High Tc Superconducting Materials for Strong Current Applications： Approach at the First Stage

Strong current and large-scale application is the most important prospect of high Te superconductors （HTS）. Practical HTS samples in various forms have been produced with high critical currents operated at economic cryogenic temperatures. Engineering applications of those HTS materials have been studied with various HTS prototype devices. The applicable HTS materials produced in different forms are verified in this paper with regard to their strong current characterizations, and the HTS applications are summarized along with the HTS prototypes made.     

High Tc Superconducting Materials for Strong Current Applications: Approach at the First Stage

Strong current and large-scale application is the most important prospect of high Tc superconductors (HTS). Practical HTS samples in various forms have been produced with high critical currents operated at economic cryogenic temperatures. Engineering applications of those HTS materials have been studied with various HTS prototype devices. The applicable HTS materials produced in different forms are verified in this paper with regard to their strong current characterizations, and the HTS applications are summarized along with the HTS prototypes made.     

High Temperature Superconductivity in the Past Twenty Years Part 2——Towards to Practical Applications

After discovering high temperature superconducting materials 20 years ago, the preparation of applicable HTS materials has been pursued along with HTS mechanism and characteristic study. At present, the focus on the applied HTS technology has been moving to the industrial preparations from the laboratory research stage, and the technology has been well verified for practical applications from small to large scales. The fabrication techniques of engineering HTS materials are being industrialized; and various HTS devices are also on the way towards practical applications. This paper provides a comprehensive summary on the applied high temperature superconductivity with regard to various applicable HTS materials, their preparation techniques and charac- terization, and applications in a wide range.     

Small Molecules in Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells: Promising Light‐Emitting Materials

Light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are solid‐state lighting devices that convert electric current to light within electroluminescent organic semiconductors, and these devices have recently attracted significant attention. Introduced in 1995, LECs are considered a great breakthrough in the field of light‐emitting devices for their applications in scalable and adaptable fabrication processes aimed at producing cost‐efficient devices. Since then, LECs have evolved through the discovery of new suitable emitters, understanding the working mechanism of devices, and the development of various fabrication methods. LECs are best known for their simple architecture and easy, low‐cost fabrication techniques. The key feature of their fabrication is the use of air stable electrodes and a single active layer consisting of mobile ions that enable efficient charge injection and transport processes within LEC devices. More importantly, LEC devices can be operated at low voltages with high efficiencies, contributing to their widespread interest. This review provides a general overview of the development of LECs and discusses how small molecules can be utilized in LEC applications by overcoming the use of traditional lighting materials like polymers and ionic transition metal complexes. The achievements of each study concerning small molecule LECs are discussed.     

Microparticle‐Based Soft Electronic Devices: Toward One‐Particle/One‐Pixel

While microparticle (MP) assemblies have long attracted academic interest, few practical applications of assembled MPs have been achieved because of technological difficulties related to MP synthesis, MP position registration, and the absence of device concepts. The precise positioning of functional MPs in a proper stencil can produce flexible/stretchable electronic devices, even when the MPs themselves are rigid. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the programmable position registration of MPs, production of functional MPs, and concepts for MP‐based, pixel‐type electronic devices. This progress report reviews the recent technological advances in MP assembly and discusses the technological challenges preventing the realization of the one‐particle/one‐pixel concept.     

Monothiatruxene‐Based,Solution‐Processed Green,Sky‐Blue,and Deep‐Blue Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with Efficiencies Beyond 5% Limit

The development of blue materials with good efficiency, even at high brightness, with excellent color purity, simple processing, and high thermal stability assuring adequate device lifetime is an important remaining challenge for organic light‐emitting didoes (OLEDs) in displays and lightning applications. Furthermore, these various features are typically mutually exclusive in practice. Herein, four novel green and blue light‐emitting materials based on a monothiatruxene core are reported together with their photophysical and thermal properties, and performance in solution‐processed OLEDs. The materials show excellent thermal properties with high glass transition temperatures ranging from 171 to 336 °C and decomposition temperatures from 352 to 442 °C. High external quantum efficiencies of 3.7% for a deep‐blue emitter with CIE color co‐ordinates (0.16, 0.09) and 7% for green emitter with color co‐ordinates (0.22, 0.40) are achieved at 100 cd m^?2. The efficiencies observed are exceptionally high for fluorescent materials with photoluminescence quantum yields of 24% and 62%, respectively. The performance at higher brightness is very good with only 38% and 17% efficiency roll‐offs at 1000 cd m^?2. The results indicate that utilization of this unique molecular design is promising for efficient deep‐blue highly stable and soluble light‐emitting materials.     

