Browse Articles

Interfacial Donnan Hydration Funnels in Lignin-Derived Carbon Orchestrate RuNi Synergy for Aldehyde-Assisted Dual-Hydrogen Electrosynthesis

Nature‐Inspired Organic–Inorganic Hybridization Enables High‐Temperature and Multicolor Organic Phosphorescence

ABSTRACT Organic room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has shown diverse practical applications; however, most organic RTP materials exhibit poor thermal resistance, with afterglow vanishing above ambient temperatures. Inspired by robust afterglow in natural minerals, we introduce a general organic–inorganic hybridization strategy that functionally replaces metallic dopants with organic chromophores. Specifically, carboxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are molecularly embedded into the hydroxyapatite ( HAP ) lattice via an in situ co‐precipitation method. The resulting artificial minerals exhibit strong and tunable RTP from organic chromophores with quantum yields of up to 31.1% and afterglow exceeding 10 s. By incorporating carboxylated triphenylamine, TPA‐3COOH , into HAP , the obtained TPA‐3COOH/HAP can even exhibit organic phosphorescence at 500 K. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the HAP lattice not only suppresses triplet nonradiative decay but also promotes the generation of triplet excitons via local electric‐field‐induced charge‐transfer (CT) states and energy traps. This strategy is broadly applicable to various π‐conjugated chromophores, enabling multicolor afterglows. Furthermore, solution‐processable RTP‐active artificial minerals and hydrogels are prepared to demonstrate the potential in UV‐responsive sensing and medical treatment. This work provides a powerful platform for “lighting up” tunable organic RTP in artificial minerals.

Measuring carrier lifetimes of an InGaAs/GaAsSb T2SL using an optical phase-shift technique

An optical phase-shift technique is demonstrated to measure the carrier lifetime of an InGaAs/GaAsSb type-II superlattice as a function of excess carrier density, showing good agreement with time-resolved photoluminescence data at low excitation. At 77 K, the minority-carrier lifetime is 369 ns.

Expertise-driven differences in drummers’ wrist-muscle motor unit behaviour

Structure–Property Relationships to Guide the Selection of Fluorinated Ethers for Li–S Batteries

Interlayer coupling driven by polarization and stacking: A mechanism for tailoring optoelectronic properties in CuInP2S6/AsSBr heterostructures

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric heterostructures serve as an ideal platform for tunable optoelectronic devices, yet the precise regulation mechanism of interlayer coupling on their performance remains unclear. Here, a developed method to systematically investigate the interlayer coupling in CuInP2S6/AsSBr (CIPS/ASB) heterostructures based on first-principles calculations and theoretical calculations is proposed. The interlayer coupling constant K and interlayer coupling strength t are primarily driven by enhanced pz-orbital overlap, and the heterostructures with an S–S interface exhibit stronger coupling, K = ∼23 × 1019 N/m3 and t = ∼0.7 eV, than those with an S–Br interface, K = ∼15 × 1019 N/m3 and t = ∼0.5 eV. We find the tunable coupling by strain governs a spectrum of functional responses: it dictates band alignment transitions between type-I and type-II under strain at ∼4%, modulates interlayer vibrational modes at ultralow frequencies ∼28 cm−1, and switches semiconducting behavior between n-type and p-type to govern the electronic band structure and charge transfer dynamics of heterostructures. Crucially, optimized interlayer coupling in the CIPS(u)/ASB(d) configuration yields exceptional transport properties, achieving a hole mobility of 2990 cm2/V s. Consequently, power conversion efficiency is maximized at 9.25%, demonstrating that polarization- and stacking-engineered interlayer coupling provides a deterministic route to tailor optoelectronic performance. The calculations are consistent with the available evidence, implying that the proposed model could be a general approach to deal with interlayer coupling for designing high performance 2D vdW heterostructures.

