Scalable Strategy Research Articles

Promoting serious illness conversations in primary care through telehealth among persons living with cognitive impairment.

serious illness conversations (SIC), particularly for persons living with cognitive impairment (PLCI), inconsistently happen in primary care. Pragmatic, scalable strategies are needed to promote SIC for PLCI. Pragmatic, prospective single-arm pilot study that occurred between July 1, 2021 and May 30, 2022 across seven primary care practices in North Carolina. Community-dwelling patients aged 65 and older with known or probable mild cognitive impairment or dementia (with decision-making capacity) and their care partners (if available). SIC telehealth intervention (TeleVoice) via video or telephone to assist PLCI in discussing their current goals, values, and future medical preferences, while facilitating documentation within the EHR. Main feasibility outcomes included reach/enrollment, intervention completion, and adoption rates at the clinic and provider level. Primary effectiveness outcomes included SIC documentation and quality within the EHR and usage of advance care planning billing (ACP) codes. Of the 163 eligible PLCI approached, 107 (66%) enrolled (mean age 83.7 years, 68.2% female, 16.8% Black, 22% living in a geographic area of high socioeconomic disadvantage) and 81 (76%) completed the SIC telehealth intervention; 45 care partners agreed to participate (mean age 71.5 years, 80% female). Adoption at clinic level was 50%, while 75% of providers within these clinics participated. Among PLCI that completed the intervention, SIC documentation and usage of ACP billing codes was 100% and 96%, respectively, with 96% (n = 78) having high-quality SIC documentation. No significant differences were observed between telephone and video visits. These findings provide preliminary evidence to support the feasibility of conducting SICs through telehealth to specifically meet the needs of community-dwelling PLCI. Further investigation of the sustainability of the intervention and its long-term impact on patient and caregiver outcomes is needed.

Stabilization of P2 layered oxide electrodes in sodium-ion batteries through sodium evaporation

Sodium-ion batteries are well positioned to become, in the near future, the energy storage system for stationary applications and light electromobility. However, two main drawbacks feed their underperformance, namely the irreversible sodium consumption during solid electrolyte interphase formation and the low sodiation degree of one of the most promising cathode materials: the P2-type layered oxides. Here, we show a scalable and low-cost sodiation process based on sodium thermal evaporation. This method tackles the poor sodiation degree of P2-type sodium layered oxides, thus overcoming the first irreversible capacity as demonstrated by manufacturing and testing all solid-state Na doped-Na~1Mn0.8Fe0.1Ti0.1O2 ǀǀ PEO-based polymer electrolyte ǀǀ Na full cells. The proposed sodium physical vapor deposition method opens the door for an easily scalable and low-cost strategy to incorporate any metal deficiency in the battery materials, further pushing the battery development.

In-Plane Mesoporous 3D Flower-Like Mo2Ti2C3Clx MXene Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries: From Structure to Performance.

MXenes are known for their exceptional electrical conductivity and surface functionality, gaining interest as promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries. However, conventional 2D multilayered MXenes often exhibit limited electrochemical applicability due to slow ion transport kinetics and low structural stability. Addressing these challenges, this study develops a 3D flower-type double transition metal MXene, Mo2Ti2C3Clx, with precisely engineered in-plane mesoporosity using HF-free Lewis acid-assisted molten salt method, coupled with intercalation and freeze-drying. The molar ratio of Lewis acid to eutectic salts is meticulously controlled to create the mesoporosity, which is preserved through freeze-drying. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations assess the impact of in-plane pore size on the structure and transport dynamics of electrolyte components. Density functional theory (DFT) shows that chlorine surface functional groups significantly reduce Li-ion diffusion barriers, thereby enhancing ion transport and battery performance. Electrochemical evaluations reveal that small-sized (2-5nm) mesoporous Mo2Ti2C3Clx achieves a specific capacity of 324 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and maintains 97% capacity after 500 cycles at 0.5 A g-1, outperforming larger-pored (10nm) and non-porous variants. This research highlights a scalable strategy for designing mesoporous materials that optimize ion transport and structural stability, essential for advancing next-generation high-performance energy storage solutions.

Pigments from pathogenic bacteria: a comprehensive update on recent advances.

