Electrocatalyst activity and stability demonstrate a “seesaw” relationship. Introducing vacancies (Vo) enhances the activity by improving reactant affinity and increasing accessible active sites. However, deficient or excessive Vo reduces polysulfide adsorption and lowers catalytic stability. Herein, a novel “heteroatoms synergistic anchoring vacancies” strategy is proposed to address the trade-off between high activity and stability. Phosphorus-doped CoSe₂ with remained rich selenium vacancies (P-CS-Vo-0.5) was synthesized by producing abundant selenium Vo followed by controlled P atom doping. Atomic-scale microstructure analysis elucidated a dynamic process of surface vacancy generation and the subsequent partial occupation of these vacancies by P atoms. Density functional theory simulations and in situ Raman tests revealed that the Se vacancies provide highly active catalytic sites, accelerating polysulfide conversion, while P incorporation effectively reduces the surface energy of Se vacancies and suppresses their inward migration, enhancing structural robustness. The battery with the optimal P-CS-Vo-0.5 separator delivers an initial discharge capacity of 1306.7 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2C, and maintain 5.04 mAh cm⁻² at a high sulfur loading (5.7 mg cm⁻², 5.0 μL mg⁻¹), achieving 95.1% capacity retention after 80 cycles. This strategy of modifying local atomic environments offers a new route to designing highly active and stable catalysts.

The development of bionic sensing devices with advanced physiological functionalities has attracted significant attention in flexible electronics. In this study, we innovatively develop an air-stable photo-induced n-type dopant and a sophisticated photo-induced patterning technology to construct high-resolution joint-free p–n integrated thermoelectric devices. The exceptional stability of the photo-induced n-type dopant, combined with our meticulously engineered joint-free device architecture, results in extremely low temporal and spatial variations. These minimized variations, coupled with superior linearity, position our devices as viable candidates for artificial thermoreceptors capable of sensing external thermal noxious stimuli. By integrating them into a robotic arm with a pain perception system, we demonstrate accurate pain responses to external thermal stimuli. The system accurately discerns pain levels and initiates appropriate protective actions across varying intensities. Our findings present a novel strategy for constructing high-resolution thermoelectric sensing devices toward precise biomimetic thermoreceptors.

Flexible and conformable nanomaterial-based functional hydrogels find promising applications in various fields. However, the controllable manipulation of functional electron/mass transport networks in hydrogels remains rather challenging to realize. We describe a general and versatile surfactant-free emulsion construction strategy to customize robust functional hydrogels with programmable hierarchical structures. Significantly, the amphipathy of silk fibroin (SF) and the reinforcement effect of MXene nanosheets produce sable Pickering emulsion without any surfactant. The followed microphase separation and self-cross-linking of the SF chains induced by the solvent exchange convert the composite emulsions into high-performance hydrogels with tunable microstructures and functionalities. As a proof-of-concept, the controllable regulation of the ordered conductive network and the water polarization effect confer the hydrogels with an intriguing electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency (~ 64 dB). Also, the microstructures of functional hydrogels are modulated to promote mass/heat transfer properties. The amino acids of SF and the surface terminations of MXene help reduce the enthalpy of water evaporation and the hierarchical structures of the hydrogels accelerate evaporation process, expecting far superior evaporation performance (~ 3.5 kg m⁻² h⁻¹) and salt tolerance capability compared to other hydrogel evaporators. Our findings open a wealth of opportunities for producing functional hydrogel devices with integrated structure-dependent properties.

Due to their high mechanical compliance and excellent biocompatibility, conductive hydrogels exhibit significant potential for applications in flexible electronics. However, as the demand for high sensitivity, superior mechanical properties, and strong adhesion performance continues to grow, many conventional fabrication methods remain complex and costly. Herein, we propose a simple and efficient strategy to construct an entangled network hydrogel through a liquid–metal-induced cross-linking reaction, hydrogel demonstrates outstanding properties, including exceptional stretchability (1643%), high tensile strength (366.54 kPa), toughness (350.2 kJ m⁻³), and relatively low mechanical hysteresis. The hydrogel exhibits long-term stable reusable adhesion (104 kPa), enabling conformal and stable adhesion to human skin. This capability allows it to effectively capture high-quality epidermal electrophysiological signals with high signal-to-noise ratio (25.2 dB) and low impedance (310 ohms). Furthermore, by integrating advanced machine learning algorithms, achieving an attention classification accuracy of 91.38%, which will significantly impact fields like education, healthcare, and artificial intelligence.

Ultrafast fibre lasers, capable of generating ultrashort pulses with ultrahigh peak energy, are vital to contemporary optical research and industrial applications. To enhance their robustness and compactness, Chinese scientists have developed a novel core component, an application-level fibre-integrated two-dimensional (2D) nanocavity saturable absorber that enables stable single-pulse operation and high tolerance to intracavity polarization variations. This innovation will pave the way for high-performance, fully integrated all-fibre ultrafast laser systems suitable for complex environments.

Ammonia complex etching makes nickel-cobalt Prussian blue analog nanocages (NC-NiCo-PBA) with octahedral cavities.  They boost specific surface area, cut ion transfer distance, ease volume strain, enhancing aqueous nickel-zinc batteries’ energy/power densities and cycling stability.

Soil contamination by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) poses a growing threat to global food security and human health. A new study published in Biochar reports that combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with biochar can reshape soil microbiomes, reduce cadmium uptake, and dramatically improve plant growth, offering a sustainable strategy for farmland restoration.

Microplastics are no longer just an ocean pollutant—they are increasingly found in agricultural soils and even inside plants, according to a new review published in New Contaminants. The study highlights how microplastics can enter crops, impact plant health, and ultimately raise risks for global food security and human exposure.