High-Performance Neuromorphic Computing Based on One-Dimensional Halide Perovskites

By Wen Shi, Community Board member.

Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the structure of the human brain, aims to overcome the limitations of traditional computing architectures by more closely integrating processing and memory functions. It is believed that this approach is a step towards dramatically improving the efficiency of artificial neural networks by in-memory computing. Specifically, compared to conventional graphics processing units, the memristor crossbars connected by synapses would markedly enhance the training and inference of the artificial neural networks in terms of speed and power for natural language processing, image classification, and so forth.

Due to their tantalizing properties, including unique control of ionic processes, mechanical flexibility, and low cost processability, organic materials, such as small molecules, polymers, graphene oxides, and halide perovskites, have sparked considerable research interests for crossbar memristive materials for artificial neural networks. Nevertheless, some weaknesses, such as dissatisfactory environmental stability, irreproducible switching behavior, and lack of understanding of the switching mechanisms, inevitably limit their applications for such application. Thus, it is of vital importance to rationally design new organic materials for crossbar memristors and synapses, to thoroughly understand their mechanisms, and to characterize their performance.

Recently, Vishwanath et al. designed, fabricated, and evaluated one-dimensional halide perovskites for crossbar memristive materials for application in artificial neural networks. They synthesized two kinds of one-dimensional halide perovskites, one with the organic cation of propylpyridinium and the other with the organic cation of benzylpyridinium. The substituted pyridines were used as templating agents to construct the one-dimensional structures. Compared to the three-dimensional perovskites, these exhibit better resistive switching performance due to their larger band gaps.

Figure 1: Comparative evaluation of 1D halide perovskites (PrPyr)[PbI3] and (BnzPyr)[PbI3]. Single crystal X-ray structures of 1D lead-iodide hybrids (A) (PrPyr)[PbI3] and (B) (BnzPyr)[PbI3]. Grey, blue, and purple spheroids represent C, N, and I atoms, respectively, while the cyan octahedron represents the [PbI6]−4 coordination sphere. Insets show the molecular structures of PrPyr+ and BnzPyr+ cations. H atoms are omitted for clarity. Thermal ellipsoids are shown at 50% probability. (C) Glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD) patterns, (D) UV-vis absorption spectra, and (E) I–V characteristics demonstrating the resistive switching effect in three different perovskites, MAPbI3, (PrPyr)[PbI3] and (BnzPyr)[PbI3]. (F) Crystal structure of (BnzPyr)[PbI3] where the edgeto-face type π-stacking interactions of aromatic cores are highlighted with dashed lines within the organic galleries. The square insets show a view down the axis from the perspective of eclipsed aromatic cores (viewing direction is denoted by the black arrows, while the red arrows point to the C atoms containing C–H ‘‘H-bond donor’’ functionalities). Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh02055j with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In order to maximize the improvement of their reliability, endurance, and retention, a device configuration of Ag/PMMA/HP/PEDOT:PSS/ITO was adopted, in which the halide perovskites switching matrix is sandwiched between the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) isolated layers and the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). By employing the widely-used solution-processable technique, the team elaborately fabricated the largest dot point and crossbar halide perovskites memristive arrays so far (50000 devices across an area of 100 cm2 and 16×16 crossbar).

Furthermore, they comprehensively analyzed the analog programming window for the halide perovskites. Concurrently, a spiking neural network with halide perovskite synapses was trained to classify the handwritten digits from the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology database, which corroborates the applicability of the spike-timing-dependent plasticity learning of one-dimensional halide perovskite memristive synapses.

In summary, this novel study pioneers a new path for high-performance neuromorphic computing with innovative halide perovskites as the active material. These insightful results not only offer a solid foundation for the future explorations of halide perovskites in state-of-the-art neuromorphic computing, but also highlight the significance of materials innovation in unlocking the potential of next-generation computing technologies.

