Hybrid Interface States and Spin Polarization at Ferromagnetic Metal–Organic Heterojunctions: Interface Engineering for Efficient Spin Injection in Organic Spintronics

Ferromagnetic metal–organic semiconductor (FM‐OSC) hybrid interfaces have been shown to play an important role for spin injection in organic spintronics. Here, 11,11,12,12‐tetracyanonaptho‐2,6‐quinodimethane (TNAP) is introduced as an interfacial layer in Co‐OSCs heterojunctions with an aim to tune the spin injection. The Co/TNAP interface is investigated by use of X‐ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Hybrid interface states (HIS) are observed at Co/TNAP interfaces, resulting from chemical interactions between Co and TNAP. The energy level alignment at the Co/TNAP/OSCs interface is also obtained, and a reduction of the hole injection barrier is demonstrated. XMCD results confirm sizeable spin polarization at the Co/TNAP hybrid interface.     

Nitrogen-Doped Accordion-Like Soft Carbon Anodes with Exposed Hierarchical Pores for Advanced Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Soft carbon (SC) is a promising anode material for potassium-ion hybrid capacitors (PIHCs), but there are limited K⁺ storage sites in common SC due to a skin-like carbon film covering on the surface. To address this issue, a simple oxidization method to completely remove the skin-like carbon film is reported and a novel accordion-like architecture of SC (ASC) is constructed with a hierarchical porous framework composed of micropores, mesopores, and macropores, all of which can be exposed to K⁺ electrolytes for enhanced energy storage. Importantly, this exposed structure facilitates pseudocapacitance modification by electro-deposition of highly electrochemically active nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) to enhance kinetic performance and additional K⁺ storage. After annealing treatment to regulate N-doping type, the accordion-like N-GQD@ASC-500 exhibits excellent reversible capacity of 360 mAh g⁻¹ as well as superior rate capability and cycle stability. Kinetic, in situ Raman/electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, and density functional theory calculation elucidate the K⁺ storage mechanism. As expected, the PIHC assembled with N-GQD@ASC-500 anode and porous carbon cathode delivers an ultrahigh energy/power density (171 Wh kg⁻¹ and 20 000 W kg⁻¹) with long cycle life. This work suggests that ASC is a promising anode material for designing of high-performance PIHCs.     

Superelastic and Arbitrary‐Shaped Graphene Aerogels with Sacrificial Skeleton of Melamine Foam for Varied Applications

Elastic graphene aerogels are lightweight and offer excellent and electrical performance, expanding their significance in many applications. Recently, elastic graphene aerogels have been fabricated via various methods. However, for most reported elastic graphene aerogels, the fabrication processes are complicated and the applications are usually limited by the brittle mechanical properties. Thus, it still remains a challenge to explore facile processes for the fabrication of graphene aerogels with low density and high compressibility. Herein, arbitrary‐shaped, superelastic, and durable graphene aerogels are fabricated using melamine foam as sacrificial skeleton. The resulting graphene aerogels possess high elasticity under compressive stress of 0.556 MPa and compressive strain of 95%. Thanks to the superelasticity, high strength, excellent flexibility, outstanding thermal stability, and good electrical conductivity of graphene aerogels, they can be applied in sorbents and pressure/strain sensors. The as‐assembled graphene aerogels can adsorb various organic solvents at 176–513 g g^?1 depending on the solvent type and density. Moreover, both the squeezing and combustion methods can be adopted for reusing the graphene aerogels. Finally, the graphene aerogels exhibit stable and sensitive current responses, making them the ideal candidates for applications as multifunctional pressure/strain sensors such as wearable devices.     

