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Shuo Shen, Shu-Zhi Liu, Yu-Shi Zhang, Mao-Bo Du, Ai-Hua Liang, Li-Hua Song, Zu-Guang Ye Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Malaria is still a serious public health problem in some parts of the world. The problems of recurrence and drug resistance are increasingly more serious. Thus, it is necessary to develop a novel antimalarial agent. The objectives of this study were to construct a novel compound antimalarial transdermal nanosystem–ethosomal cataplasm, to investigate its characteristics and efficiency, and to systematically explore the penetration-enhancing mechanisms of ethosomal cataplasm. Artesunate-loaded ethosomes and febrifugine-loaded ethosomes were prepared, and their characteristics were evaluated. Drug-loaded ethosomes were incorporated in the matrix of cataplasm to form the compound antimalarial ethosomal cataplasm. With the help of ethosomal technology, the accumulated permeation quantity of artesunate significantly increased at 8 hours after administration, which was 1.57 times as much as that of conventional cataplasm. Soon after administration, the ethosomal cataplasm could make a large quantity of antimalarial drug quickly penetrate through skin, then the remaining drug in the ethosomal cataplasm could be steadily released. These characteristics of ethosomal cataplasm are favorable for antimalarial drugs to kill Plasmodium spp. quickly and prevent the resurgence of Plasmodium spp. As expected, the ethosomal cataplasm showed good antimalarial efficiency in this experiment. The negative conversion rates were 100% and the recurrence rates were 0% at all dosages. The mechanism of penetration enhancement of the ethosomal cataplasm was systematically explored using an optics microscope, polarization microscope, and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure, ultrastructure, and birefringent structure in skin were observed. Data obtained in this study showed that the application of ethosomal technology to antimalarial cataplasm could improve the transdermal delivery of drug, enhance the efficacy, and facilitate practical application in clinic. Keywords: ethosomes, transdermal drug-delivery systems, artesunate, febrifugine

Improvements in the polarization of environmentally-friendly perovskite ferroelectrics have proved to be a challenging task in order to replace the toxic Pb-based counterparts. In contrast to common methods by complex chemical composition designs, we have formed Mn-inlaid antiphase boundaries in Mn-doped (K,Na)NbO 3 thin films using pulsed laser deposition method. Here, we observed that mono- or bi-atomic layer of Mn has been identified to inlay along the antiphase boundaries to balance the charges originated from the deficiency of alkali ions and to induce the strain in the KNN films. Thus, rectangular saturated polarization-electric field hysteresis loops have been achieved, with a significantly improved twice remanent polarization of 114 μC/cm 2 with an applied electric field of 606 kV/cm, which can be comparable to that of the typical Pb-based thin films. Moreover, we directly see the Mn occupation at the A-site of KNN perovskite structure using atomic-scale microstructure and composition analysis. The Mn-inlaid antiphase boundary can further enrich the understanding of perovskite crystal structure and give more possibilities for the design and optimization of perovskite materials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In situ high-pressure/high-temperature Raman-scattering analyses on PbTiO 3 , 0.92PbTiO 3 - 0.08Bi(Zn 0.5 Ti 0.5 )O 3 and 0.83PbTiO 3 - 0.17Bi(Mg 0.5 Ti 0.5 )O 3 single crystals reveal an intensity transfer between the fine-structure components of the A 1 (TO) soft mode. The enhancement of the lowest-energy subpeak, which stems from intrinsic local non-tetragonal polar distortions, along with the suppression of the tetragonal A 1 (1TO) fundamental mode with increasing pressure and temperature indicates the key role of the local polarization fluctuations in transformation processes and emphasizes the significance of the order-disorder phenomena in both the pressure- and temperature-induced phase transitions of pure PbTiO 3 and its solid solutions with complex perovskites. Moreover, the temperature and pressure evolution of the fraction of the local non-tetragonal polar distortions is highly sensitive to the type of B-site substituent., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) holds strong promise for observing atomic-scale dynamics in materials, both at equilibrium and during non-equilibrium transitions. Here an in situ XPCS study of the relaxor ferroelectric PbMg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 (PMN) is reported. A weak applied AC electric field generates strong response in the speckle of the diffuse scattering from the polar nanodomains, which is captured using the two-time correlation function. Correlated motions of the Bragg peak are also observed, which indicate dynamic tilting of the illuminated volume. This tilting quantitatively accounts for the observed two-time speckle correlations. The magnitude of the tilting would not be expected solely from the modest applied field, since PMN is an electrostrictive material with no linear strain response to the field. A model is developed based on non-uniform static charging of the illuminated surface spot by the incident micrometre-scale X-ray beam and the electrostrictive material response to the combination of static and dynamic fields. The model qualitatively explains the direction and magnitude of the observed tilting, and predicts that X-ray-induced piezoresponse could be an important factor in correctly interpreting results from XPCS and nanodiffraction studies of other insulating materials under applied AC field or varying X-ray illumination., (open access.)

Lead hafnate (PbHfO 3 ) has attracted a lot of renewed interest due to its potential as antiferroelectric (AFE) material for energy storage. However, its room temperature (RT) energy-storage performance has not been well established and no reports on the energy-storage feature of its high-temperature intermediate phase (IM) are available. In this work, high-quality PbHfO 3 ceramics were prepared via the solid-state synthesis route. Based on high-temperature X-ray diffraction data, the IM of PbHfO 3 was found to be orthorhombic, Imma space group, with antiparallel alignment of Pb 2+ ions along the [001] cubic directions. The polarization-electric field (P-E) relation of PbHfO 3 is displayed at RT as well as in the temperature range of the IM. A typical AFE loop revealed an optimal recoverable energy-storage density ( W rec ) of 2.7 J/cm 3 , which is 286% higher than the reported data with an efficiency (η) of 65% at 235 kV/cm at RT. A relatively high W rec value of 0.7 J/cm 3 was found at 190 °C with an η of 89% at 65 kV/cm. These results demonstrate that PbHfO 3 is a prototypical AFE from RT up to 200 °C, making it a suitable material for energy-storage applications in a wide temperature range.