Palm oil fuel ash blended cement for solidification stabilization of petroleum sludge and heavy metal immobilization and waste valorization

Anionic Passivation Enables Reconstruction-Free Seawater Electrolysis

Abstract Nonoxide electrocatalysts hold great promise for high-efficiency seawater oxidation, yet their practical application is hindered by the inevitable surface reconstruction and pronounced corrosion under high anodic potentials. Herein, we solve this longstanding challenge by developing a rational anionic ligand passivation strategy that stabilizes phosphide lattices against oxidative degradation while preserving inherent electrocatalytic activity. Leveraging Lewis acid–base interactions, we grow an ultrathin, undercoordinated TiOx overlayer on a FeNiP (FNP) support. This overlayer withdraws electrons from lattice phosphorus, downshifts the P p-band center, and thermodynamically stabilizes the entire anionic sublattice against oxidative leaching. The oxidation-resistant scaffold further enables the anchoring of atomically ordered Ir arrays with a well-defined interatomic spacing of ∼2.8 Å, promoting direct O–O radical coupling via the oxide pathway mechanism and effectively circumventing the corrosive lattice oxygen route. Operando spectroscopy and 18O isotope tracing confirm fully reconstruction-free OER behavior with negligible lattice oxygen participation. The as-developed TiIr@FNP catalyst achieves ultralow overpotentials (only 310 mV at 1 A cm–2), operates stably for over 1200 h in alkaline seawater, and maintains near-unity Faradaic efficiency. The work demonstrates a generalizable strategy for designing durable, high-performance nonoxide anodic electrocatalysts under industrially relevant conditions.

Observation of suppression of Anderson localization of light

In a disordered-medium, light can be localized in the spaces between scattering sites, which represents the optical mean free path (MFP). However, the fundamental question of the smallest MFP that can support Anderson localization of light remains unanswered due to the fabrication complexity of a scattering medium with controlled nanoscale gaps and limited resolution by far-field methods. Here, we use a scanning probe-microscopy technique to collect localized-light created around scattering crystallographic defects in a large variety set of nano-gap III–V films. No localization-length smaller than ∼55 nm (correlated with ∼14.5 nm MFP) is observed at the second-harmonic collection at 390 nm, while a medium with ∼13 nm scattering MFP shows no localization. The results suggest the existence of a general, albeit material and λ-dependent, lower spatial limit to light confinement via Anderson localization, which redraws the boundary of light under extreme disorder and confinement at the nanoscale regime.

Usability and feasibility of Mai 20, a user-centered mHealth App for secondary stroke prevention in China: mixed methods study

Adaptive Fabrication of Porous Crystals through Multiple-Site Noncovalent Conjunction of [1,4]Diazocine-Embedded Three-Dimensionally Concave Nanographenes

Volatile and nonvolatile resistive switching reconfiguration in CeO2-based memristor

The era of big data and the rapid development of artificial intelligence pose urgent demand on reconfigurability of memristive devices. Here, we demonstrate that a Pt/CeO2/V memristor can exhibit both nonvolatile and volatile characteristics through voltage polarity control and operation sequence. Nonvolatile switching is obtained by applying a positive sweep followed by a negative sweep, whereas volatile switching arises from consecutive positive sweeps. Notably, the device shows excellent performance in both operation modes. As a nonvolatile memory, it exhibits low coefficient of variation of set/reset voltage (17%), robust retention time (∼105 s), and stable on/off ratio (∼10). As a volatile memory, it displays low operation voltage (∼0.9 V), ultrahigh uniformity (∼1%), and high selectivity over 102. It is supposed that these behaviors can be attributed to polarity-dependent filament dynamics: negative bias induces filament rupture in the CeO2 layer, while positive bias governs filament formation and rupture in the VOx layer. This study is helpful for the development of CeO2-based memristive devices with configurable functionalities.

Numerical investigation and optimization of structural and operating parameters for cuttings transport in a bidirectional eccentric micro-underreamer

Composition-dependent ferroelectricity in epitaxial AlYN

We report molecular beam epitaxy and ferroelectric properties of Al1-xYxN thin films with Y composition up to x = 41%. Structural characterization reveals that a wurtzite lattice structure is well preserved despite the large lattice distortions induced by increasing Y content. Both the coercive field and remanent polarization show a strong dependence on Y composition. The coercive field varies from 5.5 to 2.8 MV/cm with increasing Y compositions from 10% to 41%, whereas the remanent polarization is reduced from 140 to 70 μC/cm2. These properties are further compared with previously reported AlScN and GaScN. This study establishes AlYN as a tunable ferroelectric ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor for next-generation electronic, photonic, and electromechanical devices.

