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Freestanding membranes of hexagonal oxides remain difficult to obtain. In this work, a water-soluble crystalline hexagonal BaAl₂O₄ is found to serve as a sacrificial layer for obtaining freestanding membranes with six-fold or three-fold symmetry.

Electrochemical hydrogenation can occur through adsorbed hydrogen or proton-coupled electron transfer from water. The authors show how competition between these pathways can be tuned by catalyst alloying, enabling selective conversion of acetylene to ethylene.

Yangwei Cong describes how drone docking stations can improve the coverage and efficacy of phenological monitoring in forests.

Deuterium-labelled compounds are useful for mechanistic studies and pharmaceutical science, but syntheses are not trivial. Here, the authors report deuteration of unactivated alkyl (pseudo)halides driven by electrochemical force, using deuterium oxide as the source of the isotope.

Large potentials required for C(sp³)-H bond activation and low water solubility make electrochemical functionalization of alkanes challenging. Here, the authors report that Pt/IrO_x enables selective generation of Cl free radicals for chlorination of cyclohexane at industrially relevant rates.

Cobalt-based subsurface dopants induce a shift in the rate-determining step of electrochemical CO₂ reduction on copper to the chemical step: OCCO* + H* → OCCHO* + *. Electrochemical production of ethylene over the optimized catalyst is achieved at low voltage and high current in a membrane electrode assembly system.

It is unclear how early-life urbanicity influences adult neurobehavioral traits. This study reveals that earlier menarche mediates the relationship between early-life urbanicity and adult neurobehavioral traits associated with mental disorders.

A cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of brainstem structures identify 713 associations. It reveals shared/distinct genetic architectures across ancestries/substructures and overlaps with neuropsychiatric disorders and physiological functions.

There are intensive efforts in developing anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Here, the authors present a graphene-titanium dioxide composite as an anode material and show that sodium ion intercalation pseudocapacitance charge storage leads to excellent electrochemical properties.

CO₂ electroreduction to higher-value carbons can occur through adsorbed hydrogen or through proton-coupled electron transfer from water. Understanding the impact of each route on product selectivity is challenging. Now H/D isotopic labelling reveals the contribution of each mechanism towards product formation and shows that adsorbed hydrogen dominates the reaction.

Electroreduction uses renewable energy to upgrade carbon dioxide to value-added chemicals and fuels. Here, the authors design a suite of ligand-stabilized metal oxide clusters to modulate the reduction pathways on a copper catalyst, enabling record activity for CO₂-to-methane conversion.

Direct electroreduction of dilute CO₂ in flue gas streams is challenging due to the presence of O₂ impurities. Here the authors demonstrate that an acidic electrolyte can overcome this challenge, enabling the generation of multicarbon products from simulated flue gas at reasonable rates.

Polygenic risk scores can help identify individuals at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Here, the authors characterise a multi-ancestry score across nearly 900,000 people, showing that its predictive value depends on demographic and clinical context and extends to related traits and complications.

A stable and recyclable BiVO₄ photoelectrode material was developed for the efficient Cl-mediated C(sp³)–H aminomethylation of hydrocarbons in a photoelectrochemical cell, which provides a promising method for efficient solar fuel conversion.

Modulating interfacial electric fields provides a means to control electrocatalyst activity for a broad range of reactions. Here the authors show that this can be achieved by tuning the nanocurvature of carbon supported single-atom catalysts.

The role of coagulation system in erythropoiesis is not clear. Here, the authors report that an anticoagulant protein TFPI from erythroblasts directs central macrophages to synthesize heme, which in turn promotes erythropoiesis in bone marrow.

The reduction of unactivated alkyl alkenes is a difficult challenge in organic chemistry. Here, the authors present a silicon-mediated electroreduction of alkyl alkenes, using water as a hydrogen source, enabled by [Fe]-H.

Ethylene glycol is a commodity chemical with an annual consumption of 20 million tonnes. Its production generates 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of ethylene glycol. To reduce these CO₂ emissions, the authors report a one-step electrochemical route to selectively convert ethylene to ethylene glycol at ambient temperature and pressure in aqueous media.

Methods to construct 1,2-diols have previously been developed, but often require the participation of a metal and are limited to activated alkenes. Here, the authors report a metal-free electrochemical dihydroxylation of unactivated alkenes providing valuable and versatile dihydroxylated products.

