Article 13 January 2025 | Open Access A roadmap from the bond strength to the grain-boundary energies and macro strength of metals The authors build a predictive framework across bond strength, grain-boundary energies and strength of metals by using cohesive energies and atomic radius, which unravels the role of composition, high-entropy and amorphous effects in macro strength. Xin Li, Hao Wu & Qing Jiang Article 13 January 2025 | Open Access Efficient continuous SF6/N2 separation using low-cost and robust metal-organic frameworks composites SF6/N2 separation is crucial for sustainable development. Here, the authors prepared low-cost and robust MOF composite pellets and established a vacuum temperature swing adsorption process with both high recovery and high purity of SF6. Jinjian Li, Yuting Chen & Qiwei Yang Article 13 January 2025 | Open Access Revealing an unexpectedly low electron injection threshold via reinforced shock acceleration The mechanisms resulting in particle acceleration to relativistic energies in space plasmas are an open question. Here, the authors show a reinforced shock acceleration model which enables electrons to efficiently achieve relativistic energies and reveal a low electron injection threshold. Savvas Raptis, Ahmad Lalti & James L. Burch Perspective 12 January 2025 | Open Access Challenges and opportunities for high-quality battery production at scale The rise in battery production faces challenges from manufacturing complexity and sensitivity, causing safety and reliability issues. This Perspective discusses the challenges and opportunities for high-quality battery production at scale. Peter M. Attia, Eric Moch & Patrick K. Herring Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access CF2H-synthon enables asymmetric radical difluoroalkylation for synthesis of chiral difluoromethylated amines The difluoromethyl group is a crucial fluorinated moiety, and the synthesis of chiral CF₂H-containing analogs is a powerful strategy in drug design and screening. Here, the authors report a strategy for the asymmetric construction of carbon stereocenters featuring a difluoromethyl group via nickel-catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling. Peng Liu, Yan He & Xi-Sheng Wang Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access An intelligent hybrid-fabric wristband system enabled by thermal encapsulation for ergonomic human-machine interaction Balancing comfort, wearability and integration for human-machine interaction systems is difficult. The authors develop a hybrid-fabric wristband system, where spun-film sensors are integrated into textiles, enabling a lightweight, breathable, and stretchable device. Aobo Cheng, Xin Li & Tian-Ling Ren Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Sequential addition of cations increases photoluminescence quantum yield of metal nanoclusters near unity High luminescence efficiency is difficult to achieve in metal nanoclusters. Here, the authors add multiple metal cations to gold nanocluster which suppress structural motions and manage electron transfer dynamics, realizing near-unity efficiency. Xue Wang, Yuan Zhong & Xue Bai Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Engineered hypoxia-responsive albumin nanoparticles mediating mitophagy regulation for cancer therapy Enhanced mitophagy has been recognized as crucial mechanism to sustain cellular homeostasis in hypoxic tumors. Here, this group fabricates an azocalix[4]arene-modified supramolecular albumin nanoparticle codelivering hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and sulfur-substituted methylated nile blue analog, capable of inducing cascaded oxidative stress via regulating mitophagy for hypoxic tumors treatment. Wenyan Wang, Shun-Yu Yao & Hongzhong Chen Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Efficient amine-assisted CO2 hydrogenation to methanol co-catalyzed by metallic and oxidized sites within ruthenium clusters Amine-assisted two-step CO2 hydrogenation offers an efficient pathway for methanol production. Here, the authors develop Al2O3-supported Ru catalysts that achieve exceptional synergy in converting CO2 to methanol with exceptional selectivity ( > 95%) in a one-pot two-step process. Desheng Su, Yinming Wang & Liang Chen Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access The art and science of translucent color organic solar cells The realization of translucent color organic solar cells with competitive efficiency, visible transparency and hue remains a critical challenge. Here, the authors fabricate translucent organic solar cells with a Fabry–Pérot microcavity optical coupling layer for applications in science and art. Baozhong Deng, Yi Li & Furong Zhu Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Influence of aluminium distribution on the diffusion mechanisms and pairing of [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes in Cu-CHA Ammonia assisted NOx reduction over Cu-exchanged chabazite requires paired complexes. Here, a machine-learning force field is developed to investigate the influence of aluminium distribution on the diffusion mechanisms and pairing of complexes. Joachim D. Bjerregaard, Martin Votsmeier & Henrik Grönbeck Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Time-varying 3D optical torque via a single beam Optical tweezers can apply 3D forces to trap and move microparticles, but application of 3D optical torques for controlled rotations remains challenging. Here, the authors report a technique for controlling 3D optical torque via a single beam, achieving dynamic 3D rotations around an arbitrary axis. Yi-Jing Wu, Jing-Han Zhuang & Lei Gong Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Overrated energy storage performances of dielectrics seriously affected by fringing effect and parasitic capacitance The authors find that the dielectric performance of capacitors will be significantly