25 July 2024 | Open Access Gradient-concentration RuCo electrocatalyst for efficient and stable electroreduction of nitrate into ammonia Achieving stable and high-activity nitrate electroreduction to ammonia in low concentrations nitrate is critical but challenging. Here, the authors present a Co-based electrocatalyst with gradient-doped Ru atoms, showing a continuous ammonia production at −1000 mA/cm2 in 2000 ppm nitrate electrolyte. Xinhong Chen, Yumeng Cheng & Sisi He Article 25 July 2024 | Open Access Depolymerization mechanisms and closed-loop assessment in polyester waste recycling Polyester waste is increasingly accumulating in the environment, and alcoholysis recycling offers a sustainable management solution. This study demonstrates the use of an oxygen vacancy-rich catalyst to transform waste blended polyester/textiles into high-value monomers. Jingjing Cao, Huaxing Liang & Xinglin Lu Article 25 July 2024 | Open Access A model-free method to learn multiple skills in parallel on modular robots The authors present a machine learning approach to enable modular robots to learn to walk and follow objects within a short time. The method is based on bioinspired central pattern generators and is validated on six robots with different body shapes. Fuda van Diggelen, Nicolas Cambier & A. E. Eiben Article 25 July 2024 | Open Access Empowering the on-site detection of nucleic acids by integrating CRISPR and digital signal processing Developing rapid and affordable HPV tests is imperative for effective cervical cancer screening in resource-limited regions. Here, the authors demonstrate an advanced HPV diagnostic system that integrates CRISPR technology with digital signal processing. Chang Yeol Lee, Hyunho Kim & Hakho Lee Article 25 July 2024 | Open Access Multi-condensate state as a functional strategy to optimize the cell signaling output Biomolecular condensates often appear as a multi-droplet system inside living cells. Here, using multi-scale simulations, the authors show that such configurations are functionally more efficient in catalyzing cell signaling. Aniruddha Chattaraj & Eugene I. Shakhnovich Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access An in situ exploration of how Fe/N/C oxygen reduction catalysts evolve during synthesis under pyrolytic conditions Fe-N-C material is promising catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Here the authors visualize the formation of Fe-N4 sites using in situ heating microscopy, providing theoretical guidance for rational catalyst design of Fe-N-C materials. Shuhu Yin, Hongyuan Yi & Shigang Sun Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Macroscopic homochiral helicoids self-assembled via screw dislocations Chirality is observed at hierarchical scales from subatomic to macroscopic but the transmission of chirality across different length scales and the expression of homochiral nano/microstructures remain challenging. Here, the authors report the formation of macroscopic homochiral helicoids via a screw dislocation-driven co-self-assembly. Shengfu Wu, Xin Song & Minghua Liu Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Direct synthesis of partially ethoxylated branched polyethylenimine from ethanolamine The industrial process for the synthesis of branched polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) uses highly toxic and mutagenic chemicals. Here the authors report a method to make a branched and partially ethoxylated polyethyleneimine derivative directly from ethanolamine using a pincer complex of Earth-abundant manganese, and producing water as the only byproduct. Claire N. Brodie, Alister S. Goodfellow & Amit Kumar Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Enabling long-distance hydrogen spillover in nonreducible metal-organic frameworks for catalytic reaction Historical studies on hydrogen spillover have primarily focused on reducible metal oxides, establishing the long-distance proton-electron migration mechanism. This study reveals that in nonreducible metal-organic frameworks, hydrogen spillover can be precisely controlled by ligand functional groups or embedded water molecules, allowing for significant long-distance hydrogen migration. Xiao-Jue Bai, Caoyu Yang & Zhiyong Tang Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Evidence of strong and mode-selective electron–phonon coupling in the topological superconductor candidate 2M-WS2 Electron–phonon coupling is a key physical process in condensed matter systems that plays a crucial role in phenomena such as superconductivity. Here, the authors characterize the role of electron–phonon coupling in the topological superconductor candidate 2M-WS2, indicating a robust and mode-selective coupling that informs the nature of its relatively high superconducting transition temperature. Yiwei Li, Lixuan Xu & Yulin Chen Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Surface-binding molecular multipods strengthen the halide perovskite lattice and boost luminescence Kim et al. report a strategy to reduce the dynamic disorder of the perovskite lattice by using CMMs that adsorb on the surface of PeNCs via van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding. The resulting pure green LEDs satisfying the Rec. 2020 color standard show a high EQE of 26.1%. Dong-Hyeok Kim, Seung-Je Woo & Tae-Woo Lee Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Tunable even- and odd-denominator fractional quantum Hall states in trilayer graphene The fractional quantum Hall effect offers a potential platform to harness non-Abelian anyons. Here, the authors report fractional quantum Hall states in trilayer graphene and drive quantum phase transitions between neighbouring states. Yiwei Chen, Yan Huang & Lei Wang Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Reconstruction of zinc-metal battery solvation