Researchers report a molecular design strategy for high-voltage organic cathodes in aluminum batteries. By constructing a sulfur-heterocyclic polymer with weak electron-donating effect and super-crosslinked sites, the cathode achieves a high voltage of ~1.7 V and a high capacity of 150 mAh g⁻¹. The designed organic cathode achieves a record 255 Wh kg⁻¹ energy density, breaking the upper limit of conventional graphite cathodes (~200 Wh kg⁻¹).

While unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFCs) are promising for renewable energy storage, their efficient operation requires simultaneous water management and gas transport, which is challenging from the standpoint of water management. Herein, a novel approach is introduced for examining the alignment hydrophilic pattern of a Ti porous transport layer (PTL) with the flow field of a bipolar plate (BP). UV/ozone patterning and is employed to impart amphiphilic characteristics to the hydrophobic silanized Ti PTL, enabling low-cost and scalable fabrication. The hydrophilic pattern and its alignment with the BP are comprehensively analyzed using electrochemical methods and computational simulations. Notably, the serpentine-patterned (SP) Ti PTL, wherein the hydrophilic channel is directly aligned with the serpentine flow field of the BP, effectively enhances oxygen removal in the water electrolyzer (WE) mode and mitigates water flooding in the fuel cell (FC) mode, ensuring uninterrupted water and gas flow. Further, URFCs with SP configuration exhibit remarkable performance in the WE and FC modes, achieving a significantly improved round-trip efficiency of 25.7% at 2 A cm⁻².

Weyl semimetals, hosting chiral Weyl fermions with momentum-locked spin textures, offer a promising platform for developing quantum information technologies based on chiral degrees of freedom. Recently, Professor Dong Sun’s group at Peking University demonstrated selective injection of chiral Weyl fermions in the magnetic Weyl semimetal Co₃Sn₂S₂ using circularly polarized mid-infrared light through a third-order nonlinear optical process under a static electric field. By tuning both the external electric field and the ferromagnetic order, they achieved flexible and reversible control of chiral optical responses. Helicity-dependent photocurrent measurements revealed strong mid-infrared chiral signals, including wavelength-dependent sign reversals associated with imbalanced excitation of oppositely polarized Weyl fermions, confirming their Weyl-cone origin. This work highlights the exceptional tunability of magnetic Weyl semimetals for chiral regulation and establishes a foundation for future quantum devices based on chiral information carriers. The study was published in National Science Review (2025), with the School of Physics at Peking University as the first affiliation; Zipu Fan is the first author, and Professors Dong Sun, Jinluo Cheng, and Enke Liu are the corresponding authors.

To ensure the safe and stable operation of superconducting magnets in fusion devices under high current and complex operating conditions, a highly reliable quench detection system was developed for the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) of the Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR). The system adopts voltage-based detection as the primary criterion and implements a primary induced voltage compensation architecture based on Co-Wound Wire (CWW) and Co-Wound Tape (CWT) techniques. In addition, a secondary compensation algorithm is introduced to effectively suppress the risk of misjudgment caused by electromagnetic coupling. In the system design, a multi-redundant compensation scheme was proposed with full consideration of the magnet structure and cabling constraints. During the engineering commissioning phase, both room-temperature continuity tests and low-current compensation coefficient calibration were conducted. Induced voltage suppression tests under different current variation rates demonstrated that CWT provides superior compensation performance compared to CWW, with induced voltage suppression rates exceeding 99.8 % for CWW and 99.95 % for CWT. Furthermore, reliability tests under three simulated fault scenarios confirmed that the diagnostic system could accurately identify system states without false triggers, showing strong anti-interference capability and engineering stability. Ultimately, the system was successfully deployed in a high-current energization test of the CSMC, operating at up to 48 kA. It maintained stable performance throughout the test without any false alarms or missed detections, verifying its feasibility and reliability under real engineering conditions. The quench detection compensation methods and system architecture proposed in this study provide a solid technical foundation and practical support for the future development and deployment of the CFETR Central Solenoid superconducting magnet quench detection system.

 Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR), based on Rayleigh scattering, offers an innovative diagnostic approach for superconducting magnets. In addition to its high spatial resolution, electromagnetic immunity, and distributed sensing capability, OFDR allows continuous and quantitative mapping of thermomechanical states throughout the magnet's lifecycle -- from initial winding pre-stress and cooldown to excitation and quench. For critical performance monitoring, particularly in tracking the combined strain-temperature behavior under cryogenic and high-field conditions, OFDR provides a level of accuracy and spatial detail that is difficult to match with existing sensing methods. Although engineering challenges remain, including cryogenic calibration, strain transfer, signal decoupling, and system integration, most can be resolved as the technology matures. Looking ahead, OFDR is poised to become a core technology for next-generation “smart” superconducting structures, redefining diagnostic strategies in high-energy physics and fusion magnet systems.

A nonfused ring electron acceptor (NFREA), designated as TT-Ph-C6, has been synthesized with the aim of enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). By integrating asymmetric phenylalkylamino side groups, TT-Ph-C6 demonstrates excellent solubility and its crystal structure exhibits compact packing structures with a three-dimensional molecular stacking network. These structural attributes markedly promote exciton diffusion and charge carrier mobility, particularly advantageous for the fabrication of thick-film devices. TT-Ph-C6-based devices have attained a PCE of 18.01% at a film thickness of 100 nm, and even at a film thickness of 300 nm, the PCE remains at 14.64%, surpassing that of devices based on 2BTh-2F. These remarkable properties position TT-Ph-C6 as a highly promising NFREA material for boosting the efficiency of OSCs.

Thermoelectric (TE) materials, being capable of converting waste heat into electricity, are pivotal for sustainable energy solutions. Among emerging TE materials, organic TE materials, particularly conjugated polymers, are gaining prominence due to their unique combination of mechanical flexibility, environmental compatibility, and solution-processable fabrication. A notable candidate in this field is poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT), a liquid-crystalline conjugated polymer, with high charge carrier mobility and adaptability to melt-processing techniques. Recent advancements have propelled PBTTT’s figure of merit from below 0.1 to a remarkable 1.28 at 368 K, showcasing its potential for practical applications. This review systematically examines strategies to enhance PBTTT’s TE performance through doping (solution, vapor, and anion exchange doping), composite engineering, and aggregation state controlling. Recent key breakthroughs include ion exchange doping for stable charge modulation, multi-heterojunction architectures reducing thermal conductivity, and proton-coupled electron transfer doping for precise Fermi-level tuning. Despite great progress, challenges still persist in enhancing TE conversion efficiency, balancing or decoupling electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity, and leveraging melt-processing scalability of PBTTT. By bridging fundamental insights with applied research, this work provides a roadmap for advancing PBTTT-based TE materials toward efficient energy harvesting and wearable electronics.

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (ZMBs) are regarded as strong contenders in secondary battery systems due to their high safety and abundant resources. However, the cycling performance of the Zn anode and the overall performance of the cells have often been hindered by the formation of Zn dendrites and the occurrence of parasitic side reactions. In this paper, a surface electron reconfiguration strategy is proposed to optimize the adsorption energy and migration energy of Zn²⁺ for a better Zn²⁺ deposition/stripping process by adjusting the electronic structure of ceric dioxide (CeO₂) artificial interface layer with copper atoms (Cu) doped. Both experimental results and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the Cu₂Ce₇O_x interface facilitates rapid transport of Zn²⁺ due to the optimized electronic structure and appropriate electron density, leading to a highly reversible and stable Zn anode. Consequently, the Cu₂Ce₇O_x@Zn symmetric cell exhibits an overpotential of only 24 mV after stably cycling for over 1600 h at a current density of 1 mA/cm² and a capacity of 1 mAh/cm². Additionally, the cycle life of Cu/Zn asymmetric cells exceeds 2500 h, with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. This paper provides a novel approach to the artificial interface layer strategy, offering new insights for improving the performance of ZMBs.

This perspectives article underscores the importance of elucidating surface reconstruction mechanisms to guide the rational design of efficient and stable OER electrocatalysts.