Materials Horizons 10th Anniversary Cover Showcase

As you may know, Materials Horizons is celebrating their 10th anniversary! To join in the celebrations, we have asked authors to find creative ways to add a ’10’ to the cover artwork and are excited to show you the results in our cover showcase.

Here are the latest covers:

 

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Congratulations to the CEMDI oral prize winners!

Materials Horizons, Digital Discovery and MSDE were delighted to sponsor three oral prizes at the 2nd Annual Computational Energy Materials Design Infrastructure (CEMDI) symposium held in Montreal, Canada from 27 – 29 May. Congratulations to Parastoo Agharezaei, Yasser Salah Eddine Bouchareb and Mehdi Shamekhi!

 

Find out more about our winners below:

 

Smiling headshot Parastoo Agharezaei

Parastoo Agharezaei is a researcher in the field of materials science and engineering, holding a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tehran, awarded in 2017. She pursued a Joint Master’s degree with an Erasmus Mundus excellence full scholarship, earning dual Master’s degrees in Materials Science from TU Darmstadt, Germany, and in Physics with a minor in Quantum Modeling of Nanomaterials from the University of Liege, Belgium, in 2020. Currently, Parastoo is advancing her expertise in Computational Materials Science through a Ph.D. program at INRS, University of Quebec, focusing her doctoral thesis on the design of alloy catalysts for ammonia production using Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning.

Title of presentation: Design of CuNi-based single-doped alloy catalysts for ammonia production via Density Functional Theory

 

Smiling headshot in the sunshine

 

Mehdi Shamekhi

Mehdi Shamekhi is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of
Physics at Concordia University, working under the supervision of Prof.
Gilles H. Peslherbe on the computational design and investigation of bimetallic
alloys for the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Mehdi employs a combination of machine
learning and computational chemistry to advance his research, using
machine learning algorithms to screen the chemical space of bimetallic alloy
catalysts and identify promising candidates for further characterization
via density functional theory. Detailed knowledge of the electronic structure
of these catalysts indeed enables the design of catalysts that are both
active and selective toward the NRR, contributing to the development of efficient
catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis. Mehdi aspires to continue
his research in computational chemistry and electrocatalysis, aiming to make
significant contributions to the field of sustainable energy solutions. His longterm
goal is to develop innovative materials that can address global energy
challenges through green chemistry and advanced computational methods.

Title of presentation: Machine learning assisted screening and DFT characterization of bimetallic alloy catalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction

Yasser Salah Eddine Bouchareb

Yasser Salah Eddine Bouchareb is currently pursuing a Ph.D. program at INRS, University of Quebec, working under the supervision of Prof. Kulbir Ghuman, and co-supervised by Prof. Jonathan Shock, on the design of alloy catalysts for CO2 PhotoCapture using Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning.

Title of presentation: Screening binary alloys for CO2 photo capture using GNN

 

Congratulations to our winners!

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Discover our 2024 Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators

Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator series

Discover our 2024 Emerging Investigators

Since the launch of Materials Horizons, the journal has had a clear vision to publish exceptionally high-quality work whilst acting as a resource to researchers working at all career levels. We continue to be impressed by the quality of the research published and at the same time are looking for new ways of recognising and promoting the outstanding authors behind articles published in the journal.

The Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators Series showcases early-career researchers who have published exceptional work in the journal. The initiative started in 2020 and so far we have featured over 40 up-and-coming researchers in the series. For each issue of the journal, the Editorial Office and Editorial Board select an Emerging Investigator from a pool of eligible authors, highlighting the researcher and their recently published work in an interview Editorial.