Bacterial pigments stand out as exceptional natural bioactive compounds with versatile functionalities. The pigments represent molecules from distinct chemical categories including terpenes, terpenoids, carotenoids, pyridine, pyrrole, indole, and phenazines, which are synthesized by diverse groups of bacteria. Their spectrum of physiological activities encompasses bioactive potentials that often confer fitness advantages to facilitate the survival of bacteria amid challenging environmental conditions. A large proportion of such pigments are produced by bacterial pathogens mostly as secondary metabolites. Their multifaceted properties augment potential applications in biomedical, food, pharmaceutical, textile, paint industries, bioremediation, and in biosensor development. Apart from possessing a less detrimental impact on health with environmentally beneficial attributes, tractable and scalable production strategies render bacterial pigments a sustainable option for novel biotechnological exploration for untapped discoveries. The review offers a comprehensive account of physiological role of pigments from bacterial pathogens, production strategies, and potential applications in various biomedical and biotechnological fields. Alongside, the prospect of combining bacterial pigment research with cutting-edge approaches like nanotechnology has been discussed to highlight future endeavours.

Development of conductive two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks self-cleaning membrane for enhanced antibiotics rejection and sustainable fouling mitigation

In this study, a novel electroactive NF membrane was constructed for ultrafast rejection of antibiotics with high selectivity and self-cleaning by incorporating a conductive two dimensional metal-organic frameworks (Cu-HHTP) into porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix with facile and scalable non-solvent induced phase inversion strategy. Cu-HHTP membrane showed two orders of magnitude higher permeability (198.4 L m−2 h−1·bar−1) than the commercial and most reported NF membranes without sacrificing rejection toward negatively charged tetracycline (95.4 %), positively charged vancomycin (99.9 %) and neutrally charged valinomycin (99.9 %). Interestingly, loading Cu-HHTP with hydrophilic and porous nature can break the permeability-rejection trade-off effect and the mechanism was due to the improved water channel and pollutants sieving. Furthermore, it has stable antibiotics rejection and high flux recovery rate of 93.9 % for long-term filtration of wastewater over 264 h with low energy consumption of 0.1007 W h/L and without adding chemical cleaning agents, which demonstrated its excellent fouling control and stability. This study may guide the development of advanced self-cleaning NF membranes tailored for removal of small molecular emerging contaminants.

Tipping the scales for global mental health: A summary of the Presidential Panel at the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

In the past decade, there has been an increasing focus within scientific research on how to assist people affected by the negative consequences of trauma and crises around the globe. As many countries struggle with a lack of resources to deliver mental health interventions, scalable strategies have been developed to help more people in need. These scalable strategies were the theme of the 39th annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). The presidential panel, chaired by Marit Sijbrandij during her ISTSS presidency, brought together a group of experts in the field of scalable interventions: Kenneth Carswell, Syed Usman Hamdani, Judy Bass, and Eirini Karyotaki. The panel highlighted the current state of the evidence on scalable interventions for adults and children and outlined important next steps for research and implementation. These recommendations include further improving the availability of, and evidence for, scalable interventions through increased training and sustained funding; conducting more studies in underrepresented samples, such as children and adolescents; and promoting open access availability of research findings worldwide. In this paper, we provide an overview of the topics discussed in the panel as well as the key takeaways.

Large-scale additive fabrication of tough nanocellulose yarns

Nanocellulose is a promising candidate for fabricating high-performance cellulosic materials due to its extremely fine structure and excellent mechanical properties. However, converting the extraordinary properties of individual nanofibers to macroscopic fibers through large-scale preparation remains a challenge. Inspired by the staple spun yarns, herein, we demonstrate a facile and scalable strategy for continuously additive fabrication of nanocellulose yarns by twisting stacked short nanocellulose slivers. Benefiting from the wet-stretching and twisting process, the resultant yarns with tightly intertwined cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) exhibit outstanding toughness (42.9MJm-‍3) and fracture strain (20 %), respectively. Importantly, this approach can be extended to develop functional yarns such as fluorescent yarns, magnetic yarns, and conductive yarns. This work provides a new method for large-scale preparation of tough nanocellulose yarns for future functional materials, such as smart textiles and wearable electronics.

