In a review published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry, opportunities for industrializing Photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction (PEC-CO₂R) by minimizing reaction energy consumption to improve reaction efficiency and selectivity are explored. This review summarizes recent advancements in developing Si-based photocathodes for PEC-CO₂R.

In a short Communication published in Science Bulletin, the development of tri-functional molecular junction photocatalysts for the photocatalytic nitrobenzene reduction and benzyl alcohol oxidation to obtain N-benzylidene aniline derivatives under solvent-free conditions.

In a paper published in National Science Review, several international teams of scientists present a low latency carbon budget that reveals an unprecedented decline in the global land carbon sink in 2023. Using dynamic global vegetation models, satellite fire emissions data, an atmospheric inversion based on OCO-2 measurements, and emulators of ocean biogeochemical and data-driven models, the study provides a fast-track analysis of the 2023 carbon budget. The research highlights how extreme heat, wildfires, and a moderate El Niño contributed to a significant reduction in the land’s ability to absorb CO2, calling for urgent action to address this growing imbalance.

An international team, led by Tongji University and Beijing Institute of Technology, together with University of Oviedo, demonstrates the possibility of converting linear incident polarization to any polarization state on demand and over a broadband frequency range. In particular, the appearance of chiral dipoles at the exceptional point presents a new degree of freedom for manipulating hyperbolic polaritons.

In a paper published in the National Scientific Review, researchers used 25 years of data to build machine learning models. They analyzed the spatial and temporal variation in soil microbial-derived carbon (MDC) stocks, and predicted MDC stocks under different shared socioeconomic paths in the future.This work revealed that every 1°C temperature increase leads to 6.7 Pg decline in global soil MDC in predictable regions. Projected future MDC stocks are expected to decline globally, with a drop of 6-37 Pg by 2100, depending on socioeconomic pathways. They recommend integrating the response of MDC stocks to warming into socioeconomic models to enhance confidence in selecting sustainable pathways.

In a paper published in Science Bulletin, multi-omics analyses comprising of lipidomics (439 lipids), sterolomics (22 oxysterols and sterols), metabolomics (311 polar metabolites) and proteomics (2325 proteins) were conducted on CSF samples from 50 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients (collected at four time-points from Day 1 to Day 14) and 22 control participants. This study found that circulating triacylglycerols (TAGs) are implicated in the modulation of immune cell activity and inflammation, while changes in glycosphingolipid potentially reflected demyelination and remyelination mediated by proteasomal degradation of osteopontin (SPP1) in the CSF. Our findings emphasize lipid-centric intervention targets to ameliorate metabolic insults post-ICH.

In a paper published in Polymer Science & Technology, an international team of scientists

explores how modifying side-chain features in homopolypeptides affects their ability to form coacervates. They synthesized various polypeptide variants, revealing that changing the lengths of side-chain amino or linker segments was found either to prohibit coacervate formation or to allow adjustment of the phase transition temperature. Notably, anionic polypeptides also formed coacervates, expanding potential applications in biomimetic materials. This work paves the way for designing multifunctional polymers with tunable properties. This study is led by Timothy J. Deming (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, United States).

The growing focus on enhancing color quality in LCDs,OLEDs and Micro-LED has spurred significant advancements in color-conversion displays. This article provides a comprehensive review of different types of color conversion methods and color conversion materials. We summarize the current status of patterning process, discuss key strategies to enhance display performance, and speculate on the future prospects and roles that color conversion will play in ultra-high-definition micro- and projection displays.

Researchers from Osaka University show that the improvements in signal strength during surface-enhanced fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy can extend even through a nanoscale protective layer. This research may lead to significant improvements in the sensitivity of biosensors and the development of novel point-of-care diagnostics.