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The functionalization of zirconia surfaces by accurate and fast printing of periodical patterns embedding sub‐micrometric features is of great interest to many engineering fields and is yet to be explored. This study aims to assess the influence of the Direct Laser Interference Patterning processing parameters on the morphology and microstructure of zirconia surfaces using a 532 nm 10 ps‐pulsed laser source. Well‐defined linear structures with a period of 3 µm are successfully produced. Depending on the laser parameters, the structures are developed at or below the surface level, with higher depths (≈1 µm) being seen for increasing values of laser fluence and pulse overlap. Line‐like hierarchical structures with smaller interference spatial structures (3 µm period) and higher secondary structures with different periods (18, 15, and 12 µm) and heights (7, 5, and 3 µm, respectively) are also obtained on zirconia surface. Ablated regions presented few traces of molten material, nano‐droplets, and sub‐micrometric (<1 µm) pores, while no (sub) micrometric cracks are detected. A slight amount of tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation (≈5%) is detected by X‐ray diffractometry. A processability map for ps‐laser processing of zirconia is proposed based on the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze priority coalitional games as an extension of balanced games with transferable utility. Here, conditions imposed by a stable allocation used in the past need to be respected when deciding on a new allocation of the revenues obtained by the grand coalition. Using claims problems as a tool, we define weak and strong priority games with respect to a given allocation and a priority coalition, and study their properties and core. In the weak priority game, the value of a coalition reflects that coalitional members with priority should not be harmed, i.e., the coalitional value should never be below their total benefits according to the initial allocation. In the strong priority game, in addition to the previous condition, players outside the coalition that are not in the priority group should not harbour aspirations exceeding those benefits given by the initial allocation. Priority games are also extended to analyze cooperation restricted by a hierarchical structure. These games restrict the core so that desirable monotonicity properties are satisfied when there is a hierarchy. This allows for reconciling core selection and monotonicity over a hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are nanostructured, melt‐processable, elastomeric block copolymers. When TPEs that form cylindrical or lamellar nanostructures are macroscopically oriented, their material properties can exhibit several orders of magnitude of anisotropy. Here it is demonstrated that the flows applied during the 3D printing of a cylinder‐forming TPE enable hierarchical control over material nanostructure and function. It is demonstrated that 3D printing allows for control over the extent of nanostructural and mechanical anisotropy and that thermal annealing of 3D printed structures leads to highly anisotropic properties (up to 85 × anisotropic tensile modulus). This approach is leveraged to print functional soft 3D architectures with tunable local and macroscopic mechanical responses. Further, these printed TPEs intrinsically achieve melt‐reprocessability over multiple cycles, reprogrammability, and robust self‐healing via a brief period of thermal annealing, enabling facile fabrication of highly tunable, robust, and recyclable soft architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare textiles serve as key reservoirs for pathogen proliferation, demanding an urgent call for innovative interventions. Here, a new class of Smart Fabrics (SF) is introduced with integrated "Repel, Kill, and Detect" functionalities, achieved through a blend of hierarchically structured microparticles, modified nanoparticles, and an acidity‐responsive sensor. SF exhibit remarkable resilience against aerosol and droplet‐based pathogen transmission, showcasing a reduction exceeding 99.90% compared to uncoated fabrics across various drug‐resistant bacteria, Candida albicans, and Phi6 virus. Experiments involving bodily fluids from healthy and infected individuals reveal a significant reduction of 99.88% and 99.79% in clinical urine and feces samples, respectively, compared to uncoated fabrics. The SF's colorimetric detection capability coupled with machine learning (96.67% accuracy) ensures reliable pathogen identification, facilitating accurate differentiation between healthy and infected urine and fecal contaminated samples. SF holds promise for revolutionizing infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities, providing protection through early contamination detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of personal cooling technologies in reducing air conditioning energy consumption and enhancing human thermal comfort is substantial. This review focuses on recent advancements in hierarchical structure design for innovative cooling textiles. Beginning with insights into fundamental heat transfer processes between the human body, textile, and the surroundings, we uncover key control mechanisms. Then the advanced hierarchical structure designs enabling effective radiation, sweat evaporation, conduction management, and integration of cold energy sources for realizing effective human body cooling are systematically summarized. Additionally, we explore multifunctional designs beyond cooling, including switchable cooling-heating and sensing. Finally, we engage in discussions on unifying cooling performance tests and additional multiple requirements to make strides toward practical applications. This review is anticipated to be a valuable resource, providing the scientific and industrial communities with a quick grasp of past advancements, current challenges, and future directions in achieving effective human body cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone, renowned for its elegant hierarchical structure and unique mechanical properties, serves as a constant source of inspiration for the development of synthetic materials. However, achieving accurate replication of bone features in artificial materials with remarkable structural and mechanical similarity remains a significant challenge. In this study, we employed a cascade of continuous fabrication processes, including biomimetic mineralization of collagen, bidirectional freeze-casting, and pressure-driven fusion, to successfully fabricate a macroscopic bulk material known as artificial compact bone (ACB). The ACB material closely replicates the composition, hierarchical structures, and mechanical properties of natural bone. It demonstrates a lamellated alignment of mineralized collagen (MC) microfibrils, similar to those found in natural bone. Moreover, the ACB exhibits a similar high mineral content (70.9 %) and density (2.2 g/cm3) as natural cortical bone, leading to exceptional mechanical properties such as high stiffness, hardness, and flexural strength that are comparable to those of natural bone. Importantly, the ACB also demonstrates excellent mechanical properties in wet, outstanding biocompatibility, and osteogenic properties in vivo, rendering it suitable for a broad spectrum of biomedical applications, including orthopedic, stomatological, and craniofacial surgeries.