Discover our 2024 Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators so far and read their publications below:

 

Dr Jie Xu

Argonne National Laboratory, USA

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Real-time correlation of crystallization and segmental order in conjugated polymers’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH00956D

 

 

Professor Dr Wee-Jun Ong

Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT), Xiamen University, Malaysia

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Isotype heterojunction: tuning the heptazine/triazine phase of crystalline nitrogen-rich C3N5towards multifunctional photocatalytic applications’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01115A)

 

Professor Dr Hai-Bo Zhao

National Engineering Laboratory for Eco-Friendly Polymer Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Controllable proton-reservoir ordered gel towards reversible switching and reliable electromagnetic interference shielding’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01795H)

 

 

Associate Professor Dr Xuhui Zhang

Jiangnan University, China

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Soft–hard dual nanophases: a facile strategy for polymer strengthening and toughening’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01763J

 

Professor Zhengbao Yang

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Exploring the Mpemba effect: a universal ice pressing enables porous ceramics’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01869E)

 

Professor Yiyang Li

University of Michigan, USA

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Oxygen tracer diffusion in amorphous hafnia films for resistive memory’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/d3mh02113k)

 

 

Professor Jingjing Duan

Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Unlock flow-type reversible aqueous Zn–CO2batteries’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MH00219A

 

 

Professor Francesca Santoro

Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen, Germany

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘An organic brain-inspired platform with neurotransmitter closed-loop control, actuation and reinforcement learning’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH02202A)

 

Dr Sahnawaz Ahmed

National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Kolkata, India

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article,‘Chemically fueled dynamic switching between assembly-encoded emissions’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MH00251B)

 

Professor Edison Huixiang Ang

National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Construction of phase-separated Co/MnO synergistic catalysts and integration onto sponge for rapid removal of multiple contaminants’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MH00285G)

We  would like to congratulate all our 2024 Emerging Investigators so far for being selected to feature. We hope that you enjoy reading their impactful publications and finding out more about them in their Editorial interviews. Keep an eye out for our next Emerging Investigators through 2024

Are you an independent researcher within 10 years of your PhD or within 5 years of your independent career? Submit your best research to Materials Horizons to be considered to feature in one of our next issues!

 

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Discover our 2023 Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators

Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator Series

Discover our 2023 Emerging Investigators

Since the launch of Materials Horizons, the journal has had a clear vision to publish exceptionally high-quality work whilst acting as a resource to researchers working at all career levels. We continue to be impressed by the quality of the research published and at the same time are looking for new ways of recognising and promoting the outstanding authors behind articles published in the journal.

The Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators Series showcases early-career researchers who have published exceptional work in the journal. The initiative started in 2020 and so far we have featured over 40 up-and-coming researchers in the series. For each issue of the journal, the Editorial Office and Editorial Board select an Emerging Investigator from a pool of eligible authors, highlighting the researcher and their recently published work in an interview Editorial.

 

Discover our 2023 Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators and read their publications below:

 

Dr Wei Zhai

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Multifunctional sound-absorbing and mechanical metamaterials via a decoupled mechanism design approach’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH00977C

 

Dr Yandong Ma

Shandong University, China

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Layer-polarized anomalous Hall effects in valleytronic van der Waals bilayers’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH00906D

 

 

 

Dr Yue (Jessica) Wang

University of California, Merced, USA

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article,  ‘Oligoaniline-assisted self-assembly of polyaniline crystals’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH01344D

 

Dr Dominik J. Kubicki

University of Warwick, UK

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘MOF/polymer hybrids through in situ free radical polymerization in metal-organic frameworks’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH01202B

 

Dr Megan Fieser

University of Southern California, USA

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Controlling selectivity for dechlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) with (xantphos)RhCl’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH01293F

 

Professor Derek Ho

City University of Hong Kong, China

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Order–disorder engineering of RuO2nanosheets towards pH-universal oxygen evolution’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH00339F)

 

Dr Jess M. Clough

Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Microscopic strain mapping in polymers equipped with non-covalent mechanochromic motifs’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH00650F)

 

Dr Kevin Golovin

University of Toronto, Canada

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Surface-engineered double-layered fabrics for continuous, passive fluid transport’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH00634D)

 

Dr Shanshan Yao

Stony Brook University, USA

Read the Editorial

Read the Emerging Investigator article, ‘Decoding silent speech commands from articulatory movements through soft magnetic skin and machine learning’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01062G)

We  would like to congratulate all our 2023 Emerging Investigators for being selected to feature. We hope that you enjoy reading their impactful publications and finding out more about them in their Editorial interviews.

Are you an independent researcher within 10 years of your PhD or within 5 years of your independent career? Submit your best research to Materials Horizons to be considered to feature in one of our next issues!

