In this paper, we report on the preparation of monodisperse polyaniline (PANi)–silica composite capsules and hollow spheres on monodisperse core–gel‐shell template particles. An extension of the previously reported inward growth method was used. The samples were self‐stabilized without external additives. The core–gel‐shell particles were prepared by the inward sulfonation of monodisperse polystyrene particles. The introduced sulfonic acid and sulfone groups are responsible for the gel properties. The gel‐shell thickness and core size were synchronously controlled over the whole particle radius range. After aniline (ANi) monomer was preferentially absorbed in the sulfonated polystyrene shell, PANi was formed by polymerization. PANi was doped in situ with a sulfonic acid group to give the capsules a high conductivity. PANi hollow spheres were derived after the polystyrene cores were dissolved: their cavity size and shell thickness were synchronously controlled by using different core–gel‐shell particles. The PANi–silica composite capsules and hollow spheres were therefore prepared by a sol–gel process using tetraethylorthosilicate in the conducting shell. The PANi shell became more robust while maintaining the same conductivity level. Morphological results indicate that the PANi and silica formed a bicontinuous network. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed that the hydrogen bonding in the PANi–gel shell was enhanced after the silica phase was incorporated, which could explain the high conductivity level after the silica phase was added. In a converse procedure, silica capsules and hollow spheres were prepared by a sol–gel process that incorporated tetraethylorthosilicate into the core–gel‐shell templates, which was followed by the absorption and polymerization of aniline in the silica shell thus forming PANi–silica composite capsules and hollow spheres. The silica capsules and hollow spheres thereby became conductive.

In this work, a sensitive deep ultraviolet (DUV) light photodetector based on inorganic and lead-free Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 crystalline film derived by a solution method was reported. Optoelectronic characterization revealed that the perovskite device exhibited nearly no sensitivity to visible illumination with wavelength of 405 nm but exhibited pronounced sensitivity to both DUV and UV light illumination with response speeds of 26.2/49.9 ms for rise/fall time. The I light /I dark ratio could reach 127. What is more, the responsivity and specific detectivity were calculated to be 64.9 mA W −1 and 6.9 × 10 11 Jones, respectively. In addition, the device could keep its photoresponsivity after storage in air environment for a month. It is also found that the capability of Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 crystalline film device can readily record still DUV image with acceptable resolution. The above results confirm that the DUV photodetector may hold great potential for future DUV optoelectronic device and systems.

We demonstrate that supermolecular templating allows tuning the pore size of ordered mesoporous materials in the once elusive range from 30 nm to more than 60 nm through simple control of synthetic variables (salt/supermolecule concentration and hydrothermal temperature). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within the extra-large pores exhibit dramatically increased lifetime compared to those located within relatively small mesopores due to the enhanced mass diffusion that suppresses coke deposition on AuNPs.

The effective site-selective interaction between the π-bonds in the aromatic rings of the polyaniline and the graphitic structure of multiwall carbon nanotubes would strongly facilitate the charge-transfer reaction between the two components. We adopted multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with minimal defects as templates and facilely fabricated carbon nanotube−polyaniline nanocomposites with uniform core−shell structures by ultrasonic assisted in situ polymerization. By varying the ratio of aniline monomers and carbon nanotubes, the thickness of polyaniline layers can be effectively controlled. The results indicated that the presence of carbon nanotubes with minimized defects induced the formation of a more planar conformation of polyaniline even when a high weight percent of aniline was loaded. As a result, macroscopically, great improvements in the electrical and electrochemical properties of the resulting nanocomposites were observed.

A Materials Acceleration Operation System (MAOS) is designed, with unique language and compiler architecture. MAOS integrates with virtual reality (VR), collaborative robots, and a reinforcement learning (RL) scheme for autonomous materials synthesis, properties investigations, and self‐optimized quality assurance. After training through VR, MAOS can work independently for labor and intensively reduces the time cost. Under the RL framework, MAOS also inspires the improved nucleation theory, and feedback for the optimal strategy, which can satisfy the demand on both of the CdSe quantum dots (QDs) emission wavelength and size distribution quality. Moreover, it can work well for extensive coverages of inorganic nanomaterials. MAOS frees the experimental researchers out of the tedious labor as well as the extensive exploration of optimal reaction conditions. This work provides a walking example for the “On‐Demand” materials synthesis system, and demonstrates how artificial intelligence technology can reshape traditional materials science research in the future.

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The new era with prosperous artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technology is reshaping the materials discovery process in a more radical fashion. Here we present authentic intelligent robotics for chemistry (AIR-Chem), integrated with technological innovations in the AI and robotics fields, functionalized with modules including gradient descent-based optimization frameworks, multiple external field modulations, a real-time computer vision (CV) system, and automated guided vehicle (AGV) parts. AIR-Chem is portable and remotely controllable by cloud computing. AIR-Chem can learn the parametric procedures for given targets and carry on laboratory operations in standalone mode, with high reproducibility, precision, and availability for knowledge regeneration. Moreover, an improved nucleation theory of size focusing on inorganic perovskite quantum dots (IPQDs) is theoretically proposed and experimentally testified to by AIR-Chem. This work aims to boost the process of an unmanned chemistry laboratory from the synthesis of chemical materials to the analysis of physical chemical properties, and it provides a vivid demonstration for future chemistry reshaped by AI and robotics technology.

The solution behaviors and microstructures of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)x-poly(ethylene oxide)20-poly(propylene oxide)70-poly(ethylene oxide)20-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)x (PNIPAmx-PEO20-PPO70-PEO20-PNIPAmx or PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx) pentablock terpolymers with various PNIPAm block lengths in dilute and concentrated aqueous solutions were investigated by micro-differential scanning calorimetry (micro-DSC), static and dynamic light scattering (SLS & DLS), and synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Two lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) were observed for PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx pentablock terpolymers in dilute solutions, which corresponded to LCSTs of PPO and PNIPAm blocks, respectively. The LCST of PPO block shifted from 24.4 °C to 29 °C when the length x of PNIPAm block increased from 10 to 97. The LCST of PNIPAm is around 34.5 °C-35.3 °C and less dependent on the block length x. The PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx pentablock terpolymers formed "associate" structures and micelles with hydrophobic PNIPAm and PPO blocks as cores and soluble PEO blocks as coronas in dilute aqueous solutions at 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively, regardless of the relative lengths of PNIPAm, PPO and PEO blocks. The size of "associate" structures of PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx pentablock terpolymers at 20 °C increased with increasing the length of PNIPAm block. The microstructures of PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx hydrogels formed in concentrated aqueous solutions (40 wt%) were strongly dependent on the environmental temperatures and relative lengths of PNIPAm, PPO and PEO blocks as revealed by SAXS. Increasing the length of PNIPAm block weakened the order structures of PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx hydrogels. The microstructures of PNIPAmx-P123-PNIPAmx hydrogels changed from mixed fcc and hex structures for PNIPAm10-P123-PNIPAm10 to isotropic structure for PNIPAm97-P123-PNIPAm97. Increasing temperature led to the transition from mixed hex and fcc structure to pure hex structure for PNIPAm10-P123-PNIPAm10 hydrogel at temperature above the LCSTs.