搜索结果：Advances in colloid and interface science

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures provide biointerfaces in which electronic, chemical, optical, and mechanical functions can be coordinated through engineered junctions beyond the capabilities of individual constituents. This review critically examines inorganic and hybrid 2D heterostructures that directly interact with biomolecules, cells, tissues, or biofluids across biosensing, wearable and implantable bioelectronics, theranostics, drug and gene delivery, biomedical imaging, antimicrobial systems, and tissue engineering. A design-centric architecture-interface-biofunction framework connects vertical, lateral, and mixed-dimensional configurations with band alignment, interfacial charge transfer, defect and vacancy chemistry, interlayer coupling, twist and strain, surface functionalization, and biofluid-induced transformations. Comparative evidence indicates that MXene-based 2D-2D heterostructures are among the most versatile platforms for integrating sensing, therapeutic, and bioelectronic functions, whereas TMD-, MOF-, LDH-, graphene-, and carbon nitride-based systems provide complementary advantages for specific applications. Rational interface engineering can enhance signal amplification, bioactivity, photothermal conversion, reactive oxygen species generation, cargo loading, and multifunctionality. However, definitive cross-platform comparisons remain limited by substantial variation in material composition, fabrication route, biological model, exposure conditions, and performance reporting. Translation is further constrained by interfacial contamination, variable alignment and contact quality, oxidation, restacking, biofouling, structural degradation in physiological media, limited reproducibility, and insufficient knowledge of biodistribution, clearance, and degradation products. Future progress requires scalable, low-contamination fabrication; mechanism-based evaluation in target biofluids and relevant in vivo models; standardized reporting of performance, stability, fouling, toxicity, and reproducibility; and complementary characterization before and after biological exposure. Safety-by-design and stability-by-design strategies, interlaboratory validation, reference materials, and regulatory assessment aligned with the intended mode of action will be essential for advancing 2D heterostructure biointerfaces from laboratory demonstrations toward reliable biomedical implementation.

Inspired by the self-cleaning effect of lotus leaves and the solar photothermal conversion effect, photothermal superhydrophobic coatings show great potential for application as a new type of anti-icing material. The recent advances of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings in the field of anti-icing and de-icing was reviewed in this paper. First, the mechanism of ice formation and propagation, including ice nucleation theory and icing propagation mechanism, is introduced in detail. Subsequently, the working principle of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings is discussed, focusing on the analysis of their superhydrophobicity, icephobicity, and the role of photothermal effect in anti-icing and de-icing. Then, the preparation methods of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings and their characterization techniques are reviewed, covering a variety of preparation processes, such as sol-gel method, chemical vapor deposition, template method, layer-by-layer self-assembly method, and spray painting method, as well as the characterization means in terms of microstructure, chemical composition, optical properties, wettability, and photothermal properties. In addition, internal and external factors affecting the anti-icing and de-icing performance of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings, including surface mechanical strength, rough structural morphology, and low-temperature and high-humidity environments, are also deeply analyzed in this paper. Finally, the current challenges of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings for anti-icing and de-icing in terms of transparency and robustness are pointed out, and future research directions are envisioned, such as the development of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings for anti-icing and de-icing with self-adjusting heat dissipation function, and the enhancement of the research on the photothermal effect under low light intensity. Theoretical references and practical guidance are aimed to be provided by this paper for further research and application of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings in the field of anti-icing and de-icing.