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A pathway from nanoscale templates to magnetic assembly of plasmonic chiral nanoparticles: the future of chiral superstructures in nanotechnology

By Olga Guselnikova, Community Board member.

The synthesis and control of the performance of chiral superstructures are intriguing because they bring us closer to the magical concept of chirality, exemplified by the dichotomy between our hands. In the long run, scientists aim to control the chirality of matter, particularly molecules. The enduring challenge is to overcome the mismatch between the molecular work function and magnetic quadrupole transitions and/or the wavelength of light. “Due to this size mismatch, the molecule sees uniform electric and magnetic fields, just as we see the Earth as locally flat,” said Prof. Adam E. Cohen in one of his pioneering reviews on chirality (Nano Today (2009) 4, 269—279). The design of chiral superstructures allows us to sculpt the three-dimensional shape of the electromagnetic field at the size scale of an individual molecule. The most rapidly developing strategy to prepare these nanostructures involves using diverse nanoscale templates, such as origami techniques or lithography. However, the preparation of such nanostructures is very challenging, which slows down the field’s development. Another significant limitation is the inability to dynamically control the handedness and spectral characteristics.

Recent work by Chaolumen Wu and Yadong Yin suggests a magnetic assembly strategy to overcome these limitations. They prepared Ag@Fe3O4 nanoparticles through a relatively simple procedure and further assembled them by introducing a chiral magnetic field from a cubic permanent magnet. This magnet was placed beside the Ag@Fe3O4 suspension and was controlled by two parameters: rotation angle and distance to the suspension (shorter separation distance results in a stronger field strength). The formed assemblies are chains of nanoparticles oriented in a chiral structure. The main advantage of the suggested strategy is the very smoothly controlled dynamicity of the system: spectral position, handedness, and intensity of the chiral signal can be controlled by the magnetic angle and distance relative to the sample. Previously reported approaches required time-consuming simulations and production of plasmonic substrates with those varied chiral characteristics. The authors could fix the chiral superstructures in polymer films with precise control of the handedness, position of optical absorption, and degree of plasmonic coupling. The dynamic optical rotation enables the authors to demonstrate distinguishable color switching. Without the magnet, no color is observed; however, variation of magnet positions gives a wide palette from purple to pink, and from yellow to blue. Therefore, the authors mainly envision the application of this tunability for color-changing optical devices used in anti-counterfeiting and stress sensors.

Figure 1: (a) Simulation of the chiral field distribution from a cubic permanent magnet and schematic illustration of the chirality transfer from a chiral magnetic field to magnetic nanoparticle assembly. (b) TEM image of Ag@Fe3O4 hybrid nanoparticles. (c) Schematic illustration of the setup for measuring the extinction and CD spectrum of particle dispersion under a chiral magnetic field. (d)–(f) Extinction (d), CD (e), and the corresponding g-factor (f) spectra of the Ag@Fe3O4 nanoparticle dispersion without a magnetic field or under a field along the X- and Z-axes. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01597A with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry

However, the author of this blog highlights alternative applications. Controlling chiroptical properties is a direct way to enable enantioselective sensing and catalysis by transferring chirality to small molecules. While the application of a chiral quadrupole magnetic field induces the assembly of Ag@Fe3O4, simultaneous irradiation of these structures with a wavelength corresponding to the maximum absorption, due to the presence of Ag, could enhance interactions with small molecules. Photocatalytic reactions performed under a magnetic field, which couple magnetic and light fields, are a novel concept. Although magnetic field-enhanced photocatalysis is relatively new and has mostly been applied to dye degradation, controlling chiral photochemistry with a magnetic field would significantly advance interactions with chiral molecules. In this scenario, applied magnetic fields to Ag@Fe3O4 could serve a dual role of (i) chirality induction and (ii) plasmonic carrier generation and prolongation of the lifetime of excited plasmons.

Research on chirality remains niche due to the complex preparation techniques of chiral superstructures. The published research opens new possibilities for more scientific groups to work in this direction, thanks to the simplicity of using cubic permanent magnets. However, measurement techniques, such as optical rotation density measurement setups, may still pose challenges for the wider community. Increased availability of these techniques should spur more investigations into various applications of chiral nanostructures, including color displays, anti-counterfeiting measures, and chiral sensing and catalysis.

