Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C$_3$N$_4$) has garnered interest as a versatile photocatalytic platform owing to its tailorable electronic architecture; however, its solar-to-chemical conversion is bottlenecked by high exciton binding energies and slow charge-carrier transport. To circumvent these impediments, the construction of ``molecular junctions'' within the conjugated polymeric scaffold enables atomically precise modulation of spatial electron configurations. Unlike conventional heterostructures relying on physical contact, molecular junctions employ robust covalent bridging, facilitating molecular orbital hybridization and $\pi$-conjugation. This review summarizes recent advances in mol... More >

The growing demand for high-performance energy storage, particularly in electric vehicles and grid applications, has highlighted the limitations of conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Traditional wet-processing electrode fabrication, though widely used, faces challenges such as solvent waste, limited scalability, and inconsistent microstructures. Dry electrode technology (DET) offers a promising alternative by eliminating solvents and drying steps, enhancing sustainability, cost-efficiency, and performance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of DET, emphasizing key microstructural advantages including uniform material distribution, low ion-transport tortuosity, and sup... More >

The generation of high-brightness white light in laser-illuminated devices is achieved by exciting yellow-green phosphors with a blue laser source. This configuration offers advantages such as high energy density and strong central luminous intensity. Among luminescent materials, LuAG:Ce phosphor ceramics (PCs) are notable for their high thermal stability and luminous output. In this study, LuAG:Ce PCs were produced from co-precipitated monophase nanopowders. The effects of vacuum sintering and air annealing temperatures on their porosity and luminescent properties were investigated. The sample, sintered at 1550°C and subsequently annealed at 1350°C, exhibited 3.5 vol.% porosity, highest r... More >

Additive manufacturing (AM) is redefining the limits of directional solidification (DS) and single-crystal (SX) fabrication for nickel-based superalloys. By reconciling classical Bridgman theory with the extreme thermal gradients (G) and solidification velocities (V) inherent to AM, this review establishes a unified framework for controlled epitaxy. It dissects the kinetics of grain competition and the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET), highlighting how scan strategies and thermal management dictate melt pool geometry and the G/V ratio. A comparative assessment of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF), and directed energy deposition (DED) delineates di... More >

3D-printed ultra-high-performance concrete (3DP-UHPC), which combines high strength, high toughness, and construction flexibility, provides a solution to the reinforcement difficulty of conventional printed concrete. However, the layer-by-layer printing process induces pronounced anisotropy in compressive and flexural properties, which remains a key challenge for engineering applications. We used X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) to quantitatively analyse the internal pores and to reveal the orientation and distribution of steel fibres in 3DP-UHPC. Splitting tensile tests showed that the interlayer splitting tensile strength is approximately 49.3% lower than the conventional splitting tensile... More >

Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS), characterized by low surface energy and minimal adhesion to liquids, have attracted extensive attention for applications such as self-cleaning, waterproofing, dust resistance, and corrosion protection. Beyond these traditional functions, the de-icing and anti-icing capabilities of SHS have recently garnered significant interest due to their inherent passive ice-shedding behavior. However, a comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of icing phenomena on SHS, along with effective strategies for improving ice-phobic performance, remains inadequately established. This review presents a systematic evaluation of passive and hybrid active–passive anti-icing and de... More >

Thermal cracking poses a significant threat to the structural integrity and service life of mass concrete. The starch-based Temperature Rise Inhibitor (TRI) emerges as a sustainable and efficient bio-based solution that directly addresses the root cause - the intense heat release during early-age cement hydration. Unlike conventional chemical admixtures, TRI features a special "controlled dissolution" mechanism in the high-pH environment of cement paste. This characteristic ensures a continuous release of organic molecules that selectively inhibit the nucleation of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) gel, the primary hydrates of cement hydration. Consequently, TRI significantly slow down the h... More >

Amid global warming, energy shortages, and the increasing frequency of extreme climate events, the development of sustainable and intelligent underground infrastructure has become a critical strategy for addressing major societal challenges. Unlike surface structures, underground infrastructures are subjected to high stress, dynamic loading, and groundwater erosion. Under such conditions, traditional cement-based materials are prone to strength degradation, fatigue damage, and permeability failure, which significantly limits the service life and operational safety of underground constructions. Incorporating short carbon fibers into cement-based materials not only enhances their mechanical st... More >