Journals
2026 EN
Zhang Hanlin · Zheng Ruixuan · Lin Jing
+3 more
ABSTRACT Engineering biomaterials that actively interface with and instruct their biological milieu have given rise to a new generation of platforms for tissue repair and companion diagnostics. Among them, aerogel scaffolds, with their ultra‐porous architecture, ultralow density, tunable mechanics, and versatile chemistries, have emerged as transformative candidates capable of emulating and interpreting extracellular environments. This review highlights up‐to‐date advances shaping the landscape of aerogel‐based scaffolds in tissue repair and diagnostic applications. We first summarize emerging fabrication and assembly strategies, including sol–gel processing, freeze‐drying, electrospinning, and 3D printing, which unlock hierarchical morphologies and bioinspired features. The recent implementations of intelligent aerogels for tissue repair and neuroregeneration are then highlighted, together with related applications in bioactive functionalization, immune modulation, wound healing, sustained drug delivery, and moist repair dressings. Meanwhile, we outline aerogel‐based disease diagnosis regarding genotypic physiological cues, focusing on faithfully detecting nucleic acids, tumor biopsy, virus antigen testing of infectious disease, and state‐of‐the‐art demos with innovative signal transduction mechanisms. Data‐driven strategies powered by machine learning are also reviewed, alongside integration into smart wearables for self‐adapting, responsive platforms. Finally, persisting challenges and present perspective of aerogel scaffolds in medicine research and practice are also discussed.
Journals
2026 EN
Kanwal Shamsa · Mansoor Farukh · Tu Datao
+7 more
ABSTRACT Manganese (Mn)‐based halide perovskites have attracted tremendous attention due to their low‐cost and environment‐friendly characteristics. Nevertheless, their applications are hindered by limited photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and insufficient stability. Dimensional engineering offers a viable pathway to modulate their photophysical properties and enhance their robustness. Herein, we design 2D@3D perovskites based on the dimensional reduction of CsMnCl 3 ·2H 2 O 3D perovskites via alternating cation interactions (ACIs) by employing chitosan as a polymeric spacer cation. ACI effectively stabilized the 2D@3D perovskite and passivated surface defects through enriched H‐bonding. As such, the PL intensity can be boosted by 50 times with a PL quantum yield (PLQY) of 18.1%. Intriguingly, 2D@3D perovskites experienced valence transition (VT: Mn 2+ → Mn 4+ ) at high temperatures, resulting in NH 4 CsMnCl 6 perovskite. Density functional theory calculations indicated that an interfacial orbital hybridization‐driven reaction mechanism triggered VT, which was initiated by the synergistic effect of octahedral distortion and ACI within 2D@3D perovskite. Notably, the proposed VT perovskites exhibited narrowband emission of Mn 4+ with remarkable air‐, photo‐, and thermally stability, achieving a PLQY up to 80.7%. This approach paves the way for exploring organic‐inorganic interactions in designing highly luminescent Mn‐based perovskites.
Journals
2026 EN
Zhang ZiYou · Wang XinYing · Dong HongLiang
+4 more
ABSTRACT In‐situ X‐ray diffraction (XRD) of metal‐organic framework (MOF) provides unique insights into the correlation between the dynamic structural transformation and the photophysical evolution under external stimuli. Herein, we present MOF TCPE‐Tb from the butterfly‐shaped ligand H 4 TCPE [1,1,2,2‐tetra(4‐carboxyphenyl)ethylene], which exhibited the exceptional stability (up to 500 K and 24.6 GPa). The fluorescence evolution of TCPE‐Tb directly reflected the orientation of the tetraphenylene (TPE) core with the stimuli of temperature and pressure. In the temperature range of 80–460 K, TCPE‐Tb underwent a symmetric transition from P2 1 /n to P2 1 /m and a non‐monotonic fluorescence trend (intensity: decrease‐increase‐decrease, maximum emission wavelength: 502 nm to 486 nm). In contrast, externally applied pressure shortened the intermolecular distances of the TCPE ligand, resulting in π‐π stacked excimers that triggered a 100 nm red shift (480–580 nm) with the colors blue, blue‐green, green, yellow‐green, and activated excimer‐mediated decay pathways. For the first time, in‐situ temperature‐dependent single‐crystal XRD and in‐situ high‐pressure spectroscopy revealed the underlying relationship of the detailed conformational dynamics of the TCPE ligand (dihedral angle evolution) with the photophysical behavior under the external stimuli. The responses of TPE core to the thermal‐ and mechanical‐stimuli were completely distinct, the intramolecular torsion vs. the intermolecular packing. This work established a design paradigm for mechanically robust, stimuli‐responsive MOFs, advancing the applications in multimodal sensing and adaptive optoelectronics.
