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Owing to its green energy and hydrogen sources, electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation of alkynes is an attractive alternative for industrial alkene production. However, its broad application is hindered by low selectivity and low Faradaic efficiency (FE) due to side reactions like over-hydrogenation to alkanes. Here, we demonstrate that atomically precise Ag25(MHA)18 nanoclusters (NCs) can electrocatalyze alkyne semi-hydrogenation with 98% conversion, 99% selectivity, and 85% FE, in a broad substrate pool. This is achieved by engineering the local environment at the catalytically active sites. We leverage amphiphilic MHA (6-mercaptohexanoic acid) ligands to pre-concentrate water molecules and alkynes near the ligand-layer/Ag25 interface. Long-chain ligands can disrupt the hydrogen-bond network at the interface, the high negative charge of Ag25 can attract weakly hydrogen-bonded water through counterions and promote the generation of active hydrogen (H*), while the enzyme-like catalytic pockets on the surface of Ag25 NCs facilitate adsorption of terminal alkynes via σ-bonding to the surface Ag atoms. Density functional theory calculations confirmed the preference of the σ-bonding model of alkyne and further revealed the facile release of product alkene. This work exemplifies an atomically precise interface engineering strategy to control the local environment of active sites for optimized activity and selectivity., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Efficient separation of photogenerated charges at the surface of photocatalysts is vital for achieving high photocatalytic activity. Here, a Bi/Bi 4 NbO 8 Cl heterostructure piezo-photocatalyst with an amorphous/crystalline interface (acBi/BNC) is prepared by in situ reduction using Bi 4 NbO 8 Cl as a self-sacrificial template. This ingenious design synergistically utilizes the advantages of the amorphous/crystalline interface structure, localized surface plasmon resonance effect, and piezoelectric field. The formation of amorphous/crystalline interfaces induces the generation of oxygen vacancies, and subsequently lattice distortions, thus improving the piezoelectric properties. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the combination of piezoelectric field and amorphous/crystalline interface promotes the effective separation and migration of photogenerated charges between the bulk and surface of the catalysts. Under simultaneous light and ultrasound, the optimal heterostructure (acBi/BNC-3) exhibit superior photodegradation efficiency of tetracycline reached 80% within 5 min, and the reaction rate (2.78 × 10 -1 min -1 ) is 7.8 and 5.4 times that of pure Bi 4 NbO 8 Cl (BNC) and crystalline Bi/Bi 4 NbO 8 Cl (cBi/BNC), respectively. Furthermore, the piezo-photocatalytic tetracycline degradation efficiency surpasses those under individual photocatalysis and piezocatalysis conditions. This work provides a novel rational design to improve the spatial charge separation of Bi-based catalysts and prepare high-performance piezo-photocatalysts via interface engineering., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Organic cocrystals have garnered significant research attention owing to their distinctive properties and promising applications. However, challenges in molecular structure design and control of intermolecular interactions continue to impede further advancements. In this study, two novel cocrystals were successfully formed from a series of synthesized benzotriazole derivatives. The resulting cocrystals exhibit bright green and yellow fluorescence under 365 nm light. To elucidate the microstructure of the obtained cocrystals, systematic characterization techniques such as solid-state fluorescence emission spectroscopy, Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), Power X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and density functional theory (DFT) were performed. These benzotriazole-based cocrystals demonstrate distinct fluorescent responses to alkaline and acidic environments, respectively. Additionally, preliminary tests for fingerprint recognition yielded satisfactory results. These findings suggest that the two cocrystals hold potential applications in acid-alkali sensing, anti-counterfeiting labels, and smart material development, while also providing valuable insights for the design and optimization of solid-state luminescent materials., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

TiO 2 -SiO 2 composite oxides with different Ti/Si ratios were synthesized by [sol-gel] method. The highest catalytic activity was obtained over T+S-0.75 loaded with 5 % Co 3 O 4 by in-situ method using cobalt stearate as precursor. XPS, XRD, SEM, TEM, N 2 adsorption-desorption were used to characterize the state of titanium and cobalt species and the specific pore structure of catalyst. The characterization results combined with catalytic activity of p-Diethylbenzene (PDEB) oxidation show that the short-range mesoporous pore structure of T+S-0.75-C catalyst can facilitate the diffusion of large-volume reactants, intermediates and products. Meanwhile, the synergetic effect of Ti 4+ , Co 3+ and Co 2+ can promote the decomposition of H 2 O 2 and the generation of bromonium ions, which proceeds towards the target product during the reaction. Under the preferred reaction conditions, the oxidative conversion of PDEB in H 2 O 2 system is 31.1 %, and total selectivity of the target product reaches 85 %., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The electrocatalytic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is considered as an effective method to replace oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for efficient hydrogen production. However, the sluggish kinetics and the difficulty of breaking C─H bond of the Ni-based catalysts limit further application. Herein, three high-entropy layered double hydroxides (HELHs), namely ZnNiFeCoV-HELH, ZnNiFeCoCr-HELH, and ZnNiFeCoAl-HELH (denoted as V-HELH, Cr-HELH, and Al-HELH, respectively), are successfully synthesized. Among them, the V-HELH displays the lowest potential of 1.39 V at 100 mA cm -2 compared to Cr-HELH (1.41 V) and Al-HELH (1.44 V). After five cycles, the formate yield of V-HELH maintains over 95% of the first cycle with excellent stability. Such outstanding performance surpasses that of most state-of-the-art MOR catalysts reported so far. A series of experiments reveal that the V-HELH exhibits the fastest reaction kinetics and the largest number of active Ni 3+ species. Further investigations and theoretical calculations prove that the V-HELH shows the strongest methanol adsorption with the lowest energy of -3.31 eV. The introduction of vanadium (V) with relatively larger tensile strain optimizes the d─band center of V-HELH (-0.54 eV) and lowers the energy barrier (-1.62 eV) from * CH 3 O to * CH 2 O. This work provides new insights for rational design of efficient MOR electrocatalysts., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Azvudine is recommended as a priority treatment for patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) during Omicron wave in China, but its efficacy and safety in elderly patients is unknown. In this multicenter, retrospective study, we identified 19763 elderly patients (aged over 60 years) with COVID-19 from nine hospitals in Henan Province, China. The primary outcome is all-cause death and the secondary outcome is composite disease progression. After propensity score matching, 4109 Azvudine recipients and 4109 matched controls is included, with average age of 75.15 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis reveales a notably survival and progression-free benefit in Azvudine treatment. The Cox analysis shows that compared with controls, Azvudine recipients have a 33% lower risk of all-cause death (95% confidence Interval (CI): 0.580-0.772, p < 0.001), but have no significant difference in composite disease progression (hazard ratio: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.833-1.046, p = 0.234). Subgroup analysis suggested Azvudine have a stronger protective effect in patients concomitant with antibiotics. Three sensitive analyses confirm the robustness of the findings. The safety of Azvudine in elderly patients is acceptable. These findings indicate that Azvudine therapy can reduce the rate of all-cause death in hospitalized elderly patients with COVID-19, and without obvious adverse events., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Sodium-metal batteries (SMBs) using solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) show impressive superiority in energy density and safety. As promising candidates for SPEs, solid-state