Electronic Redistribution: Construction and Modulation of Interface Engineering on CoP for Enhancing Overall Water Splitting

Modulating and constructing interface engineering is an efficient strategy to enhance catalytic activity for water splitting. Herein, a hybrid nanoarray structure of V‐CoP@a‐CeO₂, where “a” represents amorphous, integrated into carbon cloth is fabricated for water splitting. The synergy effect between V and CeO₂ can increase the electron density of Co atoms at active sites, further optimizing the Gibbs free energy of H* adsorption energy (ΔG_H*). Besides, V‐CoP@a‐CeO₂ possesses lower water adsorption/dissociation energies, enabling accelerated reaction kinetics in alkaline media. As expected, the V‐CoP@a‐CeO₂ exhibits superior performance toward the hydrogen evolution reaction and the oxygen evolution reaction. More importantly, a two‐electrode electrolyzer combined with an electrocatalyst of V‐CoP@ a‐CeO₂ only demands that voltages of electrolytic cell are 1.56 and 1.71 V to achieve the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm^?2, respectively. This work provides guidance for the design or optimization of materials for water electrolysis and beyond.     

3D Interconnected Porous Carbon Aerogels as Sulfur Immobilizers for Sulfur Impregnation for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries with High Rate Capability and Cycling Stability

To eliminate capacity‐fading effects due to the loss of sulfur cathode materials as a result of polysulfide dissolution in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) cells, 3D carbon aerogel (CA) materials with abundant narrow micropores can be utilized as an immobilizer host for sulfur impregnation. The effects of S incorporation on microstructure, surface area, pore size distribution, and pore volume of the S/CA hybrids are studied. The electrochemical performance of the S/CA hybrids is investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatical charge–discharge, and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The 3D porous S/CA hybrids exhibit significantly improved reversible capacity, high‐rate capability, and excellent cycling performance as a cathode electrode for Li–S batteries. The S/CA hybrid with an optimal incorporating content of 27% S shows an excellent reversible capacity of 820 mAhg^?1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 100 mAg^?1. Even at a current density of 3.2C (5280 mAg^?1), the reversible capacity of 27%S/CA hybrid can still maintain at 521 mAhg^?1 after 50 cycles. This strategy for the S/CA hybrids as cathode materials to utilize the abundant micropores for sulfur immobilizers for sulfur impregnation for Li–S battery offers a new way to solve the long‐term reversibility obstacle and provides guidelines for designing cathode electrode architectures.     

Hierarchical Cross-Linked Carbon Aerogels with Transition Metal-Nitrogen Sites for Highly Efficient Industrial-Level CO2 Electroreduction

Developing highly efficient carbon aerogels (CA) electrocatalysts based on transition metal-nitrogen sites is critical for the CO₂ electroreduction reaction (CO₂RR). However, simultaneously achieving a high current density and high Faradaic efficiency (FE) still remains a big challenge. Herein, a series of unique 3D hierarchical cross-linked nanostructured CA with metal-nitrogen sites (M N, M = Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu) is developed for efficient CO₂RR. An optimal CA/N-Ni aerogel, featured with unique hierarchical porous structure and highly exposed M-N sites, exhibits an unusual CO₂RR activity with a CO FE of 98% at −0.8 V. Notably, an industrial current density of 300 mA cm⁻² with a high FE of 91% is achieved on CA/N-Ni aerogel in a flow-cell reactor, which outperforms almost all previously reported M-N/carbon based catalysts. The CO₂RR activity of different CA/N-M aerogels can be arranged as Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, and Cu from high to low. In situ spectroelectrochemistry analyses validate that the rate-determining step in the CO₂RR is the formation of *COOH intermediate. A Zn CO₂ battery is further assembled with CA/N-Ni as the cathode, which shows a maximum power density of 0.5 mW cm⁻² and a superior rechargeable stability.     

