Maintaining thermal comfort is crucial for sustaining normal human physiological functions. Utilizing fibers and textiles for personal thermal regulation not only enhances thermal comfort but also contributes to reducing building energy consumption. However, traditional textiles often fail to meet diverse human thermal comfort needs, necessitating the development of novel wearable thermal management materials. Thanks to advancements in material chemistry, physics, and nanotechnology, numerous fibers and textiles with outstanding thermal management properties have been developed. This article reviews innovative strategies for temperature regulation and the latest advancements in wearable thermal management materials, focusing on various advanced passive and active thermal management materials. It aims to enhance understanding of the mechanisms behind these materials and provide a comprehensive reference for researchers in the field. It begins with an introduction to the phy-siological basis of human thermal regulation, followed by a detailed exploration of passive and active thermal management fibers and textiles, discussing their operational principles, advantages and disadvantages in various application scenarios. Finally, from a commercial perspective, the article discusses the future prospects and challenges of wearable thermal management fibers and textiles.

Electrochromic devices have the advantages of lightweight, fast response speed, good reusability, and easy preparation of flexible devices. They are widely used in fields such as smart sensors, smart windows, flexible wearable devices, and energy storage devices. Compared to liquid devices that are prone to leakage and have low safety, all solid state electrochromic devices are easy to package and have high safety, making them more versatile for comprehensive applications. This article first introduces the structure of electrochromic devices, provides a detailed overview of the performance and applications of inorganic and organic solid-state electrochromic devices, and compares and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages between the two devices. Finally, the development and application prospects of all solid state electrochromic devices are discussed from the perspectives of performance bottlenecks, process difficulties, and industrialization.

Cellulose-based photonic crystals are photonic crystals with cellulose and its derivatives as the main constituent materials, and their structures are usually composed of periodically arranged cellulose materials with different refractive indices or complexes of cellulose and other mate-rials, which enable effective control of the propagation characteristics of photons. The advantages of cellulose-based photonic crystals lie in the sustainability, biocompatibility and biodegradability of cellulose materials, which make them have a wide range of potential applications in the fields of biosensing, optical devices and chiral photonics. In recent years, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) have attracted much attention in the preparation and application of photonic crystals due to their fine nanostructures, excellent mechanical properties, low expansion coefficients, as well as excellent plasticity and adhesion. However, there is still insufficient discussion on the research progress of other types of cellulose-based photonic crystals. Starting from the types of cellulose-based photonic crystals, this paper first outlines their optical modulation mechanisms and preparation methods, and further clarifies the applications of different types of cellulose-based photonic crystals in sensor devices, optical anti-counterfeiting and other smart materials. It ends with a prospective discussion on the existing problems and future trends.

Polarization detection technology is a vital optical sensing method characterized by its strong anti-interference capabilities and its effectiveness in enhancing detection range. It plays a significant role in various fields, including optical remote sensing, environmental monitoring, biomedicine, and underwater imaging. However, traditional polarization detection systems encounter challenges, such as bulky size and complex optical paths, which create substantial obstacles for miniaturization and integration. Metasurfaces, comprised of two-dimensional periodic arrays of artificially subwavelength elements, enable precise manipulation of optical fields according to the polarization states of incident light. This capability effectively reduces the size of polarization detection systems while enhancing device integration, offering innovative solutions for miniaturized polarization detection. This review analyzes the optical field manipulation mechanisms related to polarization detection and summarizes photon and photothermal polarization detectors based on metasurfaces. Additionally, it discusses existing challenges and future trends, aiming to provide valuable insights for further research in this field.

The traditional thermal control coating with fixed emissivity is difficult to meet the rapid development of China's aerospace industry, and the VO₂ intelligent thermal control coating, with the advantages of passive adaptation and strong designability, has become a hot spot of research at home and abroad. In this paper, based on the phase transition characteristics of VO₂ metal-insulator, the optical design methods and research progress of VO₂ intelligent thermal control coatings with four structures of F-P resonant cavity, metasurface, photonic crystal and nanocomposite film are reviewed by analyzing the emissivity regulation mechanism of VO₂ intelligent thermal control coatings in infrared band. It extracts the key factors affecting the engineering application of VO₂ smart thermal control coatings due to the decrease in spatial stability, and looks forward to the future development trends of VO₂ smart thermal control coatings.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely used in various fields due to their low density, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. However the relatively high cost of Ti limits its further application. By forming titanium coatings on the substrate, the cost can be greatly reduced, while still obtaining the desirable properties of Ti. Additionally, Ti coatings exhibit superior durability and mechanical properties compared to the conventional organic coatings, leading to the increasingly intensifying research in this field. This paper systematically clarifies the mainstream technologies for the preparation and post-treatment of Ti coatings, and summarizes worldwide researches of Ti coating with applications in the fields such as marine engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace, etc. The paper ends with a prospective discussion about the existing challenges and the future trends with respect to the development of Ti coatings.