[Display omitted] • A hybrid Ce-MOF@MoS 2 with an advanced hierarchical structure is designed. • EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 exhibits a notable increase in TS to 50.87 MPa and EB to 10.84 %. • The pHRR and THR of EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 are reduced by 38 % and 12.64 %, respectively. • The hybrid's catalytic effects reduce CO and CO 2 production by 48.8 % and 38.7 %. This study demonstrates the preparation of needle-like Ce-MOF crystals on molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) nanosheets using in-situ growth technology. This hybrid structure significantly enhances the thermal management and mechanical properties of thermosetting epoxy resin (EP). Specifically, EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 exhibits a notable increase in tensile strength (TS) to 50.87 MPa and elongation at break (EB) to 10.84 %. Moreover, Ce-MOF@MoS 2 provides synergistic flame retardant benefits, reducing the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) of EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 by 38 % and 12.64 %, respectively, compared to EP-0. Additionally, Ce-MOF@MoS 2 suppresses smoke and reduces toxic emissions; at a 3 % loading, it decreases CO and CO 2 production in EP nanocomposites by 48.8 % and 38.7 %, respectively. Thus, this Ce-MOF@MoS 2 hybrid, synthesized via in-situ growth, offers a novel approach for developing EP nanocomposites with superior thermal management and mechanical properties, along with effective flame retardancy and reduced hazardous emissions during thermal events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging concept of aerogel composite phase change materials (PCMs) represents a promising approach for thermal energy storage and utilization. However, the thermal storage aerogels currently reported usually lack essential aerogel properties, thereby constraining their potential for functional design and advanced applications. Herein, multifunctional thermal storage aerogels with aerogel characteristics and thermoregulation performance are prepared by chemically crosslinking and unidirectional freezing to make functionalized mineral‐based composite PCMs as cavity walls. Thanks to the cross–linked continuous skeleton and retained hierarchical porous, this novel thermal storage aerogel possesses an 89.7% porosity and demonstrates excellent resilience under 80% compression. As the PCMs in the cavity walls can convert phonon transport modes through phase transitions, the thermal storage aerogel has enhanced thermal insulation properties, reaching a thermal conductivity of 29.6 mW m−1 K−1. Drawing upon the multifunctional properties of thermal storage aerogels, it is demonstrated that thermal storage masks with thermal comfort and health protection, as well as passive thermal management wrist guards capable of harnessing solar radiation for temperature regulation. This work encompasses the exploration of novel approaches in developing advanced thermal management materials to cater to the diverse thermal regulation requirements of PCMs across various domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing interfacial adhesion between functional coatings and target surfaces facilitates long‐term stable service by mitigating interferences of mechanical mismatches. Design of mechanical interlocks affords an effective strategy to strengthen the interfacial bonding with durability and compatibility, but the in‐depth investigations are still lacked. Herein, a gecko‐inspired hierarchical strategy realized by hybrid laser direct writing is proposed, which incorporates an armored frame scale for surface protection and a riveted anchor scale for interlocks. Such dual‐scale configurations endow the functional coatings with the stronger adhesion to the targets than the pristine and mono‐scale cases, resulting in 2 orders of magnitude enhancement resistant to tape peeling tests. Utilizing this scheme, a laser‐induced integrated deicing system is in situ manufactured on thermoplastics, primarily comprising superhydrophobic structures, carbon‐based sensors as well as adhesive copper (Cu) interconnects and heaters, where Cu‐based devices exhibit superior resistance to water impacts and stress fatigue. Interfacing with signal processing modules, such an all‐in‐one system demonstrates real‐time temperature monitoring and high efficiency in deicing (4.24 folds faster than the control group). The facile route for intensified adhesion holds promise in the interfaces within advanced equipment and under harsh scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural health monitoring is vital for improving the safety and reliability of fiber‐reinforced composites. However, it is still challenging to achieve high sensing performance without changing the overall properties of composites. In this work, conductive fibers were braided into pigtails to achieve high sensing sensitivity and maintain low electrical resistance. Conductive pigtails with hierarchical and critically connected percolation networks were integrated with basalt fabric by an embroidery technique to realize self‐diagnosis of composites. After being embedded in epoxy composites, the material exhibited low electrical resistance (128.8 kΩ) and excellent sensing performance, demonstrating a high Gauge factor of 8.1, good linearity (R2 > 99%) and stability. The experimental results also showed that conductive pigtails can sensitively inform crack initiation and growth inside composites, which is extremely important for warning of the risk of material fractures. In addition, the mechanical strength of the material was almost unchanged before and after the pigtails were embedded. All these results indicate that conductive pigtails could be used as highly sensitive sensors for realizing structural health monitoring in fiber‐reinforced composites. Highlights: CBs/TPU pigtails with hierarchical