ABSTRACT: Strengthening the stability of metal-oxygen bonds in catalysts is imperative for the advancement of efficient and durable electrocatalytic water splitting. Herein, using a mild boron-reduction strategy, a self-supported electrode with robust Co-B bonds was constructed. The Co-B@Co(OH)₂–Ru/NF (Co-B@CRN) electrode demonstrates low overpotentials for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER, 20 mV) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER, 160 mV) at 10 mA cm⁻². Furthermore, long-term stability was achieved for over 400 h at 10 mA cm⁻² and 270 h at 200 mA cm⁻², respectively. For overall water splitting, the assembled electrolyzer exhibited a low voltage of 1.40 V at 10 mA cm⁻², with stable operation maintained for over 240 h. Detailed X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) characterization verified the mixed valence state of Co and the Co-B coordination environment. Further electronic analysis indicated strong hybridization between Co d-orbitals and B p-orbitals. The B bonding induced a downward shift in the d-band center at the Co site, thereby significantly suppressing metal leaching during catalysis and stabilizing electronic structure regulation. This research shows that the boron reduction strategy offers an effective dynamic regulation mechanism for the electronic structures and coordination environments of transition metals, enabling a highly efficient and stable overall water splitting process.

As demands for high-quality wound management, health monitoring, and intelligent interaction rise, e-skin—designed to replicate human skin’s flexibility, self-healing ability, and multimodal sensing functions—has steadily emerged as a prominent new research focus. Here, we present a natural biomass-derived multimodal conductive e-skin patch (CCMP) that fabricated by integrating aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-NH2) and dopamine (DA) into carboxymethyl starch (CMS)/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix through supramolecular interactions assembly. The CCMP demonstrated remarkable electrical conductivity (24.1 S/m), efficient photothermal conversion (with a heating time constant τ_s = 66.66 s), strong antioxidant activity (>96.53%), effective antibacterial performance, hydrophobicity, electromagnetic shielding capability, as well as high sensitivity to temperature (TCR = −8.58 %/°C), strain, and electrical signals. Furthermore, the CCMP also demonstrated ultra-high swelling properties. Notably, the CCMP presented easy re-shaping and ultra-high swelling capacity (water sorption reached 1374%), promoting the rapid absorption of tissue exudate. Meanwhile, the CCMP can significantly promote wound healing and reduce pro-inflammatory factor levels, achieving an exceptional 99% healing rate within 14 days. We additionally integrate a portable wireless wearable sensing system that can transmit real-time wound status micro-motion and multimodal physiological signals (temperature, stress-strain, respiration, motion, and bioelectric signals) via Bluetooth to computers or mobile devices, thus achieving integrated skin-interfacing wearable bioelectronics and smart wound healing. Overall, this study pioneers a novel approach for wireless wound monitoring system, advancing human-friendly e-skin patch development from single-functional devices to a human-machine-environment intelligent symbiosis system.

Researchers in Lin Quan's research group at Jilin University have developed an injectable MXene-based hydrogel specifically for treating periodontitis. This hydrogel, named GQM, consists of oxidized gellan gum, quaternized chitosan, and magnesium-tannic acid-modified MXene nanosheets. It can be injected into periodontal pockets, overcoming the problem of traditional drugs' inability to remain within these pockets. Under near-infrared light irradiation, it can gently disrupt bacterial biofilms through photothermal activity, while the electrostatic effect of the QCS (quaternary cytosolic crystals) helps kill periodontal pathogens. Furthermore, the nanosheets promote electron transport, restore mitochondrial NAD+/NADH balance, and induce macrophages to transform into the M2 type. In a rat model of periodontitis, GQM combined with near-infrared light therapy reduced bacterial count, inflammatory response, and alveolar bone resorption. The MXene-based hydrogels treat periodontitis by disrupting bacterial biofilms and reprogramming immune metabolism, offering a novel strategy for its management.

Steric hindrance of long-chain ligands leads to abundant unpassivated dangling bonds on quantum dots (QDs), which significantly impair the efficiency and operational stability of QD light-emitting diodes (QLEDs), especially in ultra-small pixel devices. Professors Fushan Li and Hailong Hu at Fuzhou University have pioneered a "ligand reconstruction" strategy using zirconium acetylacetonate (Zr(acac)₄) to precisely repair the surface defects of QDs. This reconstruction strategy markedly enhances the efficiency and operational stability of QLEDs, and the resultant record-breaking performance metrics lay a solid foundation for the commercialization of high-resolution, high-performance QLED technology.

A research team has shown that particle diameter plays a greater role than length in controlling heat transfer through large cylindrical birchwood samples during torrefaction. 

A research team has developed a chitosan-modified, phytic acid-doped polyaniline (CS/PA-PANI) electrode that rapidly and selectively captures uranium from aqueous environments through capacitive deionization. 

A network meta-analysis of 24 trials involving 744 participants has identified vertically resisted plyometric training as the most effective method for enhancing change-of-direction speed. The Bayesian analysis, led by Jishou University and the University of Freiburg, ranked this approach above nine other modalities, with vertically resisted sprint training second. Notably, the turning angle did not affect outcomes, suggesting that resisted training adaptations transfer across all directional changes.

This research shows a new way to control light at extremely high speeds using ultra-thin silicon metasurfaces. By carefully designing how light passes through them, the team achieved strong and fast control over a wider range of colours than previously possible. This breakthrough helps overcome a key limitation in current technology and could support faster internet, improved data processing, and future light-based computing systems.

A research team has developed a sustainable method for converting biomass and nitrogen-rich polyurethane (PU) waste into nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon for aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs). 

Caloric restriction (CR) is an effective dietary intervention that delays aging and improves metabolic health. Previous studies have reported that lithocholic acid (LCA), a secondary bile acid, increases significantly in serum during CR. LCA has been shown to mimic the anti-aging effects of CR across multiple model organisms, including elevating muscle NAD⁺ levels, enhancing grip strength and exercise endurance in aged mice, and extending lifespan in nematodes and fruit flies.