Themed collection Recent Review Articles

This Mini-review highlights reconfigurable nanowrinkles based on polymer skin layers and how they enable hierarchical structuring of thin functional materials.

Wind energy has attracted more and more attention among researchers in both energy harvesting and sensing fields. Here, the micro/nano wind energy harvesters and sensors are systematically reviewed and prospected.

Graphene-based ternary nanocomposite for visible light driven efficient HER.

Understanding and passivating the traps in metal halide perovskites for the fabrication of more stable and efficient devices.

Over the past several decades, nanomaterials have been extensively studied owing to having a series of unique physical and chemical properties that exceed those of conventional bulk materials.

This minireview reports the recent advances in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based assay devices for the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanodevices are essential tools for cancer imaging and therapy.

Here, we discuss the recent development in all-inorganic 2D layered halide perovskites highlighting their crystal structure, synthesis, transformations, and optical, thermoelectric, magnetic, and catalytic properties.

Various strategies for synthesizing single atomic site catalysts based on metal–organic frameworks are summarized and discussed.

Facile charge transfer-modulated interfacial control and design for the development of high-performance transparent nanocomposite electrodes.

The key functional motifs for the selectivity have been discussed in detail in this review. The isolated Pd is conducive for dimethyl carbonate (DMC), while the aggregated Pd is beneficial for dimethyl oxalate (DMO).

This minireview summarizes the very recent advances in energy-storage dielectric films in the framework of engineering at multiple scales.

This review seeks to connect the synthetic method and catalytic application of intermetallic nanoparticles to guide their future development.

This review highlights recent progress in emulsion-templated colloidal clustering, especially focusing on novel structures of icosahedral, decahedral, and single-crystalline clusters.

Highly efficient and stable PSCs have been achieved by interfacial modification of functional groups to adjust the work function, defects and vacancies, substrate wettability, formation and morphology, and recombination and transmission of carriers.

The catalytic properties of atomically precise gold-based nanoclusters can be tailored by precisely modulating the surface sites on the nanoclusters.

Challenges and future perspectives on nanostructured manganese dioxide (MnO₂) for anticancer applications.

1D and 2D nanostructures are self-assembled after metal alkoxides react with acetic acid in a non-aqueous solvent.

Advanced carbon-based materials are highlighted for light- and electricity-driven oxygen reduction and water oxidation towards hydrogen peroxide.

This paper reviews the latest research progress of MXenes and their composite materials in sodium and potassium ion batteries, briefly introduces the research background of SIBs, PIBs and MXenes, and focuses on the application of MXene composite materials in SIBs and PIBs.

We discuss the opportunities and challenges of correlative cathodoluminescence electron microscopy for biomedical applications.

Pair distribution function, PDF, analyses are emerging as a powerful tool to characterize non-ideal metal–organic framework (MOF) materials with compromised ordering.

An overview of Li-ion transfer from the electrolyte to the solid–solution interface and then to the bulk.

This minireview summarizes the recent advances in the emerging field of luminescent Ln-MOF nanoprobes, covering from fundamental insights to bioapplications.

We summarize current strategies for the synthesis and construction of nanoparticle inhibitors and probes against pathogenic amyloidosis.

This minireview highlights recent advances on photocatalytic and electrocatalytic applications of doped CDs with improved electronic structures.

Combined analyses by operando soft X-ray spectroscopy and high-energy X-ray scattering offers opportunities to unravel electronic and atomic structures that underpin interfacial catalysis.

In this review, the recent progress in RP-based materials, including the structure properties, synthesis strategies, and their applications in photocatalytic water purification and splitting is summarized.

Nanostructuring as an effective strategy to reduce thermal conductivity was well developed to enhance thermoelectric performance in the past decades.

This is a tutorial review based on the laboratory experience on the synthesis of graphene oxide using chemical and electrochemical methods.

This review highlights recent progress in the studies of the growth and electronic properties of epitaxial graphene on Ge surfaces.

This review highlights the recent advances regarding the α-Fe₂O₃ (hematite) nanotubes, from synthesis and characterization to the state-of-the-art applications for energy storage and conversion as well as environmental sensing and remediation.

The integration of patterning technologies and functional hydrogel nanocomposites enables their advanced device applications such as sensors, actuators, energy devices, and tissue engineering scaffolds.

2D nanosheets give enhanced surface area to volume ratios in particle morphology and they can also provide defined surface sites to disperse foreign atoms.

An exhaustive and succinct minireview of the various reported approaches to the non-covalent surface modification of carbon nano-onions (CNOs).

