Piezoelectric materials have been widely used for sensors, actuators, electronics, and energy conversion. Two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin semiconductors, such as monolayer h-BN and MoS with their atom-level geometry, are currently emerging as new and attractive members of the piezoelectric family. However, their piezoelectric polarization is commonly limited to the in-plane direction of odd-number ultrathin layers, largely restricting their application in integrated nanoelectromechanical systems. Recently, theoretical calculations have predicted the existence of out-of-plane and in-plane piezoelectricity in monolayer α-InSe. Here, we experimentally report the coexistence of out-of-plane and in-plane piezoelectricity in monolayer to bulk α-InSe, attributed to their noncentrosymmetry originating from the hexagonal stacking. Specifically, the corresponding d piezoelectric coefficient of α-InSe increases from 0.34 pm/V (monolayer) to 5.6 pm/V (bulk) without any odd-even effect. In addition, we also demonstrate a type of α-InSe-based flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator as an energy-harvesting cell and electronic skin. The out-of-plane and in-plane piezoelectricity in α-InSe flakes offers an opportunity to enable both directional and nondirectional piezoelectric devices to be applicable for self-powered systems and adaptive and strain-tunable electronics/optoelectronics.

Skin-mountable microelectronics are garnering substantial interest for various promising applications including human-machine interfaces, biointegrated devices, and personalized medicine. However, it remains a critical challenge to develop e-skins to mimic the human somatosensory system in full working range. Here, we present a multifunctional e-skin system with a heterostructured configuration that couples vinyl-hybrid-silica nanoparticle (VSNP)–modified polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel with two-dimensional (2D) MXene through nano-bridging layers of polypyrrole nanowires (PpyNWs) at the interfaces, featuring high toughness and low hysteresis, in tandem with controlled crack generation and distribution. The multidimensional configurations endow the e-skin with an extraordinary working range (2800%), ultrafast responsiveness (90 ms) and resilience (240 ms), good linearity (800%), tunable sensing mechanisms, and excellent reproducibility. In parallel, this e-skin platform is capable of detecting, quantifying, and remotely monitoring stretching motions in multiple dimensions, tactile pressure, proximity sensing, and variations in temperature and light, establishing a promising platform for next-generation smart flexible electronics.

The shuttling effect of polysulfides severely hinders the cycle performance and commercialization of Li−S batteries, and significant efforts have been devoted to searching for feasible solutions to mitigate the effect in the past two decades. Recently, metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) with rich porosity, nanometer cavity sizes, and high surface areas have been claimed to be effective in suppressing polysulfide migration. However, the formation of large-scale and grain boundary-free MOFs is still very challenging, where a large number of grain boundaries of MOF particles may also allow the diffusion of polysulfides. Hence, it is still controversial whether the pores in MOFs or the grain boundaries play the critical role. In this study, we perform a comparative study for several commonly used MOFs, and our experimental results and analysis prove that a layer of MOFs on a separator did enhance the capacity stability. Our results suggest that the chemical stability and the aggregation (packing) morphology of MOF particles play more important roles than the internal cavity size in MOFs.

High-κ perovskite membranes as insulators for two-dimensional transistors. Nature, 605(7909), 262-267.

Metallic molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), e . g ., 1T phase, is touted as a highly promising material for energy storage that already displays a great capacitive performance. However, due to its tendency to aggregate and restack, it remains a formidable challenge to assemble a high-performance electrode without scrambling the intrinsic structure. Here, we report an electrohydrodynamic-assisted fabrication of 3D crumpled MoS 2 (c-MoS 2 ) and its formation of an additive-free stable ink for scalable inkjet printing. The 3D c-MoS 2 powders exhibited a high concentration of metallic 1T phase and an ultrathin structure. The aggregation-resistant properties of the 3D crumpled particles endow the electrodes with open space for electrolyte ion transport. Importantly, we experimentally discovered and theoretically validated that 3D 1T c-MoS 2 enables an extended electrochemical stable working potential range and enhanced capacitive performance in a bivalent magnesium-ion aqueous electrolyte. With reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as the positive electrode material, we inkjet-printed 96 rigid asymmetric micro-supercapacitors (AMSCs) on a 4-in. Si/SiO 2 wafer and 100 flexible AMSCs on photo paper. These AMSCs exhibited a wide stable working voltage of 1.75 V and excellent capacitance retention of 96% over 20 000 cycles for a single device. Our work highlights the promise of 3D layered materials as well-dispersed functional materials for large-scale printed flexible energy storage devices.