Researchers from Dalian University of Technology have developed an innovative seismic protection system that combines segmented rocking trusses with multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMD) to significantly improve the earthquake resilience of high-rise steel buildings. The proposed system overcomes the limitations of conventional rocking structures that are primarily effective only for first-mode vibration control. By dividing the rocking truss into multiple segments along the building height and strategically placing MTMDs based on the structure's vibration characteristics, the new design achieves uniform deformation distribution, prevents weak-story failure mechanisms, and reduces maximum inter-story drift ratios by 7% to 29%. The findings, published in Lifeline Emergency and Safety, demonstrate that this hybrid approach effectively controls multi-order vibration mode damage while maintaining the self-centering advantages of traditional rocking systems.

High-resolution X-ray imaging is essential for medical diagnostics, security screening, and industrial non-destructive testing. However, conventional powder-polymer composite scintillator films usually require large thicknesses to ensure sufficient X-ray attenuation and brightness, while particle aggregation and interfacial heterogeneity inevitably cause severe light scattering and reduce imaging resolution. To address this challenge, a research team developed two optically homogeneous hybrid metal halide glasses, MTP₂SbCl₅ and MTP₂MnCl₄, through a scalable low-temperature melt-quenching strategy. These transparent glass scintillators exhibit visible–near-infrared transmittance up to ~90%, near-complete X-ray attenuation at 1 mm thickness, light yields of 5819 and 19232 photons MeV⁻¹, and high spatial resolutions of 18.8 and 22.5 lp mm⁻¹, respectively. Beyond imaging, the glasses also show excellent irradiation stability, reversible glass–crystal–glass transition, low-temperature self-healing, and tunable radioluminescence from green to orange-red, opening a new pathway toward recyclable, large-area, high-resolution, and color-visualized X-ray imaging platforms.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) emerges as a sustainable approach for converting residual nitrate pollutants into valuable ammonia under ambient conditions, offering a promising alternative to the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Compared to single-metal-site electrocatalysts, dual-metal-site (DMS) electrocatalysts show synergistic effects between adjacent metal sites, effectively regulating the electronic state and enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity for NO₃RR with multi-step proton and electron transfers. Further understanding on NO₃RR is of practical significance for design of efficient DMS electrocatalysts.

Understanding the structure–activity relationship of catalysts is crucial for addressing global energy and environmental challenges. A research team led by Professor Jiangwei Zhang from Inner Mongolia University presents a comprehensive review of advanced characterization techniques—including spectroscopy, microscopy, compositional analysis, and in-situ/operando methods—that enable atomic-level insights into catalytic systems. These techniques pave the way for intelligent catalyst design and real-time reaction monitoring.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) ceramics possess high thermal conductivity, excellent electrical insulation, and good thermal and chemical stability, showing great potential for high-end electronics and thermal management. Current industrial production relies on hot pressing, which limits product size and yield with high costs. Pressureless sintering is simple, low-cost, and suitable for large or complex shapes. However, due to the extremely low self-diffusion coefficient of h-BN, densification via pressureless sintering is difficult, with relative densities typically below 90%. Therefore, achieving densification of h-BN by pressureless sintering has remained a key challenge for over half a century since its first synthesis.