Abstract The transition toward sustainable electronics demands environmentally benign energy storage systems capable of long-term stability and regeneration. Here, an eco-friendly and self-healing supercapacitor is developed by integrating chitosan-bonded, coconut-shell-derived carbon electrodes with a gelatin–sodium acetate polymer electrolyte. A delayed-assembly approach, involving electrode resting followed by gentle rehydration, improves ion accessibility and interfacial wetting, leading to a ~ 70% reduction in equivalent series resistance (from ~0.83 Ω to ~0.27 Ω) and a ~ 40% increase in gravimetric capacitance (~109 F g⁻¹ at 0.4 A g⁻¹) and a ~ 45% boost in energy density (15 Wh kg⁻¹), while reaching a maximum power density of ~4230 W kg⁻¹. The device retains 95% of its initial capacitance after 550000 cycles and exhibits spontaneous performance recovery through reversible hydrogen-bond reformation. This physical regeneration mechanism provides one of the highest reported endurance levels among eco-friendly supercapacitors. The proposed design strategy offers a scalable and sustainable route towards durable, high-performance energy storage devices for the next generation of sustainable and green electronics.

Abstract The oxidation state control of polyvalent cations within materials is a pivotal determinant of their macroscopic properties and practical functionalities, from persistent and stress-stimulated luminescence, to energy storage and photocatalytic activity. Nonetheless, the resulting redox state is highly sensitive to synthetic conditions, and quantifying techniques aimed at its determination—while of the highest importance—remain constrained by practical challenges. In the present work, two simple and accessible wet-chemical methods for quantifying oxidizing and reductive species, employing basic and easy-to-handle glassware and reagents, are introduced to address this issue. After validation on analytical standards encompassing diverse chemistries, they are applied to concrete off-stoichiometry materials of relevance—whether amorphous or crystalline—involving various redox couples and species, from highly reductive (Eu 2+ , Ti 3+ ) to highly oxidizing (Ce 4+ , Tb 4+ ). The roles of the host composition and processing conditions in altering the redox equilibria are discussed, and the obtained results are reinforced by the use of complementary analytical techniques. Multiple perspectives are emphasized, including the identification and resolution of the local environments and distributions of polyvalent cations, the isolation of high-valence species, and the provision of key insights into multifaceted phenomena for the design of advanced materials.

Doping is crucial for semiconductor technology, enabling the design of integrated circuits, microprocessors, and other advanced optoelectronic devices with desired properties. The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials has opened pathways for atomic-scale integration. However, their 2D nature limits conventional ion implantation methods for doping, which poses a significant barrier to further device development and optimization. Here, we report a solvent-based cation-exchange morphotaxy that enables substitutional incorporation of Cu atoms into CVD-grown MoS2 monolayers. This approach induces stable p-type doping, suppressing dark current by four orders of magnitude and enhancing the light-to-dark current ratio by over 1000-fold compared to pristine MoS2. The substitutional Cu incorporation modifies the trap-state landscape, leading to faster photoresponse and reduced noise. As a result, Cu-doped MoS2 photodetectors achieve specific detectivity values up to 1014 Jones and response times improved by more than an order of magnitude, outperforming many previously reported doped transition metal dichalcogenide devices. This scalable and CMOS-compatible doping strategy provides a pathway for defect and electronic structure engineering in 2D semiconductors, opening new opportunities for high-performance optoelectronics, including neuromorphic and spintronic applications. Doping challenges in 2D materials hinder the advancement of semiconductor devices. Here, the authors introduce a solvent-based cation-exchange method to incorporate Cu into MoS2 monolayers, achieving stable p-type doping leading to faster photoresponse and reduced noise, paving the way for advanced optoelectronic applications in neuromorphic and spintronic technologies.

Josephson junctions based on topological insulators are expected to host Majorana-type bound states that promote a 4π-periodic current-phase relationship. One experimental consequence of this periodicity is the absence of odd Shapiro steps in the current-voltage characteristics under microwave radiation. Here, we experimentally study the frequency-dependent amplitude of Shapiro steps in a ballistic Josephson junction involving a 23 nm-thick single nanocrystal of topological insulator Bi2Te2.3Se0.7 connected to two planar Nb-electrodes. We observe a progressive suppression of the first step while decreasing the frequency below 2 GHz. Using the two-channel thermal resistively shunted junction (tRSJ) model, we show that despite a ballistic regime, the overheating phenomena are enough to account for the observed effect. Our results highlight the complex physics of Josephson junctions and underscore that the missing first Shapiro step alone is not a definitive signature of topological superconductivity. Josephson junctions based on topological insulators are expected to host Majorana bound states which are accompanied by the experimental absence of odd Shapiro steps in current-voltage characteristics. Here, the authors investigate Shapiro steps in a ballistic junction with Bi2Te2.3Se0.7, finding that overheating effects, rather than topological superconductivity, are sufficient to explain the suppression of the first step, challenging conventional interpretations.