To find out more, please read:

High-performance one-dimensional halide perovskite crossbar memristors and synapses for neuromorphic computing
Sujaya Kumar Vishwanath, Benny Febriansyah, Si En Ng, Tisita Das, Jyotibdha Acharya, Rohit Abraham John, Divyam Sharma, Putu Andhita Dananjaya, Metikoti Jagadeeswararao, Naveen Tiwari, Mohit Ramesh Chandra Kulkarni, Wen Siang Lew, Sudip Chakraborty, Arindam Basuf and Nripan Mathews
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/d3mh02055j


About the blogger


 

Wen Shi is currently an Associate Professor at School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University and a Materials Horizons Community Board member. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Tsinghua University in 2017. From 2017 to 2021, he worked as a scientist at Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. Dr. Shi’s current research interests are in theoretical computations and simulations of functional materials.

 

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Processing Myco-Composites Through Sustainable Additive Manufacturing

By Danila Merino, Community Board member.

In the ever-evolving landscape of materials engineering, researchers are pushing the boundaries of sustainability and functionality. One groundbreaking avenue of exploration is the integration of mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, into biocomposites. In this blog post, we delve into a recent study that harnesses the unique properties of mycelium through 3D printing and indirect inoculation, resulting in a material with enhanced mechanical strength and diverse applications.

Shen et al. formulated a biocomposite designed to offer mechanical robustness and compatibility with mycelium. To achieve this, the researchers ingeniously selected chitosan and cellulose and introduced leftover coffee grounds as a sustainable source of nutrients. This careful combination created a material that not only exhibited shear thinning behavior, ideal for 3D printing but also laid the foundation for mycelium colonization (Figure 1).

One distinguishing feature of this study is the use of indirect inoculation for mycelium colonization. Traditionally, direct inoculation involves mixing the inoculum with the composite material before printing. However, the researchers chose a different route, incubating printed samples on a bed of live mycelium. This indirect approach, although taking longer for full colonization, turned out to be more effective.

The study of the mechanical properties of biocomposites revealed a strong influence on the orientation of the 3D printing tool path and the alignment of the cellulose fibers. The authors printed parts of different shapes, and the mechanical properties were dependent on the printing design. However, the fully colonized material showed a notable increase in mechanical strength, surpassing previously reported mycelium composites.

 

Figure 1. (A) Keeping the solid:liquid ratio consistent, the introduction of spent coffee grounds augmented the rate of mycelium colonization up to a threshold (B) The optimized biocomposite displays shear-thinning characteristics, offering advantages for extrusion-based additive manufacturing. (C) Achieving a vertical resolution of approximately 2 mm. Adapted from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01277H with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry

The influence of mycelium extended beyond mechanical properties to wettability and absorption characteristics. The fully colonized composite developed a smooth hydrophobic “skin,” demonstrating improved water contact angles. Under submerged conditions, the colonized compound demonstrated lower water absorption and volume swelling, attributed to the presence of hydrophobic mycelial hyphae.

The team explored the capabilities of mycelium to develop biosealed mycelium containers as self-sealing living boxes and the creation of flexible textile-like materials through precise 3D printing and mycelium colonization. By printing biocomposite panels with consistent gaps and allowing mycelium to cover them, flexible hinges were formed, enabling the creation of a material capable of bending and stretching in multiple directions.

In conclusion, the fusion of 3D printing, indirect inoculation, and mycelium colonization represents a leap forward in the field of sustainable biocomposites. The mechanical properties, wetting characteristics, and adaptability of the biocomposite open avenues for green alternatives in packaging, textiles, and more.

To find out more, please read:

Robust myco-composites: a biocomposite platform for versatile hybrid-living materials
Sabrina C. Shen, Nicolas A. Lee, William J. Lockett, Aliai D. Acuil, Hannah B. Gazdus, Branden N. Spitzerab  and Markus J. Buehler
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01277H


About the blogger


 

Dr. Danila Merino is the PI of the SusBioComp group at POLYMAT and a Materials Horizons Community Board member. Her research focuses on the development of new sustainable biocomposite materials derived from biomass specifically designed to protect and enhance agricultural and food systems with minimal environmental impact.

