The integration of nanowires onto electrode surfaces marks a significant advancement over traditional electrode materials, conferring upon nanowire-modified electrodes a vast array of applications within electrochemical and electrophysical domains. The nanowires used for electrode modification can be catalogized into two distinct types: anchored nanowires and free-standing nanowires. A critical advantage of anchored nanowires lies in their enhanced electrical connectivity with the substrate, which reduces electrode resistance and facilitates charge transport. Furthermore, the anchorage of nanowires onto electrodes provides additional mechanical support, bolstering the structural stability of the nanowire assembly. Here, we review the development of anchored nanowires designed for applications in energy storage, electrocatalysis, and electric field treatment (EFT) over the past decade. We focus on the synthesis and modification strategies employed for anchored nanowires, culminating in the evaluation of these fabrication and enhancement techniques. Through this analysis, we aim to furnish comprehensive insights into the preparation of anchored nanowires, guiding the selection of appropriate fabrication processes and subsequent functional modifications.

The ever-increasing complexity of environmental pollutants urgently warrants the development of new detection technologies. Sensors based on the optical properties of hydrogels enabling fast and easy in situ detection are attracting increasing attention. In this paper, the data from 138 papers about different optical hydrogels (OHs) are extracted for statistical analysis. The detection performance and potential of various types of OHs in different environmental pollutant detection scenarios were evaluated and compared to those obtained using the standard detection method. Based on this analysis, the target recognition and sensing mechanisms of two main types of OHs are reviewed and discussed: photonic crystal hydrogels (PCHs) and fluorescent hydrogels (FHs). For PCHs, the environmental stimulus response, target receptors, inverse opal structures, and molecular imprinting techniques related to PCHs are reviewed and summarized. Furthermore, the different types of fluorophores (i.e., compound probes, biomacromolecules, quantum dots, and luminescent microbes) of FHs are discussed. Finally, the potential academic research directions to address the challenges of applying and developing OHs in environmental sensing are proposed, including the fusion of various OHs, introduction of the latest technologies in various fields to the construction of OHs, and development of multifunctional sensor arrays.