Browse Articles

Atroposelective Dearomative Cross‐Coupling of Benzofuran Derivatives by Z‐Selective Functionalization of the Vinyl C─O Bond

ABSTRACT Catalytic asymmetric transformation of benzofuran derivatives has received significant attention owing to its capacity to prepare chiral molecules from readily available feedstocks. Herein, an unprecedented asymmetric cross‐coupling of benzofuran derivatives is reported for the construction of axial chirality. Employing a chiral nickel catalyst, this approach is achieved through direct enantio‐ and Z‐selective dearomative functionalization of the vinyl C─O bond, providing efficient access to valuable atropisomeric acyclic alkenes. A broad substrate scope is demonstrated under mild conditions. Moreover, experimental and theoretical mechanistic studies suggest that the stereochemical outcome is facilitated by a dynamic epimerization between diastereomeric six‐membered ( Z )‐styryl‐nickelacycle intermediates.

Simultaneous Enhancement of Charge Transport and Stretchability for IDTBT Polymer Semiconductor via Partial Substitution of Long Alkyl Chains With Cyclopentyl Groups

ABSTRACT Polymer semiconductors that simultaneously exhibit high charge mobility and robust mechanical stretchability are essential for the next generation of flexible electronics. Here, we report a new poly(indacenodithiophene‐ alt ‐benzothiadiazole) ( IDTBT ) based polymer semiconductor, IDTBT‐C‐1 , in which a fraction of the long alkyl chains are replaced with cyclopentyl groups, exhibiting a hole mobility of 6.01 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , among the highest reported for intrinsically stretchable polymer semiconductors to date, and substantially higher than that of the parent IDTBT (1.39 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ). Notably, the charge transport performance of IDTBT‐C‐1 remains highly stable even after 3000 stretching‐releasing cycles at 50% strain. Moreover, relative to the parent IDTBT , IDTBT‐C‐1 exhibits a higher onset strain for surface damage, an increased elastic modulus, and enhanced strain recovery. Further studies reveal that substitution with a cyclopentyl group strengthens interchain interactions among conjugated units. These reinforced interactions facilitate interchain charge hopping, leading to enhanced mobility, while simultaneously promoting the formation of additional physical cross‐links that impart superior mechanical stretchability and elastic recovery to IDTBT‐C‐1 thin films.

Outside Back Cover: Selective Synthesis of [2]Rotaxane Orientational Isomers With Precisely Arranged Luminogens: Toward Orientation‐Dependent Emissions for Information Storage and Encryption (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 33/2026)

Coordination‐Engineered Interfacial Pathway Partitioning for Electrocatalytic CO ₂ Conversion and Downstream Upgrading

ABSTRACT Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (eCO 2 RR) is increasingly capable of delivering downstream‐compatible carbon products, yet the interfacial origin of pathway selection remains insufficiently understood. Here, coordination‐environment‐tunable Cu–Sn catalysts are employed to partition CO 2 electrosynthesis between a Sn‐centered formate‐selective pathway and a Cu‐centered CO‐selective pathway. In situ spectroscopy reveals coordination‐dependent evolution of adsorbed intermediate and interfacial water structures, while H/D kinetic isotope analysis and in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy‐distribution of relaxation times (EIS‐DRT) measurements resolve distinct proton‐coupled and polarization‐sensitive kinetic regimes. Density functional theory calculations further elucidate the energetic origin of pathway bifurcation through coordination‐dependent reconstruction of adsorption geometry and interfacial energetics. Sn‐centered medium‐coordination regimes favor oxygen‐bound intermediates and a proton‐coupled formate pathway, whereas Cu‐centered medium‐coordination regimes promote carbon‐bound adsorption and CO‐selective reactivity. In the downstream modules, electrodialysis achieves a 98.1% HCOOK‐to‐HCOOH conversion with 93.97% Faradaic efficiency (FE) at 300 mA cm −2 , while CO 2 ‐NH 3 route delivers formamide with a maximum FE of 45.2% and a production rate of 840 µmol cm −2 h −1 . This work establishes coordination‐engineered interfacial partitioning as a strategy for integrated CO 2 electrosynthesis with downstream upgrading.

