Physics

ABSTRACT Janus Zn/Au micromotors (MMs) are fabricated by sputtering Au onto one hemisphere of Zn microparticles, resulting in spherical light‐responsive structures with dual photothermal propulsion and SERS detection capabilities. Zn/Au MMs exhibit efficient propulsion under near‐infrared (NIR) light, with motion driven through thermophoretic effects induced by local heating of the Au surface. The MMs are activated by CARS microscopy, enabling label‐free, real‐time trajectory tracking, with propulsion velocities increasing linearly with total laser power and remaining largely independent of the pump wavelength within the NIR range (780–900 nm) under dual‐wavelength excitation. A 30 nm Au coating provides the optimal balance between optical absorption and propulsion efficiency, while independent modulation of the pump and Stokes beams confirms that dual‐beam excitation is essential for sustained motion. Zn/Au MMs work perfectly as active SERS platforms for single and multiplex detection of the anticancer drugs methotrexate (MTX) and 6‐mercaptopurine (6‐MP). Their active motion enhances analyte exchange at the Au surface, reducing affinity‐driven saturation and competitive adsorption effects, which broadens the linear range and improves multiplex SERS detection. The integration of autonomous motion with chemometrics models, including partial least squares‐discrimination analysis (PLS‐DA) on the obtained SERS data, represents a promising step toward MM‐based diagnostic systems.

ABSTRACT Hydrogel dressings for wound management need to deliver multiple functions, such as wet adhesion, antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory effects, healing, and pain relief. Integrating these functionalities to fabricate multifunctional dressings has become a major research focus. However, most existing studies concentrate primarily on combining these features without considering the activation sequence or duration of each function, which can inadvertently prolong patients’ unpleasant symptoms. Properly sequencing and controllably activating these functionalities is essential to enhance patient comfort and ensure more effective wound care. Herein, we report a concept hydrogel dressing with time‐dependent multilevel functions for effective wound management. The hydrogel matrix is based on gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) with mussel‐inspired phenolic groups forming a wet adhesive system. This material can adhere to irregular wounds and complex, blood‐containing surfaces within 10 s, fulfilling the essential adhesion function. After bonding, the hydrogel system initiated the release of the analgesic lidocaine quickly. Meanwhile, maintaining strong adhesion and local analgesic effects, the antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory agent costunolide (Cstl), encapsulated in liposomes is gradually released. This novel concept to effectively schedule different functionalities over time according to wound management and comfort needs offers a valuable design route for developing smart wound dressing materials.

ABSTRACT Achieving complete perovskite coverage on commercial fully textured silicon photovoltaics remains a critical challenge for high‐efficiency perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Here, we report a hole‐transport‐material (HTM) nanoparticle‐guided nucleation strategy by uniformly decorating micrometer‐scale pyramids with spray‐coated NiO x nanoparticles. A spray‐on‐hot‐substrate process enables conformal deposition of NiO x nanoparticles across pyramid tips, sidewalls, and valleys, forming a rough HTM layer. An optimized NiO x thickness of 20–30 nm simultaneously provides sufficient surface roughness to regulate perovskite nucleation while preserving efficient charge transport. The NiO x nanoparticles effectively tailor local morphology angles, suppressing valley‐preferred nucleation and enabling spatially uniform perovskite nucleation and growth. Consequently, ∼1 µm‐thick perovskite films achieve complete coverage of micrometer‐scale pyramids without exposed tips. Leveraging this approach, perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells deliver a champion efficiency of 32.98%. This work demonstrates a scalable pathway toward high‐performance tandem photovoltaics by utilizing the HTM itself as an effective nucleation‐regulating layer.