Polymer Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells with Bipolar Electrode‐Dynamic Doping and Wireless Electroluminescence

This progress report reviews the background and recent developments of polymer light‐emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs). The PLECs of interest have a planar configuration and contain bipolar electrodes (BPEs). A BPE is an electrically floating conductor immersed in an electrochemical cell that contains redox species. When the electrochemical cell is polarized with an externally applied voltage bias, coupled redox reactions are induced wirelessly at the extremities of the BPEs due to the development of a sufficient interfacial potential difference. BPEs can have a dramatic effect on the doping pattern and the emission profiles of PLECs. In a bulk homojunction PLEC containing a large number of dispersed micro‐BPEs, the turn‐on response and light output are greatly enhanced when multiple light‐emitting p–n junctions form throughout the active layer. PLECs offer a solid‐state platform on which the bipolar electrochemistry phenomena can be investigated, and the understanding of the complex PLEC processes can be improved. This progress report highlights several new BPE types as well as their potential applications for device performance enhancement and for the visualized screening of functional materials.     

Recent Progress on Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells with Nonpolymeric Materials

Light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) have emerged as some of the simplest light‐emitting devices. Indeed, numerous LECs have been produced using fluorescent polymers; however, initial LEC structures require a mixture of polymers and electrolytes, thus strictly limiting their applicability. In contrast, recent advances in device technologies and material synthesis have opened a route for LECs using nonpolymeric materials. This progress report focuses on current developments in the device concepts, mechanisms, and characteristics of LECs that allow the utilization of nonpolymeric materials. First, the three primary device types, namely, electrochemically doped, ionic‐material, and electrostatically doped LECs, are categorized, and their distinct features are described. Second, electrochemically doped LECs based on small molecules and branched molecules are introduced. Then, an overview of the rapidly growing field of ionic‐material LECs, especially ionic transition metal complexes, ionic small molecules and perovskites, and their characteristics are provided. Following these results, recent achievements in solid‐state materials, such as inorganic single crystals, quantum dots, and 2D materials, as electrostatically doped LECs are highlighted. Finally, an overview and evaluation of these LECs reveal the key directions and remaining issues that must be overcome to further functionalize LECs, which provide a versatile approach for new lighting applications comprising emergent materials.     

Advanced superconducting materials for electronic applications

Recent progress in the fabrication of tunnel junction with the high-Tctransition-metal compound and transition-metal alloy superconductors is reviewed. The potential advantages of these materials for practical applications are described and their special problems assessed. It is found that, based on work to date, Nb3Sn may have practical device potential.     

Recent Developments of Planar Micro‐Supercapacitors: Fabrication,Properties, and Applications

The increasing development of wearable, portable, implantable, and highly integrated electronic devices has led to an increasing demand for miniaturization of energy storage devices. In recent years, supercapacitors, as an energy storage device, have received enormous attention owing to their excellent properties of quick charge and discharge, high power density, and long life cycle with minimal maintenance. Micro‐supercapacitors (MSCs) as a promising candidate for miniaturized energy storage components have undergone considerable theoretical and experimental investigations. Particularly, planar MSCs with a 2D architecture design have more attractive application prospects due to their flexible design and excellent electrochemical performance. However, the major drawbacks of MSCs are their intrinsically low energy density. For this reason, researchers have conducted much investigation to improve their energy density in order to promote their practical application. Herein, the recent development and progress of planar MSCs from the scope of the substrates, electrode materials, fabrication methods, electrochemical properties, and applications are discussed. Finally, the currently existing challenges and developments associated with planar MSCs are also discussed. All in all, planar MSCs have great application potential in various fields of electrochemical energy storage, self‐powered wireless sensors, and stimuli‐responsive and photoresponsive, alternating current line filtering.     

Advanced Materials for High‐Temperature Thermal Transport

High temperature processes are widely used in a variety of existing and emerging industrial and aerospace applications. The thermal properties of high‐temperature materials thus play an important role in controlling the thermal energy, as highlighted by successful applications of thermal barrier coating and aerogels. While thermal transport processes at room and low temperature have witnessed tremendous progress in the past two decades, particularly on the fronts of understanding basic heat transfer properties at the micro‐ and nanoscale, the understanding at high temperature is still at the nascent stage, owing to several unique features at high temperature, such as the dominant Umklapp scattering effect that can render a crystalline material amorphous‐like thermal properties, and the important radiation contribution at high temperature. This lack of systematic understanding, coupled with the challenges in maintaining high‐temperature stability in a large number of materials, has limited the development of materials to meet the thermal transport properties pertaining to several current and emerging high‐temperature applications. This Review is aimed at providing an overview of the basic mechanisms governing thermal transport processes at high temperature, to identify their unique features and challenges, and to explore opportunities in material research for high‐temperature thermal materials.     

