Piezochromic (machanochromic) luminescent materials are a class of "smart" materials with luminescent properties that change in response to external force stimuli. These materials are widely used in many fields such as mechanosensors, memory chips, security inks and optoelectronic devices, and have attracted considerable interest in recent years. However, the piezochromic luminescent materials that are dependent on changes in physical molecular packing modes are extremely rare. This rarity may be attributed to two major issues. First, a common method for piezochromic luminescent compound synthesis is not to be realized. Each identified compound is an isolated event, rendering difficulty in the identification of a general characteristic. Second, the fluorescence efficiency of organic luminescent materials often becomes very weak while in solid state because of the aggregation-caused quenching effect. Consequently, the piezochromic luminescent phenomenon becomes difficult to observe. Until the last two years, we recognized the existence of a structural relationship between the aggregation-induced emission compound and the piezochromic luminescent nature, and put forward the concept of "piezochromic aggregation-induced emission materials", many piezochromic aggregation-induced emission materials have been reported one after another. Aggregation-induced emission compounds can be expected to become an important source of piezochromic luminescent materials, and in other words piezochromic luminescent materials would no longer be rare in the future. In this review, recent progress in the area of piezochromic aggregation-induced emission materials is summarized, and majority of the reported piezochromic aggregation-induced emission systems are discussed, including concept, mechanism, structure-property relationship, application, and so on.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Piezochromic aggregation-induced emission (PAIE) concept and mechanism
3 Relationship between crystallinity and piezo-chromism
4 Relationship between alkyl (alkoxy) length and piezochromism
5 PAIE metal complexes
6 PAIE ionic compound
7 Applications of PAIE materials
7.1 Stress sensors
7.2 Anti-counterfeiting
7.3 Optical data recording and storage
7.4 Ink-free environment-friendly paper
7.5 Luminescent device
7.6 Other sensors
8 Conclusion and outlook

The commercialization of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technologies requires the development of novel anode materials with high performance and good carbon and sulfur tolerance at intermediate-temperatures, either by modifying the state-of-the-art Ni based anodes, or through exploring alternative metal cermet or ceramic based materials. Wet impregnation is an effective approach for the optimization of traditional Ni-based anode and the incorporation of novel anode species into porous backbones. Due to the lower treatment temperature, the impregnated particles are usually nano-sized, thus exhibiting superior electrochemical performance. In this paper, the superiority and application of these nano-structured anodes are discussed in details, based on the obtained results in our laboratory, as well as some reports in the literatures.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical TPB lengths of conventional anode and nano-structured anode
3 Effects of impregnation method and anode microstructure on the cell performance
3.1 Performance of nano-structured SOFC anodes
3.2 Effects of impregnation parameters on nano-structured SOFC anode performance
3.3 Effects of impregnation species on anode performance
4 Application of nano-structured impregnated anodes in hydrocarbon fuels SOFC
4.1 Nano-structured Ni-based impregnated anodes
4.2 Nano-structured Cu-based impregnated anodes
4.3 Nano-structured perovskite-based impregnated anodes
5 Sulfur tolerance of nano-structured impregnated anodes
6 Summary and outlook

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising electrochemical energy storage system that has high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh·kg^-1, which is 3 to 5 times that of Li-ion batteries. It has attracted more and more attentions in recent years. Great efforts have been made to improve the stability of electrode structure, the utilization efficiency of sulfur in the cathode and the enhancement of cycle life of the battery. In this paper, the recent progress of the lithium-sulfur battery is reviewed from four aspects: modification of sulfur-based composite cathode material, electrolytes, protection of lithium anode and design of lithium-sulfur cell configurations. The main factors on the specific capacity and cycle stability of the lithium-sulfur battery are analyzed. The prospects and development trends on lithium-sulfur battery are also discussed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Lithium sulfur battery system
3 Cathode materials of lithium sulfur battery
3.1 Metal sulfides
3.2 Organic sulfides
3.3 Sulfur /metallic oxide composite materials
3.4 Sulfur / carbon composite materials
3.5 Sulfur / polymer composite materials
3.6 Other cathode materials
4 Electrolytes
4.1 Organic liquid electrolytes
4.2 All solid sate electrolytes
4.3 Gel polymer electrolyte
4.4 Ionic liquids
5 Lithium anode protection
5.1 Coating method
5.2 Electrolyte additive
5.3 Lithium alloy
5.4 Pre-passivation of lithium
6 Li-S cell configuration
7 Conclusion and outlook