structures operating from −50 ~ +100 °C Solvation effect of zinc ions has led to side reactions in aqueous zinc metal batteries. Here, the authors construct a multicomponent zinc gel polymer electrolyte and co-reconstruct the cationic/anionic solvation structures. Lingbo Yao, Jiahe Liu & Yu Liu Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Gradient and curl optical torques Researchers discover optical torque components produced from light’s reactive helicity gradient and momentum curl. They introduce and demonstrate the concept of lateral optical torque to spin objects, transversely to the spin of illumination. The principle of optical spanner is re-examined, highlighting the impact of orbital angular momentum on the torque and its negative manifestation. Xiaohao Xu, Manuel Nieto-Vesperinas & Baoli Yao Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Reconfigurable metamaterial processing units that solve arbitrary linear calculus equations A reconfigurable metamaterial processing unit that solves arbitrary linear calculus equations is proposed. With the merits of compactness, reconfigurability, and reusability, the proposed MPU provides a potential route for high speed computing. Pengyu Fu, Zimeng Xu & Yue Li Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Adaptative machine vision with microsecond-level accurate perception beyond human retina Visual adaptive devices show promise for simplifying circuits and algorithms in machine vision systems. Here, the authors report a visual adaptive transistor with tunable avalanche effects and microsecond-level bionic vision capabilities, recognizing images in dim and bright conditions with over 98% accuracy. Ling Li, Shasha Li & Nengjie Huo Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access A solar-driven atmospheric water extractor for off-grid freshwater generation and irrigation Solar-driven atmospheric water extraction (SAWE) systems have the potential to address the ongoing freshwater scarcity, but they can only produce water intermittently. Here the authors developed a SAWE system with optimised architecture to achieve continuous freshwater production under sunlight. Kaijie Yang, Tingting Pan & Yu Han Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access High-voltage and dendrite-free zinc-iodine flow battery Researchers reported a 1.6 V dendrite-free zinc-iodine flow battery using a chelated Zn(PPi)26- negolyte. The battery demonstrated stable operation at 200 mA cm−2 over 250 cycles, highlighting its potential for energy storage applications. Caixing Wang, Guoyuan Gao & Yonggang Wang Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Efficient deep-blue electroluminescence from Ce-based metal halide Rare-earth metal halide perovskites are promising for deep blue LEDs. Here, Yang et al. report energy transfer between self-trapped exciton and Frenkel exciton in Cs3CeI6 by adding excess CsI during thermal evaporation, resulting in deep blue LEDs with external quantum efficiency of 7.9% at 424 nm. Longbo Yang, Hainan Du & Jiang Tang Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Uncovering the phonon spectra and lattice dynamics of plastically deformable InSe van der Waals crystals Recent studies have reported the exceptional plasticity of InSe van der Waals crystals, but their deformation-correlated lattice dynamics remains unexplored. Here, the authors investigate the correlations of plastic interlayer slip, lattice anharmonicity and thermal transport in β-InSe crystals via neutron scattering techniques. Jiangtao Wu, Yifei Lin & Jie Ma Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Many-body enhancement of high-harmonic generation in monolayer MoS2 Many-body effects may be crucial for describing high harmonic generation in solids, but previous work did not fully account for many-body effects. Here the authors develop a non-perturbative, ab initio theory and apply it to monolayer MoS2, showing significant many-body effects in the perpendicular response. Victor Chang Lee, Lun Yue & Diana Y. Qiu Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Discovery of a long-ranged charge order with 1/4 Ge1-dimerization in an antiferromagnetic Kagome metal By improving the sample quality of FeGe, the authors observe a long-ranged charge order accompanied with a first-order structural transition. They determine the distorted superstructure and show that occupational disorder is the origin of short-ranged charge order. Ziyuan Chen, Xueliang Wu & Dong-Lai Feng Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Previously hidden landslide processes revealed using distributed acoustic sensing with nanostrain-rate sensitivity New study reveals previously hidden landslide processes using distributed fiber optic sensing with nanostrain-rate sensitivity. The evolution of a slow-moving landslide during rainfall is captured with high spatiotemporal resolution. Susanne M. Ouellet, Jan Dettmer & Roger Crickmore Article 24 July 2024 | Open Access Nondestructive flash cathode recycling Flash recycling method can achieve nondestructive cathode regeneration effectively with higher environmental and economic benefits over traditional destructive recycling processes. Weiyin Chen, Yi Cheng & James M. Tour Comment 23 July 2024 | Open Access Why some BCI should still be called BMI Neurotechnology is becoming an integral part of clinical practice. In this Comment, the authors advocate for more scrutiny and attention when describing new neurotechnologies with particular attention to the surgical risks involved and the invasiveness. Ulrich G. Hofmann & Thomas Stieglitz Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Water mediated redox-neutral cleavage of arylalkenes via photoredox catalysis Cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds remains a challenging task in organic synthesis. Here the