High Light Research Articles

Multifunctional Bilayer Hydrogel Electronic Skin with Thermochromic and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding for Wearable Sensing Applications

The conversion of external stimuli into electronic signals is crucial in ion-conductive hydrogel-based electronic skin (e-skin), selected for its high elasticity, transparency, and biocompatibility. However, temperature increases from sunlight and electromagnetic wave radiation can induce sweating and potentially trigger skin damage and inflammatory responses. To address this challenge, we developed a novel bilayer hydrogel (DT95-Mg hydrogel)-based e-skin that integrates thermochromic and electromagnetic shielding properties. This was achieved through a synthesis process combining layer-by-layer polymerization and solvent displacement. Introducing thermotropic phase change microgels enables the e-skin to alter its phase at varying temperatures, with light transmittance shifting from 81.3% to 15.2% as temperatures rise from 4 °C to 40 °C. This e-skin demonstrates remarkable properties: ionic conductivity of 0.200 S∙m-1, stretchability with an elongation at break of 734%, high initial light transmittance of 81.3%, robust mechanical strength with a tensile strength of 101 kPa, a rapid response time of 87.6 ms, sensitivity (GF=2.90 to 6.71), and an EMI shielding effectiveness of 31.9 dB. Its exceptional stability and heightened sensitivity make this hydrogel e-skin ideal for recognizing multiple stimuli.

Rapid 3D printing of unlayered, tough epoxy-alcohol resins with late gel points via dual-color curing technology.

Additive manufacturing technologies and, in particular, vat photopolymerization promise complex structures that can be made in a fast and easy fashion for highly individualized products. While the technology has upheld this promise many times already, some polymers are still out of reach or at least problematic to print reliably. High-performance epoxide-based resins, which are regulated by chain transfer via multifunctional alcohols, are a typical example of resins with late gel points, which require long irradiation times and high light intensities to print. Therefore, we have developed a dual-colour printing approach where rapid radical curing of a soft, wide-meshed polymer network facilitates fast and easy 3D structuring of the subsequently slow curing step-growth formulation at an orthogonal initiation-wavelength regime. Thereby the methacrylate system acts as a scaffold for an uncured epoxide alcohol system during the printing process, which is then cured with UV light post-printing. This way tough alcohol-regulated epoxy-systems become accessible to vat photopolymerization achieving outstanding high-resolution 3D printed parts without significant layering effects. The demonstrated wide-meshed matrix-assisted printing approach has the potential to make a multitude of slowly curing resins accessible to vat photopolymerization techniques, at low irradiation intensities and high curing speeds.

Ultralight aerogels with aligned channels for efficient solar driven interfacial evaporation of brackish water and remediation of saline soils

Solar driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) holds significant potential in water treatment and soil improvement. This study innovatively designed a photothermal water purification and soil amelioration system based on salt crystallization migration. Its purpose is to efficiently purify brackish water and improve saline-alkali soil using solar stream evaporator. The core of this system lies in the utilization of cellulose nanofibers (CNF), vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMO), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) as raw materials. The hydroxyl groups provided by CNF chemically crosslink with the methoxy groups provided by VTMO, and a gradient temperature reduction method is employed to shape a photothermal material (CNT-V-CNF) with aligned channels. CNT-V-CNF exhibits high light absorption (95 %), superhydrophilicity, and excellent thermal insulation properties, enabling a high photothermal evaporation rate (1.7 kg·m−2·h−1). The incorporation of the salt migration carrier significantly strengthens the salt tolerance of CNT-V-CNF, allowing it to maintain efficient and stable photothermal conversion performance in actual brackish water conditions. This achievement results in a daily water production capacity of 10.23 kg·m−2·d−1. After irrigating saline-alkaline soil with the purified freshwater for 52 days, the germination rate of wheat seeds sown in the soil has increased by approximately 65 %. The results of this study demonstrate the tremendous potential of SDIE centered on CNT-V-CNF in the agricultural irrigation and soil remediation practices.