Capillary behavior is observed in all facets of daily life including oil wicking in oil lamps, water absorbing in paper towels, movement of ink in fountain pens, siphoning beer from primary fermentation to secondary vessel, and drainage of the tear ducts in humans, and is a function of the channel openings, fluid composition, interfacial tension, and the contact angle at the fluid/solid interface. This behavior is also quite common in geologic media (e.g., damp rising in buildings, oil retention in rocks etc.) where it controls the distribution and transport of the fluid in porous media. In multiple such scenarios, the rocks and fluid might be chemically incompatible, i.e., it can induce mineral dissolution or precipitation, modify fluid composition through geochemical reaction, and/or alter pore structure and morphology, resulting in temporal evolution of the petrophysical properties of the porous media and the fluid's physical and chemical properties. This review makes the case of the impact of reactivity during capillary action at the rock/fluid interface. This is done by first detailing the mechanisms of capillarity including the fundamental physical principles and the models incorporating capillary imbibition, identifying the key parameters which impact capillary behavior in porous media. Then a few real-world cases are discussed where reactivity is occurring at the rock/fluid interfaces and the time-scale of reactivity and capillarity is discussed with the argument made for the importance of coupling reactivity and capillarity at such interface. Finally, the key limitations of the current approach are identified and the potential way forward is discussed.

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is an intrinsically disordered presynaptic protein. In synucleinopathies, it undergoes a structural transition into β-sheet-rich conformers that promote the formation of amyloid fibrils and pathological inclusions. Although fibrillar aggregates have been studied extensively, soluble oligomers, which may have the greatest neurotoxic potential, remain poorly understood because of their transient nature and structural heterogeneity. This review critically examines α-syn oligomeric species, with particular emphasis on advanced biophysical and surface characterization techniques and neurobiological models to elucidate oligomer formation, membrane interactions, and toxic mechanisms. Recent advances in spectroscopy, high-resolution microscopy, and mass spectrometry have significantly expanded the ability to characterize α-syn oligomers and their aggregation pathways. Nanopore-based and single-molecule approaches enable the investigation of transient and structurally heterogeneous oligomeric species at the level of individual particles. Interface science has further clarified direct interactions between oligomers and lipid membranes, providing mechanistic insight into neurotoxicity and the lipid-dependent modulation of α-syn conformation and stability. Neurobiological models have revealed multi-organelle disruption, prion-like propagation, and disease subtype-specific seeding. However, no single approach fully captures oligomer pathogenicity, which emerges from the interplay of structure, interfacial behavior, and cellular vulnerability. However, existing frameworks do not adequately address this complexity. Additional barriers include poor reproducibility and limited sensitivity across approaches. Future work should integrate these technologies with standardized biological protocols, advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, and biocompatible nanomaterials. Such an interdisciplinary approach could enable the development of multiscale platforms for real-time studies of α-syn soluble conformers, with clinical utility in the management of synucleinopathies.

The surface and interface tension and/or surface and interface Gibbs free energy were considered based on the Young equation. To solve this equation with regard to the solid surface tension and/or the solid Gibbs free energy the relationships between the solid-liquid interface tension or interface energy and surface tension or Gibbs surface energy of solid and liquid must be known. For this reason, there were discussed many approaches to these relationships. They were divided into two groups. One group includes the approaches assuming that the interface tension or interface energy of the solid-liquid (liquid-liquid) does not depend on the type of intermolecular interactions in the solid and the liquid but only on the value of their surface tensions. In turn, the second group of the approaches assume that the solid-liquid (liquid-liquid) interface tension or Gibbs energy depends on the type of intermolecular interactions in the solid and the liquid, and not only on the value of the surface tension of the liquid and the solid. The components and parameters of solid and liquid surface tension resulting from different type of intermolecular interactions were considered depending on the types of the approach. Taking into account these approaches their applicability for predicting interface tensions and wettability of solids by liquids with different hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties was analyzed. Thus, based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes, it was assumed, in accordance with the Young's statements, that the contact angle value is a function of the surface tension of the liquid and solid at the time of measurement. Therefore, the literature values of surface and interface free energy determined from the Young's equation were treated as the values of surface and interface tensions.