Domain boundaries in ferroic materials are found to have various physical properties not observed in the surrounding domains. Such differences can be enhanced and bring promising functionalities when centrosymmetric nonpolar materials encounter polar domain boundaries. In this work, a tunable polar domain boundary is discovered in an antiferroelectric single crystal. Under a small stress or electric field, the density, volume, and polarity of the boundaries are successfully controlled., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

To avoid adverse drug reactions associated with injection, off-label nebulization of Tanreqing (TRQ) injection is often used in China to treat respiratory diseases. However, the aerodynamic properties and lung availability of TRQ aerosols remain largely uninvestigated. This study aimed to investigate the size distribution of TRQ aerosols and to compare the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of two compounds from TRQ (baicalin and oroxyloside) after transnasal aerosol inhalation and intravenous administration. Furthermore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of TRQ against lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation. The Dv(50) and transmission of TRQ aerosols were 2.512 μm and 74.867%, respectively. The C max of baicalin and oroxyloside in rat plasma after inhalation was lower than that after intravenous injection. After inhalation, the area under the curve (AUC) of baicalin and oroxyloside in tissues (lung, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and trachea) was 7.9-115.3 and 9.5-16.0 times that observed after intravenous administration, respectively. Baicalin and oroxyloside maintained high concentrations 4 h after inhalation, but only 1 h after intravenous injection. The mean lung-to-plasma concentration ratios of baicalin and oroxyloside were 287.6 and 49.9 times higher than with intravenous administration. Inhaled TRQ achieved the same effect against lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation in mice at doses of only 1/16-1/8 of those administered intravenously. The results indicate that TRQ inhalation is a promising alternative to intravenous injections for the treatment of respiratory infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Song, Gao, Li, Li, Hou, Peng, Wang, Cheng, Ye, Li and Zhang.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (ginseng) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine that has played a beneficial role in the treatment of various diseases, including liver diseases. Ginsenoside Rg1 is a saponin isolated and purified from ginseng that exerts protective effects on the liver in some liver injury models. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitous dioxin found mostly in food products that causes liver injury and other human diseases. Although significant efforts have been made to reduce the burden of liver disease, there is still a lack of effective treatment methods., Aim of the Study: Although ginsenoside Rg1 was reported to inhibit TCDD-mediated cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) induction in HepG2 cells, we sought to verify its hepatoprotective effects and elucidate its mechanism in a TCDD-induced liver injury model in mice., Material and Methods: The mouse liver injury model was established by intraperitoneal TCDD injection, followed by treatment with various doses of ginsenoside Rg1 (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). Clinical indicators of liver injury, such as an increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, as well as histopathological changes were evaluated., Results: The common clinical indicators of liver injury were detected following TCDD injection, including an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, increased relative liver weight, and histopathological changes. Following treatment with ginsenoside Rg1, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase decreased significantly, and the liver histology was improved. In addition, ginsenoside Rg1 competitively inhibited TCDD-induced Cyp1a1 mRNA transcription through the modulation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) nuclear translocation., Conclusion: Ginsenoside Rg1 is a potent partial AhR agonist that has potential as an effective medication for protecting against TCDD-associated liver injury., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The integration of complex oxides with a wide spectrum of functionalities on Si, Ge and flexible substrates is highly demanded for functional devices in information technology. We demonstrate the remote epitaxy of BaTiO 3 (BTO) on Ge using a graphene intermediate layer, which forms a prototype of highly heterogeneous epitaxial systems. The Ge surface orientation dictates the outcome of remote epitaxy. Single crystalline epitaxial BTO 3-δ films were grown on graphene/Ge (011), whereas graphene/Ge (001) led to textured films. The graphene plays an important role in surface passivation. The remote epitaxial deposition of BTO 3-δ follows the Volmer-Weber growth mode, with the strain being partially relaxed at the very beginning of the growth. Such BTO 3-δ films can be easily exfoliated and transferred to arbitrary substrates like Si and flexible polyimide. The transferred BTO 3-δ films possess enhanced flexoelectric properties with a gauge factor of as high as 1127. These results not only expand the understanding of heteroepitaxy, but also open a pathway for the applications of devices based on complex oxides., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Oxide nanosprings have attracted many research interests because of their anticorrosion, high-temperature tolerance, oxidation resistance, and enhanced-mechanic-response from unique helix structures, enabling various applications like nanomanipulators, nanomotors, nanoswitches, sensors, and energy harvesters. However, preparing oxide nanosprings is a challenge for their intrinsic lack of elasticity. Here, an approach for preparing self-assembled, epitaxial, ferroelectric nanosprings with built-in strain due to the lattice mismatch in freestanding La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /BaTiO 3 (LSMO/BTO) bilayer heterostructures is developed. It is found that these LSMO/BTO nanosprings can be extensively pulled or pushed up to their geometrical limits back and forth without breaking, exhibiting super-scalability with full recovery capability. The phase-field simulations reveal that the excellent scalability originates from the continuous ferroelastic domain structures, resulting from twisting under co-existing axial and shear strains. In addition, the oxide heterostructural springs exhibit strong resilience due to the limited plastic deformation nature and the built-in strain between the bilayers. This discovery provides an alternative way for preparing and operating functional oxide nanosprings that can be applied to various technologies., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Magnetoelectric coupling properties are limited to the substrate clamping effect in traditional ferroelectric/ferromagnetic heterostructures. Here, Fe 3 O 4 /BaTiO 3 nanopillar composites are successfully constructed. The well-ordered BaTiO 3 nanopillar arrays are prepared through template-assisted pulsed laser deposition. The Fe 3 O 4 layer is coated on BaTiO 3 nanopillar arrays by atomic layer deposition. The nanopillar arrays and heterostructure are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A large thermally driven magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of 395 Oe °C -1 near the phase transition of BaTiO 3 (orthorhombic to rhombohedral) is obtained, indicating a strong strain-induced magnetoelectric coupling effect. The enhanced magnetoelectric coupling effect originated from the reduced substrate clamping effect and increased the interface area in nanopillar structures. This work opens a door toward cutting-edge potential applications in spintronic devices.

Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta is one of the most commonly used medicinal materials in Mongolian medicine. Due to the strong toxicity of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta, Mongolian medicine often uses Chebulae Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to reduce the toxicity, so as to ensure the curative effect of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta while ensuring its clinical curative effect, but the mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Chebulae Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta on the mRNA transcription and protein translation of cytochrome P450(CYP450) in the liver of normal rats. Male SD rats were randomly divided into negative control(NC) group, phenobarbital(PB) group(0.08 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), Chebulae Fructus group(0.254 2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma group(0.254 2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta group(0.254 2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1))and compatibility group(0.254 2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),taking Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta as the standard). After continuous administration for 8 days, the activities of total bile acid(TBA), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), amino-transferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum were detected, the pathological changes of liver tissue were observed, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP1 A2, CYP2 C11 and CYP3 A1 were observed. Compared with the NC group, the serum ALP, ALT and AST activities in the Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta group were significantly increased, and the ALP, ALT and AST activities were decreased after compatibility. At the same time, compatibility could reduce the liver injury caused by Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta. The results showed that Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta could inhibit the expression of CYP1 A2, CYP2 C11 and CYP3 A1, and could up-regulate the expression of CYP1 A2, CYP2 C11 and CYP3 A1 when combined with Chebulae Fructus and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The level of translation was consistent with that of transcription. The compatibility of Chebulae Fructus and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma with Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta could up-regulate the expression of CYP450 enzyme, reduce the accumulation time of aconitine in vivo, and play a role in reducing toxicity, and this effect may start from gene transcription.

This study investigates the relationship between the composition segregation in lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT; PMN-29%PT, PMN-29.5%PT, PMN-30%PT, PMN-30.5%PT, and PMN-31%PT) single crystals within morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and the corresponding ultrasonic transducer performance through PiezoCAD modeling and real transducer testing. For five crystals with compositions distributed across the main body of a crystal ingot, the piezoelectric coefficient and free relative permittivity values were measured to vary by over 30%, whereas the transducer bandwidth and center frequency values were modeled to change by less than 10%. For the single-element ultrasonic transducers fabricated using those crystals without matching layers, the variations of -6-dB bandwidth, insertion loss, receiver-free field voltage response, and center frequency were measured to be 9.61%, -15.23%, 9.76%, and 1.41%, respectively, confirming the modeling results. Using the Mason and Krimholtz, Leedom, and Matthaei (KLM) models, it is found that the relatively stable transducer performance can be attributed to the relatively consistent electromechanical coupling coefficient, acoustic impedance, and clamped relative permittivity originated from the stable elastic compliance properties among the crystals of various compositions. It is expected that the relatively stable performance could be extended to multielement transducers with matching layers for the same contributing mechanisms. Our results suggest that it is possible to use crystal plates of different compositions within the MPB region, obtained from one and the same ingot, to fabricate a batch of ultrasonic transducers that will exhibit a similar performance, significantly reducing the cost of materials.

Phase transition describes a mutational behavior of matter states at a critical transition temperature or external field. Despite the phase-transition orders are well sorted by classic thermodynamic theory, ambiguous situations interposed between the first- and second-order transitions were exposed one after another. Here, we report discovery of phase-transition frustration near a tricritical composition point in ferroelectric Pb(Zr 1-x Ti x )O 3 . Our multi-scale transmission electron microscopy characterization reveals a number of geometrically frustrated microstructure features such as self-assembled hierarchical domain structure, degeneracy of mesoscale domain tetragonality and decoupled polarization-strain relationship. Associated with deviation from the classic mean-field theory, dielectric critical exponent anomalies and temperature dependent birefringence data unveil that the frustrated transition order stems from intricate competition of short-range polar orders and their decoupling to long-range lattice deformation. With supports from effective Hamiltonian Monte Carlo simulations, our findings point out a potentially universal mechanism to comprehend the abnormal critical phenomena occurring in phase-transition materials., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Photodetectors are one of the most important components for a future "Internet-of-Things" information society. Compared to the mainstream semiconductor-based photodetectors, emerging devices based on two-dimensional (2D) materials and ferroelectrics as well as their hybrid systems have been extensively studied in recent decades due to their outstanding performances and related interesting physical, electrical, and optoelectronic phenomena. In this paper, we review the photodetection based on 2D materials and ferroelectric hybrid systems. The fundamentals of 2D and ferroelectric materials as well as the interaction in the hybrid system will be introduced. Ferroelectricity modulated optoelectronic properties in the hybrid system will be discussed in detail. After the basics and figures of merit of photodetectors are summarized, the 2D-ferroelectrics devices with different structures including p-n diodes, Schottky diodes, and field-effect transistors will be reviewed and compared. The polarization of ferroelectrics offers the possibility of the modulation and enhancement of the photodetection in the hybrid detectors, which will be discussed in depth. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of the photodetectors based on 2D ferroelectrics will be proposed. This Review outlines the important aspects of the recent development of the hybrid system of 2D and ferroelectric materials, which could interact with each other and thus lead to photodetectors with higher performances. Such a Review will be helpful for the research of emerging physical phenomena and for the design of multifunctional nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Environment-friendly lead-free piezoelectric materials with excellent piezoelectric properties are needed for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer applications. Recently, lead-free 0.915(K 0.45 Na 0.5 Li 0.05 )NbO 3 -0.075BaZrO 3-0.01(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 (KNLN-BZ-BNT) textured piezo- electric ceramics have high piezoelectric response, superior thermal stability, and excellent fatigue resistance, which are promising for devices applications. In this work, the KNLN-BZ-BNT textured ceramics were prepared by the tape-casting method. Microstructural morphology, phase transition, and electrical properties of KNLN-BZ-BNT textured ceramics were investigated. High-frequency needle-type ultrasonic transducers were designed and fabricated with these textured ceramics. The tightly focused transducers have a center frequency higher than 80 MHz and a -6-dB fractional bandwidth of 52%. Such transducers were built for an f -number close to 1, and the desired focal depth was achieved by press-focusing technology associated with a set of customer design fixture. Its lateral resolution was better than [Formula: see text] by scanning a 15- [Formula: see text] tungsten wire target. These promising results demonstrate that the lead-free KNLN-BZ-BNT textured ceramic is a good candidate for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer applications.