Amyloid Fibrils form Hybrid Colloidal Gels and Aerogels with Dispersed CaCO3 Nanoparticles

New hybrid colloidal gels are reported formed by amyloid fibrils and CaCO₃ nanoparticles (CaNPs), with Ca²⁺ as charge screening ions and CaNPs as physical crosslinking agents to establish and stabilize the network. The gel is characterized by rheological measurements and diffusing wave spectroscopy, complemented by microscopic observations using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The hybrid colloidal gels show a two orders of magnitude improved gel strength at significantly shorter gelation times compared to previous calcium ion‐induced amyloid fibril gels. Supercritical CO₂‐dried colloidal aerogels allow demonstrating that amyloid fibrils, combined with smaller (higher specific surface area) CaNPs, constitute a denser fibrils network, resulting in stronger gels. By varying the amyloid fibril concentration and the CaNPs size and concentration, the complete phase diagram is mapped out. This enables identifying the sol–gel phase transition and a window for gel formation, which widens with increasing CaNPs size. Finally pH responsiveness and self‐healing properties of this hybrid colloidal gel are also demonstrated, making these systems a suitable candidate for biological applications.     

“Stiff–Soft” Binary Synergistic Aerogels with Superflexibility and High Thermal Insulation Performance

Designing aerogel materials featuring both high thermal insulation property and excellent mechanical robustness is of great interest for applications in superior integrated energy management systems. To meet the above requirements, composite aerogels based on hierarchical “stiff–soft” binary networks are reported, in which secondary mesoporous polymethylsilsesquioxane domains intertwined by bacterial cellulose nanofibrillar networks are connected in tandem. The resulting composite aerogels are characterized by highly porous (93.6%) and nanosized structure with a surface area of 660 m² g^?1, leading to the excellent thermal insulation performance with a low thermal conductivity of 15.3 mW m^?1 K^?1. The integrated “stiff–soft” binary nature also endows the composite aerogels with high flexibility that can conform to various substrates as well as large tensile strength that can withstand more than 2.70 × 10⁴ times its own weight. These composite aerogels show multifunctionality in terms of efficient wearable protection, controllable thermal management, and ultrafast oil/water separation. These favorable multifeatures present composite aerogels ideal for aerospace, industrial, and commercial applications.     

A Bridge between Ceramics Electrolyte and Interface Layer to Fast Li+ Transfer for Low Interface Impedance Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are regarded as next generation advanced energy storage technology to provide higher safety and energy density. However, a practical application is plagued by large interfacial resistance, owing to solid-solid interface contact between ceramics electrolytes and Li anode. Introducing polymer-based coating between electrolytes and Li anode is a feasible strategy to solve this issue. Unfortunately, current polymer is hard to achieve intimate contact at the atomic scale and lacks of a bridge to transfer Li⁺ quickly between electrolytes and polymer coating. This gives rise to sluggish Li⁺ transfer dynamics, huge interface impedance and greatly limits the effectiveness of this strategy. Herein, Poly(lithium 4-styrenesulfonate)(PLSS) is introduced between Li_6.5La₃Zr_1.5Ta_0.5O₁₂ (LLZTO) electrolyte and Li anode. The theories and experiments prove the existence of strong coordinating interaction between  SO₃Li in PLSS and atoms on LLZTO surface. This interaction structures a bridge to migrate Li⁺ fast across LLZTO/PLSS interface and hence interface impedance is as low as 9 Ω cm². Moreover, the electron-blocking feature of PLSS can prevent electrons from tunneling the LLZTO/PLSS interface and combining with Li⁺ to form dendrite within LLZTO. PLSS-base cells show improved long-life cycling for 4700 h at 0.1 mA cm⁻² at room temperature.     

Joint-Inspired Liquid and Thermal Conductive Interface for Designing Thermal Interface Materials with High Solid Filling yet Excellent Thixotropy

For advanced thermal interface materials (TIMs), massive inorganic addition for high isotropic thermal conductivities conflicts with suitable rheological viscosity for low contact thermal resistance. Traditional strategies rarely resolve such a contradiction, and it remains an academic and industrial challenge. Herein, inspired by the structure and function of the bone joint, a best-of-both-worlds approach is reported that endows a standard polydimethylsiloxane/alumina (PDMS/Al₂O₃) TIM with simultaneously enhanced rheological mobility and thermal conductivity. It is conducted by employing morphology-controllable gallium-based liquid metal (LM) to the surface of Al₂O₃ by a scalable mechanochemical process. At the typical polymer-LM-Al₂O₃ interface, LM droplets with low cohesive energy can release the freedom for macromolecular chain relaxation and reduce the viscosity, successfully allowing the high-loading TIMs (79 vol.%) to keep the thixotropic state and effectively reducing its contact thermal resistance with a copper substrate by 65%. At the same time, adjacent LMs merge to thermally bridge separate Al₂O₃ particles, which facilitates the interfacial thermal conduction and enhances the thermal conductivity from 5.9 to 6.7 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. Along with additional electrical insulation, this filler modification strategy is believed to inspire others to develop high-performance polymer-based TIMs for future advanced electronics.     