Driven by the continued depletion of conventional oil resources and the rapid growth in global energy demand, advanced enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies have attracted widespread attention. By integrating core attributes of surfactant, emulsion, and micellar solution flooding, microemulsion flooding demonstrates considerable application advantages in EOR owing to its thermodynamic stability, nanoscale droplet size, ultra-low interfacial tension, and strong crude-oil solubilization capacity. In response to the developmental demands of low-permeability reservoirs and the imperative of sustainable energy progress, this review explores pathways for advancing microemulsion flooding through targeted innovation in surfactant system. First, the colloidal theoretical foundations and recent progress of three representative surfactant-based displacement technologies are summarized. For surfactant flooding, optimization strategies have focused on improving tolerance to temperature, salinity, and low-permeability conditions, reducing reservoir adsorption, and developing environmentally friendly formulations. For emulsion flooding, major advances include functional modification, performance regulation and stimuli-responsive behavior. For micellar solution flooding, recent breakthroughs center on wormlike micelles and viscoelastic surfactants. Collectively, these advances furnish critical theoretical and technical guidance for the innovative design and evolutionary development of microemulsion flooding systems. Subsequently, the review systematically elucidates the oil displacement mechanisms of microemulsions by integrating phase behavior evolution, interfacial properties and crude oil mobilization dynamics to clarify the comprehensive EOR efficacy of microemulsion flooding. It further bridges the gap between laboratory-scale performance evaluations and field-scale applications, while critically assessing engineering adaptability and the major developmental bottlenecks that still constrain the technology. On the basis of the above systematic elaboration, corresponding targeted optimization pathways are proposed to address these technical challenges and to support further improvement of microemulsion systems and their practical application in EOR.

Bioactive compounds and probiotic cells are often limited in food applications by poor solubility, low stability, and restricted bioavailability. Emulsion-based delivery systems, particularly high internal phase emulsions, improve loading capacity and influence gastrointestinal behavior. Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by colloidal particles show enhanced interfacial stability and mechanical integrity compared to conventional emulsions. Their performance is determined by the interaction between particle design, interfacial assembly, and bulk network formation. This review analyzes Pickering emulsion gels and high internal phase systems from a structure-function perspective. It focuses on the roles of interfacial structure, droplet packing, and network organization in controlling encapsulation, digestion, and release. It also considers their use in processing technologies, including 3D printing as edible inks and 4D systems with stimulus-responsive behavior. Dense interfacial layers and jammed droplet networks increase encapsulation efficiency, limit molecular diffusion, and protect bioactives from environmental and oxidative degradation. Structural changes during digestion influence release kinetics, promote lipolysis, and improve bioaccessibility. Delivery performance depends on the balance between interfacial barrier strength and enzymatic accessibility. Highly organized and segregated structures allow co-encapsulation of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. In processing applications, these systems provide shear-thinning flow for extrusion and rapid structural recovery for shape retention. Stimulus-responsive systems support controlled release and functional changes such as color variation. However, performance is highly dependent on formulation and processing conditions. Future work should focus on combining interfacial design with scalable processing to develop reliable and application-oriented food systems.

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) have rapidly emerged as promising porous crystalline materials with versatile modularity, structural tunability, and facile synthesis under mild conditions. Their unique assembly via reversible hydrogen bonding endows them with high crystallinity alongside solution processability, distinguishing HOFs from traditional covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Harnessing these properties, recent advances have driven significant exploration of HOF-based composites across energy conversion and environmental remediation domains. In this review, we systematically survey the design, synthesis, and application of interface-oriented HOF-based composite materials, emphasizing their multifaceted roles in dual energy conversion processes, namely photocatalytic H2 evolution and CO2 reduction, while simultaneously facilitating pollutant degradation. We outline the strategies for integrating HOFs with a broad range of functional materials, including semiconductors, metal nanoparticles, sensitizing dyes, polymers, and inorganic oxides, to create hybrid architectures that enhance light absorption, charge separation, and catalytic efficiency. These multifunctional composites enable effective energy conversion and environmental remediation by combining tunable porosity, robust crystallinity, and tailored interfacial interactions. Additionally, we discuss advancements in biohybrid materials where enzyme immobilization within HOF-based matrices facilitates combined adsorption and catalytic degradation of contaminants. This comprehensive account highlights how HOF composites capitalize on complementary physicochemical features of their constituents to address key limitations of standalone materials, advancing the frontier of sustainable catalysis and separation. The review concludes by identifying critical challenges in stability, scalable processing, and mechanistic understanding, proposing future research directions aimed at realizing practical, high-performance HOF hybrid systems for energy and environmental applications.

