Browse Articles

Engineering Nanoemulsions to Maximize NIR‐II Fluorescence and Preserve Photothermal Performance of a Novel Boron Difluoride Formazanate Dye

ABSTRACT Boron difluoride formazanate (BDF) dyes possess intrinsic NIR‐I absorption and NIR‐II photoluminescence. However, their hydrophobic nature often leads to fluorescence quenching in polar aqueous environment, limiting their performance in biological applications. Here, we report a newly synthesized BDF dye ( 3 ) formulated as an oil‐in‐water nanoemulsion ( BDF‐NE ) that overcomes this challenge by providing a nonpolar oil core microenvironment that closely matches the favorable conditions required to preserve the bright emission of 3 . Molecular solubilization of 3 within a glyceryl trioctanoate core, stabilized by a phospholipid/PEG‐lipid shell, maintains strong NIR absorption and a high molar extinction coefficient while simultaneously maximizing NIR‐II emission intensity. BDF‐NE achieves a photothermal conversion efficiency of 66.8%, generates strong photoacoustic (PA) contrast at 780 nm, and exhibits bright NIR‐II fluorescence extending beyond 1250 nm with an absolute quantum yield of 2.9%, enabling high‐resolution vascular imaging and real‐time tracking of tumor accumulation in vivo. In subcutaneous tumor‐bearing mice, dual‐modal NIR‐II/PA imaging‐guided photothermal therapy achieves complete ablation of tumors in a subset of mice and significantly prolongs recurrence‐free survival without detectable systemic toxicity. This nanoemulsion‐based strategy unlocks the full dual‐modal theranostic potential inherent to BDF dyes and offers a generalizable strategy for translating hydrophobic NIR fluorophores into high‐performance theranostic agents.

Shear-thinning rheology reverses wall-induced motion of low-Reynolds-number propellers

We experimentally investigate how shear-thinning rheology modifies the near-wall motion of low-Reynolds-number propellers. Using a magnetic actuation platform, we examine two representative systems: a rotating spherical roller and a helical propeller near a solid boundary. In a Newtonian fluid, the spherical roller exhibits forward wall-induced translation, while the helical propeller displays forward propulsion accompanied by lateral drift. In shear-thinning fluids, however, increasing the actuation frequency qualitatively alters these behaviors. For the spherical roller, the direction of wall-induced translation reverses beyond a critical frequency, producing backward motion. For the helical propeller, shear-thinning rheology reverses the lateral drift while simultaneously enhancing forward propulsion. These results provide direct experimental evidence that shear rate-dependent viscosity can fundamentally modify boundary-mediated propulsion at low Reynolds number, with implications for the design and control of microrobots operating in complex biological fluids.

Study synergistic effect of Ti addition on microstructure and electrochemical performance of cost-effective Co-free AlCrFeNi high-entropy alloy with dual-phase architecture

Photocatalytic Transfer Hydrogenation Using Plastic Hydrolysates as Hydrogen Donor

ABSTRACT The synthesis of aromatic amines requires harsh conditions or the use of fossil‐derived hydrogen (H 2 ). Here, we address this limitation by demonstrating photocatalytic transfer hydrogenation (PTH) of nitroarenes into anilines employing plastic hydrolysates as electron and proton (hydrogen) donors under ambient temperature and pressure. PTH is achieved using a cobalt‐promoted molybdenum sulfide ( Co MoS 2 ) electrocatalyst integrated with a carbon nitride (CN x ) semiconductor photocatalyst in acidic aqueous solution. Co MoS 2 reduces nitroarenes to anilines at –0.7 V versus RHE with a Faradaic yield of 70% and superior activity to platinum. The Co MoS 2 ‐CN x photocatalyst produces anilines under simulated solar light (AM 1.5 G, 25°C), achieving 83%–99% yield from 24 nitroarenes using 4‐methylbenzyl alcohol as a model hydrogen donor. Acid hydrolysis of condensation polymers provides a source of alcoholic monomers in aqueous solution that can be used as a sustainable hydrogen donor for PTH in >80% yield using AM 1.5G or LED (405 nm, 33 mW cm −2 ) irradiation. A technoeconomic analysis (TEA) at pilot scale producing 1 t aniline day − 1 using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reveals a cut in cradle‐to‐gate emissions by ∼77% using PTH with Co MoS 2 ‐CN x compared to conventional Pd/C hydrogenation with H 2 from steam methane reforming (SMR‐H 2 ) and a revenue‐generating levelized cost of aniline (LCOA) when co‐produced with terephthalic, acetic, and formic acids.

