great significance for its development and utilization. This paper adopts a combination of phase transformation and magnetic separation to explore the phase transformation mechanism of Fe minerals and Mn minerals during the roasting process. The analysis of the properties of the raw ore shows that the Fe-containing and Mn-containing minerals of the intergrown ferromanganese ore are hematite and pyrolusite, respectively. The optimal conditions for controlling the mineral phase were obtained, including roasting temperature of 600 ℃ for 30 min, and a grinding fineness of <0.074 mm accounting for 50%. Meanwhile, a Fe grade of 61.05% with a recovery of 80.77%, and a Mn grade of 61.60% with a recovery of 87.81% were acquired. The precise mineral phase transformation (MPT) could be realized via adjusting the roasting conditions. Hematite is transformed into magnetite, while pyrolusite is transformed into manganosite, and then they were effectively separated and concentrated via magnetic separation.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01834-w
Refractory wounds cause significant harm to the health of patients and the most common treatments in clinical practice are surgical debridement and wound dressings. However, certain challenges, including surgical difficulty, lengthy recovery times, and a high recurrence rate persist. Conductive hydrogel dressings with combined monitoring and therapeutic properties have strong advantages in promoting wound healing due to the stimulation of endogenous current on wounds and are the focus of recent advancements. Therefore, this review introduces the mechanism of conductive hydrogel used for wound monitoring and healing, the materials selection of conductive hydrogel dressings used for wound monitoring, focuses on the conductive hydrogel sensor to monitor the output categories of wound status signals, proving invaluable for non-invasive, real-time evaluation of wound condition to encourage wound healing. Notably, the research of artificial intelligence (AI) model based on sensor derived data to predict the wound healing state, AI makes use of this abundant data set to forecast and optimize the trajectory of tissue regeneration and assess the stage of wound healing. Finally, refractory wounds including pressure ulcers, diabetes ulcers and articular wounds, and the corresponding wound monitoring and healing process are discussed in detail. This manuscript supports the growth of clinically linked disciplines and offers motivation to researchers working in the multidisciplinary field of conductive hydrogel dressings.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01810-4
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates as stationary storage systems for power-grid applications due to their high safety and low cost. The practical implementation of Zn-ion batteries currently still faces formidable challenges because of Zn dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and inadequate environmental adaptability. Herein, to address these challenges, a strategy of regulation of water molecules coordination in electrolyte is proposed via developing a cross-linked hydrophilic hydrogel polymer electrolyte. Within this system, the continuous hydrogen bond among H2O molecules is disrupted and the isolated H2O molecules are strongly bound with a polymeric matrix comprised of polyacrylamide, carboxymethyl cellulose, and ethylene glycol, which can restrain the activity of H2O molecules, thus effectively alleviating Zn dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution and enhancing the anti-freezing ability. With this electrolyte, the Zn||Cu cell presents a high coulombic efficiency of 99.4% over 900 cycles and Zn||Zn symmetric cell exhibits high cycling stability, maintaining plating/stripping for over 1,700 h. Moreover, the assembled Zn||PANI device also demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance over a wide-temperature range, including a long cycling life over 14,120 cycles at room temperature and an ultralong cycling surpassing 30,000 cycles even at −40 °C. This showcases the manipulation of water coordination chemistry for advanced, highly adaptable batteries.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01791-4
Conductive hydrogels have garnered widespread attention as a versatile class of flexible electronics. Despite considerable advancements, current methodologies struggle to reconcile the fundamental trade-off between high conductivity and effective absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, as dictated by classical impedance matching theory. This study addresses these limitations by introducing a novel synthesis of aramid nanofiber/MXene-reinforced polyelectrolyte hydrogels. Leveraging the unique properties of polyelectrolytes, this innovative approach enhances ionic conductivity and exploits the hydration effect of hydrophilic polar groups to induce the formation of intermediate water. This critical innovation facilitates polarization relaxation and rearrangement in response to electromagnetic fields, thereby significantly enhancing the EMI shielding effectiveness of hydrogels. The electromagnetic wave attenuation capacity of these hydrogels was thoroughly evaluated across both X-band and terahertz band frequencies, with further investigation into the impact of varying water content states—hydrated, dried, and frozen—on their electromagnetic properties. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibited promising capabilities beyond mere EMI shielding; they also served effectively as strain sensors for monitoring human motions, indicating their potential applicability in wearable electronics. This work provides a new approach to designing multifunctional hydrogels, advancing the integration of flexible, multifunctional materials in modern electronics, with potential applications in both EMI shielding and wearable technology.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01767-4