Nanostructured sensors are increasingly deployed to mitigate the complexities of the global polycrisis, including climate instability, antimicrobial resistance, pandemics, and emerging technological disruptions. While advanced nano-interfaces (such as MXenes, quantum dots, and MOFs) possess the requisite sensitivity, their efficiency is hindered by large-scale, high-dimensional, and stochastic physicochemical responses. This review articulates a necessary paradigm shift toward unsupervised machine Intelligence as the primary interface between nanostructured sensor hardware, raw data manifolds, and system-level interpretation. It critically examines the foundational methodologies, including clustering for discrete-state identification, Principal Component Analysis for decoupling cross-sensitive material kinetics, manifold learning for nonlinear structure visualization, Independent Component Analysis for blind source separation, and autoencoders for nonlinear denoising and anomaly detection. These approaches extract latent dynamical structures directly from raw nanosensor measurements without dependence on extensive labelled datasets, effectively handling drift, hysteresis, and environmental noise. Moving beyond purely statistical optimisation, it analyse hybrid architectures that embed conservation principles, symmetry conditions, and topological regularities directly into learning algorithms, ensuring outputs follow the system's physical constraints. Finally, to address scalability challenges, including edge-native computing and privacy-preserving federated learning, it argues that converging advanced sensing nano-interfaces with constraint-regulated unsupervised intelligence is critical for developing self-calibrating material-sensor intelligence ecosystems to navigate polycrisis.

Protein-based gels are central structural elements in fermented foods, but their formation during lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation cannot be adequately explained by acidification alone. Although pH reduction and isoelectric aggregation initiate gelation in many systems, the final network architecture and functionality are also governed by exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, proteolysis, ionic interactions and the initial colloidal state of the protein matrix. This review reinterprets LAB fermentation-driven protein gelation using a strain-metabolite-protein colloidal state-gel functionality framework. Within this framework, strain-specific traits determine acidification kinetics, EPS yield and structure, proteolytic activity and ionic microenvironment; these factors collectively modulate protein charge, conformational stability, hydrophobic exposure, peptide formation, ion bridging and protein-polysaccharide compatibility. Importantly, the same mechanism may produce opposite outcomes depending on the matrix: EPS can reinforce networks by bridging and pore filling but may also promote incompatibility or phase separation; controlled or limited proteolysis can expose reactive sites, generate crosslinkable peptides and enhance network formation, whereas excessive hydrolysis weakens network continuity; divalent ions can strengthen gels through bridging but may induce coarse aggregation when unbalanced. We further compare dairy, plant, meat and microbial protein systems to identify matrix-dependent control targets, including acidification rate, endpoint pH, EPS molecular features, degree of hydrolysis, ionic strength, fermentation temperature and fermentation duration. Finally, we highlight current knowledge gaps, particularly the lack of standardised quantitative reporting and predictive models linking microbial metabolism, colloidal transitions and gel functionality. This review provides a mechanistic basis for rational starter selection and process design in fermented protein gel systems.

Atherosclerosis (ATS) remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, driven by complex interactions among chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid accumulation within arterial walls. Although conventional therapies, including lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory agents, have demonstrated clinical efficacy, their therapeutic potential is often limited by systemic side effects, suboptimal bioavailability, and poor site specificity. In this context, nanodelivery systems have emerged as a transformative approach to enhance therapeutic precision by enabling targeted, controlled, and stimuli-responsive delivery of drugs and genetic materials directly to atherosclerotic plaques. Recent advances in nanomedicine have led to the development of multifunctional nanoparticles capable of responding to key pathological features of ATS, such as elevated reactive oxygen species levels, acidic microenvironments, and dysregulated enzymatic activity, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target effects. Furthermore, nanoparticle-based platforms have shown significant promise for delivering nucleic acids, including small interfering RNAs and microRNAs, thereby facilitating modulation of critical molecular pathways involved in plaque progression and stabilization. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in nanoparticle-mediated drug and gene delivery systems for ATS, with particular emphasis on targeting strategies, microenvironment-responsive nanocarriers, and emerging therapeutic platforms for ATS. In addition, current challenges related to toxicity, large-scale manufacturing, reproducibility, and clinical translation are critically discussed, highlighting the need for standardized protocols and rigorous safety evaluations to advance the clinical applicability of nanomedicine in ATS management.