plastic crystal electrolytes (SPCE) based on succinonitrile (SN) plastic crystal could achieve high ion conductivity and wide voltage window. Nonetheless, the notorious SN decomposition reaction on the electrode/electrolyte interface seriously challenges the stable operation of the battery. To address this drawback, we commence with the structural engineering of the polymer chain segments in SPCE and employ intermolecular interactions to optimize the composition of solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Moreover, this study emphasizes the importance of polymer network design in optimizing the migration behavior of sodium ions in SPCE. The assembled sodium symmetric cells display a high critical current density of up to 2.7 mA cm -2 and stable cycling performance for 700 hours at 0.5 mA cm -2 . Furthermore, the Na/SPCE-9/Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 maintains a discharge specific capacity of up to 76.8 mAh g -1 at 10 C and shows impressive long-cycle stability, retaining 86.2 % of initial capacity over 5000 cycles with an average coulombic efficiency of 99.9 %. Our work presents a high-performance SPCE with intrinsic safety, providing valuable insights for the future design of solid-state SMBs., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Integrating two or more materials to construct membranes with heterogeneous pore structures is an effective strategy for enhancing separation performance. Regularly arranging these heterogeneous pores can significantly optimize the combined effect of the introduced components. Porous Organic Cages (POCs), an emerging subclass of porous materials composed of discrete molecules, assemble to form interconnected pores and exhibit permanent porosity in the solid state. A unique feature of POCs is their modularity, enabling a "mix and match" approach to create co-crystal structures driven by the intermolecular interactions. Herein, we adopted the cocrystallization strategy for fabricating gas separation membranes. We prepared membranes from a series of [4+6] imine cage pairs, which vary in cavity sizes and include cages with fluorescence properties. By optimizing the cocrystalization conditions, we successfully fabricated continuous, defect-free gas membranes, benefiting from chiral recognition interactions. By introducing regularly alternating small and large pores, we addressed challenges such as the trade-off between permeability and selectivity in gas separation membrane. Moreover, the cocrystallization strategy has been proven effective for other molecular systems besides POCs, such as macrocycles, for the preparation of co-crystal membranes. This method broadens the scope for fabricating high-performance gas separation membranes with ordered heterogeneous pores., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The advancement of tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) has been severely hindered by the poor controllability of perovskite crystal growth and the energy level mismatch between the perovskite and fullerene-based electron transport layer (ETL). Here, we synthesized three cis-configured pyridyl-substituted fulleropyrrolidines (PPF), specifically 2-pyridyl (PPF2), 3-pyridyl (PPF3), and 4-pyridyl (PPF4), and utilized them as precursor additives to regulate the crystallization kinetics during film formation. The spatial distance between the two pyridine groups in PPF2, PPF3, and PPF4 increases sequentially, enabling PPF4 to interact with more perovskite colloidal particles. These interactions effectively enlarge the precursor colloid size and decelerate the crystallization rate of the perovskite, resulting in high-quality PPF4-based perovskite films with reduced defect density and lower exciton binding energy. Additionally, we incorporated a well-defined fullerene bis-adduct, C 60 BB, as an interlayer between the perovskite and PCBM layers to optimize energy level alignment. Through the synergistic effects of PPF4 and C 60 BB, our champion device achieved an efficiency of 16.05 % (certified: 15.86 %), surpassing the 16 % efficiency bottleneck and setting a new benchmark for TPSCs. Moreover, the devices exhibited outstanding stability, retaining 99 % of their initial efficiency after 600 hours of maximum power point tracking under 1 sun condition., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Hierarchical self-assembly driven by non-covalent interactions is a prevalent strategy employed by nature to construct sophisticated biomacromolecules, such as proteins. However, the construction of protein-like superstructures that rely on weaker dispersion forces-driven hierarchical assembly remains largely unexplored. Here, we report the first example of dispersion forces driving the high-order assembly of the lanthanide trinuclear circular helicate [HNEt₃]₃[Eu₃(L L )₆] (ΔΔΔ-1) into a protein-like lanthanide octamer ((ΔΔΔ-1)₈-2). Within the octamer, the forty-eight (48) menthol groups on the ligands and eighty-four (84) 1,4-dioxane solvent molecules contribute to enhanced dispersion forces through conformational adaptation and size-matching effects. These enhanced dispersion forces not only drive the formation of the hierarchical superstructure but also result in a four-level chirality transfer from the menthol to the octamer. Benefiting from the homochirality of Eu 3+ , the octamer is endowed the strong circularly polarized emission (|g lum |=0.34, Φ overall =41 %). This understanding of how dispersion forces drive hierarchical self-assembly provides a foundation for the directed fabrication of more fascinating superstructures., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

As a reproducible intermediate for hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon cycling, methanol mixed with water (H 2 O) in a ratio of 1 : 1 can multiply the outcome of green H 2 generation via Photocatalytic reforming of methanol-H 2 O (PRMW). Hitherto, low-energy and mild-condition PRMW remains a serious challenge. Here, the amino acid-derived carbon nitrides (ACN) were synthesized supramolecular precursor strategy for PRMW and achieved excellent performance (H 2 , 35.6 mmol h -1  g -1 ; CO 2 , 11.5 mmol h -1  g -1 ) under sunlight at 35 °C. It was revealed that the surface-terminating carboxyl groups (-COOH) promote the dark dehydrogenation of methanol on MetCNx to form methoxy (*OCH 3 ) and methylol (*CH 2 OH) simultaneously, with the hydroxyl (*OH) generated by photostimulated H 2 O oxidation promotes the C-H activation of formaldehyde, then leads the whole reaction into the formation of CO 2 and three H 2 . The extended light absorption, enhanced charge separation and transport, and efficient surface reaction improve photocatalytic efficiency., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Zinc bromine flow battery (ZBFB) is a promising battery technology for stationary energy storage. However, challenges specific to zinc anodes must be resolved, including zinc dendritic growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and the occurrence of "dead zinc". Traditional additives suppress side reactions and zinc dendrite formation by altering the solvation structure of Zn 2+ and adsorbing onto the zinc surface through only a limited number of zincophilic sites, resulting in weak adsorption on zinc metal and potential inability to simultaneously optimize the solvation structure of zinc ions. Obviously, increasing the number of potential zincophilic sites in the additive can significantly enhance the interaction with zinc. Herein, we propose a strong chelate, ethylenediamine tetramethylene phosphonic acid (EDTMPA) as the additive, which boasts six potent zincophilic sites, not only promotes the formation of the water-deficient inner Helmholtz plane but also plays a crucial role in restructuring the solvation environment of Zn 2+ . As a result, the zinc symmetric flow battery with EDTMPA exhibited exceptional coulombic efficiency of 99.4 % over 800 cycles, surpassing the previous studies by a significant margin. Furthermore, the assembled ZBFB has showcased a dendrite-free and enduring cycling over 400 cycles at 80 mA cm -2 ., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Biological enzyme-functionalized antibacterial nanoparticles, which can degrade biofilm and kill bacteria under mild reaction conditions, have attracted much attention for the elimination of deep-seated bacterial infections. However, the poor diffusion and penetration capabilities of recently developed biological enzyme-functionalized antibacterial nanoparticles in biofilm severely impair the eradication efficacy of deep-seated bacteria. Herein, a photothermal-driven nanomotor (denoted as APPNM) is developed for enhancing the elimination of drug-resistant biofilms and