The research team led by Professor Daping He at Wuhan University of Technology reported a method for actively controlling the shielding efficiency of microwaves based on a micrometer-thick graphene metasurface. The continuous modulation between wave transmission and shielding in an ultra-wide range of 9.66%–99.78% is achieved, due to the remarkable anisotropy of wave-induced electron oscillation. The metasurface achieves facile preparation and open-air processability utilizing laser-induced ultrafast kinetics, facilitating its application in advanced smart electromagnetic devices. Additionally, the metasurface demonstrates potential in a novel paradigm for data electromagnetic encryption.

Researchers from Charles University and the Institute of Physics, Czech Republic, have demonstrated heat-based computation in a memory device made from the antiferromagnetic metal.  Inspired by how the human brain processes and stores information, the ultrafast heat-based short-term memory logic is combined with electrically readable magnetic long-term storage in a single device. The time scale of heat-based operations can be as short as sub‑nanoseconds, making these bio-inspired devices compatible with the GHz frequencies of standard electronics.

Scientists from Harbin Institute of Technology, together with collaborators from The University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology, has developed a decoupled titanium dioxide–viologen hybrid material that integrates energy storage and color-changing display functions within a single system. This breakthrough enables high-capacity, high-efficiency electrochromic energy storage and marks an important step toward the next generation of smart, interactive energy devices.

Recently, Researcher NI Guohua and Associate Researcher SUN Hongmei from the Institute of Plasma Physics, together with Associate Professor WANG Dong from Anhui Medical University, developed a novel two-step plasma strategy to modify mesoporous silica-supported silver nanoparticles, enabling them to achieve strong antibacterial activity and accelerated wound healing.

Researchers in China have unveiled a promising method to boost the carbon capture potential of biochar by integrating fly ash into the production process. The new study, published in Carbon Research, explores how the combination of agricultural and industrial byproducts can help tackle climate change by efficiently stabilizing carbon in soils.

Recently, a team led by Academician Hongjie Zhang, Researcher Shuyan Song, Associate Researcher Pengpeng Lei, and Dr. Ran An at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed an innovative strategy to construct a series of biodegradable cesium nanosalts. These nanosalts activate anti-tumor immunity by inducing pyroptosis and metabolic intervention. The nanosalts induce ion endocytosis in tumor cells using a Trojan horse strategy, disrupting intracellular ion homeostasis, causing a surge in osmotic pressure, and ultimately triggering pyroptosis. Cesium ions (Cs⁺) can inhibit the ion channel activity of sodium/glucose cotransporters, hindering glucose transport. The introduction of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) not only amplifies pyroptosis but also initiates immunogenic ferroptosis. The multiple effects of the nanosalts lead to the release of damage-related molecular patterns, thereby activating a robust anti-tumor immune response. The article was published as an open access research article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.