Low-energy consuming, optically and electrically stimulated artificial synapse based on lead-free metal halide perovskite (Cs3Cu2I5) for neuromorphic applications

Computational systems inspired by the human brain are being researched to minimize high power consumption and memory instability in traditional computers. Metal halide perovskites, having high light absorption and tunable...

Sustainable solar-powered seawater desalination enabled by phosphorene-decorated watermelon-like phase-change microcapsules

Solar-powered interfacial evaporation is considered as an emerging innovative technology for seawater desalination; however, it suffers from insufficient evaporation efficiency under intermittent solar irradiation. Aiming at realizing sustainable solar-powered seawater desalination for clean water production, we have designed a new type of watermelon-like phase-change microcapsules as a photothermal absorbent material for a solar interfacial evaporator. This type of phase-change microcapsules was prepared through rational layer-by-layer microencapsulation with a ZrO2 nanoparticle-containing n-docosane core as a phase-change material (PCM) for solar photothermal harvest and prompt thermal response, a ZrO2 shell for the leakage prevention of the molten n-docosane core, and a polydopamine coating layer together with its surface-decorated phosphorene nanoflakes for high-efficient sunlight absorption and fast water transportation. The resultant microcapsules are featured by a watermelon-like microstructure as confirmed by transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy. They also exhibit a high light absorption efficiency of 84.95 %, a high latent heat capacity of 146.2 J g−1, and good wettability. Equipped with the watermelon-like phase-change microcapsules, the developed solar interfacial evaporator obtained an evaporation rate of 3.09 kg m−2 h−1 under one-sun illumination for seawater desalination. The PCM core within the microcapsules can store solar photothermal energy as latent heat under sufficient solar irradiation and then release it under evaporation conditions without sunlight illumination, thus enhancing the water evaporation efficiency. This enables the developed evaporator to increase its total evaporation mass by 31.5 % on a cloudy day in comparison with the conversional solar evaporator without a PCM, indicating a remarkable enhancement in the evaporation performance under intermittent solar irradiation. The developed solar interfacial evaporator exhibits great potential for application in sustainable solar-powered seawater desalination.

Effects of light intensity on the antioxidant activity, ATPases, and digestive enzymes of crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus) juveniles during long-hour road transport.

The transportation of fish larvae or juveniles from hatcheries to rearing farms is a crucial process in aquaculture, as most fish farms are located far from hatcheries. Among abiotic parameters, light intensity is an important factor affecting the physiology and biochemistry of teleost fish. To date, most studies on fish transportation have focused on identifying the optimum stocking density, while little is known about the optimum light intensity for transporting hatchery-produced juvenile Crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of light intensity on antioxidative stress, digestive enzymes, and ATPases in Lutjanus erythropterus during long-hour transportation. The results of this study revealed that a light intensity between 100 and 500 Lux is recommended for the long-hour transport of L. erythropterus juveniles. Complete darkness increased the concentration of ammonia in the water by about 15 % and induced oxidative stress, whereas high light intensities reduced dissolved oxygen levels (up to 6 %) and pH (up to 6 %), increased water temperature (about 10 %), and caused significant oxidative stress in the fish. It is also worth noting that α-amylase activity increased significantly, while ATPase activity decreased significantly under both complete darkness (α-amylase activity = +40 %; ATPase activity = up to -130 %) and high light intensities (α-amylase activity = +21-52 %; ATPase activity = up to -43 %). The findings of this study can provide a guideline for improving current transportation techniques, thereby minimizing stress on L. erythropterus in a cost effective manner.