To find out more, please read:

Magnetic assembly of plasmonic chiral superstructures with dynamic chiroptical responses
Chaolumen Wu, Qingsong Fan, Zhiwei Li, Zuyang Yea and Yadong Yin
Mater. Horiz., 2024,11, 680-687, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01597A

 


About the blogger


 

Dr Olga Guselnikova is a member of the Materials Horizons Community Board. She recently joined the Center for Electrochemistry and Surface Technology (Austria) to work on functional materials as a group leader. Dr. Guselnikova received her PhD degree in chemistry from the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (Czech Republic) and Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia) in 2019. Her research interests are related to surface chemistry for functional materials. This means that she is applying her background in organic chemistry to materials science: plasmonic and polymer surfaces are hybridized with organic molecules to create high-performance elements and devices.

 

 

 

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Materials Horizons 10th anniversary Regional Spotlights

Materials Horizons 10th anniversary Regional Spotlights

Showcasing a selection of most popular articles from regions across the world

As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations of Materials Horizons, we have collated a series of Regional Spotlight collections to showcase some of our most popular articles from some of our key regions across the world. We are pleased to share with you our collections spotlighting a selection of most popular articles published over the last decade in Materials Horizons by corresponding authors based in five key regions: Europe, America, China, Asia-Pacific and, Africa and the Middle East.

We invite you to browse the collections to discover just some of the excellent research that has been published in Materials Horizons over the past decade. Click the buttons below to explore the collections.

 

We hope that you have enjoyed browsing the exciting research in our special anniversary Regional Spotlight collections. We are honoured to have published outstanding research from our global community over the last decade and look forward to many more years showcasing materials science from our authors based all over the world!

We would be delighted to receive your future work to Materials Horizons. Check out the scope and requirements on our platform and submit your next work now!

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Photo-induced synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles and chemiluminescent degradable materials via flow chemistry

By Kostas Parkatzidis, Community Board member.

Polymeric particles represent a widely utilized class of materials due to their adjustable size and shape, high volume-surface area ratio, customizable properties and ease of surface modification. These attributes make them indispensable across diverse fields, finding applications in coatings, pigments, drug delivery, nanomedicine, catalysis and more. Traditional methods of synthesis, predominantly via thermal heterogeneous polymerization like emulsion or dispersion polymerization, often necessitate the use of surfactants/stabilizers and thermal initiators, risking material contamination and complicating purification processes. In recent years, light polymerization has gained significant attention due to its ability to operate under milder conditions and offer temporal regulation. However, employing the photo-flow reaction, which is commonly viewed as an appealing method for upscaling reactions, proves challenging for heterogeneous systems due to constraints such as limited light penetration and scattering.

In a recent study by Holloway et al., an upscaled, photochemical synthesis of polymeric particles via flow chemistry was achieved based on precipitation step-growth polymerization without radical or surfactant sources. This innovative approach optimized an easy, scalable, and fast synthetic procedure and produced functional polymeric materials with chemiluminescent self-reporting properties and chemical-stimulated degradability, thus opening novel avenues for scaled-up synthesis of functional polymeric particles (Figure 1).

Figure 1: (A) Overview of the particle formation with AA and BB2 monomers and subsequent cleavage of the oxalate bond in presence of H2O2, resulting in the degradation of the particles and light emission. (B) SEM image of the particles after synthesis. (C) SEM image of the particles after adding H2O2. (D) Photocount recorded at various particles concentrations. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D4MH00106K with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Harnessing their expertise in photochemical reactions, the team synthesized functional AA and BB monomers capable of Diels-Alder step-growth polymerization under light irradiation. The oligomers, with limited solubility in the reaction solvent, precipitated out upon reaching a critical molecular weight, facilitating particle formation via precipitation polymerization mechanism. Thorough optimization of polymerization parameters enabled precise control over particle size, yield, and shape, with solvent selection and flow rate playing crucial roles in the process. The solvent selection significantly affected polymer solubility, with dramatic effects on yield and particle size. The reaction yield increased impressively, from 1% in acetonitrile, a commonly used solvent, to up to 60% in the optimized water/methanol mixture. Since the reactions took place in a flow system, the flow rate was of paramount importance. In-depth investigation revealed that tuning the flow rate allowed manipulation of reaction yield, particle size, and shape, with the ability to tune the particle size over 545 nm (ranging from 185 to 730 nm). Furthermore, the initial monomer concentration played an important role in the reaction, as the limited solubility of the monomers prohibited equimolar monomer ratios at higher concentrations, significantly affecting particle morphology.