ABSTRACT “Always‐on” MRI nanoprobe easily generates artifact signal due to non‐specific interaction with tumor, resulting in inaccurate diagnosis. Stimulus‐responsive nanoswitch can specifically amplify tumor signal and decrease background signal, improving diagnostic efficacy of the tumor. However, single stimulus for tumor specificity is often insufficient, which is prone to interference and leads to off‐target effects. Herein, Cu and GSH “AND” logic‐gated responsive nanoswitch (cRGD‐dsESIONP) was developed by the conjugation of disulfide bonds between cRGD cyclopeptide and ESIONP. For tumors within only high GSH expression, the disulfide bonds on the surface of cRGD‐dsESIONP were cleaved by GSH, but cRGD‐dsESIONP cannot assembly into aggregates and still exhibited T 1 contrast imaging. However, for the tumors within high GSH and Cu expression, the cRGD‐dsESIONP was cleaved into ESIONP‐SH by GSH, subsequent ESIONP‐SH captured intracellular Cu and assembled into aggregates, which resulted in switching from T 1 contrast imaging to T 2 contrast imaging, then enlarged tissue signal‐to‐noise ratio, and accurately diagnosed tumors. In vivo experimental results demonstrated that cRGD‐dsESIONP had excellent biocompatibility and enabled precise imaging for microtumors within high Cu and GSH expressions. The design of logic‐gated nanoswitch in response to GSH and Cu provides a novel approach for accurate MRI diagnosis of microtumors.

ABSTRACT Ceramic aerogels exhibit exceptional thermal insulation potential in extreme environments, yet their poor stretchability and transverse contraction prevent them from providing conformal thermal protection. These limitations render ceramic aerogels inadequate for aircraft evolving toward hypersonic speeds and morphing configurations. This study employs a topology‐guided multiscale structural strategy, fabricating auxetic ceramic nanofiber aerogels, based on theoretical mechanical models of Timoshenko beam theory and Castigliano's theorem. Leveraging a kirigami‐inspired design that integrates reentrant honeycomb structural membranes to resist transverse contraction and isotropic aerogels to block heat leakage, our auxetic aerogels enable outstanding stretchability and tensile‐invariant thermal insulation properties. Specifically, our aerogels achieve an excellent tensile elongation of up to 22% strain with a fracture stress of 31 kPa fracture stress and a Poisson's ratio of −0.49. Moreover, these aerogels also demonstrate excellent fatigue resistance, enduring 500 stretch‐recovery cycles at a 10% strain without any damage. Furthermore, the aerogels possess ultralow thermal conductivity (33.14 mW·m −1 ·K −1 at 20% strain) while maintaining exceptional thermal stability at 1100°C, resisting tensile deformation without transverse contraction. This study shows promising prospects for lightweight, reliable thermal protection in extreme environments.

ABSTRACT The pursuit of high‐performance bulk photovoltaic (BPV) materials beyond the limitations of conventional ferroelectrics and low‐dimensional semiconductors remains a significant challenge. A breakthrough via cadmium (Cd) doping in the layered semiconductor indium selenide (InSe) is demonstrated, which enables a synergistic modulation of electrical and photovoltaic properties. Comprehensive characterization confirms the noncentrosymmetric ε‐phase structure of the synthesized Cd‐InSe crystals and the effective incorporation of Cd atoms. Electrical measurements reveal a stable transition from intrinsic n ‐type to p ‐type conduction upon Cd doping, with a superior gate‐tunable on/off ratio of ≈3 × 10 4 . Leveraging its strong optical transition probability and noncentrosymmetric structure, Cd‐InSe exhibits a pronounced bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE), achieving record‐high BPV coefficients, which is up to 20 times greater than the best van der Waals systems. Combined experimental and theoretical investigations elucidate that the observed BPVE is primarily governed by a shift current mechanism originating from the in‐plane structural anisotropy and the resonant absorption due to interband transitions generated by the shallow valence band states modified by Cd doping. This study establishes elemental doping in layered materials as a powerful strategy for co‐designing carrier polarity and BPV optoelectronic response, paving the way for advanced self‐powered and polarization‐sensitive photonic devices.

