Search

Leveraging electron-phonon coupling allows for modulating self-trapped exciton formation for broadband white-light emission. Using transient spectroscopy and DFT calculations, Zhang et al. correlate the structural distortion with self-trapped exciton formation in 2D halide perovskites.

The molecular network controlling seed size remains elusive. Using genetic and functional analyses, researchers found that the transcription factor OsGRF4 (GS2) forms a module with its regulator OsmiR396 and coactivator GIFs to regulate grain size in rice.

Jiayang Li, Xudong Zhu, Qian Qian and colleagues report cloning of the Grain Length on Chromosome 7 (GL7) locus in rice and identify a copy number variant that increases grain length and improves grain quality. They demonstrate how interactions with other grain length–related genes may be used to improve breeding.

The manual-labour-intensive hybrid seed production process is a limiting step for fully mechanized hybrid rice breeding. This work demonstrates that the use of ideal small-grain alleles of GSE3 enables fully mechanized hybrid rice breeding.

Photonic time crystals (PTCs) have unveiled unusual band structures and phenomena due to temporal modulation of optical properties. Here, the authors address non-Hermitian features of PTCs within a purely Hermitian Hamiltonian description, bridging classical and quantum approaches.

Tandem repeats (TRs) have unique ability to drive a range of phenotype variations. Here, the authors survey rice TR variations based on 231 genome assemblies and the rice pan-genome graph, identify TR variations associated with expressed genes, and reveal expression TRs contributed to rice agronomic trait variations.

A deep learning algorithm shows promising performance in predicting progression to diabetic retinopathy in patients, up to 5 years in advance, potentially providing support for medical treatment decisions and indications for personalized screening frequency in a real-world cohort.

Zeolite with silver-tuned gating achieves counterintuitive size-inverse sieving, delivering record xenon/krypton separation and a scalable, energy-efficient path for challenging gas separations.

As the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults, diabetic retinopathy requires routinely retinal screening. Here the authors develop a deep learning system that can facilitate the screening by providing real-time image quality assessment, lesions detection, and grades across the disease spectrum.

The formation of electrochemically inactive, or “dead”, lithium limits the reversibility of lithium metal batteries. Here the authors elucidate the (electro)chemical roles of ethylene gas produced from electrolyte decomposition on the formation of inactive lithium.

An anomalous exothermal calorimetric peak far below crystallization temperatures in prototypical Pd-Ni-P glasses has been recognized for four decades. Here authors use neutron and high-energy X-ray diffraction to find evidence for a polyamorphous phase transition where medium-range order undergoes large changes while short-range order changes little.

Typically, the performance of the state-of-the-art laser sensors is insufficient for many high precision applications. Here, the authors report mode-phase-difference photothermal spectroscopy with a dual-mode anti-resonant hollow-core optical fiber and demonstrate acetylene detection with ultra-high sensitivity.

“Understanding the structure-property relationship of organic molecules which exhibit different properties upon aggregation is important for the field of material science. Here, the authors prepare nonconjugated rhodamine-based molecules without aggregation-induced emission building blocks yet displaying typical aggregation-induced emission behavior.”

Photoresponsive polymers are receiving great attention due to the increasing demands on smart optical and biological materials. Here, the authors report a C–H-activated polyspiroannulation route to in situ generate photoresponsive spiro-polymers with potential applications in photopatterning and silicon photonics techniques.

Asymmetric electrochemical synthesis via ion-pairing catalysis is challenging due to interference of the electrolyte with the ion-pairing catalyst. Here, the authors describe a biphasic system to enable the asymmetric ion-pairing catalysis under electrochemical conditions.

Polymer solar cells promise a cost-effective way to harness solar energy, but cell performance is held back by limited choices of suitable materials. Here, Liu et al.demonstrate record cell efficiencies for multiple material combinations via a new approach of aggregation and morphology control.

Photothermal interferometry systems using free-space optics have limits in terms of light–matter interaction efficiency, size, optical alignment and integration. Here, Jin et al. use a gas-filled hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre to demonstrate an all-fibre gas sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity and dynamic range.

Molecular systems displaying aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have important biomedical and optoelectronic applications. Here the authors report a further mechanism for AIE, through aromaticity reversal from the ground state to the excited state, in the non-aromatic annulene derivative of cyclooctatetrathiophene.

Molecular motion has attracted a wide range of interest for different applications. Here, the authors develop nanoparticles with internal molecular motion upon near infrared absorption and use the nanoparticles for photoacoustic imaging and demonstrate this application in vivo.

The demonstration of pure organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) luminogens with complementary emission is a key requirement for developing low-cost white light emitters. Here, the authors construct RTP-active organic salt compounds by exchanging the counterion with a heavy halide ion.

Changes in gut microbial communities contribute to the development of colorectal cancer. Here, the authors analyse the gut mucosal microbiome of patients and healthy subjects and identify distinct microbial consortia associated with different stages of colorectal cancer tumorigenesis.

Non-crystalline, amorphous materials are commonly known to exhibit a characteristic local ordering. Here, the authors report a new material prepared by pulsed electrodeposition showing the co-existence of liquid and solid-like amorphous phases, which gives rise to enhanced thermal stability and plasticity.

Combining the benefits of nanocrystals with those of amorphous metallic glasses leads to a dual-phase material—comprising sub-10-nanometre-sized nanocrystalline grains embedded in amorphous glassy shells—that exhibits a strength approaching the ideal theoretical limit.

Deep space applications require lightweight alloys that can perform at cryogenic temperatures. Here, in-situ neutron diffraction reveals stress partitioning and continuous strain hardening in an additively manufactured Al10SiMg alloy, achieving a tensile strength of 395 MPa and an elongation of 25% at 15 K.