Optimizing Acidic Oxygen Evolution with Manganese-Doped Ruthenium Dioxide Assembly.

Ruthenium dioxide (RuO) is one of the promising catalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, designing RuO catalysts with good activity and stability remains a significant challenge. In this work, we propose the manganese (Mn)-doped RuO assembly as a catalyst for the OER with improved activity and stability.

Pressure-Dependent Electronic Superlattice in the Kagome Superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5}.

We present a high-resolution single crystal x-ray diffraction study of kagome superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5}, exploring its response to variations in pressure and temperature. We discover that at low temperatures, the structural modulations of the electronic superlattice, commonly associated with charge-density-wave order, undergo a transformation around p∼0.7  GPa from the familiar 2×2 pattern to a long-range-ordered modulation at wave vector q=(0,3/8,1/2).

Optimized Adsorption of Had and OHad over Amorphous SrRuPtOxHy Nanobelts towards Efficient Alkaline Fuel Cell Catalysis.

PtRu-based catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) suffer from low efficiency, CO poisoning and over-oxidation at high potentials. In this work, an amorphization strategy is adopted for preparation of amorphous SrRuPtOxHy nanobelts (a-SrRuPtOxHy NBs). The a-SrRuPtOxHy NBs have optimized adsorption of intermediates (H and OH), increased number of active sites, highly weakened CO poisoning and enhanced anti-oxidation ability owing to the special amorphous structure.

Signatures of ambient pressure superconductivity in thin film LaNiO.

Recently, the bilayer nickelate LaNiO has been discovered as a new superconductor with transition temperature T near 80 K under high pressure. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental work to understand the nature of its superconductivity, the requirement of extreme pressure restricts the use of many experimental probes and limits its application potential. Here, we present signatures of superconductivity in LaNiO thin films at ambient pressure, facilitated by the application of epitaxial compressive strain.

Controllable orbital angular momentum monopoles in chiral topological semimetals.

The emerging field of orbitronics aims to generate and control orbital angular momentum for information processing. Chiral crystals are promising orbitronic materials because they have been predicted to host monopole-like orbital textures, where the orbital angular momentum aligns isotropically with the electron's crystal momentum. However, such monopoles have not yet been directly observed in chiral crystals.

Nanoscale imaging and control of altermagnetism in MnTe.

Nanoscale detection and control of the magnetic order underpins a spectrum of condensed-matter research and device functionalities involving magnetism. The key principle involved is the breaking of time-reversal symmetry, which in ferromagnets is generated by an internal magnetization. However, the presence of a net magnetization limits device scalability and compatibility with phases, such as superconductors and topological insulators.

X-ray linear dichroic tomography of crystallographic and topological defects.

The functionality of materials is determined by their composition and microstructure, that is, the distribution and orientation of crystalline grains, grain boundaries and the defects within them. Until now, characterization techniques that map the distribution of grains, their orientation and the presence of defects have been limited to surface investigations, to spatial resolutions of a few hundred nanometres or to systems of thickness around 100 nm, thus requiring destructive sample preparation for measurements and preventing the study of system-representative volumes or the investigation of materials under operational conditions. Here we present X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography (XL-DOT), a quantitative, non-invasive technique that allows for an intragranular and intergranular characterization of extended polycrystalline and non-crystalline materials in three dimensions.

Atomically Dispersed Mn-Doped Ru@RuO Core/Shell Nanostructure with High Acidic Water Oxidation Performance Arising from Multiple Synergies.

The high overpotential and unsatisfactory stability of RuO-based catalysts seriously hinder their application in acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a Ru@RuO core/shell catalyst doped with atomically dispersed Mn species, denoted as Ru@Mn-RuO, is reported, which is prepared by a facile one-pot method. Detailed structural characterizations confirm that Mn is homogeneously and atomically distributed in RuO shell, which causes lattice contraction of RuO.

Heavy Atom Cluster Chains with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling and Magnetic Cations in Mn[PtBiI].