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Using a liquid-liquid interfacial route in the production of anodes for aqueous sodium-ion batteries

By Josh J Bailey, Community Board member.

To address the need for large-scale electrochemical energy storage (EES), much research attention has moved beyond Li-ion batteries due to safety and security-of-supply issues. Sodium, an alkali-metal which is much more abundant and well-distributed globally, is of keen interest as its mining process is cleaner and freer from ethical concern. Moreover, to avoid the high flammability of organic electrolytes, some researchers are looking towards aqueous sodium-ion batteries as a potential contender for future EES systems. This has the added benefit of increasing the ionic conductivity by as much as two orders of magnitude versus organic equivalents, potentially enabling higher rate capability. However, moving from traditional carbonate-based electrolytes to water means a narrowing of the electrochemical stability window and the need for electrodes to facilitate the intercalation and de-intercalation of hydrated cations. Given the smaller accessible voltage and the larger charge carrier, aqueous sodium-ion batteries are still plagued by low specific energy and limited lifespans.

Therefore, the development of new electrode materials to maximise specific capacity is an important research direction. For the anode material, much attention has been paid to the development of polyanionic materials, such as sodium superionic conductors (NASICON), but also carbon-based materials such as polypyrrole and polyimide systems. In recent work by Maria K. Ramos et al., however, the synthesis of a graphene-based composite thin-film was presented, incorporating two compounds that had been shown to have high capacities but suffered from low conductivity and significant volume changes.

Specifically, the researchers highlighted the difficulty of producing ternary thin-films by traditional fabrication routes (e.g., spin-coating, vapour deposition etc.), spurring the development of a liquid-liquid interfacial route (LLIR) for the self-assembly of materials at the interface of immiscible liquids to give a continuous network that can be deposited on any solid substrate. MoS2, known to facilitate the intercalation and de-intercalation of hydrated sodium ions, and non-toxic copper oxide nanoparticles with high theoretical specific capacity, were combined with graphene in this way to produce ternary films that were electrochemically characterised.

Interestingly, the researchers detailed three different thin-film preparation approaches using their LLIR method (Figure 1). The in-situ approach, whereby graphene oxide and Cu2+ were simultaneously reduced in a dispersion of MoS2, yielded a thin-film anode material that demonstrated a very high specific capacity of 1377 mA h g-1 (c.f. specific capacity of typical lithium-ion batteries is < 200 mA h g-1).

Figure 1: Schematic representation of the general steps for thin-film preparation of: (a) MoS2; (b) rGO/CuxO or rGO; (c) rGO/MoS2 and rGO/CuxO/MoS2 layer-by-layer; (d) rGO/MoS2 and rGO/CuxO/MoS2 mixing; and (e) rGO/MoS2 and rGO/CuxO/MoS2 by an in-situ method. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00982c with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In summary, the successful implementation of this in-situ liquid-liquid interfacial method for thin-film preparation provides encouragement for its use to produce other composite electrode materials, and a greater understanding of its scalability. The demonstration of such a high-capacity aqueous sodium-ion battery electrode should encourage greater exploration of this more sustainable, beyond-lithium EES technology.

To find out more, please read:

Nanoarchitected graphene/copper oxide nanoparticles/MoS2 ternary thin films as highly efficient electrodes for aqueous sodium-ion batteriesMaria K. Ramos, Gustavo Martins, Luiz H. Marcolino-Junior, Márcio F. Bergamini, Marcela M. Oliveira and Aldo J. G. Zarbin
Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 5521-5537, DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00982c


About the blogger


 

Dr Josh J Bailey is an Illuminate Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, focused on the implementation and optimisation of ionic liquids used in polymer electrolyte fuel cells and is a Materials Horizons Community Board member. He received his doctoral degree from University College London, UK, as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Characterisation of Materials, investigating electrode degradation in solid oxide fuel cells. His research interests span fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, and flow batteries, both in terms of the design of novel electrodes, electrolytes, and membrane materials, as well as the study of materials degradation, with a view to improving performance and durability.

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Rebirth of biomass technology for functional materials through supramolecular upcycling

By Olga Guselnikova.