All-in-one: Janus-structured films comprising protonated covalent organic nanosheets for adaptive all-weather personal thermal management

Effective temperature-regulating materials are essential for personal thermal comfort in challenging climatic conditions. Protonated covalent organic framework nanosheets (CONs), known for their high light absorption, low thermal conductivity, and enhanced processability, have been underexplored in this domain. Here, we present Janus-structured films with notable asymmetric photothermal properties and exceptional Joule heating capabilities, advancing personal thermal management strategies. By integrating protonated CONs and aramid nanofibers (ANFs) with opposite infrared reflectivity on either side of a conductive silver nanowires (AgNWs) film, the resulting CONs/AgNWs/ANFs film features a Janus architecture. This design maintains the CON-side temperature approximately 7 °C higher than bare skin, and 14 °C higher than the ANF-side under 0.5 sun irradiation, facilitating adaptable photothermal regulation. Additionally, the incorporation of AgNWs enables remarkable Joule heating capabilities, reaching saturation temperatures up to 195 °C within 15 s with input voltages ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 V. These Janus-structured films, with customizable photothermal properties and superior electrothermal performance, show significant promise for precise personal thermal management, facilitating controlled and comprehensive body temperature regulation.

Hyper-production of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis by a highly efficient nitrogen feeding strategy accompanied with high light induction

Hyper-production of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis by a highly efficient nitrogen feeding strategy accompanied with high light induction

From synthesis to application: a review of BaZrS3 chalcogenide perovskites.

Chalcogenide perovskites are gaining prominence as earth-abundant and non-toxic solar absorber materials, crystallizing in a distorted perovskite structure. Among these, BaZrS3 has attracted the most attention due to its optimal bandgap and its ability to be synthesized at relatively low temperatures. BaZrS3 exhibits a high light absorption coefficient, excellent stability under exposure to air, moisture, and heat, and is composed of earth-abundant elements. These properties collectively position BaZrS3 as a promising candidate for a wide range of applications, although traditional high-temperature synthesis has primarily been a significant challenge. In this review, we provide a critical discussion of the various synthesis methods employed to fabricate BaZrS3, including solid-state synthesis, nanoparticle synthesis, and vacuum-based as well as solution-based approaches to synthesize thin films. We also comprehensively examine the experimentally measured and theoretically calculated optical, optoelectronic, electronic, and defect properties of BaZrS3. Furthermore, this review highlights the functional devices based on BaZrS3, showcasing applications spanning photovoltaics, photodetection, thermoelectrics, photoelectrochemical water splitting, piezoelectricity, and spintronics. Lastly, we propose a future roadmap to maximize the potential of this material. Additionally, this review extends its focus to BaHfS3 and BaTiS3, discussing their synthesis methods, properties, and explored applications, thereby offering a comparative perspective on this emerging family of chalcogenide perovskites.

Optimize the preparation process of m-TiO2@CdS by response surface methodology to enhance the light intensity adaptability of photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

Catalyst performance is traditionally evaluated under high light intensity, where variations in e--h+ pair recombination rates at different light intensities may limit the applicability of the selected catalyst to diverse light sources. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to compare catalyst performance under two optimization processes, using tetracycline degradation rate and photon flux as response variables. The m-TiO2@CdS catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and UV-Vis-DRS, and its preparation process was optimized using RSM, with precursor ratio, hydrothermal time, and temperature as variables. The proposed optimization model for tetracycline degradation rate and photon flux exhibited a strong correlation between predicted and experimental results. The tetracycline degradation rates for the two optimized preparation processes were nearly identical, at 61.87% and 61.18%, respectively. A comparison of tetracycline degradation kinetics under different light conditions (light saturation and non-saturation) for the two optimized m-TiO2@CdS samples demonstrated that the photon flux-based optimization model offered greater adaptability across a wider range of light intensities. Additionally, the repeatability of m-TiO2@CdS prepared under the optimal conditions was assessed, and a plausible mechanism for its photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline was proposed.

