Synergistic Interface Research Articles

Biometrics-protected optical communication enabled by deep learning-enhanced triboelectric/photonic synergistic interface.

Security is a prevailing concern in communication as conventional encryption methods are challenged by progressively powerful supercomputers. Here, we show that biometrics-protected optical communication can be constructed by synergizing triboelectric and nanophotonic technology. The synergy enables the loading of biometric information into the optical domain and the multiplexing of digital and biometric information at zero power consumption. The multiplexing process seals digital signals with a biometric envelope to avoid disrupting the original high-speed digital information and enhance the complexity of transmitted information. The system can perform demultiplexing, recover high-speed digital information, and implement deep learning to identify 15 users with around 95% accuracy, irrespective of biometric information data types (electrical, optical, or demultiplexed optical). Secure communication between users and the cloud is established after user identification for document exchange and smart home control. Through integrating triboelectric and photonics technology, our system provides a low-cost, easy-to-access, and ubiquitous solution for secure communication.

Multifunctional Fe3O4/TiO2/NH2–UiO–66 with integrated interfacial features for favorable phosphate adsorption

Synergistic interface integration of ternary Fe3O4/TiO2/NH2–UiO–66, which possesses favourable thermal stability, pH adaptability, and efficient capability for phosphate capture from aqueous systems, was designed.

Synergistic Interface Engineering and Structural Optimization of Non-Noble Metal Telluride-Nitride Electrocatalysts for Sustainably Overall Seawater Electrolysis

Synergistic Interface Engineering and Structural Optimization of Non-Noble Metal Telluride-Nitride Electrocatalysts for Sustainably Overall Seawater Electrolysis

Synthesis of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Material with a Synergistic Interface as a Release Agent for Free Acid β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate

We report the preparation and characterization of a new organic-inorganic hybrid system composed of type-I collagen and ZnAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles loaded with β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) by coprecipitation reaction. X-ray diffraction (peaks well agree with those reported in the literature), infrared spectroscopy (stretching bonds for both organic-inorganic compounds), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the hybrid system retained HMB in the carboxylate form, and a small fraction turned to the acid form. In both cases, the HMB molecules are assembled to the LDH surface. The hybrid compound results in improved thermal stability for HMB and collagen, as shown by thermal analysis. Scanning electron microscopy data reflects different arrangements from LDH sheets with interesting physicochemical properties since LDH and collagen protect free HMB and make it more bioavailable and functional. In vitro studies as part of high-throughput screening strategies indicated that LDH hybrids reduced cell viability around 75-90%, which is an acceptable viability value because of the L6 cell line susceptibility. However, all new nanomaterials must be carefully analyzed by different toxicity tests because a single test does not evaluate complete physiological compartments.

Influence of Synthesis Approach on Controlled Microstructures and Photocatalytic Properties of Ag/AgBr-Activated Carbon Composites on Visible Light Degradation of Tetracycline

The influence of the synthesis approach (thermal polyol and deposition–precipitation) regarding the dispersion of Ag/AgBr nanoparticles dispersed on activated carbon prepared from chemical impregnated pinecone (TP-AABR-ACK, and DP-AABR-ACK) was studied, to increase their photocatalytic efficiency on the degradation of tetracycline (TC). The physicochemical characterization evidenced the significance of the ACK catalyst promoter in enhancing controlled microstructures (morphologies and particle size distributions), synergistic interface interaction between AABR NPs and the carbonaceous support, and efficient photogenerated charge carriers separation within TP-AABR-ACK, and DP-AABR-ACK composites. The results revealed 92% removal of TC within 180 min under the LED visible light irradiation, which was achieved using TP-AABR-ACK when compared to DP-AABR-ACK composite and other catalysts in this study. Such superior results achieved with TP-AABR-ACK composite were attributed to controlled morphologies, reduced particle size and agglomeration, improved absorptivity, and superior cooperative effect between the AABR and ACK catalyst promoter as evidenced from SEM, EDX, TEM, UV-DRS, and electrochemical characterizations, respectively. Furthermore, enhanced TOC removal and abundance of reactive superoxide anion generation were achieved with the TP-AABR-ACK composite in this study.