Recent advances in layered transition metal dichalcogenide/carbon nanocomposites obtained by a rational approach for energy storage and conversion applications

The high-index facets of noble metal NCs exhibited significantly higher catalytic activity in CO₂ reduction reaction than the low-index facets due to the presence of greater density of low-coordinated atoms.

This review highlights the latest research advancements regarding the electrochemical energy conversion and storage application from PCN to PCN-derived carbon materials.

TiO₂ nanotubes: Less known facts and findings which are dictating growth and applications are highlighted – this involves: spaced tubes, alloy anodization, particle decoration, substrate dependent growth and nanotwin grain boundaries.

By elaborating the concept of symmetry breaking in 2D material based photodetectors, we give a concise and generalized framework which covers existing photodetectors with self-driven properties.

The recent progress in the use of surface plasmons to improve the performance of two-dimensional material-based optoelectronic devices is discussed.

The substrate-induced strain is a promising alternative for on-surface transformation and synthesis of atomically-precise novel functional nanomaterials.

Strategies for modifying polymeric carbon nitrides and their intrinsic structure–activity relationships for photo-, electro-, and photoelectro-chemical water oxidation are discussed.

In the Namib Desert, beetles can obtain water by fog-basking. In this review, we discussed the water collection rate of surfaces inspired by beetles from three aspects: surface wettability, surface structure and surface distribution.

Organic photovoltaics are a promising candidate for indoor applications. Recent progresses in optimization of indoor photovoltaic materials and devices, and the key strategies to optimize the indoor photovoltaic characteristics will be discussed.

The recent development of thin polymer films fabricated on the surfaces of various 2D nanomaterials for high-performance photoelectronic devices is reviewed, with control of the molecular and crystalline structures of the polymers on the 2D surface.

This review demonstrates growth and electronic applications of lateral heterostructures of graphene and TMDs, highlighting key technologies controlling wafer-scale growth of continuous films for practical applications.

In this mini review, we update the latest research in the design of high-performance WLEDs with different correlated color temperatures by tuning the red component using red emissive CQDs and single-component white emissive CQDs.

This minireview summarizes the synthesis strategies to access trimetallic MOFs and their catalytic performances toward the oxygen evolution reaction.

Defect engineering could provide rich active sites, optimized electronic structure and intimate anchoring of active species, displaying multiple roles in promoting the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.

Compared to graphene with semimetallic features, two-dimensional (2D) silicon carbide (Si–C) materials constitute another highly promising family for opto-electronic applications owing to their intrinsic electronic gaps.

MXenes are a new type of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide or carbonitride material with a 2D structure similar to graphene.

Ceramic boron carbon nitrides are utilized as semiconductor for solar energy conversion. The photocatalyst provides a low-cost, robust, metal-free, and ambient method for sustainable photosynthesis.

New technologies for future electronics such as personal healthcare devices and foldable smartphones require emerging developments in flexible energy storage devices as power sources.

This work for the first time reviews the recent research progress of copper-based chalcogenide photothermal materials.

Introducing light to nanomaterial-based enzyme mimics, nanozymes, allowed a diverse range of applications from biosensor development, environmental remediation to therapeutics.

The advances in 3D printing of bioinspired textured surfaces with superamphiphobicity are summarized.

The recent advances in 2D ferromagnets are reviewed, including materials synthesis, ferromagnetism modulation, physical properties, and potential device applications.

This minireview summarizes and discusses recent progress on the use of nanoparticles in lanthanide and actinide chemistry. We examine different types of nanoparticles and critically analyze their performance in a comparative mode.

A comprehensive review of different synthesis strategies for high-nuclearity clusters of copper, silver and gold.

Fuorescent theranostic probes have developed rapidly in the field of precision medicine with their distinctive merit. This review, we described the design strategy and function of fluorescence-based probes in tumor visualization and treatment.

This review paper highlights the rich opportunities of curvature and architecture in transition metal dichalcogenides for improved material design.

Microbes employ a variety of strategies to adhere to abiotic and biotic surfaces, as well as host cells.

The unique bio-nano interface of halloysite nanotubes with cellular systems and its impact on potential biotechnological and biomedical applications is presented and critically reviewed.

This work reviews progress towards fully printed CNT-TFTs, highlighting advancements in material selection and processing for different device components.

The development of PIM-1 mixed matrix membranes using organic, inorganic and hybrid fillers towards the ideal gas separation enhancement.

The recent achievements in luminescent nanomaterials used in optical and optoelectronic data storage have been reviewed.

Pd as an alternative material for nanoplasmonics.

Recent advances in nanotechnology, especially the development of integrated nanostructured materials, have offered unprecedented opportunities for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

Second harmonic generation as a versatile tool for uncovering various properties of two-dimensional materials.