Underpotential deposition (UPD), the phenomenon of metal monolayer(s) formation on a foreign metal substrate at a potential more positive than the equilibrium potential for bulk electro-deposition, has been the subject of considerable research in recent years because it yields model systems for investigation of the electrode/electrolyte interface. Broadly speaking, the defined sedimentary elements or substrates of UPD are not limited to metal elements, and also include other substances such as nonmetallic elements, nano-particles, and so forth. In virtue of the great potential that monolayer film of dissimilar metals can significantly change the potential distribution near the interface, the orientation of the solvent molecules and the adsorption behaviors and reaction ability of the base metal surface, UPD draws great academic attention to its applications in electro-catalysis as well as electro-deposition of metal and alloy. A large number of experimental reports about UPD have been published so far. Based on literature in existence, several theoretical models and the behavior characteristics of UPD were summarized. Moreover, some factors such as substrates, ionic adsorption and temperature on the UPD process were emphasized. Finally, its practical applications were highlighted and the future research directions were pointed out.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical models for UPD
2.1 Relations between UPD potential shifts and work functions
2.2 Thermodynamic model
2.3 DFT method
2.4 Monte Carlo method
3 The processes of UPD
3.1 Nucleation characteristics
3.2 Influence of substrate
3.3 Influence of adsorption ions
3.4 Effect of temperature
4 Applications
4.1 Improve electrocatalytic activity
4.2 EC-ALE technology
4.3 Self-assembled monolayer
5 Conclusion and outlook

Inverse opals structures, which are also called as 3DOM materials in the catalysis science community, are the optimized photonic crystals. Since inverse opals photonic crystals have two important features, photonic band gaps and high specific surface areas, currently their applications have been extended to photo(electro)chemical processes, such as photovoltaic solar cells, DSSCs, photocatalyses, etc.The usages of inverse opals have largely improved the efficiencies of both the utilities of solar energies and the catalyses in above-metioned processes. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are the oxide semiconductor materials with high refractive index and little light absorptions in the visible wavelength range. Therefore they are suitable candidate materials for preparing high-quality inverse opals photonic crystals. A variety of preparation methods of TMOs inverse opals, for instance, sol-gel, metal salts pyrolysis, liquid phase deposition, electrochemical deposition, electrophoresis, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and so on, have been developed. These synthesis processes have their unique advantages and also inherent disadvantages. No matter which technique is employed, obtaining an inverse opal material with big area, single crystal structure, and controlled layer number, would be a great challenge. This paper, from the views of preparations, properties and applications in DSSCs and photocatalyses, reviews the progress in the TMOs inverse opals.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Characteristics of TMOs
3 Preparations of TMOs inverse opals
3.1 A brief introduction to preparation process
3.2 Liquid phase method
3.3 Vapor phase method
4 Applications of TMOs inverse opals in photo(electro)chemical processes
4.1 DSSCs
4.2 Photocatalytic degradation
4.3 Photocatalytic water splitting
5 Works of authors group in this field
6 Summary and outlook

