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Hybrid CuO-Co3O4 nanosphere building blocks have been embedded between the layered nanosheets of reduced graphene oxides with a 3D hybrid architecture (CuO-Co3O4-RGO), which are successfully applied as enhanced anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The CuO-Co3O4-RGO sandwiched nanostructures exhibit a reversible capacity of ∼847 mA·h·g−1 after 200 cycles’ cycling at 100 mA·g−1 with a capacity retention of 79%. The CuO-Co3O4-RGO compounds show superior electrochemical properties than the comparative CuO-Co3O4, Co3O4 and CuO anodes, which may be ascribed to the following reasons: the hybridizing multicomponent can probably give the complementary advantages; the mutual benefit of uniformly distributing nanospheres across the layered RGO nanosheets can avoid the agglomeration of both the RGO nanosheets and the CuO-Co3O4 nanospheres; the three dimensional (3D) storage structure as well as the graphene wrapped composite could enhance the electrical conductivity and reduce volume expansion effect associated with the discharge-charge process.

This article reviews advanced process and electron device technology of integrated circuits, including recent featuring progress and potential solutions for future development. In 5 years, for pushing the performance of fin field-effect transistors (FinFET) to its limitations, several processes and device boosters are provided. Then, the three-dimensional (3D) integration schemes with alternative materials and device architectures will pave paths for future technology evolution. Finally, it could be concluded that Moore's law will undoubtedly continue in the next 15 years.

The practical application of Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is significantly inhibited by (i) the notable ‘shuttle effect’ of lithium polysulfides (LiPS), (ii) the corrosion of the lithium interface, and (iii) the sluggish redox reaction kinetics. The functional separator in the Li-S battery has the potential to provide the perfect solution to these problems. Herein a triple-layer multifunctional PVDF-based nanofiber separator, which contains GoTiN/PVDF layer on the top and bottom and ZnTPP/PVDF layer on the middle, is designed. The polarity and porous structure of this multifunctional separator can greatly improve the wettability of electrolytes and enhance the transportation of Li+. With the zinc-based porphyrin framework (ZnTPP) structure, this separator has a strong chemisorption and LiPS conversion ability, which greatly prevent the ‘shuttle effect’. Consequently, the designed multilayer separator showed excellent electrochemical performance. As a result, the cell with GoTiN@ZnTPP@GoTiN nanofiber membrane displayed an initial discharge capacity of 1180 mAh/g with a benign capacity retention of 65.9% at 0.5 C and high coulombic efficiency of more than 98.5% after 100 cycles. Even at 2 C, it can still release a capacity of 798 mAh/g. Moreover, the remarkable capacity of 591 mAh/g could be achieved with a high sulfur load of 5.76 mg/cm2 under a current density of 0.1 C. Based on these merits, this novel and scalable multifunctional separator is a promising candidate to replace the conventional PP separator for advanced Li-S batteries to deal with various challenges.

A cost-effective electrocatalyst with high activity and stability was developed. The Fe-Nx and pyridinic-N active sites were embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanomaterial by carbonization at high temperature. The electrocatalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical performance for the oxygen reduction reaction, with high onset potential and half-wave potential values (Eonset = 1.10 ​V and E1/2 ​= ​0.944 ​V) than 20 ​wt % Pt/C catalyst (1.04 and 0.910 ​V). The mass activity of the Schiff base network (SNW) based SNW-Fe/N/C@800° electrocatalyst (0.64 ​mA ​mg−1 @ 1 ​V) reached about half of the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst (1.35 ​mA ​mg−1 @ 1 ​V). The electrocatalyst followed the 4-electron transfer mechanism due to very low hydrogen peroxide yield (H2O2 ​

Nonvolatile logic devices are crucial for the development of logic-in-memory (LiM) technology to build the next-generation non-von Neumann computing architecture. Ferroelectric field-effect transistors (Fe FET) are one of the most promising candidates for LiMs because of high compatibility with mainstream silicon-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductor processes, nonvolatile memory, and low power consumption. However, because of the unipolar characteristics of a Fe FET, a nonlinear XOR or XNOR logic gate function is difficult to realize with a single device. In addition, because single Fe polarization switch modulation is available in the devices, a reconfigurable logic gate usually needs multiple devices to construct and realize fewer logic functions. Here, we introduced polarization-switching (PS) and charge-trapping (CT) effects in a single Fe FET and fabricated a multi-field-effect transistor with bipolar-like characteristics based on advanced 10 nm node fin field-effect transistors (PS-CT FinFET) with 9 nm thick Hf

The zinc–air battery with FeS2/NiS2 HDSNRs prepared by a one-step hydrothermal self-template process and high-temperature sulfurization process exhibits long-term stability for 480 h, and was well observed by in situ XRD.

The unique hierarchical, well-ordered, and hollow structure MoS2@CoSe2-CC electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding HER performance with a low overpotential of 101 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 under alkaline media.

3D cross-linked CoSe2–NiSe2 nanosheets were grown on nickel foam by an electrodeposition route and demonstrated high OER activity.

