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Cytokines are critical mediators that oversee and regulate immune and inflammatory responses via complex networks and serve as biomarkers for many diseases. Quantification of cytokines has significant value in both clinical medicine and biology as the levels provide insights into physiological and pathological processes and can be used to aid diagnosis and treatment. Cytokines and their clinical significance are introduced from the perspective of their pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory effects. Factors affecting cytokines quantification in biological fluids, native levels in different body fluids, sample processing and storage conditions, sensitivity to freeze‐thaw, and soluble cytokine receptors are discussed. In addition, recent advances in in vitro and in vivo assays, biosensors based on different signal outputs and intracellular to extracellular protein expression are summarized. Various quantification platforms for high‐sensitivity and reliable measurement of cytokines in different scenarios are discussed, and commercially available cytokine assays are compared. A discussion of challenges in the development and advancement of technologies for cytokine quantification that aim to achieve real‐time multiplex cytokine analysis for point‐of‐care situations applicable for both biomedical research and clinical practice are discussed. Cytokines are important cellular signaling molecules and immune system mediators. Abnormal cytokine levels may cause cytokine storm and diseases. Consequently, quantification of cytokines is valuable for diseases diagnosisand therapy. The clinical significance of cytokines, factors affecting cytokine quantification, and advances of cytokine detection are summarized, providing a prospective for real‐time quantification of multiplex cytokines in the clinic.

Negative carbon emission technologies are critical for ensuring a future stable climate. However, the gaseous state of CO 2 does render the indefinite storage of this greenhouse gas challenging. Herein, we created a liquid metal electrocatalyst that contains metallic elemental cerium nanoparticles, which facilitates the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to layered solid carbonaceous species, at a low onset potential of −310 mV vs CO 2 /C. We exploited the formation of a cerium oxide catalyst at the liquid metal/electrolyte interface, which together with cerium nanoparticles, promoted the room temperature reduction of CO 2 . Due to the inhibition of van der Waals adhesion at the liquid interface, the electrode was remarkably resistant to deactivation via coking caused by solid carbonaceous species. The as-produced solid carbonaceous materials could be utilised for the fabrication of high-performance capacitor electrodes. Overall, this liquid metal enabled electrocatalytic process at room temperature may result in a viable negative emission technology. While CO 2 reduction proves an appealing means to convert greenhouse emissions to high-value products, there are few materials capable of such a conversion. Here, the authors demonstrate a liquid-metal electrocatalyst to convert CO 2 directly into solid carbon that can be used as capacitor electrodes.

The predicted strong piezoelectricity for monolayers of group IV monochalcogenides, together with their inherent flexibility, makes them likely candidates for developing flexible nanogenerators. Within this group, SnS is a potential choice for such nanogenerators due to its favourable semiconducting properties. To date, access to large-area and highly crystalline monolayer SnS has been challenging due to the presence of strong inter-layer interactions by the lone-pair electrons of S. Here we report single crystal across-the-plane and large-area monolayer SnS synthesis using a liquid metal-based technique. The characterisations confirm the formation of atomically thin SnS with a remarkable carrier mobility of ~35 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and piezoelectric coefficient of ~26 pm V −1 . Piezoelectric nanogenerators fabricated using the SnS monolayers demonstrate a peak output voltage of ~150 mV at 0.7% strain. The stable and flexible monolayer SnS can be implemented into a variety of systems for efficient energy harvesting. The presence of strong inter-layer interactions has hindered the synthesis efforts towards large-area and highly crystalline monolayer SnS. Here, the authors report synthesis of large-area monolayer SnS using a liquid metal-based technique, and fabricate piezoelectric nano-generators with average peak output voltage of 150 mV at 0.7% strain.