Articulating Spatial Statistics and Spatial Optimization Relationships: Expanding the Relevance of Statistics

Both historically and in terms of practiced academic organization, the anticipation should be that a flourishing synergistic interface exists between statistics and operations research in general, and between spatial statistics/econometrics and spatial optimization in particular. Unfortunately, for the most part, this expectation is false. The purpose of this paper is to address this existential missing link by focusing on the beneficial contributions of spatial statistics to spatial optimization, via spatial autocorrelation (i.e., dis/similar attribute values tend to cluster together on a map), in order to encourage considerably more future collaboration and interaction between contributors to their two parent bodies of knowledge. The key basic statistical concept in this pursuit is the median in its bivariate form, with special reference to the global and to sets of regional spatial medians. One-dimensional examples illustrate situations that the narrative then extends to two-dimensional illustrations, which, in turn, connects these treatments to the spatial statistics centrography theme. Because of computational time constraints (reported results include some for timing experiments), the summarized analysis restricts attention to problems involving one global and two or three regional spatial medians. The fundamental and foundational spatial, statistical, conceptual tool employed here is spatial autocorrelation: geographically informed sampling designs—which acknowledge a non-random mixture of geographic demand weight values that manifests itself as local, homogeneous, spatial clusters of these values—can help spatial optimization techniques determine the spatial optima, at least for location-allocation problems. A valuable discovery by this study is that existing but ignored spatial autocorrelation latent in georeferenced demand point weights undermines spatial optimization algorithms. All in all, this paper should help initiate a dissipation of the existing isolation between statistics and operations research, hopefully inspiring substantially more collaborative work by their professionals in the future.

Synergistic Interface and Mesopore Engineering with More and Quicker Ion Storage for Enhanced Performance of Lithium‐Ion Battery

AbstractDesigning hetero‐nanostructures is widely recognized as an effective modification strategy to obtain ZnO/Co3O4 anode materials with superior electrochemical properties. However, the lithium‐ion storage behavior of ZnO/Co3O4 has not reached a satisfied performance. Herein, based on our previous DFT results that the interface of ZnO(110)/Co3O4(220) hetero‐nanostructure possesses fast reaction kinetics because of more negative surface adsorption energy and lower diffusion barrier energy of lithium ions, we developed ZnO(110)/Co3O4(220)@C hetero‐nanostructures with both abundant interfaces and uniform mesopores structure derived from 2D MOF precursor. Especially, ZnO/Co3O4@C hybrid materials with ZnO(110)/Co3O4(220) hetero‐nanostructure show strong electronic interactions and the widen distance of the crystal plane at the interface, resulting in stable hetero‐nanostructures with faster ion diffusion channel and more active sites. Moreover, this material possesses uniform mesopores and 2D structure, which enables quicker transport capability and cycling longevity for lithium‐ion storage. Impressively, when ZnO/Co3O4@C was used as anodes in lithium‐ion batteries, the electrodes deliver improved initial specific capacities (1,630.5 and 1,496.9 mAh g−1 at 0.2 and 0.5 A g−1), excellent capacity retention (1,758.3 mAh g−1 after 370 cycles at 0.2 A g−1, and 607.7 mAh g−1 up to 650 cycles at 5 A g−1), and superior rate capacity (937 and 468 mAh g−1 at 1.0 and 5.0 A g−1 after 360 cycles).