An Efficient and Flexible Hybrid Conditional Access System for Advanced T‐DMB

This letter presents a hybrid conditional access system (CAS) for advanced terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (AT‐DMB). The proposed architecture is characterized by its use of a unified CAS channel and various communication networks for CAS message transmissions. We implement a prototype CAS based on the hybrid architecture, which improves the CAS message transmission efficiency greatly compared to the existing T‐DMB CAS standard and supports various AT‐DMB interlayer services more easily and efficiently.     

Ultra‐High Surface Area Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Aerogels Derived From a Schiff‐Base Porous Organic Polymer Aerogel for CO2 Storage and Supercapacitors

Nitrogen‐doped carbon aerogels (NCAs) have received great attention for a wide range of applications, from thermal electronics to waste water purification, heavy metal or gas adsorption, energy storage, and catalyst supports. Herein NCAs are developed via the synthesis of a Schiff‐base porous organic polymer aerogel followed by pyrolysis. By controlling the pyrolysis temperature, the polymer aerogel can be simply converted into porous NCAs with a low bulk density (5 mg cm^?3), high surface area (2356 m² g^?1), and high bulk porosity (70%). The NCAs containing 1.8–5.3 wt% N atoms exhibit remarkable CO₂ uptake capacities (6.1 mmol g^?1 at 273 K and 1 bar, 33.1 mmol g^?1 at 323 K and 30 bar) and high ideal adsorption solution theory selectivity (47.8) at ambient pressure. Supercapacitors fabricated with NCAs display high specific capacitance (300 F g^?1 at 0.5 A g^?1), fast rate (charge to 221 F g^?1 within only 17 s), and high stability (retained >98% capacity after 5000 cycles). Asymmetric supercapacitors assembled with NCAs also show high energy density and power density with maximal values of 30.5 Wh kg^?1 and 7088 W kg^?1, respectively. The outstanding CO₂ uptake and energy storage abilities are attributed to the ultra‐high surface area, N‐doping, conductivity, and rigidity of NCA frameworks.     

Tracking and Interaction Based on Hybrid Sensing for Virtual Environments

We present a method for tracking and interaction based on hybrid sensing for virtual environments. The proposed method is applied to motion tracking of whole areas, including the user's occlusion space, for a high‐precision interaction. For real‐time motion tracking surrounding a user, we estimate each joint position in the human body using a combination of a depth sensor and a wand‐type physical user interface, which is necessary to convert gyroscope and acceleration values into positional data. Additionally, we construct virtual contents and evaluate the validity of results related to hybrid sensing‐based whole‐body tracking of human motion methods used to compensate for the occluded areas.     

高阶MoM及其与PO的混合法计算电磁散射问题

本文提出了一种新的以高阶矩量法(MoM)与物理光学法相结合的混合法(MoM-PO).该方法采用曲面参数化的离散方法,保证了建模的精确性.计算过程中将散射表面灵活划分为MoM区和PO区,在各自区域可以灵活确定离散单元的大小和密度.MoM区域的高阶矩量法,采用基于Lagrange插值的高阶矢量基函数,结合点匹配技术,比传统的高阶法简单,易于实现.计算结果表明,本文的高阶矩量法及其与物理光学法结合的混合方法能准确有效的计算目标的电磁散射特性.     