Producing ethanol from carbon dioxide, water, and renewable electricity offers a route to sustainable energy. Here, the authors enhance electrocatalytic activity for carbon dioxide reduction by tuning adsorbed hydrogen in a class of copper catalysts with oxide- and hydroxide-modified surfaces.

The electrocatalytic upgrading of CO to higher-value fuels provides a promising route to multi-carbon alcohol products. Here, the authors show that high alcohol selectivity and activity can be achieved by incorporating palladium in copper.

Electrochemical cross-electrophile coupling with alkyl halides for the construction of C(sp³)–C(sp³) bonds is generally limited to activated alkyl halides. Now this approach is extended to coupling of unactivated alkyl halides using a nickel catalyst under mild conditions.

The electroreduction of CO₂ to ethanol could enable the clean production of fuels using renewable power. This study shows how confinement effects from nitrogen-doped carbon layers on copper catalysts enable selective ethanol production from CO₂ with a Faradaic efficiency of up to 52%.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to multicarbon products is useful for producing high-value chemicals and fuels. Here the authors present a strategy that is based on the in situ electrodeposition of copper under CO₂ reduction conditions that preferentially expose and maintain Cu(100) facets, which favour the formation of C₂₊ products.

Worldwide, the number of only-child families is increasing. This research examines how growing up without siblings affects adult brain structure, function and connectivity, cognition, personality and mental health.

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into liquid fuels, powered by renewable electricity, offers one means to address the need for the storage of intermittent renewable energy. Now, Sargent and co-workers present a cooperative catalyst design of molecule–metal interfaces to improve the electrosynthesis of ethanol from CO₂ by producing a reaction-intermediate-rich local environment.

Socioeconomic status is multidimensional and can change over time. Xu, Lui, Ji et al. found dimension-specific, late-stage-specific and change-specific socioeconomic effects on brain, cognition, personality and emotion.

In a multivariate genetic analysis including 282,271 adults, Merino et al. identified 26 genomic regions associated with carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. The identified loci implicate brain regions and neuronal subtypes in influencing eating behaviour.

A main symptom of chronic insufficient sleep is excessive daytime sleepiness. Here, Wang et al. report 42 genome-wide significant loci for self-reported daytime sleepiness in 452,071 individuals from the UK Biobank that cluster into two biological subtypes of either sleep propensity or sleep fragmentation.

Cross-ancestry genome-wide association studies of 3,414 brain imaging phenotypes in Chinese Han and white British participants identify autosomal and X-chromosomal associations in more diverse populations.

Designing efficient and scalable quantum dot LEDs meeting industrial requirements remains a challenge. Here, the authors, by leveraging the liquid phase exchange of d-MX₂ ligands, present printed quantum dot LEDs with external quantum efficiency over 16% and half lifetime of more than 1,721,000 hours.

A high-quality reference genome for the plant Liriodendron chinense places magnoliids as sister to the clade consisting of eudicots and monocots. Population genomic analyses unravel the evolution of two distinct species in the genus Liriodendron.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses in populations of East Asian and European ancestries identify variant–trait associations for 44 hippocampal traits and provide insight into the genetic architectures of hippocampal and subfield volumes.

Sleep is essential for homeostasis and insufficient or excessive sleep are associated with adverse outcomes. Here, the authors perform GWAS for self-reported habitual sleep duration in adults, supported by accelerometer-derived measures, and identify genetic correlation with psychiatric and metabolic traits

The conserved HEAT repeat protein HPO-27 is identified as a lysosome scission factor in Caenorhabditis elegans, and the human homologue MROH1 also serves the same function to maintain lysosomal homeostasis.

Pd(II) catalyst turnover by reoxidation of a low valent Pd species is the key step for a Pd(II) catalyzed oxidation reaction. Here, the authors report a new strategy to address Pd reoxidation by fabricating spatially proximate photocatalyst and Pd(II) catalyst into metal-organic framework.

Copper-based catalysts, especially the so-called oxide-derived copper, are capable of producing multicarbon species from electrochemical CO₂ reduction. However, little is known about their active sites despite intensive research efforts. Now, Lum and Ager show that oxide-derived copper catalysts have three distinct product-specific sites for the formation of C₂₊ chemicals, unlike polycrystalline copper or (111)- and (100)-oriented copper films which show no evidence of product specific sites.

BES1 and BZR1 transcription factors are activated by the BRI1-BAK1 receptor complex during brassinosteroid signaling. Here the authors show that BES1-family members also act in anthers, downstream of another receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling pathway, EMS1-TPD1-SERK1/2, to promote tapetum development.