CuAu alloys with tailored compositions were integrated onto copper foam by a simple one-step electrodeposition method. The optimized Cu_0.25Au_0.75 catalyst exhibited rather excellent performance for the electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) via a one-electron dehydrogenation pathway. The improved catalytic activity could be attributed to the alloying-induced charge redistribution that modulates the d-band centers, thereby steering surface adsorption behaviors to balance HMF adsorption and HMFCA desorption, ensuring active site availability for the selective production of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) and simultaneous anodic hydrogen evolution.

With the growing demand for marine exploration and environmental monitoring, underwater sensing technology faces severe challenges due to high humidity and the need for simultaneous detection of multiple physical parameters, such as temperature and pressure. Traditional underwater sensors typically rely on combinations of various functional materials to achieve dual-mode temperature–pressure detection, often requiring additional waterproof encapsulation, which complicates system integration. Achieving dual-mode temperature–pressure detection within a single material underwater remains particularly challenging. Herein, a waterproof dual-mode sensor based on Bi₂Se₃/carbon paper (CP) composite films is developed by electrochemically depositing pyramid-interface-structured Bi₂Se₃ layers on both sides of a flexible CP substrate. The film exhibits enhanced thermoelectric properties, with a power factor of 106.0 μW m⁻¹ K⁻² (9 times that of CP). Sensors constructed from vertically stacked pyramid-interface-structured films enable high-precision detection of temperature and pressure underwater, featuring a temperature-sensing response time of 0.9 s and a pressure sensitivity of 0.94% kPa⁻¹, while allowing synchronous decoupling of the two signals. Moreover, the sensor exhibits excellent hydrophobicity, with a contact angle of 143.7°, along with robust stability, overcoming key limitations for underwater applications. This advance in flexible underwater sensing technology offers a reliable strategy for underwater human–machine interaction and monitoring.

A new Perspective in Science Bulletin argues that AI tools for intracranial aneurysm detection should be evaluated beyond test-set accuracy. The authors propose a four-stage pathway covering lesion-level validation, reader performance, prospective implementation and post-deployment surveillance to assess whether AI can deliver real clinical benefit.

This review summarizes recent advances in wearable uric acid sensors, covering electrochemical and optical detection mechanisms, performance-enhancement strategies, device integration, and emerging applications. It highlights progress in sensitivity, selectivity, anti-fouling performance, self-calibration, and user comfort, while identifying persistent challenges in long-term stability, interference resistance, multimodal monitoring, clinical validation, data security, and commercialization. Future directions emphasize intelligent, sustainable, and personalized sensing platforms.

By sending quantum information through a storm, researchers at The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, have shown that the information in light can be kept completely intact, even though the light itself was completely warped beyond recognition. 

A combination of satellite imagery, environmental data and habitat surveys carried out by citizen scientists could help transform the way endangered habitats are mapped, according to new research from the University of Surrey and Surrey Wildlife Trust. 

Published in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, the review systematically summarizes recent advancements in multifunctional paper-based smart packaging. It highlights core modification strategies—internal additive incorporation, impregnation, coating, surface functionalization, and layer-by-layer assembly—that transform paper from passive protection into active regulation and intelligent sensing platforms. The authors discuss matrix-specific synergistic systems tailored to fresh produce and high-protein foods, while critically analyzing challenges including the recyclability paradox of high-performance coatings, unpredictable migration safety, and the scalability gap between laboratory innovation and industrial production.

A research team led by Prof. MENG Guowen and Prof. HAN Fangming from the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. WEI Bingqing from the University of Delaware, has developed a highly crystalline three-dimensional graphitic carbon tube grid (3D-GCTG) that significantly improves the performance of filtering supercapacitors with thick electrodes.