the eradication of deep-seated bacteria. The nanomotor contained a pot-like polydopamine (PDA) nanostructure and its outer surface is chemically immobilized with a layer of α-amylases. Under exposure to 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, the self-propelled nanomotors, integrating the α-amylases to destroy the compact structure of biofilms, can penetrate deeply into biofilms and effectively eliminate them. Subsequently, they can accumulate on the surface of bacteria using the inherent bio-adhesion property of PDA, thereby completely eradicating deep-seated bacteria by photothermal effect. These synergistic effects enable them to exhibit superior antibiofilm effects and produce remarkable therapeutic efficacy with accelerated wound healing in vivo. With excellent biocompatibility, the as-developed nanomotors have great potential to be applied for treating biofilm-related infections., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Multiple redox-active amphoteric organics with more n-p fused electron transfer is an ongoing pursuit for superior zinc-organic batteries (ZOBs). Here we report multi-heterocycle-site donor-acceptor conjugated amphoteric organic superstructures (AOSs) by integrating three-electron-accepting n-type triazine motifs and dual-electron-donating p-type piperazine units via H-bonding and π-π stacking. AOSs expose flower-shaped N-heteromacrocyclic electron delocalization topologies to promise full accessibility of built-in n-p redox-active motifs with an ultralow activation energy, thus liberating superior capacity (465 mAh g -1 ) for Zn||AOSs battery. More importantly, the extended multiple donor-acceptor-fused conjugated AOSs feature satisfied discharge voltage and anti-dissolution in electrolytes, pushing both the energy density and cycle life of the ZOBs to a new level (412 Wh kg -1 and 70,000 cycles@10 A g -1 ). An anion-cation hybrid 18 e - charge storage mechanism is rationalized for heteromacrocyclic modules of AOSs cathode, entailing six tert-N motifs coupling with CF 3 SO 3 - ions at high potential and twelve imine sites coordinating with Zn 2+ ions at low potential. These findings constitute a major advance of amphoteric multielectron organic materials and stand for a good starting point for advanced ZOBs., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

High-plex proteomic technologies have made substantial contributions to mechanism studies and biomarker discovery in complex diseases, particularly cancer. Despite technological advancements, inherent limitations in individual proteomic approaches persist, impeding the achievement of comprehensive quantitative insights into the proteome. In this study, we employed two widely used proteomic technologies, mass spectrometry (MS) and reverse phase protein array (RPPA) to analyze identical samples, aiming to systematically assess the outcomes and performance of the different technologies. Additionally, we sought to establish an integrated workflow by combining these two proteomic approaches to augment the coverage of protein targets for discovery purposes. We used 14 fresh frozen tissue samples from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC: seven tumors versus seven adjacent non-cancerous tissues) and cell line samples to evaluate both technologies and implement this dual-proteomic strategy. Using a single-step protein denaturation and extraction protocol, protein samples were subjected to reverse-phase liquid chromatography (LC) followed by electrospray ionization (ESI)-mediated MS/MS for proteomic profiling. Concurrently, identical sample aliquots were analyzed by RPPA for profiling of over 300 proteins and phosphoproteins that are in key signaling pathways or druggable targets in cancer. Both proteomic methods demonstrated the expected ability to differentiate samples by groups, revealing distinct proteomic patterns under various experimental conditions, albeit with minimal overlap in identified targets. Mechanism-based analysis uncovered divergent biological processes identified with the two proteomic technologies, capitalizing on their complementary exploratory potential., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Designing and optimizing photocatalysts to maximize the use of sunlight and achieve fast charge transport remains a goal of photocatalysis technology. Herein, a full-spectrum-response Bi 3 O 4 Br:Er 3+ @Bi 2 O 3- x core-shell S-scheme heterojunction is designed with [Bi─O] tetrahedral sharing using upconversion (UC) functionality, photothermal effects, and interfacial engineering. The UC function of Er 3+ and plasmon resonance effect of Bi 2 O 3- x greatly improves the utilization of sunlight. The equivalent layer structure of Bi 3 O 4 Br and Bi 2 O 3- x facilitates the construction of high-quality S-scheme heterojunction interfaces with close atomic-level contact obtained from the [Bi─O] tetrahedral sharing and the resulting Bi 3 O 4 Br:Er 3+ @Bi 2 O 3- x core-shell morphology, enabled efficient charge transfer. Furthermore, localized temperature increase, induced by photothermal effects, enhanced the chemical reaction kinetics. Benefiting from the distinctive construction, the Bi 3 O 4 Br:Er 3+ @Bi 2 O 3- x heterojunctions exhibit excellent performance in the photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A that is 2.40 times and 4.98 times greater than that of Bi 3 O 4 Br:Er 3+ alone under full-spectrum light irradiation and near-infrared light irradiation, respectively. This work offers an innovative perspective for the design and fabrication of full-spectrum-response S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with efficient solar energy utilization based on high quality interfaces, UC functionality, and the photothermal effect., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Various second messengers exert some vital actions in biological systems, including cancer therapy, but the therapeutic efficacy is often need to be improved. A semiconducting polymer nanomessenger (TCa/SPN/a) consisting of two second messengers, calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) for metastatic breast cancer therapy, is reported here. Such a TCa/SPN/a is constructed to exhibit X-ray response for the activatable delivery of mitochondria-targeting Ca compound and cGAMP as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist. With X-ray irradiation, TCa/SPN/a could generate singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) via radiodynamic effect for ablating solid tumors and improving the tumor immunogenicity by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Furthermore, the released mitochondria-targeting Ca compounds show a high binging effect on mitochondria and cause reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondria damage via calcium overload, while cGAMP boosts immunological effect through activating STING pathway. In this way, TCa/SPN/a enables a radiodynamic-activated calcium overload and immunotherapy to obviously inhibit the growths of bilateral tumors and also abolish tumor metastasis in metastatic breast cancer mouse models. This article should demonstrate the first smart dual-functional nanotherapeutic containing two second messengers for precise and specific cancer therapy., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

This study presents a multi-mode X-ray detection and imaging strategy by integrating photochromism, photoluminescence, and radioluminescence into Tb 3+ -doped CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 . CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 : Tb 3+ exhibits stable radioluminescence, oxygen vacancy-related photochromism, and photoluminescence modulation, all of which showed a linear relationship with X-ray exposure. This multi-mode response enables high-quality imaging and detection in both bright and dark conditions, facilitating time-dependent cumulative X-ray radiation dose assessments. Reversible color and luminescence changes are achieved through cyclic tests involving alternating X-ray and 473 nm laser irradiation. The PDMS CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 : Tb 3+ ink and flexible film demonstrate high suitability for wearable X-ray detection devices and imaging of irregular objects, offering an innovative approach to X-ray detection and imaging., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Despite extensive studies on magnetic proximity effects, the fundamental excitonic properties of the 2D semiconductor-magnet heterostructures remain elusive. Here, the presence of localized excitons in MoSe 2 /CrSBr heterostructures is unveiled, represented by a new photoluminescence emission feature, X * . Our findings reveal that X * originates from excitons confined by