In Situ Conversion Reaction Triggered Alloy@Antiperovskite Hybrid Layers for Lithiophilic and Robust Lithium/Garnet Interfaces

Garnet-type electrolytes demonstrate promising prospects in the field of solid-state lithium batteries owing to their superior ionic conductivity and high (electro)chemical stability toward Li metal, whereas the critical issue of Li dendrite growth and even infiltration throughout garnets limits their practical applications. Herein, a hybrid interlayer consisting of Li₃Bi alloy embedded in antiperovskite-type Li₃OCl matrix is in situ constructed at Li/Li_6.75La₃Zr_1.75Ta_0.25O₁₂ interface by taking the conversion reaction of BiOCl with Li metal. The lithiophilic nature of such interlayer enables an intimate contact of garnet against Li metal, guaranteeing a dramatically reduced interfacial resistance of 27 Ω cm². In addition, the inside electron-conducting Li₃Bi nanoparticles homogenize the interfacial potential distribution, while the outside ion-conducting Li₃OCl matrix with a bandgap of 5.06 eV blocks electron tunneling from Li bulk. Profiting from such synergistic effect, the resultant Li symmetric cell displays a high critical current density of 1.1 mA cm⁻², along with an ultralong cycling life of 1000 h at 0.5 mA cm⁻². Furthermore, the corresponding solid LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂/Li cell delivers a high cycling stability for 150 times accompanied by a capacity retention of 82%. This study puts forward a potential solution for construction of functional layers at Li/garnet interfaces by making use of in situ conversion reaction.     

Achieving Rich and Active Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Heterostructures via Interface Engineering on 2D 1T‐MoS2 Quantum Sheets

Large‐scale production of hydrogen from water‐alkali electrolyzers is impeded by the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. The hybridization of an acid‐active HER catalyst with a cocatalyst at the nanoscale helps boost HER kinetics in alkaline media. Here, it is demonstrated that 1T–MoS₂ nanosheet edges (instead of basal planes) decorated by metal hydroxides form highly active ${\text{edge}}_{{\text{1T‐MoS}}_{\text{2}}}$/ ${\text{edge}}_{\text{Ni}{(\text{OH})}_{\text{2}}}$ heterostructures, which significantly enhance HER performance in alkaline media. Featured with rich ${\text{edge}}_{{\text{1T‐MoS}}_{\text{2}}}$/ ${\text{edge}}_{\text{Ni}{(\text{OH})}_{\text{2}}}$ sites, the fabricated 1T–MoS₂ QS/Ni(OH)₂ hybrid (quantum sized 1T–MoS₂ sheets decorated with Ni(OH)₂ via interface engineering) only requires overpotentials of 57 and 112 mV to drive HER current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm^?2, respectively, and has a low Tafel slope of 30 mV dec^?1 in 1 m KOH. So far, this is the best performance for MoS₂‐based electrocatalysts and the 1T–MoS₂ QS/Ni(OH)₂ hybrid is among the best‐performing non‐Pt alkaline HER electrocatalysts known. The HER process is durable for 100 h at current densities up to 500 mA cm^?2. This work not only provides an active, cost‐effective, and robust alkaline HER electrocatalyst, but also demonstrates a design strategy for preparing high‐performance catalysts based on edge‐rich 2D quantum sheets for other catalytic reactions.     

Advanced Interfacial Design for Electronic Skins with Customizable Functionalities and Wearability

Electronic skins (E-skins), which are intelligent extensions of the human skin, are in great demand because of the rapid development of information technology and intelligence in human civilization. Essentially, E-skin systems are composed of functional and interface components. The function portion carries out various functions like sensing, power production, and therapy. In addition to ensuring consistent wear and comfort, the interface of the E-skin system is necessary for the transfer of energy or mass between the skin and the functional components of the E-skin system. The interface serves as the foundation, conduit, and link between the skin and functional components of E-skin systems. The wearability and functionality of the E-skin system are significantly impacted by the interfacial adhesion and the intermediate effect. It is crucial to build the interface in accordance with the functions of the E-skin system. However, there are few reviews on the impact of the interface on the functionality and wearability of E-skins. Here, the design of the E-skin interface is thoroughly reviewed, taking into account how skin adhesion mechanisms affect wearability and function. At last, the future development direction and perspective of next-generation E-skin systems are presented.     