authors report a redox-neutral and catalytic photoredox cleavage of arylalkenes, producing two distinct fragments. Ke Liao, Yuqi Fang & Yong Huang Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Enantioselective de novo construction of 3‑oxindoles via organocatalyzed formal [3 + 2] annulation from simple arylamines The de novo construction of enantioenriched 3-hydroxyindolenines and 3-oxindoles from easily available starting materials is highly desired. Here, the authors demonstrate an enantioselectively intermolecular direct [3 + 2] annulation of aryl amine with 2,3-diketoesters to construct 3-hydroxyindolenines with a chiral tertiary alcohol. Yong Wang, Yanyan Li & Xiuling Cui Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Triboiontronics with temporal control of electrical double layer formation This research develops a direct-current triboiontronic nanogenerator by dynamically controlling asymmetric electrical double layer formation, achieving a transferred charge density of 412.54 mC/m2. Incorporating redox reactions enhances the peak power and charge density to 38.64 W/m2 and 540.70 mC/m2. Xiang Li, Roujuan Li & Di Wei Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Metal-organic framework derived crystalline nanocarbon for Fenton-like reaction Carbon materials prepared by high-temperature pyrolysis generally come with amorphous structure tethering performance improvement. Here, authors create crystalline nanocarbon with both high stacking order and doping level of heteroatoms, which finds high efficiency in Fenton-like reaction for water purification. Tingting Lian, Li Xu & Markus Antonietti Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet Current liquid actuation mechanisms are limited to specific liquid types or risk compromising biochemical samples with interfering mediums. Here, the authors introduce electret-induced polarization on droplets (EPD), a method that enables all-liquid actuation and demonstrates generality for various inorganic/organic liquids and biochemical samples. Ruotong Zhang, Chengzhi Zhang & Ho Cheung Shum Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Chiral inversion induced by aromatic interactions in short peptide assembly The role of hydrophobic interactions in the regulation of the handedness of peptide superstructures is unknown. Here, the authors show that aromatic side chains set the twisting directions of the single β-strands of peptide amphiphiles. Kai Qi, Hao Qi & Hai Xu Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Aqueous alternating electrolysis prolongs electrode lifespans under harsh operation conditions Electrolytic water splitting under harsh conditions is limited by poor lifespan of the electrodes. Here, authors report alternating electrolysis approaches that realize prompt and periodic repair of a Ni electrode via the co-action of Co2+ and Na+ ions, leading to prolonged operation times. Jie Liang, Jun Li & Bo Tang Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Multimodal deep learning using on-chip diffractive optics with in situ training capability Most photonic processors can only handle a single data modality due to the lack of abundant parameter training in optical domain. Here, authors propose and demonstrate a trainable diffractive optical neural network chip based on on-chip diffractive optics with tunable elements to address these constraints. Junwei Cheng, Chaoran Huang & Xinliang Zhang Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Large oscillatory thermal hall effect in kagome metals Detection of quantum oscillations in thermal transport could shed light on the origin of thermal Hall effect in correlated materials but it is challenging. Here the authors report quantum oscillations in the thermal Hall effect in the kagome metal CsV3Sb5 indicating strong violation of the Wiedemann–Franz law. Dechen Zhang, Kuan-Wen Chen & Lu Li Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Stability Oracle: a structure-based graph-transformer framework for identifying stabilizing mutations Engineering stabilized proteins is essential for industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnologies. Here, authors present Stability Oracle, a Graph-Transformer framework trained on protein masked microenvironments to predict protein thermodynamic stability, using less training data while achieving improved generalization. Daniel J. Diaz, Chengyue Gong & Adam R. Klivans Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Soft jamming of viral particles in nanopores Viruses exhibit complex interactions and physical properties, yet their behavior in confined spaces remains largely unexplored. Authors develop a real-time detection method for single virus transport through synthetic nanopores, revealing a jamming phenomenon due to viral interactions and confinement Léa Chazot-Franguiadakis, Joelle Eid & Fabien Montel Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Structural basis for the H2AK119ub1-specific DNMT3A-nucleosome interaction DNMT3A-nucleosome interaction underpins the genomic DNA methylation landscape. Here, the authors investigate how an N-terminal fragment of DNMT3A recognizes the H2AK119ub1-marked nucleosome, providing insights into the chromatin-targeting mechanism of DNMT3A. Xinyi Chen, Yiran Guo & Jikui Song Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access Orchestrating NK and T cells via tri-specific nano-antibodies for synergistic antitumor immunity Innate and adaptive immunity are equally important for the anti-tumor response and immunotherapy simultaneously activating both arms could have therapeutic benefits. Here authors show that a composite nanoparticle platform that immobilizes monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-L1, 4- 1BB and NKG2A or TIGIT recruits and activates both NK and CD8 + T cells. Qian-Ni Ye, Long