intrinsic defects in the CrSBr layer. Additionally, the degrees of valley polarization of the X * and trion peaks exhibit opposite polarities under a magnetic field and closely correlate with the magnetic order of CrSBr. This is attributed to spin-dependent charge transfer across the heterointerface, supported by density functional theory calculations which reveal a type-II band alignment. Furthermore, the strong in-plane anisotropy of CrSBr induces unique polarization-dependent responses in MoSe 2 emissions. This study highlights the crucial role of defects in shaping excitonic properties and offers valuable insights into spectrally resolved proximity effects in semiconductor-magnet van der Waals heterostructures., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted great attention due to their advantages on resource abundance, cost and safety. Layered oxide cathodes (LOCs) of SIBs possess high theoretical capacity, facile synthesis and low cost, and are promising candidates for large scale energy storage application. Increasing operating voltage is an effective strategy to achieve higher specific capacity and also high energy density of SIBs. However, at high operating voltages, LOCs will undergo a series of phase transitions in bulk phase, leading to huge change of volume and layer spacings accompanied by severe lattice stress and cracking formation. Degeneration of surface also occurs between LOCs and electrolytes, resulting in sustained growth of cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) and release of O 2 and CO 2 . These induce structural destruction and electrochemical performance degradation in high voltage regions. Recently, many strategies have been proposed to improve electrochemical performance of LOCs under high voltages, including bulk element doping, structural design, surface coating and gradient doping. This review describes pivotal challenges and occurrence mechanisms at high voltages, and summarizes strategies to improve stability of bulk and surface. Viewpoints will be provided to promote development of high energy density SIBs., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Efficient cycling of lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) under extremely high current conditions is critical for their practical applications. Here, we report a novel additive containing fluorine, nitrogen, and iodine elements (designated as FCS) to stabilize Li metal anodes in glyme-based ether electrolytes under high current conditions. Experimental results and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrate that the cation of FCS selectively adsorbs on the electrode surface, optimizing the inner Helmholtz plane (IHP) structure and effectively regulating the surface electric field, thereby promoting homogeneous Li deposition. Simultaneously, the preferential decomposition of the FCS produces a mechanically robust and ionically conductive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) comprising LiF, Li 3 N, and LiI components. Consequently, with the FCS additive, Li||Cu cells demonstrate a remarkably average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.12 % at an extremely high current of 20 mA cm -2 over 400 cycles. Additionally, Li||SPAN cells maintain a reversible capacity of 1126 mAh g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 after 200 cycles. This work presents a new approach to simultaneously tune the Helmholtz plane and SEI using trace amounts of additive, paving the way for stable and efficient LMBs under high-current conditions., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Hispidin (1) is a polyphenolic compound with a wide range of pharmacological activities that is distributed in both plants and fungi. In addition to natural extraction, hispidin can be obtained by chemical or enzymatic synthesis. In this study, the identification and characterization of an undescribed enzyme, PheG, from Phellinus igniarius (P. igniarius), which catalyzes the construction of a key C─C bond in the enzymatic synthesis of hispidin are reported. It is demonstrated in vitro that PheG generates hispidin by catalyzing C─C bond formation in the aldol condensation reaction. Based on these results, a plausible pathway for hispidin biosynthesis is proposed by utilizing the primary triacetic acid lactone (TAL, 2) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (3). The mechanisms for the aldol condensation reaction of PheG are investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) binding free energy calculations, density functional theory, and site-specific mutations. The locations of the key amino acid residues that catalyze the conversion of substrates 2 and 3 to hispidin at the active site of PheG-1 are identified. This study provides a new method for preparing hispidin with high efficiency and low cost., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Achieving stable Zn anodes that can effectively couple with Zn-free cathodes is essential for advancing high-performance Zn metal batteries. Here, we propose a Sabatier principle inspired bifunctional transition-metal (TM) interface to enable homogeneous Zn dissolution during discharging and dendrite-free Zn deposition during charging. Among various TM-coated Zn (TM@Zn) electrodes, Cu@Zn exhibits the highest reversibility and structural stability, attributed to the optimal interaction between Cu and Zn. The heteroatomic interaction-dependent electrochemical performance parallels the Sabatier principle. Morphological analyses reveal that bare Zn anodes display detrimental etching pits during stripping, which is different from the uniform dissolution for Cu@Zn electrodes. During subsequent plating, the conductive interface serves as a secondary current collector for uniform Zn deposition in Cu@Zn, thus demonstrating a bifunctional nature. Atomic observations disclose the working mechanisms of this interface as a gradual phase transition from Cu to CuZn 5 during cycling. The Cu@Zn anodes exhibit an ultralong cycling lifespan of over 8000 h at a low current of 1 mA cm -2 and over 250 h at a high depth of discharge of 80 %. They also demonstrate practical feasibility by maintaining 88.7 % capacity retention after 1000 cycles in Cu@Zn||VO 2 full cells. This work provides new insights into the Sabatier chemistry inspired bifunctional layers for Zn metal battery system., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Protons (H + ) with the smallest size and fastest redox kinetics are regarded as competitive charge carriers in the booming Zn-organic batteries (ZOBs). Developing new H + -storage organic cathode materials with multiple ultralow-energy-barrier protophilic sites and super electron delocalization routes to propel superior ZOBs is crucial but still challenging. Here we design multiple protophilic redox-active reticular organic skeletons (ROSs) for activating better proton storage, triggered by intermolecular H-bonding and π-π stacking interactions between 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone and 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol nanofibrous polymer. ROSs expose reticular electron delocalization geometries to fully access build-in protophilic carbonyl sites and promote ultrarapid H + migration with an ultralow activation energy (0.13 vs. 0.29 eV of Zn 2+ ions), thus delivering high capacity (359 mAh g -1 ) and large-current survivability (100 A g -1 ). Moreover, the extended interconnected reticular structures strengthen the anti-dissolution of ROSs in aqueous electrolytes, affording long-lasting proton-storage activity in ZOBs to a superior level (60,000 cycles at 20 A g -1 ). Systematic studies identify the source of excellent charge storage as high-kinetics H + -coupled five-electron redox process of carbonyl motifs in superstable ROSs. These findings can be of importance for evoking superior proton activity in multiple redox organics to build advanced Zn-organic batteries., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The sensitive detection of NO 2 is crucial for environmental monitoring and improving quality of life. Herein, a ZnO@MoO 3 core-shell nanocomposite was fabricated via a simple stepwise solution self-assembly and heat-treatment process. Remarkably, the ZnO@MoO 3 sensor exhibited a high response value of 5.4 to 2 ppm NO 2 at room temperature. Furthermore, it displayed excellent selectivity against interference gases such as CO 2 , NH 3 , methanol, ethylene, and trimethylamine, along with outstanding stability and repeatability under varying humidity conditions. The exceptional sensing performance of the ZnO@MoO 3 sensor is attributed to the synergistic effects between ZnO and MoO 3 , as well as the enhanced electron transfer rate enabled by the heterostructures. This work provides an effective strategy for advancing NO 2 sensing capabilities in metal oxide composite sensors., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic systemic autoimmune disease that often results in irreversible joint erosion and disability. Methotrexate (MTX) is the first-line drug against RA, but the significant side effects of long-term administration limit its use. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are needed for treating RA. Here, dual-targeting biomimetic carrier-free nanomaterials (BSA-MTX-CyI nanosystem, BMC) is developed for synergistic photo-chemotherapy of RA. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), which has high affinity with SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) in the RA joint microenvironment, is selected as the hydrophilic end and coupled with MTX and the phototherapeutic agent CyI to self-assemble into BMC. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that BMC accumulated significantly at the joint site in collagen antibody-induced arthritis mice and could be specifically recognized and taken up by folate receptors in proinflammatory M1 macrophages. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, CyI exerted photodynamic and photothermal effects, whereas MTX not only inhibited cell proliferation but also increased cell sensitivity to reactive oxygen species, enhancing the apoptotic effect induced by CyI and achieving synergistic photo-chemotherapy. Moreover, BMC could induce macrophages to reprogram into anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. This study provides innovative approaches for RA treatment via macrophage apoptosis and re-polarization., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Bryostatins are a family of marine natural products that have garnered significant interests, as evidenced by over 40 clinical trials. However, their extremely low natural abundance has severely limited further research. Despite significant efforts, which have led to the total synthesis of seven bryostatin members by eight independent research groups, these complex molecules present persistent challenges for stereocontrolled, large-scale, and especially divergent synthesis. Here, we report the divergent total syntheses of bryostatins 1, 7, 9 and 9-N 3 . Notably, 1.5 g of bryostatin 1 was obtained in a single sequence of the final three steps. Key transformations include Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling to rapidly assemble the northern fragment, the flow chemistry-assisted visible light-induced alkyl radical conjugate addition to convergently construct the southern fragment, and an intramolecular geminal bis(silyl) Prins cyclization to establish the cis-Z selectivity on the B-ring. The syntheses consist of 20-22 steps in the longest linear sequence and 33-35 total steps, with overall yields ranging from 3.3 % to 4.5 %., (© 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Polybromo-1 (PBRM1) serves as a crucial regulator of gene transcription in various tumors, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). However, the exact role of PBRM1 in iCCA and the mechanism by which it regulates downstream target genes remain unclear. This research has revealed that PBRM1 is significantly downregulated in iCCA tissues, and this reduced expression is linked to aggressive clinicopathological features and a poor prognosis. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that PBRM1 can impede iCCA progression, and a gene therapy nanomedicine is developed to treat iCCA in vivo by modulating PBRM1 expression. The heightened expression of PBRM1 induces by the nanomedicine substantially inhibited tumor growth in iCCA. Conversely, the decrease in PBRM1 results in the abnormal activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, a reduction in p16, p53/p21, and cellular senescence, thereby promoting iCCA advancement. Treatment with U0126, an ERK1/2 inhibitor, effectively halted iCCA progression by regulating the PBRM1-ERK1/2-cellular senescence pathway. These findings underscore the significant role of PBRM1 in controlling iCCA progression and predicting prognosis. Targeting the PBRM1-ERK1/2-cellular senescence pathway with U0126 shows promise for clinical applications in treating iCCA., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

It is greatly crucial to develop low-cost energy storage candidates with high safety and stability to replace alkali metal systems for a sustainable future. Recently, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have received tremendous interest owing to their low cost, high safety, wide oxidation states, and sophisticated fabrication process. Nanostructured manganese (Mn)-based oxides in different polymorphs are the potential cathode materials for the widespread application of ZIBs. However, Mn-based oxide materials suffer from several drawbacks, such as low electronic/ionic conductivity and poor cycling performance. To overcome these issues, various structural modification strategies have been adopted to enhance their electrochemical activity, including phase/defect engineering, doping with foreign atoms (e. g., metal and/or nonmetal atoms), and coupling with carbon materials or conducting polymers. Herein, this review targets to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the above-mentioned strategies to improve the electrochemical performance of the cathodic part of ZIBs. The challenges and suggestions for the development of manganese oxides for ZIBs are put forward., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The development of versatile strategies for preparing functional carbon materials is essential for advancing a wide range of applications in materials science. Precursor design plays a pivotal role in governing the chemistry and structure of carbon materials for target applications. In this work, we report the synthesis of Meldrum's acid derivatives through Knoevenagel condensation with aromatic heterocycles such as pyrrole, furan, and thiophene, which serve as precursors for carbonaceous materials with tailored chemical and electronic properties. The thermal condensation of these precursors proceeds via highly reactive, electron-rich ketene intermediates, playing a crucial role in the formation of the carbon materials. The resulting heteroatom-doped carbon materials exhibit tunable chemical, physico-chemical, and structural properties, which we have correlated with their energy storage performances. Eventually, we deem this strategy of high interest for designing high-performance carbonaceous materials with tunable properties for a broad range of applications, from electrochemical energy storage to conversion, water filtration, environmental remediation, and beyond., (© 2025 The Author(s). Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Research on mixed Sn-Pb perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is gaining significant attention due to their potential for high efficiency in all-perovskite tandem solar cells. However, Sn 2+ in Sn-Pb perovskite is susceptible to oxidation, leading to a high defect density. The oxidation primarily occurs through two pathways: one involving a reaction with oxygen, and the other related to iodine defects, which generate I 2 and further accelerate the oxidation of Sn 2 ⁺, greatly reducing stability. First, to tackle the photo-stability issues caused by iodine defects, amber acid (AA) is screened as the additive. The Carboxyl group on AA can strongly coordinate with Sn 2+ , reinforcing the Sn─I bond and electrostatically interacting with negatively charged defects. This interaction inhibits the photoinduced formation of I 2 and the subsequent oxidation of Sn 2+ , thereby enhancing the stability of Sn─Pb PSCs under continuous illumination. Building on the foundation of AA, a reductive sulfhydryl group is introduced to synthesize thiomalic acid (TA). It inhibits the formation of Sn 4+ in both the perovskite precursor and the perovskite film, thereby improving air stability while maintaining strong photostability. Consequently, single PSCs achieved a champion efficiency of 22.7%. The best-performing two-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.6% with improved operational stability., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Despite significant progress in the power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the instability of devices remains a considerable obstacle for commercial applications. This instability primarily originates from the migration of halide ions-particularly iodide ions (I - ). Under light exposure and thermal stress, I - migrates and transforms into I 2 , leading to irreversible degradation and performance loss. To address this issue, we