Lubrication is often applied at interfaces where friction occurs upon relative motion. In boundary lubrication regimes, amphiphilic lubricant additives spontaneously adsorb onto the solid/liquid interfaces, tailoring surface properties and decisively dictating macroscopic lubrication performance. This process is essential for the proper functioning of machinery and for prolonging its service life. The molecular structure of amphiphilic compounds is a key determinant of their interfacial adsorption behavior, which directly influences lubrication quality. Recent advances in characterization techniques, particularly neutron reflection (NR) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), have enabled more precise analysis of the nanostructure self-assembled at interfaces from the amphiphilic molecules. These developments have provided new insights into the relationship between molecular structure, interfacial adsorption, and lubrication behavior, stimulating the growing interest in the design of lubrication systems that are novel, efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. This review summarizes recent experimental progress on the role of amphiphilic molecular structure in interfacial adsorption in both oil-based and water-based lubrication systems and its impact on lubrication. First, we discuss the interactions of amphiphilic molecules with particle surfaces in oil-based systems, including over-based detergent/dispersants, nanoparticles, and emulsion droplets. Next, we review the packing and structure-function relationship of these molecules at solid-liquid interfaces under friction and at gas-liquid interfaces in lubricant foams within oil-based systems. We also describe the behavior of amphiphilic molecules in water-based lubrication systems, including various surfactants and their experimentally revealed lubrication mechanisms. Finally, we outline current challenges and future directions for the development of amphiphilic lubrication additives.

Clay-biopolymer nanocomposites have emerged as a versatile materials platform that couples the surface reactivity and structural diversity of nanoclays with the biocompatibility and chemical functionality of biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, and gelatin. Despite their broad application in biomedical and environmental fields, existing reviews largely catalogue individual studies rather than interrogate the interfacial mechanisms that govern performance. This review advances three central arguments. First, the polymer-clay interface is the primary determinant of composite performance; DFT calculations confirm pronounced crystal-face selectivity in biopolymer adsorption, refuting the assumption of surface homogeneity that pervades much of the empirical literature. Second, cross-system comparison across nanoclay families reveals transferable design principles that single-system studies obscure, demonstrating that genuine synergy arises from interfacial coupling rather than additive component contributions, with implications for both adsorption efficiency and mechanical reinforcement. Third, the review extends mechanistic analysis to layered double hydroxides, polymer-enhanced geosynthetic clay liners, and injectable bioprinting inks, domains underrepresented in prior surveys. Fabrication strategies including electrospinning, cryogelation, and 3D bioprinting are critically assessed for their capacity to translate interfacial design into clinically and industrially viable products. Across biomedical applications spanning tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing, and environmental applications encompassing dye, heavy metal, and emerging pollutant removal, the evidence consistently supports mechanism-based rather than correlation-driven design. Priorities for future research include integrated computational modelling, standardised cross-system reporting protocols, and systematic nanotoxicity and long-term biocompatibility evaluation.

