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Currently, there is considerable interest in developing advanced rechargeable batteries that boast efficient distribution of electricity and economic feasibility for use in large-scale energy storage systems. Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries are promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries in terms of rate performance, cost, and safety. In this investigation, we employ Cu₃(HHTP)₂, a two-dimensional (2D) conductive metal-organic framework (MOF) with large one-dimensional channels, as a zinc battery cathode. Owing to its unique structure, hydrated Zn²⁺ions which are inserted directly into the host structure, Cu₃(HHTP)₂, allow high diffusion rate and low interfacial resistance which enable the Cu₃(HHTP)₂cathode to follow the intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanism. Cu₃(HHTP)₂exhibits a high reversible capacity of 228 mAh g⁻¹at 50 mA g⁻¹. At a high current density of 4000 mA g⁻¹(~18 C), 75.0% of the initial capacity is maintained after 500 cycles. These results provide key insights into high-performance, 2D conductive MOF designs for battery electrodes.

Under an applied magnetic field, superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄nanoparticles with complementary DNA strands assemble into crystalline, pseudo‐1D elongated superlattice structures. The assembly process is driven through a combination of DNA hybridization and particle dipolar coupling, a property dependent on particle composition, size, and interparticle distance. The DNA controls interparticle distance and crystal symmetry, while the magnetic field leads to anisotropic crystal growth. Increasing the dipole interaction between particles by increasing particle size or external field strength leads to a preference for a particular crystal morphology (e.g., rhombic dodecahedra, stacked clusters, and smooth rods). Molecular dynamics simulations show that an understanding of both DNA hybridization energetic and magnetic interactions is required to predict the resulting crystal morphology. Taken together, the data show that applied magnetic fields with magnetic nanoparticles can be deliberately used to access nanostructures beyond what is possible with DNA hybridization alone.