Ultrasound‐Driven Interfacial Electron Modulation Reprograms Mitochondrial Metabolism for Glioblastoma Therapy

ABSTRACT Glioblastoma (GBM) remains difficult to treat because the restrictive blood–brain barrier (BBB), the hypoxic tumor microenvironments, and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC)‐driven metabolic adaptability jointly limit therapeutic delivery and efficacy. Selective disruption of mitochondrial metabolism in GBM is challenging because ETC function is also essential for normal brain cells, and many therapeutic agents show limited BBB penetration or reduced activity under oxygen‐limited conditions. Here, we report Ni/LDH@M, an ultrasound‐responsive biomimetic Schottky nanoplatform assembled from nickel nanosheets and layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets and cloaked with GL261 glioma cell membranes to enable homotypic recognition and accumulation in orthotopic glioma. Upon ultrasound irradiation, Ni/LDH@M drives carbon monoxide (CO) generation through interfacial electron modulation, and the generated CO inhibits mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, disrupts ETC electron transfer, and induces mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD). In mice bearing orthotopic GL261 gliomas, ultrasound‐activated Ni/LDH@M suppressed tumor progression and prolonged survival, showing that controlled CO generation can reprogram tumor‐cell mitochondrial metabolism for GBM therapy.

Coordination Engineering of Ir─Mo Atomic Pair Sites to Break Scaling Limitations for Acidic Oxygen Evolution

ABSTRACT Coordination engineering of single‐atom catalysts (SACs) is a powerful strategy to address durability and activity challenges in the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, we obtain two distinct Ir single‐atom configurations on MoO 3 support by regulating the second‐shell coordination environment. Compared with the weakly interacting Ir─O─Mo structure, atomic pair sites formed through direct Ir─Mo coordination exhibit strong electronic coupling with the support, thereby enhancing atomic dispersion and structural stability. In situ experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the Ir─Mo pair sites trigger a new oxide‐mediated pathway, in which dynamic hydroxyl spillover from Mo to Ir site effectively facilitates *OOH formation. This process breaks the linear scaling relationship between *OH and *OOH adsorption, lowering the energy barrier of the rate‐limiting step and enabling superior OER kinetics. As a result, the Ir O+Mo /MoO 3 catalyst achieves outstanding stability for over 1500 h at 10 mA cm −2 in acidic electrolyte and sustains continuous operation for 300 h at 1.0 A cm −2 in the proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer. This work provides novel insights into the coordination engineering of SACs and opens a promising avenue for overcoming scaling limitations in acidic OER catalysis.

Electrolyte Design for Fast‐Charging Lithium‐Based Batteries

ABSTRACT Fast charging is essential for the widespread adoption of lithium (Li)‐ion batteries, but it is fundamentally limited by sluggish interfacial kinetics, Li plating, and electrolyte instability at high current densities. Over the past decade, electrolyte engineering has emerged as a key strategy to address these challenges. This review summarizes the development of fast‐charging electrolytes over the past ten years and outlines a design framework. Electrolyte formulations are first deconstructed into their main components—solvents, salts, and functional additives—and representative strategies for tuning solvation structure and interphase chemistry are discussed to suppress Li plating and improve interfacial kinetics. The discussion then extends to advanced electrolyte systems, particularly localized high‐concentration electrolytes (LHCEs), and their compatibility with different anode chemistries. Advanced characterization techniques are also summarized and categorized based on destructiveness, spatial and temporal resolution, quantitative analysis, and the chemical species or processes probed across multiple length scales. Recent progress in AI‐enabled electrolyte discovery and battery management system (BMS) strategies for optimized fast‐charging protocols is further highlighted. Finally, perspectives are presented on translating electrolyte innovations from academic research to practical applications, with emphasis on cell format, realistic operating conditions, and manufacturability.

Bridging the Gap to Practical Aqueous Zinc–Iodine Batteries: Advanced Hydrogel Electrolytes via Interfacial Chemistry and Architectural Engineering

