This article highlights a new synthetic biology platform developed by researchers at South China Agricultural University. The platform, known as FerTiG, is designed to degrade tetracycline residues in various aquatic environments. By integrating multiple functional modules into a single enzyme assembly, FerTiG offers enhanced stability and efficiency for antibiotic removal. The study demonstrates its effectiveness in different water matrices and confirms its biosafety through ecological and in vivo tests. This work presents a potential solution for addressing antibiotic pollution in water sources.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been an important protective ingredient in mineral-based sunscreens since the 1990s. However, traditional TiO₂ nanoparticle formulations have seen little improvement over the past decades and continue to face persistent challenges related to light transmission, biosafety, and visual appearance. Here, we report the discovery of two-dimensional (2D) TiO₂, characterized by a micro-sized lateral dimension (~1.6 μm) and atomic-scale thickness, which fundamentally resolves these long-standing issues. The 2D structure enables exceptional light management, achieving 80% visible light transparency—rendering it nearly invisible on the skin—while maintaining UV-blocking performance comparable to unmodified rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles. Its larger lateral size results in a two-orders-of-magnitude reduction in skin penetration (0.96 w/w%), significantly enhancing biosafety. Moreover, the unique layered architecture inherently suppresses the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under sunlight exposure, reducing the ROS generation rate by 50-fold compared to traditional TiO₂ nanoparticles. Through precise metal element modulation, we further developed the first customizable sunscreen material capable of tuning UV protection ranges and automatically matching diverse skin tones. The 2D TiO₂ offers a potentially transformative approach to modern sunscreen formulation, combining superior UV protection, enhanced safety and a natural appearance.

A study published in National Science Review shows that alkali metal cations (AM⁺) in electrolytes can effectively steer the product selectivity of oxygen reduction catalyzed on Co-N₄ sites. As the cation size increases from Li⁺ to Cs⁺, the ORR pathway transits from the generation of hydrogen peroxide via the 2e^- process to the generation of water via a combined 2e^- + 2e^- process. In situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) provides direct evidence that larger cations stabilize reaction intermediates (HO₂^-) and promote its further reduction. This work demonstrates an effective and practical strategy to modulate the ORR selectivity by adjusting the electrolyte composition rather than replacing the catalyst.

A research collaboration between Prof. Yayu Wang’s group at Tsinghua University and Prof. Chang Liu’s group at Renmin University of China (RUC) has recently published a paper in Science Bulletin, titled “Strongly enhanced topological quantum phases in dual-surface AlO_x-encapsulated MnBi₂Te₄.” By developing a wax-assisted exfoliation method and constructing dual-surface AlO_x encapsulation of MnBi₂Te₄, the team achieved enhanced topological quantum phases in both even and odd layer devices, providing a new approach for exploring novel topological quantum phenomena and potential applications in MnBi₂Te₄ and other two-dimensional materials.

Although traditional spinel oxides exhibit excellent microwave dielectric or thermosensitive properties, achieving linear negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behaviour and stable microwave dielectric performance simultaneously across a wide temperature range remains challenging, making it impossible to meet the stringent requirements for multifunctional integration in 6G front-end devices. This study developed Sc³⁺-modified Mg-Al-Mn-Fe-O spinel ceramics through B-site cation doping, breaking through this performance trade-off bottleneck. On the one hand, Sc³⁺ inhibits the formation of oxygen vacancies and regulates the Mn/Fe valence ratio, achieving highly linear thermosensitive characteristics across an ultra-wide temperature range of 200-1000°C (B_{200°C/1000°C} = 8367-9758 K). On the other hand, through the lattice stabilisation effect induced by Sc³⁺ and the octahedral site bond strength enhancement mechanism, excellent microwave dielectric properties were simultaneously obtained: low dielectric constants (ε_r = 8.86-10.55), ultrahigh quality factor (Q·f= 96,000-149,000 GHz), and near-zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f = -33.2 to -10.2×10^-6/°C). The cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna developed based on the prepared ceramic achieved 92% radiation efficiency and 6.28 dBi gain in the 12 GHz frequency band, verifying its engineering application potential in satellite communication front-end modules.

Industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in production and daily life contribute to acid rain formation, which degrades soil and aquatic ecosystems while impairing human respiratory health.

Metal–carbon dioxide (CO₂) batteries hold great promise for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage techniques due to their efficiency advantages in CO₂ recovery and conversion. Moreover, rechargeable nonaqueous metal–CO₂ batteries have attracted much attention due to their high theoretical energy density. However, the stability issues of the electrode–electrolyte interfaces of nonaqueous metal–CO₂ (lithium (Li)/sodium (Na)/potassium (K)–CO₂) batteries have been troubling its development, and a large number of related research in the field of electrolytes have conducted in recent years. This review retraces the short but rapid research history of nonaqueous metal–CO₂ batteries with a detailed electrochemical mechanism analysis. Then it focuses on the basic characteristics and design principles of electrolytes, summarizes the latest achievements of various types of electrolytes in a timely manner and deeply analyzes the construction strategies of stable electrode–electrolyte interfaces for metal–CO₂ batteries. Finally, the key issues related to electrolytes and interface engineering are fully discussed and several potential directions for future research are proposed. This review enriches a comprehensive understanding of electrolytes and interface engineering toward the practical applications of next-generation metal–CO₂ batteries.