Self-assembled membranes with periodic wrinkled patterns are the critical building blocks of various flexible electronics, where the wrinkles are usually designed and fabricated to provide distinct functionalities. These membranes are typically metallic and organic materials with good ductility that are tolerant of complex deformation. However, the preparation of oxide membranes, especially those with intricate wrinkle patterns, is challenging due to their inherently strong covalent or ionic bonding, which usually leads to material crazing and brittle fracture. Here, wrinkle-patterned BaTiO 3 (BTO)/poly(dimethylsiloxane) membranes with finely controlled parallel, zigzag, and mosaic patterns are prepared. The BTO layers show excellent flexibility and can form well-ordered and periodic wrinkles under compressive in-plane stress. Enhanced piezoelectricity is observed at the sites of peaks and valleys of the wrinkles where the largest strain gradient is generated. Atomistic simulations further reveal that the excellent elasticity and the correlated coupling between polarization and strain/strain gradient are strongly associated with ferroelectric domain switching and continuous dipole rotation. The out-of-plane polarization is primarily generated at compressive regions, while the in-plane polarization dominates at the tensile regions. The wrinkled ferroelectric oxides with differently strained regions and correlated polarization distributions would pave a way toward novel flexible electronics., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Despite intensive studies on the complex perovskite Pb(Fe 2/3 W 1/3 )O 3 (PFWO) relaxor, understanding the exact nature of its multifunctional properties has remained a challenge for decades. In this work we report a comprehensive structural study of the PFWO single crystals using a combination of synchrotron X-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. The set of {h + ½, k + ½, l + ½} superlattice reflections was observed for the first time based on single-crystal synchrotron X-ray experiments (100-450 K) and transmission electron microscopy investigations, which indicates some kind of B-cation ordering in PFWO which had been thought to be totally disordered. It was found that (1) the crystal structure of PFWO should be described by a partly ordered cubic perovskite (i.e. Fm - 3m), (2) the weak ferromagnetic properties and excess magnetic moment of PFWO can be understood based on non-random distribution of Fe cations between the 4a and 4b sites, and (3) the Pb displacement disorder is present in this material and the cations are probably displaced along the <100> directions. The X-ray diffraction results of this investigation show that partial cation ordering indeed exists in PFWO, which makes it necessary to revisit the generally accepted interpretations of the results obtained up to date. In agreement with X-ray diffraction study the main results of TEM study include: (1) a long range order that can be described with the Fm - 3m symmetry is reliably detected, (2) the coherence length of that long range order is in the order of 1-2 nm and (3) no remarkable chemical inhomogeneity is found in the tested PFWO crystal, excluding the possibility of a compositional ordering arising from substitutional defects in the perovskite structure.

The integration of ferroic oxide thin films into advanced flexible electronics will bring multifunctionality beyond organic and metallic materials. However, it is challenging to achieve high flexibility in single-crystalline ferroic oxides that is considerable to organic or metallic materials. Here, we demonstrate the superior flexibility of freestanding single-crystalline BiFeO 3 membranes, which are typical multiferroic materials with multifunctionality. They can endure cyclic 180° folding and have good recoverability, with the maximum bending strain up to 5.42% during in situ bending under scanning electron microscopy, far beyond their bulk counterparts. Such superior elasticity mainly originates from reversible rhombohedral-tetragonal phase transition, as revealed by phase-field simulations. This study suggests a general fundamental mechanism for a variety of ferroic oxides to achieve high flexibility and to work as smart materials in flexible electronics., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

Methylammonium lead trihalide perovskites CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, and I) have recently attracted huge attention as a promising candidate for highly efficient solar cell absorber materials. To understand the physical properties of halide perovskites, we investigated the CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 single crystal by Raman scattering spectroscopy from 80 K to room temperature. Benchmarking the phonon modes and their Raman activities obtained by density functional calculations, we successfully assign the molecular vibrations of methylammonium in the frequency range from 400 to 3300 cm -1 . In the temperature-dependent Raman scattering spectra, the internal vibrational modes of the CH 3 NH 3 + cation are observed in the frequency range above 400 cm -1 and a number of peaks among them show characteristic changes that reflect the phase transition occurring at about 160 K in CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 . A noticeable Raman peak at 2900 cm -1 persists in a wide range of temperature, suggesting the existence of microcrystalline methylammonium chloride possibly left on the crystal surface from the growth process or spontaneously formed after synthesis.

Previous studies have mainly focused on the resistive switching (RS) of amorphous or polycrystalline HfO 2 -RRAM. The RS of single crystalline HfO 2 films has been rarely reported. Yttrium doped HfO 2 (YDH) thin films were fabricated and successful Y incorporation into HfO 2 was confirmed by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. A pure cubic phase of YDH and an abrupt YDH/Si interface were obtained and verified by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A Pt/YDH/n ++ -Si heterostructure using Si as the bottom electrode was fabricated, which shows stable RS with an ON/OFF ratio of 100 and a reliable data retention (10 4 s). The electron transport mechanism was investigated in detail. It indicates that hopping conduction is dominating when the device is at a high resistance state, while space charge limited conduction acts as the dominant factor at a low resistance state. Such behavior, which is different from devices using TiN or Ti as electrodes, was attributed to the Y doping and specific YDH/Si interface. Our results demonstrate a proof of concept study to use highly doped Si as bottom electrodes along with single crystalline YDH as insulator layer for such RRAM applications as wireless sensors and synaptic simulation.

Objective: To study the antimalarial effects and mechanisms of artemisinin (Qinghaosu in Chinese, QHS) on mitochondria in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei., Methods: A total of 108 C57 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei were randomly divided into 3 groups by weight: the control group, 200 and 400 mg/kg QHS groups. The two QHS treatment groups were further divided into 4 sub-groups with 12 animals each time according to the treatment time, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h. Normal saline was intragastrically (i.g.) administered to the control group. The other two groups received different doses of QHS by i.g. administration. Animals were treated once with QHS for different detection time as follows: 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h. The mitochondrial energy metabolism, oxidative damage, membrane potential, and membrane permeability and other indexes were detected., Results: After administration of 200 and 400 mg/kg QHS, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in Plasmodium and its mitochondria were reduced (P<0.05), the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were increased (P<0.05), and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was also increased (P<0.05). At the same time, the membrane potential of the mitochondria was reduced and the degree to which the membrane permeability transition pore was opened was irreversibly increased (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Mitochondria in Plasmodium were the targets of QHS, which can adversely affect mitochondrial energy metabolism, oxidative damage, membrane potential, and membrane opening, and ultimately exert an antimalarial effect.