ABSTRACT Biohybrid robots with autonomous motility can recapitulate existing biological structures and interact with their surroundings, attracting broad attention from researchers regarding their locomotion characteristics. However, muscle‐driven biohybrid millirobots often struggle to maintain stable and tunable locomotion beyond obstacle‐free fluidic environments, thereby limiting their applicability in task‐oriented operations such as trajectory‐specific directional modulation and cargo transport. To address this issue, we developed a muscle‐driven biohybrid thin‐film millirobot (MBF‑Robot) by patterning cardiomyocytes onto a flexible thin‐film substrate in distinct spatial arrangements. This design allows MBF‑Robots with identical geometrical configurations to exhibit distinct propulsion modes and motion directions, with a maximum speed of 0.79 mm/s (1 Hz). Moreover, by incorporating a small quantity of Fe 3 O 4 particles into the robot's structural body, we implemented a synergistic control strategy that integrates inherent muscle‐driven propulsion with non‐contact directional regulation via an external magnetic field. This approach, while retaining muscle actuation as the sole driving force, imparts the MBF‑Robot with continuous, rapid, and reversible navigation capability. Consequently, the MBF‑Robot successfully executed tasks such as microsphere transport along prescribed trajectories and selective control of multiple millirobots. Overall, this work establishes a design paradigm and engineering foundation for achieving controlled locomotion in biohybrid millirobots.

ABSTRACT Alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is pivotal to the hydrogen economy, yet the design o Pt‐based catalysts that simultaneously deliver high activity and hold maximized atomic utilization remains an enduring bottleneck. Although MXenes have been widely explored as Pt supports, their practical scope is still limited by harsh fabrication requirements. V 2 C stands out for its abundance and high conductivity; however, developing mild V 2 C synthesis and mitigating structural decay remain great challenges for HER. Herein, we report a sulfur doping‐assisted dual modulation strategy that enables atomic‐level dispersion of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) on V 5 S 8 ‐V 2 C heterostructures (Pt@V 5 S 8 ‐V 2 C). This approach tailors both the architecture of the V 2 C substrate and the nucleation dimension of Pt NPs, thereby generating abundant interfacial active sites for efficient alkaline HER. As a result, the optimized 1.5Pt@V 5 S 8 ‐V 2 C delivers an ultralow overpotential of 28.8 mV at 10 mA cm −2 , together with good catalytic performance in an anion‐exchange membrane water electrolyzer. A comprehensive combination of experimental and theoretical analyses reveals that the formation of a Pt─S─V bridge within the metal‐support framework effectively regulates interfacial charge transfer and accelerates intermediate kinetics via the hydrogen spillover effect. This study advances a blueprint for atom‐efficient HER electrocatalysts with industrial‐level performance.

ABSTRACT Controlling the exposure of anisotropic crystal facets provides a promising strategy to direct the migration of photogenerated charges and improve photocatalytic performance. Nevertheless, the underlying charge dynamics resulting from facet engineering in 2D Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 vacancy‐ordered perovskite remain poorly understood. Herein, we synthesize two distinct morphologies of Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 single crystals (nanosheets and nanostrips) with different ratios of exposed (001) to elucidate this mechanism. Surface photovoltage mapping, selective photodeposition, and DFT calculations jointly confirm the existence of anisotropic charge separation driven by an intrinsic facet junction electric field (∼180 meV). This electric field directs photogenerated holes to accumulate on the (001) facets for toluene activation, while electrons migrate to the (010) facets. Benefiting from this intrinsic facet junction, medium‐sized Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 nanosheets with optimal (001) facet exposure achieve a high benzaldehyde production rate of 692 µmol·g −1 ·h −1 with 87% selectivity, significantly outperforming other morphologies. This work provides the first demonstration of facet engineering in Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 , establishing a crystal‐orientation design principle for efficient and selective photocatalytic organic transformations.

