3D boron-doped multiwalled carbon nanotube (CB_xMWNT) sponges are synthesized with covalent junctions by X. L. Lu, J. Suhr, and co-workers as described on page 21. The boron atoms that are introduced in the hexagonal sp² carbon lattice permanently change the morphology of the nanotubes by inducing elbow-like junctions that lead to the formation of a 3D solid. Measurements of the mechanical properties of the CB_xMWNT sponges demonstrate that the elbow-like structures can endow these solids with improved resilience ability and density-dependent viscoelastic properties.

Highly pure graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are directly grown on a silicon wafer using the chemical vapor deposition method by X. Yu, D. Yang, and co-workers on page 8. Two fluorescence and two phosphorescence components are emitted from the GQDs. The image shows a luminescent silicon wafer with GQDs on top. The insets display an atomic force microscopy image and a schematic diagram of the GQDs' luminescence mechanism. The illustration of chips with a photonic interconnect suggests a possible application.

Highly pure graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are directly grown on a silicon wafer by the chemical vapor deposition method. Two fluorescence and two phosphorescence components are emitted from the GQDs. The size-independent luminescence of the GQDs suggests that the luminescence originates from edge defects of the GQDs.

CuO/WO₃ heterostructured nanocubes are used to sense H₂S gas with a low concentration down to 50 ppb. By combining with an electric modulation, the sensors can simultaneously exhibit fast recovery and ultrahigh sensitivity for detecting H₂S gas at low temperature.

Boron-doped carbon nanotube (CNT) 3D sponges are compared with undoped CNT sponges in terms of their plastic, elastic, viscoelastic, and dynamic viscoelastic mechanical properties. The boron-doped CNT sponge shows more predictable and stable mechanical properties than the undoped sponge. The superior properties of these boron-doped CNT sponges are related to the “elbow-like” junctions on the doped carbon nanotubes.

A liquid-crystalline novel self-assembly approach is used to develop a flexible material for charge capacitive applications. Highly porous hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanorods (HNRs) prepared by an advanced spray-precipitation method enable the fabrication with ultralarge graphene oxide (GO) functionalized by PEDOT:PSS in an aqueous medium to develop a novel self-assembled 3D architecture with excellent energy-storage performance.

Si NW structures with enhanced optical absorption properties are used to fabricate Si QDs/Si NWs heterojunction solar cells. The optimal Si NWs lead to the best cell with the power conversion efficiency of 11.3%, which can be attributed to the improved carrier-collection efficiency.

Silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) with sizes in the nearly whole quantum-confinement (QC) regime enable an equation for the dependence of the QD bandgap on the QD size to be formulated. An optimum photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) exists as the QD size varies, resulting from the interplay between the QC effect and the surface effect. The optimum PL QY may change with coating at the QD surface.

Human-serum-albumin-coated Prussian Blue nanoparticles with pH-/thermosensitive drug release are proposed for cancer thermochemotherapy, showing a remarkably superior synergistic effect. Such new drug-delivery systems made of approved materials may have promising biomedical applications for antitumor therapy.