Cell membranes play an important role in the process of material transportation, energy conversion and signal transduction between the cell and the external environment. Researching and controlling the interaction of molecules on the cell membranes is important to understand and manipulate the physiological functions of cells. Deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA) molecules have precise self-assembly and programmable properties and are a new tool for researching molecular interactions in bio-membranes. In this review, the method of modifying cell membranes with DNA molecules are outlined, followed by the work of monitoring and controlling the interaction of cell membranes molecules and the research of cell junction based on DNA. Simultaneously, the limitations of these research are analyzed. Finally, we summarize and prospect the research on DNA-based cell membranes functionalization. We hope that in-depth research in this field can promote new understanding of cell membranes function and obtain new methods for controlling cell function.

Transformation of the biomass into platform molecules and further conversion into fuel and chemicals is one of the important ways of biomass utilization. The research progress on aqueous-phase hydrogenation and highly active and stable catalysts for aqueous-phase catalytic reactions are summarized. The challenges of the heterogenous catalysts used in aqueous reaction such as the loss of active components, catalyst surface reconstruction, toxicity, etc., and the preparation strategy of highly active and stable catalysts, such as the surface reconstruction, surface carbon coating, enhancement of the interaction between the support and the metal active components, and new structure catalysts design are summarized. The further research direction on catalysts design for aqueous-phase hydrogenation reaction are discussed.

With the gradual aggravation of environmental pollution and energy shortage, both developing technology on non-pollution environmental restoration and exploring project on alternative clean energy have recently become a very important and quite urgent task. As one of the transition metal sulfides with layered structures similar to graphene, molybdenum disulfide(MoS₂) has become a research hotspot in the field of photocatalytic environmental remediation and clean energy(hydrogen generation) due to its narrow band gap, high reaction activity of the edges, and ease of forming a composite structure with other substances. This paper mainly introduces the synthesis methods, photocatalytic degradation and hydrogen generation behaviors of the MoS₂ and its composites. Detailed methodologies for the synthesis of semiconductor MoS₂ and its composites, photocatalytic degradation activity of pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity and the corresponding mechanisms are emphasized and illustrated by a great many of the typical examples. MoS₂ and its composites have displayed many advantages including environment friendliness, low cost and high efficiency in photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and photocatalytic hydrogen production. As the bright future materials, MoS₂ and its composites have a broad application prospect in the field of environmental restoration and clean energy with the further development of its general mechanism.

Due to their good stability and easy structure tailorability, as the typical type of conjugated polymers, polythiophene derivatives have played big role in organo-electronic and renewable energy involved fields. Meanwhile, solid state polymerization attracts lots of attention from researchers because of its advantages of environment benign, large-scale producibility and so on. Thus, in this review, the progresses of thiophene derivatives monomers design and reaction mechanism are reviewed, including their application involved. Furthermore, their opportunities and challenges are discussed as well.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence(TADF) polymers, which not only have the feature of high exciton utilization efficiency, but also possess the advantages of good molecular diversity, solution processing, low cost, and easy realization of large-area flexible devices, etc, have sparked immense attention and shown great potential in the future applications in the past few years. In this review, we start with a description of molecule design principle, device structure and luminescence mechanism of TADF polymers. Next, the structural modification strategies of TADF polymers are summarized according to the different construction strategies and the molecular structure and optoelectronics properties of different types of TADF polymers with a particular emphasis on the recent advances in organic light emitting diodes are illustrated. Finally, the current problems of TADF polymers are discussed, and the perspective and development of TADF polymers are also presented.

The application and development of electrochemical sensors and sensing methods in the field of cell detection are introduced briefly, aiming at the core problems in cell detection, such as detection of tumor cell activity, neurotransmitters in nerve cells and oxidative damage in macrophages. The design, fabrication, detection and application of electrochemical sensors with different microelectrode structures are discussed in details. It is shown that electrochemical sensors have developed from single detection electrode to integrated multi-functional and array electrode, and from single electrode sensing detection mode to chip integrated microelectrode sensing system. However, its biocompatibility, detection limit and detection efficiency need to be further improved and expanded. The development of microelectrode based on MEMS(Micro-electro-mechanical system)technology, the research of various chemical and biological modified sensitive film on the electrode surface, the material expansion from silicon-based to polymer flexible base electrode, and the development of small volume, implantable and wearable electrochemical and biochemical sensors are the current development directions. It has also illustrated great application prospects in clinical examination, precision medicine, sports health monitoring, elderly health services and many other fields.

