Data_Sheet_1_Commercial Fiber Products Derived Free-Standing Porous Carbonized-Membranes for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation.pdf

Herein, the free-standing porous carbonized-membranes (CMs) derived from a series of commercial fiber products including airlaid papers, cellulose papers and cleanroom wipers by one-step carbonization at 160°C have for the first time explored as independent solar absorbers to realize highly efficient solar steam generation. These newly-developed CMs not only exhibit the strong absorption (low reflectance) and rapid transport of vapor/liquid, but also possess the restricted thermal diffusion. All these merits render CMs with excellent evaporation performance for solar steam generation. Particularly, the CMs derived from carbonized cellulose papers (CCPs) exhibits the best performance, which affords the water evaporation rate of 0.959 kg·m−2·h−1 and the energy conversion efficiency of 65.8% under 1 kW·m−2 solar illumination, due to the higher light absorption (92.20%) and lower thermal conductivity (0.031 W·m-1·K-1) competing favorable with those of the Au nanoparticles-loaded airlaid papers (Au-APs, 0.856 kg·m−2·h−1, 58.7%). Due to the low-cost, recyclability and highly efficient evaporation performance, the CMs, especially the CCPs, show great potential as solar absorbers for large-scale application of solar steam generation.</p

Highly Stretchable Photonic Crystal Hydrogels for a Sensitive Mechanochromic Sensor and Direct Ink Writing

Photonic crystals, which are materials with periodic dielectric constants on the submicroscale, have been the focus of research for an extended period. Photonic soft materials have been extensively developed for use as colorimetric indicators and mechanochromic sensors, but their limited mechanical properties and molding characteristics only suitable for films restrict their practical implementation. Herein we report an approach to synthesize highly stretchable photonic soft materials based on a hydrogel system that is cross-linked by a crystalline colloidal array. The intrinsic inhomogeneous submicroscale structure is exploited for effective reinforcement in the multiphase system of the photonic crystals. The photonic hydrogels exhibit a high deformation capacity, with a stretching deformation above 2800% and compression above 98%. The gel has a full-color tunable range and shows 460 nm photonic shifts that can be reversibly actuated by a small compressive stress (kPa level) and can be ink-written to form patterns and freestanding structures. Mechanochromic sensors are constructed based on the three-dimensional and two-dimensional Bragg diffraction of the gel. Owing to its mechanical strength, formability, and tunable colors, the gel can be used in wearable optical devices, colorimetric tactile sensors, and full-color displays

Highly Stretchable Photonic Crystal Hydrogels for a Sensitive Mechanochromic Sensor and Direct Ink Writing

Photonic crystals, which are materials with periodic dielectric constants on the submicroscale, have been the focus of research for an extended period. Photonic soft materials have been extensively developed for use as colorimetric indicators and mechanochromic sensors, but their limited mechanical properties and molding characteristics only suitable for films restrict their practical implementation. Herein we report an approach to synthesize highly stretchable photonic soft materials based on a hydrogel system that is cross-linked by a crystalline colloidal array. The intrinsic inhomogeneous submicroscale structure is exploited for effective reinforcement in the multiphase system of the photonic crystals. The photonic hydrogels exhibit a high deformation capacity, with a stretching deformation above 2800% and compression above 98%. The gel has a full-color tunable range and shows 460 nm photonic shifts that can be reversibly actuated by a small compressive stress (kPa level) and can be ink-written to form patterns and freestanding structures. Mechanochromic sensors are constructed based on the three-dimensional and two-dimensional Bragg diffraction of the gel. Owing to its mechanical strength, formability, and tunable colors, the gel can be used in wearable optical devices, colorimetric tactile sensors, and full-color displays

Versatile, Aqueous Soluble C₂N Quantum Dots with Enriched Active Edges and Oxygenated Groups

C2N has emerged as a new family of promising two-dimensional (2D) layered frameworks in both fundamental studies and potential applications. Transforming bulk C2N into zero-dimensional quantum dots (QDs) could induce unique quantum confinement and edge effects that produce improved or new properties. Despite their appealing potential, C2NQDs remain unexplored, and their intriguing properties and a fundamental understanding of their prominent edge effects are still not well understood. Here, we report the first synthesis of water-soluble C2NQDs via a top-down approach without any foreign stabilizer and exploit their linear/nonlinear optical properties and unique edge-preferential electrocatalytic activity toward polysulfides for versatile applications. The resultant dispersant-free C2NQDs with an average size of less than 5 nm feature rich oxygen-carrying groups and active edges, not only enabling excellent dispersion in water but also creating interesting multifunctionality. They can emit not only blue one-photon luminescence (OPL) under ultraviolet (UV) excitation but also green two-photon luminescence (TPL) with a wide near-infrared (NIR) excitation range of 750-900 nm, enabling their use as a new fluorescent ink. Interestingly, when C2NQDs are introduced to modify commercial separators, they can function as new metal-free catalysts to boost polysulfide redox kinetics and endow Li-S batteries with excellent cycling stability, high rate capability, and large areal capacity (7.0 mA h cm–2) at a high sulfur loading of 8.0 mg cm–2. Detailed theoretical and experimental results indicate that the edge of C2N is more favorable for trapping and catalyzing the polysulfide conversion than the terrace and that the synergy between the active edges and oxygenated groups enriched in C2NQDs remarkably improves polysulfide immobilization and catalytic conversion