Existing quasi-BIC architectures typically face a fundamental trade-off between high quality (Q) factors and wide-angle chiral operation. Scientists have now developed a planar dielectric metasurface that overcomes this by harnessing net zero topological charge (ZTC) merging BICs. This design simultaneously delivers a high Q-factor (~10⁴), near-perfect linear and nonlinear circular dichroism (0.99/0.999), and exceptional angular robustness—all on a fabrication-friendly, single-layer platform.

Through precisely tuning the CdS shell thickness to balance the triplet exciton transfer efficiency and the triplet lifetime of ligands, a record upconversion efficiency of 3.9% was achieved under 1064 nm excitation. This efficient quantum dot-based photon upconversion enabled unprecedented large-volume photocatalysis driven by low-energy sunlight with wavelengths beyond 1000 nm.

 A new Feature Article by Professor Sun Wei team from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) introduces a systematic Multiscale Regulation Framework for neutral zinc-air batteries (ZABs). The framework, based on the team's pioneering research, integrates innovations in electrolyte formulation, interfacial engineering, and device design to overcome critical issues like sluggish reaction kinetics and poor reversibility, significantly enhancing the energy efficiency and cycling stability of these promising energy storage devices.

High-capacity and cost-effective sodium (Na) metal anode receives increasing attention for constructing high-energy-density metal batteries. However, the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms on Na metal anodes drives detrimental dendrite growth and capacity fade, and its formation mechanisms remain poorly understood. Herein, an accelerated on-the-fly learning (AOFL) approach is introduced to uncover the mechanistic underpinnings of SEI formation. By combining conventional on-the-fly learning with similarity structure screening, AOFL achieves 71% faster simulations than ab initio molecular dynamics while maintaining comparable accuracy. The ClO₄⁻ decomposition forms Na₂O during the interfacial reaction simulation, while proton abstraction from 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) by reactive oxygen leads to NaOH formation, both of which are identified as critical inorganic SEI components. These insights afford theoretical guidance for elucidating SEI formation mechanisms and for the rational design of advanced electrolytes.

Researchers have developed a room-temperature liquid metal method that cleanly separates cathode materials from aluminum foil in spent Li ion batteries, eliminating the need for heating or chemical leaching. Liquid metals infiltrate aluminum grain boundaries and dissolve the foil within 30 minutes, achieving 99.4 percent separation efficiency across all four major commercial cathode types. The liquid metal is fully recyclable and coproduces clean hydrogen gas as a valuable byproduct.

In the high-stakes world of drug discovery, building a new medicine is a lot like microscopic architecture. To create the next breakthrough antibiotic or brain-targeting therapy, chemists must snap together fragile molecular building blocks. But for decades, one of the most useful chemical pieces has been notoriously stubborn, requiring conditions so harsh they often destroy the very medicine being built. Now, researchers have found a way to pick the lock.