introduced the additive 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole,5,6-difluoro-4,7-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl) (BT2F-2B) into the perovskite. The strong coordination between the unhybridized p orbital and lone-pair electrons from I - inhibits the deprotonation of MAI/FAI and the subsequent conversion of I - to I₂. The highly electronegative fluorine enhances its electrostatic interaction with I - . Consequently, the synergistic effect of BT2F-2B effectively suppresses the decomposition of perovskite and the defect density of the iodide vacancies. This approach delivers a PCE over 26% for inverted single-junction PSCs, with exceptional operational stability. According to the ISOS-L-3 testing protocol (maximum power point tracking at 85 °C and 50% relative humidity), treated PSCs retain 85% of their original PCE after 1000 h of aging. When the BT2F-2B is applied to a wide-bandgap (1.77 eV) perovskite system, the PCE of all-perovskite tandem solar cells reaches 27.8%, confirming the universality of the proposed strategy., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Laser-irradiation-assisted cell gene transfection is sterile and nontoxic, but the low transfection efficiency cannot meet the application requirements. To improve the efficiency, a temporal and spatial shaping method of a femtosecond laser is proposed. Using the time shaping method, we can segment the pulse into subpulses of varying energies and with a defined delay, thereby influencing the interaction between electrons and photons, ultimately enhancing transfection efficiency. The transfection efficiency is further improved by spatially shaping the laser pulse to extend the focusing beam's working distance and reduce the cell's sensitivity to the focal position. Through the characterization of the viability and transfection efficiency of HEK-293T cells, the method achieved efficient and active transfection, with a maximum transfection efficiency of 45.1% and a cell survival rate of 93.6%. This method provides key technical support for femtosecond laser transfection and promotes its further application in clinical practice., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Chloride solid-state electrolytes (SEs) represent an important advance for applications in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Among various chloride SEs, lithium zirconium chloride (Li 2 ZrCl 6 ) is an attractive candidate considering the high natural abundance of Zr. However, Li 2 ZrCl 6 meets the challenge in practical ASSBs because of its limited ionic conductivity and instability when paired with high-voltage cathodes. This is a major drawback, which can result in a high internal resistance, a low capacity utilization of cathode, and poor cycle stability, especially at high voltage. Existing methods cannot achieve simultaneous enhancement on both ionic conductivity and high-voltage stability due to a trade-off between lithium-ion migration and structural stability. Here a two-pronged strategy based on partial fluorination and incorporation of lithium ions in excess of stoichiometric ratios is introduced that enables high-voltage stability while increasing ionic conductivity concurrently. The Li-rich fluorinated halide SE (Li 2.3 ZrCl 6.1 F 0.2 ) exhibits a significant advancement in performance, with an ionic conductivity that is double that of the pristine Li 2 ZrCl 6 and much better high-voltage stability. By leveraging Li 2.3 ZrCl 6.1 F 0.2 with the LiCoO 2 cathode and the Li-In anode, the all-solid-state cell exhibits a remarkable initial specific capacity (198.0 mAh g -1 at 0.1 C) and a high capacity retention (78.5% after 150 cycles) within 3.0-4.8 V., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as predominant energy storage devices, are applied to electric vehicles, which is an effective way to achieve carbon neutrality. However, the major obstructions to their applications are two dilemmas: enhanced cyclic life and thermal stability. Taking advantage of bio-inspired core-shell structures to optimize the self-protective mechanisms of the mercantile electrode particles, LIBs can improve electrochemical performance and thermal stability simultaneously. The favorable core-shell structures suppress volume expansion to stabilize electrode-electrolyte interfaces (EEIs), mitigate direct contact between the electrode material and electrolyte, and promote electrical connectivity. They possess wide operating temperatures, high-voltage resistance, and inhibit short circuits. During cycling, the cathode and anode generate a cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI) and a solid-electrolyte interface (SEI), respectively. Applying multitudinous coating approaches can generate multifarious bio-inspired core-shell structured electrode particles, which is helpful for the generation of the EEIs, self-healing the surface cracks, and maintaining the structural integrities of electrodes. The protected shells act as barriers to minimize unwanted side reactions and enhance thermal stability. These in-depth understandings of the bio-inspired evolution for electrode particles can inspire further enhancements in LIB lifetime and thermal safety, especially for bio-inspired core-shell structured electrodes possessing high-performance protective mechanisms., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Organosulfides are considered promising cathode materials for zinc batteries due to their merits of high-density active sites and multielectron reactions, but often suffer from sluggish kinetics and limited electrochemical stability. Here organic iodide-catalyzed is reported and stabilized multielectron-redox bis(dimethylthiocarbamyl) sulfide (BS) cathode for superior zinc-organosulfide batteries. Activated by 2e - I - /I 3 - conversion in 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (MPII)-modulated electrolyte, the electron-deficient structure of BS can stretch the electron cloud of two adjacent C═S bonds to form bipedal C─S bonds, affording high-kinetics and stable 2e - Zn─S storage electrochemistry. This allows high accessibility of zincophilic dual C = S sites with a low activation energy, and stabilizes BS to fulfil anti-dissolution in electrolyte. Consequently, Zn||BS battery with 4e - conversion-coordination harvests high-rate capacities (452 mAh g -1 at 1 A g -1 ; 255 mAh g -1 at 10 A g -1 ), high energy density (312 Wh kg -1 ) and ultralong life (30000 cycles), becoming the state-of-the-art zinc batteries in all-round metrics. This work constitutes a significant advance in developing high-redox-activity organosulfide materials and stand for a good starting point for advanced zinc batteries., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

To address the issue of low pesticide utilization owing to poor dispersibility, low leaf surface adhesion, and poor transport within plants, this study exploits electrostatic interactions between sodium lignosulfonate (SL) and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) to induce self-assembly, followed by iron ion (Fe 3+ ) chelation and loading with a natural product-based pesticide, rosin-based triazole derivative (RTD), yielding RTD@SL-DTAC-Fe nanomicrocapsules (NMs). It is worth noting that the presence of Fe 3+ enhances the dispersibility of the NMs. The water dispersibility and photostability of RTD are significantly improved after encapsulation, and a stimulus response to laccase is achieved. Leaf-washing experiments confirm the enhanced adhesion of RTD@SL-DTAC-Fe NMs to the surface of rice plant leaves compared to that of free RTD. Fluorescently labeled NMs exhibit bidirectional transport within rice plants, and RTD@SL-DTAC-Fe NMs demonstrates better transport performance than RTD. In vitro and in vivo antifungal tests indicate that encapsulation by NMs significantly enhanced pesticide activity. Field trials demonstrate that NMs exhibited prolonged efficacy compared to RTD. Finally, the safety evaluation confirms the environmental friendliness of the NMs. This study provides valuable insight for optimizing and improving the utilization efficiency and biosafety of natural product-based pesticides., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage. However, achieving a stable electrode-electrolyte interface remains a challenge for developing high-performance AZBs. Herein, taking the Zn||phenazine (PNZ) system as a prototype, where the proton uptake/removal mechanism dominates in the cathode, a carboxylic acid-functionalized cellulose hydrogel electrolyte is designed to simultaneously solve the issues at both the anode and cathode interfaces. Specifically, the hydrogel electrolyte can not only regulate Zn 2+ ions at the Zn anode side but also supply H + ions at the