All objects whose temperatures exceed absolute zero emit infrared thermal radiation which relates closely to the objects' emissivities. Due to the constant emissivity, most objects can only present a single thermal function. However, in practical applications, dynamic thermal radiation regulation is of great importance to meet the requirements for different environment and functions. Flexible and electroresponsively emissivity-dynamically-modulatable materials exhibit not only environment-condition-independent high tunability, but also favorable properties such as lightweight, flexibility, and portability, thereby are superior in both usage and storage. This review summarizes the research progress of some typical kinds of flexible and electroresponsively emissivity-dynamically-modulatable materials including conductive polymers, carbon-based materials, and reversibly electrodeposited metals, and outlines the applicative potential of flexible and electroresponsively thermal-radiation-dynamically-regulating devices. The paper ends with a discussion about the challenges and the future trends.

The development of novel energy-efficient cooling technologies is of significant importance for the realization of effective building thermal management and energy-saving. Radiation is the most ubiquitous mode of heat transfer in nature, where solar and environmental thermal radiation plays a vital role serving as two critical energy vectors. The photothermal regulation could modulate the solar and thermal radiation properties, thus managing the internal temperature of objects. Materials exhibit varied spectral responses to solar and thermal radiations according to the specific demands of different scenarios, which could be categorized into active and passive photothermal control materials. Active photothermal regulation materials are favored for their high tunability and low energy consumption, while passive photothermal regulation materials are recognized for their zero-energy consumption and robust temperature regulation capabilities, both garnering extensive attention from researchers. This article, exemplifying active control and passive control with electrochromic materials and radiative cooling, respectively, focuses on outlining the regulatory principles of these emerging photothermal control technologies. It reviews the development of electrochromic and radiative cooling materials based on spectral design strategies and principles, and further summarizes the existing challenges and future development directions, providing a comprehensive perspective for researchers in the field of building energy saving.

In order to effectively improve the demand for rapid integration of equipment with different backgrounds in the field, the adaptive thermochromic camouflage coating was prepared by a screen printing method which is conducive to large-scale production and low cost. By using fluorocarbon resin and acrylic resin to cover color-changing materials, the coating preparation system and preparation process were studied, and the reversible color-changing camouflage coating with application prospect was prepared by testing the properties of color-changing coatings. In this study, the rapid reversible adaptive change of camouflage coating was realized by the joint action of heating auxiliary layer and color-changing coating. The physicochemical properties of the coating were tested by means of colorimeter, universal tensile testing machine, water fastness tester and salt spray tester. The test results show that the thermochromic camouflage coating prepared by polyurethane resin system has a pro-mising application prospect. When the camouflage coating thickness is 0.6 mm, the coating discoloration time is 6—9 seconds. The application of color-changing camouflage coatings in forested and desert environments yields detection rates of 0.51 and 0.56, respectively.

With the development of industry and the consumption of fossil fuels, climate change, energy shortage, environmental pollution and other problems have become increasingly serious. It has become a global development trend to achieve sustainable development by developing green, environmentally friendly and renewable new materials. Photothermal conversion technology, can convert solar energy into heat energy and be used in many fields, has become one of the important methods to solve these crises. Wood is one of the most abundant renewable resources on the earth, and has been widely concerned by researchers because of its abundant reserves, renewable, degradable, simple and easy to obtain. The effective combination of wood and photothermal conversion can improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy and forest resources under the carbon neutralization strategy. This review introduces the mechanism of wood-based photothermal conversion materials, describes the current progress of photothermal conversion technology and wood construction of photothermal conversion materials, and gives a summary on the application of wood-based photothermal conversion materials in water treatment, electricity generation, hydrogen generation, phase change energy storage based on state-of-the-art researches, in order to provide reference and inspiration for related research and promote sustainable deve-lopment.

Recently, modern military detection technology and precision-guided weapons have developed rapidly. The wide application of radar and infrared detection and guidance methods has promoted radar/infrared compatible stealth materials to a research hotspot in the field of stealth materials. The fundamental differences in detection principle of radar and infrared detection leads to completely different requirements for the electromagnetic properties of stealth materials in the two bands. Researchers use the difference in the wavelength of the two bands to achieve differentiated response to electromagnetic waves, and carry out the design of radar/infrared compatible stealth materials. In this paper, the basic theory and design principle of radar/infrared stealth are systematically expounded, the research progress of radar/infrared compatible stealth materials is reviewed, and the future development direction is prospected.

To investigate the mechanical performance degradation mechanisms of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) in hydrothermal environments, samples were immersed in water baths filled with distilled water at temperatures of 30 ℃ and 50 ℃, respectively. Tensile and compressive tests were performed using CFRP samples aged for 0 (unaged), 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 days. Effects of hygrothermal aging on surface morphology and failure modes were analyzed via SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). A two-dimensional constitutive model, which was capable of simulating the influences of hygrothermal aging on the intralaminar cracking and interlaminar delamination, was developed utilizing the user subroutine VUMAT of the ABAQUS software. Mechanical performance calculations for CFRP composites were conducted under both pre-aging and saturated water absorption conditions. Experimental results showed that the moisture absorption behavior of CFRP composites followed Fick's law at both 30 ℃ and 50 ℃. Mechanical properties of CFRP composites showed a decrease with the temperature/aging time increasing. Moreover, compared to the tensile performance, the compressive properties of CFRP composites were more sensitive to the variation of environments. After 30 days of aging in a 50 ℃ environment, the tensile strength and modulus decreased by 8.11% and 7.08%, respectively, which was worse than the 39.3% and 10.8% reductions for the compressive strength and modulus, respectively. Deterioration of the fiber-matrix interface and the epoxy matrix caused by moisture diffusion was identified as the reason for compressive performance degradation.