Cobalt phosphide is an effective electrocatalyst for NO3− electroreduction into NH3. Phosphorus is crucial for stabilizing the active phase and optimizing energy barriers, and Co 4p orbitals directly participate in the nitrate reduction.

A compact imaging-based metasurface nanophotonic sensor consisting of graphene nanoribbon arrays is proposed. It provides a chemically specific technique to resolve absorption fingerprints without the need for spectrometry and frequency scanning.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have broad application prospects in flexible pressure sensors because of their superior mechanical and electrical performance. However, the pressure sensitivity of a pure CN...

Cu-Li batteries leveraging the two-electron redox property of Cu can offer high energy density and low cost. However, Cu-Li batteries are plagued by limited solubility and a shuttle effect of Cu ions in traditional electrolytes, which leads to low energy density and poor cycling stability. In this work, we rationally design a solid-state sandwich electrolyte for solid-state Cu-Li batteries, in which a deep-eutectic-solvent gel with high Cu-ion solubility is devised as a Cu-ion reservoir while a ceramic Li

Carbon nanotube (CNT), has been demonstrated as a promising high-value product from thermal chemical conversion of waste plastics and securing new applications is an important prerequisite for large-scale production of CNT from waste-plastic recycling. In this study, CNT, produced from waste plastic through chemical vapor deposition (pCNT), was applied as a nanofiller in phase change material (PCM), affording pCNT-PCM composites. Compared with pure PCM, the addition of 5.0 wt% pCNT rendered the peak melting temperature increase by 1.3 ℃, latent heat retain by 90.7%, and thermal conductivity increase by 104%. The results of morphological analysis and leakage testing confirmed that pCNT has similar PCM encapsulation performance and shape stability to those of commercial CNT. The formation of uniform pCNT cluster networks allowed for a large CNT loading into the PCM on the premise of free phase change, responsible for the high thermal conductivity inside the homogeneous phase. Thus, the resulting capillary forces retained a high latent heat capacity and suitable melting temperature and prohibited PCM leakage from the matrix to the outside during re-melting as the pCNT loading ratio increased. Therefore, the as-prepared pCNT-PCM composite is believed to have similar potential to cCNT and shows prominent performance as a flowable conductive filler for battery thermal management systems.

Conventional solar thermochemical heat storage based on indirect surface-heating usually suffers from high heat losses and low solar-chemical efficiency. Here, a different solar thermochemical heat storage system based on direct solar illumination on fluidized black CaCO3 pellets is proposed. A Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) model considering irradiation ray tracing, granular flow, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reaction, is built. Black CaCO3 pellets are fabricated via a facile template mixing method, and the solar absorptance is enhanced to 63.9% from 27.9% of traditional pure CaCO3. Effects of gas velocity and irradiative flux on thermochemical heat storage performance in a fluidized volumetric bed are investigated by incorporating measured kinetic and solar absorptance properties of designed black CaCO3 pellets. The peak solar-chemical efficiency reaches a value higher than 43% benefiting from enhanced solar absorptance, higher gas velocity and irradiative flux. This work guides the design of the high-efficiency direct solar thermochemical heat storage system.

In this work, the closing process of aerial self-locking nuts with different materials was simulated using static analysis in Abaqus/Standard. The effects of different closing amounts of self-locking nuts with different types on the locking performance of self-locking nuts were investigated. In order to analyze the locking performance of self-locking nuts, the method was measured by using the maximum equivalent stress on the root of the third thread. Finally, the equivalent stress range of self-locking nuts of different materials and the closing size range of self-locking nuts of different types were obtained. The equivalent stress ranges of TC4, GH2132 and GH4169 self-locking nuts were 1060–1090 MPa, 664–712 MPa and 860–920 MPa, respectively. At the same time, the corresponding closing amount of M5-M10 self-locking nuts is 0.22–0.46 mm, 0.37–0.64 mm and 0.43–0.75 mm, respectively. (The simulation results show that the equivalent stress of different types of self-locking nuts with the same material shows the characteristics of layered distribution. The equivalent stress of the same type of self-locking nut increases with the increase of the closing amount. When the closing amount is the same, the smaller the type of the nut, the greater the equivalent stress. For the same of the equivalent stress, the closing amount increases with the increase of the type of self-locking nuts.) The conclusions can provide a reasonable theoretical reference for the closing process of aerial self-locking nuts with different materials.

Low cycling Coulombic efficiency (CE) and messy Li dendrite growth problems have greatly hindered the development of anode-free Li-metal batteries (AFLBs). Thus, functional electrolytes for uniform lithium deposition and lithium/electrolyte side reaction suppression are desired. Here, we report a locally fluorinated electrolyte (LFE) medium layer surrounding Cu foils to tailor the chemical compositions of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) in AFLBs for inhibiting the immoderate Li dendrite growth and to suppress the interfacial reaction. This LFE consists of highly concentrated LiTFSI dissolved in a fluoroethylene carbonate and/or succinonitrile plastic mixture. The CE of Cu||LiNi

Single-atom catalysts based on metal-N