After successfully demonstrating the photo-flow reaction, the authors took advantage of the polymer’s nature, demonstrating its potential application in point-of-care devices. The Diels-Alder adduct exhibited intrinsic fluorescence, serving as a fluorophore for the peroxylate chemiluminescent reaction. Specifically, upon the addition of H2O2, the particles degraded via oxalate bond cleavage, resulting in the excitation of the fluorophore and subsequent photon emission with a strong signal, allowing for degradation monitoring.

In summary, this work surpasses previous approaches by developing a scalable photo-flow system capable of producing polymeric particles with tuneable properties within minutes, free from additives or radical initiators. The molecular design of these polymers enables the synthesis of functional and degradable particles responsive to chemical stimuli, featuring the potential for diverse applications. Overall, this study elegantly combines fundamental aspects of polymerization and materials design to pave the way for a plethora of applications in various fields.

To find out more, please read:

Photo-induced synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles and chemiluminescent degradable materials via flow chemistry
Joshua O. Holloway, Laura Delafresnaye, Emily M. Cameron, Jochen A. Kammerer and Christopher Barner-Kowollik
Mater. Horiz., 2024, DOI:10.1039/D4MH00106K

 


About the blogger


 

Dr. Kostas Parkatzidis is a Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc Fellow in the group of Professor Zhenan Bao at Stanford University (United States), working on the molecular design of polymer-based skin-inspired materials for various applications. Kostas obtained his PhD from ETH Zurich (Switzerland) under the supervision of Professor Athina Anastasaki where he focused on the development of advanced polymer synthesis and chemical recycling methodologies. He also holds MSc in Organic Chemistry and BSc in Materials Science and Technology obtained from the University of Crete (Greece). Since 2023, Kostas has served as a Materials Horizons Community Board member.

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Development of High-Toughness Liquid-Free Ionic Conductive Elastomers Through Multiple Cross-Linking Strategies

By Fang Cheng Liang, Community Board member.

Current ionic conductors, such as hydrogels and ionogels, offer diverse capabilities but also exhibit limitations. These systems rely on a substantial amount of liquid to provide a mobile environment for free ions, while a covalently crosslinked network enhances mechanical strength. However, the presence of liquid compromises thermal and electrochemical stability and reduces mechanical integrity. Furthermore, the covalently crosslinked network often results in irreversible polymer structures, creating a fundamental conflict between ionic conductivity, self-healing capabilities, and mechanical performance—challenges that are particularly pronounced in flexible and wearable ionotronic devices. To address these issues, many researchers are focusing on developing versatile ionic conductive elastomers with innovative polymer molecular structures. Yet, the design of liquid-free ion-conducting elastomers typically struggles to achieve high ionic conductivity due to restricted segmental motion of polymer chains in covalently crosslinked networks, leading to significantly slower ion transport efficiency and a reduced volume of free ions.

Figure 1: Molecular structure and mechanism design of SSxDAy–LiTFSIz%. (a) Schematic of the molecular structure of a high-strength, ultra-toughness and healing polyurethane with multiple dynamic bonding interactions in this elastomer. (b) SSxDAy–LiTFSIz%-based (i) wearable strain and (ii) pressure sensors and (iii) self-powered TENG. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh02217j with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