Advanced Functional Photochromic Wearables with Superior Durability and Stability for Sustainable Applications

AbstractThe rewritable wearables based on photochromism have emerged as attractive candidates in inkless printing applications. Among various photochromic materials, polyoxometalates have great potential for rewritable wearables, with major advantages in fast response upon UV irradiation, long‐term photochemical stability, and excellent fatigue resistance. However, the development of rewritable wearables based on polyoxometalates is limited by low combining fastness, weak stability, and poor scalability. Here, a scalable strategy is reported to fabricate an ideal rewritable wearable based on fundamental charge balance mechanism. The pristine cotton substrate is grafted by cationic polymer brushes to incorporate photochromic phosphomolybdic acid (PMoA) anions through electrostatic attraction, and then the cationic surfactants with alkyl chains are introduced to encapsulate the PMoA anions to achieve charge balance subsequently. The resultant rewritable wearables display the long‐awaited properties, such as high color contrast, favorable reversibility (>10 cycles), long color retention (>15 days) and high stability against detergent and sweat (pH 6.5–8.0) during repeated washing (50 cycles) and wearing. As a demonstration, a rewritable T‐shirt is scalably fabricated, and excellent antibacterial activity and biocompatibility are demonstrated as well, which is expected to be a sustainable solution for regular fabric printing in household products and public display.

Anchoring Ni(OH)2-CeOx Heterostructure on FeOOH-Modified Nickel-Mesh for Efficient Alkaline Water-Splitting Performance with Improved Stability under Quasi-Industrial Conditions.

Developing low-cost and industrially viable electrode materials for efficient water-splitting performance and constructing intrinsically active materials with abundant active sites is still challenging. In this study, a self-supported porous network Ni(OH)2-CeOx heterostructure layer on a FeOOH-modified Ni-mesh (NiCe/Fe@NM) electrode is successfully prepared by a facile, scalable two-electrode electrodeposition strategy for overall alkaline water splitting. The optimized NiCe0.05/Fe@NM catalyst reaches a current density of 100 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 163 and 262mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, in 1.0m KOH with excellent stability. Additionally, NiCe0.05/Fe@NM demonstrates exceptional HER performance in alkaline seawater, requiring only 148mV overpotential at 100mA cm-2. Under real water splitting conditions, NiCe0.05/Fe@NM requires only 1.701V to achieve 100mA cm-2 with robust stability over 1000h in an alkaline medium. The remarkable water-splitting performance and stability of the NiCe0.05/Fe@NM catalyst result from a synergistic combination of factors, including well-optimized surface and electronic structures facilitated by an optimal Ce ratio, rapid reaction kinetics, a superhydrophilic/superaerophobic interface, and enhanced intrinsic catalytic activity. This study presents a simple two-electrode electrodeposition method for the scalable production of self-supported electrocatalysts, paving the way for their practical application in industrial water-splitting processes.

Wafer-Scale Fabrication of Wearable All-Carbon Nanotube Photodetector Arrays.

With electronic devices evolving toward portable and high-performance wearables, the constraints of complex and wet processing technologies become apparent. This study presents a scalable photolithography/chemical-free method for crafting wearable all-carbon nanotube (CNT) photodetector device arrays. Laser-assisted patterning and dry deposition techniques directly assemble gas-phase CNTs into flexible devices without any lithography or lift-off processes. The resulting wafer-scale all-CNT photodetector arrays showcase excellent uniformity, wearability, environmental stability, and notable broadband photoresponse, boasting a high responsivity of 44 AW-1 and a simultaneous detectivity of 1.9 × 109 Jones. This research provides an efficient, versatile, and scalable strategy for manufacturing wearable all-CNT device arrays, allowing widespread adoption in wearable optoelectronics and multifunctional sensors.

LiF-Rich Alloy-Doped SEI Enabling Ultra-Stable and High-Rate Li Metal Anode.

Li metal is regarded as the "Holy Grail" in the next generation of anode materials due to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, sluggish Li ions interfacial transport kinetics and uncontrollable Li dendrites growth limit practical application of the energy storage system in high-power device. Herein, separators are modified by the addition of a coating, which spontaneously grafts onto the Li anode interface for in situ lithiation. The resultant alloy possessing of strong electron-donating property promotes the decomposition of lithium bistrifluoromethane sulfonimide in the electrolyte to form a LiF-rich alloy-doped solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. High ionic alloy solid solution diffusivity and electric field dispersion modulation accelerate Li ions transport and uniform stripping/plating, resulting in a high-power dendrite-free Li metal anode interface. Surprisingly, the formulated SEI layer achieves an ultra-long cycle life of over 8000 h (20,000 cycles) for symmetric cells at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. It also ensures that the NCM(811)//PP@Au//Li full cell at ultra-high currents (40 C) completes the charging/discharging process in only 68 s to provide high capacity of 151 mAh g-1. The results confirm that this scalable strategy has great development potential in realizing high power dendrite-free Li metal anode.

