Reviews & Analysis

We developed a hydrogel-based iontronic reservoir system as a neuromorphic neuroprosthesis. It achieved more than 90% accuracy on multiple recognition tasks, muscle fatigue sensing via pH-responsive dynamics of its self-healing hydrogels, and rapid and robust functional recovery (0.02 s). The system supported adaptive closed-loop neural stimulation in vivo based on voice commands and muscle states.

We developed a nanoadjuvant platform that targets early endosome membranes in tumour cells, triggering their pyroptosis and the release of pyroptosomes, which act as an in situ vaccine against the tumour. In preclinical cancer models featuring multiple metastases, this nanoplatform enabled spatiotemporal induction of robust immune responses, resulting in systemic tumour eradication and long-lasting antitumour immunity.

Reliable control over photon number is essential for scalable quantum photonics, yet producing well-defined two-photon emission from quantum emitters remains challenging. Now, by exploiting a dark-state pathway to biexciton population in a quantum-dot microcavity, bright high-purity photon pairs have been generated, offering a promising route towards practical two-photon sources.

Unlike common organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors that swell upon electrochemical doping, poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) exhibits an unexpected cation-dependent deswelling at high doping levels. Operando measurements and modelling show that protic cations drive this response by expelling water and localizing charge through strong interactions with the polymer backbone, revealing a distinct deswelling mechanism.

A single-step thermal process reliably generates high-density, narrowband quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride. More than 25% of these emitters show room-temperature optical spin readout, revealing S = 1 and S = 1/2 spin complexes that are explained by charge transfer from strongly to weakly coupled spin pairs.

Biomaterials capable of driving electrochemical reactions could unlock next-generation, purely biological bioelectronics. However, fully genetically encodable biomaterials for this purpose have been missing. Now, protein condensates can be programmed to be electrogenic, powering redox reactions and functioning as intracellular electrochemical reactors.

An organic crystal containing open channels and discrete voids responds to CO₂ gas pressure by reversibly elongating along a single crystal axis. Although the voids initially appear too small to host CO₂, structural flexibility permits gradual gas penetration and void expansion, triggering a cascading deformation that amplifies macroscopically.

Rolling two-dimensional materials into one-dimensional nanoscrolls unlocks tunable emergent properties; however, existing methods rely on external forces. Now, intrinsically driven scrolling in polar two-dimensional materials mediated by out-of-plane electric polarization is reported, establishing a platform for the design of functional nanoscrolls.

Terahertz technology has the potential to push the speed limit of future opto-electronic applications, but the large free-space wavelength of terahertz light hinders nanoscale device implementation. Now, the confinement of terahertz light to the nanometre scale is demonstrated using phonon polaritons in hafnium-based van der Waals crystals.

Extracellular matrix remodelling and densification are hallmarks of fibrosis that have been challenging to study ex vivo. Visible light-induced dityrosine crosslinking of native matrix proteins in viable lung tissues has now been shown to recapitulate local stiffening that characterizes early lung injury. This stiffening led to aberrant alveolar epithelial cell differentiation, mechanosensing and nascent protein deposition.

A simple physical model based on electronic interactions between excited configurations enables the quick and reliable prediction of singlet–triplet energy gaps in polycyclic heteroaromatic emitters. Guided by this model, organic emitters with small singlet–triplet energy gaps can be designed for applications in organic light-emitting diodes with high efficiency and colour purity.

Sonochemical exfoliation of black phosphorus crystals with a slightly enlarged lattice parameter along the armchair direction produces narrow black phosphorus nanoribbons (BPNRs) with well-defined edge chirality at a yield of up to 95%. The high performance of transistors and photodetectors fabricated with these BPNRs demonstrates the potential of BPNRs for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

An albumin-recruiting lipid nanoparticle formulation promotes lymphatic drainage while avoiding liver accumulation. In preclinical models of cancers and infectious diseases, mRNA vaccines prepared from this lipid nanoparticle platform elicit robust immune responses and achieve remarkable efficacy.

Optical loss usually leads to dissipation, but has been shown, counterintuitively, to create strong light localization. This demonstration — realized by implementing a photonic arrangement with a special topology in a programmable integrated photonic platform — highlights loss as a powerful control of the topological properties of electromagnetic modes.

A resin comprising a hybrid epoxy–acrylate monomer and wavelength-selective photosensitizer components achieved rapid, high-resolution 3D printing of multimaterial structures. This technique produced structures that emulate natural mechanical gradients and functional structures including a spring for compressive damping, a knee joint model for smooth motion and a stretchable substrate for wearable electronics.

Electro-osmotic flow rectification, a nonlinear nanofluidic effect, has been scaled up to the membrane level. This effect allows for continuous water purification using oscillating electric fields and achieves a performance equivalent of up to 15 bars of pressure per applied volt. This approach offers a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to pressure-driven filtration and electrodialysis.

Treatments for traumatic brain injury are lacking owing to the limited regenerative capacity of neurons. Now, ultrasound-activated piezoelectric nanostickers that attach to cell membranes are shown to promote the neuronal differentiation of transplanted stem cells, leading to substantial brain tissue repair in rats with traumatic brain injury.

The number and performance of p-type two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors has been limited. Now, non-layered 2D β-Bi₂O₃ single crystals are synthesized on a SiO₂/Si substrate using a vapour–liquid–solid–solid growth method. Field-effect transistors based on 2D β-Bi₂O₃ crystals exhibit high hole mobility, on/off current ratio and air stability.

Copper is typically used as a current collector rather than a catalyst for water electrolysis owing to its weak hydrogen adsorption capability. Now, the electroreduction-driven induction of strong and stable tensile strain in low-coordination copper nanoparticles is shown to increase the copper–hydrogen interaction and, thus, the catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution.

Orally administered zinc gluconate spontaneously assembles into protein-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles in human blood. These nanoparticles efficiently target renal tumours, where they enhance antitumour immune responses, and can serve as a multifunctional drug delivery system.