Concentrated solar power is a highly promising renewable energy technology that enables cascaded utilization of electricity and can complement other renewable energy sources such as wind and photovoltaic power. Based on domestic and international research on concentrated solar power technology, this review summarizes the research progress in thermal energy storage molten salts for concentrated solar power applications. Molten salt is an ideal medium for energy transfer and storage in thermal energy storage systems for concentrated solar power due to its excellent thermophysical properties including high heat capacity, high thermal conductivity, and low viscosity. Molten salt energy storage offers advantages such as large storage capacity, long storage cycles, and low costs, making it widely applicable in areas such as concentrated solar power, molten salt reactors, heating, and waste heat recovery. This paper first introduces the advantages and development of concentrated solar power technology, followed by a summary of the main characteristics and advancements in thermal energy storage molten salts. It also discusses newly developed salt compositions and the thermophysical properties of molten salt nanofluids. Finally, the paper summarizes and looks forward to the development of next-generation thermal energy storage molten salts is presented. The aim is to provide insights into the technological advancements in thermal energy storage molten salts for the design, manufacturing, and operation maintenance of next-generation energy transfer and storage systems.

Ammonia is a crucial chemical feedstock and energy carrier. However, the conventional Haber-Bosch method for ammonia synthesis requires high temperature and high pressure, leading to significant energy consumption and substantial carbon dioxide emissions. In recent years, the research focus has shifted towards the sustainable synthesis of ammonia using catalytic technologies under ambient conditions, particularly the nitrate reduction to ammonia. This review provides an overview of the reaction pathways and mechanisms involved in catalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis. Then the recent advances in catalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis are analyzed in depth from the two aspects of electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis. In the field of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, the focus is on catalyst modification methods and the reasons for enhanced ammonia production performance during the nitrate reduction processes. Subsequently the strategies for designing photoelectrocatalysts for nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis are thoroughly analyzed, including element doping, heterojunction construction, and defect engineering, aiming at enhancing catalytic efficiency and selectivity. This review finally summarizes the current challenges in catalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis, such as improving the reaction kinetics and enhancing catalyst stability, and discusses future prospects for the development of this technology. Catalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis holds promise for revolutionary changes in ammonia production, reducing reliance on conventional energy-intensive processes and mitigating environmental burdens, thereby contributing to sustainable development efforts.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of integrated circuit technology, as process nodes continue to shrink to the nanometer level, the demands placed on interconnect materials and their processing technology are becoming increasingly stringent. Cobalt (Co), an emerging metal material, is gaining traction as a preferred choice forcopper (Cu) interconnect barrier layers and potential interconnect materials due to its exceptio-nal thermal stability, void-free filling ability, and strong adhesion to Cu wiring. However, this heightened interest in cobalt is accompanied by a high demand for surface smoothness and cleanliness, driving extensive research and innovation in chemomechanical polishing (CMP) processes and post CMP cleaning process. This paper aims to review the current application status of Co as Cu interconnect barrier and new interconnect material in integrated circuits, respectively. The impact of various slurry components on the material removal rate, galvanic corrosion, and removal selection ratio in CMP process are analyzed. Furthermore, the crucial role of cleaning solutions is discussed in post CMP cleaning process. Through precise chemical formula design, defects such as nanoparticles and organic residues can be effectively removed to ensure that the Co surface achieves high levels of cleanliness and flatness. Additionally, the review identifies the limitations of current research and offers forward-looking insights into the development of more environmentally friendly and efficient Co CMP and post-CMP cleaning technologies.

When the graphite anode colloidal dispersion slurry is coated onto a non-porous rigid substrate and dried, the stresses generated during the drying process may cause cracks in the film. These cracks can negatively impact battery performance, accelerate degradation, and shor-ten the battery’s lifespan. Therefore, understanding the crack characteristics and their formation mechanisms is crucial to preventing cracking of the electrode. While many studies and models have been conducted on the drying cracks of colloidal dispersion films, there is relatively little research on the cracking behavior of battery electrode pieces. This article systematically reveals the cracking mechanism and influencing factors during the drying process of electrode films, deeply analyzes the models of microstructural changes and internal stress development in electrode, and summarizes the progress in research on drying-induced cracking of electrode films. Studies have shown that the stress caused by capillary pressure is the main cause of drying-induced crack, which is mainly affected by the material properties of the electrode and the boundary conditions of the film. Additionally, this paper explores the technical challenges associated with inhibiting drying-induced cracking in the electrode, providing valuable insights for addressing the cracking issues in electrode manufacturing.