Electrocrystallization is a promising method for controlled charge‐transfer complex (CTC) deposition on microfabricated electrodes for gas sensing applications. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of CTC electrodeposition. In this study, we focus on investigating the electrocrystallization of cobalt tetracyanoquinodimethane (Co‐TCNQ) on a microdisk electrode to elucidate and control the process. Leveraging the microelectrode technique, we conduct steady‐state measurements to observe nucleation and crystal growth dynamics, particularly in the early stages of electrocrystallization. We use cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry to examine Co‐TCNQ electrocrystallization under various electrolytic conditions. We identify electrocrystallization kinetics, ranging from electrokinetic to diffusion‐limited growth, governing the nucleation and growth of Co‐TCNQ crystals. Notably, we pinpoint the applied overpotential and precursor concentration range necessary for a single nucleation site on the microelectrode. Moreover, we demonstrate control over crystal orientation and morphology. Our findings reveal a nonclassical growth pathway for Co‐TCNQ crystals characterized by oriented attachment of small crystallites along the conductive long axis. Importantly, electrodeposited Co‐TCNQ on patterned microelectrodes exhibits selective sensing capabilities for nitrogen dioxide gas. Overall, this study sheds light on CTC electrodeposition through a proof‐of‐concept demonstration involving Co‐TCNQ electrodeposition on microelectrodes, presenting potential applications across diverse materials. The electrocrystallization of charge‐transfer complex (CTC) cobalt tetracyanoquinodimethane (Co‐TCNQ) is studied on microelectrodes. Under low applied overpotential, a single nucleation site is achieved on the microelectrode. Under kinetic limitation, Co‐TCNQ crystals prefer to grow parallel to the electrode surface. With increasing applied overpotential Co‐TCNQ crystals grow radially from the surface due to diffusion limitation.

Lead (Pb) halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibit impressive power conversion efficiencies close to those of their silicon counterparts. However, they suffer from moisture instability and Pb safety concerns. Previous studies have endeavoured to address these issues independently, yielding minimal advancements. Here, a general nanoencapsulation platform using natural polyphenols is reported for Pb‐halide PSCs that simultaneously addresses both challenges. The polyphenol‐based encapsulant is solution‐processable, inexpensive (≈1.6 USD m−2), and requires only 5 min for the entire process, highlighting its potential scalability. The encapsulated devices with a power conversion efficiency of 20.7% retained up to 80% of their peak performance for 2000 h and up to 70% for 7000 h. Under simulated rainfall conditions, the encapsulant rich in catechol groups captures the Pb ions released from the degraded perovskites via coordination, keeping the Pb levels within the safe drinking water threshold of 15 ppb. A natural polyphenol‐based nanoencapsulation coating is developed for lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The encapsulant is low‐cost, scalable, and offers a single, comprehensive solution for enhancing cell stability and safety. The encapsulant effectively stabilizes PSCs in ambient conditions while also safeguarding against lead contamination under severe conditions.

Single-layer metal dichalcogenides are two-dimensional semiconductors that present strong potential for electronic and sensing applications complementary to that of graphene. The remarkable properties of graphene have renewed interest in inorganic, two-dimensional materials with unique electronic and optical attributes. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are layered materials with strong in-plane bonding and weak out-of-plane interactions enabling exfoliation into two-dimensional layers of single unit cell thickness. Although TMDCs have been studied for decades, recent advances in nanoscale materials characterization and device fabrication have opened up new opportunities for two-dimensional layers of thin TMDCs in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. TMDCs such as MoS 2 , MoSe 2 , WS 2 and WSe 2 have sizable bandgaps that change from indirect to direct in single layers, allowing applications such as transistors, photodetectors and electroluminescent devices. We review the historical development of TMDCs, methods for preparing atomically thin layers, their electronic and optical properties, and prospects for future advances in electronics and optoelectronics.

Conventional display technologies rely on rigid architectures, limiting their adaptability for reconfigurable systems. Plasma discharge, as a field‐driven excitation method, offers great opportunities for visual interfaces, yet integrating it into controllable and adaptable color display platforms remains challenging. Here, configurable and adaptable electroluminescent platforms based on the plasma discharge of phosphor‐coated liquid metal marbles based on eutectic gallium indium liquid metal droplets are presented. Electroluminescent phosphors emitting the red, green, and blue primary colors are used as a functionalizing coating for the droplets. Mixing different types of phosphor particles at controllable ratios fine tunes the electroluminescent color emitted from individual air gaps between adjacent liquid metal marbles. Such a particle‐mixing‐enabled additive color mixing strategy enables bright color emission across the whole visible spectrum and plasma‐discharge‐based pixelated multicolor display of diverse reconfigurable patterns. This low‐cost and easily reconfigurable liquid metal marble platform offers a multicolor display technique for future displays. Phosphor‐coated liquid metal marbles offer a reconfigurable electroluminescent multicolor display platform, where the plasma discharge across marble arrays generates colored light. By tuning the mixing ratio of different types of primary‐color‐emitting phosphor particles, full‐spectrum additive color mixing is achieved. Enabling dynamic and programmable multicolor displays, it offers an easy‐to‐fabricate method for novel pixelated display and visualization.