The potential in a synaptic simulation for neuromorphic computation has revived the research interest of resistive random access memory (RRAM). However, novel applications require reliable multilevel resistive switching (RS), which still represents a challenge. We demonstrate in this work the achievement of reliable HfO 2 -based RRAM devices for synaptic simulation by performing the Al doping and the postdeposition annealing (PDA). Transmission electron microscopy and operando hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal the positive impact of Al doping on the formation of oxygen vacancies. Detailed I - V characterizations demonstrate that the 16.5% Al doping concentration leads to better RS properties of the device. In comparison with the other reported results based on HfO 2 RRAM, our devices with 16.5% Al-doping and PDA at 450 °C show better reliable multilevel RS (∼20 levels) performance and an increased on/off ratio. The 16.5% Al:HfO 2 sample with PDA at 450 °C shows good potentiation/depression characteristics with low pulse width (10 μs) along with a good On/Off ratio (>1000), good data retention at room temperature, and high temperature and good program/erase endurance characteristics with a pulse width of 50 ns. The synapse features including potentiation, depression, and spike time-dependent plasticity were successfully achieved using optimized Al-HfO 2 RRAM devices. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of Al doping and PDA on the enhancement of the performances of RRAM devices for the synaptic simulation in neuromorphic computing applications.

Recent developments in various technologies, such as hybrid electric vehicles and pulsed power systems, have challenged researchers to discover affordable, compact, and super-functioning electric energy storage devices. Among the existing energy storage devices, polymer nanocomposite film capacitors are a preferred choice due to their high power density, fast charge and discharge speed, high operation voltage, and long service lifetime. In the past several years, they have been extensively researched worldwide, with 0D, 1D, and 2D nanofillers being incorporated into various polymer matrixes. However, 1D nanofillers appeared to be the most effective in producing large dipole moments, which leads to a considerably enhanced dielectric permittivity and energy density of the nanocomposite. As such, this Review focuses on recent advances in polymer matrix nanocomposites using various types of 1D nanofillers, i.e., linear, ferroelectric, paraelectric, and relaxor-ferroelectric for energy storage applications. Correspondingly, the latest developments in the nanocomposite dielectrics with highly oriented, surface-coated, and surface-decorated 1D nanofillers are presented. Special attention has been paid to identifying the underlying mechanisms of maximizing dielectric displacement, increasing dielectric breakdown strength, and enhancing the energy density. This Review also presents some suggestions for future research in low-loss, high energy storage devices.

Han stephania, also known as Stephania tetrandra, expelling wind, relieve pain and inducing diuresis for removing edema, is a traditional Chinese medicine for treating rheumatic arthralgia. Alkaloids have an important pharmacodynamic basis in S. tetrandra, and tetrandrine is one kind content of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, which has many biological activities. These activities include anti-tumor in many ways, clinically inhibiting multiple inflammatory factors, preventing and treating liver fibrosis and renal fibrosis and many other kinds of fibrotic diseases, and in addition, tetrandrine could work synergistically with other drugs. In recent years, through in-depth research by scholars at home and abroad, it has been found that tetrandrine has a protective effect on the nervous system and ischemia-reperfusion injury. At the same time, as a calcium ion antagonist, tetrandrine could effectively block the deposition of calcium ions inside and outside the cell. In summary, the application prospect of tetrandrine in clinical practice is very extensive. In this paper, the pharmacological effects of tetrandrine and the possible mechanisms for these effects are summarized, and review its current research progress. It is hoped that the possible application direction of tetrandrine can be revealed more comprehensively, and provide better enlightenment and ideas for clinical application.

Ferroelectrics are usually inflexible oxides that undergo brittle deformation. We synthesized freestanding single-crystalline ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) membranes with a damage-free lifting-off process. Our BaTiO 3 membranes can undergo a ~180° folding during an in situ bending test, demonstrating a super-elasticity and ultraflexibility. We found that the origin of the super-elasticity was from the dynamic evolution of ferroelectric nanodomains. High stresses modulate the energy landscape markedly and allow the dipoles to rotate continuously between the a and c nanodomains. A continuous transition zone is formed to accommodate the variant strain and avoid high mismatch stress that usually causes fracture. The phenomenon should be possible in other ferroelectrics systems through domain engineering. The ultraflexible epitaxial ferroelectric membranes could enable many applications such as flexible sensors, memories, and electronic skins., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is a representative acid-alkali drug pair,commonly used in clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM). Its unique compatibility connotation fully embodied the wisdom of ancient people in drug use. In order to more comprehensively and deeply understand the scientific connotation of the compatibility of the two drugs,pharmacy workers have studied the mechanism of reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy through their compatibility from the perspectives of chemistry,pharmacology and toxicology. On the basis of combing the previous research work,this paper interpreted the unique compatibility connotation from the three-level system of reducing the content of toxic components in vitro by hydrolysis,lipid exchange and formation of associations,the active constituents of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma affecting the metabolism of toxic components and direct antagonism of the toxic effects of aconite in vivo. The existing problems and controversies of the modern mechanism of their compatibility were also proposed,providing a reference for further in-depth studies.

Mechanical flexible electronic/spintronic devices have shown enormous application potential to impact our daily life. Here, an in situ low-voltage-controlled flexible field-effect transistor structure was exploited, which consists of a support layer (mica), functional layer (Fe 3 O 4 ), and control layer (ionic gel). By applying a low voltage (1.5 V) on the ionic gel, the spin-dynamic properties of the function layer were manipulated and a reversible, nonvolatile 345 Oe ferromagnetic resonance field ( H r ) shift was achieved, which corresponds to a large magnetoelectric (ME) coefficient of 230 Oe/V. In addition, a reversible 126 Oe H r shift (84 Oe/V) was obtained when the layers were bent at curvature radius r = 15 mm. The ME tunability could be attributed to the E-field induced ionic transformation between Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ at the interface via electrostatic induction. This sandwich structure shows an excellent and effective ionic gel gating system and paves the way for low-voltage-tunable, nonvolatile, and flexible spintronic devices such as memory devices, sensors, and logical devices.

The acoustic phonons in the organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have been reported to have anomalously short lifetimes over a large part of the Brillouin zone. The resulting shortened mean free paths of the phonons have been implicated as the origin of the low thermal conductivity. We apply neutron spectroscopy to show that the same acoustic phonon energy linewidth broadening (corresponding to shortened lifetimes) occurs in the fully inorganic CsPbBr 3 by comparing the results on the organic-inorganic CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 . We investigate the critical dynamics near the three zone boundaries of the cubic P m 3 ¯ m Brillouin zone of CsPbBr 3 and find energy and momentum broadened dynamics at momentum points where the Cs-site ( A -site) motions contribute to the cross section. Neutron diffraction is used to confirm that both the Cs and Br sites have unusually large thermal displacements with an anisotropy that mirrors the low temperature structural distortions. The presence of an organic molecule is not necessary to disrupt the low-energy acoustic phonons at momentum transfers located away from the zone center in the lead halide perovskites and such damping may be driven by the large displacements or possibly disorder on the A site.