For a considerable period, the engine of progress was fuelled primarily by economic incentives. However, this paradigm has shifted due to increased awareness of the environmental consequences of society. Focus has turned towards embracing sustainability as a precursor to assimilating the fruits of progress into industry. This trend leverages the conversion of different waste feedstock like plastics, metals, etc, into new added value matter. The added value matter could be fuels, solvents, organic substrates, new polymers, and functional materials.

Embracing the notion that “the new is often the well-forgotten old,” the use of biomass as a feedstock for materials with practicable qualities has been revisited and revitalized. The biomass is feedstock mainly derived from agricultural and forestry resources, and animal resources. Compared to other waste feedstock, such as plastic, electronic, and construction waste, biomass already fits more within the sustainable economic strategy due to its natural origin. The other side of this coin is the insufficient mechanical properties of biomass-derived materials which leads to poor durability and recyclability of functional materials from biomass.

Recent work from Leixiao Yu, Lingyan Gao, Shengyi Dong and team suggests a supramolecular strategy to overcome these limitations. They reported the conversion of 6 types of biomass (cellulose, guar gum, sericin protein, chitin, corn protein and potato starch) to functional materials via copolymerization with thioctic acid (TA) to afford poly[TA-biomass]. The material formation is driven by hydrogen bonding between TA and the polar functional groups in the biomass. Despite such non-covalent forces being reversible and inherently weaker than covalent bonds, prepared materials are proven to be highly impact resistant. The prepared poly[TA-biomass] is highly adhesive and water-resistant, however, it could be fully depolymerized by simple ethanol treatment and involved in the next cycle of polymerization-utilization without any obvious decay in mechanical strength. This anticipates potential applications of poly[TA-biomass as anti-water, impact resistant materials. The team expanded the potential application directions to the biomedical field by demonstrating high biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and antimicrobial effects towards both gram-positive and negative bacteria, attributed to TA. For instance, the newly prepared poly[TA-biomass] may hold promise for smart packaging or wound healing materials.

Figure 1:Chemical structures of biomass (upper block,) and preparation of poly[TA-biomass]s via supramolecular approach – formation of hydrogen bonding hydrogen bonding between thioctic and the polar functional groups in the biomass (middle block) and key advantages of poly[TA-biomass]s materials. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01692g with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

This recent work is a perfect example of the “waste to wealth” approach, where materials chemistry assisted in transforming common feedstock into functional materials. Combining waste feedstock with a supramolecular strategy is a promising concept that can be broadened to the use of other types of feedstock (plastic, metal) and a broad family of non-covalent interactions (hydrogen bonding, π- π stacking, hydrophobic effects). At the moment, however, this research directs the attention of the community to biomass as a promising feedstock for functional materials design.

To find out more, please read:

A supramolecular approach for converting renewable biomass into functional materials
Yunfei Zhang, Changyong Cai, Ke Xu, Xiao Yang, Leixiao Yu, Lingyan Gao and Shengyi Dong
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01692G


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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Improving MoO2-based water-splitting electrocatalysts by incorporating Fe

By Shahid Zaman, Community Board member.

As we progress towards sustainable sources of energy, achieving efficient hydrogen generation through water splitting becomes increasingly vital. However, the challenges associated with electrode and membrane degradation due to corrosion in seawater hinder large-scale applications. While indirect seawater splitting through pre-desalination can circumvent corrosion issues, it introduces a drawback demanding additional energy input, rendering it economically less attractive. Therefore, the development of cost-effective water splitting electrocatalysts is essential for making the overall electrolysis process economically viable for widespread adoption and industrialization. Metal oxide electrocatalysts with active site engineering is a cutting-edge strategy to obtain high activity and durable catalysts for long-lasting performance under harsh saline conditions.

