DJL

Solution processing of inorganic thin films has become an important thrust in material research community because it offers low-cost and high-throughput deposition of various functional coatings and devices. Especially inorganic thin film solar cells – macroelectronic devices that rely on consecutive deposition of layers on large-area rigid and flexible substrates – could benefit from solution approaches in order to realize their low-cost nature. This article critically reviews existing deposition approaches of functional layers for chalcogenide solar cells with an extension to other thin film technologies. Only true solutions of readily available metal salts in appropriate solvents are considered without the need of pre-fabricated nanoparticles. By combining three promising approaches, an air-stable Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin film solar cell with efficiency of 13.8% is demonstrated where all constituent layers (except the metal back contact) are processed from solutions. Notably, water is employed as the solvent in all steps, highlighting the potential for safe manufacturing with high utilization rates.

A Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin film solar cell with efficiency of 13.8% is demonstrated where all constituent layers (except the metal back contact) are processed from aqueous solutions of metal salts using industrially scalable processes.

Advances in nanotechnology and nanomedicine offer great opportunities for the development of nanoscaled theranostic platforms. Among various multifunctional nanocarriers, magnetic mesoporous silica nanocomposites (M-MSNs) attract prominent research interest for their outstanding properties and potential biomedical applications. This Research News article highlights recent progress in the design of core–shell-type M-MSNs for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. First, an overview of synthetic strategies for three representative core–shell-type M-MSNs with different morphologies and structures is presented. Then, the diagnostic functions of M-MSNs is illustrated for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. Next, magnetic targeted delivery and stimuli-responsive release of drugs, and effective package of DNA/siRNA inside mesopores using M-MSNs as therapeutic agent carriers are discussed. The article concludes with some important challenges that need to be overcome for further practical applications of M-MSNs in nanomedicine.

Magnetic mesoporous silica nano­composites (M-MSNs) attract increasing attention due to their unique properties and high potential in biomedical applications. This Research News article highlights recent progress in the design of core–shell-type M-MSNs and several biomedical applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic targeted delivery and stimuli-responsive release of drugs, and successful encapsulation of DNA/siRNA inside mesopores.

A highly conductive 3D current collector that is dendritic, lightweight, and robust is synthesized for binder-free electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. It has excellent chemical/electrochemical stability in a wide voltage window (0–5 V) and robust mechanical behavior even after 600 cycles of compression. When active materials are grown in situ on the as-obtained current collector, the resulting cycling stability and rate capability far exceed those of conventional electrodes and other 3D current collectors.

Flexible tactile sensors with outstanding sensitivity in the low pressure regime are in demand for the development of artificial skin. On page 3625, X. Chen and co-workers devise a resistive tactile sensor using microstructured graphene arrays as sensitive layers. The introduction of the anisotropic microstructure arrays makes the sensor sensitive and fast to external pressure. It also shows a remarkable capability in information transmission, demonstrating great potential for application in human-machine interfaces.