LiF‐Rich Alloy‐Doped SEI Enabling Ultra‐Stable and High‐Rate Li Metal Anode

AbstractLi metal is regarded as the “Holy Grail” in the next generation of anode materials due to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, sluggish Li ions interfacial transport kinetics and uncontrollable Li dendrites growth limit practical application of the energy storage system in high‐power device. Herein, separators are modified by the addition of a coating, which spontaneously grafts onto the Li anode interface for in situ lithiation. The resultant alloy possessing of strong electron‐donating property promotes the decomposition of lithium bistrifluoromethane sulfonimide in the electrolyte to form a LiF‐rich alloy‐doped solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. High ionic alloy solid solution diffusivity and electric field dispersion modulation accelerate Li ions transport and uniform stripping/plating, resulting in a high‐power dendrite‐free Li metal anode interface. Surprisingly, the formulated SEI layer achieves an ultra‐long cycle life of over 8000 h (20,000 cycles) for symmetric cells at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. It also ensures that the NCM(811)//PP@Au//Li full cell at ultra‐high currents (40 C) completes the charging/discharging process in only 68 s to provide high capacity of 151 mAh g−1. The results confirm that this scalable strategy has great development potential in realizing high power dendrite‐free Li metal anode.

High Performance Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Graphene Nanoribbon Composite Thin Films.

In this study, a highly efficient, sensitive, and lightweight piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) is developed using graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) incorporated into the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. Unzipping multi-walled carbon nanotubes is an effective and scalable strategy for synthesizing graphene nanoribbons. The synthesized GNRs are employed to prepare nanometer-scale piezoelectric polymer composite films showing higher piezoelectric performance than neat PVDF. The impact of GNR concentration in the PVDF matrix on the electroactive phase content and piezoelectric properties of the composites is systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis demonstrate an increase in the electroactive β and γ phases of PVDF by incorporating GNRs in the composites. With the optimized concentration of GNRs (1 wt%), the fabricated piezoelectric device can generate open-circuit voltage and an output power density of 26V and 16.52 µWcm2, respectively. It is also found that the PVDF-GNR 1 nanogenerator can be used to generate electrical power by converting mechanical energy from different human activities such as wrist bending, palm tapping, and toe tapping. The findings indicate that (PVDF-GNR 1) PENGcan be applied in self-powered portable and wearable electronic devices.

Surface fluorination of nickel nanowires enabling LiF-rich nanoscale solid electrolyte interface for stable lithium anodes

Lithium (Li) metal has become a research hotspot for anodes materials due to its ultra-high theoretical capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, the practical application of Li metal batteries is hampered by the formation of uncontrollable Li dendrites and the irreversible structural changes during long-term charge/discharge processes. Developing stable Li metal anode with uniform Li deposition is highly desirable. Herein, surface fluorination of nickel nanowires enabling LiF-rich nanoscale solid electrolyte interface was demonstrated for stable Li anodes. Free-standing three-dimensional (3D) nickel nanowires (NiNWs) current collector decorated with lithiophilic NiF2 nanosheets (NiNWs@NiF2) was constructed via a simple and scalable fluorination strategy. Theoretical and experimental analysis confirmed that the lithiophilic surface of NiF2 nanosheets could reduce the Li nucleation barrier, facilitating uniform Li ion deposition. The 3D conductive NiNWs network enabled fast electron transfer and mitigated volume changes during cycling. Additionally, a LiF-rich nanoscale solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer formed between Li and the electrolyte significantly improved the interfacial stability. As a result, the as-assembled Li-NiNWs@NiF2 symmetrical cell provided a superior electrochemical performance, maintaining stability for 2500 h at 1.0 mA cm−2 and 900 h at 5.0 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the assembled Li-NiNWs@NiF2|| LiFePO4 (LFP) full cell demonstrated exceptional capacity retention of 93.9 % after 2000 cycles at a rate of 5C. Overall, the unique structure of NiNWs@NiF2 not only offers a straightforward method for designing a 3D lithiophilic host, but also provides the concept of interfacial engineering through the in-situ construction of an artificial LiF-rich nanoscale SEI layer.