overestimated due to the influences of fringing effect and parasitic capacitance. Methods to solve the problem are proposed to ensure measurement validity. Song Ding, Jiangheng Jia & Xiaoguang Li Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access Tailoring pyridine bridged chalcogen-concave molecules for defects passivation enables efficient and stable perovskite solar cells Suppressing deep-level defects at the perovskite bulk and surface is critical to reduce the non-radiative recombination losses in perovskite solar cells. Here, authors employ concave-shaped chalcogen molecules for defect passivation, achieving certified efficiency of 25.18% for stable n-i-p devices. Muhammad Azam, Yao Ma & Chunyang Jia Article 11 January 2025 | Open Access CRISPR-Hybrid: A CRISPR-Mediated Intracellular Directed Evolution Platform for RNA Aptamers Recent advances in gene editing and precise regulation of gene expression based on CRISPR technologies have provided powerful tools for the understanding and manipulation of gene functions. Here the authors develop an intracellular evolution platform to identify novel CRISPR-associated RNA aptamers for intracellular proteins. Qiwen Su-Tobon, Jiayi Fan & Jia Niu Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Atomic-level Ru-Ir mixing in rutile-type (RuIr)O2 for efficient and durable oxygen evolution catalysis The development of durable catalysts for efficient hydrogen production from water faces challenges, particularly in the oxygen evolution reaction. Here, the authors report (RuIr)O2 electrocatalysts with enhanced performance, achieved by tuning the growth of Ru/Ir on lattice-modulated templates. Yeji Park, Ho Yeon Jang & Kwangyeol Lee Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Operando monitoring of the functional role of tetrahedral cobalt centers for the oxygen evolution reaction The oxygen evolution reaction and its relationship with metal center coordination remain unclear. Here, the authors report that optimization of the local coordination geometry of Co centers plays a crucial role in facilitating the O-O bond formation atop high-valent Co (IV) sites. Yonggui Zhao, Nanchen Dongfang & Greta R. Patzke Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Coherent Anti-Stokes Hyper-Raman Spectroscopy The authors report the observation of coherent anti-Stokes hyper-Raman scattering (CAHRS) spectroscopy that combines hyper-Raman scattering with coherent Raman scattering. It can offer hyper-Raman spectra at a much higher speed than spontaneous spectroscopy. Kazuki Inoue & Masanari Okuno Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Local kernel renormalization as a mechanism for feature learning in overparametrized convolutional neural networks Fully connected neural networks in the infinite-width limit often outperform finite-width models, while convolutional networks excel at finite widths. Here, the authors uncover how convolutional networks leverage local, data-dependent kernel renormalization, enabling feature learning to absent in fully connected architectures. R. Aiudi, R. Pacelli & P. Rotondo Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access High-sensitivity, high-speed, broadband mid-infrared photodetector enabled by a van der Waals heterostructure with a vertical transport channel Here, the authors report the realization of room-temperature broadband mid-infrared detectors based on a van der Waals heterostructure with a vertical transport channel, exhibiting specific detectivity and response times comparable or superior to those of commercial cooled HgCdTe photodetectors. Jianfeng Wu, Jialin Zhang & Zhenhua Ni Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Low-power edge detection based on ferroelectric field-effect transistor The proposed edge detection based on ferroelectric field effect transistor does not rely on conventional convolution operation, realizing no-accuracy-loss, low-power (~10 fJ/per operation) and analogue-to-digital converter (ADC)-free edge computing. Jiajia Chen, Jiacheng Xu & Genquan Han Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Designer topological-single-atom catalysts with site-specific selectivity Designing catalysts with uniform, site-specific selectivity and activity is a significant challenge. This study introduces design principles for topological-single-atom catalysts that utilize electronic shielding to protect surfaces and control reaction pathways, achieving high selectivity without compromising activity. Weibin Chen, Menghui Bao & Ruqiang Zou Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Low-carbon indoor humidity regulation via 3D-printed superhygroscopic building components In this study, 3D-printed geopolymer tiles were used for passive indoor humidity regulation. With a moisture buffering value over 14 g·m⁻²·%RH⁻¹, in a case study, the tiles improved users’ comfort by up to 85% and with a much lower carbon footprint than conventional dehumidification systems. Magda Posani, Vera Voney & Guillaume Habert Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Space debris and satellite laser ranging combined using a megahertz system Space debris laser ranging, and satellite laser ranging are currently performed with slightly different setups. Here, the authors show a single setup with a Megahertz laser for both high-precision satellite laser ranging and space debris laser ranging. Michael A. Steindorfer, Peiyuan Wang & Georg Kirchner Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Accessing ultrastable glass via a bulk transformation An alternative approach to physical vapor deposition is demonstrated here for accessing ultrastable metallic glasses via the glass-to-glass transition, a bulk transformation that is inherently free from size constraints and anisotropy. Hengtong Bu, Hengwei Luan & Kefu Yao Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles enable oligonucleotide delivery