ABSTRACT The electrocatalytic oxidation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)‐derived ethylene glycol (EGOR) to glycolic acid (GA) offers a sustainable approach for plastic valorization and low‐carbon chemical production. Conventional strategies have primarily focused on electronic modulation of catalytic sites to improve intrinsic activity, while neglecting the pivotal influence of the interfacial electric double layer (EDL). Here, we employed oxygen vacancies (OVs)‐rich Pd/MoO 3‐x catalyst to investigate how OVs drive EDL reconstruction and thus promote EGOR. Comprehensive experiments and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that OVs lower the potential of zero charge (PZC) of Pd/MoO 3‐x , which in turn redistributes interfacial cations and reconstructs a spatially accessible, hydrogen‐bond‐connected, and dynamically flexible EDL, thereby promoting reactant migration. By systematically varying the OVs concentration, we establish a PZC–EDL–kinetics relationship in which an optimal PZC maximizes EDL reconstruction and delivers a current density of 1000 mA cm −2 at 0.84 V vs RHE, with high FE (95.3%) and GA selectivity (97.1%). This work not only provides new insights into OVs‐mediated interfacial mechanisms in electrocatalytic plastics upgrading but also identifies PZC as an actionable design lever for tailoring the EDL structure and thereby modulating reaction kinetics in low‐potential alkaline electrocatalysis.

ABSTRACT The development of high‐voltage lithium‐ion batteries (HV‐LIBs) is limited by the chemical instability of electrolytes, which suffer from rapid degradation of the cathode–electrolyte interphase (CEI) at operating voltages above 4.5 V. Here, we describe molecular design of an architectured siloxane molecule, as the co‐solvent, trimethoxylsiloxane propoxyl carbonate (TSPC) with an umbrella‐inspired architecture that integrates three synergistic structural motifs: a high‐polarity carbonate “hook” for strong coordination with Li + and efficient ionic transport; a low‐polarity extended alkyl “shaft” that sterically shields extensive coordination with carbonate solvents; and a siloxane “canopy” that imparts high‐voltage resilience by promoting the formation of robust Si─O─enriched interphases. This multifunctional design effectively stabilizes the electrolyte–electrode interphase and suppresses parasitic side reactions, enabling stable cycling of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) cathode with 82.7% capacity retention for 300 cycles (4.7 V) and excellent rate performance showing 138.7 mA h g −1 capacity at 10 C. A 6‐Ah Si/C||NCM811 pouch cell retained 86.7% capacity after 500 cycles at 1 C (4.4 V). The rationally architectured siloxane molecule and the interphase regulation are compatible with a broad range of cathode chemistries, providing a general molecular design guideline for stabilizing electrode‐electrolyte interphases in LIBs and related batteries operated at elevated voltages.

ABSTRACT Spinal cord injury (SCI) creates an inhibitory microenvironment at the lesion site, where depositions of inhibitory molecules, loss of neurotrophic factors, and glial scar formation collectively impede axonal regeneration. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the neonatal mouse spinal cord contains proteins that promote neural development and axon growth, and certain ECM‐associated proteins drive scarless healing and functional recovery after neonatal SCI. In this study, we prepare a decellularized spinal cord ECM from neonatal (DNSCM) hydrogel that retains key ECM components from neonatal mice. Using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)‐based quantitative proteomics, we find that, compared with adult mice, neonatal after SCI show upregulation of LAMB2—a key protein that promotes axonal growth—and downregulation of the inhibitory protein CSPG. Capitalizing on this discovery, we engineer a combined therapeutic system (D/L/I) by loading DNSCM hydrogel with LAMB2 and CSPG antagonist membrane‐permeable intracellular sigma peptide (ISP). When transplanted into adult mice with SCI, the D/L/I system achieves sustained drug release, effectively remodels the inhibitory microenvironment, and robustly promotes axonal regeneration, motor function recovery, and bladder function restoration. Importantly, this biomimetic strategy, which recapitulates the developmental and regenerative ECM microenvironment of homologous juvenile mammals, offers a promising therapeutic approach for the clinical treatment of SCI patients.

