News from China
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Oct-2025 02:11 ET (24-Oct-2025 06:11 GMT/UTC)
Steric hindrance controls supramolecular dissociation kinetics and material properties
Chinese Chemical SocietyPeer-Reviewed Publication
A team led by Associate Researcher Zhaoming Zhang and Researcher Xuzhou Yan from Shanghai Jiao Tong University introduced pseudorotaxane end groups of varying sizes and utilized their steric hindrance to modulate the dissociation kinetics of supramolecular crosslinks, thereby achieving control over the mechanical properties of supramolecular polymer networks (SPNs). This study systematically elucidated the relationship between supramolecular structure, dissociation kinetics, and macroscopic mechanical properties of the network, providing new insights into the development of high-performance SPNs.
- Journal
- CCS Chemistry
USTC scientists uncover mystery of neurotransmission with time-resolved cryo-ET
University of Science and Technology of ChinaPeer-Reviewed Publication
A research team led by Prof. BI Guo-Qiang from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with several domestic and international institutions, has resolved a 50-year-old controversy in neuroscience. By employing a self-developed, time-resolved cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) technique, the team has delineated the intricate choreography of synaptic vesicle (SV) release and rapid recycling, the cornerstone of neural communication. Their findings, which introduce a new biophysical mechanism termed the “Kiss-Shrink-Run”, were published in Science on October 17 (Beijing time).
- Journal
- Science
How a tiny zinc finger protein determines tomato fruit size
Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of ScienceThe secret to tomato size lies within the flower's core. Scientists have discovered that the gene SlKNUCKLES (SlKNU), which encodes a zinc finger protein, serves as a key switch that determines fruit size by regulating floral meristem activity—the tissue responsible for forming reproductive organs.
- Journal
- Horticulture Research
Tomato gene SlKNU unlocks bigger fruits by taming floral stem cells
Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of ScienceThe size of a tomato fruit begins with its flower. Scientists have revealed that the gene SlKNUCKLES (SlKNU), which encodes a zinc finger protein, plays a decisive role in determining tomato fruit size by regulating the activity of floral meristems—the tissue that gives rise to reproductive organs.
- Journal
- Horticulture Research
Polyoxometalate hybrid comb-like crosslinked polymer networks for anhydrous proton conductors
Tsinghua University PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
The development of proton conductors that demostrate high conductivity with mechanical resilience is critical for advancing energy devices operating under harsh conditions. Polymer nanocomposites offer a promising route to reconcile these competing requirements through strategic material design. In this work, we report an anhydrous proton-conducting nanocomposite composed of a comb-like crosslinked polymer network and superacidic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters. The modular tunability of both polymer topology and inorganic clusters establishes this approach as a generalizable platform for tailoring ion-transport materials and opens new avenues for high-performance energy technologies.
- Journal
- Polyoxometalates
Nickel-substituted polyoxometalate-CdS single-cluster photocatalysts for efficient plastic waste degradation coupled with H2 production
Tsinghua University PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
Photocatalytic conversion of plastic waste into valuable chemicals represents a groundbreaking approach to addressing global plastic pollution while generating clean energy. Nickel-substituted polyoxometalates (Ni-POMs), when combined with cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres, create highly efficient single-cluster catalysts that enable simultaneous hydrogen production and plastic degradation under visible light irradiation. The optimized Ni₉@CdS-10 catalyst demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving a hydrogen evolution rate of 22.29 mmol g⁻¹ alongside 19.01 mmol g⁻¹ of pyruvate production from polylactic acid (PLA) degradation. This innovative system, developed by researchers at Tianjin University of Technology, offers a sustainable solution for plastic waste management through its unique electron-sponge mechanism that enhances charge separation efficiency by 160-fold compared to conventional CdS catalysts.
- Journal
- Polyoxometalates
Circularly polarized luminescence enhancement in rare-earth MOFs due to framework chirality and host–guest energy transfer
Tsinghua University PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
Owing to their tunable structures and strong emission, chiral metal–organic frameworks (CMOFs) incorporating rare-earth ions hold great promise for circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). Herein, enantiomeric rare-earth CMOFs are synthesized via the direct self-assembly of optically pure ligands (1,3-bis((S)- and (R)-1-carboxyethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium chlorides) with Tb3+ ions and shown to exhibit CPL with a dissymmetry factor (|glum|) of 0.016, which is attributed to efficient chirality transfer and the antenna effect. The introduction of a luminescent guest (MnCl42−) into the framework channels markedly enhances CPL and increases |glum| to 0.071. The results of control experiments and spectral analysis indicate that this enhancement arises from the synergy between host–guest energy transfer and chirality transfer. This work describes a modular strategy for constructing CPL-active rare-earth CMOFs and provides a general design principle for tuning their chiroptical properties through host–guest interactions.
- Journal
- Polyoxometalates
Sputtering mode diagram enables customized superconductor films
Tsinghua University PressThe sputtering mode diagram (SMD) can be utilized to precisely control the phase structure as well as the electronic properties of niobium nitride (NbN), thus realizing the precise tuning of device performance. The SNSPDs fabricated in different modes have flexible performance with saturated quantum efficiency and small kinetic inductance, which provide a practical reference for extending the research and application of superconducting devices.
- Journal
- Nano Research
Robust integrity of graphene in heavily stretched copper composites
Tsinghua University PressGraphene has emerged as an ideal reinforcement phase for copper-based composites due to its exceptional electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. However, its structural integrity under high-strain deformation remains poorly understood. In this study, a “strain-slip” mechanism is proposed and validated through in-situ optical observation, Raman spectroscopy, and surface potential measurements. The results reveal that graphene initially deforms coherently with the copper matrix but undergoes interfacial slip beyond a critical strain, effectively avoiding fracture and maintaining structural functionality. Based on this mechanism, Gr/Cu composite wires were successfully fabricated, exhibiting outstanding tensile strength (428 MPa, 12.9% higher than pure copper) and excellent electrical conductivity (102.2% IACS after annealing). These findings offer new insights into interfacial mechanics and provide a robust strategy for developing stretchable, high-performance metal-based composites.
- Journal
- Nano Research