Photocatalysis has been an encouraging solution to convert solar energy into chemical fuels and address the direst environmental problems but the visible-absorption and rapid discharge of the photogenerated charge carriers currently are likely to restrict its practice. Due to their tunable architectures and well-defined coordination environments, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have become a multifunctional platform to surmount these shortcomings. This review highlights a design framework based on the strategy to regulate the electronic structure of MOFs on the fundamental level; this is performed by means of the engineering of ligands, bonding-antibonding/orbital hybridization, and the incorporation of the donor-acceptor (D-A) unit. Ligand engineering provides π-conjugation extension and functional group modulation to increase light harvesting and efficient charge transfer between ligands and metals. Other techniques to maximize the metal-ligand electronic interactions are bonding-antibonding and orbital hybridization, which make it easier to stretch the charge separation and raise carrier lifetimes. Meanwhile, (D-A) architectures add inherent electronic asymmetry and internal electric fields, allowing directional movement of charges and hindering recombination. Combination of these strategies in a synergistic manner creates a single system of regulation of light absorption, charge dynamics and catalytic activity. Some of the most significant applications of this design philosophy are in the area of pollutant degradation, hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction, in which the desired electronic modulation can be directly translated into a high photocatalytic activity, selectivity and stability. Lastly, existing issues and future outlooks are presented to reveal the necessity to achieve a deeper mechanistic insight, enhance material strength, and scalable design solutions. The review offers an overall roadmap on the rational design of the next-generation MOF-based photocatalysts in sustainable energy and environmental applications.

Chiral polyoxometalates (cPOMs) are a class of inorganic organic hybrid materials that combine molecular chirality and metal oxygen cluster framework. They have both the chemical stability of inorganic polyoxometalates and the structural diversity of organic ligands. Unlike the traditional review which regards synthesis and application as a parallel separation field, this paper constructs a "hierarchical chiral transfer" framework to systematically explain the generation mechanism of molecular scale chirality, supramolecular scale transfer path and the amplification law of macro function. In view of the long-standing conceptual confusion in the field, this paper establishes a strict three-level classification system: type I (intrinsic chiral frameworks), type II (covalently induced chirality) and type III (chiral environment containing POM), and clearly defines the experimental diagnostic criteria and application scope of each type. This paper goes beyond the enumeration of isolated cases, systematically compares the traditional and new synthesis strategies, refines their common mechanism logic, and defines the cPOMs structure types that each method adapts to. At the application level, the quantitative performance of asymmetric catalysis, chiral recognition and separation, chiral optical materials and biomedical fields were compared, and the critical structure-activity relationship between chiral architecture parameters and functional output indicators was established. Conclusion three core bottlenecks are clearly pointed out: the chiral regulation mechanism is still at the empirical level, and the predictive correlation between reaction conditions and chiral framework is lacking; The large-scale preparation of enantiopure cPOMs has not yet been realized, and it is difficult to take into account the yield, purity and inter batch consistency; The data of operational stability and biosafety are seriously missing. Biomedical applications are still limited to in vitro proof of concept, and there is a transformation gap of 5-10 years. Four development directions are proposed, including mechanism decoding, large-scale manufacturing, stability engineering and biomedical safety integration. To sum up, this paper is not a simple literature compilation, but a research roadmap with clear mechanism foundation and clear critical guidance for the rational design of chiral inorganic organic hybrid materials.

Electrochemical monitoring of plant phytohormones offers a powerful route toward real-time assessment of plant stress and physiological status, yet remains technically challenging due to ultra-low analyte concentrations, strong matrix interferences, and the limited redox activity of several key hormones. Conventional analytical techniques provide high sensitivity but are incompatible with in situ, continuous, and field-deployable measurements required for precision agriculture. This review critically examines recent advances in electrochemical sensing strategies for major plant phytohormones, including salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), with a focus on how material design, interfacial engineering, and sensor architecture address fundamental limitations. Hybrid nanomaterials, affinity-based and direct electrochemical transduction mechanisms, and flexible or wearable platforms were critically evaluated for their potential to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and operational stability under realistic plant and environmental conditions. Beyond individual sensor performance, particular emphasis is placed on multiplexed architectures and data-driven integration with wireless platforms and artificial intelligence, enabling the simultaneous decoding of multiple hormonal signals and their temporal dynamics. By comparing design strategies, performance trade-offs, and remaining bottlenecks, this review provides a conceptual framework for the rational engineering of next-generation electrochemical phytohormone sensors and outlines key directions toward robust, field-ready monitoring systems for smart and sustainable agriculture.

