Metasurfaces, planer artificial materials composed of subwavelength unit cells, have shown superior abilities to manipulate the wavefronts of electromagnetic waves. In the last few years, ...metasurfaces have been a burgeoning field of research, with a large variety of functional devices, including planar lenses, beam deflectors, polarization converters, and metaholograms, being demonstrated. Up to date, the majority of metasurfaces cannot be tuned postfabrication. Yet, the dynamic control of optical properties of metasurfaces is highly desirable for a plethora of applications including free space optical communications, holographic displays, and depth sensing. Recently, much effort has been made to exploit active materials, whose optical properties can be controlled under external stimuli, for the dynamic control of metasurfaces. The tunability enabled by active materials can be attributed to various mechanisms, including but not limited to thermo‐optic effects, free‐carrier effects, and phase transitions. This short review summarizes the recent progress on tunable metasurfaces based on various approaches and analyzes their respective advantages and challenges to be confronted with. A number of potential future directions are also discussed at the end.
Various mechanisms to achieve dynamic control of metasurfaces enabled by active materials are discussed. Recent works on tunable metasurfaces based on thermo‐optic effects, free carrier effects, and phase transitions are summarized. Their respective advantages and challenges are analyzed and an outlook on the potential development of tunable metasurfaces is presented.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The manufacture of bionic materials to simulate the natural counterparts has attracted extensive attention. As one of the subcategories of biomimetic materials, the development of artificial enzyme ...is intensive pursuing. As a kind of artificial enzyme, nanozymes are dedicated to solve the limitations of natural enzymes. In recent years, attributed to the explosive development of nanotechnology, biotechnology, catalysis science, computational design and theory calculation, research on nanozymes has made great progress. To highlight these achievements and help researchers to understand the current investigation status of nanozyme, the state‐of‐the‐art development in nanozymes from fabrication materials to bioapplications are summarized. First different raw materials are summarized, including metal‐based, metal‐free, metal‐organic frameworks‐based, and some other novel matters, which are applied to fabricate nanozymes. The different types of enzymes‐like catalytic activities of nanozymes are briefly discussed. Subsequently, the wide applications of nanozymes such as anti‐oxidation, curing diseases, anti‐bacteria, biosensing, and bioimaging are discussed. Finally, the current challenges faced by nanozymes are outlined and the future directions for advancing nanozyme research are outlooked. The authors hope this review can inspire research in the fields of nanotechnology, chemistry, biology, materials science, and theoretical computing, and can contribute to the development of nanozymes.
To highlight these achievements and help researchers to understand the current investigation status of nanozyme, the state‐of‐the‐art development in nanozymes from fabrication materials and catalytic properties to anti‐oxidation, curing diseases, anti‐bacteria, biosensing, bioimaging, and the like are summarized in this review. Furthermore, the challenges faced by nanozymology are outlined and the future directions for advancing nanozyme research are outlooked.
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Actuators that can convert environmental stimuli into mechanical work are widely used in intelligent systems, robots, and micromechanics. To produce robust and sensitive actuators of different ...scales, efforts are devoted to developing effective actuating schemes and functional materials for actuator design. Carbon‐based nanomaterials have emerged as preferred candidates for different actuating systems because of their low cost, ease of processing, mechanical strength, and excellent physical/chemical properties. Especially, due to their excellent photothermal activity, which includes both optical absorption and thermal conductivities, carbon‐based materials have shown great potential for use in photothermal actuators. Herein, the recent advances in photothermal actuators based on various carbon allotropes, including graphite, carbon nanotubes, amorphous carbon, graphene and its derivatives, are reviewed. Different photothermal actuating schemes, including photothermal effect–induced expansion, desorption, phase change, surface tension gradient creation, and actuation under magnetic levitation, are summarized, and the light‐to‐heat and heat‐to‐work conversion mechanisms are discussed. Carbon‐based photothermal actuators that feature high light‐to‐work conversion efficiency, mechanical robustness, and noncontact manipulation hold great promise for future autonomous systems.
This review highlights the recent advances in carbon‐based photothermal actuators. Physical properties and light‐to‐heat conversion mechanisms of various carbon‐based functional materials are summarized. Photothermal actuating schemes such as photothermal expansion, desorption, phase change, surface tension effect, and magnetic susceptibility are reviewed. The current challenges and future perspectives of this field are also discussed.
