In vivo optical imaging holds great potential for surgical guidance with the ability to intraoperatively identify tumor lesions in a surgical bed and navigate their surgical excision in real time. Nevertheless, its full potential remains underexploited, mainly due to the dearth of high-performance optical probes. Herein, hybrid cell membrane-biomimetic near-infrared II surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (NIR-II SERS) probes are reported for intraoperative resection guidance of orthotopic glioblastoma. A novel class of plasmonic Au nanorod (AuNR)@Au-Ag frames is developed with remarkable plasmonic properties tunable beyond 1700 nm. We demonstrate the exceptional NIR-II SERS performance both in vitro and in vivo of the biomimetic NIR-II SERS probes created with AuNR@Au-Ag frames and hybrid cell membranes. The biomimetic NIR-II SERS probes are successfully applied in an orthotopic glioblastoma mouse model for intraoperative resection guidance with complete tumor removal and improved surgical outcomes. This study presents a promising strategy for precise NIR-II SERS surgical navigation.

Transpiration-driven electrokinetic power generators (TEPGs) hold promising potential for intelligent chemical sensing applications, enabling the efficient identification and screening of organic solvents. Here, we report a novel TEPG-based chemical sensor using MoS-doped cellulose filter paper for efficient detection of poplar solvents like water, alcohols, and methanol. TEPGs operate by leveraging capillary-driven transpiration to induce solvent flow through porous materials, leading to ion migration and the formation of electrical double layers (EDLs) at the solid-liquid interfaces. This process generates a potential difference, enabling the conversion of the mechanical transpiration energy into electrical signals. Integrated with machine learning algorithms and IoT technologies, the sensor achieves real-time classification of the solvents. This TEPG-CS system offers enhanced sensitivity, reliability, and operational adaptability, overcoming the limitations of the traditional detection methods. This work has broad potential for environmental monitoring, industrial applications, and biomedical fields, offering another pathway for advanced solvent detection and classification systems.

Integrating metasurfaces on-chip offers a promising strategy for modulating and extracting guided waves, suggesting tremendous applications in compact wearable devices. However, despite the full acquisition of on-chip manipulation of optical parameters, including phase, amplitude, and polarization, the functionality of on-chip metasurfaces remains limited by the lack of wavelength selectivity. Here, an on-chip approach to differentiate wavelength components is proposed in the visible regime for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Through horizontally cascading on-chip meta-atoms with structural dimension variation and optimization, different wavelength components propagating along the waveguide would be selectively extracted, realizing meta-demultiplexing functionality. More intriguingly, color nanoprinting images or holographic displays can be correspondingly enabled. This approach surpasses conventional free-space meta-devices in terms of exhibiting improved wavelength-selective allocation and eliminating the energy waste caused by spatial multiplexing. We envision that such an on-chip cascading strategy paves the way for next-generation WDM devices in photonic integrated circuits and wearable miniature meta-displays.

Cancer cells sense and respond to the extracellular environment, with differences in nanoscale ligand spacing affecting their behavior. Emerging reports show that stretch/ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces promote apoptosis (mechanoptosis) by increasing myosin contractility. Since myosin contractility is critical for nanoscale-ligand spacing-regulated cell behavior, we study the effect of ligand spacing on mechanoptosis. Gold nanoparticle arrays were created with 35, 50, and 70 nm spacings and functionalized with cyclic-RGD peptide. Interestingly, the highest level of apoptosis was observed on 50 and 70 nm ligand spacing, where increased myosin contractility and peripheral Piezo1 channel localization causing calcium influx were observed. Perturbing cell-matrix interactions by nanomolar doses of Cilengitide (cyclic RGD pentapeptide) increases mechanoptosis on 35 nm ligand spacing to similar levels observed on 50 and 70 nm. Thus, nanoscale-level changes in binding domains regulate mechanoptosis through cell-matrix mediated mechanotransduction, and the synergistic action of ultrasound and Cilengitide can ultimately be applied to enhance tumor treatment.

The growth and integration of position-controlled, morphology-programmable silicon nanowires (SiNWs), directly upon low-cost polymer substrates instead of postgrowth transferring, is attractive for developing advanced flexible sensors and logics. In this work, a low temperature growth of SiNWs at only 200 °C has been demonstrated, for the first time, upon flexible polyimide (PI) films, via a planar solid-liquid-solid (IPSLS) growth mechanism. The SiNWs with diameter of ∼146 nm can be grown into precise locations on PI as orderly array and with preferred elastic geometry. Strain sensor array, built upon these spring-shape SiNWs integrated on PI, achieves a gauge factor (GF) of ∼90, sustains large stretching strains up to 3.3% (with 1.5 mm radius) and endures over 30,000 cycles. Strain sensors attached to the finger to monitor movements are also successfully demonstrated, showing high sensitivity and superior mechanical reliability, particularly suited for wearable health applications.