Nowadays, ionic liquids have attracted much attention due to their low melting point, wide liquid range, low vapor pressure, high thermal stability, high electrical conductivity, wide electrochemical window, designable structure, and affinity for many compounds. Ionic liquids have great potential in the field of carbon material preparation and modification. Ionic liquids can be directly used as a carbon source to prepare heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials by high-temperature carbonization; further, they can be used as a reaction medium and a porogen to convert biomass into porous carbon materials. In addition, ionic liquids can also be used for the modification of the porous carbon materials to prepare the carbon composite materials due to their good compatibility with the carbon materials. The ionic liquid-based carbon materials have considerable application value in the fields of electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, adsorption separation, biomedicine, and so on. Thus, in this paper, the latest research progress in the preparation and modification of ionic liquid-based carbon materials are summarized, with a focus on their applications in energy and environmental related fields.

Functionalized porous materials(FPMs) as ideal materials for specific idenpngication and separation have attracted a great deal of attention due to their excellent controllability of preparation, great specific surface area and unique three-dimensional macrostructures with well-defined interconnected porous networks. In this paper, the preparation of FPMs and their applications in specific recognition and separation are reviewed and prospected systematically. Firstly, the basic theory of the preparation of FPMs and the concept of frontier design are expounded systematically. Then, through the in-depth analysis of the preparation principle and key factors during synthesis of FPMs, the mechanism and applications for FPMs in the fields of specific recognition, extraction natural functional ingredients, separation and removal pollutants and catalytic reaction are reviewed. The problems and development trends of FPMs in the fields of specific recognition, catalysis and separation are analyzed and forecasted.

Manganese-based catalysts have shown broad application prospects in the field of catalytic combustion of VOCs as a kind of non-noble metal materials with high catalytic activity, strong stability and low cost. However, there are also some shortcomings about the material, such as weak surface electron transfer ability and low specific surface area. Series of measures are applied in order to overcome these limitations, such as doping modification. In this paper, the recent advances in preparation methods, chemical compositions, morphology and structure of manganese-based catalysts are reviewed from four aspects: single manganese oxide, noble metal doping, supports and perovskite-type catalysts. The future research focus should be the monolith and industrialization of manganese-based catalysts.

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs) are considered as one of the most promising energy storage systems due to the ultra-high theoretical energy density(2600 Wh/kg) and ultra-high theoretical specific capacity(1675 mAh/g), environmental friendliness and low-cost of sulfur cathode. However, the insulation of sulfur cathode, the volumetric strain and the “shuttle effect” of polysulfides lead to problems such as low utilization rate of active materials, poor cycle stability and low redox kinetics, which seriously hinder the commercial development of LSBs. Recent studies have shown that transition metal sulfides as host or additives can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of LSBs cathode materials. In this paper, the modification mechanism of transition metal sulfides in LSBs cathode materials is reviewed from four aspects: equivalent/common positive electrode effect, conductivity enhancement, LiPSs adsorption and electrochemical reaction catalysis. It is pointed out that multi-transition metal sulfides composite, nano-crystallization and quantization as important areas for increasing the specific surface area and active sites should be used as transition metal sulfides for lithium-sulfur battery cathode materials, which can greatly improving the electrochemical performance of LSBs.

Pseudocapacitors have a higher specific capacitance than electrochemical double-layer capacitors (about 10~100 times). Since the Faraday reactions are simultaneously occur on the surface and inside of the electrode material during charging/discharging process. More electrons are generated and have a larger specific capacitance.At present, research on pseudocapacitance electrode materials mainly focuses on metal oxides and conductive polymers. Nickel-manganese-based metal oxides, as one of them, have the advantages of high theoretical specific capacitance, low cost, non-toxicity and environmental friendliness. However, its actual electrochemical performance is much lower than the theoretical value. Therefore, in order to improve the electrochemical performance of electrode materials. Some researchers have proposed many effective strategies, such as prepared of different kinds of metal oxides as electrode materials, use of different synthesis processes to prepare high specific surface area materials, the synergetic effect between the different materials and so on.In this paper, the application progress of nickel-manganese based binary metal oxides (NiMnO₃, NiMn₂O₄ and Ni₆MnO₈) as pseudocapacitance electrode materials in supercapacitors has reviewed. At the same time, the future research directions of metal oxide electrode materials are further proposed.

Due to the presence of strong ligands such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), complexed heavy metals have high stability and complex morphology, and are difficult to be removed from wastewater by conventional water treatment methods such as adsorption, ion exchange, membrane separation, etc. Advanced oxidation technology(AOPs) is the first choice for the removal of heavy metals in complex state due to its strong oxidizing properties. It can not only decompose heavy metals, but also degrade the ligands. In the publishing research, the mechanisms of decomplexing using AOPs include the following aspects: (1) strong oxidation of free radicals, (2) gradual decarboxylation of ligands with EDTA, (3) self-catalysis of variable valence metal ions, (4) intermetallic substitution, (5) electrolysis, (6) multiple mechanisms combined, such as simultaneous decomplexation, mineralization of ligands, and recovery of heavy metals. In this review, from the perspective of different metals and ligands and their ability to complex, the research development of complexed heavy metal wastewater treatment are summarized, and the different complexation mechanisms based on AOPs are discussed. At the same time, the problems worthy of in-depth study are prospected.