Uncontrolled hypertension significantly elevates the risks of catastrophic complications, including cerebral hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, heart failure, renal failure, and vision loss, imposing substantial physical suffering on patients and creating severe financial and operational burdens on healthcare systems. Despite advances in medical science, hypertension remains incurable, with current therapeutic strategies focusing on pharmacological interventions to stabilize blood pressure levels. Consequently, real-time continuous blood pressure monitoring has emerged as an indispensable tool for preventing acute hypertensive complications, driving the development of wearable blood pressure monitoring technologies. These technologies aim to achieve uninterrupted physiological surveillance and timely intervention to mitigate hypertension-related morbidity. This study comprehensively examines current research advancements in piezoelectric dynamic design methodologies for pulse sensing, fabrication techniques for pulse sensors, and portable continuous blood pressure monitoring systems based on pulse waveform analysis. Furthermore, the scientific value of portable continuous monitoring is evaluated within the context of evolving research paradigms, identifies critical technological challenges requiring urgent resolution, and outlines their transformative potential in clinical and preventive healthcare applications.

Lithium metal batteries have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage systems due to their ultrahigh theoretical capacity and extremely low electrode potential. However, critical challenges including uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth and severe electrode volume expansion significantly hinder their practical implementation. Although substantial progress has been achieved in stabilizing lithium metal anodes, current research predominantly focuses on thick lithium (>200 m), which not only results in low active material utilization but also introduces evaluation deviations for modification strategies, ultimately failing to meet the design requirements of high-energy-density batteries. Notably, the scalable fabrication of thin lithium foils (thickness<50 m) remains a formidable challenge. This review commences with the development of lithium-metal batteries and systematically expounds on the necessity of the development of practical thin lithium anodes, then comprehensively summarizes recent advancements in thin lithium fabrication techniques and stabilization strategies. Future research directions are proposed to address existing technical bottlenecks, offering both theoretical guidance and technical references for advancing the industrial application of safe and durable lithium metal batteries.

This study develops hybrid ionic electrolytes by blending EMIM-TFSI, EMIM-BF4, and EMIM-PF6 with a polymer electrolyte (poly(DADMATFSI), PIL) to enhance the performance of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) for neuromorphic computing. The primary objective is to improve ionic transport speed and non-volatility in OECTs, thereby enabling better emulation of synaptic functions. Device performance was systematically evaluated through electrical characterization techniques, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and multilayer perceptron simulations. Results demonstrate that hybrid electrolytes based on EMIM cations significantly enhance ionic mobility, with electrolytes containing EMIM-TFSI exhibiting superior overall performance. OECTs incorporating EMIM-TFSI-based electrolytes displayed rapid ionic transport and robust non-volatile properties, effectively mimicking synaptic plasticity. In a handwritten digit recognition task, the OECT device employing EMIM-TFSI-modified electrolytes achieved an accuracy of 84.2%, surpassing the other two electrolyte systems by 19.1% and 12.7%, respectively. This work provides valuable insights and methodologies for advancing high-performance artificial synaptic OECTs, holding promising implications for future neuromorphic computing technologies.

We designed and fabricated an electrostatically actuated micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical phase shifter incorporating a comb capacitive displacement sensor. To overcome the technical challenges of high driving voltage and inadequate control precision in current MEMS optical phase shifters, this study employed a hollow serpentine elastic beam structure to reduce the out-of-plane vertical stiffness of the elastic beam within the constrained chip dimensions, thereby lowering the actuation voltage. Furthermore, a comb-capacitive displacement sensor was integrated to facilitate an optical mirror displacement sensing system, significantly enhancing control accuracy. Experimental results indicate that at a driving voltage of 59 V, the micromirror achieves an optical phase modulation of 2.139 5 rad. The integrated comb-capacitive sensor demonstrates a detection error of less than 0.5 fF, corresponding to an optical phase-shifting error below 0.016 2 rad. This device shows promising potential for applications in optical communication systems and vector optical phased arrays as a phase modulation element.

