Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)₃ (LAGP) is a solid-state electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and air stability but poor chemical stability and high interfacial impedance when directly contacted with Li metal. In this work, we develop an inorganic/polymer hybrid interlayer composed of Li bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide/poly(vinylene carbonate) polymer electrolyte and SiO₂ submicrospheres to stabilize the Li/LAGP interface. The polymeric component renders high ionic conductance and low interfacial resistance, whereas the inorganic component imparts flame retardancy and a physical barrier to the known Li-LAGP side reaction, together enabling stable Li stripping/plating for more than 1,500 h at room temperature. With this interlayer at both electrodes, all-solid-state Li||LiFePO₄ full cells with stable cycling performance are also demonstrated.

Stimuli-responsive self-assembly of nanoparticles represents a powerful strategy to achieve reconfigurable materials with novel functionalities and promising applications. In this regard, light-induced reversible self-assembly (LIRSA) of nanoparticles is most attractive but it is usually limited by the prerequisite yet cumbersome chemical functionalizations of the particle surface. Here we describe an innovative method to realize LIRSA of gold nanorods (GNRs) without surface functionalization through photoswitchable adsorption of an anionic azobenzene derivate AzoNa. The LIRSA of GNRs is caused by the reversible change between a nearly neutral state and a highly charged state of the GNRs arising from the photoswichable adsorption of AzoNa triggered by photoisomerization. The LIRSA behavior can be readily adjusted by changing the concentration of AzoNa and the aspect ratio of the GNRs. This new LIRSA strategy may provide a convenient and efficient route toward light-triggered reversibly reconfigurable nanomaterials.

A facile, fluorine-free approach for synthesizing vertically aligned arrays of mesocrystalline anatase TiO₂ nanosheets with highly exposed {001} facets was developed through topotactic transformation. Unique mesocrystalline {001}-faceted TiO₂ nanosheet arrays vertically aligned on conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide glass were realized through topotactic conversion from single-crystalline precursor nanosheet arrays based on lattice matching between the precursor and the anatase crystals. The morphology and microstructure of the {001}-faceted TiO₂ nanosheets could be readily modulated by changing the reactant concentration and annealing temperature. Owing to enhanced dye adsorption, reduced charge recombination, and enhanced light scattering arising from the exposed {001} facets, in addition to the advantageous features of low-dimensional structure arrays (e.g., fast electron transport and efficient charge collection), the obtained TiO₂ nanosheet arrays exhibited superior performance when they were used as anodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Particularly, {001}-faceted TiO₂ nanosheet arrays ~15 μm long annealed at 500 ℃ showed a power conversion efficiency of 7.51%. Furthermore, a remarkable efficiency of 8.85% was achieved for a DSSC based on double-layered TiO₂ nanosheet arrays ~35 μm long, which were prepared by conversion from the precursor nanoarrays produced via secondary hydrothermal growth.

A general method for facile kinetics-controlled growth of aligned arrays of mesocrystalline SnO₂ nanorods on arbitrary substrates has been developed by adjusting supersaturation in a unique ternary solvent system comprising acetic acid, ethanol, and water. The hydrolysis processes of Sn(Ⅳ) as well as the nucleation and growth of SnO₂ crystals were carefully controlled in the mixed solvents, leading to an exclusively heterogeneous nucleation on a substrate and the subsequent growth into mesocrystalline nanorod arrays. In particular, aligned arrays of hierarchically structured, [001]-oriented mesocrystalline SnO₂ nanorods with four {110} lateral facets can be readily grown on Ti foil, as well as many other inert substrates such as fluoride-doped tin oxide (FTO), Si, graphite, and polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon). Due to the unique combination of the mesocrystalline structure and the one-dimensional nanoarray structure, the obtained mesocrystalline SnO₂ nanorod arrays grown on metallic Ti substrate exhibited an excellent rate performance with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 65.6% and a reversible capacity of 720 mA·h/g at a charge/discharge rate of 10 C (namely, 7, 820 mA/g) when used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.