conductive paths were fabricated and firmly integrated with basalt fabric by the embroidery technique.There is a good interface between the pigtails and the matrix, resulting in the embedding of the pigtails with little change in the mechanical properties of the composites.Pigtails can sensitively detect crack initiation and growth in composites, demonstrating the potential for self‐diagnosis of fiber‐reinforced composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si)‐based anodes hold great potential for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to their exceptional theoretical capacity. However, their practical application is hindered by the notably substantial volume expansion and unstable electrode/electrolyte interfaces during cycling, leading to rapid capacity degradation. To address these challenges, we have engineered a porous nitrogen/sulfur co‐doped carbon layer (CBPOD) to uniformly encapsulate Si, providing a multifunctional protective coating. This innovative design effectively passivates the electrode/electrolyte interface and mitigates the volumetric expansion of Si. The N/S co‐doping framework significantly enhances electronic and ionic conductivity. Furthermore, the carbonization process augments the elastic modulus of CBPOD and reconstructs the Si‐CBPOD interface, facilitating the formation of robust chemical bonds. These features collectively contribute to the high performance of the Si‐CBPOD anodes, which demonstrate a high reversible capacity of 1110.8 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 4 A g−1 and an energy density of 574 Wh kg−1 with a capacity retention of over 75.6% after 300 cycles at 0.2 C. This study underscores the substantial potential of the CBPOD protective layer in enhancing the performance of Si anodes, providing a pathway for the development of composite materials with superior volumetric energy density and prolonged cyclic stability, thereby advancing high‐performance LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypervapotron structure was considered to be a feasible configuration to meet the high heat-dissipating requirement of divertors in nuclear fusion devices. In this work, symmetric CuCrZr-based transverse microchannels (TMHC) and longitudinal microchannels (LMHC) with an integrated hypervapotron channel were proposed and manufactured, and subcooled flow boiling experiments were conducted using deionized water at an inlet temperature of 20 °C with a traditional flat-type hypervapotron channel (FHC) for comparison. The LMHC and TMHC obtained lower wall temperatures than the FHC for all conditions, and the TMHC yielded the lowest temperatures. The heat transfer coefficients of the LMHC and TMHC outperformed the FHC due to the enlarged heat transfer area, and the TMHC had the greatest heat transfer coefficient (maximumly increased by 132% compared to the FHC) because the transverse-arranged microchannels were conductive, promoting the convection and liquid replenishment ability by introducing branch flow between fins; however, the microchannels of the LMHC were insensible to flow velocities due to the block effect of longitudinal microchannels. The LMHC obtained the largest pressure drop, and the pressure drop for the FHC and TMHC were comparable since the transverse-placed microchannels had little effect on frictional pressure loss. The TMHC attained the greatest comprehensive thermohydraulic performance which might bring significant insight to the structural design of hypervapotron devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in sectors requiring extensive energy storage. The abundant availability of sodium at a low cost addresses concerns associated with lithium, such as environmental contamination and limited availability. However, SIBs exhibit lower energy density and cyclic stability compared to LIBs. One of the key challenges in improving the performance of SIBs lies in the electrochemical properties of the cathode materials. Among the various cathodes utilized in SIBs, sodium vanadium phosphates (NVPs) and sodium vanadium fluorophosphates (NVPFs) are particularly advantageous. These vanadium-based cathodes offer high theoretical capacity and are cost-effective. Commercialization of SIBs with NVPF cathodes has already begun. However, the poor conductivity of these cathode materials leads to a short cycle life and inferior rate performance. Various synthesis methods have been explored to enhance the conductivity, including heteroatom doping (N, S, and Co), surface modification, the fabrication of porous nanostructures, and composite formation with conductive carbon materials. In particular, cathodes with interconnected hierarchical micro- and nano-porous morphologies have shown promise. This review focuses on the diverse synthesis methods reported for preparing hierarchically porous cathodes. With increased attention, particular emphasis has been placed on carbon composites of NVPs and NVPFs. Additionally, the synthesis of vanadium pentoxide-based cathodes is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating challenge of antibiotic resistance has driven the innovation of new antibacterial and antifouling materials. Recent developments focus on nature-inspired topographical engineering and nanostructured surfaces to combat resistant bacteria. This review discusses these advances, emphasizing the potential of nanoantibiotics and biopolymers. Nanoantibiotics revitalize drug effectiveness by encapsulating them in nanoparticles, presenting a new strategy to fight pathogens. Biopolymers, eco-friendly and biodegradable, emerge as a sustainable alternative, with applications in food safety and beyond. The exploration of these materials signifies a leap in design, fabrication, and the possibility of cost-effective, large-scale production, highlighting a promising avenue for commercial applications to tackle antibiotic resistance and biofouling effectively.