Manganese-based chalcogenides have significant potential as anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high theoretical specific capacity, abundant natural reserves, and environmental friendliness. However, their application is hindered by poor cycling stability, resulting from severe volume changes during cycling and slow reaction kinetics due to their complex crystal structure. Here, an efficient and straightforward strategy was employed to in-situ encapsulate single-phase porous nanocubic MnS0.5Se0.5 into carbon nanofibers using electrospinning and the hard template method, thus forming a necklace-like porous MnS0.5Se0.5-carbon nanofiber composite (MnS0.5Se0.5@N-CNF). The introduction of Se significantly impacts both the composition and microstructure of MnS0.5Se0.5, including lattice distortion that generates additional defects, optimization of chemical bonds, and a nano-spatially confined design. In situ/ex-situ characterization and density functional theory calculations verified that this MnS0.5Se0.5@N-CNF alleviates the volume expansion and facilitates the transfer of Na+/electron. As expected, MnS0.5Se0.5@N-CNF anode demonstrates excellent sodium storage performance, characterized by high initial Coulombic efficiency (90.8%), high-rate capability (370.5 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and long durability (over 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1). The MnS0.5Se0.5@N-CNF //NVP@C full cell, assembled with MnS0.5Se0.5@N-CNF as anode and Na3V2(PO4)3@C as cathode, exhibits a high energy density of 254 Wh kg−1 can be provided. This work presents a novel strategy to optimize the design of anode materials through structural engineering and Se substitution, while also elucidating the underlying reaction mechanisms.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01758-5
Photothermoelectric (PTE) photodetectors with self-powered and uncooled advantages have attracted much interest due to the wide application prospects in the military and civilian fields. However, traditional PTE photodetectors lack of mechanical flexibility and cannot operate independently without the test instrument. Herein, we present a flexible PTE photodetector capable of dual-mode output, combining electrical and optical signal generation for enhanced functionality. Using solution processing, high-quality MXene thin films are assembled on asymmetric electrodes as the photosensitive layer. The geometrically asymmetric electrode design significantly enhances the responsivity, achieving 0.33 mA W−1 under infrared illumination, twice that of the symmetrical configuration. This improvement stems from optimized photothermal conversion and an expanded temperature gradient. The PTE device maintains stable performance after 300 bending cycles, demonstrating excellent flexibility. A new energy conversion pathway has been established by coupling the photothermal conversion of MXene with thermochromic composite materials, leading to a real-time visualization of invisible infrared radiation. Leveraging this functionality, we demonstrate the first human–machine collaborative infrared imaging system, wherein the dual-mode photodetector arrays synchronously generate human-readable pattern and machine-readable pattern. Our study not only provides a new solution for functional integration of flexible photodetectors, but also sets a new benchmark for human–machine collaborative optoelectronics.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01649-9
Practical Zn metal batteries have been hindered by several challenges, including Zn dendrite growth, undesirable side reactions, and unstable electrode/electrolyte interface. These issues are particularly more serious in low-concentration electrolytes. Herein, we design a Zn salt-mediated electrolyte with in situ ring-opening polymerization of the small molecule organic solvent. The Zn(TFSI)2 salt catalyzes the ring-opening polymerization of (1,3-dioxolane (DOL)), generating oxidation-resistant and non-combustible long-chain polymer (poly(1,3-dioxolane) (pDOL)). The pDOL reduces the active H2O molecules in electrolyte and assists in forming stable organic–inorganic gradient solid electrolyte interphase with rich organic constituents, ZnO and ZnF2. The introduction of pDOL endows the electrolyte with several advantages: excellent Zn dendrite inhibition, improved corrosion resistance, widened electrochemical window (2.6 V), and enhanced low-temperature performance (freezing point = −34.9 °C). Zn plating/stripping in pDOL-enhanced electrolyte lasts for 4200 cycles at 99.02% Coulomb efficiency and maintains a lifetime of 8200 h. Moreover, Zn metal anodes deliver stable cycling for 2500 h with a high Zn utilization of 60%. A Zn//VO2 pouch cell assembled with lean electrolyte (electrolyte/capacity (E/C = 41 mL (Ah)−1) also demonstrates a capacity retention ratio of 92% after 600 cycles. These results highlight the promising application prospects of practical Zn metal batteries enabled by the Zn(TFSI)2-mediated electrolyte engineering.