Recent work by Meng and team presents heterogeneous spin state molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) as a promising electrocatalyst to address the above critical challenges. Their novel approach involves the incorporation of Fe into MoO2 nanosheets on Ni foam (Fe-MoO2/NF) through a rapid carbothermal shocking method. This synthetic process facilitates the lattice dislocations, effectively exposing rich O vacancies and inducing a low-oxidation state in Mo sites, especially during the rapid Joule heating process. This results in the manipulation of spin states between Fe and Mo atoms. The resulting catalyst demonstrates remarkable performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline seawater.

The integration of heterogeneous spin states into MoO2 disrupts the d–d orbital coupling resulting in modified electronic configuration. This significantly affects the binding energy between the active sites and reaction intermediates, thereby enhancing the electrocatalytic activity. The catalytic activity of Fe–MoO2/NF is demonstrated by ultralow overpotentials recorded for both HER (17 mV@10 mA cm−2) and OER (310 mV@50 mA cm−2). Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits high selectivity in alkaline seawater splitting, showcasing its potential for efficient hydrogen production in challenging environmental conditions. To demonstrate the practical applicability of this newly developed electrocatalyst, the Fe–MoO2/NF is assembled into an anion exchange membrane seawater electrolyser that achieves a low energy consumption of 5.5 kW h m−3, emphasizing its practical application in renewable energy systems.

Figure 1: (A) Synthesis scheme of Fe–MoO2 /NF; SEM and TEM image along with HRTEM images and Schematic representations of lattice distortion formation mechanism of incorporated heterogeneous spin state (B) DFT analysis of the optimized models of MoO2, Fe–MoO2 and charge density difference plot of Fe–MoO2 (C) HER, OER and AEM electrolyzer polarization curves in saline water with long-term HER stability measurements in alkaline seawater solution. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01757E with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

An important aspect of this research is the successful coupling of Fe–MoO2/NF with a solar-driven electrolytic system, yielding a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 13.5%. This demonstrates the catalyst’s compatibility with solar energy, opening avenues for sustainable and clean hydrogen production. Theoretical insights into the electronic structure of Fe-incorporated MoO2, along with the abundance of oxygen vacancies, provides a deeper understanding of the catalytic mechanisms involved. Distortion of the Mo–O bonds, optimized through this method, plays a crucial role in enhancing the binding energy of adsorbed species during the electrochemical processes.

Looking forward, these findings hold significant promise for practical water splitting at a scalable level, especially in the context of solar-to-hydrogen production. The successful integration of Fe–MoO2/NF into a solar-driven electrolytic system is a critical step toward sustainable and eco-friendly widespread adoption and integration into large-scale hydrogen production systems. In the pursuit of practical water splitting for solar-to-hydrogen production on a larger scale, the key challenge lies in making the process economically viable and technologically feasible. Thus, the prospects for this work include optimizing the synthesis method and extending for other heterogeneous spin such as Ni and Co for seawater splitting, which might extend the versatility of the proposed strategy, offering a simple and efficient approach for efficient electrocatalysts. The simplicity and efficiency of the proposed strategy make it an attractive option for large-scale implementation. As the demand for green energy solutions and the reduction of carbon footprints continue to grow, the significance of advancements in water-splitting, especially saline water electrolysis driven by solar energy, cannot be overstated. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that renewable energy sources can be used to produce hydrogen, which will pave the ways towards a more greener and sustainable energy future.

To find out more, please read:

Rapid carbothermal shocking fabrication of iron-incorporated molybdenum oxide with heterogeneous spin states for enhanced overall water/seawater splitting
Jianpeng Sun, Shiyu Qin, Zhan Zhao, Zisheng Zhang and Xiangchao Meng
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01757E


About the blogger


 

Shahid Zaman is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Hydrogen Research Institute, University of Quebec Trois-Rivières, Canada, and he is a Materials Horizons Community Board member. He received his Ph.D. in Material Physics and Chemistry from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Southern University of Science and Technology, China. Dr. Shahid’s current research interests are nanomaterials for electrocatalysis in proton exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers.

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Towards a personalized therapy for peripheral nerve injuries

By Anna Stejskalova, Community Board Member.