ABSTRACT Developing durable Pt‐based oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts is critical for commercializing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the conventional catalysts easily suffer from structural collapse and metal dissolution. We rationally design PtCu interlocked nanowire networks that synergistically integrate anisotropic 1D nanostructures with compressive lattice strains. This architecture enhances active site accessibility while weakening oxygen species adsorption. Aberration‐corrected high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) reveals the electrochemical annealing‐induced spontaneous welding at interwoven junctions during cycling, converting physical contacts into metallic bonds to resist agglomeration. Concurrent surface reconstruction generates a Pt‐rich shell that suppresses internal Cu dissolution. The catalyst achieves mass activity (MA) and specific activity (SA) of 1.68 A mg Pt −1 and 2.14 mA cm −2 at 0.90 V vs. RHE in 0.1 m HClO 4 , respectively, and sustains 93.68% MA after 40 000 accelerated durability testing (ADT) cycles. Mechanistic studies confirm electrochemical annealing simultaneously optimizes the adsorption energy of oxygen‐containing species on the catalyst surface and stabilizes the lattice framework. This work establishes electrochemical annealing as a transformative design paradigm for ultra‐stable strained nanoarchitectures.

ABSTRACT Refractory multi‐principal element alloys (RMPEAs) are attractive for elevated‐temperature tribology, yet many exhibit pronounced wear‐resistance degradation from ambient to medium temperatures (approximately 25°C–500°C). Conventional approaches typically rely on temperature‐specific, in situ tribo‐oxide formation, which limits the improvement to narrow operating windows. Here we demonstrate an oxygen‐induced amorphization strategy in NbMoWTaTi that produces a mechanically robust composite oxide tribo‐layer and suppresses medium‐temperature wear degradation. Oxygen incorporation into the chemically short‐range ordered NbMoWTaTi matrix promotes uniformly dispersed Ti─O clusters, leading to local lattice instability and spatially uniform amorphization. During sliding at 500°C–650°C, this process generates a composite oxide tribo‐layer comprising an amorphous matrix containing ultrafine WO 3 nanocrystals (∼5 nm), which exhibits high hardness and stiffness and supports ultra‐low wear (on the order of 10 −7 mm 3 ·N −1 ·m −1 ). In addition, pre‐fabrication of a comparable composite oxide layer reduces the wear rate by one to two orders of magnitude from 25°C to 400°C relative to the untreated alloy. These results establish oxygen‐induced amorphization as a design strategy for forming stable, high‐strength oxide tribo‐layers and achieving enhanced wear resistance across a broad service‐temperature range.

ABSTRACT Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction is hindered by rapid deactivation due to localized photothermal heating, coupled with inefficient charge separation and uncontrolled selectivity. Herein, we design a thermoregulatory photocatalytic microcapsule that, for the first time, integrates phase‐change thermal buffering with heterojunction band engineering within a single hierarchical architecture (MEPCM@ZIF‐8@PPy). The n‐Docosane core confers a high latent heat capacity (124.12 J g −1 ), maintaining the catalyst at ∼50 °C under illumination, while the Type‐II ZIF‐8/PPy heterojunction affords broad‐spectrum light harvesting and efficient charge separation. In a sacrificial agent‐free, gas‐solid system using only CO 2 and water vapor, the composite achieves a CO evolution rate of 433.01 µmol g −1 h −1 with ≈99.5% selectivity, outperforming most state‐of‐the‐art MOF‐based photocatalysts. In situ DRIFTS and real‐time infrared thermal imaging reveal that the PCM core not only prevents thermal degradation but actively steers the reaction pathway by suppressing *CO hydrogenation, thus enabling near‐unity CO selectivity. This work establishes a new paradigm wherein thermal management materials actively direct reaction selectivity, offering a broadly applicable strategy for durable solar fuel production.