High temperature superconductors and their application in passiveantenna systems

The basic physics of superconductivity is reviewed and related to the high-temperature superconductors. The high-frequency characteristics of the new materials are examined, and the two-fluid model is introduced and used to derive an empirical expression for the conductivity of superconductors. The advantages and disadvantages of using these superconductors in the construction of high-frequency transmission lines and passive microwave and millimeter-wave antenna systems are discussed     

Wood‐Derived Materials for Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

Over the past decade, wood‐derived materials have attracted enormous interest for both fundamental research and practical applications in various functional devices. In addition to being renewable, environmentally benign, naturally abundant, and biodegradable, wood‐derived materials have several unique advantages, including hierarchically porous structures, excellent mechanical flexibility and integrity, and tunable multifunctionality, making them ideally suited for efficient energy storage and conversion. In this article, the latest advances in the development of wood‐derived materials are discussed for electrochemical energy storage systems and devices (e.g., supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries), highlighting their micro/nanostructures, strategies for tailoring the structures and morphologies, as well as their impact on electrochemical performance (energy and power density and long‐term durability). Furthermore, the scientific and technical challenges, together with new directions of future research in this exciting field, are also outlined for electrochemical energy storage applications.     

Superconductivity: an emerging power-dense energy-efficient technology

As the world becomes more "electrified," efficient distribution and use of electrical power becomes increasingly important. Loss of electrical energy due to resistance to current flow translates into wasted energy and wasted economic resources. Superconductivity offers zero (dc) to near zero (ac) resistance to electrical flow; thus, the use of superconducting materials can improve the overall electrical system efficiency while significantly reducing the size and weight of power components and machinery. Although superconductivity was first discovered in 1911, the requirement of an extreme cryogenic environment (near absolute zero temperature) limited its utility. With the discovery in 1986 of a new class of "high-temperature superconductors (HTS)" that operate at substantially higher temperatures (although still cryogenic), remarkable progress has been made in advancing a broader use for superconducting technology. Full-scale demonstrations are now permitting the development of engineering skills required for systems implementation and are quantifying system benefits of this new HTS technology. This article briefly reviews some of the fundamental attributes of superconductivity and discusses how they can benefit our electrical power system. The article then briefly describes some of the ongoing U.S. demonstration projects (transmission lines, transformers, motors/generators, etc.), showing the benefits of superconductivity.     

Moiré‐Pattern‐Tuned Electronic Structures of van der Waals Heterostructures

Moiré patterns are quasi‐periodic geometric patterns generated by the incommensurate stacking between two monolayers; they have rapidly attracted enormous attention due to their profound ability to modulate the electronic properties of 2D materials. For instance, the Bloch band of the Moiré superlattice, which is known as the Moiré band, can become flat at a specific series of discrete angles, and these flat bands are capable of exhibiting strong correlation behaviors such as the high‐temperature superconductivity reported recently. Moiré patterns can alter electronic properties, while surface reconstruction can modify Moiré patterns. In this review, the fundamental geometry is discussed and the basic electronic structure modification is summarized. Surface reconstruction is a method of tuning the electronic properties of a Moiré superlattice. Strong correlation phenomena, such as superconductivity, superfluidity, and magnetism induced by the flat bands, have been confirmed experimentally in recent years, which will be discussed in detail. Some possible application opportunities based on the fascinating characteristics of the Moiré pattern will also be presented. Because of the growing interest in Moiré patterns and related physical phenomena, it is anticipated that a deeper understanding of the fundamental physics of Moiré systems and further progress in the investigation of strong correlation phenomena are forthcoming.     