Deep learning-enhanced graphene metasurface terahertz absorber for real-time multi-gas identification and quantification

Recorded 1.4 kV/1.24 GW/cm2 BFOM AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes grown on Si substrate with fan-shaped AlGaN polarization superjunction

In this work, AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes on silicon (Si) substrates are proposed and fabricated. The proposed devices feature fan-shaped AlGaN polarization field plates (FPs) with a gradient decrease in Al content along the [0001] direction. The resulting negative polarization-induced bulk charges effectively extend the depletion region in the GaN drift layer and homogenize the electric field distribution near both the Schottky contact region and the FP edge. Benefiting from the strong polarization charge-coupling effect enabled by the fan-shaped structures, the electric field can be efficiently modulated while preserving efficient two-dimensional electron gas conduction under forward bias. As a result, the proposed devices achieve a low specific on-resistance (Ron,sp) of ∼1.58 mΩ cm2 together with a high breakdown voltage of ∼1400 V, yielding a recorded Baliga figure of merit of ∼1.24 GW/cm2. Electrical-stress measurements further show a pronounced reduction in dynamic Ron,sp degradation. This confirms that the electron trapping effect is effectively suppressed. These results demonstrate that polarization charge engineering that is combined with fan-shaped FP structures favors a three-dimensional charge-coupling effect. As a result, a highly effective strategy for simultaneously improving static performance and dynamic stability in Si-based GaN power devices has been provided.

Allosteric inhibition of EGFR triple-mutant (L858R/T790M/C797S) in non-small cell lung cancer: an integrative conformational dynamics framework

Revealing and optimizing coherence-driven trade-offs in partially coherent differential imaging

Optical analog computing under partially coherent illumination offers a promising route toward high-speed, low-noise, and interference-robust information processing. However, the role of spatial coherence in optical differentiation has not been fully explored. Here, we demonstrate spatial differential imaging under Gaussian–Schell model illumination and show that the output intensity comprises three distinct contributions: object differentiation, mode differentiation, and cross terms. This decomposition reveals a fundamental coherence-driven trade-off: while reduced coherence suppresses speckle noise to improve edge smoothness, mode differentiation and cross terms introduce an object-dependent structured background that degrades contrast. By quantifying this interplay through theory and experiment, we identify an optimal coherence window (0.6 < μ < 1) that balances edge smoothness and contrast. These results establish a practical guideline for spatial optical differentiation under partially coherent light, advancing robust optical analog computing and imaging applications.

Blood DNA methylation at AMD candidate loci in discordant monozygotic twins

Abstract Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment in older adults, with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to disease risk. Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation, may mediate the effects of environmental exposures on disease-relevant genes, yet their role in AMD remains poorly understood. To investigate blood DNA methylation differences associated with AMD severity, we studied 29 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for AMD from the Finnish Twin Cohort. This design controls for genetic background, sex, age, and shared early-life environment. Genome-wide DNA methylation was measured in whole blood using the Illumina HumanMethylation EPIC BeadChip. Analyses were restricted to 263 AMD candidate genes identified through prior genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic studies. Of 9,694 analyzed CpG sites, one site within ESYT1 reached statistical significance after multiple testing correction, but the corresponding methylation difference was below our predefined threshold for biological relevance. No CpG sites met both statistical and biological significance criteria. These findings do not provide evidence for large, systemic DNA methylation differences in peripheral blood at established AMD loci, though subtle effects below the detection limit of the current sample size cannot be excluded.

Physics-constrained autofocus in fiber-coupled single-pixel microscopy

Most existing reconstruction-free autofocus methods in single-pixel imaging (SPI) are designed for global focus assessment, whereas many applications require target-selective focusing on designated targets of interest. Addressing the limitations of image-feature-dependent methods, we present a physics-constrained autofocus framework for fiber-coupled SPI. This approach explicitly constrains autofocus with a diffraction-limited, defocus-dependent point spread function evolution model in the measurement domain, so the focus search follows physically admissible energy redistribution rather than scene-dependent sharpness surrogates. By enforcing L1 normalization to ensure energy conservation and exploiting the analytic scaling laws of intensity distribution, we effectively decouple illumination fluctuations from physical defocus blur. Subsequently, the L2 norm is identified as the optimal metric to quantify energy concentration due to its superior peak sensitivity. The focal position is determined directly without image reconstruction. Simulations confirm that the L2 metric yields the narrowest response bandwidth, minimizing focus bias. Experimental validation on resolution targets and biological samples demonstrates exceptional robustness, where precise focal plane determination is achieved even at an extreme sampling rate of 1%. This data-efficient approach offers a robust solution for SPI focusing tasks targeting individual points of interest.