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Compared with thin‐film morphology, 1D perovskite structures such as micro/nanowires with fewer grain boundaries and lower defect density are very suitable for high‐performance photodetectors with ...higher stability. Although the stability of perovskite microwire‐based photodetectors has been substantially enhanced in comparison with that of photodetectors based on thin‐film morphology, practical applications require further improvements to the stability before implementation. In this study, a template‐assisted method is developed to prepare methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) micro/nanowire structures, which are encapsulated in situ by a protective hydrophobic molecular layer. The combination of the protective layer, high crystalline quality, and highly ordered microstructures significantly improve the stability of the MAPbBr3 single‐crystal microwire arrays. Consequently, these MAPbBr3 single‐crystal microwire‐array‐based photodetectors exhibit significant long‐term stability, maintaining 96% of the initial photocurrent after 1 year without further encapsulation. The lifetime of such photodetectors is hence approximately four times longer than that of the most stable previously reported perovskite micro/nanowire‐based photodetector; this is thought to be the most stable perovskite photodetector reported thus far. Furthermore, this work should contribute further toward the realization of perovskite 1D structures with long‐term stability.
MAPbBr3 single‐crystal microwire arrays with designable shape, controllable size, and high crystalline quality are fabricated. The combination of the hydrophobic molecular protective layer, high crystalline quality, and highly ordered microstructures, improve the intrinsic stability of MAPbBr3 single‐crystal microwire arrays. Thus, a flexible photodetector with long‐term performance stability of more than 1 year is achieved.
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Supported by recent human neuroimaging studies, the insula is re-emerging as an important brain area not only in the physiological understanding of the brain, but also in pathological contexts in ...clinical research. In this opinion article, we briefly introduce the anatomical and histological features of the human insula. We then summarize the physiological functions of the insula and underscore its pathological roles in psychiatric and neurological disorders that have long been underestimated. We finally propose possible strategies through which the role of the insula may be further understood for both basic and clinical neuroscience.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Doping of lead halide perovskites (LHPs) with the targeted impurities has emerged as an additional lever, a dimension beyond structural perfection and compositional distinction, for the alteration of ...many properties of halide perovskites. The past several years has seen an explosive increase in our knowledge of doped halide perovskites, which exhibit distinct optical and electronic properties with respect to undoped counterparts and improve performance of perovskite optoelectronic devices. However, there are still a series of fundamental scientific issues unresolved in the domain of doped perovskites. In this review, we present a critical overview of recent advances in the synthesis, property, and functional applications of metal-doped halide perovskites. We lay a particular focus on three-dimensional LHPs and discuss the influence of doped metal ions on the properties of these perovskites, including main group metal cations, transition metal cations, and rare earth (RE) metal cations. We thoroughly summarize the synthesis methods used, doping-induced variation in optoelectronic properties, and benefit of doping engineering for optimization of device performance. We highlight the milestone achievements in this field and emphasize new properties arising from dopants in halide perovskites. We also address controversies encountered during the development of doped perovskites and examine the remaining challenges in this exciting field of science. Finally, we present our perspectives for further investigation of this star material by doping engineering.
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Three-dimensional (3D) laser nanoprinting allows maskless manufacturing of diverse nanostructures with nanoscale resolution. However, 3D manufacturing of inorganic nanostructures typically requires ...nanomaterial-polymer composites and is limited by a photopolymerization mechanism, resulting in a reduction of material purity and degradation of intrinsic properties. We developed a polymerization-independent, laser direct writing technique called photoexcitation-induced chemical bonding. Without any additives, the holes excited inside semiconductor quantum dots are transferred to the nanocrystal surface and improve their chemical reactivity, leading to interparticle chemical bonding. As a proof of concept, we printed arbitrary 3D quantum dot architectures at a resolution beyond the diffraction limit. Our strategy will enable the manufacturing of free-form quantum dot optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting devices or photodetectors.