To enhance molecular segmental motion and ion transport, Ou and colleagues recently proposed a strategy that combines dual dynamic covalent bonds with non-covalent interactions. By integrating multilevel hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds, and dynamic donor-acceptor (D–A) bonds into a polyurethane system, they developed liquid-free ionic conductive polyurethane elastomers (ICPEs), designated as SS50DA50–LiTFSIz%. Polytetramethylene ether glycol was selected as the soft phase, whereas the ether chain segments engage in ionic transport through loosely coordinated lithium-oxygen (O–Li+) bonding interactions. This configuration facilitates the development of all-solid ICPEs characterized by high ionic conductivity. The well-designed structure of SS50DA50 enables self-healing at 130°C for 2 hours, achieving a high tensile strength of 58.90 MPa and toughness of 260.33 MJ m-3, with a healing efficiency of 92% and complete recyclability. This performance is attributed to the dynamic covalent crosslinked bonds that maintain the relative positions of the polymer chain segments under tension, thereby maintaining the three-dimensional integrity of the network and substantially improving both the tensile strength and toughness of the elastomers. Additionally, the ICPEs (SS50DA50–LiTFSI80%) demonstrated high mechanical strength (1.18 MPa), superior ionic conductivity (0.14 mS cm-1), and excellent healing capacity (healing efficiency >95%), highlighting their potential as wearable sensors for physical rehabilitation training.

Because of their excellent sensitivity and durability properties, the SS50DA50–LiTFSI80% elastomers are used in multifunctional sensors and triboelectric nanogenerators, capable of real-time and rapid detection of various human activities, and can recognize writing signals and encrypted information transmission. Furthermore, SS50DA50–LiTFSI80% achieved an excellent open-circuit voltage of 464 V, a short-circuit current of 16 mA, a transferred charge of 50 nC, and a power density of 720 mW m-2. Its outstanding output performance offers significant practical value for wearable electronics and self-powered products.

In summary, the innovative design of ICEs such as SS50DA50–LiTFSI80% features a polyurethane matrix enriched with multiple dynamic bonds, including hydrogen and disulfide bonds. This design offers a more robust and sustainable alternative with enhanced functionality compared to traditional hydrogels. The improved mechanical properties, healing abilities, and recyclability of these materials make them pivotal for the future of flexible and wearable technology. The potential applications of these elastomers extend from sustainable wearable electronics to energy-harvesting devices and solid-state polymer electrolytes.

To find out more, please read:

Liquid-free ionic conductive elastomers with high mechanical properties and ionic conductivity for multifunctional sensors and triboelectric nanogenerators
Fangyan Ou, Ting Xie, Xinze Li, Zhichao Zhang, Chuang Ning, Liang Tuo, Wenyu Pan, Changsheng Wang, Xueying Duan, Qihua Liang, Wei Gao, Zequan Li,* and Shuangliang Zhao
Mater. Horiz., 2024, DOI: 10.1039/d3mh02217j

 


About the blogger


 

Fang Cheng Liang is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and serves as a Community Board member for Materials Horizons. Before joining NUS, he was a Research Assistant Professor at the Research and Development Center for Smart Textile Technology at the National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan. He earned dual Ph.D. degrees in Organic Chemistry and Polymer Science and Engineering from the University Grenoble Alpes and National Taipei University of Technology in 2019. His research focuses on sustainable self-healing soft materials, liquid metal hydrogels, reconfigurable liquid crystal elastomers, and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite applications in light-emitting diodes, triboelectric nanogenerators, soft robotics, and wearable electronics.

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Bioelectronic Wound Dressings for Realtime Monitoring of Patient Health

By Kelsey DeFrates, Community Board member.

Patients with diabetes frequently develop chronic ulcers on their lower extremities that are extremely challenging to treat. To accelerate healing, numerous wound dressings have been developed to protect damaged tissue and possibly deliver therapeutics. However, few dressings can provide real-time monitoring of wound healing and patient health. Since diabetic ulcers are prone to persistent hyperglycemia, ischemia, prolonged inflammation, and bacterial infections, frequently assessing biomarkers is essential to optimize treatment and maximize healing outcomes.

In a recent work by Hou et. al., a multifunctional wound dressing is developed to not only shield diabetic foot wounds from insult and bacterial infections, but record wound site temperature, pH, and glucose levels. Additionally, the flexible electronic also monitors physiological signals such as patient heart rhythm and brain activity. To create the diagnostic dressing, a poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymer possessing cationic and anionic moieties, as well as the self-complementary hydrogen-bonding group, ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) is developed. The polymer abbreviated PADU after the first letter of each constituting monomer, forms flexible substrates due to intermolecular UPy interactions as well as ionic bonding between cationic and ionic segments.