Journals
2026 EN
Ha Si · Guo Tingyu · Lei Pengfei
+7 more
ABSTRACT N‐oxides, characterized by a highly polar N + –O − bond, have recently demonstrated rapidly growing applications in biomedicine and material science due to their high solubility and redox activity. However, the chemical and physical properties of the N‐oxide have not been fully studied, limiting its advanced applications. Herein, we report the unprecedented observation that N‐oxide could undergo structure‐dependent aggregation. This observation is initiated by the appearance of dimers and trimers of a model compound, (4‐piperidinophenyl)methanol N‐oxide, in mass spectrometry. More convincingly, when it is conjugated with tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives via the benzyloxy group, 4‐piperidinobenzyl N‐oxide promotes the aggregation and fluorescence emission of the resulting conjugate, though it is highly polar. This observation of aggregation is further confirmed by the morphology study via scanning electron microscopy. Interestingly, no aggregation is observed when N‐oxide is conjugated directly to TPE, indicating that N‐oxide‐induced aggregation is structure‐dependent. Based on these fundamental observations and studies, we develop a novel heme‐targeting probe that can specifically and sensitively detect the level of total heme in the plasma from hemolytic mice to distinguish hemolysis. Altogether, these findings will advance our understanding of structure‐dependent aggregation of the N‐oxide and help to bring new insights into its application in biomedicine and material science.
Journals
2026 EN
Mengel Shawn D. · Ouimet Jonathan Aubuchon · Ober Christopher K.
+1 more
Abstract Fouling of surfaces introduces significant operational and economic challenges in marine and membrane systems. While empirical fouling assays and surface science methodologies have independently introduced fouling resistant methodologies and functionalities within each of these respective application spaces, they remain limited by their inability to extrapolate findings across length scales and inform materials design strategies. This perspective emphasizes the need to bridge the macroscale fouling assays conducted in the marine community and molecular‐scale insights obtained from the membranes community. By uniting these approaches, generalized design strategies can be developed across applications, leading to the realization of effective antifouling materials over a wide spectrum of operating conditions and foulant types. Standardized and high‐throughput methodologies are proposed as tools to unify research efforts to drive the development of next‐generation antifouling coatings and treatments.
Journals
2026 EN
Cheng Hao · Tarlet Dominique · Luo Lingai
+1 more
Abstract This paper presents a novel design of miniaturized absorber for carbon capture, featuring a conjugated double‐helix cross (Codohec) multi‐minichannel structure. A lab‐scale Codohec module with four minichannels was fabricated, andCO 2chemical absorption experiments were conducted using monoethanolamine (MEA) aqueous solution under varied gas and liquid flowrates and MEA concentration conditions. Flow visualization revealed that the unique Codohec design induces diverse bubble morphologies (e.g., swirling, splitting, switching, collision, and recombination), significantly enhancing the two‐phase mass transfer. Results also demonstrated that the Codohec module achieves aCO 2processing capacity of up to 6.57 × 10 − 6kg s −1 while maintaining a high overall mass transfer coefficient of 2.75 s −1 , and with an energy consumption below 4.24 W kg −1 . These findings highlight the potential of miniaturized devices for efficient carbon capture with enhanced mass transfer, high throughput and energy efficiency, offering a promising solution for large‐scale industrial applications.