Photoprinting nanoparticles
Nanoparticle assembly often requires tailored selection of the ligands so that they can selectively bond, as with complementary DNA strands. Alternately, they can be linked together at specified locations using photopolymerization to connect ligands at desired places. However, this process adds to the complexity of making the nanoparticles and is limited by the fidelity of the ligand attachment. Liu
et al
. show that light can be used to desorb surface thiolate ligands from cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide core shell quantum dots (see the Perspective by Pan and Talapin). The resulting trapped holes drive bonding between the particles through the remaining surface ligands. The authors reveal photoprinting of arbitrary three-dimensional architectures at a resolution beyond the diffraction limit and for a range of nanocrystals. Printing can be optically selected based on the size and/or bandgap of the quantum dots. —MSL
Photoexcitation-induced chemical bonding enables high-resolution three-dimensional printing of semiconductor quantum dots.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adipose tissue, bone marrow, cord blood, and other tissues, have recently attracted much attention as potential therapeutic agents in various diseases ...because of their trans‐differentiation capacity. However, recent studies have suggested that MSCs also appear to contribute to tumor pathogenesis by supporting tumor microenvironments, increasing tumor growth, and eliciting antitumor immune responses. Although some studies suggest that MSCs have inhibitory effects on tumor development, they are overwhelmed by a number of studies showing that MSCs exert stimulatory effects on tumor pathogenesis. In the present review, we summarize a number of findings to provide current information about the therapeutic potential of MSCs in various diseases. We then discuss the potential roles of MSCs in tumor progression.
In this review article, we summarized a number of findings to provide current information about their therapeutic potential in various diseases; we then discussed the potential roles of MSCs in tumor progression.
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High‐entropy alloys nanoparticles (HEANPs) are receiving extensive attention due to their broad compositional tunability and unlimited potential in bioapplication. However, developing new methods to ...prepare ultra‐small high‐entropy alloy nanoparticles (US‐HEANPs) faces severe challenges owing to their intrinsic thermodynamic instability. Furthermore, there are few reports on studying the effect of HEANPs in tumor therapy. Herein, the fabricated PtPdRuRhIr US‐HEANPs act as bifunctional nanoplatforms for the highly efficient treatment of tumors. The US‐HEANPs are engineered by the universal metal‐ligand cross‐linking strategy. This simple and scalable strategy is based on the aldol condensation of organometallics to form the target US‐HEANPs. The synthesized US‐HEANPs exhibit excellent peroxidase‐like (POD‐like) activity and can catalyze the endogenous hydrogen peroxide to produce highly toxic hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, the US‐HEANPs possess a high photothermal conversion effect for converting 808 nm near‐infrared light into heat energy. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that under the synergistic effect of POD‐like activity and photothermal action, the US‐HEANPs can effectively ablate cancer cells and treat tumors. It is believed that this work not only provides a new perspective for the fabrication of HEANPs, but also opens the high‐entropy nanozymes research direction and their biomedical application.
The ultra‐small PtPdRuRhIr high‐entropy alloy nanoparticles (US‐HEANPs) are fabricated by the universal metal‐ligand cross‐linking strategy. This strategy takes advantage of simplicity, scalability, and genericity. The developed US‐HEANPs exhibit excellent peroxidase‐like activity and possess a high photothermal conversion effect. Under the synergistic effects of peroxidase‐like activity and photothermal action, the US‐HEANPs can effectively ablate cancer cells and treat tumors.
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The optical manipulation of tiny objects is significant to understand and to explore the unknown in the microworld, which has found many applications in materials science and life science. Physically ...speaking, these technologies arise from direct or indirect optomechanical coupling to convert incident optical energy to mechanical energy of target objects, while their efficiency and functionalities are determined by the coupling behavior. Traditional optical tweezers stem from direct light-to-matter momentum transfer, and the generation of an optical gradient force requires high optical power and rigorous optics. As a comparison, the opto-thermophoretic manipulation techniques proposed recently originate from high-efficiency opto-thermomechanical coupling and feature low optical power. Through rational design of the light-generated temperature gradient and exploring the mechanical response of diverse targets to the temperature gradient, a variety of opto-thermophoretic techniques were developed, which exhibit broad applicability to a wide range of target objects from colloid materials to biological cells to biomolecules. In this review, we will discuss the underlying mechanism of thermophoresis in different liquid environments, the cutting-edge technological innovation, and their applications in colloidal science and life science. We also provide a brief outlook on the existing challenges and anticipate their future development.
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