ABSTRACT Aqueous zinc–iodine (Zn–I 2 ) batteries are promising for grid‐scale storage and flexible electronics because of their nonflammable chemistry, low cost, and high theoretical capacity. Their deployment, however, is limited by uneven Zn deposition, water‐driven hydrogen evolution and corrosion, and polyiodide shuttling. Functional hydrogel electrolytes can regulate these coupled processes through solvent confinement, ion‐selective transport, and mechanically persistent electrode contact. This review critically examines recent advances in hydrogel electrolytes for Zn–I 2 batteries from interfacial chemistry to architectural engineering. Distinct from broader hydrogel reviews for aqueous Zn batteries, it focuses on the chemically asymmetric coupling between a water‐reactive Zn anode and a soluble polyiodide cathode and organizes the field through a structure–mechanism–performance framework that links molecular affinity, fixed charge, and water‐state regulation to measurable interfacial parameters, spatially decoupled architectures, and scale‐relevant device metrics. We analyze dual‐interface regulation across solvation and nucleation, polyiodide confinement, tortuosity control, and asymmetric/Janus structures. Broad‐temperature and voltage‐tolerant operation, together with self‐healing, self‐sensing, and biosensing functions, is also evaluated. Finally, we distinguish materials‐level evidence from pouch‐ and Ah‐level validation and propose an application‐specific roadmap centered on high iodine loading, lean electrolyte, limited Zn inventory, water retention, and scalable manufacturing.

Nonvolatile Electrical Control of Spin‐Polarized Tunneling via Sublattice‐Asymmetric Interfacial Magnetoelectric Coupling

ABSTRACT Achieving nonvolatile, all‐electric control of spin‐dependent transport properties remains a fundamental challenge in spintronics. Here, we demonstrate nonvolatile electric‐field‐driven control of spin‐polarized tunneling in a multiferroic tunnel junction based on a compensated CoGd ferrimagnet. By switching the ferroelectric polarization, we achieve a clear sign inversion of the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), clearly indicating the all‐electric control of the spin‐polarized tunneling. Crucially, the opposite polarity of the TMR sign switching observed above and below the magnetic compensation temperature unambiguously proves that this behavior is intrinsically tied to ferrimagnetism. This phenomenon is governed by a synergistic mechanism: the electric field disparately modulates the antiferromagnetically coupled sublattices while simultaneously driving an interfacial electronic reconstruction that inverts the spin polarization at the Fermi level. Exploiting this intrinsic sublattice asymmetry in ferrimagnets elegantly circumvents traditional magnetic switching paradigms, establishing a framework for next‐generation spintronic architectures.

Dual‐Binder‐Enabled 18‐µm‐Thick High‐Conductivity Sulfide Electrolyte Film for High‐Energy‐Density All‐Solid‐State Batteries

ABSTRACT The development of ultrathin, high ionic conductivity sulfide solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) film is essential for achieving high‐energy‐density all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs). However, conventional chemically inert binders inevitably impede Li‐ion transport kinetics within SSE films, and the underlying Li‐ion transport mechanisms remain elusive. In this work, we report an Li‐ion‐conductive polymer binder (LiTFSI‐PMEMA) and integrate it with SSEs via dry processing to fabricate an ultrathin SSE film (USF). The resulting USF is only 18 µm thick and exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 1.56 mS cm ‒1 . By combining cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo‐TEM), solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR), and theoretical simulations, we propose an Li + transport model in which the SSE phase provides the dominant conduction pathway, while the polymer binder and SSEs/polymer contact regions can assist local Li + transport continuity between neighboring SSE particles. When implemented in ASSBs, the USF exhibits exceptional interfacial compatibility and kinetic stability, enabling a long‐term cycling life with 70.3% capacity retention over 1500 cycles. Furthermore, a LiNi 0.7 Co 0.2 Mn 0.1 O 2 ||USF||nSi pouch cell delivers a high stack‐level energy density of 322.7 Wh kg ‒1 . This work provides crucial insights into the multiphase Li‐ion transport kinetics and demonstrates a scalable manufacturing strategy for sulfide‐based ASSBs.

Closed‐Loop Solid‐State Synthesis Planning for Materials Discovery With Large Language Models

ABSTRACT Developing reliable synthesis routes for complex materials remains a major bottleneck in accelerating materials discovery. This study establishes a large language model‐based framework for predicting and optimizing synthesis conditions directly from the literature data. Key synthesis information, including target compounds, precursors, and processing parameters, was systematically extracted from 4407 open‐access solid‐state synthesis papers and organized into a structured recipe dataset. Using a retrieval‐augmented generation (RAG) approach, the system first retrieves similar recipes from the corpus and then generates a new candidate recipe conditioned on those exemplars. The generated recipes were benchmarked against literature data using quantitative scoring metrics, achieving strong agreement with experimentally reported conditions. To validate the predictive capability, the framework was applied to unreported solid‐state electrolyte candidates identified through first‐principles screening, and multiple oxy‐selenide compounds were successfully synthesized through iterative feedback between the model and experiment. The recipe generator accurately refined synthesis parameters over successive trials, demonstrating its ability to reproduce phase‐pure products while minimizing trial‐and‐error. This approach establishes a data‐driven, feedback‐optimized route to accelerate synthesis design, offering a generalizable paradigm for integrating language models into experimental materials research.