As a green and clean production technology, photocatalytic process is an effective way to alleviate energy and environmental problems. Semiconductor material is a good choice for photocatalysts because of their suitable band gaps, but the photocatalytic efficiency is not ideal due to its small specific surface area, low utilization rate of sunlight and easy recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the process of photocatalytic reaction. Carbon quantum dots are spherical carbon nanomaterials, which are essential for improving photocatalytic efficiency due to their unique upconversion luminescence properties and good electron transfer ability, in addition to high specific surface area, low toxicity and good biocompatibility. Therefore, coupling and modification of carbon quantum dots with semiconductor materials is an important method to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of semiconductor materials. In this paper, the preparation method of carbon quantum dots is introduced, its unique optical and electronic properties are clarified, and the applications of carbon quantum dots in the fields of photocatalytic hydrogen production, photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, photocatalytic reduction of CO₂, photocatalytic removal of heavy metal pollution and photocatalytic sterilization are emphatically expounded. Finally, the shortcomings of carbon quantum dots in photocatalytic application at present are briefly summarized and its future development is prospected.

In recent years, numerous research has demonstrated that self-doping enables precise modulation of the conductivity type (p-type or n-type) in organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite materials, leading to improved light absorption and charge carrier transport, ultimately resulting in enhanced power conversion efficiency of solar cells. Furthermore, the sequential deposition of perovskite layers with different doping types has facilitated the development of novel bilayer perovskite homojunction/heterojunction (P-P junction) solar cells. When compared to conventional pe-rovskite solar cells, P-P junction solar cells exhibit an additional built-in electric field within the photoactive layer, which efficiently promotes the transmission of carrier, effectively reducing non-radiative recombination. Additionally, the inherent bipolar charge transport characteristics of perovskite materials allow them to function as both electron and hole transport layers. Consequently, the introduction of P-P junctions obviates the need for separate transport layers, thereby optimizing device architecture and simplifying fabrication processes. These advancements provide a promising direction for the further development of perovskite solar cells. This paper focuses on organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite materials, providing detailed insights into the methods employed to regulate self-doping types. It also comprehensively reviews the applications of self-doped perovskites in solar cells, elucidates the physical mechanisms and influencing factors associated with self-doped P-P junction solar cells, and concludes with a summary and outlook on the current technological challenges and future prospects in this field.

Fair-faced concrete is widely used in civil engineering construction for its aesthetic qualities (including the absence of bugholes, uniform colour appearance and natural surface texture) and for reducing carbon emissions.The control of surface air voids is one of the most difficult problems in the preparation of fair-faced concrete due to the unclear mechanism of void formation and the enormous coupling factors.Recently, researchers have attempted to qualitatively analyse the relationship between some key factors (such as concrete materials and construction processes) and surface air void characteristics, in order to guide the fair-faced concrete construction practice.In this review, the authors summarized the research progress on surface air void defect formation and regulation studies.From the point of view of the conversion of air bubbles into surface air voids during concrete hardening, the formation, Ostwald ripening, migration and adhesion of air bubbles in fresh concrete are the key processes.Thus, four aspects were introduced, including the evaluation of surface air void defects, air bubble evolution, the influence of concrete rheological state under vibration on air bubble emission, and the function of formwork/release agent.The main conclusions and remaining problems of the existing literature were also highlighted.Finally, the authors prospected the research and application of the formation mechanism and regulation methods of concrete surface air void defects.

The complex chemical composition characteristics of asphalt are closely related to its pavement performance and will change with the service time of asphalt, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty in its performance. It is significant for the research and development of high-perfor-mance asphalt pavement materials to take the asphalt chemical components as a bridge to establish a targeting relationship between microscopic composition and macroscopic properties. This paper aims to systematically introduce and outlook the relationship between asphalt component characteristics and macroscopic properties, focusing on its guiding role in the optimal design of asphalt pavement materials. First, the research process and development trend of colloid structure theory, asphaltene structure modeling and molecular structure modeling of chemical components are reviewed from the micro-perspective. Second, the basic characteristics of saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene fractions and the commonly used separation methods are summarized. Then, the targeting relationships between the macroscopic properties of asphalt, including engineering index, multi-temperature domain rheological properties, thermal stability, aging properties, regeneration properties and the chemical component characteristics of asphalt are reviewed. The migration characteristics of the chemical components in the process of asphalt property transformation are analyzed and the mechanism of the chemical fractions on the evolution of macroscopic properties is revealed. This will provide some reference for the construction of targeted asphalt design, targeted flame-retardant and targeted regeneration systems. Finally, the design method of targeted chemical compositions of asphalt is proposed with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations of asphalt. The application conception for the relationship between chemical component characteristics and macroscopic properties of asphalt is proposed based on material genomic ideas.

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered significant attention as a potential mainstream technology in the future photovoltaic (PV) market. This is primarily attributed to their salient advantages including high efficiency, low cost, and ease of preparation. Notably, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs has experienced a remarkable increase from 3.8% in 2009 to over 26% at present. Consequently, the adoption of roll-to-roll (R2R) technology for PSCs is considered a crucial step towards their successful commercialization. This article reviews the diverse substrates, scalable deposition techniques (such as solution-based knife-coating and spraying technology), and optimization procedures employed in recent years to enhance device performance within the R2R process. Additionally, novel perspectives are presented to enrich the existing knowledge in this field.