Synergistic mechanism of Ni(OH)2/NiMoS heterostructure electrocatalyst with crystalline/amorphous interfaces for efficient hydrogen evolution over all pH ranges

Designing and fabricating efficient electrocatalysts is a practical step toward the commercial application of the efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) over all pH ranges. Herein, novel Ti@Ni(OH)2-NiMoS heterostructure with interface between crystalline Ni(OH)2 and amorphous NiMoS was rationally designed and fabricated on Ti mesh (denoted as Ti@Ni(OH)2-NiMoS). Acid etching and calcination experiments helped in accurate elucidation of the synergistic mechanism as well as the vital role on crystalline Ni(OH)2 and amorphous NiMoS. In acidic solutions, the HER performance of Ti@Ni(OH)2-NiMoS was mainly attributed to the amorphous NiMoS. In neutral, alkaline, and natural seawater solutions, the HER performance was mainly determined by the synergistic interface behaviors between the Ni(OH)2 and NiMoS. The crystalline Ni(OH)2 accelerated water dissociation kinetics, while the amorphous NiMoS provided abundant active sites and allowed for fast electron transfer rates. To deliver current densities of 10 mA·cm−2 in acidic, neutral, alkaline, and natural seawater solutions, the Ti@Ni(OH)2-NiMoS required overpotentials of 138, 198, 180 and 371 mV, respectively. This paper provides general guidelines for designing efficient electrocatalyst with crystalline/amorphous interfaces for efficient hydrogen evolution over all-pH ranges.

Ion transport and mechanical properties of N-doped graphene composite Li3N SEI: A first principles calculation

An artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) provides an effective way to solve the instability of the metal lithium anode interface, avoid the growth of lithium dendrites and alleviate the interface fluctuations caused by volume expansion. A first principles method was used to calculate the stability of the double-layer SEI of nitrogen-doped graphene composites with lithium nitride (NGs/Li3N), including low-concentration doped graphene (NG-1, NG-2 and NG-3) with nitrogen atoms (1–3), graphene nitride (C2N) and graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4) in the doped state. The adsorption and migration of lithium ions on the surface and interface of the heterostructure and the ability of the critical tensile strain to regulate the diffusion of lithium at the interface of the heterostructure were calculated. The optimal diffusion path of the NG-2/Li3N heterostructure graphene terminal and the interface is the same. The difference (0.114 eV) in the diffusion energy is the smallest. Under mechanical strength, the NG-2/Li3N heterostructure limits the interface deformation caused by the adsorption of lithium and increases the stability of the adsorption of lithium at the interface. A nitrogen-doped graphene composite lithium nitride layered SEI exhibiting a synergistic interface effect was constructed to regulate the deposition of lithium and inhibit the growth of dendrites.

Premagnetized Carbon-Catalyst Interface Delivering 650% Enhancement in Electrocatalytic Kinetics of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Manipulating heterogeneous electrified interfaces with an external magnetic field (Hₑₓₜ) explicitly mandates the constant presence of Hₑₓₜ for achieving magnetoelectrocatalytic kinetic enhancements. Here, we demonstrate the highest kinetic enhancement of 650% in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), without the mandatory presence of Hₑₓₜ. A synergistic interface created in nanostructured hard carbon florets (NCF) decorated with ferro–paramagnetic nanoparticles (Co₃O₄, Co, and Ni–Co) is demonstrated to be critical for both (a) prominent enhancement in HER-kinetics when Hₑₓₜ = 200 mT and (b) sustaining the rapid HER when Hₑₓₜ = 0 mT. Significant lowering of magnetoresistance (22%) and magnetocharge-transfer resistance (84.8%) using a weak Hₑₓₜ = 100 mT leads to a 2.5-fold volumetric increment in hydrogen generation driven by 7% enhancement in electrokinetic activity. Furthermore, all such enhancements are strongly correlated with the magnetic coercivity of the catalyst, implying the role of interfacial mechanistic modulation of the HER by Hₑₓₜ. Additionally, microscopic dimensional enlargement of the structurally flexible NCF promotes such a long-term effect leading to larger magnetocurrent as compared to other carbon-based supports. Our work demonstrates the importance of spin polarization in magnetically active electrocatalytic interfaces and thereby offers a general practical strategy for energy-efficient hydrogen production.