Intracellular Proton Enrichment Drives Unified Dual‐Cofactor Regeneration for Biohybrid CO ₂ Fixation

ABSTRACT Photocatalytic biohybrid systems, which interface photosensitizers with whole‐cell biocatalysts, represent a platform for sustainable solar‐to‐chemical CO 2 conversion. However, their efficiency is fundamentally constrained by kinetic mismatch between sluggish transmembrane electron injection and uncoupled proton flux required for bioenergetic transduction. This uncoupling restricts the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), the dual cofactors essential for driving carbon fixation pathways. Here, we introduce a proton enrichment strategy utilizing protonated manganese‐doped carbon dots (HMnCDs) that function simultaneously as reversible proton buffers and photoelectron donors. HMnCDs localize to the periplasm of Cupriavidus necato r H16, where their labile protons reinforce the transmembrane proton gradient driving ATP synthase. Concurrently, cytoplasmic HMnCDs facilitate proton‐coupled electron transfer, accelerating NADH photoregeneration. The concerted management of proton and electron fluxes decouples ATP generation from respiratory NADH oxidation, creating a synergistic cofactor supply even under electron transport chain inhibition. Consequently, the biohybrid achieves light‐driven autotrophic growth and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) biosynthesis from CO 2 , attaining a record quantum efficiency of 20.8%. Multi‐omics analyses reveal global metabolic reprogramming, including upregulated carbon fixation pathways and adaptive modulation of energy homeostasis under the proton‐enriched microenvironment. This work establishes proton enrichment as a generalizable design principle for coupling photochemistry with cellular bioenergetics.

Trace Aqueous Humor Proteome via Macroporous MOF Platform Reveals High‐Resolution Molecular Phenotypes of Diabetic Macular Edema

ABSTRACT Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of vision impairment worldwide. While aqueous humor (AH) proteomics holds promise for uncovering disease mechanisms and biomarkers, its proteome coverage has been constrained by limited sample volume and low protein concentration. Here, we present quaternary lanthanide‐based macroporous metal–organic frameworks to enrich AH proteins and a corresponding streamline for ultrasensitive trace aqueous humor proteome (TAHP). TAHP permits end‐to‐end sample‐to‐result analysis in <4 h and quantifies >3300 proteins from merely just 1 µL AH. Applied to cataract ( n = 31) and DME ( n = 52) clinical cohorts, TAHP delineated DME molecular landscape and uncovered proteomic signatures of pathological angiogenesis, amplified inflammatory signaling, and compromised antioxidant defenses. By integrating machine learning, we prioritized PAFAH2 as a high‐performance single biomarker for DME stratification (AUC = 0.98 ± 0.02). TAHP enables rapid, robust and deep AH proteomics, offering a broadly accessible platform to decipher proteome atlas across fundus diseases not limited to DME.

Self‐Growing Conductive Hydrogels Establish Volumetric Biointerfaces for Cardiac Conduction Restoration

ABSTRACT Restoring three‐dimensional electrical conduction in infarcted myocardium remains a critical challenge, as conventional conductive hydrogel patches largely remain surface‐confined and prevent electrical coupling of residual cardiomyocytes within fibrotic scars. Here, we present a self‐growing conductive volumetric interface (SCOVE) that transforms surface‐confined biointerfaces into tissue‐integrated, three‐dimensional conductive networks. SCOVE is delivered as an injectable hydrogel precursor containing the tissue‐permeable conductive monomer 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene‐acetic acid sodium salt (ETE), which rapidly infiltrates infarcted myocardium and undergoes endogenous glucose‐triggered oxidative polymerization to self‐grow a conductive polyETE network in situ. The resulting hydrogel gels within 1 min, reaches cardiac‐mimetic conductivity (∼1 S m − 1 ) within 45 min, and preserves native myocardial mechanics without inducing tissue stiffening. In a rat myocardial infarction model, SCOVE penetrates the infarct, reduces scar resistivity by 2.54‐fold compared with conventional 2D conductive patches, restores electrical coupling among residual cardiomyocytes, enhances Cx43 expression, and accelerates impulse propagation. By replacing static, surface‐confined conductive patches with self‐growing volumetric biointerfaces, this work establishes a generalizable strategy for reconstructing tissue electrophysiology and advancing bioelectronic therapies for myocardial infarction and other electrically dysfunctional tissues.