Thermal transport in n-type B-S co-doped and p-type B-doped diamond: A machine-learning potential study

Achieving reliable n-type doping in diamond is a long-standing challenge for high-power electronics. In this work, we systematically investigate the electronic structure and thermal transport properties of B and B–X (X = N, P, O, S, F, Cl) co-doped diamond using first-principles calculations and a high-precision machine-learning potential (MLP) trained via DeepMD-kit. Our results identify B–S co-doping as a superior n-type strategy, exhibiting a reduced formation energy and n-type conductivity. Crucially, by overcoming the accuracy limitations of empirical potentials in describing acoustic phonon velocities, our MLP rigorously quantifies the thermal conductivity of the co-doped system. Although the heavy mass and strain field of sulfur dopants introduce additional phonon scattering, B-S co-doped diamond retains a substantial thermal conductivity. The results reveal the microscopic interplay between dopant-induced electronic activation and phonon scattering, validating B-S co-doping as a viable route for thermally robust n-type diamond electronics. This work provides a reference for the design of n-type diamond with good thermal conductivity based on machine-learning potentials.

Decoding regional keratinization in human oral mucosa through high-resolution spatial transcriptomics

Supramolecular Assembly of Proteoliposomes Containing Photosensitizers Regulating Energy Synthesis

ABSTRACT We report that a biomimetic energy metabolism system can be constructed by integrating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase and photosensitizer, and chlorin e6 (Ce6), into the hydrophobic region of the lipid bilayer in proteoliposomes through controllable supramolecular assembly. It is found that under light illumination, the existence of Ce6 obviously inhibits the ATP synthesis. The biochemical and spectroscopic analyses reveal that the generated heat and mechanical perturbation originated from photoexcited Ce6 may disrupt the phospholipid bilayer membrane, leading to the collapse of the proton gradient. These effects collectively destabilize the system and suppress ATP production. Additional cellular experiments provided evidence for the intervention of Ce6 on the amount of ATP in cells. This finding suggests that a photosensitizer can interfere with the energy synthesis of the system by disrupting the proton gradient to reduce the rotation of ATP synthase. Such a design and the mechanistic investigation may provide a possible foresight that photosensitizers are not only used in a photodynamic therapy system, but can also be considered for regulating diseases related to energy metabolism.

Cubic Gd2O3 heteroepitaxial thin film fabricated via pulsed laser deposition: Structure and deep-UV photodetector

Aiming at the current research gaps in Gd2O3 single-crystal films and detection below 250 nm of UV light for Gd2O3-based photodetectors (PDs), this study employed pulsed laser deposition under a laser frequency of 6 Hz to successfully a grow cubic (c-) Gd2O3(222) epitaxial film on a GaN(0001) substrate. The epitaxial film had a wide optical bandgap (5.4 eV), a large electronic bandgap (5.16 eV), and a c-Gd2O3⟨011¯⟩ ǁ GaN [21¯1¯0] in-plane epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The PD fabricated based on the film presented excellent response characteristics to UV light below 250 nm, with a rejection ratio (R202 nm/R300 nm) up to 102. Under 222 nm deep-UV light, the PD exhibited excellent detection performance with a high photoresponsivity of 0.801 A/W under 5 V, and a fast response speed (rise time: 0.27 s; fall time: 0.28 s). This work provides a feasible approach for fabricating high-performance Gd2O3 epitaxial film PDs, laying a foundation for their applications in solar-blind deep-UV sensing systems.

Activation of circulating γδ T cells in pediatric IgA vasculitis nephritis links the IL-17 A+ subset to renal risk

Abstract Renal involvement is a key determinant of prognosis in IgA vasculitis (IgAV), yet its underlying immunologic mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. The role of γδ T cells and their subsets requires clarification. The study enrolled 88 children between September 1, 2023, and September 1, 2025, categorized into three groups: IgAV with nephritis (IgAVN, n  = 39), IgAV without nephritis (IgAVwoN, n  = 36), and healthy controls (HC, n  = 13). Flow cytometry was used to assess the percentage of peripheral blood γδ T cells, their surface phenotype (CD69, NKG2D, TLR4), and intracellular cytokines (IL-17 A, IL-10, TNF-α). Multivariable logistic regression identified independent risk factors, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis evaluated diagnostic performance, and correlation with 24-hour proteinuria was assessed. Patients with IgAVN exhibited a significantly increased frequency of total γδ T cells and an expanded CD69⁺ activated subset. TLR4 expression on γδ T cells was upregulated in IgAV patients compared to HC group, but did not differ significantly between the IgAVN and IgAVwoN groups. The IL-17 A producing γδ T cell subset was identified as an independent risk factor for IgAVN (OR = 1.202, 95% CI 1.014–1.424, P  = 0.034). Its frequency positively correlated with 24-hour proteinuria levels ( r  = 0.575, P  < 0.01). This parameter demonstrated high specificity (97.22%) and moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.673) for distinguishing IgAVN. IL-17 A⁺ γδ T cells were an independent risk factor for IgAVN and correlated with renal injury severity. While Th17 cells are the main IL-17 source, γδ T cells may represent an additional source. Further investigation is needed.

