A self-powered blue photodetector based on WS₂:Ag nanocomposites with Au/graphene asymmetric electrodes is reported. The localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles synergizes with high-energy excitons in WS₂, enhancing near-field absorption and hot-electron injection. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the built-in electric field facilitates rapid carrier separation. Under zero bias, the device delivers a responsivity of 244 mA/W and an external quantum efficiency of 74.7%. It further demonstrates high-resolution (128 × 128) single-pixel imaging in both clear and turbid water, achieving a peak signal-to-noise ratio of 25.5 dB. This work offers a viable strategy for low-power underwater optical communication and high-visibility imaging.

Researchers have developed a breakthrough tandem electrode structure that integrates both anodic (NiO) and cathodic (W₁₈O₄₉) electrochromic materials onto a single substrate. By inserting a conductive ITO interlayer, the team successfully overcame the common problem of material interference, significantly speeding up response times and enhancing coloration efficiency. This innovation allows smart windows to switch seamlessly between transparent, brown, and blue states, providing dynamic control over both visible light and heat-producing near-infrared radiation for more energy-efficient buildings.

Violet phosphorus is a promising layered semiconductor, but its intrinsic charge-transport behavior has remained difficult to determine because device interfaces can strongly affect measurements. Researchers synthesized high-quality single-crystalline violet phosphorus by chemical vapor transport and fabricated van der Waals heterostructure field-effect transistors using full h-BN encapsulation and van der Waals graphite or pre-patterned bottom contacts to minimize fabrication-induced interface damage. The devices exhibited robust unipolar n-type conduction, ohmic-like output behavior, current on/off ratios approaching 10⁷ and ambient stability for more than 200 days, clarifying the inherent transport nature of violet phosphorus.

The electrocatalytic reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to ammonia (NH₃) offers a promising strategy for simultaneously addressing industrial pollutant emissions and enabling sustainable chemical synthesis. In this study, porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) are introduced for the first time into the NORR system, where their intrinsic porous architecture enhances NO adsorption and interfacial mass transport. By incorporating Co²⁺ ions into a tetraphenylporphyrin-derived PAF (PAF-TPP), a Co-N₄ coordinated catalyst (PAF-TPP-Co) is constructed, achieving highly efficient NO-to-NH₃ conversion. The catalyst delivers an ammonia production rate of 914.2 μg·h^-1·mg_cat^-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 71.3% at -0.6 V vs. RHE. A synergistic “adsorption–transport–catalysis” mechanism is proposed, providing new insight into the design of porous catalytic systems for NORR.

A research team led by Professors Xiufang Chen, Huaying Ren, and Wancheng Yu at the Institute of Novel Semiconductors, Shandong University, has developed and optimized an innovative stepwise growth strategy that decouples buffer layer formation from subsequent graphene growth, addressing these long-standing challenges at their root. Their breakthrough findings are published in Nano Research.

Researchers have developed a framework that can break down complex problems that agentic AI is tasked with solving. This framework, called "calculus of intelligence" or COIN, works by breaking up the AI agent's overall goal into smaller tasks within a mathematical logic system.

A research paper by scientists from Harbin Institute of Technology proposed an integrate the characteristics of different animals, an insect-scale tripedal piezoelectric robot incorporating multiple biomimetic features.

The new research paper, published on Jul. 23 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, provided an insect‑scale piezoelectric robot that combines multiple biomimetic features inspired by both fish and seals.

In multicore optical fibers, a key research question was whether low-power and high-power laser pulses would distribute light differently among seven cores. Researchers from Russia found that low power gave random, unstable distribution, whereas higher power produced equal sharing across all cores and stability against bending and vibrations. The far-field pattern changed from speckled to bell-shaped. Modeling showed a statistical mechanism, where the pulse broke into many sub-pulses whose averaging produced stable equalization.