CO2 mineralization offers a permanent and scalable route for carbon storage, and rapid in situ mineralization has been achieved in several field projects. Traditionally attributed to the classical dissolution-precipitation pathway, this process is increasingly recognized to be strongly influenced by CO2-mineral interfacial reactions, which remain underrepresented in current models. This review synthesizes recent advances on how interfacial reactions accelerate carbonation, from atomic-scale reactivity of nonbridging oxygen (NBO) sites to mesoscopic effects of wettability, water film structure, and nanoconfinement. These reactions promote both metal release and carbonate nucleation by forming surface carbonate complexes that weaken metal-oxygen bonds and lower dehydration barriers. Building on these insights, we propose a multiscale modeling framework integrating ab initio molecular dynamics, surface complexation modeling, and reactive transport modeling to incorporate interfacial pathways into field-scale predictions. We also outline engineering strategies inspired by interfacial chemistry, including highly porous rock with high specific area, high-NBO mineral selection in terms of lithology (e.g., Olivine), CO2 nanobubble injection, and additive co-injection to tune wettability. By linking interfacial science with reservoir engineering, this review establishes a mechanistic basis for accelerating and optimizing CO2 mineralization systems.

Janus nanostructures, named after the two-faced Roman god, represent a class of novel materials that integrate two or more distinct properties within a single micro-or nanoscale entity. In contrast to traditional homogeneous materials, Janus structures achieve the spatial segregation and integration of functionalities across distinct regions of a single particle by breaking symmetry. While numerous reviews over the past three decades have chronicled the morphological evolution of Janus particles, a comprehensive understanding bridging precise atomic-level topological engineering and multifunctional synergy remains scarce. To transcend conventional descriptive summaries, this review systematically categorizes the interactions within asymmetric architectures into series, parallel, and regulatory synergy modes. Through this lens, recent advancements in precision synthesis were critically evaluated, emphasizing the mode shift from random macroscopic segregation to programmable atomic-level control (e.g., built-in electric fields and strain engineering). Subsequently, the unique physicochemical properties emerging from structural asymmetry are explored. Based on these fundamental properties, specific application examples in frontier fields, including energy catalysis, biomedicine, environmental remediation, and intelligent sensing, are highlighted. The discussion clarifies how distinct functional components achieve synergistic enhancements superior to single-component materials through a "division of labor" mechanism. Finally, the challenges facing this field, such as large-scale low-cost fabrication and the precise characterization of dynamic behaviors, are summarized. Future trends toward more complex and intelligent designs are also prospected to provide a reference for the development of next-generation high-performance nanomaterials.

Nanofluids (NFs) offer significant potential to enhance the efficiency and performance of energy systems, from solar collectors to advanced thermal storage. However, their industrial application is limited by long-term performance degradation, sedimentation, increased thermal resistance, pressure drops, clogging, and corrosion at higher nanoparticle concentrations. Additionally, the environmental and human health impacts of NFs, along with safe disposal and recycling strategies, remain largely unexplored. In this study, thermal and energy systems are first categorized, and the progression of research from 1994 to 2025 on NFs, including their discovery, properties, performance, challenges in various thermal and energy applications, and associated health and environmental assessments, is examined. In the next stage, stabilization techniques, limitations of commonly used stability characterization methods, long-term performance challenges across different systems, toxicity and environmental impacts, and approaches for sustainable disposal and recycling are discussed. Based on this analysis, future research should prioritize enhancing long-term stability, optimizing surfactant selection and nanoparticle surface modification, implementing reliable stability monitoring, minimizing toxicity, and establishing sustainable disposal and recycling practices. Addressing these challenges is essential for unlocking the practical benefits of NFs and facilitating their safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible implementation in targeted energy applications, although significant hurdles in long-term stability, toxicity mitigation, and sustainable disposal remain.