ABSTRACT Hydropersulfides, noted for their potent reducing and nucleophilic characteristics, protect cells against severe oxidative damage. Nevertheless, the free hydropersulfides groups exhibit instability in blood circulation, potentially eliciting disproportionation reactions among themselves. To address this issue, a ROS‐responsive bovine serum albumin‐derived hydropersulfide nanomedicine (BSA‐SS‐PBAP NPs) was engineered by a thiol‐disulfide exchange strategy that employed BSA‐SH with multiple exposed thiol groups and phenylboronic acid pinacol ester‐SS‐pyridine (PBAP‐SS‐Py). Upon intravenous administration in ischemia/reperfusion‐induced acute liver injury (ALI) mice at 0 h post‐reperfusion, BSA‐SS‐PBAP NPs exhibited excellent colloidal stability in the blood circulation, rapidly targeted the damaged liver, and were internalized by hepatocytes. Under pathological conditions with elevated ROS levels, the responsively released hydropersulfides reshaped the redox equilibrium by eliminating free radicals, replenishing the thiol pool, and restoring the GSH/GSSG cycle, therefore reducing lipid peroxide accumulation. This process subsequently suppressed the Bcl‐2/Bax/Cyt‐C/cleaved caspase‐3/9/12 apoptotic pathways (apoptosis reduced by over 90%), thereby rescuing dying hepatocytes, alleviating the inflammatory cascade, and ultimately improving liver function (AST and ALT normalized within 12 h). The therapeutic administration, administered 3 h post‐reperfusion, emulated a clinical regimen and displayed comparable hepatoprotective benefits. This BSA‐derived hydropersulfides prodrug platform holds tremendous translational potential for ALI and other oxidative stress‐related disease therapies.

ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to value‐added C 2 products is a promising pathway for sustainable chemical manufacturing and carbon resource valorization, yet its efficiency remains limited by the intrinsically sluggish C─C coupling step. Herein, we report a structural asymmetric regulation strategy to precisely manipulate the local coordination environment of Cu sites in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Remarkably, the as‐prepared monomethyl‐mediated Cu‐MOF catalyst (Cu‐Me‐tp) achieves a high Faradaic efficiency of 93.1% for C 2 products at a current density of 540 mA cm −2 and maintains excellent stability over 100 h of continuous operation. In situ spectroscopic analyses combined with computational calculations reveal that the structural asymmetry induces local electronic anisotropy at Cu sites, resulting in a shift of * CO adsorption from atop to bridge configuration. This adsorption transformation significantly reduces the C─C coupling barrier by 0.74 eV and lowers the desorption energies of C 2 products to below 0.20 eV, which thereby promotes an efficient C 2 ‐selective CO 2 RR process.

ABSTRACT Efficient hydrogen purification requires membrane materials that combine high perm‐selectivity, high permeance, and scalable fabrication. Here, we report carbon membranes (CMs) derived from a fluorenyl‐containing polyimine, synthesized through a simple, catalyst‐free condensation of inexpensive, commercially available monomers. The linear precursor exhibits thermal robustness (T d5% = 470°C; char residue ∼43% at 800°C) and an intrinsically kinked molecular architecture that promotes free volume and, upon pyrolysis, enables the formation of defect‐free carbon layers with enhanced gas permeance. Carbon membranes were fabricated on porous alumina supports and carbonized at 500, 700, or 900°C under varied heating rates to investigate the influence of pyrolysis conditions on gas transport behavior and performance. Structural characterization (Raman, XPS, SEM, TEM) revealed formation of carbon frameworks, with transport governed by selective adsorption/surface diffusion or molecular sieving depending on the carbonization profile. Membranes carbonized at 700°C showed the best overall performance, achieving H 2 permeances up to 5.8 × 10 −7 mol m −2 s −1 Pa −1 and ideal perm‐selectivities exceeding the 2008 Robeson Upper Bound for H 2 /N 2 , H 2 /CH 4 , and H 2 /CO 2 separations. The facile synthesis, reproducibility, and tunability of this platform highlight fluorenyl‐containing polyimines as a promising route to scalable, high‐performance CMs for hydrogen purification.