Elemental sulfur, as a cathode material of the rechargeable Li-S battery, has a high theoretical gravimetric energy density of 1675 mAh/g, moreover, it is inexpensive, abundant on earth, and environmentally benign. So it is considered to be the most promising cathode materials for the next generation batteries. However, Li-S is facing many problems that constrain its widespread application. The main obstacles are its poor conductivity, volume expanding.Moreover,sulfur can be reduced the polysulfide ions and dissolved into electrolyze in the discharge process and therefore causes the loss of active materials. In this review,the charge-discharge mechanism and two capacity fading reasons of Li-S battery are summarized.One is the dissolution of polysulfide ions, which is the so called"redox shuttle" between the sulfur cathode and Li anode.The other is the formation of insoluble lithium sulfide(Li₂S) and lithium disulfide(Li₂S₂) which can cause the sluggish electrochemical reaction during charge and discharge processes.After that,we introduce some recent progress of novel sulfur composites as cathode materials for lithium sulfur battery. These composites can be divided into three categories(such as sulfur/carbon, sulfur/polymer and sulfur/oxide composite materials) and are discussed. In the end, we have concluded the characters of those sulfur composites, and analyzed the prospect of Li-S battery in the future.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Charge-discharge mechanism and capacity fading of the Li/S battery
3 Development of sulfur cathodes
3.1 Sulfur/carbon composites materials
3.2 Sulfur/polymer composites materials
3.3 Sulfur/oxide composites materials
4 Conclusion and outlook

Vinyl chloride is an important functional group in many biologically and pharmaceutically active compounds, some vinyl chloride derivatives have been employed as organic materials, including polymers, and also are employed as the building block in organic synthesis. The construction of vinyl chloride is widely studied, new method and reagent are continuing to emerge in recently years. In this paper, the recent progress in the synthesis of vinyl chloride is reviewed according to the different reaction types, and its application in the total synthesis of marine natural product malyngamides is covered.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Synthesis of vinyl chloride by Wittig reaction
3 Cr,Pd,Ti,In,Mg,and Cu-mediated reaction to synthesize vinyl chloride
3.1 Organic Cr-mediated reaction
3.2 Pd-mediated reaction
3.3 Ti-mediated reaction
3.4 In-mediated reaction
3.5 MgCl₂-mediated reaction
3.6 Cu-mediated reaction
4 Using other methods to synthesize vinyl chloride
5 Studied on the synthesis of vinyl chloride and applied in marine natural product malyngamides
5.1 Synthesis of vinyl chloride by Wittig reaction in malyngamides M, O, P, Q, R
5.2 Synthesis of vinyl chloride by the reaction of n-Bu₄NI with 1,2-dichloroethane in malyngamides K, L, 5-epi-C
6 Conclusion

Natural products are usually used as therapeutic drugs and good lead compounds after structural modification and transformation due to their structural diversity and unique biological activities. Because of the characteristics of chiral scaffolds, biocompatibility, and various modification sites, the novel functional molecules based on natural products were designed and applied in molecular and ion recognition. In this review, the development of functional molecules based on natural products in molecular and ion recognition, including cation recognition, anion recognition, dual responsive recognition for ions, molecular recognition, chiral recognition and so on are briefly summarized.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Cation recognition of natural products
2.1 Alkali metal ions recognition
2.2 Transition metal ions recognition
3 Anion recognition of natural products
4 Dual responsive recognition for ions
5 Molecular recognition of natural products
5.1 Chiral recognition
5.2 Chemical reaction-mediated recognition
5.3 Inclusion interaction
5.4 Hydrogen bonding interaction
6 Conclusion and outlook