An LED with a spectral width between narrow and wide spectrum light sources was employed as the meso-spectral light source solution. Based on atomic absorption, non-invasive real-time multi-element flux intensity measurement and monitoring were achieved during molecular beam epitaxy growth. This approach features self-calibration capabilities, effectively suppressing fluctuations and drifts in the light source and optical path without requiring an additional calibration path, thereby demonstrating strong robustness. By integrating precise calculations of the epitaxial growth rate of the calibration plate, the light absorption of the proposed method was calibrated to the flux intensity of the cells. Under experimental conditions where flux intensity was adjusted by the temperature gradient of the cell, the characteristic spectral light absorbance signal exhibited a significant linear correlation with the plasma gauge current signal. Through the analysis of the Ga flux monitoring data, the coefficient of variation of its light absorption signal was 5.85%, confirming the reliability of the beam monitoring scheme. This paper also explores the advantages of using an LED light source in molecular beam epitaxy flux monitoring systems, provides a detailed analysis of signal errors and drift caused by atomic deposition, and proposes optimization methods for instrument structure in practical applications. A key innovation of this study is the replacement of traditional hollow cathode lamp or inefficient thermal light sources with a high-efficiency, long-life, and low-cost LED light source. The monitoring process is simplified through the nearby point reference method, enabling simultaneous monitoring of multiple elements. This approach offers a cost-effective and practical solution for flux monitoring, with significant application potential in molecular beam epitaxy growth rate monitoring and stability closed-loop control.

Utilizing solid-phase sintering technology, lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (K0.44Na0.52Li0.04) (Nb0.9Ta0.06Sb0.04)O3 with high density and superior electrical properties were successfully fabricated at temperatures ranging from 1 055 to 1 070 ℃. The impact of various crystal structures of niobium pentoxide on the sintering behavior, phase composition, microstructure, and electrical characteristics of potassium sodium niobate-based piezoelectric ceramics was investigated. Experimental results demonstrate that Nb2O5 with coexistence of orthorhombic and monoclinic crystal forms exhibits superior sintering characteristics and excellent electrical properties. The piezoelectric constant is d33= 211 pC·N&#x2212;1, electromechanical coupling coefficient is kp= 44%, and dielectric loss is tan= 0.032 4. This suggests that incorporating a minor amount of monoclinic Nb2O5 can optimize the diffusion kinetics and phase boundary control of Nb5+, thereby significantly improving the overall performance of the ceramics. This research provides a critical foundation for the selection of raw materials and structural design of high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.

The cold energy storage technology based on phase change material (PCM) has received a lot of attention for its ability to effectively reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional refrigerated transport methods. Hydrate composite phase change materials for cold chain transport were successfully prepared by tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulphate (TBAHSO4) as phase change materials and the composite phase change materials for cold chain transport were successfully prepared by adding nucleant aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and thickener sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to reduce supercooling and inhibit phase separation. The melting temperature of the composite phase change material TTAC-1.5 is 6.10 ℃, with an enthalpy of phase change of 169.23 J·g&#x2212;1, and it shows almost no supercooling. The cyclic test results indicate that the phase change material has excellent cycle stability. Due to its suitable phase change temperature, high phase change latent heat and thermal reliability, the composite phase change material could be applied in cold chain transportation.

Flexible phase change materials (FPCM) are widely used in the field of human thermal management and temperature control due to their latent heat energy storage and flexibility characteristics, which not only enable efficient energy storage, but also closely adhere to the surface of objects. A composite phase change material (OM16) was prepared using physical blending of olefin block copolymer (OBC) and hexadecane microcapsules (M16). The results indicate that OM16-1.2 prepared in a 1∶1.2 ratio exhibits certain flexibility at low temperatures, with a phase change enthalpy of 84.45 J·g&#x2212;1 and a phase change temperature of 16.98 ℃. After 100 cycles, the phase change enthalpy decreased by only 4.23%, demonstrating excellent cyclic stability. Additionally, it maintains good thermal stability at temperatures below 173 ℃. Moreover, 10 g of OM16-1.2 can achieve temperature control for approximately 50 min, highlighting its potential for application in cold compress control regulation for the human body.