Multi‐Layered,Hierarchical Fabric‐Based Tactile Sensors with High Sensitivity and Linearity in Ultrawide Pressure Range

Resistive tactile sensors based on changes in contact area have been extensively explored for a variety of applications due to their outstanding pressure sensitivity compared to conventional tactile sensors. However, the development of tactile sensors with high sensitivity in a wide pressure range still remains a major challenge due to the trade‐off between sensitivity and linear detection range. Here, a tactile sensor comprising stacked carbon nanotubes and Ni‐fabrics is presented. The hierarchical structure of the fabrics facilitates a significant increase in contact area between them under pressure. Additionally, a multi‐layered structure that can provide more contact area and distribute stress to each layer further improves the sensitivity and linearity. Given these advantages, the sensor presents high sensitivity (26.13 kPa^?1) over a wide pressure range (0.2–982 kPa), which is a significant enhancement compared with the results obtained in previous studies. The sensor also exhibits outstanding performances in terms of response time, repeatability, reproducibility, and flexibility. Furthermore, meaningful applications of the sensor, including wrist‐pulse‐signal analysis, flexible keyboards, and tactile interface, are successfully demonstrated. Based on the facile and scalable fabrication technique, the conceptually simple but powerful approach provides a promising strategy to realize next‐generation electronics.     

Interface Engineering for Both Cathode and Anode Enables Low‐Cost Highly Efficient Solution‐Processed CdTe Nanocrystal Solar Cells

Low‐cost solution‐processed CdTe nanocrystal (NC) solar cells always suffer from a high interface energy barrier and unbalanced hole/electron transport as well as anisotropic atom diffusion on the CdTe surface due to the limited amount of hole/electron interface materials or the difficulty in interface processing. In this work, a novel strategy is first adopted with gradient electron transport layer (CdS/CdSe) modification in the cathode and a new crosslinkable hole transport polymer (P‐TPA) implantation in the anode. The carrier recombination at interfaces is greatly decreased and thus the carrier collection is increased. Moreover, the light harvesting is improved both in short and long wavelength regions, making J_sc and V_oc increase simultaneously. A champion solar cell shows a very high power conversion efficiency of 9.2% and an outstanding J_sc of 25.31 mA cm^?2, which are among the highest values for all solution‐processed CdTe NC solar cells with a superstrate structure, and the latter value is even higher than that of traditional thick CdTe thin‐film solar cells (2 µm) via the high temperature close space sublimation method. This work demonstrates that facile surface modifications in both the cathode and anode with stepped extraction and organic–inorganic hybridization are very promising in constructing next‐generation highly efficient NC photovoltaic devices.     

A Systematic Approach to Achieving High Performance Hybrid Lighting Phosphors with Excellent Thermal‐ and Photostability

The authors have designed and synthesized a family of high‐performance inorganic–organic hybrid phosphor materials composed of extended and robust networks of one, two, and three dimensions. Following a bottom‐up solution‐based synthetic approach, these structures are constructed by connecting highly emissive Cu₄I₄ cubic clusters via carefully selected ligands that form strong Cu? N bonds. They emit intensive yellow‐orange light with high luminescence quantum efficiency, coupled with large Stokes shift, which greatly reduces self‐absorption. They also demonstrate exceptionally high framework‐ and photostability, comparable to those of commercial phosphors. The high stabilities are the result of significantly enhanced Cu? N bonds, as confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT) binding energy and electron density calculations. Possible emission mechanisms are analyzed based on the results of theoretical calculations and optical experiments. Two‐component white phosphors obtained by blending blue and yellow emitters reach an internal quantum yield as high as 82% and correlated color temperature as low as 2534 K. The performance level of this subfamily exceeds all other types of Cu–I based hybrid systems. The combined advantages make them excellent candidates as alternative rare‐earth element‐free phosphors for possible use in energy‐efficient lighting devices.