Slender springtails (Entomobrya nivalis) and orange springtails (Neanura muscorum) are capable of repelling water and organic liquids using the hexagonally arranged nanoscale waxy protrusions and microscale wrinkles on their cuticles to protect the skin-breathing arthropods against suffocation in diversified survival environments. The omniphobic hierarchical structures can even shed and directionally transport liquids along the longitudinal direction of the wrinkles. Bioinspired by springtails, monolayer colloidal crystals are self-assembled onto anisotropic microwrinkled substrates and serve as structural templates to pattern antiwetting hierarchical structure arrays. The dependence of structure configuration on the antiwetting performances is systematically investigated in this study. Impressively, the optimized structure array exhibits anisotropic omniphobic sliding characteristics toward liquids with varied surface tensions ranging from 72.8 to 27.2 mN/m. The springtail-inspired coatings undoubtedly have great potential for developing innovative applications that require directional transportation and the collection of liquids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, mashup developers seek to integrate multiple services with complementary functionalities from a large amount of web services. With so many available web services, it is difficult for developers to choose the right one to develop new mashups. Therefore, it is critical to create and recommend appropriate web services for mashup developers based on their development needs. In the past, various deep models have been proposed to facilitate web service recommendation based on semantic matching of textual descriptions. However, existing deep approaches mainly match global semantic representations while ignoring descriptive structure and tag information. In this paper, we propose a multi-representation web service recommendation model, which simultaneously extracts global, local and tag representations of the description and tag information, respectively. Moreover, we propose a tag-driven attention mechanism to guide the process of information extraction. Experiments over a real-world dataset demonstrate that our proposed service recommendation algorithm can achieve remarkable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical micro/nanostructures have garnered considerable attention for their capabilities in light modulation, but the flexible fabrication of designed optical functional structures at both micro and nano scales remains challenging. Here, a polarization‐modulated patterned laser ablation method complemented by flowing liquid is proposed to fabricate hierarchical microgrooves featuring tunable cross‐sections and engraved surface nanostructures with controllable periods and orientations. The liquid‐assisted ablation counters the shielding effect of ablation debris through laser‐induced microjets, ensuring accurate control of the microgroove's shape by modulating the laser pattern in the focal plane. Simultaneously, the absence of debris also permits the consistent formation of laser‐induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) across the microgrooves. The LIPSS's period and orientation can be finely adjusted by manipulating the pulse energy and polarization within the patterned laser spot, facilitating the adaptable creation of hierarchical micro/nanostructures for optical application needs. As a demonstration, blazed gratings featuring orientation‐customized LIPSS are fabricated, which exhibit polarization‐dependent diffraction efficiency. The laser fabrication technique offers a highly versatile solution for sculpturing shape‐controllable hierarchical gratings on hard‐to‐machine materials, paving the way for the swift production of customized optical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational morphology control of inorganic microarchitectures is important in diverse fields, requiring precise regulation of nucleation and growth processes. While wet chemical methods have achieved success regarding the shape‐controlled synthesis of micro/nanostructures, accurately controlling the growth behavior in real time remains challenging. Comparatively, the electrodeposition technique can immediately control the growth behavior by tuning the overpotential, whereas it is rarely used to design complex microarchitectures. Here, the electrochemical design of complex Cu2O microarchitectures step‐by‐step by precisely controlling the growth behavior is demonstrated. The growth modes can be switched between the thermodynamic and kinetic modes by varying the overpotential. Cl− ions preferably adhered to {100} facets to modulate growth rates of these facets is proved. The discovered growth modes to prepare Cu2O microarchitectures composed of multiple building units inaccessible with existing methods are employed. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) additives can guarantee all pre‐electrodeposits simultaneously evolve into uniform microarchitectures, instead of forming undesired microstructures on bare electrode surfaces in following electrodeposition processes is discovered. The designed Cu2O microarchitectures can be converted into noble metal microstructures with shapes unchanged, which can be used as surface‐enhanced Raman scattering substrates. An electrochemical avenue toward rational design of complex inorganic microarchitectures is opened up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose, being a renewable and abundant biopolymer, has garnered significant attention for its unique properties and potential applications in hybrid materials. Understanding the hierarchical arrangement of cellulose nanofibers is crucial for developing cellulose‐based materials with enhanced mechanical properties. In this study, the use of Scanning Electron Diffraction (SED) is presented to map the nanoscale orientation of cellulose fibers in a bio‐composite material with a preserved wood cell structure. The SED data provides detailed insights into the ordering of cellulose with an extraordinary resolution of ≈15 nm. It enables a quantitative analysis of the fiber orientation over regions as large as entire cells. A highly organized arrangement of cellulose fibers within the secondary cell wall is observed, with a gradient of orientations toward the outer part of the wall. The in‐plane fiber rotation is quantified, revealing a uniform orientation close to the middle lamella. Transversely sectioned material exhibits similar trends, suggesting a layered cell wall structure. Based on the SED data, a 3D model depicting the complex helical alignment of fibers throughout the cell wall is constructed. This study demonstrates the unique opportunities SED provides for characterizing the nanoscale hierarchical arrangement of cellulose nanofibers, empowering further research on a range of hybrid materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of the study is complex dynamic objects. The subject of the study is the decision-making process in the problems of managing