Despite being an excellent candidate for a photocathode, Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) performance is limited by suboptimal bulk and interfacial charge carrier dynamics. In this work, we introduce a facile and versatile CZTS precursor seed layer engineering technique, which significantly enhances crystal growth and mitigates detrimental defects in the post-sulfurized CZTS light-absorbing films. This effective optimization of defects and charge carrier dynamics results in a highly efficient CZTS/CdS/TiO₂/Pt thin-film photocathode, achieving a record half-cell solar-to-hydrogen (HC-STH) conversion efficiency of 9.91%. Additionally, the photocathode exhibits a highest photocurrent density (J_ph) of 29.44 mA cm⁻² (at 0 V_RHE) and favorable onset potential (V_on) of 0.73 V_RHE. Furthermore, our CTZS photocathode demonstrates a remarkable J_ph of 16.54 mA cm⁻² and HC-STH efficiency of 2.56% in natural seawater, followed by an impressive unbiased STH efficiency of 2.20% in a CZTS-BiVO₄ tandem cell. The scalability of this approach is underscored by the successful fabrication of a 4 × 4 cm² module, highlighting its significant potential for practical, unbiased in situ solar seawater splitting applications.

Recently, a research team led by Dr. Tida Ge from Xinjiang University and Ningbo University conducted a pot experiment to explore this question. The study selected peas as the experimental crop and examined two types of microplastics: traditional microplastics (polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE)) and biodegradable microplastics (polycaprolactone (PCL) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)). These were added to the soil at doses of 0%, 0.1%, and 1% (w/w) to observe the growth status of peas during three critical growth stages: seedling, flowering, and maturity. The study also analyzed soil nutrients, microbial activity, and community changes. The study has been published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025626).

Prof. Jiangfan Yu's team at the School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), has summarized the applications of microrobots in cancer therapy from the perspective of swarms. This review systematically discusses the design of microrobots for cancer therapy, focusing on three main strategies: tumor cell elimination, tumor infiltration, and tumor immunomodulation. Thereafter, the delivery and imaging strategies of swarms in vivo are introduced. Finally, the article summarizes current applications of microrobotic swarms across tumors in various organs and discusses the challenges and future directions to enhance cancer treatment efficiency.​