Peripheral nerve injury is a common complication of surgical procedures and traumatic insults that can result in severe discomfort including chronic pain and sensory defects. Ensuring that the injured nerve regenerates is therefore critical for the long-term well-being of affected individuals. A promising therapeutic strategy to enhance regeneration is to target both the initial inflammation and subsequently promote axonal regrowth. How to deliver drugs sequentially and on time for each patient is a complex engineering challenge requiring innovative solutions.

Toward this end, Shan and the team developed a stimuli-responsive drug delivery scaffold for a dual drug delivery that makes it possible to target both inflammation and axonal sprouting sequentially. The team created a composite material that consists of a Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) shell that provides mechanical support to the regenerating axons and that can be loaded with the novel bioactive and stimuli-responsive scaffold.

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the structure and drug release process of the responsive cascade drug delivery scaffold (RCDDS) for peripheral nerve injury repair. (A) A brief illustration of the structure of the RCDDS implanted in SD rat. (B) Drug release process of the RCDDS and the corresponding repair stage. Vitamin B12 loaded in the hydrogel system can be adjustably released in the early stage by ultrasound to alleviate inflammation, while NGF loaded in alginate microspheres and PLGA nanoparticles can be gradually released from the RCDDS to promote axon regeneration one month after implantation. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01511D with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry

To achieve a staggered drug release profile, the team encapsulated vitamin B12 (vB12) with anti-inflammatory properties directly inside calcium crosslinked alginate hydrogel and used an additional multilevel encapsulation approach consisting of microspheres loaded with nerve growth factor (NGF)-adsorbed nanoparticles enabling their delayed release compared to vB12. The team then leveraged ultrasound as a stimulus to hierarchically open polymer chains in ultrasound-responsive calcium cross-linked alginate hydrogels.  The rate of release of both vB12 and NGF was not predetermined and could be tuned by changing ultrasound intensity thus enabling the adjustment of the delivery profiles based on the individual patient’s healing progress. Interestingly, the ultrasound treatment alone improved peripheral nerve regeneration by promoting the secretion of neurotrophins in rodent models. Taken together, Shan and colleagues developed a novel strategy to promote nerve repair which utilizes ultrasound as an easily administrable stimulus that makes it possible to adjust the treatment of injured peripheral nerves based on patient’s needs.

To find out more, please read:

A responsive cascade drug delivery scaffold adapted to the therapeutic time window for peripheral nerve injury repair
Yizhu Shan, Lingling Xu, Xi Cui, Engui Wang, Fengying Jiang, Jiaxuan Li, Han Ouyang, Tailang Yin, Hongqing Feng, Dan Luo, Yan Zhang and Zhou Li
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01511D

 


About the blogger


 

Anna Stejskalova is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Materials Horizons Community Board. Dr. Stejskalova’s research focuses on female reproductive health and preterm birth utilizing organs on a chips and advanced biomaterials.

 

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NestedAE: An Interpretable Machine Learning Architecture for Predicting the Multi-Scale Performance of Materials

By Wen Shi, Community Board Member.

Quantitative prediction of material function based on multi-scale modeling is of vital importance for not only systematic performance optimization, but also precise materials design. Due to the nonintuitive and nontrivial structure-property relationship across different length scales, a comprehensive characterization of the hierarchical behavior of functional materials still remains a formidable challenge to date. To deal with this burning issue, recently Hernandez et al. made full use of data science techniques and developed an interpretable neural network architecture, viz. NestedAE, to link and quantify material properties across various length scales.

In NestedAE, an autoencoder is used to represent each physical scale of the materials, and a series of autoencoders are connected. Thus, the successive transfer of ‘‘important’’ information from one scale to another can be realized by the latent space of each autoencoder. In contrast to the previous approaches, in NestedAE each autoencoder possesses a different architecture and it is trained upon its own data set. Moreover, both the latents from the previous autoencoder and the features from the data set are reconstructed by the autoencoder.

