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The stability of non-noble catalysts is key for their use in proton exchange membrane water electrolysers. Here, authors study activity-stability relationships of MoS_x allotropes for H₂ production, reporting allotrope-dependent stabilities and dissolution pathways, and propose operation guidelines.

An explanation of the Earth’s ‘missing Xe’ problem that involves multiple magma ocean stages combined with atmospheric loss is proposed.

Understanding nanoparticle catalysis is limited by complex structure–activity links. This study reveals that Pt corner sites on 1–1.5 nm particles drive activity via electronic effects, offering a rare quantitative insight into water gas shift catalytic performance.

Plasmons in metallic nanostructures provide light enhancement that amplifies their nonlinear optical response. This study shows that graphene nanoislands also give rise to an amplified nonlinear polarizability that can be tuned electrically to surpass those of other nonlinear media by orders of magnitude.

A physical description of supercritical fluids remains challenging because common approximations for solids and gases do not apply to liquids. Bolmatov et al. identify a liquid/gas dynamic crossover of specific heat above the critical point, and formulate a theory to shed light on its nature.

Manganese-based hydrogenation catalysts are sensitive to high temperatures and may degrade under industrially relevant conditions. Here, the authors report a highly efficient manganese pincer pre-catalyst displaying high TOF values (up to 41 000 h⁻¹) and stability (TON up to 200 000) at loadings as low as 5-200 ppm.

Hydrogen generated from splitting water using a catalyst and solar energy is an ideal energy source. A polymeric carbon nitride photocatalyst that is thermally and chemically stable is now shown to produce hydrogen from water even in the absence of noble metal catalysts.

Optical nonlinearity in metallic nanostructures has been exploited for all-optical signal switching. Here, Guo et al. report on the optical nonlinearity of indium tin oxide nanorod arrays in the dielectric range induced by pumping in the metallic range, enabling modulation of the full-visible spectrum.

Exploring an active and cost-effective catalyst for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction remains elusive to date. Here, the authors report the platinum single-atoms doped ruthenium/ruthenium oxides showing distinctly enhanced catalytic performance.

Rapid oceanic and atmospheric circulation shifts led to a transient peak in the mean temperature of the ocean at the start of the Last Interglacial, according to noble gas isotope records from an Antarctic ice core.

There are comparable structural properties between the natural enzyme [FeNi]-hydrogenase and the natural ore, pentlandite. Here the authors, inspired by these similarities, use the mineral as a ‘rock’ electrode, and evaluate its electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance.

There is substantial research into minimizing platinum use in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers. Here, the authors report that the hydrogen evolution activity of platinum(111) electrodes can be significantly enhanced by monolayer amounts of copper, which weaken the binding of hydrogen intermediates.

Friedel oscillations are ripples in the electron density surrounding a charge impurity. Bouhassoune et al. now use first-principle calculations to show that Friedel oscillation surrounding an oxygen impurity in a ferromagnetic film can be engineered and amplified by choice of substrate and film thickness

Single-cycle and sub-cycle field transients are typically generated by external pulse compression where a combination of nonlinear broadening followed up by dispersion compensation is used. Here, Balciunas et al. use self-compression in a Kagome fibre to generate phase-controlled single-cycle pulses.

The photonic applications of hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) in anisotropic van der Waals materials are currently limited by their low tunability. Here, the authors report the static and ultrafast wavevector modulation of HPhPs in hexagonal boron nitride by tuning the plasma frequency of doped semiconductor substrates.

Designing active, stable and cost-effective catalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction remains a challenge. Here, the authors report iridium single atoms incorporated cobalt oxides, showing distinctly enhanced performance in the acid.

A rare nitrogen isotopologue is used to detect contamination by air in volcanic gas effusions, and thereby derive the isotopic compositions of mantle endmembers.

An experiment has scrutinized two atoms of element 112, finding that it is very volatile and forms a metallic bond with a gold surface. These characteristics establish element 112 as a typical element of group 12.

Electrolytic water splitting under harsh conditions is limited by poor lifespan of the electrodes. Here, authors report alternating electrolysis approaches that realize prompt and periodic repair of a Ni electrode via the co-action of Co²⁺ and Na⁺ ions, leading to prolonged operation times.

Increasing the metal loading of single-atom catalysts (SACs) typically results in aggregation, which can have a detrimental effect on catalytic performance. Now, a nitrogen-doping-assisted atomization approach is reported that transforms metal-sulfide nanoparticles into ultrahigh-density metal–nitrogen–carbon SACs.

Developing highly active and stable oxygen evolution electrocatalysts is crucial for enabling large-scale hydrogen production from seawater. Here, authors report a robust O₂-producing electrode for alkaline seawater, highlighting the critical role of distributed sites near the catalytic sites.

Steering the selectivity-determining steps is as important as the C–C coupling steps in CO₂ electroreduction. Here the authors highlight that single-site noble metal dopants on the Cu surface can influence C–O bond dissociation and direct the post-C–C coupling pathways to ethylene versus ethanol.

Silver nanoparticles with thin palladium shells are active and selective catalysts for the production of hydrogen from formic acid at room temperature.

Olivines from Baffin Island lavas have the highest magmatic ³He/⁴He ratio measured so far in terrestrial igneous rocks, indicating that the helium in these lavas might derive from Earth’s core.

The organic macromolecular matter found in meteorites could have formed in heavily irradiated zones in dust traps in planet-forming disks, according to an evolutionary model of a protoplanetary disk.

The transition from discrete molecular-like to smooth optical spectra in gold nanostructures of increasing size is important to the understanding of emergent bulk properties. Here, the authors observe discrete features even for intermediate gold clusters believed to have necessarily smooth spectra.

Here they show that heterodimerization of the receptor tyrosine kinases PDGFRa and PDGFRb negatively affects downstream ERK1/2 signaling and cellular proliferation, due in part to rapid internalization mediated by binding to the unconventional myosin protein MYO1D.

During electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, cobalt-based catalysts degrade fast due to the combined effect of nitrate oxidation and electric-field reduction. Here, the authors develop a Co6Ni4 heterostructured catalyst to prevent high valence Co accumulation and achieve efficient ammonia synthesis.

Multi-element oxide catalysts can feature superior properties compared with their single-element analogues but obtaining such complex structures remains a challenge. Here, a method is reported to access single-phase denary nanoparticles as stable and efficient catalysts for the combustion of methane.

The authors examine the impact of monthly unconditional cash transfers starting at childbirth on families with low incomes. Transfers had minimal effects on family processes and maternal wellbeing, but improved family incomes and time mothers spent doing enriching activities with their child.

The dominant source for water in Earth’s mantle is unclear. Geochemical analyses of rock samples from mid-ocean ridges and ocean islands globally suggest the water is largely derived from seawater-altered crust introduced during subduction.

Electrochemical energy can be produced by using solar energy to oxidize water, providing an abundant source of electrons, which are needed in fuel synthesis. The operation of an efficient and stable semiconductor nanocomposite anode, made of a protective TiO₂ layer that protects a silicon substrate during photoelectrochemical water oxidation in both dark and light conditions, is now reported.

Innovative solutions for the design of sustainable and efficient systems for the conversion and storage of renewable energy sources are needed, and one promising option is the production of hydrogen through water splitting. A nanoparticulate electrocatalytic material consisting of metallic cobalt coated with a cobalt-oxo/hydroxo-phosphate layer is now found to exhibit active hydrogen evolution, and can also be converted into a cobalt oxide film catalysing oxygen evolution.

Ultrafast plasmon modulation has been realized in the near- to mid-infrared range by intraband pumping of indium tin oxide nanorod arrays.