Sun Yat Sen University: Chinese Research Output & Key Publications | SinoTechIntel

Nano-Micro Letters•2026

Design, Fabrication, and Application of Stretchable Electronic Conductors

Authors: Bin Cheng, Jingting Zhuo, Yao Zhou, Jiaxiang Chen, Lingyun Cao, Jiangfeng He, Zhihong Chen, Xiaoxiao Ma, Juan Wang, Honglong Li, Guowei Yang, Fang Yi

Stretchable electronics have been recognized as intriguing next-generation electronics that possess huge market value, and stretchable electronic conductors (SECs) are essential for stretchable electronics, which not only can serve as critical functional components but also are the indispensable electronic connections bridging various electronic components within stretchable electronic systems. Herein, we offer a comprehensive review of recent progress in SECs including the material categories, structure designs, fabrication techniques, and applications. The characteristics, performance enhancement strategies, and application requirements are emphasized. Based on the recent advances, the existing challenges and future prospects are outlined and discussed.

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Journal of Central South University•2026

In-situ phosphatization of waterborne acrylic latex coatings for long-term corrosion protection of metal without flash rust

Authors: YUAN Rui, TANG Zhi-xing, XIAO Min-di, CAI Min-zhao, ZHAO Zi-long, GU Lin

Waterborne acrylic coatings are widely utilized due to their cost-effectiveness, high transparency, strong resistance to weather and chemicals, impressive mechanical properties, and excellent adhesion to various substrates. In these coatings, a reactive emulsifier containing phosphate groups can be integrated into the molecular chain during polymerization, which enhances the coating's compactness and corrosion resistance. This work focuses on the synthesis of styrene-butyl acrylate (St-BA) latex and methyl methacrylate-butyl acrylate (MMA-BA) latex using the reactive phosphate emulsifier ANPEO10-P1 through seed emulsion polymerization, achieving a conversion rate of approximately 99% and a solid content close to 50%. The resulting coatings from St-BA and MMA-BA latexes demonstrated long-term corrosion protection for carbon steel and aluminum alloy due to in-situ phosphatization, effectively preventing flash rust. Notably, the MMA-BA coating exhibited remarkable durability, enduring immersion for up to 1224 h (51 d) on Q235 carbon steel before reaching the failure threshold (|Z|0.01Hz£106 Ω·cm2) on Q235 carbon steel. On 5052 aluminum alloy, the St-BA coating maintained |Z|0.01Hz>108 Ω·cm2 for 480 h (20 d). Furthermore, the corrosion resistance of St-BA and MMA-BA coatings on Q235 steel sheet and 5052 aluminum alloy surpassed that of commercially available MMA-BA and St-BA coatings after immersion in a 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution. This work also delves into the anticorrosion mechanism of MMA-BA and St-BA coatings.

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Nano-Micro Letters•2025

Ultra-Broadband and Ultra-High Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performance of Aligned and Compact MXene Films

Authors: Weiqiang Huang, Xuebin Liu, Yunfan Wang, Jiyong Feng, Junhua Huang, Zhenxi Dai, Shaodian Yang, Songfeng Pei, Jing Zhong, Xuchun Gui

With the rapid development of electronic detective techniques, there is an urgent need for broadband (from microwave to infrared) stealth of aerospace equipment. However, achieving effective broadband stealth primarily relies on the composite of multi-layer coatings of different materials, while realizing broadband stealth with a single material remains a significant challenge. Herein, we reported a highly compact MXene film with aligned nanosheets through a continuous centrifugal spraying strategy. The film exhibits an exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 45 dB in gigahertz band (8.2–40 GHz) and 59 dB in terahertz band (0.2–1.6 THz) at a thickness of 2.25 μm, owing to the high conductivity (1.03 × 10^6 S m−1). Moreover, exceptionally high specific shielding effectiveness of 1.545 × 10^6 dB cm2 g−1 has been demonstrated by the film, which is the highest value reported for shielding films. Additionally, the film exhibits an ultra-low infrared emissivity of 0.1 in the wide-range infrared band (2.5–16.0 μm), indicating its excellent infrared stealth performance for day-/nighttime outdoor environments. Moreover, the film demonstrates efficient electrothermal performance, including a high saturated temperature (over 120 °C at 1.0 V), a high heating rate (4.4 °C s−1 at 1.0 V), and a stable and uniform heating distribution. Therefore, this work provides a promising strategy for protecting equipment from multispectral electromagnetic interference and inhibiting infrared detection.

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Nano-Micro Letters•2025

Breaking Performance Limits of Zn Anodes in Aqueous Batteries by Tailoring Anion and Cation Additives

Authors: Zhaoxu Mai, Yuexing Lin, Jingying Sun, Chenhui Wang, Gongzheng Yang, Chengxin Wang

Crystallographic engineering of Zn anodes to favor the exposure of (002) planes is an effective approach for improving stability in aqueous electrolytes. However, achieving non-epitaxial electrodeposition with a pronounced (002) texture and maintaining this orientation during extended cycling remains challenging. This study questions the prevailing notion that a single (002)-textured Zn anode inherently ensures superior stability, showing that such anodes cannot sustain their texture in ZnSO4 electrolytes. We then introduced a novel electrolyte additive, benzyltriethylammonium chloride (TEBAC), which preserves the (002) texture over prolonged cycling. Furthermore, we successfully converted commercial Zn foils into highly crystalline (002)-textured Zn without any pretreatment. Experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that the cationic TEBA+ selectively adsorbs onto the anode surface, promoting the exposure of the Zn(002) plane and suppressing dendrite formation. A critical discovery was the pitting corrosion caused by chloride ions from TEBAC, which we mitigated by anion substitution. This modification leads to a remarkable lifespan of 375 days for the Zn||Zn symmetric cells at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, a TEBA+-modified Zn||VO2 full cell demonstrates high specific capacity and robust cycle stability at 10.0 A g−1. These results provide valuable insights and strategies for developing long-life Zn ion batteries.

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Nano-Micro Letters•2025

Engineering Bipolar Doping in a Janus Dual-Atom Catalyst for Photo-Enhanced Rechargeable Zn-Air Battery

Authors: Ning Liu, Yinwu Li, Wencai Liu, Zhanhao Liang, Bin Liao, Fang Yang, Ming Zhao, Bo Yan, Xuchun Gui, Hong Bin Yang, Dingshan Yu, Zhiping Zeng, Guowei Yang

Harnessing solar energy to enhance the rechargeable zinc–air batteries (RZABs) performance is a promising avenue toward sustainable energy storage and conversion. Simultaneously enhancing light-absorption capacity and carrier separation efficiency in nanomaterials, as well as improving electrical conductivity and configuration for electrocatalysis, presents a formidable challenge due to inherent trade-offs and interdependencies. Here, we have developed a Janus dual-atom catalyst (JDAC) with bifunctional centers for efficient charge separation and electrocatalytic performance through a bipolar doping strategy. The in situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure and Raman spectroscopy analyses demonstrated that the Ni and Fe centers in JDAC not only function as effective sites for oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction, respectively, but also serve as efficient hole and electron enrichment sites, effectively suppressing photoelectron recombination while enhancing photocurrent generation. As a result, the assembled JDAC-based light-assisted RZABs exhibited extraordinary stability at large current densities. This work delivers pivotal insight to design Janus dual-atom catalysts that efficiently convert solar energy into electric and chemical energy.

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