Engineering heterogeneous nickel-iron oxide/iron phosphate on P, N co-doped carbon fibers for efficient oxygen evolution reaction in neutral and alkaline solutions

The rational design of heterogeneous catalyst can be favored by synergistic interface for promising water electrolysis performance. Herein, the heterogeneous catalyst of NiFe2O4/Fe3(PO4)2-PNC is prepared from NiFe LDH deposited phytic acid incorporated polyaniline nanofibers (PA-PANI) in situ grown on carbon cloth. The hybrid NiFe2O4/Fe3(PO4)2 nanoparticles acquire modulated OER mechanism due to the promoted proton transfer of phosphate group. The nanoparticles decorated tightly on PNC nanofibers assure high exposure of active sites and fast charge exchange. With the aid of above benefits, the NiFe2O4/Fe3(PO4)2-PNC@CC exhibits good OER activities in neutral and alkaline medias, with low overpotentials of 325 mV and 275 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively, showing great potential as pH-tolerant OER catalyst for water splitting.

Synergistic effects of flake-like ZnO/SnFe2O4/nitrogen-doped carbon composites on structural stability and electrochemical behavior for lithium-ion batteries

In order to improve the electrochemical performance and relieve volume expansion of pure SnFe2O4 anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), we synthesized a novel ZnO/SnFe2O4/nitrogen-doped carbon composites (ZSFO/NC) with flake-like polyhedron morphology by using ZIF-8 as a sacrificial template. Remarkably, it exhibited an initial charge/discharge capacities of 1078.3/1507.5 mAh g−1 with a high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 71.2%, and maintained a steady charge/discharge capacities of 1495.7/1511.8 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 300 cycles. The excellent rate performance of 435.6 mAh g−1 at a higher current density of 10.0 A g−1 and superior reversible capacity of 532.3/536.2 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 2.0 A g−1 were obtained. It revealed that the nitrogen-doped carbon matrix and peculiar structure of ZSFO/NC not only effectively buffered large volume expansion upon (de)lithiation through the synergistic interface action between ZnO, SnFe2O4 and NC, but also improved capacity of the composite by large contribution of surface pseudo-capacitance. The excellent charge–discharge performance showed that ZSFO/NC composite has a great potential for LIBs due to the synergistic effect of the multi-components.

Synergistic Interface Layer Optimization and Surface Passivation with Fluorocarbon Molecules toward Efficient and Stable Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

Large-size organic halide passivation has been considered an efficient approach to enhance the perovskite solar cell (PSC) efficiency and stability. Herein, a facile posttreatment strategy was demonstrated, wherein trifluoromethyl-phenethylamine hydrobromide (CF3-PEABr) is firstly used to passivate the perovskite film surface. The CF3-PEABr surface posttreatment could coordinate with halide dangling bonds that exist at the perovskite crystal surface. Moreover, the surface treatment with CF3-PEABr could efficiently passivate the defects in the perovskite film and suppress the nonradiative carrier recombination. As a result, a high efficiency of 21.3% is obtained, and an increment of 80 mV in Voc (a large Voc of 1.15 V, with a 0.42 V voltage deficit) occurs, compared to the control device. To relieve the hydrophobic nature properties of the -CF3 functional group and the dewetting problem of PCBM layer deposition, a surfactant Triton X-100 is used to modify the PCBM layer. Furthermore, the devices with CF3-PEABr posttreatment exhibit better operational, thermal (85°C), and long storage stabilities without any encapsulation.

Metal-organic frameworks/polydopamine synergistic interface enhancement of carbon fiber/phenolic composites for promoting mechanical and tribological performances.