Waterborne Interfacial‐Reinforcement Strategy for Sustainable Natural Rubber Latex Bioelastomers With Self‐Healing, Crack Tolerance, and Multifunctional Durability

ABSTRACT Developing bio‐based elastomers that combine mechanical robustness, crack tolerance, self‐healing, and functional durability remains challenging. Here, we report a waterborne interfacial reinforcement and functionalization strategy to construct multifunctional natural rubber latex (NRL)‐based bioelastomers. Ammonium persulfate (APS)‐assisted treatment promotes interfacial coupling between NRL chains and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), establishing nanofiber‐mediated load‐transfer and energy‐dissipation pathways. ZnO nanoparticles introduce inorganic physical junctions that regulate interfacial stress transfer while providing UV shielding and antibacterial activity. The optimized NRL‐g‐CNF/ZnO composite exhibits a tensile strength of 9.68 MPa, toughness of 15.30 MJ·m −3 , and efficient room‐temperature self‐healing, with tensile strength and toughness recovery of 96.9% and 92.8% after 48 h, respectively. The composite also shows pronounced crack tolerance, including a fracture energy of 32.5 kJ·m −2 and stable deformation of notched samples, together with improved short‐term mechanical retention under the specified UV‐aging conditions, antibacterial activity, a measurable soil‐burial response, and preliminary cytocompatibility. This simple casting‐based strategy provides a potentially scalable route to multifunctional bioelastomers with potential for selected packaging applications, protective coatings, antibacterial/UV‐shielding films, and non‐implantable flexible materials.

Intrinsic Defect‐Induced Exotic Polarization Waves in Van der Waals Layered Topological Insulators

ABSTRACT The engineering of inversion symmetry breaking in 2D materials, for example via interlayer twist‐angle control, has initiated the ‘2D age’ due to its transformation on the landscape of fundamental research and technological advances. The typical paradigms include nonlinear optical response, topological polar vortices, superconductivity, etc. In parallel, intrinsic structural defects induced inversion symmetry breaking also serves as a lever to create emerging physical phenomena. Here, we report on discovery of antisite defects induced exotic polarization waves in bismuth telluride (Bi 2 ) m (Bi 2 Te 3 ) n topological insulator thin films by using atomic‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Despite weak van der Waals (vdW) bonding, driven by stochastic antisite defects, a quasi‐cycloidal polarization order is observed along normal direction of the vdW interface in Bi 2 Te 3 phase. As metallic Bi‐Bi bilayer is replaced by Bi‐Te bilayer via regular Te Bi antisite defect, hyperbolic polarization waves are observed at septuple layers (SLs) of the Bi 8 Te 9 phase. Our first‐principles calculations reveal that the face‐shared unusual packing of acentric octahedral units and insufficient carrier screening are responsible for the polar metal states. Our findings provide a new degree of freedom to manipulate the physical properties of topological insulators (TIs) and their future device application.

Activating π‐Electron Conjugated Networks of Self‐Assembled Multilayers for 21.1% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells

ABSTRACT Self‐assembled monolayers suffer from the insufficient electrical conductivity, stemming from their ultrathin nature and disordered molecular orientation. Here we report a π‐skeleton unit of 3,6‐dibenzothiophen‐9 H ‐carbazol to building a self‐assembled multilayer (SAMUL) that exhibits superior carrier transport and outstanding resistance to external stimuli. The π‐expanded skeleton effectively enhanced the molecular crystallinity and face‐on orientation, which successfully activated a large π‐electron conjugated network within SAMULs. This conjugated network structure greatly broadens the delocalization region of free radicals, which not only significantly enhances the electrical conductance and hole‐transporting capability, but also reinforces the photochemical stability. Consequently, a record‐high efficiency of 21.13% (certified as 20.77%) with a notable fill factor of 83.48% was achieved for binary organic solar cells. This work provides a new inspiration for the molecular skeleton design in organic electronics.