 

Figure 1: Schematics of using the diagnostic wound dressings, the internal molecular structure and corresponding performance of flexible polymeric substrates. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH02064A with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

 

When applied to metals, rubber, plastic, glass, and biological tissues, PADU substrates display remarkable adhesion, notably exceeding an adhesive strength of 13 kPa for both diabetic and healthy mouse skin. Following damage to the patch, dynamic hydrogen bonding also endows PADU materials with self-healing capabilities, restoring 96% of their original mechanical strength after 24 hours. In practical use this gives PADU substrates a huge advantage because may be able to sustain electronic function despite physical damage from bodily movement.

In addition to its superb mechanical properties, PADU was also found to exhibit antibacterial activity. Killing of bacteria is achieved through disruption of the cell membrane by cationic groups within the polymer, making it active against even drug-resistant pathogens. Co-cultures with mammalian cells and blood cells, however, showed no cytotoxic or hemolytic effects, and biocompatibility was further confirmed by subcutaneous implantation into mice.

When glucose, pH, and temperature sensors were printed on PADU substrates, real-time monitoring of environmental conditions were reported with high accuracy. Gold foil electrodes could also be easily integrated into the patch to produce dressings capable of collecting electrocardiograms, electromyographic signals, and electroencephalograms. Due to their strong adhesion to skin, PADU-based sensors could even collect electrophysiological readings while patients were in motion, exceeding the accuracy of commercial sensors.

The dressing developed in the work by Hou, et. al. surpasses the capabilities of most diabetic wound dressings due its multifunctional performance as an adhesive and versatile electronic. Although initially designed for diabetic ulcers, the technology will likely find broad use as a diagnostic dressing for any type of slow-healing wound. In future studies, electronic patches may even be studied as implantable materials to monitor surgical site healing or internal injuries. Overall, the work demonstrates the vast utility of flexible bioelectronics and highlights the importance of developing new devices that not only treat but monitor chronic wounds.

To find out more, please read:

Skin-adhesive and self-healing diagnostic wound dressings for diabetic wound healing recording and electrophysiological signal monitoring
Zishuo Hou, Tengjiao Wang, Lei Wang, Junjie Wang, Yong Zhang, Qian Zhou,   Zhengheng Zhang, Peng Li and Wei Huang
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH02064A


About the blogger


 

Kelsey DeFrates is a Materials Horizons Community Board member. She received her Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering at Rowan University (Glassboro, New Jersey) in 2018 and completed her Ph.D. in Bioengineering through the University of California, Berkeley – UCSF joint graduate program in 2023. For her thesis research, Kelsey worked with Professor Phillip Messersmith at UC Berkeley on the development of supramolecular materials for drug delivery and tissue regeneration. In 2023, Kelsey joined Professor Christopher Hernandez at UCSF as a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow, where she is working to understand how bacteria sense and respond to physical stimuli. In future work, Kelsey hopes to use this information to develop engineered living materials for healthcare and sustainable building.

 

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Dual substitution strategy to promote ionic conductivity of solid-state electrolyte

By Haegyeom Kim, Community Board member.

Electrification of transportation has become one of the most important central themes of modern society to build a sustainable system. The market for electric vehicles (EVs), which are powered by Li-ion batteries (LIBs), has been growing very rapidly and continuously. While EVs have become more popular on the road, there are concerns about their safety and somewhat limited driving ranges. In this respect, solid-state Li metal batteries have been extensively explored because of the following merits. First, solid-state electrolytes are more resistant to catching fire than liquid organic electrolytes that are flammable. Second, solid-state electrolytes are expected to be more stable against lithium metal dendrite penetration, which allows the use of energy-dense lithium metal anodes instead of graphitic carbon. However, it is still challenging to achieve “practical” high-energy density of solid-state Li metal batteries, which requires thick composite cathodes enabled by super-ionic conductors (>10 mS/cm). Although we have observed significant progress in improving the ionic conductivities of solid-state electrolytes, more fundamental studies to understand important parameters promoting lithium-ion conductivity and further exploration in new chemical spaces are needed.