New Carbon Materials (新型炭材料)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(NCM2025-6-3)
The typical method for preparing the porous carbon used in supercapacitors (SCs) is time-consuming and energy-intensive. We report a fast and efficient route to synthesize and tailor the structure of porous carbon by a Joule heating technique (JHT) using phenolic resin and precursors. During the JHT process, the time and energy needed are both significantly reduced because the precursor is heated to the target temperature at a rate of 1100 K/s, so the porous carbon is formed with the release of small molecules and the etching of the substrate by K2CO3. JHT has a higher energy efficiency than traditional carbonization methods in a tube furnace and allows for precise control of the pyrolysis process, thus achieving better control of the material's structure and properties. Samples obtained by JHT contain abundant pores and a large specific surface area (1652.7 m2/g), which give an excellent specific capacitance of 476.0 F/g and rate capability (75.1% capacitance retention at 64.0 A/g in an aqueous alkaline electrolyte). Furthermore, in electrolytes of 17.0 mol/kg NaClO4 (water-in-salt) and 1.0 mol/L TEABF4/AN, the symmetric SCs have a maximum energy density of 33.3 and 50.8 Wh/kg at power densities of 220.4 and 376.4 W/kg, respectively. The cells also have good long-term stability, with a nearly 100% Coulombic efficiency, and a capacitance retention of 93.1% in a water-in-salt electrolyte after 10000 cycles, and 88.9% in an organic electrolyte after 8000 cycles. This study shows that JHT has the potential to serve as an ultra-fast method to prepare porous carbons for energy storage.
Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering•2025•DOI: 10.1186/s10033-025-01336-1
Autonomous driving technology is constantly developing to a higher level of complex scenes, and there is a growing demand for the utilization of end-to-end data-driven control. However, the end-to-end path tracking process often encounters challenges in learning efficiency and generalization. To address this issue, this paper designs a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG)-based reinforcement learning strategy that integrates imitation learning and feedforward exploration in the path following process. In imitation learning, the path tracking control data generated by the model predictive control (MPC) method is used to train an end-to-end steering control model of a deep neural network. Another feedforward exploration behavior is predicted by road curvature and vehicle speed, and adds it and imitation learning to the DDPG reinforcement learning to obtain decision-making experience and action prediction behavior of the path tracking process. In the reinforcement learning process, imitation learning is used to update the pre-training parameters of the actor network, and a feedforward steering technique with random noise is adopted for strategy exploration. In the reward function, a hierarchical progressive reward form and a constrained objective reward function referring to MPC are designed, and the actor-critic network architecture is determined. Finally, the path tracking performance of the designed method is verified by comparing various training results, simulations, and HIL tests. The results show that the designed method can effectively utilize pre-training and feedforward prior experience to obtain optimal path tracking performance of an autonomous vehicle, and has better generalization ability than other methods. This study provides an efficient control scheme for improving the end-to-end control performance of autonomous vehicles.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01597-w
The proliferation of wearable biodevices has boosted the development of soft, innovative, and multifunctional materials for human health monitoring. The integration of wearable sensors with intelligent systems is an overwhelming tendency, providing powerful tools for remote health monitoring and personal health management. Among many candidates, two-dimensional (2D) materials stand out due to several exotic mechanical, electrical, optical, and chemical properties that can be efficiently integrated into atomic-thin films. While previous reviews on 2D materials for biodevices primarily focus on conventional configurations and materials like graphene, the rapid development of new 2D materials with exotic properties has opened up novel applications, particularly in smart interaction and integrated functionalities. This review aims to consolidate recent progress, highlight the unique advantages of 2D materials, and guide future research by discussing existing challenges and opportunities in applying 2D materials for smart wearable biodevices. We begin with an in-depth analysis of the advantages, sensing mechanisms, and potential applications of 2D materials in wearable biodevice fabrication. Following this, we systematically discuss state-of-the-art biodevices based on 2D materials for monitoring various physiological signals within the human body. Special attention is given to showcasing the integration of multi-functionality in 2D smart devices, mainly including self-power supply, integrated diagnosis/treatment, and human–machine interaction. Finally, the review concludes with a concise summary of existing challenges and prospective solutions concerning the utilization of 2D materials for advanced biodevices.