We developed an advanced microscopy imaging platform enabling amplification-free, multiplex detection of pathogenic bacteria in food and clinical samples, eliminating the need for DNA extraction. This platform leverages two-dimensional encoded polystyrene (PS) microspheres and an Argonaute-based decoding system to create multiplexed signal libraries. Each PS microsphere probe, encoded with spectrally distinct fluorophores and differing particle sizes, achieves high fluorescence through a tetrahedral DNA-enhanced hybridization chain reaction (TDNA-HCR), significantly enhancing signal intensity and reducing reaction time by 67%. Pathogenic bacteria identification relies on aptamer-specific recognition, which transduces pathogenic bacteria presence into guide DNA (gDNA) signals that activate Argonaute (CbAgo) for precise DNA cleavage, encoding pathogenic bacteria type and concentration in the color, size, and count of fluorescent PS probes. A custom computer vision-powered algorithm processes these signals, offering sensitive detection at 10 CFU/mL within 1.5 h, demonstrating significant potential for food safety and clinical diagnostic applications.

Chiroptical resonances with high quality factors (Q factors) have recently garnered extensive attention due to their broad applications in lasing and optical sensing. However, the independent manipulation of the Q factor and circular dichroism (CD) of chiroptical resonances has rarely been proposed. Here, we demonstrate that the Q factor and CD of guided mode resonance (GMR) can be independently manipulated by simply varying two structural parameters in a diatomic dielectric metasurface grating, offering a new paradigm for chiroptical resonance manipulation. We reveal that the independent manipulation of the Q factor and CD of the GMR is attributed to the modulation of the collective interference of guided mode fields excited by the two orthogonal linearly polarized normal incidence. GMRs with a Q factor of 183 and CD of ±0.62 have been experimentally validated, which is comparable to state-of-the-art chiral quasi-BICs. These findings provide a powerful platform for the realization of high-Q chiroptical resonances.

Logical analysis of multiple-miRNA expression information and immediate output of diagnostic results facilitates early cancer detection. In this work, we constructed an isothermal molecular classifier capable of performing computations on multiple miRNAs and directly providing diagnosis results. First, we developed linear-after-the-exponential rolling circle amplification (LATE-RCA), a nearly linear isothermal amplification that does not destroy the original quantitative information about miRNAs. By designing different numbers of weighted coding sequences on the circular template, we naturally implemented multiplication in the LATE-RCA process. Summation, subtraction, and reporting were then carried out by strand displacement reactions. The entire workflow of the classifier was validated using synthetic gastric cancer and healthy miRNA samples with an accuracy of 100%, demonstrating its robustness and accuracy. Compared with existing molecular classifiers, our approach performs under isothermal conditions, streamlines computational procedures, and simplifies probe design. We believe that this isothermal molecular classifier has promising prospects in personalized precision medicine.

Abnormalities of Au nanobipyramids (NBPs), such as rough surfaces, variable tip angles, corrugated edges, and curved tips, cannot be explained by traditional facet control. The underlying mechanism and significance of these abnormalities have not been fully recognized. This study revisits the growth process, focusing on the transition from normal to abnormal structures. We propose that both cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and Ag ions passivate the Au surface. When the passivation exceeds a limit, a nonequilibrium growth regime ensues (active surface growth, ASG), where the dynamic interplay between growth and passivation causes some sites to grow faster and thus become less passivated, leading to focused Au growth at these sites. This positive feedback leads to inequivalent growth of the initially equivalent surfaces, causing abnormalities in the Au NBPs. We believe these insights resolve the long-standing puzzle of why "ligand-specific facet control" does not always lead to flat, well-defined facets.

Organic carbon dots (CDs) exhibit tunable electronic structures and exceptional optical properties, supporting both exciton- and charge-driven applications. However, the mechanisms underlying this dual functionality are poorly understood. This study establishes the role of size inhomogeneity in exciton dissociation for the first time. Two distinct CD types were identified, each class with a size deviation. Intradot relaxation within the same type of CDs composes of a fast (∼1 ps) and a slow (∼tens of picoseconds) component among size-deviated subpopulations. Interdot exciton transfer between two types of CDs occurs with a time scale of 4.4 ps but is evident only when the CDs with higher-energy states are excited. It also facilitates exciton dissociation, generating nearly free carriers, confirmed by EPR spectra (-value = 2.005). These findings highlight the critical role of energy level alignment and selective excitation in mediating exciton dissociation, providing key insights for optimizing CDs in light emission and energy conversion applications.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have garnered significant attention in the display industry as high-performance luminescent materials in recent years. However, in outdoor applications, it is highly challenging to maintain the luminescent performance of PQDs while simultaneously ensuring superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning functionality in rainy weather conditions. Here, we report a luminescent pixel array fabricated using superhydrophobic PQDs with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 32%. The surface exhibits a high static contact angle of 168° and a rolling angle of <1°, demonstrating excellent self-cleaning ability. Specifically, by loading encapsulated PQDs onto fluorinated silica particles of varying particle sizes, a multilevel micronano hierarchical raspberry-like interface is formed. Simultaneously, local evaporation quenching induced by pulsed laser irradiation is employed to create a photoluminescent array with individual pixel diameters of 300 μm and a spacing of 80 μm. This achievement fills the gap in the application of PQDs for outdoor displays.