Journals
2026 EN
Jiang Hao · Qiu Pengyuan · Liu Chuanlei
+5 more
Abstract Removal of trace benzene (Bz) is critical for ensuring extensive applications of vinyl acetate (VA), however, is challenging due to the specific properties of this binary mixture. This study presents an “exposure + shielding” modification strategy for Cu‐BTC, involving acetic acid fragmentation and glycine grafting, to enhance the contribution of ligands in Bz adsorption. Comprehensive characterizations confirm the structural integrity and tailored porosity of modified adsorbents. Compared to pristine Cu‐BTC, Gly(1.00)@Ac/Cu‐BTC demonstrates a 69.7% increase in static uptake and nearly twofold improvement in breakthrough capacity. Gly(1.00)@Ac/Cu‐BTC also exhibits superior thermal stability (up to 583 K) and chemical stability in VA, with no decomposition after 30 days. DFT calculations reveal a reversed Bz/VA selectivity, driven by enhanced π‐complexation and effective shielding of Cu sites. This work represents the first example to achieve the practical Bz/VA separation, and highlights the potential of synergistic modifications in designing efficient, stable MOFs for industrial separations.
Journals
2026 EN
Su Jingwen · Lin Yuqing · Gan Ning
+8 more
Abstract Charge‐governed ion transport is a critical mechanism in various industries, particularly in energy conversion and storage applications. Drawing inspiration from this, a novel ion‐conductive membrane (ICM) was developed through ionic crosslinking of sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SPEEK) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) to fully harness ionic‐charge effects for enhanced performance in vanadium redox flow batteries. The ionic crosslinking induces nanophase separation, leading to the aggregation of ion pathways with ionic‐charge effects, which significantly enhances proton/vanadium ion selectivity and facilitates efficient proton transport (36.5 mS·cm −1 ) via the Grotthuss mechanism. The optimized ICM demonstrates simultaneous improvements in battery performance with enhanced energy efficiency (EE: 91.1%–82.8% at 40–200 mA·cm −2 ), while exhibiting excellent long‐term stability for 1000 cycles over 500 h (EE: 78.9% at 120 mA·cm −2 ). This study highlights the potential of ionic crosslinking‐induced angstrom‐scale channels with tailored functionalities, thereby advancing the applications of ICMs in rapid energy conversion, energy storage devices, and beyond.
Journals
2026 EN
Churchill Stuart W. · Seider Warren D. · Papavassiliou Dimitrios V.
Abstract The concept of equivalents is applied to fully developed flows through straight channels and two applications are introduced: the equivalents that produce equal rates of flow through channels of different cross‐sections, and the diminishment that occurs between the regimes of laminar and turbulent flow. This diminishment (i.e., the reduction of flow due to turbulence) is a counter‐intuitive finding, but it appears naturally when the flow equations in the two flow regimes are scaled appropriately for the same pressure gradient. The validity of the eddy diffusivity and the invalidity of the mixing‐length as measures of the shear stress due to turbulence have perhaps never before been demonstrated so clearly. The possible choices of primary variables and the consequences are also examined. The objective of these explorations is an improved understanding of the basic fluid mechanics by teachers, students, and industrial practitioners.
Journals
2026 EN
Li Kaikai · Song Cancan · Jiang Haiyan
+3 more
Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) have potential applications in various fields due to their unique advantages. Recently, machine learning (ML) presented excellent predicting ability to the property ILs. But the lack of interpretability poses a significant challenge in effectively guiding their design. In this study, we developed an interpretable Attentive Ionic Fragment Contribution (AIFC) model for IL property prediction by combining Ionic Fragment Contribution (IFC) with graph neural networks (GNNs). The AIFC first predefined 99 ionic fragments (IFs), then the IF graph embedding was encoded by training GNN. Furthermore, integrated with an attention‐based method, the proposed model not only shows the better prediction abilities but also gives the sequence of IF importance in all IFs while predicting the target properties, such as CO₂ solubility, viscosity, density, thermal decomposition temperature and melting point. Therefore, the proposed method will be very helpful for the design of functional ionic liquids.