complex dynamic objects. A method of assessing the state of dynamic objects using a combined swarm algorithm is proposed. The research is based on a combined swarm algorithm - for finding a solution to the state of dynamic objects with a hierarchical structure. To train the individuals of the combined swarm algorithm (CSA), evolving artificial neural networks are used, and to select the best in the combined swarm algorithm, an improved genetic algorithm is used. The originality of the method is: – in taking into account the type of uncertainty and noise of data during the operation of the combined swarm algorithm due to the use of appropriate correction factors; – in the implementation of adaptive strategies for the search for food sources due to setting appropriate search priorities; – in taking into account the presence of a predator while choosing food sources by the flock agents of the combined swarm algorithm, which allows excluding unwanted search areas; – in the additional consideration of the available computing resources of the state analysis system of complex dynamic objects while determining the maximum permissible parameters of the combined swarm algorithm; – in the possibility of changing the search area and speed of movement by separate individuals of the flock of the combined swarm algorithm; – in determining the best individuals of the flock of the combined swarm algorithm using an improved genetic algorithm; – in training knowledge bases, carried out by training the synaptic weights of the artificial neural network, the type and parameters of the membership function, the architecture of individual elements and the architecture of the artificial neural network as a whole. The method makes it possible to increase the efficiency of data processing at the level of 14–20 % by using additional improved procedures. The proposed method should be used to solve problems of evaluating complex dynamic objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive hydrogels possessing high conductivity, stretchability, and biocompatibility are promising materials for underwater devices and bioelectronics. However, typical hydrogels often exhibit low electrical conductivity, which is insufficient for applications requiring high electronic communication. A common approach to increase hydrogel conductivity is to introduce conductive fillers; however, this usually implies a partial sacrifice of stretchability, biocompatibility, and water content. In addition, the electrical properties of hydrogels tend to be unstable due to rehydration in aqueous environments. In this study, a conductive hydrogel composite is fabricated from silver nanowires (AgNWs) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) employing a synergistic method of freezing and salting‐out treatments. This combined method constructs a hierarchical hydrogel structure and increases the local concentration of AgNWs by inducing continuous phase separation. The resultant conductive hydrogel composites exhibit ultra‐high electrical conductivity (≈1739 S cm−1) and electrical stability in aqueous environments while maintaining high water content (≈87%), stretchability (≈480%), and excellent biocompatibility. To illustrate the capabilities of the conductive hydrogel composites, they are applied to bionic sharks, underwater soft circuitry, and electrocardiogram electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Solar steam generation (SSG) is widely regarded as one of the most sustainable technologies for seawater desalination. However, salt fouling severely compromises the evaporation performance and lifetime of evaporators, limiting their practical applications. Herein, we propose a hierarchical salt-rejection (HSR) strategy to prevent salt precipitation during long-term evaporation while maintaining a rapid evaporation rate, even in high-salinity brine. The salt diffusion process is segmented into three steps—insulation, branching diffusion, and arterial transport—that significantly enhance the salt-resistance properties of the evaporator. Moreover, the HSR strategy overcomes the tradeoff between salt resistance and evaporation rate. Consequently, a high evaporation rate of 2.84 ​kg ​m−2 ​h−1, stable evaporation for 7 days cyclic tests in 20 ​wt% NaCl solution, and continuous operation for 170 ​h in natural seawater under 1 sun illumination were achieved. Compared with control evaporators, the HSR evaporator exhibited a >54% enhancement in total water evaporation mass during 24 ​h continuous evaporation in 20 ​wt% salt water. Furthermore, a water collection device equipped with the HSR evaporator realized a high water purification rate (1.1 ​kg ​m−2 ​h−1), highlighting its potential for agricultural applications.

In this paper, we propose an innovative approach to multi-band source-segmentation that addresses the constraints of single-band max-tree-based methods and effectively manages component-graph complexity. Our method extends multiple max-trees by integrating semantically meaningful nodes, derived from statistical tests, into a structured graph. This integration enables the exploration of correlations among cross-band emissions, enhancing segmentation accuracy. Evaluation with artificial multi-band astronomical images shows our method’s superior accuracy in detecting and segmenting multi-spectral imagery. We achieve 98% accuracy in identifying correlated cross-band sources. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, our approach improves detection precision from 0.92 to 0.95 without sacrificing recall. Furthermore, quantitative analysis demonstrates significant speed enhancements, particularly on 3-channel images sized at 1,000 pixels squared, our method achieves up to an approximately $31\times $ acceleration when compared to a component-graph-based approach. The versatility and effectiveness of the proposed method suggest applications in remote sensing and multi-spectral large-scale image data analysis.

Boiling is an effective energy-transfer process with substantial utility in energy applications. Boiling performance is described mainly by the heat-transfer coefficient (HTC) and critical heat flux (CHF). Recent efforts for the simultaneous enhancement of HTC and CHF have been limited by an intrinsic trade-off between them-HTC enhancement requires high nucleation-site density, which can increase bubble coalescence resulting in limited CHF enhancement. In this work, this trade-off is overcome by designing three-tier hierarchical structures. The bubble coalescence is minimized to enhance the CHF by defining nucleation sites with microcavities interspersed within hemi-wicking structures. Meanwhile, the reduced nucleation-site density is compensated for by incorporating nanostructures that promote evaporation for HTC enhancement. The hierarchical structures demonstrate the simultaneous enhancement of HTC and CHF up to 389% and 138%, respectively, compared to a smooth surface. This extreme boiling performance can lead to significant energy savings in a variety of boiling applications.