Application of Graphene Composites in Flexible Electrons

With the development of science and technology, graphene materials have come into the public view, especially in flexible electronics and play a key role, which has attracted the public’s attention. Because of its good electrical conductivity, high light transmittance and good flexibility, it has a high application value in the research and development of supercapacitors and epidermal electronics.This paper summarizes the structure and properties of graphene, discusses the application of graphene in supercapacitors and other aspects, describes the research progress and direction of graphene composite in flexible electrons in recent years, and the future development and prediction of graphene composite in flexible electrons. It is found that graphene has significant technical advantages and broad application prospects in the field of flexible electronics. The future prospects of graphene are still broad, and the joint efforts of scientific research and industry are expected to promote the further development and wide application of graphene technology.

Light-controlled terahertz plasmonic time-varying media: Momentum gaps, entangled plasmon pairs, and pulse-induced time reversal

This Letter establishes a Floquet engineering framework in which coherent high frequency light with a time dependent amplitude can be used to parametrically excite and amplify THz plasmons, mirror plasmonic wave packets in time, and generate momentum-gapped plasmonic band structures, entangled plasmon pairs, and THz radiation in two dimensional Dirac systems. Our results show how low frequency plasmons can be coherently excited and manipulated without the need for THz light. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Efficient Service Delivery Practice at Local Government Administration of Nepal

This paper investigates administrative service delivery practices in Nepal’s local government and the relationship between governance, service delivery, and citizens. And, it emphasizes collaboration, people-centric social development, and engagement high lighting the need for policy interventions. Public administration aims to achieve efficiency at local levels providing necessary services without discrimination based on affordability. It is a historical perspective expected to influence local people significantly. Using a qualitative approach, it reveals the satisfaction of local people with the efficiency of administration, the vision of leadership for efficient administration, and interpersonal communication adopted by leadership for addressing silo mental problems. However, gaps exist in knowledge and perceptions among people and societies. To achieve efficiency at all levels, it is necessary to provide necessary public goods and services without discrimination based on affordability. Performance should not only be a cost-benefit analysis but also provide value to citizens. In a scarcely available world, understanding efficiency’s historical perspectives and future role is crucial.

Subduction-collision and rapid uplift of the NW Yangtze block during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition: new evidence from the shoshonite series

ABSTRACT The NW Yangtze Block has long been regarded as a passive continental margin during Ediacaran and Cambrian. However, with the deepening of the regional geological survey and deep oil and gas exploration, the depositional sequence and palaeogeographic patterns of Ediacaran and Cambrian in the Sichuan basin are not consistent with the general sedimentary evolution process of passive margin more and more. To fully understand the tectonic property and palaeogeography of the NW Yangtze block, a comprehensive study of the whole rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb chronology and Hf isotopic composition analysis were carried out on the Weimen volcanic rocks, which mainly consist of trachyte, trachy-andesite, andesite, dacite, and rhyodacite in Maoxian area. They have high light rare earth element (LREE) and large ion lithophile element (LILE) concentrations, but are depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE). They are characterized by having high K2O+Na2O (5.60–9.48%), MgO (1.47–4.58%), Ce/Yb (11.67–25.79), and normalized hypersthene (Hy = 2.14–14.17), indicate an unambiguous feature of the shoshonite series. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results show that the volcanic rocks have crystallization ages ranging from 528 Ma to 523 Ma, with positive zircon εHf (t) ranging from + 1.31 to + 5.26. In combination with previous studies, the early Cambrian shoshonite series in Maoxian area are interpreted to be formed in a continental collision setting. Therefore, the discovery of the shoshonite series suggests that the NW Yangtze block has experienced an important process of continental subduction and collisional orogeny in response to the Gondwana assembly, and consequently provided a large amount of terrigenous sources to rapidly fill into the early Cambrian foreland basin.

Elevated CO2 Shifts Photosynthetic Constraint from Stomatal to Biochemical Limitations During Induction in Populus tomentosa and Eucalyptus robusta

The relative impacts of biochemical and stomatal limitations on photosynthesis during photosynthetic induction have been well studied for diverse plants under ambient CO2 concentration (Ca). However, a knowledge gap remains regarding how the various photosynthetic components limit duction efficiency under elevated CO2. In this study, we experimentally investigated the influence of elevated CO2 (from 400 to 800 μmol mol–1) on photosynthetic induction dynamics and its associated limitation components in two broadleaved tree species, Populus tomentosa and Eucalyptus robusta. The results show that elevated CO2 increased the steady-state photosynthesis rate (A) and decreased stomatal conductance (gs) and the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) in both species. While E. robusta exhibited a decrease in the linear electron transport rate (J) and the fraction of open reaction centers in photosynthesis II (qL), P. tomentosa showed a significant increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). With respect to non-steady-state photosynthesis, elevated CO2 significantly reduced the induction time of A following a shift from low to high light intensity in both species. Time-integrated limitation analysis during induction revealed that elevated CO2 reduces the relative impacts of stomatal limitations in both species, consequently shifting the predominant limitation on induction efficiency from stomatal to biochemical components. Additionally, species-specific changes in qL and NPQ suggest that elevated CO2 may increase biochemical limitation by affecting energy allocation between carbon fixation and photoprotection. These findings suggest that, in a future CO2-rich atmosphere, plants productivity under fluctuating light may be primarily constrained by photochemical and non-photochemical quenching.

The design and technology development of the JUNO central detector

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a large-scale neutrino experiment with multiple physics goals including determining the neutrino mass hierarchy, the accurate measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters, the neutrino detection from supernovae, the Sun, and the Earth, etc. JUNO puts forward physically and technologically stringent requirements for its central detector (CD), including a large volume and target mass (20 kt liquid scintillator, LS), a high-energy resolution (3% at 1 MeV), a high light transmittance, the largest possible photomultiplier (PMT) coverage, the lowest possible radioactive background, etc. The CD design, using a spherical acrylic vessel with a diameter of 35.4 m to contain the LS and a stainless steel structure to support the acrylic vessel and PMTs, was chosen and optimized. The acrylic vessel and the stainless steel structure will be immersed in pure water to shield the radioactive background and bear great buoyancy. The challenging requirements of the acrylic sphere have been achieved, such as a low intrinsic radioactivity and high transmittance of the manufactured acrylic panels, the tensile and compressive acrylic node design with embedded stainless steel pad, and one-time polymerization for multiple bonding lines. Moreover, several technical challenges of the stainless steel structure have been solved: the production of low radioactivity stainless steel material, the deformation and precision control during production and assembly, and the usage of high-strength stainless steel rivet bolt and of high friction efficient linkage plate. Finally, the design of the ancillary equipment such as the LS filling, overflowing, and circulating system was done.

Short-Term High Light Stress Analysis Through Differential Methylation Identifies Root Architecture and Cell Size Responses.

DNA methylation repatterning is an epigenomic component of plant stress response, but the extent that methylome data can elucidate changes in plant growth following stress onset is not known. We applied high-resolution DNA methylation analysis to decode plant responses to short- and long-term high light stress and, integrating with gene expression data, attempted to predict components of plant growth response. We identified 105 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) following 1 h of high light treatment and 193 DMGs following 1 week of intermittent high light treatment. Two distinct methylome-predicted plant growth responses to high light treatment could be confirmed by linking methylome changes in auxin response pathways to observed changes in root architecture and methylome changes in cell cycle pathway components to endoreduplication and palisade cell enlargement. We observed methylome changes in a cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase in association with high light stress signalling. The ability to associate intragenic methylation repatterning with predictable plant phenotypic outcomes after a limited period of high light treatment allows for data-based early prediction of plant growth responses. The approach also permits the dissection of gene networks underpinning plant growth adjustments during environmental change to uncover dynamic phenotype determinants.

