As a new kind of self-assembled molecules, DNA-peptide hybrid molecules have attracted great interests. DNA has the advantages of programmability, high specificity and versatility. Peptides are a kind of important biological small molecules, which can form nanomaterials with various structures through molecular self-assembly. Therefore, DNA and peptide can be cross-linked with each other to form DNA-peptide hybrid molecules with hierarchical self-assembly behavior. In this way, the integration of the functions of two important biomolecules can be realized, and the supramolecular materials with different structures and functions can be assembled. Moreover, through the combination of enzyme catalysis, DNA hybridization, and strand displacement reactions, we are able to control the dynamic self-assembly of the peptide-DNA conjugates. This allows us to mimic the complex dynamic structures existing in biological systems, which will have great potential applications in biology, chemistry and materials science. In this paper, the latest progress in the design, self-assembly and applications of DNA-polypeptide hybrid molecules are reviewed. Some problems with regard to DNA-polypeptide molecules are summarized, and the prospect of the research on DNA-polypeptide molecules is made.

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In drug research and development, it is a big challenge to effectively improve the solubility/dissolution and in vivo absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Currently, supersaturating drug delivery system(SDDS), taking advantage of the drug solution in a supersaturated state, can simultaneously improve the apparent solubility and permeability of drugs. The current article systematically reviews the theory of supersaturation and its application, including generation and maintenance of supersaturation, and the relationship with in vivo drug absorption. Commonly used approaches, especially amorphous solid dispersion, co-crystal, amorphous/co-amorphous systems, have been introduced.

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Ultralow density aerogel is a kind of porous solid material with super lightweight property which has a higher porosity and more diversified surface properties than common aerogel. The unique physical and chemical characteristics make ultralow density aerogel a new nano-porous material to be applied in many new research fields. Recently, it is a research focus of the aerogel field to preserve the highly developed three dimensional pore structure in the fabrication process of the ultralow density aerogel, and make its unique characteristics to be functioned in practical applications. In this review, according to the main types of the ultralow density aerogel, the up to date research progress of its preparation technologies is introduced. Moreover, the application modes and functional characteristics of the ultralow density aerogel in the fields of space exploration, fire and heat resistantance, energy storage, adsorption, catalysis and sensing are discussed. By discussing the existing problems of the current research, perspectives of the ultralow density aerogel, such as breaking through the ambient drying method, carrying out the fabrication of composite aerogel or ultralow density aerogel with controlled structure, systematic studying the influence of the super lightweight property on specific functions are also presented.

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Controlled/“living” radical polymerization(CLRP) can be used to synthesize polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution and few chain defects(such as Polyethylene(PE), polyvinyl chloride(PVC), polyvinylidene chloride(PVDC) and polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)), and it is easy to copolymerize the above monomer with other monomers to obtain block polymers. In this paper, we investigate the preparation of polyethylene and polyhalogenated olefin polymers by controlled/"living" radical polymerization, (for example, iodine transfer polymerization(ITP), nitroxide-mediated living radical polymerization(NMP), reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer(RAFT) polymerization and organometallic mediated radical polymerization(OMRP)) and point out the development trend.

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With the energy crisis and environmental pollution, biodegradable polymers have attracted considerable interest because these compounds are environmentally friendly and renewable. Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) is considered as one of the most promising biodegradable polymers because of its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, easy processability and high strength. However, its poor ductility and impact properties seriously restrict the application. Polymer blending is an economical and effective way to solve the shortcomings. Unfortunately, PLA is thermodynamically immiscible with most polymers. It has been established that the compatibilization is a famous strategy to improve the miscibility of the blends by enhancing the adhesion between the phases. Thus, recent studies focus on various compatibilizers to obtain excellent performance of PLA-based blends. This review summarizes the recent development in compatibilization strategies applied to PLA-based blends.

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Stemona alkaloids are a class of alkaloids isolated from the roots of Stemona sessilifolia and its related plants. In terms of molecular structure, stemona alkaloids generally have [1, 2-b]pyrrolo[1, 2-a]azepine as the core structure. The substitutions at different positions on the core scaffold afford various complex structures which exhibit many important biological activities. Therefore, the research on the total synthesis of the stemona alkaloids has attracted the attention of chemists worldwide. However, due to the polycyclic structure and multiple chiral centers in the structure of stemona alkaloids, the total synthesis of stemona alkaloids is extremely challenging. In recent years, chemists have developed the reactions with high enantioselectivity and tandem reactions to complete the total synthesis of the stemona alkaloids, which has laid a solid foundation for further research and development of the stemona alkaloids. Based on the relevant research of our research group, this paper reviews the recent effort on the total synthesis of various types of stemona alkaloids.

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Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is one of the most powerful experimental methods to study electrochemical systems, and has been extensively used in the analysis of lithium battery systems, especially to determine kinetic and transport parameters, understand reaction mechanisms, and to study degradation effects in past two decades. In this paper, the electrode polarization process in lithium ion batteries which includes three basic physical and chemical processes, namely, electronic transport process, ionic transport process and electrochemical reaction process, is briefly described, and the EIS characteristics of each transport and reaction stage of the three basic physical and chemical processes are discussed, especially the mechanism of inductance formation and contact impedance is expounded in detail. Moreover, porous electrode theory and its application in lithium ion batteries are reviewed, and emphasis is put upon the principle and method of numerical simulation of impedance with physics-based lithium-ion batteries models. Furthermore, the typical EIS characteristics and the attribution of each time constant of the electrode materials for lithium ion batteries such as graphite, silicon, simple binary transition metal oxides, LiCoO₂, spinel LiMn₂O₄, LiFePO₄, spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ and transition metal oxides are also discussed. Finally, the challenges currently faced by EIS are identified and possible directions and approaches in addressing these challenges are suggested.