into muscle stem cells to promote regeneration of dystrophic muscles Lack of muscle stem cell targeting limits the treatment of muscular dystrophies. Here, the authors describe a platform based on functionalized gold nanoparticles that allows selective delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides and promotes skeletal muscle regeneration. Francesco Millozzi, Paula Milán-Rois & Daniela Palacios Article 10 January 2025 | Open Access Medical history predicts phenome-wide disease onset and enables the rapid response to emerging health threats Preventive interventions often require strategies to identify high-risk individuals. Here, the authors illustrate the utility of medical history in predicting the onset risk for thousands of diseases across clinical specialties including COVID-19 Jakob Steinfeldt, Benjamin Wild & Roland Eils Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Charge-transfer complexation of coordination cages for enhanced photochromism and photocatalysis Improved host-guest electronic interplay within stable metal-organic cages (MOCs) presents opportunities for photocatalysis. Here, the authors use pyridinium-derived ligands with solubilizing counteranions to prepare highly soluble Zr-MOCs and demonstrate the use of host-guest charge-transfer complexation to enhance photo-induced electron transfer. Gen Li, Zelin Du & Dawei Zhang Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Bioinspired self-flowing wood chemical treatment Consistent chemical treatment of wood is challenging due to its complex structure. Here, the authors present a self-flowing process inspired by natural liquid transport in trees that achieves high uniformity and effective wood delignification compared to conventional methods. Xuan Wang & Sheldon Q. Shi Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Catalytic acceptorless complete dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes The development of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) in homogeneous catalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation (CAD) with selectivity for thorough aromatization under mild conditions remains challenging. Here, the authors propose a catalyst system that facilitates a double hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) processes for the CAD of inert cycloalkanes at ambient temperature under visible light irradiation. Rahul A. Jagtap, Yuki Nishioka & Motomu Kanai Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access High-impedance microwave resonators with two-photon nonlinear effects Recently, nonlinear effects have been studied in systems with a nonlinear transmon qubit coupled to a linear low-impedance resonator. Here the authors realize a high-impedance resonator using a single Josephson junction, where strong nonlinear effects emerge already when the second photon enters the resonator. S. Andersson, H. Havir & V. F. Maisi Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access High-temperature field-free superconducting diode effect in high-Tc cuprates The applications of the superconducting diode effect (SDE) are usually limited by low operating temperatures, external magnetic fields and complex sample structures. Here, the authors report the observation of a SDE under zero magnetic field up to 72 K in a high-transition-temperature cuprate superconductor. Shichao Qi, Jun Ge & Jian Wang Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Photocatalytic asymmetric C-C coupling for CO2 reduction on dynamically reconstructed Ruδ+-O/Ru0-O sites Understanding the role of atomic sites in photocatalytic CO2 reduction remains challenging. This study provides insights into dynamic Ruδ+-O/Ru0-O pair reconstruction and explores approaches to enhancing intermediate regulation and asymmetric *CO-*CHO coupling for producing C2+ products. Hongguang Zhang, Asfaw Yohannes & Jinguang Hu Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Spatial control of doping in conducting polymers enables complementary, conformable, implantable internal ion-gated organic electrochemical transistors Complementary transistors are critical for multistage circuits. Asymmetry of source/drain contacts enables creation of single-material, matched complementary organic amplifiers with long-term in vivo stability Duncan J. Wisniewski, Liang Ma & Dion Khodagholy Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Oscillatory mechanoluminescence of Mn2+-doped SrZnOS in dynamic response to rapid compression This work investigates the mechanoluminescence of Mn2+ -doped SrZnOS under rapid compression up to 10 GPa at different rates. Oscillatory mechanoluminescent phenomenon and rate-dependent mechanoluminescent kinetics are reported. Hao Wang, Tingting Zhao & Wenge Yang Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Anomalous photovoltaics in Janus MoSSe monolayers The anomalous photovoltaic effect in polar materials offers a promising alternative to overcome the limits of conventional photovoltaics. Here, the authors report spontaneous photocurrent generation in Janus MoSSe monolayers, showing responsivities up to 3 mA/W and response times down to 50 ps. Chang Liu, Tianyu Liang & Kaihui Liu Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access A scaling law to model the effectiveness of identification techniques Advanced machine learning techniques have demonstrated the identifiability of human traces online, however, assessment of their potential risks is usually done with small-scale datasets. The authors propose a physics-based approach to evaluate the effectiveness of identification techniques from reported measurements. Luc Rocher, Julien M. Hendrickx & Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Hyperedge overlap drives explosive transitions in systems with higher-order interactions Group interactions can lead to explosive onsets of collective behaviors in biological and sociotechnological systems. Here, the authors show that it is the overlap between these kind of higher-order interactions that drives whether emergence of synchrony and epidemics shows up smoothly or abruptly. Federico Malizia, Santiago Lamata-Otín & Jesús Gómez-Gardeñes Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Time-domain signatures of distinct correlated insulators in a moiré superlattice The nature of correlated insulator states commonly observed in moiré superlattices are still under investigation. Here, the authors use pump-probe spectroscopy to study the dynamics of correlated insulator states in a WSe2/WS2 moiré heterostructure at two different fillings, elucidating distinct time-domain signatures associated with these states. Eric A. Arsenault, Yiliu Li & X.