Precise Light-Driven Polarity of Stationary Phase for Regulating Gradient Separation of Liquid Chromatography.

Generally, the traditional stationary phase for liquid chromatography is the key part, but with an in situ immutable property, leading to many separation limitations. Based on the former exploration of photosensitive gas chromatography, we successfully prepared a photosensitive monolithic capillary silica column with high light transmission, taking advantage of the reversible cis-trans isomerism of azobenzene. And the cis-trans isomerism has launched an effective, reversible, and precise control on the liquid chromatographic retention behavior just by photoinduction according to the theoretical basis of a good correlation between photoinduction time, trans-azobenzene ratio, and chromatographic retention factor (k) (R2 > 0.9586). In this system, the plausible control mechanism of stationary phase's polarity is the synergistic effect of the self-molecular polarity difference and the occupation (or release) of polar groups on the stationary phase surface by cis-trans isomerism. Furthermore, a "light control-time ratio cycle" strategy was first reported to maintain an arbitrary ratio of trans-azobenzene corresponding to the polarity gradient of the stationary phase during the whole chromatographic separation process, which is verified by a close correlation of the retention time of the targets and the ratio of light-controlled time (R2 > 0.9977). The "gradient elution" of the targets was also surprisingly realized due to the gradient regulation of stationary phase's polarity by the programmatic control of alternate light induction and time ratio. This work further advances the practical significance of photosensitive chromatography in "one column for multiple columns", even "one column for multidimensional chromatography", and truly provides research foundation for its development in the separation and analysis of complex biological samples.

Gene Identification for Phototropin-dependent Photoprotection in Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

Photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, generating carbohydrates and lipids that are valuable for biofuels. Algae, renowned for their rapid growth and efficiency, have developed mechanisms to adapt to varying light conditions, ensuring their survival and prosperity. Among these mechanisms, photoprotection strategies such as Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ) enhance their tolerance to high light intensities. Excessive light intensity can cause detrimental overexcitation of the photosystems. In Chlamydomonas, one of the proteins, LHCSR3, provides a quick protective response known as energy-dependent quenching (qE), the fastest and most important component of NPQ. Deletion of LHCSR3 leads to cell death under high light conditions. Recent research has shown that blue light, perceived by phototropin (PHOT), mediates the photoprotection of the photosynthetic machinery under high light conditions in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Deletion of PHOT leads to compromised expression of LHCSR3 under high light conditions, therefore leading to cell death. However, the downstream signaling components of the PHOT-LHCSR3 pathway remain largely undiscovered. The objective of this project was to identify and characterize new actors involved in PHOT-dependent photoprotection in Chlamydomonas. Using forward genetics and omics analysis, we built a mutant library that could survive under high light intensity in a phot background. We also identified 8 putative PHOT-dependent photoprotection downstream signaling components. Overall, this project brings new insights into the acclimation of photosynthesis to high light. The mutant library could be further used for additional research. Furthermore, understanding photoprotection will not only help increase microalgae biofuel production productivity but could also provide new insights into the genetic engineering of crops for high light resistance.

The effect of load on the fretting wear behavior of TC4 alloy treated by SMAT in artificial seawater

The TC4 alloy has become an ideal material for marine engineering due to its excellent corrosion resistance, high specific strength and light weight in seawater. However, components made from TC4 alloys often come into contact with parts such as propellers and turbine engine blades, leading to severe fretting wear during operation and significantly reducing their service life. In this study, the untreated TC4 alloy samples were used as the control group, and the samples after 240 min of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) were selected to investigate the fretting wear behavior under different load conditions in artificial seawater environment. The results show that the friction coefficient of TC4 alloy remains relatively unaffected by load variations, both before and after SMAT treatment. With the increase of load, the fretting regime gradually changed from gross slip to partial slip, and the wear depth, volume and wear rate increased. Under the same load, the wear volume of TC4 alloy after SMAT treatment is significantly reduced, indicating that its wear performance has been improved.