With the acceleration of population aging in China, the incidence of skin chronic wounds has been increasing steadily. Due to their prolonged healing cycles and high recurrence rates, chronic wounds not only pose significant threats to patients’ physical and mental health but also impose a heavy burden on the healthcare system. The healing of chronic wounds is a complex process that involves the precise coordination of various cells and signaling factors, making it challenging for single therapeutic approaches, such as anti-inflammatory treatments, to effectively address this multifaceted physiological process. In recent years, bioactive hydrogels have demonstrated remarkable advantages in improving wound microenvironments and promoting cell proliferation due to their excellent biocompatibility, precise regulation of cell behaviors, and ability to modulate the release of signaling factors. This review systematically elucidates the mechanisms by which bioactive hydrogels contribute to skin wound healing, encompassing key stages, such as hemostasis, anti-inflammation, promotion of cell proliferation, collagen deposition, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Finally, the review explores the promising clinical applications of bioactive hydrogels while highlighting the major challenges and unresolved issues in their clinical translation, providing references for future research and technological advancements in chronic wound healing.

Gastric retention hydrogels represent a potential material with weight-loss effects and offer an effective solution to address the low bioavailability of drugs in pharmaceutical therapy. This study aims to develop a degradable hydrogel capable of prolonged retention in the stomach, facilitating both weight loss and drug release. Two degradable macromolecular cross-linking agents were synthesized, with acrylamide as the main mo-nomer, mixed with chitosan solution for the preparation of a degradable hydrogel with a semi-interpenetrating network (sIPN) structure initiated by a redox initiator. The morphology and chemical structure of the prepared hydrogels were characterized using analytical techniques such as SEM and FTIR. In vitro drug release experiments demonstrated that the hydrogel achieved controlled drug release, extending the drug's retention time in the stomach. The swelling performance, biocompatibility and degradation properties of the hydrogel in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) were also evaluated. Results indicated that the hydrogel with cross-linking agent ratio 4∶6 exhibited a swelling ratio of 2 700%, excellent biocompatibility and a weight loss of 7% in SGF over 5 days. The 4∶6 hydrogel had a compressive modulus greater than 13 kPa at 60% deformation, demonstrating resistance to gastric peristalsis. Therefore, the chitosan sIPN hydrogel holds promising potential for applications in weight loss and the treatment of gastric diseases.

Flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on Ag-mesh transparent electrodes have been developed as promising power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices. However, the undesired interdiffusion of halogen and metal ions poses a challenge to the efficiency and stability of the devices. This study focuses on the preparation of flexible PSCs utilizing the combined effects of polyurethane (PU) polymer additive for grain boundary passivation and an interfacial protective layer. One advantage of the strong interaction between Pb²⁺ and the C=O species is that it improved the crystal structure of the perovskite films, resulting in films of reduced defect density. As a result, the Ag-mesh electrode’s flexible PSC demonstrated an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.21%, ranking among the greatest PSC efficiencies on non-ITO electrodes to date. Moreover, the flexible PSCs demonstrated improved moisture and operational stability due to the presence of PU additive at the grain boundary and the interlayer barrier. This hindered the interdiffusion of halogen and metal. As a result, the PSCs were able to maintain 92.1% of their starting PCE value after being exposed to 30% relative humidity for 150 h, and 95% of their initial PCE when operating at the maximum power point for 1 000 h. Finally, after 1 000 cycles of bending with a 4 mm radius, the PSCs showed good mechanical stability, while also maintaining 86% of their initial PCE. This work can shed light on a new perspective for designing high-performance flexible perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

In the pursuit of the dual objectives of heightened economic efficiency and enhanced safety, the trend of achieving high burnup levels, exceeding 62 GWd/MTU, has become a prominent focal point in nuclear fuel development. However, it is imperative to recognize that increasing burnup levels inevitably introduce challenges, leading to the degradation and potential failure of both fuel pellets and cladding materials, thus giving rise to safety concerns. This paper initiates with a comprehensive examination and delineation of the challenges confronted by conventional UO₂ fuel pellet and Zr alloy cladding when operating under high burnup conditions. For instance, the formation and rapid propagation of high burnup structures at the periphery of pellets, increasing proportion of fission gas release, heightened internal pressures within fuel rods, enhancement of corrosion associated with hydrogen pickup of claddings. In addition, the fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal of fuel pellets during the loss of coolant accident scenarios. This paper elucidates the critical strategies employed to address the above challenges effectively. Subsequently, the article consolidates and summarizes the recent developments and accomplishments within the nuclear industry pertaining to accident tolerant fuel. It places particular emphasis on the critical in-service performance of Cr-coated Zr alloy claddings and large-grained UO₂ fuel pellet, including fission gas release, pellet and cladding mechanical interactions, corrosion of cladding in aqueous environments, and high-temperature steam oxidation and quenching behavior. Simultaneously, the paper conducts a comparative analysis between the Cr-coated Zr alloy cladding and large-grained UO₂ fuel pellets ATF project with the traditional nuclear fuel system. Particular attention is given to operational advantages, particularly in the context of high burnup conditions. The research findings strongly suggest the recent ATF projects hold significant promise for application in high burnup projects. This review aims to deepen nuclear industry stakeholders' understanding of high burnup initiatives while offering insightful guidance for integrating domestically developed ATF materials into high burnup applications, thus contributing to the advancement of nuclear power safety and economic viability.

