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Conducting polymer hydrogels represent a unique class of materials that synergizes the advantageous features of hydrogels and organic conductors and have been used in many applications such as bioelectronics and energy storage devices. They are often synthesized by polymerizing conductive polymer monomer within a nonconducting hydrogel matrix, resulting in deterioration of their electrical properties. Here, we report a scalable and versatile synthesis of multifunctional polyaniline (PAni) hydrogel with excellent electronic conductivity and electrochemical properties. With high surface area and three-dimensional porous nanostructures, the PAni hydrogels demonstrated potential as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes with high specific capacitance (∼480 F·g −1 ), unprecedented rate capability, and cycling stability (∼83% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). The PAni hydrogels can also function as the active component of glucose oxidase sensors with fast response time (∼0.3 s) and superior sensitivity (∼16.7 μA·mM −1 ). The scalable synthesis and excellent electrode performance of the PAni hydrogel make it an attractive candidate for bioelectronics and future-generation energy storage electrodes.conductive polymer hydrogel | supercapacitors | biosensors H ydrogels are polymeric networks that have a high level of hydration and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures bearing similarities to natural tissues (1, 2). Hydrogels based on conducting polymers [e.g., polythiophene, polyaniline (PAni), and polypyrrole] combine the unique properties of hydrogels with the electrical and optical properties of metals or semiconductors (3-6) thus offering an array of features such as intrinsic 3D microstructured conducting frameworks that promote the transport of charges, ions, and molecules (7). Conducting polymer hydrogels provide an excellent interface between the electronictransporting phase (electrode) and the ionic-transporting phase (electrolyte), between biological and synthetic systems, as well as between soft and hard materials (8). As a result, conducting polymer hydrogels have demonstrated great potential for a broad range of applications from energy storage devices such as biofuel cells and supercapacitors, to molecular and bioelectronics (9) and medical electrodes (8).To date, the synthetic routes toward conducting polymer hydrogels include synthesizing a conducting polymer monomer within a nonconducting hydrogel matrix (8, 9) using multivalent metal ions (Fe 3þ or Mg 2þ ) to crosslink poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) (10, 11) and using nonconducting poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether, or poly(styrenesulfonate) to crosslink PAni (12, 13); however, nonconducting hydrogel matrix and polymers result in the deterioration of the electrical properties, whereas excessive metal ions may reduce the biocompatibility of hydrogels. Moreover, there have yet been any reports in regard to conductive hydrogels that can be facilely micropatterned, which is important for fabricating hy...

A group of first-row transition metal dichalcogenides (ME 2 , M ¼ Fe, Co, Ni; E ¼ S, Se) are introduced as non-precious HER catalysts in an acidic electrolyte. They exhibit excellent catalytic activity especially in their nanoparticle form. These compounds expand and enrich the family of high performance HER catalysts.

High ionic conductivity solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has long been desired for the next generation high energy and safe rechargeable lithium batteries. Among all of the SPEs, composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) with ceramic fillers has garnered great interest due to the enhancement of ionic conductivity. However, the high degree of polymer crystallinity, agglomeration of ceramic fillers, and weak polymer-ceramic interaction limit the further improvement of ionic conductivity. Different from the existing methods of blending preformed ceramic particles with polymers, here we introduce an in situ synthesis of ceramic filler particles in polymer electrolyte. Much stronger chemical/mechanical interactions between monodispersed 12 nm diameter SiO2 nanospheres and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains were produced by in situ hydrolysis, which significantly suppresses the crystallization of PEO and thus facilitates polymer segmental motion for ionic conduction. In addition, an improved degree of LiClO4 dissociation can also be achieved. All of these lead to good ionic conductivity (1.2 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 60 °C, 4.4 × 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 30 °C). At the same time, largely extended electrochemical stability window up to 5.5 V can be observed. We further demonstrated all-solid-state lithium batteries showing excellent rate capability as well as good cycling performance.

Heating consumes large amount of energy and is a primary source of greenhouse gas emission. Although energy-efficient buildings are developing quickly based on improving insulation and design, a large portion of energy continues to be wasted on heating empty space and nonhuman objects. Here, we demonstrate a system of personal thermal management using metallic nanowire-embedded cloth that can reduce this waste. The metallic nanowires form a conductive network that not only is highly thermal insulating because it reflects human body infrared radiation but also allows Joule heating to complement the passive insulation. The breathability and durability of the original cloth is not sacrificed because of the nanowires' porous structure. This nanowire cloth can efficiently warm human bodies and save hundreds of watts per person as compared to traditional indoor heaters.

Here, we developed high-efficiency (>99.5%) polyimide-nanofiber air filters for the high temperature PM2.5 removal. The polyimide nanofibers exhibited high thermal stability, and the PM2.5 removal efficiency was kept unchanged when temperature ranged from 25-370 °C. These filters had high air flux with very low pressure drop. They could continuously work for >120 h for PM2.5 index >300. A field-test showed that they could effectively remove >99.5% PM particles from car exhaust at high temperature.

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Lithium metal is an attractive anode for the next generation of high energy density lithium-ion batteries due to its high specific capacity (3,860 mAh g −1 ) and lowest overall anode potential. However, the key issue is that the static solid electrolyte interphase cannot match the dynamic volume changes of the Li anode, resulting in side reactions, dendrite growth, and poor electrodeposition behavior, which prevent its practical applications. Here, we show that the "solid-liquid" hybrid behavior of a dynamically cross-linked polymer enables its use as an excellent adaptive interfacial layer for Li metal anodes. The dynamic polymer can reversibly switch between its "liquid" and "solid" properties in response to the rate of lithium growth to provide uniform surface coverage and dendrite suppression, respectively, thereby enabling the stable operation of lithium metal electrodes. We believe that this example of engineering an adaptive Li/electrolyte interface brings about a new and promising way to address the intrinsic problems of lithium metal anodes.