CuS is a metal sulfide anode material used in constructing lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with great promise. However, its practical application is limited by rapid capacity decline, poor cycling, and rate performance. In this work, the CuS nanowire-on-nanoplate network is synthesized through an improved dealloying method under two contrasting reaction temperatures. When used as an LIB anode, the as-obtained CuS network exhibits superior cycling performance (420 mAh·g⁻¹ retained after 100 cycles at 0.2 C). When at 3 C, it still delivers a capacity of around 350 mAh·g⁻¹. The improved electrochemical performances of the CuS anode should be attributed to the well-designed nanowire-on-nanoplate network structure in which the introduction of nanowires improves Li storage sites, shortens Li-ion diffusion distance, enhances the conductivity of active materials, and offers multiscale spaces for buffering the volume variation. The fabrication route adopted in this paper has an important significance for developing the dealloying technique and designing more suitable anode structures for LIBs.

Novel battery–capacitor hybrid devices combine the advantages of batteries and supercapacitors to achieve higher energy densities, larger operating voltage windows, and superior cycle life. However, battery–capacitor hybrid yarn devices have been very little investigated because the synthesis of high-performance battery-type and capacitor-type yarn electrodes is still a challenge. Herein, we report the in situ growth of NiCo-layered double hydroxides (CoNi-LDHs) nanosheets on carbon-based yarn (CoNi-LDHs@CBY) to prepare battery-type yarn electrodes. This unique electrode structure provides a large specific surface area (655 m² g⁻¹) and abundant active sites, which are conducive to promoting the electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, by uniformly anchoring S-doped carbon nanoparticles on the carbon-based yarn (S-CNPs@CBY), capacitor-type yarn electrodes with abundant porosity were successfully prepared, which is conducive to rapid ion transport. Furthermore, a novel battery–capacitor hybrid yarn device was assembled based on the CoNi-LDHs@CBY battery-type yarn electrode as the cathode and the S-CNPs@CBY capacitor-type yarn electrode as the anode with PVA/KOH gel electrolyte. The assembled yarn device shows a wider voltage operating window (1.4 V), larger area capacitance (227 mF cm⁻² at 1.8 mW cm⁻²), higher energy density (62 μW h cm⁻²), and excellent cycle life (5000 cycles). Additionally, the assembled yarn device still achieves stable electrochemical output under bending and winding conditions, which indicates its good flexibility. Thus, this work provides a novel solution for the development of next-generation flexible yarn energy storage devices.

Cu₅₀Zr₄₅Al₅ bulk metallic glass (BMG) presents high fracture strength. For improving its plasticity and controlling its mechanical properties, superficial dealloying of the BMG was performed. A composite structure containing an inner rod-shaped Cu-Zr-Al amorphous core with high strength and an outer dealloyed nanoporous layer with high energy absorption capacity was obtained. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the composites were studied in detail. It was found, for the first time, that the mechanical properties of Cu₅₀Zr₄₅Al₅ BMG can be controlled by adjusting the width of the buffer deformation zone in the dealloyed layer, which can be easily manipulated with different dealloying times. As a result, the compressive strength, compressive strain, and energy absorption capacity of the BMGs can be effectively modulated from 0.9 to 1.5 GPa, from 2.9% to 4.7%, and from 29.1 to 40.2 MJ/m³, respectively. The paper may open a door for developing important engineering materials with regulable and comprehensive performances.

To improve glucose electrocatalytic performance, one efficient manner is to develop a novel Cu-Ag bimetallic composite with fertile porosity and unique architecture. Herein, the self-supported electrode with Cu_xO/Ag₂O (x = 1, 2) nanowires grown in-situ on a nanoporous Cu-Ag network (Cu_xO/Ag₂O@NP-CuAg) has been successfully designed by a facile two-step approach. The integrated hierarchical porous structure, the tip-converged Cu_xO/Ag₂O nanowires combined with the interconnected porous conductive substrate, are favorable to provide more reactive sites and improve ions or electrons transportation. Compared with monometallic Cu₂O nanowires integrated with nanoporous Cu matrix (Cu₂O@NP-Cu), the bimetallic Cu_xO/Ag₂O@NP-CuAg composites exhibit the enhanced electrocatalytic performance for glucose. Moreover, the higher sensitivity of ~1.49 mA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² in conjunction with a wider linear range of 17 mM for the Cu_xO/Ag₂O@NP-CuAg electrode anodized for 10 min are attributed to the synergistic effect of porous structure and bimetallic Cu_xO/Ag₂O nanowires. Particularly, the integrated Cu_xO/Ag₂O@NP-CuAg composites possess good flexibility, which has been reported for the first time. Accordingly, the Cu_xO/Ag₂O@NP-CuAg with excellent glucose electrocatalytic performance and good flexibility is promising to further develop as a candidate electrode material of glucose sensors.

This work designs a hierarchical porous nanospherical Cu ₂ O/CuO heterojunction catalyst in situ grown on the nanoporous copper (NPC) network via anodization, for efficient degradation of organic pollutants. The Cu ₂ O/CuO@NPC catalyst concurrently achieve a self-standing, hierarchical porous structure as well as the construction of Cu ₂ O/CuO heterojunction. Under visible light irradiation, the Cu ₂ O/CuO@NPC catalyst exhibits an excellent degradation performance towards Rhodamine B (RhB), achieving complete pollutant removal within 12 min. Notably, benefiting from the self-standing structure and stable nanosphere morphology, it still retains 94.5% of its degradation efficiency even after 14 consecutive cycles, which is much superior to most reported Cu ₂ O/CuO nanocatalysts. Most importantly, this work proposes the formation mechanism of the nanospheres and conducts an in-depth analysis of the photocatalytic degradation mechanism using electron paramagnetic resonance measurements and density functional theory calculations. This study provides both experimental and theoretical insights for designing efficient heterostructured photocatalysts, with promising application value in the field of environmental remediation.