Because of the excellent nuclear property, high thermal conductivity, high boiling point and chemical inertness of lead-bismuth alloy, the lead-bismuth fast breeder reactor, which use lead-bismuth alloy as the coolant, is one of the promising development prospects of Generation Ⅳ six type of reactors. Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant is corrosive to reactor structural materials, which is an important factor limiting the development of LBE cooled reactor. Oxygen dissolved into LBE controlled in a certain range is one of the effective approaches to carry out corrosion protection of structural materials in LBE environment, so it is required that the oxygen dissolved in lead-bismuth system must be controllable and measurable to ensure the safe operation of the reactor. In recent years, with the development of LBE cooled reactor, the key common technologies on material corrosion protection continue to break through. This paper summarizes the research progress of dissolved oxygen measurement and control technology for reactor structural materials corrosion protection, introduces the research status of oxygen measurement and oxygen control at home and abroad, and focuses on the comparison and analysis of the application prospects of different oxygen control modes for LBE cooled fast reactor. Finally, the development and application of oxygen measurement and control technology for lead-bismuth fast reactor are prospected.

In the context of continuous growth in global energy demand, limited fossil fuel resources, and the increasingly serious impacts of carbon dio-xide emissions on the climate, urgent reductions in carbon dioxide emissions are required. The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂ RR) based on clean electricity is an ideal way to alleviate fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional catalyst research and development models mainly rely on experimental trial-and-error methods, which are time consuming and limited in their ability to meet the needs for efficient catalysts. The rapid development of data science technologies, such as machine learning, has brought paradigm changing opportunities for catalyst research and development. High-throughput computing combined with machine learning has become an important approach in the design of electrocatalysts in recent years. Thus, this paper reviews contemporary research on high-throughput computing combined with machine learning to guide catalyst development, including the principles of catalyst design, simulation calculation strategies, and the construction of machine learning models. The combination of high-throughput computing and machine learning should provide a new method for efficient screening and development of CO₂ RR catalysts, which should broad the application of artificial intelligence in catalyst screening design.

The carbon emissions generated by concrete preparation currently account for 28% of the total carbon release of the construction industry. The carbon sequestration technologies have become the key to achieving the “dual carbon” goals. Concrete carbon sequestration technologies refer to the utilization of carbonization reactions between CO₂ and alkaline metal ions (such as Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) or hydration products in concrete pore solutions generating stable carbonates to achieve the purpose of carbon immobilization. Carbonization reactions can affect concretes from the perspectives of characteristics such as pore solution, pore structure, and hydration products, thereby influencing the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. This paper summarizes the carbon sequestration technologies of concrete throughout its full life-cycle (mixing, curing, servicing, and secondary utilization), and systematically discusses the carbonization mechanism, technical characteristics, and storage potential of different carbon sequestration technologies. It has been clarified that injecting CO₂ during mixing can promote the carbonization of concrete, but consumes energy and causes additional carbon emissions. Carbonization curing can improve the early strength of concrete, but the dense carbonization products limit the further development of carbonization. The carbonization of servicing concretes does not require human intervention and has great potential for carbon sequestration, but its process is relatively sluggish. The carbonization during the secondary utilization stage can not only achieve CO₂ storage, but also improve the quality of aggregates. It is suggested that optimizing existing technologies and introducing new materials and structural forms can improve the CO₂ immobilzation efficiency of concrete throughout its full life-cycle.

Conductive hydrogels have good application prospects in the fields of human-computer interaction and electronic skin owing to their excellent toughness and biocompatibility. However, more excellent adhesion and sensitivity are needed in practical application scenarios to get accurate response signals. In this work, a conductive hydrogel was rapidly polymerized by copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and acrylamide (AM) through sulfhydryl attacking on the carbon-carbon double bond under ultraviolet illumination. Its adhesion strength to porcine skin reached 525 kPa and to aluminum sheet was up to 817 kPa. Different from the traditional preparation methods, the electrical conductivity of the hydrogel prepared in this work without adding any conductive fillers reaches 1.08 S/m, and the gauge factor (GF) reaches 9.28, which avoided the problems of poor mechanical properties and low sensitivity due to the uneven dispersion of conductive fillers. In addition, the hydrogel is frost-resistant and can still work normally at -60 ℃. Owing to the high sensitivity and strong adhesion, the P(AMPS-co-AM) hydrogel can be used as a flexible stress or strain sensor to accurately detect small or large movements in different parts of the human body, with accurate responsiveness and excellent stability, which has great potential for application in the fields of electronic skin and flexible wearable devices.

8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) thin films are the core components of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which directly affect the output performance of SOFCs. In this paper, the characteristics of the thinning process of zirconia electrolyte are introduced. The effects of sintering additives, binder systems and slurry rheology on zirconia slurry are analyzed in detail. The influences of tape casting process parameters including casting speed and drying environment on the thickness and quality of zirconia green tapes are summarized. The advanced sintering me-thods of zirconia green tapes are described, and the effects of electrolyte thickness and structure on the density and ionic conductivity of zirconia electrolyte films are discussed. Finally, the research direction of tape casting process for preparation of high-quality zirconia thin films has been prospected.