PNZ cathode side to avoid the unfavored deposition of zinc sulfate hydroxides. Benefiting from the unique one-gel-for-two-electrodes strategy, the dendrite-free and side reaction-suppressed aqueous Zn||PNZ cells are developed with a high specific capacity (311 mAh g -1 , 99% utilization of the theoretical capacity) and a long cycle life (over 1500 cycles within 2 months). This study proposes a facile and low-cost electrolyte strategy for stabilizing AZBs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Organic photodetectors (OPDs) with a near-infrared (NIR) response beyond 900 nm are intriguing electronics for various applications. It is challenging to develop NIR OPDs with high sensitivity and fast response. Herein, the acceptor materials of OPDs are tuned to extend detection to ≈1100 nm with improved sensitivity. A new fused ring electron acceptor, ICS (2,2'-((2Z,2'Z)-(((4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(4-((2-ethylhexyl)thio)thiophene-5,2-diyl))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(5,6-difluoro-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-2,1-diylidene))dimalononitrile), is developed with alkylthio thiophene as the bridge, achieving a small bandgap of 1.35 eV while decreasing dark current densities under reverse bias. By further introducing a secondary acceptor of PC 61  BM, the doping compensation, and unfavored hole injection blocking enable further improvement of detectivity. The PTB7-Th (Poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2-6-diyl]): ICS: PC 61  BM OPDs deliver a low dark current density of 1.23 × 10 -9 A cm -2 , a high peak specific detectivity of 1.09 × 10 13 Jones at 950 nm under -0.2 V, and a fast response speed with a -3 dB bandwidth of 720 kHz biased under -2 V. The photoplethysmography system with the PTB7-Th: ICS: PC 61  BM OPD can reliably monitor heartbeats under 980 nm NIR light. This study promises the development of organic NIR OPDs with high detectivity and fast response by tuning active materials., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Recently, aqueous Zn-X (X=S, Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) batteries (ZXBs) have attracted extensive attention in large-scale energy storage techniques due to their ultrahigh theoretical capacity and environmental friendliness. To date, despite tremendous research efforts, achieving high energy density in ZXBs remains challenging and requires a synergy of multiple factors including cathode materials, reaction mechanisms, electrodes and electrolytes. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the various reaction conversion mechanism of zinc-sulfur (Zn-S) batteries, zinc-selenium (Zn-Se) batteries, zinc-tellurium (Zn-Te) batteries, zinc-iodine (Zn-I 2 ) batteries, and zinc-bromine (Zn-Br 2 ) batteries, along with recent important progress in the design and electrolyte of advanced cathode (S, Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) materials. Additionally, we investigate the fundamental questions of ZXBs and highlight the correlation between electrolyte design and battery performance. This review will stimulate an in-deep understanding of ZXBs and guide the design of conversion batteries., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs) are widely used in smart windows, light modulators, and dimmed glass. However, their low mechanical strength, unsatisfactory electro-optical properties, and poor durability limit their large-scale application. In this study, a PSLC film with outstanding performance is prepared by incorporating a multifunctional molecule into a fine-sculptured liquid crystal/polymer composite. The multifunctional molecule is designed to form a vertically oriented layer with a silane coupling agent through a two-step self-assembly process and improve the mechanical strength of PSLCs by connecting the polymer networks through covalent bonds. In addition, it endowed the film with good thermal stability through the reversible change from hydrogen bonds at low temperatures to C═N bonds at high temperatures. A PSLC film with ultralow saturation voltage (V sat < 25 V), wide operating temperature and viewing angle performance, high mechanical strength (60-100% improvement), and high stability (15 000 cycles) is prepared through the self-assembly of the multifunctional molecule followed by photomask-assisted photopolymerization. Finally, a bending-resistant, flexible PSLC film with passive radiative cooling capacity is tested and achieved excellent temperature management. This composite film demonstrated superior performance in every aspect, promoting the application of PSLCs in smart windows for cars and buildings., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has numerous applications in optical data storage, quantum computing, bioresponsive imaging, liquid crystal displays, and backlights in three-dimensional (3D) displays. In addition to their competitive optical properties, carbon dots (CDs) benefit from simple and low-cost preparation, facile post-modification, and excellent resistance to photo- and chemical bleaching after carbonization. Combining the superior optical performance with polarization peculiarities through hierarchical structure engineering is imperative for the development of CDs. In this study, hydrophobic interactions of aromatic ligands, which participate in the surface-ligand post-modification process on the ground-state chiral carbon core, are employed to drive the oriented assembly. Furthermore, the residual chiral amides on CDs form multiple hydrogen bonds during gradual aggregation, causing the assembled materials to form an asymmetric bending structure. Superficial ligands interfere with the optical dynamics of the exciton radiation transition and stabilize the excited state of the assembled materials to achieve a circularly polarized signal. The linkage ligands overcome the frequent aggregation-induced quenching phenomenon that present difficulties in conventional CDs, facilitate the assembly of self-supporting films, and improve chiral optical expression. The full-color and white CPL are manipulated by simply adjusting the functional groups of the ligands, which also illustrates the versatility of the post-modification strategy. Finally, large chiral flexible films and multicolor chiral light-emitting diodes based on the stable chiral powder phosphors were constructed, thereby providing feasible materials and technical support for flexible 3D displays., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The delineation of the complex biosynthesis of the potent antibiotic mupirocin, which consists of a mixture of pseudomonic acids (PAs) isolated from Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 10586, presents significant challenges, and the timing and mechanisms of several key transformations remain elusive. Particularly intriguing are the steps that process the linear backbone from the initial polyketide assembly phase to generate the first cyclic intermediate PA-B. These include epoxidation as well as incorporation of the tetrahydropyran (THP) ring and fatty acid side chain required for biological activity. Herein, we show that the mini-module MmpE performs a rare online (ACP-substrate) epoxidation and is integrated ('in-cis') into the polyketide synthase via a docking domain. A linear polyketide fragment with six asymmetric centres was synthesised using a convergent approach and used to demonstrate substrate flux via an atypical KS 0 and a previously unannotated ACP (MmpE&#95;ACP). MmpE&#95;ACP-bound synthetic substrates were critical in demonstrating successful epoxidation in vitro by the purified MmpE oxidoreductase domain. Alongside feeding studies, these results confirm the timing as well as chain length dependence of this selective epoxidation. These mechanistic studies pinpoint the location and nature of the polyketide substrate prior to the key formation of the THP ring and esterification that generate PA-B., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The essential trace element, zinc, regulates virtually all aspects of cellular physiology, particularly cell proliferation and survival. Diverse families of metal transporters, metallothioneins, and metal-responsive transcriptional regulators are linked to zinc homeostasis. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of systemic zinc homeostasis remains largely unknown. Here, it is reported that the intestinal transporter SLC30A1 plays an essential role in maintaining systemic zinc homeostasis. Using several lines of tissue-specific knockout mice, it is found that intestinal Slc30a1 plays a critical role in survival. Furthermore, lineage tracing reveals that Slc30a1 is localized to the basolateral membrane of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). It is also found that Slc30a1 safeguards both intestinal barrier integrity and systemic zinc homeostasis. Finally, an integrative analysis of the cryo-EM structure and site-specific mutagenesis of human SLC30A1 are performed and a zinc transport mechanism of SLC30A1 unique within the SLC30A family, with His43 serving as a critical residue for zinc selectivity, is identified., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Cr(VI) pollution poses great harm to the cyclic utilization of groundwater and surface water resources. Efficient adsorbent materials have great potential to change this situation and assist in the restoration of ecosystems. This work chooses porous boron nitride fibers (pBN) with stable physical and chemical properties as the matrix, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the coupling agent, and uses a one-step crosslinking method to graft poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) onto pBN, forming pBN-AS@PAH with fascinating Cr(VI) adsorption capacity. PAH is uniformly covered and modified on the surface of pBN, and the composite with high specific surface area (383.33 m 2 /g), large pore volume (0.37 cm 3 /g), and abundant amino groups. Its equilibrium adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) can reach up to 123.32 mg/g, and the adsorption behavior follows the quasi second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model, indicating the chemical adsorption process of monolayer. The adsorption style belongs to a spontaneous exothermic process and has the optimal adsorption effect at a pH of ~2. Additionally, after cycling for 5 times, the decrease rate of adsorption capacity is less than 10 %, showing an excellent reusability., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Accurate determination of cerebral ascorbic acid (AA) is crucial for understanding ischemic stroke (IS) related pathological events. Carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFEs) have proven to be robust tools with high sensitivity toward AA, however, they face ongoing challenges for in situ measurement due to the non-specific adsorption of proteins in brain tissue. In this study, the hydrogen-bonded organic framework PFC-71 is synthesized and modified on CFEs through π-π stacking interactions with carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT -COOH ). It is found that the gating effect and hydrophilicity of PFC-71 provided the CFE with excellent antibiofouling properties. As a result, AA exhibited a low oxidation potential of -30 mV on the CFE/CNT -COOH /PFC-71, even in the presence of 20 mg mL -1 bovine serum albumin. Given the structural advantages of CFE/CNT -COOH /PFC-71, a ratiometric electrochemical strategy for AA is established, enabling the in situ assay of cerebral AA in a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model with high accuracy and stability., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Nanoconfinement is a promising strategy in chemistry enabling increased reaction rates, enhanced selectivity, and stabilized reactive species. Sulfur's abundance and highly reversible two-electron transfer mechanism have fueled research on sulfur-based electrochemical energy storage. However, the formation of soluble polysulfides, poor reaction kinetics, and low sulfur utilization are current bottlenecks for broader practical application. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed to confine sulfur species in a nanostructured hybrid sulfur-carbon material. A microporous sulfur-rich carbon is produced from sustainable natural precursors via inverse vulcanization and condensation. The material exhibits a unique structure with sulfur anchored to the conductive carbon matrix and physically confined in ultra-micropores. The structure promotes Na + ion transport through micropores and electron transport through the carbon matrix, while effectively immobilizing sulfur species in the nanoconfined environment, fostering a quasi-solid-state redox reaction with sodium. This translates to ≈99% utilization of the 2e - reduction of sulfur and the highest reported capacity for a room temperature Na - S electrochemical system, with high rate capability, coulombic efficiency, and long-term stability. This study offers an innovative approach toward understanding the key physicochemical properties of sulfurcarbon nanohybrid materials, enabling the development of high-performance cathode materials for room-temperature Na-S batteries with efficient sulfur utilization., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Multiple-heavy-metal contamination in soil, such as the simultaneous presence of AsO 4 3- , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ , which can reduce crop yields and damage human health, is a serious issue to be addressed. Herein, the MgFe-LDHs (layered double hydroxides) intercalated with carbonate and nitrate (MgFe-CO 3 and MgFe-NO 3 ) were synthesized by Separate Nucleation and Aging Steps and ion-exchange method, respectively. The MgFe-CO 3 demonstrated the maximum saturation adsorption capacity of 55.86, 543.48 and 1597.4 mg g -1 for single AsO 4 3- , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ in aqueous solution, while MgFe-NO 3 exhibited 92.50, 387.59 and 869.56 mg g -1 , respectively. Kinetic and thermodynamic results for mineralization of single AsO 4 3- , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, indicating the occurrence of chemisorption and monolayer adsorption for both MgFe-CO 3 and MgFe-NO 3 . Furthermore, simultaneous mineralization of AsO 4 3- , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ with >99.0 % efficiency in 240 min in aqueous solution and >81.1 % efficiency in 14 days in soil can be achieved by both MgFe-CO 3 and MgFe-NO 3 . Preliminary red bean seedlings cultivation experiments indicated that the released Mg 2+ ions from MgFe-CO 3 and MgFe-NO 3 were capable to promote the emergence and growth of red bean seedlings. Detailed XRD and XPS results demonstrated that the AsO 4 3- anions were adsorbed on the laminate of LDHs, whereas the Pb 3 (OH) 2 (CO 3 ) 2 was the mineralization product for both MgFe-CO 3 and MgFe-NO 3 . In terms of Cd 2+ , CdCO 3 was obtained as a mineralization product for MgFe-CO 3 , while CdCO 3 and Cd(OH) 2 can be detected due to the slow transformation of MgFe-NO 3 to MgFe-CO 3 in air., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Nanoparticles can enhance drugs accumulating at the tumor site and hold tremendous promise for achieving effective tumor treatment. However, due to the complexity of cancer heterogeneity and suppressive tumor microenvironment, the delivery of traditional nanoparticles has poor infiltration and off-target effects, making it difficult to control the drug release rate and causing off-target toxicity. In recent years, cell membrane-coated biomimetic nanoparticles have been developed, which have both the natural characteristics of biomembranes and the physical characteristics of traditional nanoparticles, thus improving the homologous targeting ability of nanoparticles to tumor cells and better biocompatibility. In this paper, we reviewed the application of single cell membrane and hybrid cell membrane-coated biomimetic nanoparticles in the integration for tumor diagnosis and treatment. We talked about the preparation methods of cell membrane-coated nanoparticles, the targeting mechanisms, and the effects of imaging and therapeutic outcomes of different cell membrane-coated biomimetic nanoparticles in detail. Finally, we discussed the existing problems and prospects of cell membrane-coated biomimetic nanomaterials., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In recent years, two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, termed as MXenes, have been widely applied in energy storage, photocatalysis and biomedicine owing to their unique physicochemical properties of large specific surface area, high electrical conductivity, excellent optical performance, good stability, etc. Moreover, due to their strong light absorption capacity in the first and second near-infrared bio-window, and their ability of being simply functionalized with multiple organic/inorganic materials, MXene biomaterials have shown great potential in the field of catalytic therapy. This review will summarize the common catalytic mechanism of MXene biomaterials and their latest applications in catalytic medicine such as tumor therapy, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and present the current challenges and opportunities in clinical translation for future development to promote the advancement of MXene biomaterials in the field of catalytic medicine., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)