-Y. Zhu Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Wireless microwave-to-optical conversion via programmable metasurface without DC supply Realizing conversion between microwave and optical signals in free space is a challenge. Here, the authors propose and demonstrate a programmable metasurface that can achieve wireless microwave-laser interconversion for bidirectional air-water cross-media wireless communications. Xin Ge Zhang, Ya Lun Sun & Wei Xiang Jiang Article 09 January 2025 | Open Access Vertex model with internal dissipation enables sustained flows Complex tissue flows in epithelia arise from the coordination of mechanical forces, where cell shape anisotropy and nematic order play a significant role. By introducing internal viscous dissipation in an active nematic vertex model, this study explains the emergence of organised, long-range flows in epithelial sheets, linking cellular dynamics to continuum active nematic and collective cell migration. Jan Rozman, KVS Chaithanya & Rastko Sknepnek Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Towards large-scale quantum optimization solvers with few qubits Combinatorial optimization problems might be solvable more efficiently with quantum computing, but near-term quantum optimization solvers are limited in qubit size. Here, the authors propose and demonstrate a variational quantum algorithm that polynomially reduces the qubit overhead for applications like MaxCut. Marco Sciorilli, Lucas Borges & Leandro Aolita Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of double S-shaped quadruple helicene-like molecules While progress has been made in the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of helicene (-like) molecules, the synthesis of multiple helicenes remains challenging. Herein, the authors report organocatalytic [4 + 2] cycloadditions to achieve double S-shaped quadruple helicene-like molecules with high enantioselectivity. Shengli Huang, Haojun Wen & Hailong Yan Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access MoS2-confined Rh-Zn atomic pair boosts photo-driven methane carbonylation to acetic acid The authors report a catalyst featuring Rh-Zn dual sites in a MoS2 lattice integrated with TiO2 for the photocatalytic carbonylation of CH4 with CO and O2 to CH3COOH with a high productivity of 152.0 μmol gcat.−1 h−1 and selectivity of 96.5%. Yanan Li, Huan Liu & Dehui Deng Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Bright and stable anti-counterfeiting devices with independent stochastic processes covering multiple length scales Here, authors develop an anti-counterfeiting device using semiconducting polymer nanoparticles embedded in photoresist thin films. The device exhibits high brightness, stability, and encoding capacity, with promising uniqueness and reliability under UV exposure, high humidity, and temperature variations. Junfang Zhang, Adam Creamer & Molly M. Stevens Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation by tuning hydrazone linkage density in covalent organic frameworks This work systematically investigates the effect of hydrazone linkage density in covalent organic frameworks on the enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation, with the aim of achieving high-performance photocatalysis. Avanti Chakraborty, Akhtar Alam & Pradip Pachfule Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Advanced remote focus control in multicore meta-fibers through 3D nanoprinted phase-only holograms Researchers demonstrate remote focus control in multicore fibers via 3D nanoprinted holograms. This enables precise, crosstalk-free focusing, advancing optical, biophotonics, and telecommunications applications. Mohammadhossein Khosravi, Torsten Wieduwilt & Markus A. Schmidt Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Unveiling the nexus between irradiation and phase reconstruction in tin-lead perovskite solar cells Light-induced degradation in ambient air hinders the long-term operational stability of tin-lead perovskite solar cells. Here, authors monitor the irreversible phase reconstruction process during perovskite degradation, guiding stability improvements for tin-lead perovskite and tandem solar cells. Wenbo Li, Zhe Li & Hongxing Xu Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access A tellurium iodide perovskite structure enabling eleven-electron transfer in zinc ion batteries Functional perovskites are promising energy storage materials but have received little attention. Here, authors report a tellurium iodide perovskite as a conversion-type material enabling eleven-electron redox in chloride containing aqueous electrolytes for zinc batteries. Shixun Wang, Zhiquan Wei & Chunyi Zhi Article 08 January 2025 | Open Access Ultra-light antennas via charge programmed deposition additive manufacturing Charge programmed additive manufacturing seamlessly integrates multiple material classes and provides a universal platform for rapid printing of ultralight antennas. It propels discovery of antenna designs with unprecedented structural complexity. Zhen Wang, Ryan Hensleigh & Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng