Browse Articles

<i>In situ</i> construction of porous ZnO layer with more exposed (002) polar facets toward long-cycling zinc metal anodes

The presence of high theoretical capacity, superior safety, and cost-effectiveness makes aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) an attractive option for various applications. However, the extensive growth of dendrites on zinc anodes in aqueous electrolytes has impeded the further commercialization of AZIBs. The formation of dendrites serves as a primary driver for substantial side reactions, including hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and the emergence of a passivation layer, thereby compromising batteries during cycling. In this study, we fabricated a modified zinc anode (p-ZnO@Zn), which is protected by porous ZnO (p-ZnO) layer featuring more exposed (002) polar facets, through a simple one-step chemical vapor process. The presence of p-ZnO physically isolates the direct exposure of the zinc foil to the electrolyte, significantly mitigating the hydrogen evolution reactions. Moreover, p-ZnO with more exposed (002) polar facets promotes oriented deposition of Zn (002), while its high affinity for zinc balances the electric field across the zinc electrode surface. This uniform plating reduces the nucleation and growth of zinc dendrites. Additionally, the porous structure of p-ZnO provides more sites and channels for zinc-ion deposition. When applying a current density of 5 mA cm−2, the p-ZnO@Zn symmetric cell exhibited prolonged cycling performance lasting 2900 h. With MnO2 as the positive electrode, the assembled MnO2//p-ZnO@Zn full batteries and soft-pack batteries provide excellent rate capability and cycle stability. Consequently, the p-ZnO@Zn significantly enhances the cycle life of AZIBs and offers potential for their commercialization.

A comprehensive database for high-throughput identification of archaeal lipids using high-resolution mass spectrometry

In situ nanoscale insights into the piezoresponse in ferroelectric composite fiber

PVDF-based nanocomposites with robust piezoelectric response have attracted significant attention, yet a full understanding of the molecular-level interactions between PVDF and nanofillers remains challenging. In this work, using carbon nanotube (CNT)-doped PVDF fibers as a representative composite system, we investigated the in situ nanoscale piezoresponse and the interface behavior between the PVDF matrix and CNT nanofillers through a combination of piezoresponse force microscopy and atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR). Taking advantage of the nanoscale resolution of AFM-IR, a characteristic peak shift, providing direct evidence of the CH–π interaction between CNTs and PVDF, was revealed. Moreover, the distribution of the β-phase content in a single fiber was obtained through AFM-IR chemical mapping. A concentration-dependent polarization of PVDF by CNTs was clearly observed, which provided insight into the nanoscale dipole alignment and phase construction in PVDF-based nanocomposites. In this work, a direct in situ nanoscale analysis of the interfaces in PVDF-based nanocomposites was conducted, opening avenues for designing nanocomposites with improved performance.

Intrinsic resistance to RAS inhibitors is driven by dysregulation of KRAS degradation

A perspective on inelastic light scattering spectroscopy for probing transport of collective acoustic excitations

Understanding and manipulating nanoscale energy transport and conversion processes are essential for diverse applications, ranging from thermoelectrics and energy harvesting to thermal management of microelectronics. While it has long been recognized that acoustic and thermal properties in condensed matter are primarily due to microscopic transport of phonons as quasiparticles, probing thermal acoustic excitations particularly at subterahertz remains a challenge primarily due to limitations in experimental techniques with spatiotemporal resolutions pertinent to probing them. Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and its variant, impulsive stimulated scattering (ISS), provide access to these thermal acoustic excitations, enabling measurement of quantities such as acoustic dispersions along with relaxation dynamics occurring in ultrasonic as well as hypersonic frequencies. In this Perspective, we provide a brief overview of the operational principles of BLS and ISS and highlight their applications for probing acoustic, thermal, and magnetic excitations in emerging low-dimensional materials. We conclude by discussing current challenges and future opportunities for advanced material characterization using Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy techniques.

αPD-1-conjugated acid-cleavable nanodrugs overcomes cellular immunotherapy barriers in pancreatic tumors

Low-stress MOCVD-grown 15 μm GaN layers on 200 mm engineered substrates with minimal wafer bow

Gallium nitride is increasingly recognized as a leading material for power and radio frequency applications, due to its unique electronic properties. However, the phenomenon of wafer bow and warpage during GaN growth on heterogeneous substrates presents significant challenges for vertical-type GaN devices with increasing drift layer thickness (for high voltage applications, 1200 V and above) and substrate diameters scaling to 200 mm. In this study, we introduce a growth scheme in the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of GaN on 200 mm “engineered” substrates from Qromis substrate technology, specifically to minimize the wafer bow for vertical GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors featuring an 11.5 μm-thick drift layer, with an overall GaN stack of ∼15 μm. By systematically reducing the pressure during the growth of unintentionally doped GaN from 300 to 150 mbar on an Al0.3Ga0.7N buffer layer, the tensile stress induced during cooldown could be effectively compensated. This yields an overall low residual stress of the thick ∼15 μm epitaxially grown GaN layers on the engineered Qromis substrate technology® substrate.

Organ-specific delivery of an mRNA-encoded bispecific T cell engager targeting glypican-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Exploring the aluminium paradox in calcium-aluminosilicate-hydrate decalcification

Hydroxylamine Cation as B‐Site with Radius and Dipole Moment Modulation for Metal‐Free Halide Perovskite to Enhance X‐ray Detection Performance

Abstract Nowadays, metal‐free halide perovskites (MFHPs) with good structural tunability, biocompatibility, and light weight have been studied in the X‐ray field. Unlike the strong ionic bonds in metal halide perovskites, weak hydrogen bonds play a significant role in the stability and performance of MFHPs. However, as a critical component in the formation of hydrogen‐bond networks, the B‐site cation (NH 4 + ) exhibits spatial, geometric, and symmetry conflicts with the octahedral framework, constraining the viable material and structure compositions in MFHPs. In this study, the NH 3 OH + cation with larger radius and dipole moment is successfully incorporated into MFHPs to explore the functional mechanisms of B‐site design. Theoretical simulations and experiments reveal that the NH 3 OH + cation can regulate octahedral composition and structural dimensionality of MFHPs, thereby optimizing bandgap and carrier transport capacity. Importantly, hydroxyl groups in NH 3 OH + can increase hydrogen‐bond sites and strength, reinforcing the hydrogen‐bond networks to stabilize the lattice structure and inhibit ion migration, thereby optimizing the device stability. Finally, the designed DABCO‐NH 3 OHCl 3 detector exhibited exceptional stability and sensitivity (1460 µC Gy air −1 cm −2 at 200 V bias) under prolonged X‐ray irradiation, achieving ultralow dark current drift (1.86 × 10 −7 nA cm −1 V −1 s −1 ). Hence, the reported NH 3 OH + cation will offer design guidelines for future MFHPs optimization.

Biomimetic fractal topography enhances podocyte maturation in vitro

Frontispiece: A General Strategy to Develop Intramolecular Spirocyclic Boron Dipyrromethene Fluorophores for Self‐Blinking Super‐Resolution Imaging

Multicenter study on the versatility and adoption of AI-driven automated radiotherapy planning across cancer types

“Noninnate” Ring‐Opening Polymerization: Palladium‐Catalyzed Stereoselective 1,4‐Polymerization of Alkynylcyclopropanes

Abstract In ring‐opening polymerization (ROP), main‐chain connectivity is largely dictated by the inherent electronic and steric properties of the monomer. As a result, even when different polymerization mechanisms are employed, the same backbone structure is obtained. Here, we report catalyst‐controlled, noninnate connectivity in the ROP of alkynylcyclopropane dicarboxylates (ACPs). Leveraging π‐propargyl palladium intermediates, we redirect the reactivity from the electronically favored 1,5‐addition to a noninnate 1,4‐addition pathway, furnishing a conjugated diene‐based backbone with high regio‐ and stereoselectivity. The polymerization exhibits controlled characteristics under optimized conditions. Combined experimental and computational studies reveal that a strategically positioned quaternary carbon center enforces high configurational rigidity in the organopalladium intermediate, thereby suppressing undesired cyclization and enabling rapid, stereospecific β‐hydride elimination. This work demonstrates overriding the innate connectivity in ROP by precisely controlling the fate of organometallic intermediates.

A cholesterol-responsive hepatic tRNA-derived small RNA regulates cholesterol homeostasis and atherosclerosis development

Abstract Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have emerged as crucial players in diverse biological processes. Yet, their involvement in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease remains elusive. Using an advanced PANDORA-seq method, we identify tsRNA-Glu-CTC as the most abundant tsRNA in mouse liver. Intriguingly, tsRNA-Glu-CTC is cholesterol responsive. Overexpression of tsRNA-Glu-CTC elicits hypercholesterolemia and hepatic steatosis, whereas its knockdown protects against diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in mice. Mechanistically, tsRNA-Glu-CTC regulates key hepatic lipogenic genes including Srebp2 , a master regulator of lipid metabolism. tsRNA-Glu-CTC interacts with SREBP2 to regulate its own transcription through an E-box motif. We further identify site-specific RNA modifications of endogenous tsRNA-Glu-CTC by a mass spectrometry-based MLC-seq and demonstrate the modified tsRNA-Glu-CTC as a more potent regulator of cholesterol homeostasis compared to its unmodified synthetic counterpart. Collectively, our study reveals an important role of a liver-enriched tsRNA in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health, opening new therapeutic avenues for cardiometabolic disease.