Superhydrophobic TiO2/BC nanocomposites with reversibly wettability surfaces were fabricated by a simple self-anchoring method on the natural bacterial cellulose (BC) fibers. Under UV light irradiation, the organosilicon-modified TiO2/BC surfaces (M-TiO2/BC) exhibited a surface transition from superhydrophobic (water contact angle of 158° ± 1°, sliding angle of 3°) to superhydrophilic (water contact angle of 10° ± 1°) within only 20 min. Besides pure water, for different kinds of liquid including milk, orange juice, synthetic blood, and seawater, M-TiO2/BC exhibited excellent self-clean performance. The XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, TGA, BET and XPS analyses were employed to characterize the morphological features and surface chemistry of the M-TiO2/BC films enclosed by different amounts of TiO2 nanoparticles with the average size of 2.85 nm. Furthermore, the effect of deposition time and Ti precursor concentration on the superhydrophobicity was carefully compared and analyzed. Interestingly, the UV light source with the maximal peak at ~ 365 nm (UVA) exhibited better performance of reversible switching than the light source with the maximal peak at ~ 245 nm (UVC). After three successive recycles, the M-TiO2/BC films remained stable for the UV–thermal induced reversible wettability. The simple and self-anchored synthesis of TiO2/BC hierarchical structures is believed to be helpful for the further expansion of multifunctional soft materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of biological materials and bio‐inspired materials science is well established; however, surprisingly little knowledge is systematically translated to engineering solutions. To accelerate discovery and guide insights, an open‐source autoregressive transformer large language model (LLM), BioinspiredLLM, is reported. The model is finetuned with a corpus of over a thousand peer‐reviewed articles in the field of structural biological and bio‐inspired materials and can be prompted to recall information, assist with research tasks, and function as an engine for creativity. The model has proven that it is able to accurately recall information about biological materials and is further strengthened with enhanced reasoning ability, as well as with Retrieval‐Augmented Generation (RAG) to incorporate new data during generation that can also help to traceback sources, update the knowledge base, and connect knowledge domains. BioinspiredLLM also has shown to develop sound hypotheses regarding biological materials design and remarkably so for materials that have never been explicitly studied before. Lastly, the model shows impressive promise in collaborating with other generative artificial intelligence models in a workflow that can reshape the traditional materials design process. This collaborative generative artificial intelligence method can stimulate and enhance bio‐inspired materials design workflows. Biological materials are at a critical intersection of multiple scientific fields and models like BioinspiredLLM help to connect knowledge domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature has a remarkable ability to create multifunctional fibers, such as spider silk, by precisely controlling structures across various scales. However, replicating this in high‐speed spun synthetic fibers is challenging due to the absence of life‐specific forces and interactions required for manipulating composition, gradients, and structures. Here, a novel droplet‐coupled pultrusion spinning technique is demonstrated for industrial‐scale production of microfibers with hierarchical structures. Droplets spontaneously form on the surface of high‐speed spun fibers to tailor multiscale hierarchical structures, resulting in a nonlinear viscoelastic core embedded with anharmonic nanosprings consisting of amorphous and crystalline domains and a periodically reinforced nanofiber skin. These structural hierarchies enable unique mechanical property combinations including nonlinear viscoelasticity, large extensibility (613%), record‐high toughness (536 MJ m−3), highly efficient impact energy absorption, vibration damping and wide temperature adaptability (−67.4 to 278.9 °C). Additionally, the structured bioinspired fibers exhibit low‐frequency phononic bandgap and anomalous dispersion of mechanical waves. The droplet‐based approach allows precise control over heterogeneity at multiple scales within the identical components leading to impressive mechanical performance and additional functionalities, and is consider that it could be applied to the design of the next era of hierarchically structured nanocomposites for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era characterized by vast data streams and complex socioeconomic dynamics, the fusion and precise analysis of multi‐sourced intelligence has emerged as a pivotal challenge. To address this, the study constructs a sophisticated intelligence fusion network (IFN) architecture leveraging the potential of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the security tenets of blockchain technology. Drawing from diverse fields including informatics, computer science, data analytics, and network security, the research adopts an integrative methodology comprising both a comprehensive literature review and systems analysis. Key findings highlight the prowess of AGI‐driven IFNs in enhancing governmental early warning systems for crisis management. These networks underscore a paradigm shift from reactive postevent measures to proactive pre‐event forecasting, thus bolstering the efficacy of governmental responses. Moreover, the decentralized nature of blockchain technology ensures data integrity, fostering trust in interdepartmental data sharing—an essential for efficient crisis management in hierarchical administrative structures. This study accentuates the need for redefining crisis management strategies, emphasizing data‐driven decision‐making and seamless intelligence sharing to ensure optimal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wideband perfect absorbers are widely demanded for various applications, including efficient photodetection, radiation cooling. However, achieving perfect absorption across an extensive range of wavelengths on engraved structured substrate remains a challenge due to the complex light responses. It presents a hierarchical conical metasurface that demonstrates distinct perfect absorption from visible to far‐infrared range (0.4–16 µm), which is composed of surface‐engraved high aspect ratio nanogratings on microcones. The perfect absorption in the typical reststrahlen band of 4H‐SiC primarily relies on a light‐trapping‐enhanced surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) mechanism, where the microcones effectively confine and enhance the SPhPs excited by the nanogratings through light trapping. Outside the reststrahlen band, the dominant mechanism for light antireflection