In the search for new magnetic topological insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling, by following conceptual considerations that have already proven to be suitable, the bismuth-rich subiodide Mn[PtBiI] was discovered. Single crystals were grown from mixtures of the elements and BiI using a temperature program developed on the basis of thermal analyses. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a rhombohedral structure of the cuboctahedral cluster anions [PtBiI], which are linked into chains via octahedrally coordinated Mn cations.

Operando Studies Redirect Spatiotemporal Restructuration of Model Coordinated Oxides in Electrochemical Oxidation.

Tetrahedral, pyramidal, and octahedral metal-oxygen coordinated ligands are fundamental components in all metal-oxide structures. Understanding the impacts of their spatiotemporal behaviors during electrochemical oxidation is crucial for diverse applications, yet remains unsolved due to challenges in designing model oxides and conducting operando characterizations. Herein, combining a suite of advanced operando characterizations and systematic computations, a link between oxygen-evolving performance and operational structural properties is established on model oxides.

Selective light-driven methane oxidation to ethanol.

Methane (CH) photocatalytic upgrading to value-added chemicals, especially C products, is significant yet challenging due to sluggish energy/mass transfer and insufficient chemical driven-force in single photochemical process. Herein, we realize solar-driven CH oxidation to ethanol (CHOH) on crystalline carbon nitride (CCN) modified with CuS and Cu single atoms (CuS/Cu-CCN). The integration of photothermal effect and photocatalysis overcomes CH-to-CHOH conversion bottlenecks, with CuS as a hotspot to convert solar-energy to heat.

In Situ Self-Assembled 200 nm-Depth Highly Active Layer Non-Precious Metals Catalyst for Industrial Water Electrolysis.

Nickel-based electrocatalysts are promising for industrial water electrolysis, but the dense hydroxyl oxide layer formed during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limits active sites accessibility and presents challenges in balancing structural stability with effective charge transfer. Based on this, an efficient in situ leaching strategy is proposed to construct grain boundary-rich catalyst structure with high charge transfer ability and a deep catalytic active layer reached >200-nm. Under OER conditions, stable sub-nano NiAl particles are embedded in Ni(Fe)OOH, originating from leaching out the unstable NiAl phase of the initial NiAl/NiAl alloy doped with Fe.

Giant Topological Hall Effect and Colossal Magnetoresistance in Heusler Ferromagnet near Room Temperature.

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) is an exotic phenomenon that allows for the efficient magnetic control of electrical resistivity and has attracted significant attention in condensed matter due to its potential for memory and spintronic applications. Heusler alloys are the subject of considerable interest in this context due to the electronic properties that result from the nontrivial band topology. Here, the observation of CMR near room temperature is reported in the shape memory Heusler alloy NiMnIn, which is attributed to the combined effects of magnetic field-induced martensite twin variant reorientation (MFIR) and magnetic field-induced structural phase transformation (MFIPT).

Hollow Pt-Encrusted RuCu Nanocages Optimizing OH Adsorption for Efficient Hydrogen Oxidation Electrocatalysis.

As one of the best candidates for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), ruthenium (Ru) has attracted significant attention for anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), although it suffers from sluggish kinetics under alkaline conditions due to its strong hydroxide affinity. In this work, we develop ternary hollow nanocages with Pt epitaxy on RuCu (Pt-RuCu NCs) as efficient HOR catalysts for application in AEMFCs. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations confirm that the synergy in optimized Pt-RuCu NCs significantly modifies the electronic structure and coordination environment of Ru, thereby balancing the binding strengths of H* and OH* species, which leads to a markedly enhanced HOR performance.