Selection and learning shape communication networks in the dog brain

Over tens of thousands of years of coevolution with humans, dogs have developed exceptional communicative abilities through both inherited adaptations and individual learning. Using diffusion MRI tractography in 108 dogs (50 males and 58 females), we disentangled how long-term selection and short-term training shape the neural architecture of communication. Comparing modern breeds to premodern dogs revealed that selective breeding for close interaction with humans has rewired communication-related networks, increasing hemispheric asymmetry and altering temporal and associative connectivity involved in vocal and lexical processing. In contrast, training induced localized plasticity: trained and released service dogs differed in sensorimotor and associative pathways supporting cue interpretation and response execution. Connectivity strength further predicted trainability, with higher behavioral scores linked to stronger cortical but weaker medial geniculate connections. Notably, trained dogs showed enhanced coupling between vocal premotor and secondary auditory regions associated with receptive vocabulary. Thus, the dog brain’s communicative capacity reflects selection and experience acting across evolutionary and individual timescales. Significance Statement Dogs provide a unique model for understanding how human influence shapes brain communication systems across evolutionary and individual timescales. Here, we show that artificial selection and training leave dissociable signatures in the dog brain. Selective breeding for human-oriented roles is associated with broad changes in hemispheric asymmetry and communication-related connectivity, especially within temporal and associative networks. In contrast, intensive service-dog training is linked to more localized reconfiguration of sensorimotor and auditory–premotor pathways involved in interpreting cues and executing responses. Connectivity strength also predicts trainability across dogs. These findings suggest that canine communicative abilities emerge from the combined effects of inherited selection pressures and lifetime learning, revealing how experience and evolution jointly shape neural networks supporting interspecies communication.

Pupil size dynamics predict momentary changes in self-reported arousal

Subjective arousal, or feelings of activation and alertness, can dynamically modulate affect, behavior, and cognition. Momentary changes in subjective arousal have typically been assessed with self-report in humans, which may alter those very feelings. Although researchers have traditionally used pupil size as a physiological index of arousal, links between pupil dynamics and momentary changes in subjective arousal remain unclear. Here, we combined continuous pupillometry with repeated self-report probes of changing arousal as individuals engaged in a modified Monetary Incentive Delay task. Across Virtual Reality (N = 28; 12 females, 16 males) and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (N = 27; 15 females, 12 males) studies, tonic and phasic pupil measures jointly predicted subsequent self-reported arousal beyond stated incentive value and at a temporal lag of approximately 1.5–3.5 seconds. Neural activity associated with pupil dynamics further predicted pupil size, self-reported arousal, and behavioral motivation in held-out data. Together, these convergent findings establish pupil size as a temporally-precise marker of momentary fluctuations in self-reported arousal. Significance Statement Subjective feelings of arousal can critically shape people’s subsequent thoughts and behavior, yet tracking its continuous fluctuations remains challenging. Here, we investigated the association of pupil size with momentary changes in self-reported arousal. Across virtual reality and FMRI studies, we demonstrate that pupil size robustly predicts subsequent self-reported arousal with a specific lag of 1.5–3.5 seconds. We further dissociate these dynamics into separable tonic and phasic pupil components that reflect changes in arousal over different timescales. Crucially, neural activity driving these pupil dynamics also predicted self-reported arousal. These findings establish pupil size as a temporally precise index of momentary changes in self-reported arousal, linking physiological changes to affective experience.

Inhibition and Formation of Amyloid Fibrils in the Bulk and at the Interface of Biomolecular Condensates

ABSTRACT Cells can form open compartments, known as biomolecular condensates, which possess distinct environments and concentrations compared to their surroundings. These biomolecular condensates can modulate biochemical processes, including protein aggregation. Notably, they have been reported to both accelerate and inhibit protein aggregation. Since protein aggregation is often associated with pathological conditions like neurodegenerative diseases, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between phase separation and fibril formation. In this review, we discuss how, contrary to intuition, aggregation within the bulk of condensates can be inhibited rather than promoted, even in the presence of elevated local protein concentration. However, biomolecular condensates can still facilitate fibril formation by generating an interface between the dense and dilute phases, where molecular and mesoscale properties are optimal for the nucleation of protein aggregation.