ABSTRACT The pursuit of practical high–energy–density lithium (Li) metal batteries faces a fundamental challenge, that is, limited cycle life resulting from structural and interfacial instability caused by material degradation (e.g., inactive Li). These failure mechanisms originate from the corrosion of Li metal anodes (LMAs), high–voltage cathodes, and inactive battery components, which begin at material interfaces and spread across the electrode structure. On the basis of industrial corrosion frameworks, this review analyzes battery corrosion classified by chemical and electrochemical patterns, which promote the understanding of active and inactive material degradation. The failure mechanisms across different battery components are systematically examined. Recent progress on underlying mechanisms, key challenges, and corrosion–focused design strategies has been discussed, indicating the significance of LMA stabilization and dynamic interface control. Advanced characterization tools for uncovering the corrosion behaviors have been analyzed. Integrating the recognition of battery corrosion with machine learning and feature engineering allows for revealing the realistic corrosion inhibition mechanisms and achieving real–time battery life prediction. Finally, we present fresh perspectives and potential solutions to mitigate corrosion–induced failure in critical battery components, aiming to inspire transformative developments in next–generation high–energy–density Li metal batteries.

ABSTRACT Continuous, accurate blood pressure monitoring is critical for preventing and diagnosing hypertension‐related diseases. However, current continuous monitoring devices are bulky and expensive, restricting their widespread use in early diagnosis. Furthermore, existing pulse‐based sensing systems overlook user challenges in wearing comfort, pulse positioning, and susceptibility to acquisition conditions. Here, we develop a breathable, accurate, and integrated blood pressure monitoring system based on a flexible pressure sensor array, which is fabricated by patterned carboxylated carbon nanotube functionalized leather hierarchical composites. This array not only achieves high pulse sensing performance, featuring high fidelity, long‐term durability (> 7 months), rapid response (70 ms) and recovery time (60 ms), but also retains the inherent moisture permeability (8.3 g•m − 2 •h − 1 ) and degradability of leather. Meanwhile, the sensor array is crosstalk‐free and can significantly improve the success rate of pulse signal acquisition positioning. It features dynamic‐static dual‐parameter pressure sensing, and when combined with signal acquisition circuitry, enables decoupling pulse wave signals and wearing pressure from a single sensor—providing richer data for more accurate blood pressure estimation. Integrated with a trained neural network for blood pressure estimation, the AI‐empowered system enables continuous, accurate, and reliable monitoring, highlighting its potential in personalized health management and early hypertension diagnosis.

ABSTRACT Iridium‐based catalysts remain the most reliable option for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). However, their high cost and limited performance represent critical barriers to the commercialization of this green hydrogen production technology. Herein, we report the creation of a metallic Ir nanowire network (IrNWN), which exhibits superior OER performance through its in situ transition into an oxide structure with high intrinsic activity. At a low loading of 0.25 mg Ir /cm 2 in PEMWEs, IrNWN achieved a current density of 3.13 A/cm 2 at a cell voltage of 1.8 V, outperforming the commercial Ir‐based catalyst and surpassing the Department of Energy (DOE) 2026 technical target. Moreover, the high activity of IrNWN was maintained for 900 h in a durability test at 2 A/cm 2 , showing a low degradation rate of 0.042 mV/hour. Structural analysis of the electrochemically oxidized IrNWN revealed the presence of mixed Ir oxidation states and a high density of surface terminal oxygen groups (µ1‐O), which contributed to a reduced energy barrier for the rate‐determining O‐O coupling step.

Optically active chiral polymers have been fuelling advances in chiroptics, optoelectronics and sensors. However, achieving strong circular dichroism (CD) intensity and highly tunable chiroptical responses remains a critical yet challenging goal for chiral polymers. Here we report a supramolecular-covalent hybrid chiral polymer that exhibits dynamically tunable CD spectra with large spectral shifts while retaining high intensity. Supramolecular polymerization of a two-chain chiral monomer in solution yields gels composed of twisted fibrils of stacked nanoribbons. The diacetylene groups on the monomer chains align in long-range chiral order and undergo in situ topochemical polymerization, resulting in a supramolecular-covalent hybrid polymer. The polymer material appears dark blue and displays strong CD exceeding 1° at 670 nm. Remarkably, along with a blue-to-red chromatic transition upon heating, the CD peak shifts to 565 nm without attenuation of its magnitude. Mechanism study indicates the covalent polymer with a heat-responsive conjugated backbone is responsible for the dynamic spectral shift, whereas the supramolecular polymer contributes to the persistent high intensity. The unusual CD responses enable the use of the polymer in high-security information storage based on circular polarizations. The integration of supramolecular and covalent polymerizations provides strategies to create functional chiral polymers for advanced optical applications and beyond.