Carbon fiber/phenolic composites have wide application prospects in the transmission of vehicles, where the combination of prominent mechanical and tribological properties is required. Multiscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and polydopamine (PDA) as binary reinforcements were employed to construct a rigid-flexible hierarchical structure for improving the interfacial performances of friction materials. This unique rigid-flexible (MOFs/PDA) reinforcement could act as an effective interfacial linker, significantly facilitating the integration of fibers into the matrix and establishing a strong mechanical interlocking and chemical bonding onto the fiber/matrix interphase, thus boosting the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. Benefiting from the MOF/PDA synergistic enhancement effects, the interlaminar shear strength of ZIF-8-composites (P1), MOF-5-composites (P2) and UiO-66-(COOH)2-composites (P3) was improved by 70.80%, 43.80% and 53.28%, respectively. In addition, the wear rate of P1 decreased from 3.55 × 10-8 cm3 J-1 to 2.45 × 10-8 cm3 J-1. This work provides a feasible approach for establishing rigid-flexible reinforced structures and opens up a double-component synergistic enhancement strategy to efficiently promote mechanical and tribological properties for fabricating high-performance carbon fiber/phenolic composites.

Synergistic Interface-Assisted Electrode-Electrolyte Coupling Toward Advanced Charge Storage.

Owing to the limited charge storage capability of transitional metal oxides in aqueous electrolytes, the use of redox electrolytes (RE) represents a promising strategy to further increase the energy density of aqueous batteries or pseudocapacitors. The usual coupling of an electrode and an RE possesses weak electrode/RE interaction and weak adsorption of redox moieties on the electrode, resulting in a low capacity contribution and fast self-discharge. In this work, Fe(CN)6 4- groups are grafted on the surface of Co3 O4 electrode via formation of CoN bonds, creating a synergistic interface between the electrode and the RE. With such an interface, the coupled Co3 O4 -RE system exhibits greatly enhanced charge storage from both Co3 O4 and RE, delivering a large reversible capacity of ≈1000 mC cm-2 together with greatly reduced self-discharge. The significantly improved electrochemical activity of Co3 O4 can be attributed to the tuned work function via charge injection from Fe(CN)6 4- , while the greatly enhanced adsorption of K3 Fe(CN)6 molecules is achieved by the interface induced dipole-dipole interaction on the liquid side. Furthermore, this enhanced electrode-electrolyte coupling is also applicable in the NiO-RE system, demonstrating that the synergistic interface design can be a general strategy to integrate electrode and electrolyte for high-performance energy storage devices.

Dual interfacial engineering for efficient Cs2AgBiBr6 based solar cells

The emerging lead-free halide double perovskite solar cells have attracted widespread attentions due to their long-term stability and non-toxicity, but suffer from the low device performance. One efficiency-limiting factor is the improper contacts between the halide double perovskite and anode/cathode electrodes. Here, we improve the efficiency and stability of the bismuth-halide double perovskite based solar cells by a synergistic interface design for both electron and hole transport layers (ETL/HTL). The results show that the modification of the TiO2 ETL with a thin hydrophobic C60 layer and replacement of the lithium-doped small molecule HTL with an un-doped conjugated polymer lead to higher surface quality of perovskite film and better energy-level alignment at the contacts. As a result, the optimized device shows reduced trap density, suppressed charge recombination and enhanced charge extraction, leading to an increase of 69% in device efficiency. In addition, the device also exhibits superior stability in ambient environment, heat stress and light bias after interface optimization. This work provides an efficient strategy for the device optimization of the emerging lead-free perovskite solar cells.

Synergistic Interface Energy Band Alignment Optimization and Defect Passivation toward Efficient and Simple‐Structured Perovskite Solar Cell

Efficient electron transport layer–free perovskite solar cells (ETL‐free PSCs) with cost‐effective and simplified design can greatly promote the large area flexible application of PSCs. However, the absence of ETL usually leads to the mismatched indium tin oxide (ITO)/perovskite interface energy levels, which limits charge transfer and collection, and results in severe energy loss and poor device performance. To address this, a polar nonconjugated small‐molecule modifier is introduced to lower the work function of ITO and optimize interface energy level alignment by virtue of an inherent dipole, as verified by photoemission spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements. The resultant barrier‐free ITO/perovskite contact favors efficient charge transfer and suppresses nonradiative recombination, endowing the device with enhanced open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and fill factor, simultaneously. Accordingly, power conversion efficiency increases greatly from 12.81% to a record breaking 20.55%, comparable to state‐of‐the‐art PSCs with a sophisticated ETL. Also, the stability is enhanced with decreased hysteresis effect due to interface defect passivation and inhibited interface charge accumulation. This work facilitates the further development of highly efficient, flexible, and recyclable ETL‐free PSCs with simplified design and low cost by interface electronic structure engineering through facile electrode modification.