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Electrochromism and electrochemical energy-storage share the same electrochemical principles of redox reaction that occurs when the charge is inserted or removed in the electrode. An electrochemical device that integrates electrochromic and electrochemical energy storage functions is defined as an electrochromic energy-storage device. Although single-function electrochromic devices and electrochemical energy-storage devices have been widely reported and commercialized, the research on electrochromic energy storage devices is still in the experimental stage. Such devices can change their transmittance in the visible or even infrared range while electrochemically storing energy, and can indicate the state of charge of the device with color change, providing a new application prospect for electrochemical devices. Electrochromic energy-storage devices mainly include electrochromic supercapacitors, electrochromic batteries, and photo-driven electrochromic smart windows. Electrochromic supercapacitors and electrochromic batteries are composed of positive and negative electrodes with materials having both electrochromic effects and charge storage properties, and photo-driven electrochromic smart windows include an additional photoelectric conversion component. These devices can be used in building energy-saving smart windows, static displays, smart sensors, etc. In addition, when fabricated on flexible substrates, these wearable electrochromic energy-storage devices have potential applications in smart apparel, implanted displays and electronic skins. In this review, we discuss the electrochromic energy-storage devices from the basic principles, research progress, application fields, and future research prospects.

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Nowadays, lithium ion batteries as one of alkali metal(lithium, sodium, potassium, etc.) ion batteries have been widely used in all aspects of industry and life, and contribute to the success of automation, informatization and intelligence of society. However, due to the low abundance of lithium in the crust of earth, sodium-ion batteries based on sodium of high abundance have attracted extensive attention of researchers and society. Among all the component, cathode material is an important factor restricting the practicality of sodium ion batteries. Cathode materials need to be developed for practical application. P2-structure layered composite metal oxide sodium ion battery cathode material has many advantages, such as abundant resources, simple preparation, stable structure, high discharge capacity, good rate performance, good cycle stability, etc. It has attracted extensive attention of researchers and has a practical prospect. This series of materials are complex due to the combination of various transition metal elements. In this paper, the P2-structure materials containing single transition metal, binary transition metals, ternary transition metals and even more components and their optimization and modification are systematically reviewed. The future development prospects and predictions are given. The main problem of P2-structure cathode material is to improve the initial charge capacity. The use of oxygen redox is an important direction to solve this problem. In addition, optimizing the composition of materials and adopting raw materials with abundant reserves, low cost, high safety and environmental friendliness is also an important research direction for further reducing costs and protecting the environment.

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Recently, the certified efficiency of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) has reached 25.2%, which are considered to be the most promising candidate for next-generation thin-film solar cells. However, uncontrollable film morphology and poor crystallinity of perovskite prepared by the solution process restrict the improvement of stability and large-area production of PSCs. To solve this problem, researchers have carried out the interfacial modification between perovskite layer and charge transport layer. Herein, we summarize applications of strategies for interfacial modification in perovskite solar cells from the perspective of methods, materials, and characterization. Meanwhile, the promising prospects of interfacial modification in low-cost and large-area PSCs are provided.

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Metal-carbon dioxide(Me-CO₂) batteries can not only fix carbon dioxide effectively, but also serve as clean energy storage devices, which are considered as potential candidates for the next generation of energy conversion and storage, as well as carbon dioxide capture and utilization. However, due to the slow electrochemical reaction of the cathode, the instability of the electrolyte, and the difficult reversible conversion of the discharge product, the current Me-CO₂ batteries are impeded by low capacity and rate capability, high polarizability, low energy conversion efficiency, and short cycle life. In this paper, we provide insights on the current main research progress of Me-CO₂ batteries based on metal(lithium, sodium, aluminum, zinc, potassium) anodes, including discharge/charging mechanism, CO₂ electrode and electrocatalysts, electrolyte materials and metal electrodes, etc. Considerable emphasis is placed on the effects of function material on the stability and rate of electrode reaction. In addition, the prospects and directions for the rational construction of materials are prospected to improve the electrochemical performance of Me-CO₂ batteries and provide guidance for the development of Me-CO₂ batteries.

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Frequent offshore oil spill accidents, industrial oily sewage and the indiscriminate disposal of urban oily sewage have increasingly serious impacts on human living environment and health. The traditional oil-water separation methods not only cause easily environmental secondary pollution, but also lead to waste of limited resources. Therefore, how to efficiently and environmentally solve the problem of oily sewage has great significance. Physical filtration/adsorption is considered to be an efficient and environmentally friendly separation method. Based on bionics principle, many superoleophilic hydrophobic materials and superhydrophilic oleophobic materials which can be used for selectively physical oil-water separation have been prepared. The superoleophilic hydrophobic materials are easy to be polluted by oil, resulting in low reuse ability. In contrast, environment-friendly and self-cleaning superhydrophilic oleophobic materials usually have high reuse ability, thus having broad application prospects for oil-water separation. Based on the difference of base materials, the present paper mainly statues the recent advances and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of metal and polymer-based superhydrophilic oleophobic materials, and the general direction and emphasis of superhydrophilic oleophobic materials are also proposed.

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