Figure 1: Unsupervised (A) and supervised (B) NestedAE architecture. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01484c with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry

To demonstrate the applicability of this newly developed machine learning architecture, Hernandez et al. employed NestedAE to compute the density-functional-theory bandgaps of metal halide perovskites based on their atomic and ionic properties. Furthermore, their power conversion efficiencies were also predicted. It was proven that the predicted results agreed well with the previous experimental observations, and its application on the metal halide perovskites established the correlation between the fundamental atomistic-level structural properties and the macroscopic device performance.

In summary, this computational study developed an interpretable machine learning architecture, NestedAE, to quantitatively predict the material properties at many length scales and to correlate the basic chemical structure and the macroscopic performance. These insightful results pioneer a new way for hierarchically optimizing and designing new functional materials.

To find out more, please read:

NestedAE: interpretable nested autoencoders for multi-scale materials characterization
Nikhil Thota, Maitreyee Sharma Priyadarshini, and Rigoberto Hernandez
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance article, DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01484C

 


About the blogger


 

Wen Shi is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University and he is a Materials Horizons Community Board member. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Tsinghua University in 2017. From 2017 to 2021, he worked as a scientist at Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. Dr. Shi’s current research interests are in theoretical computations and simulations of functional materials.

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Scientific Editor Guoping Chen elected as TERMIS-AP Chair Elect

We are delighted to share that Materials Horizons Scientific Editor Professor Guoping Chen (National Institute for Materials Science, Japan) has been elected as the TERMIS Chair Elect for the Asia-Pacific council in the last December election.

Check out the full new elected committee here

Professor Chen has started his new role as the TERMIS-AP Chair Elect on January 1st 2024 where he will serve for 3 years. He will then be promoted to the TERMIS-AP Chair from 2027 to 2029.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Guoping Chen for his new role!

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Leveraging AI for Water Electrolysis: How Machine Learning is Transforming Catalyst Discovery

By Raul A. Marquez, Community Board member.

Developing low-cost, earth-abundant catalysts is essential in the quest for green hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting. However, screening and optimizing the performance of these materials has traditionally been a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Integrating innovative approaches such as machine learning in electrocatalysis presents a promising solution to expedite catalyst screening and discovery. Could these strategies be the game-changer in electrocatalysis design and testing? A recent study by Lim et al. suggests that combining machine learning with lab automation is ideal for identifying effective catalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions.

The central figures of this study are transition metal layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalysts known for their unique lamellar structure and tunable chemical compositions. By examining five metal components (Ni, Co, Fe, Mo, and W) at varying ratios, the study efficiently leveraged machine learning to explore different compositions and correlate experimental electrochemical performance. This approach followed a simple yet powerful machine learning optimization workflow (Figure 1) that utilized a small initial dataset, Bayesian Optimization, and three machine learning algorithms: the Gaussian Process Regression, Gradient Boosting, and Neural Networks.

Figure 1: Summary of machine learning optimization workflow. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3MH00788J with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The neural networks proved most effective in predicting optimal catalyst compositions. The champion catalyst emerged as the molybdate-intercalated CoFe LDH, exhibiting overpotentials of 266 and 272 mV for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions, respectively, while maintaining a decent stability over 50 hours. What makes this particular combination stand out? Integrating molybdate is thought to disrupt the LDH’s turbostratic structure, thereby increasing the number of active sites. Interestingly, the study also noted an unexpected outcome: Ni, typically a critical component in high-performing water-splitting electrocatalysts, was frequently excluded by the model’s recommendations. Why does this occur? It is time for the electrocatalysis detectives to investigate!

An automated synthesis system also provided an effective platform for scaling up these materials without significantly altering their physical and chemical properties. This aspect highlights the potential for industrial application and sets a precedent for scaling up electrocatalytic materials in the field.

In summary, this study underscores the potential of integrating machine learning methods into experimental workflows. This approach expedites the optimization of electrocatalysis performance, marking a substantial advancement in developing efficient and sustainable hydrogen production technologies.