is the light trapping of microcones assisted by nanogratings, which act as an equivalent antireflection layer. The hierarchical cones exhibit exceptional broadband performance, achieving an average absorptance of 98% over the spectrum of 0.4–16 µm with wide‐angle feasibility, and are fabricated using one‐step ultrafast‐laser ablation with ring‐shaped vector beams. Notably, the hierarchical cones can be applied to various materials, showing significant potential for use in photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2‐based materials are considered to be the promising anodes of sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) because of their high safety and good stability. However, their low specific capacity and high safety operating voltage plateau impose a severe challenge for high energy density batteries. Herein, interconnected micro‐sheets consisting of carbon nanotubes and sulfur doped TiO2 (CNT/S‐TiO2) are synthesized via an ultrasonic process and subsequent calcination, enabling the fabrication of high‐performance material. The utilization of SWCNT overcomes the structure instabilities during electrode preparation of thick electrodes. The incorporation of SWCNT and sulfur dopants in the CNT/S‐TiO2 composite not only enhances conductivity but also improves ion transport dynamics, resulting in rapid charge delivery and high specific capacity at the thick electrode level. Consequently, CNT/S‐TiO2 demonstrates excellent rate performance (from 0.3 to 15 C, with 72.4% capacity retention) and long cycling stability (10000 cycles at a load of 1.96 mg cm−2). More importantly, the high S‐TiO2 content (90%) in the thick electrode (21.2 mg cm−2) achieves a high areal capacity retention of 3.4 mA h cm−2 after 100 cycles, which surpasses the actual application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Soft polymer gels encounter difficulties in meeting the demanding requirements of real-life applications due to the long-standing challenge to reproduce the excellent mechanical properties and multifunctionalities observed in natural soft tissues. Here, a skin-like hierarchically structured organo-hydrogel with an all-around performance that matches and outperforms mammalian skin is reported, including high stretchability of 2227% strain, remarkable strength of 20.78 MPa, record-breaking fracture toughness up to 260 MJ/m3, together with excellent resistance to fracture and fatigue (fatigue threshold over 30.4 kJ/m2), superior long-term stability and tolerance to freezing and elevated temperatures. It also shows high conductivity and excellent electrical sensing capability. The underlying synergistic multi-scale reinforcement mechanisms of the organo-hydrogel are also validated via molecular dynamics simulations and experimental results. Hence, this work formulates a model design applicable to various polymer gels to expand their potential in applications including flexible electronics, multi-functional bionic sensors, energy storage devices and soft robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implantable electrodes are crucial for stimulation safety and recording quality of neuronal activity. To enhance their electrochemical performance, electrodeposited nanostructured platinum (nanoPt) and iridium oxide (IrOx) have been proposed due to their advantages of in situ deposition and ease of processing. However, their unstable adhesion has been a challenge in practical applications. This study investigated the electrochemical performance and stability of nanoPt and IrOx coatings on hierarchical platinum-iridium (Pt-Ir) substrates prepared by femtosecond laser, compared with the coatings on smooth Pt-Ir substrates. Ultrasonic testing, agarose gel testing, and cyclic voltammetry (CV) testing were used to evaluate the coatings' stability. Results showed that the hierarchical Pt-Ir substrate significantly enhanced the charge-storage capacity of electrodes with both coatings to more than 330 mC/cm2, which was over 75 times that of the smooth Pt-Ir electrode. The hierarchical substrate could also reduce the cracking of nanoPt coatings after ultrasonic, agarose gel and CV testing. Although some shedding was observed in the IrOx coating on the hierarchical substrate after one hour of sonication, it showed good stability in the agarose gel and CV tests. Stable nanoPt and IrOx coatings may not only improve the electrochemical performance but also benefit the function of neurobiochemical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of cathodes with carbonized Agave tequilana bagasse for Li–S batteries is performed for the first time. Three porous carbonaceous structures are developed and studied to elucidate the best carbon textural properties in terms of their surface area and pore size distribution: hierarchical porosity, highly microporous, and nonporous material, for sulfur hosting in Li–S cathodes. N2 physorption, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and potentiometric titrations analysis are performed to determine the textural, morphology, and physicochemical properties. The fabricated coin cells, CR2032, with cathodes made of mesoporous carbons, display a high discharge current (≈1600 mAh g−1), superior performance, and cyclability up to 250 cycles. The performance of batteries is found to be strongly influenced by surface area and pore size of the carbon materials. The carbonized tequila bagasse hosting sulfur can be very useful to fabricate cathodes for Li–S batteries with high initial capacity and cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Integration and scalability have posed significant problems in the advancement of brain-inspired intelligent systems. Here, we report a self-formed Ag device fabricated through a chemical dewetting process using an Ag organic precursor, which offers easy processing, scalability, and flexibility to address the above issues to a certain extent. The conditions of spin coating, precursor dilution, and use of solvents were varied to obtain different dewetted structures (broadly classified as bimodal and nearly unimodal). A microscopic study is performed to obtain insight into the dewetting mechanism. The electrical behavior of selected bimodal and nearly unimodal devices is related to the statistical analysis of their microscopic structures. A capacitance model is proposed to relate the threshold voltage (Vth) obtained electrically to the various microscopic parameters. Synaptic functionalities such as short-term potentiation (STP) and long-term potentiation (LTP) were emulated in a representative nearly unimodal and bimodal device, with the bimodal device showing a better performance. One of the cognitive behaviors, associative learning, was emulated in a bimodal device. Scalability is demonstrated by fabricating more than 1000 devices, with 96% exhibiting switching behavior. A flexible device is also fabricated, demonstrating synaptic functionalities (STP and LTP).