Unlocking the potential of supramolecular polymers with bimodal molecular weights for instant and strong underwater adhesion

Developing adhesives suitable for underwater environments remains a formidable challenge due to the barrier presented by water, hindering contact between the adhesive and adherend. In this work, supramolecular adhesives prepared by mixing low and high molecular weight poly(butyl acrylate)-based copolymers are manifested to function effectively for underwater adhesion regardless of substrates’ affinity to water. Optimization of adhesion performance is achieved by manipulating the copolymer composition, resulting in the remarkable adhesion strengths of 1290 N m-1 and 1047 N m-1 to hydrophobic PET and hydrophilic glass substrates, respectively. The observed high underwater adhesion is attributed to a synergistic effect: instant and efficient removal of the hydration layer facilitated by the low molecular weight polymer strands, and mechanical resilience conferred by the high molecular weight strands featured by chain entanglements. Adequate interfacial interactions are attained by the supramolecular interactions including cation-π and π-π bonding. Notably, owing to its inherent hydrophobicity, the adhesive can be stored underwater for over a week and still displays 842 N m-1 peel strength to glass substrate. This work unlocks the potential of supramolecular adhesives with bimodal molecular weight distribution for instant and strong underwater adhesion, providing a straightforward yet scalable strategy to produce high-performance underwater adhesives.

Donor-acceptor bulk-heterojunction sensitizer for efficient solid-state infrared-to-visible photon up-conversion

Solid-state infrared-to-visible photon up-conversion is important for spectral-tailoring applications. However, existing up-conversion systems not only suffer from low efficiencies and a need for high excitation intensity, but also exhibit a limited selection of materials and complex fabrication processes. Herein, we propose a sensitizer with a bulk-heterojunction structure, comprising both an energy donor and an energy acceptor, for triplet-triplet annihilation up-conversion devices. The up-conversion occurs through charge separation at the donor-acceptor interface, followed by the formation of charge transfer state between the energy donor and annihilator following the spin statistics. The bulk-heterojunction sensitizer ensures efficient charge generation and low charge recombination. Hence, we achieve a highly efficient solid-state up-conversion device with 2.20% efficiency and low excitation intensity (10 mW cm−2) through a one-step solution method. We also demonstrate bright up-conversion devices on highly-flexible large-area substrates. This study introduces a simple and scalable platform strategy for fabricating efficient up-conversion devices.

Advanced Protocol for Molecular Characterization of Viral Genome in Fission Yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe).

Fission yeast, a single-cell eukaryotic organism, shares many fundamental cellular processes with higher eukaryotes, including gene transcription and regulation, cell cycle regulation, vesicular transport and membrane trafficking, and cell death resulting from the cellular stress response. As a result, fission yeast has proven to be a versatile model organism for studying human physiology and diseases such as cell cycle dysregulation and cancer, as well as autophagy and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Given that viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that rely on host cellular machinery to replicate and produce, fission yeast could serve as a surrogate to identify viral proteins that affect host cellular processes. This approach could facilitate the study of virus-host interactions and help identify potential viral targets for antiviral therapy. Using fission yeast for functional characterization of viral genomes offers several advantages, including a well-characterized and haploid genome, robustness, cost-effectiveness, ease of maintenance, and rapid doubling time. Therefore, fission yeast emerges as a valuable surrogate system for rapid and comprehensive functional characterization of viral proteins, aiding in the identification of therapeutic antiviral targets or viral proteins that impact highly conserved host cellular functions with significant virologic implications. Importantly, this approach has a proven track record of success in studying various human and plant viruses. In this protocol, we present a streamlined and scalable molecular cloning strategy tailored for genome-wide and comprehensive functional characterization of viral proteins in fission yeast.