ABSTRACT The performance of kesterite Cu 2 ZnSn(S,Se) 4 (CZTSSe) solar cells is critically governed by the quality of the CZTSSe/CdS heterojunction; however, the morphology, crystallinity, and defect landscape of CdS buffer layers are intrinsically constrained by the inevitable competition between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation in widely used chemical bath deposition (CBD). Here, we report a simple yet effective surface microstructural reconstruction strategy based on chemical polishing that overcomes these challenges beyond the reach of conventional CBD process regulation. Specifically, polishing CZTSSe/CdS films with a Na 2 S/thiourea aqueous solution selectively removes low‐quality CdS particulates while inducing surface recrystallization and sulfur‐vacancy compensation. As a result, the CdS films exhibit markedly improved microstructure, enhanced crystallinity, and more homogeneous surface electrical properties. Benefiting from suppressed interfacial charge recombination and accelerated charge transport, kesterite solar cells achieve a champion efficiency of 15.3% with a high open‐circuit voltage ( V OC ) of 560 mV and a record‐low V OC deficit ( E g / e ‐ V OC ) of < 0.5 V, significantly advancing kesterite photovoltaics toward low voltage loss. Moreover, this work establishes a broadly applicable post‐deposition paradigm for improving CBD‐CdS–based optoelectronic devices across a wide range of material systems and applications.

ABSTRACT Stacking fault energy (SFE) is a core thermodynamic parameter governing defect evolution, offering a critical pathway to circumvent the strength‐ductility trade‐off in advanced materials. However, its precise prediction faces a profound physical discrepancy: the ideal intrinsic SFE ( γ isf ) predicted by first‐principles calculations often deviates significantly from experimentally measured apparent SFE ( γ app ), which is intensely modulated by microstructural constraints and local chemistry. Furthermore, SFE tailoring paradigms differ fundamentally across material systems. In complex metallic solid solutions, such as high and medium entropy alloys, SFE engineering relies predominantly on macroscopic alloying and reshaping the dynamic generalized stacking fault energy (GSFE) landscape via chemical ordering. Conversely, in non‐metallic materials like structural oxides and advanced ceramics, compositional tuning is generally insufficient. Overcoming their intrinsic brittleness requires transforming the SFE into a defect‐conditioned dynamic energy landscape, manipulating planar fault nucleation and thermodynamic stability via defect chemistry, interfacial templating, and non‐equilibrium processing. This review summarizes the fundamental physical frameworks of SFE engineering, comparing cutting‐edge tailoring strategies and their mechanical impacts across metallic and non‐metallic systems to guide the design of next‐generation structural materials.

The global plastic pollution issues demand transformative upcycling technologies. As a kind of advanced material, well-defined heterocatalysts (WDHCs), which encompass well-defined nanoparticles, sub-nanoclusters, and atomically dispersed single-atom catalysts, have been widely employed in the chemical transformation of various waste plastics, showing high performance due to their unique structures. This review article summarizes advances on WDHCs for plastic upcycling, focusing on the structure-activity relationship of WDHCs and catalytic mechanisms. A framework of rational design for various WDHCs is first established, concentrating on the strategic engineering of metal centers, coordination environments, and support interfaces. Subsequently, the applications of WDHCs in catalyzing degradation of plastics via thermo-, photo-, and thermo-electronic strategies are introduced in sequence, with emphasis on mechanistic insights and structure-activity relationships of WDHCs. A critical assessment of catalyst stability, deactivation pathways, and performance in realistic mixed-plastic feeds is integrated throughout. Finally, the challenges related to scalable synthesis of catalysts and their stability, together with process integration, are addressed, offering perspectives on the development of sustainable and industrially viable plastic upcycling technologies. This work aims to serve as a foundational reference and a design guide for the next generation of high-performance WDHCs in enabling a circular economy of post-consumer plastics.