Comprehensive discovery of m6A sites in the human transcriptome at single-molecule resolution

Dynamic Kinetic Resolution Polymerization: Synthesis of Chiral Polythioesters from Racemic Monomers

Abstract Chiral polymers are fundamentally important and interesting in nature and scientific research. For the preparation of chiral polymers, the standard kinetic resolution polymerization (KRP) of racemic monomers could only afford a 50% yield of chiral polymers with 50% unreacted monomer leftover. In this contribution, we have developed a dynamic kinetic resolution polymerization (DKRP) strategy to synthesize chiral polymers with complete conversion and improved isoselectivity from racemic monomers. A “Lewis acid/base‐SalBinamAl” catalytic system was employed to achieve efficient DKRP of thiolactones with full monomer conversion and allowed access to chiral polythioesters with perfectly isotacticities ( P m up to 0.99). The formation of chiral polythioesters was confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy and optical rotation testing. Detailed kinetic investigation supported a DKRP mechanism. This work represented the very first example of dynamic kinetic resolution ring‐opening polymerization and could provide a new conceptual strategy to guide and inspire the synthesis of chiral polymers from racemic monomers.

Strongly anharmonic flux-tunable transmon based on InAs-Al 2D heterostructure

Abstract The gatemon qubits, made of transparent superconducting-semiconducting Josephson junctions, typically have even weaker anharmonicity than the opaque AlOx-junction transmons. However, flux-frustrated gatemons can acquire a much stronger anharmonicity, originating from the interference of the higher-order harmonics of the supercurrent. Here we investigate this effect of enhanced anharmonicity in split-junction gatemon devices based on InAs-Al 2D heterostructure. We find that anharmonicity in excess of 100% can be routinely achieved at the half-integer flux sweet-spot without any need for electrical gating or excessive sensitivity to the offset charge noise. We verified that such intrinsically large anharmonicity enables our devices to be driven coherently with raw Rabi frequencies exceeding 100 MHz, without any pulse shaping, simplifying implementation and control compared to traditional gatemons and transmons. Furthermore, by analyzing a relatively high-resolution spectroscopy of the device transitions as a function of flux, we were able to extract fine details of the current-phase relation, to which transport measurements would hardly be sensitive. The strong anharmonicity of our anharmonic tunable transmons, along with their bare-bones design, can prove to be a precious resource that transparent superconducting-semiconducting junctions bring to quantum information processing.

Group membership biases children’s evaluation of evidence

Abstract People form beliefs not only as individual agents, but as members of social groups. Here, we investigate how group membership influences belief formation and revision in childhood. Across three studies ( N  = 262), 4–6-year-old children either joined one of two groups or neither group, then evaluated evidence to arrive at a conclusion. Children who belonged to a group were more convinced by evidence that supported their ingroup’s belief (Study 1 &amp; 2) and were less convinced by evidence that opposed their ingroup’s belief (Study 3), leading them to hold inaccurate group beliefs. Children who did not belong to a group rationally evaluated the available evidence and arrived at accurate conclusions. These results suggest that group membership modulates children’s evidentiary standards.

Is price associated with the quality of medicines? Evidence from active pharmaceutical ingredient testing in Nigeria

Determining the quality of medicines remains a challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where regulatory oversight and enforcement vary, and resources and infrastructure for quality testing are often constrained. In these settings, price is often used as a proxy for higher-quality medicines, yet empirical evidence supporting this assumption remains scarce. We conducted a mystery shopper survey in over 1,200 retail pharmacies across urban and rural areas in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, purchasing one drug sample from a list of twenty branded medicines, including analgesics, antimalarials, antibiotics, antihypertensives, and multivitamins. A sub-sample of the purchased medicines (N = 246) was tested for quality, defined as passing a laboratory test using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to measure the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) content of each medicine. Using probit regressions, we examined the extent to which price is associated with quality, controlling for observable pharmacy and drug sample characteristics. A 1% increase in price is associated with a 16.7 percentage point increase in the probability of passing the laboratory test, conditional on other factors. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis shows strong out-of-sample classification performance, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.82 for the price-only model, indicating that price alone explains much of the variation in quality. Other results show that medicines organized by brand and displaying visible expiration dates may signal higher quality, while the presence of other observable characteristics (e.g., packaging, storage, display) shows more counterintuitive associations with drug quality in this context. Stratified analyses show that the association between price and quality is particularly strong for analgesics and antibiotics. These findings suggest that price appears to be a reliable signal of medicine quality, whereas other characteristics of pharmacies and drug samples provide weaker and less consistent indicators. This underscores the need for stronger regulatory oversight, greater market transparency, and targeted consumer education to promote safer access to quality medicines.