Plasma-aerosol-assisted interface engineering of nanofiltration membranes to improve removal of organic pollutants from water

Membrane surface functionalization has shown great potential in improving the removal of organic pollutants from water by nanofiltration (NF). However, conventional surface modification methods rely on hazardous chemical solutions and produce large amounts of wastewater, which is contrary to the original purpose of wastewater remediation and the current high demand for environmental sustainability. Herein, we demonstrate a solvent-free and scalable method enabled by an emerging aerosol-assisted plasma deposition process for surface functionalization of NF membranes to improve the removal of organic pollutants from water. We first investigate the physicochemical properties of the aerosol-assisted plasma deposited (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (AAPD-APTES) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (AAPD-HEMA) coatings on commercial NF270 membranes by different surface characterization techniques. Then, we examine the associated membranes’ performance in removing conventional organic pollutants (phenol) and emerging micropollutants (diuron). Compared to the untreated NF270 membranes (2.9% for phenol and 22.0% for diuron), AAPD-APTES-modified NF270 membranes have the highest rejection efficiency towards both phenol (68.5%) and diuron (49.1%), whereas AAPD-HEMA coated membranes show good selectivity behavior with a high rejection efficiency for diuron (43.6%) but a relatively low efficiency for phenol (6.2%). Both plasma polymer-coated membranes are effective in removing organic contaminants mainly due to the plasma-produced dense surface coatings. Overall, this study offers a comprehensive eco-friendly and scalable strategy for NF membrane surface functionalization, which can not only improve the NF performance in wastewater remediation but also reduce the production of wastewater in the surface functionalization process.

High-bandwidth low-current measurement system for automated and scalable probing of tunnel junctions in liquids.

Tunnel junctions have long been used to immobilize and study the electronic transport properties of single molecules. The sensitivity of tunneling currents to entities in the tunneling gap has generated interest in developing electronic biosensors with single molecule resolution. Tunnel junctions can, for example, be used for sensing bound or unbound DNA, RNA, amino acids, and proteins in liquids. However, manufacturing technologies for on-chip integrated arrays of tunnel junction sensors are still in their infancy, and scalable measurement strategies that allow the measurement of large numbers of tunneling junctions are required to facilitate progress. Here, we describe an experimental setup to perform scalable, high-bandwidth (>10kHz) measurements of low currents (pA-nA) in arrays of on-chip integrated tunnel junctions immersed in various liquid media. Leveraging a commercially available compact 100kHz bandwidth low-current measurement instrument, we developed a custom two-terminal probe on which the amplifier is directly mounted to decrease parasitic probe capacitances to sub-pF levels. We also integrated a motorized three-axis stage, which could be powered down using software control, inside the Faraday cage of the setup. This enabled automated data acquisition on arrays of tunnel junctions without worsening the noise floor despite being inside the Faraday cage. A deliberately positioned air gap in the fluidic path ensured liquid perfusion to the chip from outside the Faraday cage without coupling in additional noise. We demonstrate the performance of our setup using rapid current switching observed in electromigrated gold tunnel junctions immersed in deionized water.

Development of single-component epoxy resin with superb thermal stability, flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and latency via Cu-based phosphorus/imidazole-containing complex

To address the growing need for fire-safe single-component epoxy resin (EP) systems, this study introduced a phosphorus-containing copper complex (Cu-DA) as a multifunctional latent curing agent. The Cu-DA complex, synthesized by coordinating copper (II) chloride and a phosphorus-based imidazole, significantly improved the latency, thermal stability, and fire resistance of single-component EP. The obtained EP/Cu-DA-2 mixture with 15.3 wt% Cu-DA showed a 43-day shelf life and a rapid gel time of 22 min at 150 °C, highlighting its superb latency and fast curing. After curing, the resultant thermoset had a high glass transition temperature of 160.9 °C and increased crosslinking density, indicating superior thermal stability. The EP/Cu-DA-3 system with 17.4 wt% Cu-DA achieved a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 37.8 % and a UL-94 V-0 rating, reflecting its satisfactory flame retardancy. Furthermore, compared to the control EP system, the total smoke production (TSP) and maximum smoke density (MSD) of EP/Cu-DA-3 were reduced by approximately 28.4 % and 25.8 %, respectively, demonstrating significantly enhanced smoke suppression. The research offers a scalable strategy for developing single-component EP systems with rapid curing, high fire resistance, and great smoke suppression, meeting the demands of industrial applications.