Alkyl aryl ethers are present in many naturally occurring and medicinally relevant compounds. Palladium- and copper-catalyzed C—O bond formation reactions have become effective strategies for their preparation. Recent developments in palladium- and copper-catalyzed arylations of aliphatic alcohols are summarized in this review. Palladium-catalyzed C—O cross coupling of various aliphatic alcohols with aryl halides could be efficiently realized in the presence of di-tert-buthyl biarylphosphine ligand, di-tert-buthylphosphino pentaphenylferrocene ligand, or di-adamantyl-substituted Bippyphos ligand developed by Buchwald, Hartwig, and Beller groups respectively. With the copper catalyst, 1, 10-phenanthroline and its derivatives, β-dicarbonyl compounds were served as the most efficient ligands. Generally, palladium-catalyzed C—O cross-coupling reactions display mild reaction conditions, good functional-group compatability, and broad substrate scope compared to the copper catalyst system. Moreover, the difference of the two catalytic systems including the choice of ligand, reactivity, β-H elimination and mechanism is discussed. The design and synthesis of new ligands are the key point for the further development of the C—O cross coupling.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Pd-catalzyed arylation of alphatic alcohols
3 Cu-catalyzed arylation of alphatic alcohols
3.1 Cu-catalyzed C—O cross coupling reaction without ligand
3.2 Cu-catalyzed C—O cross coupling reaction in the presence of ligand
4 Comparative studies of two catalysts
4.1 Choice of ligands
4.2 Catalytic activity
4.3 β-H elimination reaction
4.4 Reaction mechanism
5 Conclusion and outlook

Biomass is the only renewable resources on the earth that can be converted to liquid fuels and chemicals to replace fossil resources. Recently, the catalytic conversion of biomass to platform molecules has attracted more and more attentions from the researchers worldwide. γ-Valerolactone (GVL) is regarded as a platform molecule that has extensive application potential, similar to levulinic acid (LA). Up to now, various of catalysts and reaction systems were developed and applied to the selective reduction of biomass-derived LA to GVL, and the hydrogenation of LA can be driven by various hydrogen sources, including molecule H₂, formic acid (FA), syngas and alcohols. In this review, the catalytic hydrogenation routes and recent research progress for the reduction of LA are systematically summarized in view of the diversity of hydrogen sources. The future research trends of the selective reduction of LA to GVL are suggested.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Catalytic hydrogenation mechanism of LA to GVL
3 Production of GVL using external molecule H₂ as a hydrogen source
3.1 Heterogeneous catalytic systems
3.2 Homogeneous catalytic systems
4 Production of GVL using FA as a hydrogen source
5 Production of GVL using syngas as a hydrogen source
6 Production of GVL using alcohols as a hydrogen donor
7 Conclusion and outlook

Biomass carbohydrates, the most abundant renewable resources available, currently are viewed as the only alternative carbon sources for the construction of chemicals and materials for human survival in the future. Biomass-derived sugars ——cellulose and hemicellulose can be transformed into a variety of platform chemicals, of which furfural from dehydration of pentoses, hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), from dehydration of hexoses as well as succedent levulinic acid (LA) and γ-valerolactone (GVL) are attracting the most attention. Contrast to conventional homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysts have advantages of facile separation from products and recycling, permitting higher reaction temperature and shorter reaction time and so on, which accounts for their tremendous potential in fine chemicals, biofuels manufacture and large scale industrial application, and can be expected to be the groundbreaking solution of environment, energy and resource utilization. Herein, the paper starting with biomass-derived sugars, summarized the research development of heterogeneous catalysis on hydrolysis of sugars and their transformation to various platform chemicals containing furural, HMF, LA as well as GVL respectively. Finally, a prospect of the heterogeneous catalysis on the biomass transformation is envisaged which is expected to make a brief guidance for the readers.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Heterogeneously catalytic hydrolysis of biomass-derived sugars
3 The research development of heterogeneously catalytic dehydration
3.1 Heterogeneous catalysis of sugars' transformation into furfural
3.2 Heterogeneous catalysis of sugars' transformation into HMF
3.3 Heterogeneous catalysis of sugars' transformation into LA
3.4 Heterogeneous catalysis of sugars' transformation into GVL
4 Conclusion and outlook