Zhu & Jun Wang Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access 4D Single-particle tracking with asynchronous read-out single-photon avalanche diode array detector Here, the authors upgrade a confocal laser scanning microscope with a single-photon array detector, achieving 40 nm lateral and 60 nm axial localisation precision with 100 photons and a sub-millisecond temporal sampling for real-time single-particle tracking with fluorescence lifetime measurement. Andrea Bucci, Giorgio Tortarolo & Giuseppe Vicidomini Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Engineering interfacial sulfur migration in transition-metal sulfide enables low overpotential for durable hydrogen evolution in seawater Stable and efficient hydrogen production from seawater remains challenging. Here the authors engineer sulfur migration in NiCoS electrocatalyst via N-doped carbon encapsulation, generating S vacancies and S doped CN active sites at the interface that improves electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity and durability in both alkaline freshwater and seawater. Min Li, Hong Li & Erdong Wang Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Dielectrophoretic bead-droplet reactor for solid-phase synthesis The immobilization of one reactant on a solid support makes interfacing of reagents a critical challenge in solid-phase synthesis. Here, authors combine dielectrophoresis and droplet microfluidics to encapsulate and eject individual beads out of reagent droplets for improved reaction fidelity. Punnag Padhy, Mohammad Asif Zaman & Lambertus Hesselink Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access An integrated atom array-nanophotonic chip platform with background-free imaging Here, the authors demonstrate a combined atom array-nanophotonic chip platform for quantum networking and distributed quantum computing, enabled by a high-fidelity background-free imaging technique, a semi-open photonic chip geometry, and free-space coupling to the nanophotonic cavities. Shankar G. Menon, Noah Glachman & Hannes Bernien Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Chemical language modeling with structured state space sequence models Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating drug discovery. Here the authors introduce a new approach to de novo molecule design - structured state space sequence models - to further extend AI’s capabilities of charting the chemical universe. Rıza Özçelik, Sarah de Ruiter & Francesca Grisoni Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Highly efficient pure-blue organic light-emitting diodes based on rationally designed heterocyclic phenophosphazinine-containing emitters The inefficient spin-flip process of multi-resonance emitters could compromise the device performance of light-emitting diodes. Here, the authors incorporate conformationally flexible donor to enhance the density of excited states, achieving 20-fold increase in reverse intersystem crossing rate. Longjiang Xing, Jianghui Wang & Yanping Huo Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Aerobic mechanochemical reversible-deactivation radical polymerization Polymer materials suffer mechano-oxidative deterioration or degradation in the presence of molecular oxygen and mechanical forces. Here the authors demonstrate a synthetic approach in which molecular oxygen and mechanical energy synergistically initiate polymerization and affords robustness in polymeric materials. Haoyang Feng, Zhe Chen & Zhenhua Wang Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Slow vibrational relaxation drives ultrafast formation of photoexcited polaron pair states in glycolated conjugated polymers Glycol sidechains are often used to enhance the performance of organic photoconversion and electrochemical devices. Here, the authors provide photophysical insight into the role of glycol sidechains for the formation of polaron pairs induced by strong vibrational coupling. Katia Pagano, Jin Gwan Kim & Ji-Seon Kim Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Energy-saving hydrogen production by seawater electrolysis coupling tip-enhanced electric field promoted electrocatalytic sulfion oxidation Hydrogen production from seawater is an appealing process. Here the authors report electrochemical seawater splitting coupled with sulfion oxidation, using a bifunctional Co3S4. Tongtong Li, Boran Wang & Guangmin Zhou Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Elastocaloric, barocaloric and magnetocaloric effects in spin crossover polymer composite films Spin-crossover materials are promising for caloric cooling, but their powder nature prevents exploring elastocaloric properties. Here, the authors propose spin-crossover polymer composites with giant elastocaloric effects. Klara Lünser, Eyüp Kavak & Lluís Mañosa Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Optical vortex-antivortex crystallization in free space The authors demonstrate that multiple optical vortex-antivortex clusters initially nested in a propagating light field crystalize into patterns that preserve their lattice structures during propagation over a distance up to several Rayleigh lengths. The showcasing of vortex-antivortex crystallization opens up innovative possibilities for utilizing it in high-capacity optical communication technologies. Haolin Lin, Yixuan Liao & Shenhe Fu Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access Enhancing radiation-resistance and peroxidase-like activity of single-atom copper nanozyme via local coordination manipulation The inactivation of natural enzymes by radiation hinders their utility for radiotherapy. Here the authors report a single-atom copper nanozyme that can be utilized for enhanced radio-enzymatic therapy to resolve the crucial issues for the applications of natural enzymes. Jiabin Wu, Xianyu Zhu & Yadong Li