As one of the most important physical fields for battery operation, the regulatory effect of temperature on the growth of lithium dendrites should be studied. In this paper, we develop an optimized phase field model to explore the effect of temperature on the growth of Li dendrites in Li metal batteries. We incorporated full lithium deposition kinetics, including atom diffusion and solid electrolyte interface restriction on interface kinetics, into the model and revealed their significance in determining the transformation of the lithium deposition morphology from moss-like to dendrite-like. We found that a high temperature or dispersed hot spots are more conducive to stable battery operation than a low temperature or concentrated hot spots due to the enhanced diffusion kinetics at the high temperature and the more uniform temperature distribution of dispersed hot spots. We believe our work can provide a useful tool for further exploring the thermal effect on stable lithium metal battery operation.

Thin poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolytes with higher energy density face challenges such as low ionic conductivity, deterioration of lithium dendrites, and severe side reactions. To address these issues, a surface modification strategy was developed to enhance the electrode-electrolyte interfacial stability by introducing fluorinated covalent organic framework nanosheets (CONs) to construct a thin PEO-based electrolyte with a mere 14 μm thickness. Characterization and DFT calculation indicated that the CON layer promotes concentration enrichment and averaging of free Li and mitigates side reactions at the interface. The electrode/electrolyte interface stability is significantly improved compared to the unmodified group (Li symmetric cells stabilized for more than 1000 h, and the full cell of LiFePO∥Li exhibited a satisfactory capacity retention of 97.3% at 0.5 C after 150 cycles at 60 °C. This interface modification strategy provides a valuable reference for applying thin polymer electrolytes in high-energy solid-state lithium metal batteries.

The removal of selenite (SeO) from water is challenging due to the risk of secondary pollutants. To address this, we developed RuO-based nanocatalysts on the titanium plate (RuO/TP) for direct electrochemical reduction of Se(IV) to elemental selenium [Se(0)]. Optimizing Sn doping in RuO nanoparticles to induce charge redistribution enabled the RuSnO/TP catalyst to achieve ∼90% Se(IV) removal across concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 mM at -2 mA cm over 8 h, outperforming undoped RuO/TP. Furthermore, RuSnO/TP also maintained ∼90% removal efficiency in 1 mM of Se(IV) solutions containing competitive anions (0.5 M Cl, 0.1 M SO, 0.01 M NO, and their mixtures), demonstrating suitability for complex wastewater treatment. Importantly, the catalysts were recyclable, with no observable contamination introduced into the solution. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that Sn doping effectively reduces the energy barrier for the reduction of Se(IV) to Se(0).

Ultrafine droplets are crucial in materials processing and nanotechnology, with applications in nanoparticle preparation, water evaporation, nanodrug delivery, nanocoating, among numerous others. While the potential of turbulent gas flow to enhance liquid breakup is acknowledged, constructing turbulence-driven atomizers for ultrafine droplets remains challenging. Herein, we report the innovation of grid-turbulence atomization (GTA), which employs a rotating mesh to deliver liquid and an air knife to spray ultrafine droplets. The airflow across the mesh transitions from laminar flow to grid turbulence, resulting in complete liquid breakup through three stages: bag formation, stretching, and turbulence-induced breakup. Ultrafine water droplets with a 4.8 μm Sauter mean diameter were achieved through GTA. The GTA system demonstrates versatility in atomizing various liquids and proves effective for ultrafine spray-drying. Our strategic methodology establishes a pivotal link between turbulence characteristics and materials processing, influencing a wide range of applications and sparking further innovation in the field.

Recent developments in artificial intelligence and the internet-of-things have created great demand for low-power microelectronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) electrical switching materials are extensively used in neuromorphic computing technology, yet their high leakage current and low endurance impede their further application. This study presents a vertical crossbar-structured conductive-bridge threshold switching device based on 2D TaSe oxide. Utilizing natural oxidation under air to generate a TaSeO functional layer, this device demonstrates stable electrical switching behavior with a low operating voltage (<0.8 V) and a steep turn-on slope (<9.4 mV decade). Notably, the device demonstrates exceptionally subattojoule energy consumption (0.142 aJ) and remarkable durability (>10). This breakthrough tackles the endurance issues prevalent in 2D devices and holds promising implications for neuromorphic computing. The fundamental switching process, as supported by transmission electron microscopy, hinges on the role of AgSe nanocrystalline islands in promoting the growth of conductive filaments, enhancing device performance and endurance.