NbIr2B2 and TaIr2B2 – New Low Symmetry Noncentrosymmetric Superconductors with Strong Spin–Orbit Coupling

Superconductivity was first observed more than a century ago, but the search for new superconducting materials remains a challenge. The Cooper pairs in superconductors are ideal embodiments of quantum entanglement. Thus, novel superconductors can be critical for both learning about electronic systems in condensed matter and for possible application in future quantum technologies. Here two previously unreported materials, NbIr₂B₂ and TaIr₂B₂, are presented with superconducting transitions at 7.2 and 5.2 K, respectively. They display a unique noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, and for both compounds the magnetic field that destroys the superconductivity at 0 K exceeds one of the fundamental characteristics of conventional superconductors (the “Pauli limit”), suggesting that the superconductivity may be unconventional. Supporting this experimentally based deduction, first-principle calculations show a spin-split Fermi surface due to the presence of strong spin–orbit coupling. These materials may thus provide an excellent platform for the study of unconventional superconductivity in intermetallic compounds.     

Small‐Molecule‐Doped Organic Crystals with Long‐Persistent Luminescence

Traditional long‐persistent luminescence (LPL) materials, which are based on inorganic systems containing rare elements and with preparation temperatures of at least 1000 °C, exhibit afterglow times of more than 10 h and can be tuned for different applications. However, the development of this field is hindered due to the large thermal energy consumption and the need for nonrenewable resources. Thus, the development of a “green” design and preparation of LPL materials is of some importance. A doped‐crystalline material based on two metal‐free organic small molecules is easily prepared through ultrasonic crystallization at room temperature. It has a high‐quality, single‐crystalline structure, and visible LPL performance with a duration of more than 6 s upon low‐energy photoexcitation. A green, flexible, and convenient screen‐printing technology for controllable pattern anticounterfeiting is then developed from this purely organic material, which improves the prospects for commercial utilization in the future.     

Molecular Imaging in the Second Near‐Infrared Window

In the past decade, noticeable progress has been achieved regarding fluorescence imaging in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) window. Fluorescence imaging in the NIR‐II window demonstrates superiorities of deep tissue penetration and high spatial and temporal resolution, which are beneficial for profiling physiological processes. Meanwhile, molecular imaging has emerged as an efficient tool to decipher biological activities on the molecular and cellular level. Extending molecular imaging into the NIR‐II window would enhance the imaging performance, providing more detailed and accurate information of the biological system. In this progress report, selected achievements made in NIR‐II molecular imaging are summarized. The organization of this report is based on strategies underlying rational designs of NIR‐II imaging probes, and their applications in molecular imaging are highlighted. This progress report may provide guidance and reference for further development of functional NIR‐II probes designed for high‐performance molecular imaging.     

On‐Body Bioelectronics: Wearable Biofuel Cells for Bioenergy Harvesting and Self‐Powered Biosensing

The growing power demands of wearable electronic devices have stimulated the development of on‐body energy‐harvesting strategies. This article reviews the recent progress on rapidly emerging wearable biofuel cells (BFCs), along with related challenges and prospects. Advanced on‐body BFCs in various wearable platforms, e.g., textiles, patches, temporary tattoo, or contact lenses, enable attractive advantages for bioenergy harnessing and self‐powered biosensing. These noninvasive BFCs open up unique opportunities for utilizing bioenergy or monitoring biomarkers present in biofluids, e.g., sweat, saliva, interstitial fluid, and tears, toward new biomedical, fitness, or defense applications. However, the realization of effective wearable BFC requires high‐quality enzyme‐electronic interface with efficient enzymatic and electrochemical processes and mechanical flexibility. Understanding the kinetics and mechanisms involved in the electron transfer process, as well as enzyme immobilization techniques, is essential for efficient and stable bioenergy harvesting under diverse mechanical strains and changing operational conditions expected in different biofluids and in a variety of outdoor activities. These key challenges of wearable BFCs are discussed along with potential solutions and future prospects. Understanding these obstacles and opportunities is crucial for transforming traditional bench‐top BFCs to effective and successful wearable BFCs.     

Superconductor-semiconductor hybrid devices, circuits, and systems

The discovery of superconductors whose critical temperatures are above liquid nitrogen temperature has prompted considerable interest in hybrid superconducting-semiconducting electronics applications. The authors review the efforts to hybridize these technologies. Some of these efforts have already been demonstrated on a laboratory scale; others are at present just theoretical proposals. Hybridization is possible on the system, circuit, and device levels. The authors review studies of the applications of superconductors for interconnecting semiconductor systems and combining semiconductor and superconductor devices to enhance the performance of both digital and analog systems. Novel circuit combinations of superconducting and semiconducting devices are mentioned, as are proposals to combine these materials on the device level. It is noted that the use of hybrid combinations may permit some electronic functions to be performed better than either technology could perform separately