Aldehyde–Olefin Couplings by Photoinduced Reduction of Electron‐Deficient Olefins with Hantzsch Ester Anions

ABSTRACT Reductive couplings between aldehydes and olefins, both of which are low‐cost chemical feedstocks, provide facile access to valuable alcohol products. Recent advances in photocatalytic and electrochemical methods have provided efficient strategies to achieve reductive aldehyde–olefin couplings through nucleophilic ketyl or olefin radical anion intermediates. However, the strongly reducing conditions required for radical formation result in limitations in substrate generality, especially for reactions of unactivated aliphatic aldehydes with electron‐deficient olefins. In this scenario, olefin dimerization or hydrogenation outcompetes aldehyde coupling due to the preferential formation and diminished nucleophilicity of olefin radical anion intermediates. Herein, we report a simple, photocatalyst‐free protocol that overcomes this limitation by using visible light‐activated Hantzsch ester as a photoreductant under mildly basic conditions. Key to the success of the transformation was the use of water as a protic additive, which enabled nucleophilic addition of the olefin radical anions to aldehydes. Mechanistic experiments support olefin radical anions as the key intermediates and offer insight into the important role of water in the transformation.

Interplay of defects, charge transport, and magnetoresistance in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides—A Perspective

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a unique set of materials with appealing properties such as high charge carrier mobility, a broad range of spin–orbit coupling strength, and valley-coupled spins. Magnetoresistance, the change of resistance in the presence of a magnetic field, is a technologically relevant characteristic that finds use in memory or sensing applications. However, high magnetoresistance is still a sought-after property. As a result, a great deal of research endeavors are currently devoted to identifying suitable conditions for achieving this purpose. In this Perspective article, we show how the electronic properties of TMDs may enable higher magnetoresistance and outline different strategies to manipulate magneto-transport by analyzing how atomistic insights taken from ultra-high vacuum investigations translate into charge carrier transport measurements.

Adaptive LQR active control of pantograph based on MDO algorithm

Lacunary Evolution of Molybdenum Blue Clusters for Efficient and Sustainable Photocatalytic Chemodivergent C─C Coupling Reactions

ABSTRACT High‐nuclearity molybdenum blue (MB) clusters with regular lacunary variation are of great importance for polyoxometalate structure evolution and photocatalytic application study, but their synthesis still remains a huge challenge. Herein, we successfully synthesized a series of high‐nuclearity MB clusters, S 2 Mo 62 , SMo 53 W 7 , Mo 50 W 8 , and Mo 44 W 8 , which exhibit regular lacunary variation. More importantly, such structural variation endows these MB clusters with distinct Lewis acidity and redox properties. Consequently, when employed as heterogeneous photocatalysts for the chemodivergent C─C coupling reactions between 1,3‐diketones and alkenes, the hexa‐lacunary Mo 50 W 8 and Mo 44 W 8 with more Lewis acid sites can achieve a 93% 1,5‐diketone yield within 12 h, while parent S 2 Mo 62 with superior oxygen activation can achieve a 99% 1,4‐diketone yield within 3 h. Furthermore, Mo 50 W 8 enables gram‐scale and sunlight driven synthesis of diverse 1,5‐diketone, and maintains long‐term cycling stability over 370 h (16 cycles). This work represents the first report of high‐nuclearity MB clusters with regular lacunary variation, and extends their application to sunlight driven photocatalytic C─C coupling reaction, highlighting the innovative research of MB clusters.

Complementary optoelectronic effect in silicon nanomembrane-based heterojunction for broadband UV–visible–NIR photodetection

Semiconductor heterojunctions play a vital role in the fabrication of broadband photodetectors, which offer broad application prospects across fields including environmental monitoring, biomedical imaging, and optical communications. However, state-of-the-art technical routes for the fabrication of semiconductor heterojunctions face significant challenges, which could severely compromise their optoelectronic properties. Here, we report a simple and convenient approach for the fabrication of semiconductor heterojunctions, which contains silicon nanomembranes and liquid metal printed gallium oxide. Large-area gallium oxide with controllable thickness can be formed on the top of silicon nanomembranes through spontaneous oxidation of printed liquid gallium. Facilitated by the complementary optoelectronic effects, various light sources with wavelengths covering the solar blind, visible, and near-infrared bands could effectively activate electron–hole pairs in the depletion region of the heterojunction, which can be further separated by the built-in potential. Therefore, the fabricated photodetector exhibits high optoelectronic performances, including broadband photodetection (255–980 nm), high responsivity (3.18 A/W), and detectivity (1.0 × 1013 Jones), good stability, fast response time (8/10 ms), and self-powered capability. This work adds to the portfolio of material strategies and fabrication process in high-performance, large-area broadband photodetection platforms.