Fluorescent organic small molecular nanomaterials, due to their excellence performance in organic electronics and biological sensing, have attracted more and more attention in the fields of chemistry, materials, biology, and so on. In the past years, significant advances in both the experimental and theoretical fronts have been made for the nanomaterials and nanotechnology. However, compared with fluorescent inorganic quantum dots or polymer nanoparticles, fluorescent organic nanoparticles(FONs) which based on π-conjugated systems, are becoming more and more important to bio-imaging, drug carriers and optoelectronic, since the wider variability and flexibility in materials synthesis and nanoparticles preparation of organic molecules. This paper systematically introduces the recent research developments of the design, synthesis, photophysical properties and application of fluorescent organic small molecular nanomaterials. The highlights of this paper are the preparation methods of fluorescent organic small molecular nanomaterials, such as reprecipitation method, ion association method, self-assembly method, micro-emulsion method, laser fabrication method, adsorbent assisted physical vapor deposition method. We briefly conclude the advantages and disadvantages of the above-mentioned synthetic methods. In addition, we also compare the properties of the fluorescent organic small molecular nanomaterials synthesized by different method, and give a brief introduction to their application on organic optoelectronic devices, chemical and biological sensing, bio-imaging and other fields.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Preparation methods of fluorescent organic small molecular nanomaterials
2.1 Reprecipitation method
2.2 Ion association method
2.3 Self-assembly method
2.4 Micro-emulsion method
2.5 Laser fabrication method
2.6 Adsorbent assisted physical vapor deposition method
3 Conclusions and outlook

Stimuli-responsive polymer is one of the hot research topics in material science. These polymers are able to respond to external stimulation, such as light, molecules, redox, pH, temperature and so on. They undergo physical or chemical changes, for example, gel-sol transition and change of volume, so they can be widely applied in controlled drug release and biosensors. Voltage stimulation can change the host-guest interaction through electron transfer reactions to add or remove electrons of host or guest molecules. This type of stimulation does not bring in extraneous redox, so it is a clean and simple method. Additionally, it can be used in biological system for it is actually one type of redox, the most common action type in biomedicine. Therefore, much attention has been attached to voltage-responsive systems. β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene can form inclusion complex by host-guest interaction when mixed together, and this interaction can also be regulated by voltage. Voltage-responsive system based on β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene is the most attractive one, because raw materials are commercially available, biologically compatible and can be modified to polymers easily. This paper investigates the recent work related to this system and summarizes four main parts, from principle, structure and characterization to applications. Moreover, the development and improvement of this system are discussed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Basic principle of systems based on β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene
3 Structures of systems based on β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene
4 Characterization of systems based on β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene
4.1 Cyclic voltammograms
4.2 Other methods
5 Applications of systems based on β-cyclodextrin and ferrocene
6 Conclusion and outlook

Due to their advantageous properties such as lower density, high specific surface and high loading capacity, polymer-based hollow microspheres show promising potential of applications in the areas of white pigment, carriers for drugs, bioactive and catalytically active substances, micro-reactor, etc. Thus, it is a worthwhile and challenging work to prepare polymer-based hollow microspheres by exploring new methods and new technologies. Here, the development of the preparation methods and applications of polymer-based hollow microspheres are reviewed. Firstly, the traditional methods, such as osmotic swelling method, hard template synthesis method, layer-by-layer assembly, and etc. are introduced. Then, the new methods presented in recent years, including self-assembly method, soft template synthesis method, Pickering emulsion polymerization and self-removing template method, are emphatically described. Furthermore, the applications of polymer-based hollow microspheres are introduced briefly. At last, the current problems as well as the corresponding research directions are discussed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Traditional methods to prepare polymer-based hollow microspheres
2.1 Osmotic swelling method
2.2 Seed swelling polymerization
2.3 Hard template synthesis method
2.4 Layer-by-layer assembly
2.5 Miniemulsion or microemulsion polymerization
2.6 W/O/W method
3 New methods to prepare polymer-based hollow microspheres in recent years
3.1 Solvent-evaporation method
3.2 Self-assembly method
3.3 Soft template synthesis method
3.4 Cross-linked micelles method
3.5 Pickering emulsion polymerization
3.6 Self-removing template method
4 Applications of polymer-based hollow microspheres
4.1 Covering pigment
4.2 Microreactors
4.3 Wastewater treatment
4.4 Drug carrier and controlled release
4.5 Encapsulation and immobilization of bioactive and catalytically active substances
5 Conclusion and outlook