The solvation of ions at interfaces is important to areas as diverse as atmospheric sciences, energy materials, and biology. Despite the significance, fundamental understanding, particularly at the molecular level, remains incomplete. Here, we probe the initial solvation of two singly charged but differently sized ions (Li and Cs) on a Au(111) by combining low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy with density functional theory. Real-space molecular scale information reveals that water-ion interactions dominate the Li-water system, whereas water-water interactions dominate in the Cs case, and in both cases, the Au(111) surface confines the formed solvatomers to two dimensions. The difference in prevalent interactions leads to disparate symmetry and binding patterns of the solvation shells observed, as well as significantly different ion-surface interactions. The relationship between water number, geometry, and electronic structure of the solvatomers obtained here is an essential step toward understanding heterogeneous interfaces on the nanoscale.

The ability to tune the energy gap in bilayer graphene makes it the perfect playground for the study of the effects of internal electric fields, such as the crystalline field, which are developed when other layered materials are deposited on top of it. Here, we introduce a novel device architecture allowing simultaneous control over the applied displacement field and the crystalline alignment between two materials. Our experimental and numerical results confirm that the crystal field and electrostatic doping due to the interface reflect the 120° symmetry of the bilayer graphene/BN heterostructure and are highly affected by the commensurate state. These results provide unique insight into the role of twist angle in the development of internal crystal fields and intrinsic electrostatic doping in heterostructures. Our results highlight the importance of layer alignment, beyond the existence of a moiré superlattice, to understand the intrinsic properties of a heterostructure.

Electrochromic (EC) technology can adjust optical properties under electrical stimulation with broad applications in smart windows, displays, and camouflage. However, significant challenges remain in developing inorganic EC films with high durability, rapid response, and mechanical flexibility due to intrinsic brittleness and dense microstructure. Herein, a nanostructured quasiplanar heterointerface (Q-PHI) is first introduced into the electrode/EC interlayer to realize a robust, ultrafast switching tungsten trioxide (WO) EC film. The 200 nm-thick Q-PHI WO film exhibits remarkable EC performance, including large optical contrast (81.8% and 83.4% at 700 and 1500 nm), ultrafast switching of 2.4 and 1.8 s, and excellent stability (10,000 cycles with 21.3% optical-contrast loss). A large-area (20 × 15 cm) flexible EC smart window is also successfully achieved. The mechanism lies in the intense built-in electric field and strong interfacial bonding induced by the Q-PHI with unique longitudinal gradient distribution, greatly enhancing the electron/ion transport kinetics, surface ion adsorption, and durability.

To explore the intergenerational cardiotoxicity of nanoplastics, maternal mice were exposed to 60 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NP) during pregnancy and lactation. The results showed that PS-NP can enter the hearts of offspring and induce myocardial fiber arrangement disorder, acidophilic degeneration of cardiomyocytes, and elevated creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels after maternal exposure to PS-NP at 100 mg/kg during pregnancy and lactation. Mechanistically, KEGG analysis of RNA sequencing showed the participation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and ferroptosis in PS-NP-induced cardiotoxicity. Key features of ferroptosis, including Fe accumulation, mitochondrial injury, oxidative stress, GPX4 downregulation, and FTH1, ACSL4, and SLC7A11 upregulation, were detected. Furthermore, PS-NP treatment upregulated the expressions of HIF-1α and HO-1, and PS-NP-induced ferroptosis can be alleviated by inhibition of HIF-1α using si-HIF-1α. This study provided an insightful reference for the intergenerational cardiotoxicity assessment of PS-NP.

Recent consensus suggests that the classical single-step nucleation theory, a key reference for nanomaterial synthesis, inadequately explains nanocrystal formation in solutions, as it ignores noncrystalline intermediate structures. Among these, reactant-rich liquid nanostructures have gained attention for their potential to differentiate between crystallization theories. However, capturing their physical properties at the nanometer scale before crystallization remains challenging. We demonstrate that liquid nanostructures in cerium oxalate crystallization exhibit spinodal decomposition-like morphologies, have a viscosity at least 5 orders of magnitude higher than the surrounding water-rich phase, and act as the main nucleation reservoir for the amorphous phase. These findings suggest that models for multistep crystallization must incorporate spinodal morphologies, significant viscosity contrasts between separating phases, and a nucleation process.