Qualitative and quantitative hard-tissue MRI with portable Halbach scanners

Abstract To demonstrate the feasibility of performing in-vivo imaging and quantitative relaxation mapping of soft and hard tissues using a low-cost, portable MRI scanner, and to establish the methodological foundations for zero echo time (ZTE) imaging in systems subject to strong field inhomogeneities. A complete framework for artifact-mitigated ZTE imaging at low field was developed, including: (i) RF pulse pre/counter-emphasis calibration to minimize ring-down and electronics switching time; (ii) an extension of a recent single-point double-shot (SPDS) protocol for simultaneous $$B_0$$ and $$B_1$$ mapping; and (iii) a model-based reconstruction incorporating these field maps into the encoding matrix. ZTE imaging and variable flip angle (VFA) $$T_1$$ mapping were performed on phantoms and in-vivo human knees and ankles, and benchmarked against standard RARE and STIR acquisitions. The optimized PETRA sequence produced 3D images of knees and ankles in $$<15$$  min, revealing hard tissues such as ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bone, usually not visible with standard sequences. The extended SPDS method was used for $$B_0$$ mapping, while the VFA approach provided the first in-vivo $$T_1$$ measurements of hard tissues at $$B_0<0.1$$  T. The proposed framework broadens the range of pulse sequences feasible in portable low-field MRI and demonstrates the potential of ZTE for quantitative and structural imaging of musculoskeletal tissues in affordable Halbach-based systems.

Spin Hall effect in DCA-based organic microcavities at room temperatre

Organic semiconductors have emerged as promising platforms for room-temperature exciton–polariton physics. However, the optical spin Hall effect (OSHE) has yet to be observed in real space within 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) organic crystals. Here, we report the OSHE in a DCA organic microcavity. The inherent crystalline anisotropy of DCA induces splitting Rashba–Dresselhaus-type photonic spin–orbit coupling in a Fabry–Pérot cavity. Angle-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals a characteristic spin-dependent polarization texture in momentum space. Moreover, near-field optical tomography directly visualizes the transverse spatial separation of oppositely circularly polarized polariton components. These results constitute the first real-space observation of the OSHE in a DCA organic microcavity, highlighting its potential as a platform for room-temperature spin-polaritonic devices.

Development and validation of a radiomics-dosiomics model for predicting radiotherapy response in locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multi-center study

Regrowth-free blue GaN-based photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers with triangular air holes

We report the successful realization of a room-temperature blue GaN photonic crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) diode fabricated using a regrowth-free approach. By employing a square lattice photonic crystal structure with modified triangular air holes, we achieve robust two-dimensional single-mode lasing. The device operates with a threshold current density of 5.2 kA/cm2 and emits a Gaussian-shaped beam with exceptionally low beam divergence, measured at 1.15 mrad (0.066°). Furthermore, the symmetry-breaking nature of the triangular air holes enforces a stable linear polarization perpendicular to the long edge of the triangle. This work demonstrates that high-beam-quality blue PCSELs can be achieved using non-regrowth fabrication processes with simple hole geometry, paving the way for high-performance blue laser sources.

A comparative study of diffusion-based reconstruction frameworks for photoacoustic tomography

Frustrated Brønsted Pairs: A Kind of Highly Active but Neglected Site in HZSM‐5 Zeolite

ABSTRACT Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs) have been well‐established as highly efficient catalytic sites that function through electron transfer from Lewis base to Lewis acid coupled with substrate activation. Inspired by the catalytic mechanism of FLPs, we identify a previously overlooked pattern of frustrated brønsted pairs (FBPs) in HZSM‐5 zeolite, which function via a concerted proton transfer paradigm. This FBP active site comprises two conjugate structures whose interconversion drives swift hydrogen transfer in substrates, thereby enabling the highly efficient catalysis of a variety of hydrogen‐involved reactions and exhibiting unique dynamic behavior. Simulations of the methanol‐to‐hydrocarbons process, including isomerization, addition, decomposition, and substitution reactions, reveal that FBPs can dramatically smooth the free‐energy profile and reduce the energy span by nearly 1.00 eV. This work establishes the novel catalytic pattern of FBPs and uncovers its pivotal role in zeolite catalysis.