The great mismatch in physical and chemical properties between the hard electrodes and the soft brain tissues is still a barrier to achieve ideal neural prosthetic devices with excellent long-term performance. The current solutions focus on tailoring the properties of the electrode surface. This review summarizes the impediments that hinder the development of the neural electrodes including poor biocompatibility, low sensitivity, high impedance and poor stability, and then presents the progress in the surface modification and functionalization of neural electrodes. Conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes have been applied to modify the electrode surface due to their good electrical conductivity. Finally, promising strategies and methods for the development in the field are prospected, which include controlling surface morphology to optimize the mechanical properties, doping of biospecies and improving the interfacial adhesion between the modifying coatings and the electrode substrates.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 The development of neural electrodes
3 The challenges in the development of neural electrodes
3.1 Biocompatibility
3.2 Signal sensitivity
3.3 Mechanical match
3.4 Long-term stability
4 Surface modification with conducting polymers
4.1 Properties of conducting polymers
4.2 The methods of surface modification with conducting polymers
4.3 The challenges of surface modification with conducting polymers
5 Surface modification with carbon nanotubes
5.1 Properties of carbon nanotubes
5.2 The methods of surface modification with carbon nanotubes
5.3 The composite coating of conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes
6 Conclusions and prospects

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming a serious threat to life expectancy for elderly people. A hot area of treatments for AD is to develop dual binding site acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors that simultaneously interact with both the catalytic and peripheral anionic sites of the enzyme. These compounds may act as disease-modifying agents with multiple functions, not only improving cognition of AD patients by elevating acetylcholine levels, but also interfering with β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation and delaying Aβ-elicited pathological process. Thus, the novel promising dual binding site AChE inhibitors reported in recent years are the focus of this review. Here, we first introduce the action mechanism of dual binding site AChE inhibitors, and then summarize the main classes of dimeric or hybrid compounds, along with the pharmacological profile of the most active candidates for AD therapy. In addition, combined with our preceding studies on (-)-meptazinol-based bivalents, the rational design strategy and structure-activity relationship of dual binding site AChE inhibitors are discussed. The current challenges and development trends are also proposed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 The action mechanism of dual binding site AChEIs
3 Dual binding site AChE inhibitors
3.1 Homodimers
3.2 Heterodimers
3.3 Dual binding site AChEIs with additional functions
4 Conclusions and outlook

Perovskite-like structure CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) dielectric ceramic has been paid much attention in the field of materials science and application for its colossal dielectric constant, independence of dielectric properties on the frequency and temperature in a wide range, and nonlinear behaviors. Various theories and models which are used to explain the original of colossal dielectric constant of CCTO are compared, among which the internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC), the most reasonable model is claimed in detail. Preparing methods, preparing conditions and various modification methods for preparing CCTO and improving the dielectric properties are discussed. Ion-doping is the most popular way to decrease the dielectric loss of CCTO. The effects of ion-doping depend on the ionic radius, ionic valence and so on. It is a promising way to prepare the 0-3 composites by using ceramic as filler and polymer as matrix. The research progress of CCTO/polymer composites is discussed here. And the prospects of CCTO is put forward.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Origin of giant dielectric constant of CCTO
2.1 Classical model
2.2 Internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) model
3 Preparation of CCTO
3.1 Preparation of CCTO powder
3.2 Method for reducing sintering temperature and time of CCTO
3.3 Preparation of CCTO film
4 Improvement of the properties of CCTO
4.1 A or B site doping of CCTO
4.2 Substitution of CCTO
5 CCTO/polymer composite
5.1 CCTO/polymer composite and mixture model
5.2 Improvement of the interfacial properties of CCTO/polymer
5.3 Three-phase composite
6 Conclusion