To find out more, check out the full publication:

Machine learning-assisted optimization of multi-metal hydroxide electrocatalysts for overall water splitting
Carina Yi Jing Lim, Riko I Made, Zi Hui Jonathan Khoo, Chee Koon Ng, Yang Bai, Jianbiao Wang, Gaoliang Yang, Albertus D. Handoko, and Yee-Fun Lim
Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 5022-5031 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH00788J

 


About the blogger


 

Raul A. Marquez is a Chemistry Ph.D. student working with Prof. C. Buddie Mullins at The University of Texas at Austin and a Materials Horizons Community Board member. His research focuses on understanding the chemical transformations of electrocatalytic materials and developing functional devices for energy storage and conversion technologies. Follow Raul’s latest research by following him on X (formerly Twitter): @ruloufo

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Visual observation for diagnosis of halitosis and screening of periodontitis based on a structural color hydrogel

By Jing Xie, Community Board member.

Currently, the staging and grading of periodontitis are the basis for effective treatment which relies on professional and complicated oral examinations. As such, there lacks an efficient strategy for the screening of periodontitis. Oral pathogens can produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) which cause halitosis, and which can also act as biomarkers for periodontitis. High-sensitivity detection of exhaled VSCs is urgently desired for promoting the point-of-care testing (POCT) of halitosis and screening of periodontitis. However, current detection methods often require bulky and costly instruments, as well as professional training, making them impractical for widespread detection.

To promote the POCT of VSCs, Hu et al. recently reported a structural color hydrogel for naked-eye detection of oral pathogens, diagnosis of halitosis, and screening of periodontitis (Figure 1). They employed a disulfide-containing molecule N,N-bis(acryloyl)-(L)-cystine (BISS) as a VSC-responsive crosslinker within a polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel network and introduced the hydrogel into a photonic crystal structure. The disulfide bonds in the hydrogel can be reduced to sulfhydryl groups by VSCs, leading to cleaved crosslinkers and thus a decreased crosslink density. As a result, the hydrogel swells, leading to a red shift of the Bragg diffraction wavelength, causing a corresponding change in the structural color of the photonic crystal. The structural color hydrogel is capable of linear detection of 0–1 ppm VSCs, which covers the typical concentration of VSCs exhaled by patients with periodontitis, and a limit of detection (LOD) of 61 ppb to H2S can be achieved. Via real-time and in-situ sensing of the VSCs produced by porphyromonas gingivalis, the proliferation process can be visually monitored, which shows consistent results with the commonly used turbidimetric method. On this basis, the structural color hydrogel is applied to detect exhaled VSCs of patients with halitosis, showing results consistent with the clinical diagnosis. By integrating hydrogels of various colors into a sensor array, the oral health conditions of patients with halitosis can be evaluated and distinguished, offering a risk assessment of periodontitis.

 

Figure 1: Schematic illustration of the structural color hydrogel for diagnosis of halitosis and screening of periodontitis. Exhaled VSCs reduce the disulfide bonds to sulfhydryl groups within the hydrogel network, leading to expansion and color shift of the hydrogel. A higher concentration of VSCs suggests severe halitosis and a higher risk of periodontitis. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01563g with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In summary, compared with the state-of-the-art detection methods, the structural color hydrogel has the potential for employment in low-cost, high-sensitivity, and high-accuracy point-of-care diagnosis of halitosis and screening of periodontitis without bulky instruments and power sources. This opens a door to an auxiliary diagnosis of periodontitis and has great significance for stomatology.

To find out more, please read:

A structural color hydrogel for diagnosis of halitosis and screening of periodontitis
Chuanshun Hu, Jieyu Zhou, Jin Zhang, Yonghang Zhao, Chunyu Xie, Wei Yin, Jing Xie, Huiying Li, Xin Xu, Lei Zhao, Meng Qin and Jianshu Li
Mater. Horiz., 2024, Advance article, DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01563g

 


About the blogger


 

Jing Xie is currently an Associate Professor at Sichuan University and a member of the Materials Horizons Community Board. Dr. Xie focuses on the exploration and preparation of polymer materials and their composites, with a focus on the biological domain, particularly within the context of bone-related ailments, including osteoarthritis, bone defects, and others.

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