A recent study by Han and colleagues developed a new borohydride/halide dual-substituted argyrodite-type solid-state electrolyte, which achieves an ionic conductivity of > 26 mS/cm after low-temperature sintering. They synthesized the borohydride/halide dual-substituted argyrodite solid-state electrolytes using a two-step ball-milling method from β-Li3PS4, LiBH4, and LiCl. While they also tried to incorporate Br and I instead of Cl in the argyrodite solid-state electrolytes, they always produced unknown impurity phases and exhibited lower ionic conductivity. When they varied the compositions (2.5 ≥ x ≥ 1.5, Li3PS4 + xLiBH4 + 0.5LiCl), it was found that the composition of Li3PS4 + 2LiBH4 + 0.5LiCl (x = 2) exhibits the highest ionic conductivity of 16.4 mS/cm without sintering and 26.1 mS/cm after the sintering. They claimed that the increase of occupancy of BH4in 4a may harm the ionic conductivity when x is larger than 2, but it still remains an open question why x = 2 composition has a sweet spot for the highest ionic conductivity in their system.

Figure 1: (a) Nyquist plots of Li3PS4 + xLiBH4 + 0.5LiCl (2.5 ≥ x ≥ 1.5) and commercial Li6PS5Cl. (b) EIS spectra of Li5.35PS4.35(BH4)1.15Cl0.5 at various temperatures. (c) Arrhenius plots and the activation energy of Li3PS4 + xLiBH4 + 0.5LiCl (2.5 ≥ x ≥ 1.5) and commercial Li6PS5Cl. (d) BH4- occupancy of 4a and 4d sites for each electrolyte and its ionic conductivity. The dashed lines are the trend lines of each site. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01450A with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

They further investigated the electrochemical properties, including oxidation stability limit, Li metal deposition/stripping cycles, and full cell tests. While they confirmed that their borohydride/halide dual-substituted argyrodite-type solid-state electrolytes are stable up to 5.0 V (vs. Li/Li+) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique, they used a simple cell configuration of Li-metal/solid-state electrolyte/current collector, which often overestimates oxidation limits. In the Li/solid-state electrolyte/Li symmetric cycling tests, they achieved stable cycling for up to 2000 hours (at 1mA/cm2, for 1 hour charge – 1 hour discharge cycles) and high critical current density (CCD) of 2.5 mA/cm2. They also confirmed the practical feasibility of their solid-state electrolytes in full-cell tests where Li metal and LiNbO3-coated LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 are used as an anode and a cathode, respectively.

In conclusion, Han et al. demonstrated that the dual substitution of borohydride and halide enhances lithium-ionic conductivity of argyrodite-type solid-state electrolytes significantly. Their work sheds light on a new strategy of dual substitution to achieve super-ionic conductivity although there are remaining important questions to understand (i) why only Cl could be soluble in the argyrodite structure along with borohydride and (ii) why a specific composition shows the best ionic conductivity. Answering the questions above will give us better insights to design even better super-ionic conductors in the future.

To find out more, please read:

Borohydride and halide dual-substituted lithium argyrodites
Ji-Hoon Han, Do Kyung Kim, Young Joo Lee, Young-Su Lee, Kyung-Woo Yi and  Young Whan Cho.
Mater. Horiz., 2024, 11, 251-261, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01450A


About the blogger


Haegyeom Kim is a Staff Scientist at Materials Sciences Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a Community Board member of Materials Horizons. In 2016-2019, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the LBNL (Supervisor: Prof. Gerbrand Ceder). He also spent 1 year as a postdoctoral researcher at Research Institute of Advanced Materials in Seoul National University (SNU) (Supervisor: Prof. Kisuk Kang) in 2015-2016. Dr. Kim completed his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering from SNU in 2015 (Advisor: Prof. Kisuk Kang), Master’s Degree in EEWS (Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability) from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2011, and Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Hanyang University in 2009. At LBNL, Dr. Kim runs Renewable Energy Storage Lab, which designs and develops efficient and cost-effective energy storage and conversion materials based on the fundamental understanding of synthesis-structure-performance relationships. More information about Dr. Kim and his research group can be found here: https://kimhaegyeom1.wixsite.com/kim1

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