A Complex Oxide Containing Inherent Peroxide Ions for Catalyzing Oxygen Evolution Reactions in Acid.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers powered by sustainable energy represent a cutting-edge technology for renewable hydrogen generation, while slow anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics still remains a formidable obstacle that necessitates basic comprehension for facilitating electrocatalysts' design. Here, we report a low-iridium complex oxide LaSrIrO with a unique hexagonal structure consisting of isolated Ir(V)O octahedra and true peroxide O groups as a highly active and stable OER electrocatalyst under acidic conditions. Remarkably, LaSrIrO, containing 59 wt % less iridium relative to the benchmark IrO, shows about an order of magnitude higher mass activity, 6-folds higher intrinsic activity than the latter, and also surpasses the state-of-the-art Ir-based oxides ever reported.

2025 Roadmap on 3D Nano-magnetism.

The transition from planar (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) magnetic nanostructures represents a significant advancement in both fundamental research and practical applications, offering vast potential for next-generation technologies like ultrahigh-density storage, memory, logic, and neuromorphic computing. Despite being a relatively new field, the emergence of 3D nanomagnetism presents numerous opportunities for innovation, prompting the creation of a comprehensive roadmap by leading international researchers. This roadmap aims to facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue to address challenges in materials science, physics, engineering, and computing.

Noncollinear Magnetic Structures in the Chiral Antiperovskite β-FeSeO.

We present the magnetic properties of the chiral, polar, and possibly magnetoelectric antiperovskite β-FeSeO as derived from magnetization and specific-heat measurements as well as from powder neutron diffraction and Mössbauer experiments. Our macroscopic data unambiguously reveal two magnetic phase transitions at ≈ 103 K and ≈ 78 K, while Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data reveals a noncollinear antiferromagnetic structure featuring magnetic moments in the - plane of the trigonal structure and a ferromagnetic moment along . The latter is allowed by symmetry between and , weakly visible in the magnetization data yet unresolvable microscopically.

In-Plane Chirality Control of a Charge Density Wave by Means of Shear Stress.

The transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS exhibits a Charge Density Wave (CDW) with in-plane chirality. Due to the rich phase diagram, the Ferro-Rotational Order (FRO) can be tuned by external stimuli. The FRO is studied by Angle-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARPES), Raman spectroscopy, and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED).

On the engineering of higher-order Van Hove singularities in two dimensions.

The properties of correlated electron materials are often intricately linked to Van Hove singularities (VHS) in the vicinity of the Fermi energy. The class of these VHS is of great importance, with higher-order ones-with power-law divergence in the density of states-leaving frequently distinct signatures in physical properties. We use a new theoretical method to detect and analyse higher-order VHS (HOVHS) in two-dimensional materials and apply it to the electronic structure of the surface layer of SrRuO.

Selective and durable HO electrosynthesis catalyst in acid by selenization induced straining and phasing.

Developing efficient electrocatalysts for acidic electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (HO) holds considerable significance, while the selectivity and stability of most materials are compromised under acidic conditions. Herein, we demonstrate that constructing amorphous platinum-selenium (Pt-Se) shells on crystalline Pt cores can manipulate the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) pathway to efficiently catalyze the electrosynthesis of HO in acids. The Se‒Pt nanoparticles, with optimized shell thickness, exhibit over 95% selectivity for HO production, while suppressing its decomposition.

Strong and efficient bismuth telluride-based thermoelectrics for Peltier microcoolers.

Thermoelectric Peltier coolers (PCs) are being increasingly used as temperature stabilizers for optoelectronic devices. Increasing integration drives PC miniaturization, requiring thermoelectric materials with good strength. We demonstrate a simultaneous gain of thermoelectric and mechanical performance in (Bi, Sb)Te, and successfully fabricate micro PCs (2 × 2 mm cross-section) that show excellent maximum cooling temperature difference of 89.

Unconventional Crystal Structure of the High-Pressure Superconductor La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7}.

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7} at pressures above 14 GPa has spurred extensive research efforts. Yet, fundamental aspects of the superconducting phase, including the possibility of a filamentary character, are currently subjects of controversial debates. Conversely, a crystal structure with NiO_{6} octahedral bilayers stacked along the c-axis direction was consistently posited in initial studies on La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7}.