News from Science China Press

Researchers at Westlake University have developed a new anion exchange membrane for water electrolysis that combines long-term chemical stability with easier large-scale manufacturing. The material reduces reliance on corrosive superacids during synthesis and performs efficiently in both lab-scale devices and kilowatt-scale hydrogen-producing stacks.

A study published in Science Bulletin reports the real-time rotational growth of single- and few-wall high-crystallinity carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and tracks the dynamics of the CNT-catalyst interface using atmospheric environmental transmission electron microscopy. The researchers identified two non-periodic growth modes: free rotation and restricted rotation, which are distinct from previously reported periodic-rotation models. Free rotation originates from weak CNT-catalyst interfacial interactions and enables straight, high-crystallinity CNT growth. Additional constraints, such as CNT-substrate contact, restrict this rotation, induce structural distortions, decelerate growth rate, and can even cause growth termination. This study establishes rotational freedom as a key interfacial parameter that linking CNT-catalyst interactions and the quality and growth dynamics of CNTs. It also provides guidance for designing catalysts and interfaces to achieve efficient synthesis of defect-free, high crystalline CNTs.

Researchers developed a perovskite X-ray detector film that is more uniform through its thickness, reducing noisy signals that usually worsen at low radiation doses. The detector produced clear dental and biological X-ray images at much lower dose levels, suggesting a materials-based route toward safer medical imaging and large-scale screening.

A new study in Science Bulletin shows that fructooligosaccharide, a widely used prebiotic, may alleviate hyperuricemia by reshaping the gut microbiota. The study identifies a microbial relay in which Ligilactobacillus murinus promotes the enrichment of Anaerotruncus colihominis, a bacterium capable of degrading uric acid. The findings suggest a new mechanism by which prebiotics may regulate host metabolism through interbacterial interactions.

Researchers analyzed snow droughts in Xinjiang from 1980 to 2021 and classified them into warm-only, dry-only, and warm-dry types. The study identifies strong spatial heterogeneity, highlights the Kunlun Mountains as a major hotspot, and shows that warm-dry snow droughts increased markedly after 2000.

Researchers have developed a single machine-learning turbulence model that predicts a wide range of turbulent flows—without the manual zoning, switching, or tuning that conventional models require. Led by researchers at the University of Stuttgart, the work advances a long-sought goal in computational fluid dynamics: a unified turbulence model that handles many flow mechanisms within one framework. Details of the findings were published in National Science Review.