The organic-inorganic lead-halide perovskites are composed of organic molecules imbedded in an inorganic framework. The compounds with general formula CH 3 NH 3 Pb X 3 (MAPb X 3 ) display large photovoltaic efficiencies for halogens X = Cl, Br, and I in a wide variety of sample geometries and preparation methods. The organic cation and inorganic framework are bound by hydrogen bonds that tether the molecules to the halide anions, and this has been suggested to be important to the optoelectronic properties. We have studied the effects of this bonding using time-of-flight neutron spectroscopy to measure the molecular dynamics in CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 (MAPbCl 3 ). Low-energy / high-resolution neutron backscattering reveals thermally activated molecular dynamics with a characteristic temperature of ~95 K. At this same temperature, higher-energy neutron spectroscopy indicates the presence of an anomalous broadening in energy (reduced lifetime) associated with the molecular vibrations. By contrast, neutron powder diffraction shows that a spatially long-range structural phase transitions occurs at 178 K (cubic → tetragonal) and 173 K (tetragonal → orthorhombic). The large difference between these two temperature scales suggests that the molecular and inorganic lattice dynamics in MAPbCl 3 are actually decoupled. With the assumption that underlying physical mechanisms do not change with differing halogens in the organic-inorganic perovskites, we speculate that the energy scale most relevant to the photovoltaic properties of the lead-halogen perovskites is set by the lead-halide bond, not by the hydrogen bond.

Lead halide hybrid perovskites consist of an inorganic framework hosting a molecular cation located in the interstitial space. These compounds have been extensively studied as they have been identified as promising materials for photovoltaic applications with the interaction between the molecular cation and the inorganic framework implicated as influential for the electronic properties. CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 undergoes two structural transitions from a high temperature cubic unit cell to a tetragonal phase at 177 K and then a subsequent orthorhombic transition at 170 K. We have measured the low-frequency lattice dynamics using neutron spectroscopy and observe an energy broadening in the acoustic phonon linewidth towards the high-symmetry point Q X = ( 2 , 1 2 , 0 ) when approaching the transitions. Concomitant with these zone boundary anomalies is a hardening of the entire acoustic phonon branch measured in the q → 0 limit near the (2, 0, 0) Bragg position with decreasing temperature. Measurements of the elastic scattering at the Brillouin zone edges Q X = ( 2 , 1 2 , 0 ) , Q M = ( 3 2 , 1 2 , 0 ) , and Q R = ( 3 2 , 3 2 , 5 2 ) show Bragg peaks appearing below these structural transitions. Based on selection rules of neutron scattering, we suggest that the higher 177 K transition is displacive with a distortion of the local octahedral environment and the lower transition is a rigid tilt transition of the octahedra. We do not observe any critical broadening in energy or momentum, beyond resolution, of these peaks near the transitions. We compare these results to the critical properties reported near the structural transitions in other perovskites and particularly CsPbCl 3 [Y. Fujii, S. Hoshino, Y. Yamada, and G. Shirane, Phys. Rev. B 9 , 4549 (1974)]. We suggest that the simultaneous onset of static resolution-limited Bragg peaks at the zone boundaries and the changes in acoustic phonon energies near the zone center is evidence of a coupling between the inorganic framework and the molecular cation. The results also highlight the importance of displacive transitions in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites.

Pure-phase Pb(Cd 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (PCN) single crystals and ceramics with a complex perovskite structure are synthesized for the first time. The local chemical ordering in PCN has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (including diffuse scattering) and Cs-corrected transmission electron microscopy experiments. It is concluded that the PCN samples have large coherent chemical ordering regions that even extend to the long range, and the ordering model is consistent with β-type chemical ordered regions. The antiphase domain boundaries were also observed. Two dielectric anomaly peaks were found in these two types of samples, one of which indicates possible relaxor behaviour. The novel structure of the completely ordered regions and its relationship with the electrical properties make PCN a unique material for the fundamental understanding of chemically substituted perovskites.

The voltage modulation of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) is of practical and theoretical significance; due to its advantages of compactness, high-speed response, and energy efficiency, it can be used for various spintronic applications, including spin-Hall, spin-pumping, and spin-Seebeck effects. In this study, a significant ferromagnetic resonance change is achieved within the YIG/Pt bilayer heterostructures uisng ionic modulation, which is accomplished by modifying the interfacial magnetism in the deposited "capping" platinum layer. With a small voltage bias of 4.5 V, a large ferromagnetic field shift of 690 Oe is achieved in heterostructures of YIG (13 nm)/Pt (3 nm)/(ionic liquid, IL)/(Au capacitor). The remarkable magnetoelectric (ME) tunability comes from the additional and voltage-induced ferromagnetic ordering, caused by uncompensated d-orbital electrons in the Pt metal layer. Confirmed by first-principle calculations, this finding paves the way for novel voltage-tunable YIG-based spintronics., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Correlating electromechanical and dielectric properties with nanometre-scale order is the defining challenge for the development of piezoelectric oxides. Current lead (Pb)-based relaxor ferroelectrics can serve as model systems with which to unravel these correlations, but the nature of the local order and its relation to material properties remains controversial. Here we employ recent advances in diffuse scattering instrumentation to investigate crystals that span the phase diagram of PbMg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 -xPbTiO 3 (PMN-xPT) and identify four forms of local order. From the compositional dependence, we resolve the coupling of each form to the dielectric and electromechanical properties observed. We show that relaxor behaviour does not correlate simply with ferroic diffuse scattering; instead, it results from a competition between local antiferroelectric correlations, seeded by chemical short-range order, and local ferroic order. The ferroic diffuse scattering is strongest where piezoelectricity is maximal and displays previously unrecognized modulations caused by anion displacements. Our observations provide new guidelines for evaluating displacive models and hence the piezoelectric properties of environmentally friendly next-generation materials.

The Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -based ferroelectric is one of the most promising candidates for environment-friendly lead-free ferroelectric/piezoelectric materials for various applications such as actuators and micro-electromechanical systems. The understanding and tailoring of the ferro-(piezo-)electric properties of thin films, however, are strongly hindered by the formation of the defects such as dislocations, ion vacancies in the film, as well as by the complexity of the interface between the film and the substrate. An ideal system for the study of the polarization behavior in the ferro-(piezo-)electric film would be a fully matched system. In this work, monocrystalline 0.89Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -0.11BaTiO 3 thin films were epitaxially grown on (001)-oriented Nb-doped SrTiO 3 substrates using a sol-gel technique. The films were almost fully lattice- and thermally matched with the substrate, thus avoiding the impact of dislocations and thermal stress. The films were self-poled by a built-in electric field, originating from the sedimentation of heavier atoms during the film preparation. As a consequence, an upward self-polarization was introduced into the films, giving rise to asymmetric phase hysteresis loops and domain switching current responses. These results highlight the importance of the interface complexity for the self-polarization of piezoelectric thin films, even for fully matched films, which will therefore facilitate the control of properties of piezoelectric films and their applications for various functional devices.

Technologically important properties of ferroic materials are determined by their intricate response to external stimuli. This response is driven by distortions of the crystal structure and/or by domain wall motion. Experimental separation of these two mechanisms is a challenging problem which has not been solved so far. Here, we apply X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) to extract the contribution of domain wall dynamics to the overall response. Furthermore, we show how to distinguish the dynamics related to the passing of domain walls through the periodic (Peierls) potential of the crystal lattice and through the random potential caused by lattice defects (pinning centers). The approach involves the statistical analysis of correlations between X-ray speckle patterns produced by the interference of coherent synchrotron X-rays scattered from different nanosize volumes of the crystal and identification of Poisson-type contribution to the statistics. We find such a contribution in the thermally driven response of the monoclinic phase of a ferroelectric PbZr 0.55 Ti 0.45 O 3 crystal and calculate the number of domain wall jumps in the studied microvolume., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The interphase between fiber and matrix plays an essential role in the performance of composites. Therefore, the ability to design or modify the interphase is a key technology needed to manufacture stronger and smarter composite. Recently, depositing nanomaterials onto the surface of the fiber has become a promising approach to optimize the interphase and composites. But, the modified composites have not reached the highest strength yet, because the determining parameters, such as thickness of the nanolayer, are hardly controlled by the mentioned methods in reported works. Here, we deposit conformal ZnO nanolayer with various thicknesses onto the surfaces of glass fibers via the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method and a tremendous enhancement of interfacial shear strength of composites is achieved. Importantly, a critical thickness of ZnO nanolayer is obtained for the first time, giving rise to a maximal relative enhancement in the interfacial strength, which is more than 200% of the control fiber. In addition, the single modified fiber exhibits a potential application as a flexible, transparent, in situ UV detector in composites. And, we find the UV-sensitivity also shows a strong correlation with the thickness of ZnO. To reveal the dependence of UV-sensitivity on thickness, a depletion thickness is estimated by a proposed model which is an essential guide to design the detectors with higher sensitivity. Consequently, such precise tailoring of the interphase offers an advanced way to improve and to flexibly control various macroscopic properties of multifunctional composites of the next generation.

Electric field (E-field) modulation of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) switching, in an energy-efficient manner, is of great potential to realize magnetoelectric (ME) memories and other ME devices. Voltage control of the spin-reorientation transition (SRT) that allows the magnetic moment rotating between the out-of-plane and the in-plane direction is thereby crucial. In this work, a remarkable magnetic anisotropy field change up to 1572 Oe is achieved under a small operation voltage of 4 V through ionic liquid (IL) gating control of SRT in Au/[DEME] + [TFSI] - /Pt/(Co/Pt) 2 /Ta capacitor heterostructures at room temperature, corresponding to a large ME coefficient of 378 Oe V -1 . As revealed by both ferromagnetic resonance measurements and magnetic domain evolution observation, the magnetization can be switched stably and reversibly between the out-of-plane and in-plane directions via IL gating. The key mechanism, revealed by the first-principles calculation, is that the IL gating process influences the interfacial spin-orbital coupling as well as net Rashba magnetic field between the Co and Pt layers, resulting in the modulation of the SRT and in-plane/out-of-plane magnetization switching. This work demonstrates a unique IL-gated PMA with large ME tunability and paves a way toward IL gating spintronic/electronic devices such as voltage tunable PMA memories., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Traditional magnetostrictive/piezoelectric laminated composites rely on the two-dimensional interface that transfers stress/strain to achieve the large magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, nevertheless, they suffer from the theoretical limitation of the strain effect and of the substrate clamping effect in real ME applications. In this work, 3D NZFO/BTO-pillar nanocomposite films were grown on SrTiO 3 by template-assisted pulsed laser deposition, where BaTiO 3 (BTO) nanopillars appeared in an array with distinct phase transitions as the cores were covered by NiZn ferrite (NZFO) layer. The perfect 3D heteroepitaxial interface between BTO and NZFO phases can be identified without any edge dislocations, which allows effective strain transfer at the 3D interface. The 3D structure nanocomposites enable the strong two magnon scattering (TMS) effect that enhances ME coupling at the interface and reduces the clamping effect by strain relaxation. Thereby, a large FMR field shift of 1866 Oe in NZFO/BTO-pillar nanocomposite was obtained at the TMS critical angle near the BTO nanopillars phase transition of 255 K.

Exploration of phase transitions and construction of associated phase diagrams are of fundamental importance for condensed matter physics and materials science alike, and remain the focus of extensive research for both theoretical and experimental studies. For the latter, comprehensive studies involving scattering, thermodynamics, and modeling are typically required. We present a new approach to data mining multiple realizations of collective dynamics, measured through piezoelectric relaxation studies, to identify the onset of a structural phase transition in nanometer-scale volumes, that is, the probed volume of an atomic force microscope tip. Machine learning is used to analyze the multidimensional data sets describing relaxation to voltage and thermal stimuli, producing the temperature-bias phase diagram for a relaxor crystal without the need to measure (or know) the order parameter. The suitability of the approach to determine the phase diagram is shown with simulations based on a two-dimensional Ising model. These results indicate that machine learning approaches can be used to determine phase transitions in ferroelectrics, providing a general, statistically significant, and robust approach toward determining the presence of critical regimes and phase boundaries.