Indoor air pollutants have been recognized as important factors affecting human health, making the control of indoor air pollution of great significance for human health protection. Metal-organic frameworks and carbon-based materials are widely used materials in a variety of fields, which show promising potential in the control of indoor air pollution. In this paper, systematic review was conducted to reveal the research progress and current state of using metal-organic frameworks and carbon-based materials as adsorbents and photocatalysts in the control of indoor air pollution. Commonly used metal-organic frameworks and carbon-based materials in indoor air pollution control included activated carbon, biochar, activated carbon fiber, metal-organic framework, graphene and graphene derivatives, as well as graphite phase carbon nitride. The removal efficiency of these materials for indoor volatile organic compounds and particles was clarified, and the influencing factors and main existing problems were further discussed. The future development of metal-organic frameworks and carbon-based materials was proposed, which will help to develop cheap and efficient adsorption materials and photocatalytic materials and provide technical support for indoor air pollution control.

The shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the sluggish redox kinetics severely hinder the commercial application of lithium-sulfur batteries. The present work made a successful attempt to synthesize an ultrafine α-MoC nanocrystalline material loaded on a nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) substrate, namely MoC/NPC, in which the confinement effect of carbon on MoC nanocrystals could be optimized by controlling the ratio of carbon source to molybdenum source. Appropriate MoC nanocrystal diameter and NPC content were found to lead to the strongest adsorption for LiPSs and full exposure of sulfur-reactive active sites. This not only effectively suppresses the shuttle effect but also accelerates the reaction kinetics of Li₂S deposition and nucleation. The optimum product, MoC/NPC-12, synthesized with a mass ratio of dicyandiamide (C source) to CdMoO₄(Mo source) of 12, demonstrated excellent rate capability (634.4 mAh·g^-1 at 4C), high discharge capacity (1 203.9 mAh·g^-1 at 0.2C), and exceptional cycle stability (a capacity decay rate of only 0.093% per cycle during 400 cycles at 1C) when loaded with~1.2 mg·cm^-2 sulfur. And despite a further increment of sulfur loading to 3.8 mg·cm^-2, an initial areal capacity of MoC/NPC-12@S of 4.7 mAh·cm^-2 could still be achieved. This work provides valuable insights for the rational design and optimization of catalyst host materials in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (Li-S batteries) are regarded as one of the most promising modern energy storage systems due to their high theoretical energy density and specific capacity. However, their commercial application still faces huge challenges, such as fast capacity decay, poor cycle stability and short lifetime, originating from the shuttle effect, high electrochemical energy barrier, low conductivity of sulfur species, and volume change of sulfur cathode. Optimizing functional separators and designing appropriate positive electrode materials for batteries is a feasible approach. Two-dimensional (2D) carbon-based materials are now widely used in Li-S batteries as sulfur host materials, since they are highly controllable and have a wide range of physical, chemical, and electrochemical characteristics. This paper reviews the research progress of 2D carbon-based materials in Li-S batteries, including graphene, 2D defective carbon-based materials, non-metallic doped carbon-based materials, metal-doped carbon-based materials, non-metallic carbides and metal carbides, and their corresponding catalytic performance. Finally, we highlight a few issues that still require addressing and forecast the future development in the application of Li-S batteries.

Titanium alloy-hydroxyapatite composite materials for bone repair have attracted much attention due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. The metal part of the material constitutes a matrix skeleton with good mechanical properties, while the non-metallic part composed of calcium phosphate compounds can effectively promote bone cell growth and ensure good biocompatibility of the material. There are two main preparation processes for this type of material: high-temperature sintering and friction stir welding. High temperature sintering mainly includes hot pressing sintering, pressureless heat transfer sintering, discharge plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and laser sintering. At pre-sent, there are problems with insufficient mechanical properties during low-temperature sintering and severe thermal decomposition of calcium phosphate compounds during high-temperature sintering in the high-temperature sintering process, while the preparation process of friction stir welding is yet inchoate. This review summarizes the working principle and characteristics of the aforementioned preparation process of titanium alloy hydroxyapatite composite materials for bone repair. It analyzes and discusses the influence of each preparation process on the products’ phase composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. It elaborates the viewpoint that high-temperature sintering mechanism, the pressure condition (pressurized or pressureless) of the sintering process, and other process factors affect greatly the material properties, and depicts the promising potential of the two preparation processes, i. e., friction stir welding and microwave sintering, owing to relatively small impact on calcium phosphate compounds. It also clarifies the advantages/disadvantages and development prospect of the preparation processes entailed, and finally ends with a tentative prophecy about the three research directions in the preparation process of titanium alloy hydroxyapatite composite materials for bone repair.

Space nuclear power is one of the key technologies for achieving deep space exploration and carrier transportation in the future. Space nuclear power has the characteristics of long service life, good maneuverability, and minimal impact from the space environment. It is a high-quality energy source that provides energy in space. Nuclear fuel is the core component of space nuclear power reactors, located in long-term, high-temperature, and high radiation service environments. It is a key material that affects the efficient and stable operation of space nuclear reactors, which is significantly different from traditional pressurized water reactor UO₂ fuel. This paper reviews the development trends and research progress of space nuclear power reactor fuels, represents by nuclear power sources and nuclear propulsion. It compares and analyzes the diffe-rences in fuel systems used in different space nuclear power systems, and systematically elaborates on the key issues affecting the application of space nuclear power fuels from the aspects of fuel design, process preparation, performance analysis, and service evaluation. It also proposed the technical direction and research focus of future space nuclear power fuels in China. Providing support for the optimization design and perfor-mance improvement of fuel for advanced space nuclear power reactors in China.

Lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles due to their high energy density, long cycle life, and no memory effect. Germanium-based anode materials have emerged as a key focus of research in the realm of lithium-ion batte-ries, owing to their high theoretical specific capacity (approximately 4 times that of graphite), low lithium insertion potential, and excellent conductivity (roughly 10⁴ times that of silicon). In recent years, researchers have conducted extensive studies on the synthesis and modification of germanium-based anode materials, resulting in significant breakthroughs. However, there are still many challenges in the cycling stability of germa-nium-based anode materials, mainly due to the severe volume effect and unstable interface during the charge and discharge processes. This paper presents the preparation methods, morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of diverse germanium-based anode materials through the lens of four modification strategies: dimensional nanostructuring, porous structuring, carbon material composites, and alloying. Finally, it delves into the research progress of modification techniques and approaches for germanium-based anode materials, along with outlining future research directions.

The shaped warhead, with the main component of shaped charge liner, is the primary means for drones to damage armor, bunkers, and other targets. The present review is based on the penetration mechanism of shaped charge liners and the development tendency of ‘high penetration, large reaming and strong aftereffect'. It first outlines the conventional methods such as structural designing and inert material modification for enhancing damage capabilities of shaped charge liners, and reveals the inadequacy of these conventional methods in simultaneously promoting longitudinal and lateral damage capability. It second describes the current research status of energetic structural materials for enhanced shaped charge liners, demonstrating their effectiveness in enhancing comprehensive damage effect while also clarifying their limitations in comprehensive mechanical properties. It finally states the basic concept of multi-principal element alloys and their applicative potential in energetic structural materials for shaped charge liners. This paper can not only serve as a reference for developing new generation high-damage shaped charge liner and materials but also provide new insight for their applicative research.

The research and prediction of material damping properties are particularly important in view of a series of negative effects such as parts fai-lure, precision decline and structural damage caused by unavoidable vibration, shock and noise in engineering applications. As a structural material, the damping properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites are widely concerned by experts and scholars at home and abroad. In this paper, the damping sources and the main methods for predicting damping properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites are described. Taking resin base, ceramic base, carbon base, metal base and sandwich materials as examples, the main research achievements of domestic and fo-reign experts on the influence of matrix modification, sandwich materials and damage on the damping properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites are introduced, and the research on damping properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites is summarized.

The present work focused on the effects of silane coupling agent-grafted graphene on the properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and carried out molecular dynamics modelling and simulation for pure PDMS, PDMS modified by non-grafted graphene, and PDMS modified by KH550-grafted graphene (with graft intensities of 6% and 12%), in order to analyze the thermodynamic property improvement induced by modification. The simulation indicated that either non-grafted graphene or KH550-grafted graphene has positive influence on thermodynamic properties of PDMS such as thermal conductivity, glass transition temperature (T_g), free volume, mean square displacement, and water molecules' diffusion coefficient and H₂O-composite binding energy. In the water-containing models, 6% and 12% KH550-grafted graphene modified PDMSs could achieve improvements in thermal conductivity (at 250 K) of 25.6% and 21.6%, respectively, and T_g rises of 70 K and 77 K, respectively, compared with pure PDMS. The comparison between the water-containing and non-water models of the KH550-grafted graphene modified PDMS confirmed that water molecules results in increase in mean square displacement, and reductions in T_g and free volume, and the H₂O molecule diffusion coefficient and H₂O-composite binding energy differs with varying temperature and graft intensity. The output of this work may provide useful information for future studies on mitigating the impact of flashover voltage on electric system, and theoretical support for the development of transmission line de-icing and hydrophobic materials.

Phosphorus removal by phosphorus adsorbent is a common way to remove phosphorus from water. Compared with other phosphorus adsorbents, lanthanum-based phosphorus binders have the advantages of strong phosphorus affinity, wide pH adaptability, and environmental friendliness. Among the lanthanum-based phosphorus binders, lanthanum hydroxide has high lanthanum content, and hence, greater phospho-rus removal potential. In this study, nano-lanthanum hydroxide was prepared by precipitation method for phosphorus removal in water. Through orthogonal test, the optimum preparation conditions were obtained as 1-hour reaction at 80 ℃ and a LaCl₃ solution of 0.12 mol·L^-1. It was observed by transmission electron microscopy that the prepared nano-lanthanum hydroxide was nanorods with lengths of about 65 nm and diameters of 5.8 nm. The experimental results showed that nano-lanthanum hydroxide could effectively adsorb phosphorus in solution in a wide pH range (1—7), and the temperature rise was conducive to the phosphorus adsorption process. At 310 K and pH=3, the phosphorus adsorption capacity of nano-lanthanum hydroxide could reach 131.11 mg·g^-1. The phosphorus adsorption process of nano-lanthanum hydroxide conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isothermal equation. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the mechanism of nano-lanthanum hydroxide phosphorus removal included dissolution precipitation, electrostatic adsorption and ligand exchange between phosphate and OH^- in nano-lanthanum hydroxide to form stable inner sphere complexes.