The hypervapotron structure was considered to be a feasible configuration to meet the high heat-dissipating requirement of divertors in nuclear fusion devices. In this work, symmetric CuCrZr-based transverse microchannels (TMHC) and longitudinal microchannels (LMHC) with an integrated hypervapotron channel were proposed and manufactured, and subcooled flow boiling experiments were conducted using deionized water at an inlet temperature of 20 °C with a traditional flat-type hypervapotron channel (FHC) for comparison. The LMHC and TMHC obtained lower wall temperatures than the FHC for all conditions, and the TMHC yielded the lowest temperatures. The heat transfer coefficients of the LMHC and TMHC outperformed the FHC due to the enlarged heat transfer area, and the TMHC had the greatest heat transfer coefficient (maximumly increased by 132% compared to the FHC) because the transverse-arranged microchannels were conductive, promoting the convection and liquid replenishment ability by introducing branch flow between fins; however, the microchannels of the LMHC were insensible to flow velocities due to the block effect of longitudinal microchannels. The LMHC obtained the largest pressure drop, and the pressure drop for the FHC and TMHC were comparable since the transverse-placed microchannels had little effect on frictional pressure loss. The TMHC attained the greatest comprehensive thermohydraulic performance which might bring significant insight to the structural design of hypervapotron devices.

Two frontier crystalline porous framework materials, namely, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), have been widely explored owing to their outstanding physicochemical properties. While each type of framework has its own intrinsic advantages and shortcomings for specific applications, combining the complementary properties of the two materials allows the engineering of new classes of hybrid porous crystalline materials with properties superior to the individual components. Since the first report of MOF/COF hybrid in 2016, it has rapidly evolved as a novel platform for diverse applications. The state-of-art advances in the various synthetic approaches of MOF/COF hybrids are hereby summarized, together with their applications in different areas. Perspectives on the main challenges and future opportunities are also offered in order to inspire a multidisciplinary effort toward the further development of chemically diverse, multi-functional hybrid porous crystalline materials.

Highlights Electrospinning combined with structural engineering to construct 0D@2D@1D hierarchical heterogeneous interfaces. A “mechanical response” model was constructed to explain the stress transfer mechanism of fibrous membranes with 2D@1D structures. The “One for All” fibrous membrane combines excellent flexibility, mechanical properties, waterproof, and electromagnetic protection.

Abstract The study of biological materials and bio‐inspired materials science is well established; however, surprisingly little knowledge is systematically translated to engineering solutions. To accelerate discovery and guide insights, an open‐source autoregressive transformer large language model (LLM), BioinspiredLLM, is reported. The model is finetuned with a corpus of over a thousand peer‐reviewed articles in the field of structural biological and bio‐inspired materials and can be prompted to recall information, assist with research tasks, and function as an engine for creativity. The model has proven that it is able to accurately recall information about biological materials and is further strengthened with enhanced reasoning ability, as well as with Retrieval‐Augmented Generation (RAG) to incorporate new data during generation that can also help to traceback sources, update the knowledge base, and connect knowledge domains. BioinspiredLLM also has shown to develop sound hypotheses regarding biological materials design and remarkably so for materials that have never been explicitly studied before. Lastly, the model shows impressive promise in collaborating with other generative artificial intelligence models in a workflow that can reshape the traditional materials design process. This collaborative generative artificial intelligence method can stimulate and enhance bio‐inspired materials design workflows. Biological materials are at a critical intersection of multiple scientific fields and models like BioinspiredLLM help to connect knowledge domains.

Developing advanced sorbents for selective carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration with minimal energy consumption remains a pivotal challenge. This study presents a novel strategy through transforming 3D bulk zirconium-porphyrin frameworks into the corresponding 2D nanosheet-assembled superstructures for enhanced CO2 capture. The hierarchical frameworks with well-organized nanosheet architectures exhibit significantly increased specific surface area from 600 m2/g to 2400 m2/g while providing kinetic benefits for gas diffusion. Compared to the adsorption behavior of the bulk counterparts, the nanosheet-assembled frameworks demonstrate a 1.5-fold increase in CO2 adsorption capacity without compromising CO2/N2 selectivity. Theoretical calculation reveals that the coordination unsaturated Zr-O clusters, electron delocalized environments both in interlayer gaps and micropores provided binding sites for CO2 capture. Our research demonstrates an adaptable structure-directed approach for the crystal engineering of metal-organic frameworks which would inspire the creation of state-of-the-art crystalline porous materials for broadened applications.

This paper introduces a new type of energy-absorbing hierarchical tapered structure, mimicking the hierarchical architecture of barnacle. The proposed structures are designed by iteratively incorporating sub-tapered tubes at the junctions of primary ribs aiming to enhance the crashworthiness performance. The finite element models of the proposed structures are constructed in Abaqus software and validated using experimental testing. The effects of the geometrical parameters including the number of substructures and the external-to-internal wall thickness ratio on the energy absorption characteristics of the proposed structures are investigated. The results demonstrate that as the number of substructures increases, the specific energy absorption (SEA) and mean crushing force of the proposed design show a significant improvement. Specially, the SEA of the proposed structures with four substructures can reach 32.78 kJ/kg, which is 85.8 % higher than the conventional tapered tube. Additionally, decreasing the ratio of external to internal wall thickness leads to enhanced performance. After optimizing the wall thickness ratio, the maximum SEA can reach 40.87 kJ/kg, which is 26.0 % higher than that before optimization. To complement the findings, a theoretical study is presented, which exhibits excellent agreement with the numerical results, further validating the effectiveness of the proposed design. This study highlights the potential of incorporating hierarchical and tapered features into tapered structures, offering promising prospects for advancements in energy absorption technology across diverse industries.