Environment-friendly lead-free piezoelectric materials with high piezoelectric response and high stability in a wide temperature range are urgently needed for various applications. In this work, grain orientation-controlled (with a 90% ⟨001⟩ c -oriented texture) (K,Na)NbO 3 -based ceramics with a large piezoelectric response ( d 33 *) = 505 pm V -1 and a high Curie temperature ( T C ) of 247 °C have been developed. Such a high d 33 * value varies by less than 5% from 30 to 180 °C, showing a superior thermal stability. Furthermore, the high piezoelectricity exhibits an excellent fatigue resistance with the d 33 * value decreasing within only by 6% at a field of 20 kV cm -1 up to 10 7 cycles. These exceptional properties can be attributed to the vertical morphotropic phase boundary and the highly ⟨001⟩ c -oriented textured ceramic microstructure. These results open a pathway to promote lead-free piezoelectric ceramics as a viable alternative to lead-based piezoceramics for various practical applications, such as actuators, transducers, sensors, and acoustic devices, in a wide temperature range.

An In₂O₃/ITO thin film thermocouple was prepared via screen printing. Glass additives were added to improve the sintering process and to increase the density of the In₂O₃/ITO films. The surface and cross-sectional images indicate that both the grain size and densification of the ITO and In₂O₃ films increased with the increase in annealing time. The thermoelectric voltage of the In₂O₃/ITO thermocouple was 53.5 mV at 1270 °C at the hot junction. The average Seebeck coefficient of the thermocouple was calculated as 44.5 μV/°C. The drift rate of the In₂O₃/ITO thermocouple was 5.44 °C/h at a measuring time of 10 h at 1270 °C., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is one of the most widely studied piezoelectric materials, mainly because of its 'mysterious' relationship between the so-called morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and its strong piezoelectric coupling factor. Using results from a pair distribution function analysis, this paper examines how the complex local structure in PZT affects the long-range average structure across the MPB. A monoclinic M C type structure is discovered in PZT. A first-order transformation between the monoclinic M A and M C components in both the average and local structures explains the sudden change in piezoelectric effect around these compositions. The role of polarization rotation in the enhancement of the piezoelectric properties is discussed with respect to the composition of PZT. The structure-property relationship that is revealed by this study explains the unique properties of PZT, and may be applicable in the design of new MPB-type functional materials.

Controlling spin dynamics through modulation of spin interactions in a fast, compact, and energy-efficient way is compelling for its abundant physical phenomena and great application potential in next-generation voltage controllable spintronic devices. In this work, we report electric field manipulation of spin dynamics-the two-magnon scattering (TMS) effect in Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 (NZFO)/Pb(Mg 2/3 Nb 1/3 )-PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) multiferroic heterostructures, which breaks the bottleneck of magnetostatic interaction-based magnetoelectric (ME) coupling in multiferroics. An alternative approach allowing spin-wave damping to be controlled by external electric field accompanied by a significant enhancement of the ME effect has been demonstrated. A two-way modulation of the TMS effect with a large magnetic anisotropy change up to 688 Oe has been obtained, referring to a 24 times ME effect enhancement at the TMS critical angle at room temperature. Furthermore, the anisotropic spin-freezing behaviors of NZFO were first determined via identifying the spatial magnetic anisotropy fluctuations. A large spin-freezing temperature change of 160 K induced by the external electric field was precisely determined by electron spin resonance.

Nanostructured metal oxide materials have drawn great attention because of their enhanced semiconducting, electrical, optical, sensing, and chemical catalyzing properties. The application of metal oxides in biomedicine has recently emerged as a promising field, especially in the format of organic/metal oxide composites. However, the existing methods for fabricating organic/metal oxide materials revealed limitations on the precise control over the deposition of metal oxides and the maintenance of organic nanostructures. Here, we developed an approach for the fabrication of composite materials by depositing metal oxides on the nanostructured organic templates through atomic layer deposition (ALD). With this method, we fabricated a series of silk fibroin/ZnO composites at varied deposition temperatures. The results demonstrated that the ZnO layer had a 3D conformality and hexagonal wurtzite structure, and the deposition thickness was well controlled. The photocatalytic activity of silk/ZnO composites was confirmed by the photodegradation of Rh-B under UV exposure, and the efficiency was found to be temperature dependent. These results demonstrated the successful integration of organic materials with metal oxides through an easy and controllable approach for the development of multifunctional organic/metal oxide biomaterials.

Relaxor lead magnesium niobate (PMN)-based materials exhibit complex structures and unusual properties that have been puzzling researchers for decades. In this paper, a new ternary solid solution of Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 -Bi(Zn 2/3 Nb 1/3 )O 3 (PMN-PT-BZN) is prepared in the form of ceramics, and the effects of the incorporation of BZN into the PMN-PT binary system are investigated. The crystal structure favors a pseudocubic symmetry and the relaxor properties are enhanced as the concentration of BZN increases. The relaxor behavior and the related phase transformations are studied by dielectric spectroscopy. A phase diagram mapping out the characteristic temperatures and various states is established. Interestingly, the piezoelectricity of the PMN-PT ceramics is significantly enhanced by the BZN substitution, with an optimal value of d 33 reaching 826 pC/N for 0.96[0.7Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.3PbTiO 3 ]-0.04Bi(Zn 2/3 Nb 1/3 )O 3 . This paper provides a better understanding of the relaxor ferroelectric behavior, and unveils a new relaxor-based ternary system as piezoelectric materials potentially useful for electromechanical transducer applications.

Electric field control of dynamic spin interactions is promising to break through the limitation of the magnetostatic interaction based magnetoelectric (ME) effect. In this work, electric field control of the two-magnon scattering (TMS) effect excited by in-plane lattice rotation has been demonstrated in a La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO)/Pb(Mn 2/3 Nb 1/3 )-PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) (011) multiferroic heterostructure. Compared with the conventional strain-mediated ME effect, a giant enhancement of ME effect up to 950% at the TMS critical angle is precisely determined by angular resolution of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement. Particularly, a large electric field modulation of magnetic anisotropy (464 Oe) and FMR line width (401 Oe) is achieved at 173 K. The electric-field-controllable TMS effect and its correlated ME effect have been explained by electric field modulation of the planar spin interactions triggered by spin-lattice coupling. The enhancement of the ME effect at various temperatures and spin dynamics control are promising paradigms for next-generation voltage-tunable spintronic devices.