Interfacial Engineering FeOOH/CoO Nanoneedle Array for Efficient Overall Water Splitting Driven by Solar Energy.

Interface engineering has been applied as an effective strategy to boost the electrocatalytic performance because of the strong coupling and synergistic effects between individual components. Here, we engineered vertically aligned FeOOH/CoO nanoneedle array with a synergistic interface between FeOOH and CoO on Ni foam (NF) by a simple impregnation method. The synthesized FeOOH/CoO exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity and stability for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline medium. For the overall water splitting, the bifunctional FeOOH/CoO nanoneedle catalyst requires only a cell voltage of 1.58 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 , which is much lower than that required for IrO2 //Pt/C (1.68 V). The FeOOH/CoO catalyst has been successfully applied for solar cell-driven water electrolysis, revealing its great potential for commercial hydrogen production and solar energy storage.

Kinetic‐Oriented Construction of MoS2 Synergistic Interface to Boost pH‐Universal Hydrogen Evolution

AbstractAs a prerequisite for a sustainable energy economy in the future, designing earth‐abundant MoS2 catalysts with a comparable hydrogen evolution catalytic performance in both acidic and alkaline environments is still an urgent challenge. Decreasing the energy barriers could enhance the catalysts' activity but is not often a strategy for doing so. Here, the first kinetic‐oriented design of the MoS2‐based heterostructure is presented for pH‐universal hydrogen evolution catalysis by optimizing the electronic structure based on the simultaneous modulation of the 3d‐band‐offsets of Ni, Co, and Mo near the interface. Benefiting from this desirable electronic structure, the obtained MoS2/CoNi2S4 catalyst achieves an ultralow overpotential of 78 and 81 mV at 10 mA cm−2, and turnover frequency as high as 2.7 and 1.7 s−1 at the overpotential of 200 mV in alkaline and acidic media, respectively. The MoS2/CoNi2S4 catalyst represents one of the best hydrogen evolution reaction performing ones among MoS2‐based catalysts reported to date in both alkaline and acidic environments, and equally important is the remarkable long‐term stability with negligible activity loss after maintaining at 10 mA cm−2 for 48 h in both acid and base. This work highlights the potential to deeply understand and rationally design highly efficient pH‐universal electrocatalysts for future energy storage and delivery.

Electrochemical generation of Fe3C/N-doped graphitic carbon nanozyme for efficient wound healing in vivo

The emergence of antibiotic resistance has been advancing the exploration of highly-efficient, cost-effective and biocompatible enzymatic nanomaterials (i.e. nanozyme) as antibacterial agents. Iron carbide (Fe3C) based nanomaterials were suggested to be promising catalysts as well as nanozymes, but were limited with the low enzyme-like activity and the high temperature-carbonization, time-consumption preparation process. Herein, one efficient peroxidase-like Fe3C/N-doped graphitic carbon nanomaterial (Fe3C/N–C) was prepared through a one-step mild electrochemical method. Therein, the FeSO4/histidine (His) mixture and graphite rod were used as the electrolyte and the electrode, respectively. The generation of Fe3C/N–C was coincidentally benefiting from the specific affinity interactions between the His derived carbon nanodots (CNDs) and the iron ion. The Fe3C/N–C nanozyme could enable the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to hydroxyl radical (•OH), resulting in higher broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity than H2O2 alone. Accordingly, high concentration of H2O2 can be avoided in bacterial infection, but accelerated wound healing in vivo can be achieved simultaneously. The superior peroxidase-like ability can be attributed to the intrinsic active sites in the Fe3C while using the carbon nanosheets as the matrix. And the synergistic interface effect between Fe3C and N-doped graphite carbon could lead to the enhancement of peroxidase mimicking activity in return.