Gallium (Ga) and Ga-based liquid metal (LM) alloys offer low toxicity, excellent electrical and thermal conductivities, and fluidity at or near room temperature. Ga-based LM particles (LMPs) synthesized from these LMs exhibit both fluidic and metallic properties and are suitable for versatile functionalization in therapeutics. Functionalized Ga-based LMPs can be actuated using physical or chemical stimuli for drug delivery, cancer treatment, bioimaging, and biosensing. However, many of the fundamentals of their unique characteristics for therapeutics remain underexplored. We present the most recent advances in Ga-based LMPs in therapeutics based on the underlying mechanisms of their design and implementation. We also highlight some future biotechnological opportunities for Ga-based LMPs based on their extraordinary advantages. The surface tension of gallium (Ga)-based liquid metals (LMs) can be broken using mechanical and chemical means, and smaller Ga-based LM particles (LMPs) can be constructed.Ga-based LMPs offer both fluidic and metallic cores and peculiar interfacial properties, which differ fundamentally from the properties of solid metal particles.Ga-based LMPs hold great potential for therapeutics. Functionalized Ga-based LMPs can be designed and activated for drug delivery, cancer treatment, bioimaging, and biosensing on stimulation by light, electromagnetic fields, mechanical means, or chemical reactions.Fundamental understanding of the effects of Ga-based LMPs’ surface oxides, their interactions with cells and their organelles, and their specific alloy composition with other elements should be further explored to expand the horizons of therapeutics using LMPs.

Polaritons—hybrid light–matter excitations—enable nanoscale control of light. Particularly large polariton field confinement and long lifetimes can be found in graphene and materials consisting of two-dimensional layers bound by weak van der Waals forces 1 , 2 (vdW materials). These polaritons can be tuned by electric fields 3 , 4 or by material thickness 5 , leading to applications including nanolasers 6 , tunable infrared and terahertz detectors 7 , and molecular sensors 8 . Polaritons with anisotropic propagation along the surface of vdW materials have been predicted, caused by in-plane anisotropic structural and electronic properties 9 . In such materials, elliptic and hyperbolic in-plane polariton dispersion can be expected (for example, plasmon polaritons in black phosphorus 9 ), the latter leading to an enhanced density of optical states and ray-like directional propagation along the surface. However, observation of anisotropic polariton propagation in natural materials has so far remained elusive. Here we report anisotropic polariton propagation along the surface of α-MoO 3 , a natural vdW material. By infrared nano-imaging and nano-spectroscopy of semiconducting α-MoO 3 flakes and disks, we visualize and verify phonon polaritons with elliptic and hyperbolic in-plane dispersion, and with wavelengths (up to 60 times smaller than the corresponding photon wavelengths) comparable to those of graphene plasmon polaritons and boron nitride phonon polaritons 3 – 5 . From signal oscillations in real-space images we measure polariton amplitude lifetimes of 8 picoseconds, which is more than ten times larger than that of graphene plasmon polaritons at room temperature 10 . They are also a factor of about four larger than the best values so far reported for phonon polaritons in isotopically engineered boron nitride 11 and for graphene plasmon polaritons at low temperatures 12 . In-plane anisotropic and ultra-low-loss polaritons in vdW materials could enable directional and strong light–matter interactions, nanoscale directional energy transfer and integrated flat optics in applications ranging from bio-sensing to quantum nanophotonics. Observation of the anisotropic propagation of polaritons along the surface of layered, semiconducting α-MoO 3 confirms the existence of this phenomenon in natural materials.

Crystallization of alloys from a molten state is a fundamental process underpinning metallurgy. Here the direct imaging of an intermetallic precipitation reaction at equilibrium in a liquid‐metal environment is demonstrated. It is shown that the outer layers of a solidified intermetallic are surprisingly unstable to the depths of several nanometers, fluctuating between a crystalline and a liquid state. This effect, referred to herein as crystal interface liquefaction, is observed at remarkably low temperatures and results in highly unstable crystal interfaces at temperatures exceeding 200 K below the bulk melting point of the solid. In general, any liquefaction process would occur at or close to the formal melting point of a solid, thus differentiating the observed liquefaction phenomenon from other processes such as surface pre‐melting or conventional bulk melting. Crystal interface liquefaction is observed in a variety of binary alloy systems and as such, the findings may impact the understanding of crystallization and solidification processes in metallic systems and alloys more generally. The phenomenon of solid metal surface liquefaction within liquid metal environments, represents an intriguing equilibrium state, defying common expectations by oscillating between a solid and liquid phase at temperatures significantly below the intermetallic compounds' conventional melting point. This discovery promises to advance the understanding of fundamental chemistry in metallic systems, offering insights into their behavior and potential applications.