Significance: The outflow of prior confined or intruded liquid from a hydrophobic pore at the nanoscale is the foundation for devising nanofluidics-enabled, reusable functional materials, structures, and devices and is fundamentally different from that at the macroscale due to nanoconfinement effects. We, in both molecular-dynamics simulations and experiments, addressed the nanoconfinement mechanism that hinders the outflow of nanoconfined various liquid by investigating both inflow and outflow processes of liquid in hydrophobic nanopores and demonstrated that a continuous and spontaneous outflow with high and stable efficiency could be achieved. The elucidated outflow mechanisms and regulation strategies will provide a rational route for exploring high-performance reusable devices in a broad scope of nanoporous materials and liquid environments by leveraging unique nanopore–liquid interactions.

Liquid flow in nano-environment has been utilized as an advanced mechanism of energy absorption. While the process of liquid outflow from nanopores has been shown to have a significant effect on the system’s energy absorption efficiencies, its mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we have studied the liquid defiltration behavior of liquid nanofoam (LN) systems by controlling the infiltration depth. The LN samples, composed of a different non-wettable liquid phase and hydrophobic nanoporous silica with wide pore size distribution, have been compressed in two different loading modes under the quasi-static condition, i.e., the single-step compression and consecutive-step compression. Considerably different mechanical behaviors have been observed in these two loading modes, suggesting that the liquid outflow from nanopores is determined by the critical infiltration depth D*. The nanopore size effect on D* is further studied by a consecutive-step cyclic test. It has been shown that D* increases as the pore size gets smaller, which is related to gas solubility and diffusion rate in the nano-environment. The electrolyte concentration and temperature dependences of the critical infiltration depth have also been investigated. These findings provide a better understanding of the liquid outflow from nanopores and can be exploited to facilitate the design of next-generation reusable energy absorption systems.

The competing mechanisms between solid nanopore deformation and liquid invasion for non-wetting liquid/nanopore systems under compression are addressed.

We have developed a novel liquid nanofoam (LN) system composed of nanoporous silica gel particles and a non-wettable liquid phase, which demonstrates the adaptive liquid flow behavior in 3D nanopores.

This work introduces a new mechanically triggered thermal runaway mitigation mechanism. The homogenizer of electrode failure (HEF), multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), was added into LiNi_0.5Mn_0.3Co_0.2O₂ (NMC532) battery electrodes. We have studied the effect of the HEF additive on the internal electrical resistance and the mechanical impact resistance of the electrodes. The additional MWCNTs reduced the internal electrical resistance of electrodes before mechanical abuse. Upon mechanical abuse, they could mitigate internal shorting and thermal runaway at normal battery working temperature.

Water–ion interaction in a nanoconfined environment that deeply constrains spatial freedoms of local atomistic motion with unconventional coupling mechanisms beyond that in a free, bulk state is essential to spark designs of a broad spectrum of nanofluidic devices with unique properties and functionalities. Here, it is reported that the interaction between ions and water molecules in a hydrophobic nanopore forms a coordination network with an interaction density that is nearly fourfold that of the bulk counterpart. Such strong interaction facilitates the connectivity of the water–ion network and is uncovered by corroborating the formation of ion clusters and the reduction of particle dynamics. A liquid‐nanopore energy‐dissipation system is designed and demonstrated in both molecular simulations and experiments that the formed coordination network controls the outflow of confined electrolytes along with a pressure reduction, capable of providing flexible protection for personnel and devices and instrumentations against external mechanical impact and attack.