Long-term pharmacological intervention is essential for managing chronic diseases, yet continuous administration of antithrombotic agents often increases bleeding risk, posing a major clinical challenge. Here, we designed a multifunctional drug delivery platform composed of large-aperture mesoporous silica (Mas) coated with silk fibroin (SF) or sustained heparin sodium (HS) release. The well-defined mesoporous structure enables high drug loading, while the biocompatible SF coating regulates release kinetics, suppresses burst release, and prolongs therapeutic efficacy. This dual structural system enhances antithrombotic performance while mitigating hemorrhagic risk. In vitro studies demonstrated improved hemocompatibility and reduced cytotoxicity of SF-Mas/HS compared with free HS. In vivo thrombosis models further confirmed effective inhibition of thrombus formation without excessive bleeding. By integrating inorganic mesoporous carriers with natural protein coatings, SF-Mas/HS provides a safe and efficient strategy for long-term antithrombotic prevention, highlighting the potential of biomaterial-assisted delivery systems to balance efficacy and safety in chronic disease management. Prolonged antithrombotic use raises bleeding risk, posing a major clinical challenge. This study introduces a silk fibroin coated mesoporous silica platform for high drug loading and controlled heparin release, improving efficacy while minimizing hemorrhage.

The physical properties of drug delivery vehicles are important for the development of effective and targeted treatment options for human disease. In this review, we elucidate the role of the fundamental physical properties such as size, charge, elasticity, curvature, fluidity, and asymmetry in optimizing lipid-based drug delivery systems. These properties significantly influence the performance of such drug delivery vehicles in overcoming biological barriers, minimizing clearance, and improving cellular uptake. The optimization of physical properties is important in bridging the translational gap and achieving consistent clinical outcomes. By focusing on the fundamental physical properties, we also provide a comprehensive review that identifies remaining knowledge gaps and guides future development of lipid-based nanocarriers. This Review explores the role of fundamental physical properties, such as size, charge, elasticity, curvature, fluidity, and asymmetry, on optimizing lipid-based drug delivery systems. Knowledge gaps and guidance for the future development of lipid-based nanocarriers are also discussed.

Abstract The rapid progress of artificial intelligence has exposed the inherent limitations of the conventional chip technology, particularly the high energy-consumption, driving the emergence of neuromorphic chips and ionics. Using K + ion-filled graphene channels, we investigate the mechanism underlying the graphene-based ion transistors by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Here we show that graphene electrons enable long-range correlation of confined ions, which provides a basis for the sensitive responses of transistors to the channel ion density (as modulated by a gate voltage). The ON/OFF switching effect specifically results from the competition between π-π stacking and cation-π interaction in the channels with different ion-filling densities. The nonlinear increasing of transport efficiency (i.e., signal amplification effect) is due to the ion density-depended collective oscillation of channel-confined ions. Additionally, resonance between channel-outside and channel-confined ions triggers rapid ion dehydration, enabling the transistor’s ultrahigh ion diffusivity. These atomic-level insights as a design principle for the ultralow energy-consumption neuro-morphic chips.

Although stress-induced amorphization has recently been identified as a new and distinctive plasticity mechanism, a formal framework for its systematic application in materials engineering is still lacking. In this study, we establish that stress-induced amorphization in Mg2SiO4 forsterite exhibits all the key features of phase transformation plasticity, a well-known phenomenon that has enabled the development of high-performance materials. By analogy with the Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) effect, we introduce the concept of amorphous-TRIP (a-TRIP). We demonstrate that the a-TRIP features, in particular the orientation effect of stress-induced amorphization (particularly strong in forsterite), can be exploited to design materials with enhanced toughness, a notable advance for a class of materials traditionally limited by brittle behavior. Stress-induced amorphization has been observed in some systems as a plasticity mechanism. Here, simulations and microscopy reveal that stress-induced amorphization in forsterite exhibits the features of phase transformation plasticity.

Abstract We report transient highly strained structural states in individual palladium (Pd) nanocrystals, electronically heated using an optical laser, which precede their uniform thermal expansion. Using an X-ray free-electron laser probe, the evolution of individual 111 Bragg peaks is measured as a function of delay time at various laser fluences. Above a laser fluence threshold at a sufficient pump-probe delay, the Bragg peak splits into multiple peaks, indicating heterogeneous strain, before returning to a single peak, corresponding to even heat distribution throughout the lattice expanded crystal. Our findings are supported by a lattice displacement and strain model of a single nanocrystal at different delay times, which agrees with the experimental data. Our observations have implications for understanding femtosecond laser interactions with metals and the potential photo-catalytic performance of Pd.

Doping, a critical technology in semiconductor device fabrication, is conventionally realized using substitutional impurities as dopants. New ideas and breakthroughs can help realize wide-bandgap materials with unconventional dopants. In this study, we explored a novel n-type doping mechanism using the donor nature of hydrogen-related donors in silicon to address the limitations of conventional doping. Certain defects, such as interstitial-type defects, create defect levels near the conduction band edge, which function as “empty donor levels.” The association of hydrogen with these defects generates free electrons through the transfer of an electron from the hydrogen atom to this empty level. This synergistic approach of hydrogen and defects can be demonstrated reliably and controllably in state-of-the-art Si devices. The mechanism, revealed by density functional theoretical calculation and EPR experiments, potentially expands this approach to other materials, providing a novel method for device optimization such as the realization of low-resistivity contacts. Doing is a key approach for controlling the properties of semiconductors. Here, a new n-type doping mechanism is reported for silicon, involving hydrogen association with interstitial-type defects to generate free electrons.