With the continuous advancement of lithiumion batteries (LIBs), increasing demands have been placed on achieving ultrafast charging capability. Graphite, the dominant commercial anode material, suffers from sluggish ion transport kinetics and interfacial instability, which pose significant challenges to the fast-charging performance of LIBs. Previous strategies, including surface coatings and conductive network construction, often address these challenges in isolation, leading to an inherent tradeoff between structural stability and electrical conductivity. Xu et al. recently reported scalable onestep pyrolysis of pitch that concurrently constructs a conformal amorphouscarbon shell and an integrated graphene network (Gr) on graphite.

A research paper by scientists from Zhejiang University presented a novel approach utilizing thin and flexible carbon nanotube piezoresistive fibers as a bandage, helically integrated on the surface of existing slender medical continuum robots for shape sensing.

The new research paper, published on Jun. 24 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, has developed a simple, low‑cost alternative: a carbon‑nanotube piezoresistive fiber bandage that wraps around the outside of any existing continuum robot and lets it “feel” its own shape in real time.

Autonomous AI robots require enhanced visual intelligence to accurately assess their local environment and identify objects before deciding which action to take and acting on that decision. Recently, a group of researchers outlined the current autonomous robot state of the art from the perspective of 2D and 3D visual intelligence and summarized current obstacles and future directions in the field.

In the advancement of human-machine interaction and intelligent wearable devices, high-performance multifunctional fiber materials are crucial for enabling natural, efficient human-machine interaction and seamless system integration.

As electromagnetic environments become increasingly complex with the transition toward 6G communication technologies, materials that can actively adapt their absorption behavior are urgently needed. Researchers have developed an electrochemically driven, air-breathing ZAB-based device that enables reversible and broadband tuning of microwave absorption by regulating oxygen generation and consumption at the material–air interface.

Enhancing active-site utilization in carbon-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) is critical for improving catalytic performance in hydrogenation and related transformations. Wang et al. demonstrate that rational pore-orientation control enhances mass transfer, thereby increasing single-atom site utilization and overall activity; these findings establish pore-orientation engineering as a general strategy for advancing carbon-supported SACs.

The rapid rise of IoT and AI is exposing the energy and data movement limits of von Neumann computing. Neuromorphic computing, especially spiking neural networks, offers a compelling alternative but demands compact hardware with neuron like nonlinear dynamics. In the new Nano Research review, Prof. Chuanyu Han’s team highlights recent progress in artificial spiking neurons built from emerging electronic devices, spanning memristor-based and transistor-based implementations. The article distills key spiking mechanisms, practical circuit design templates, and system demonstrations for neuromorphic perception and brain inspired computing, and introduces a rigorous unified benchmarking framework to help compare technologies and accelerate interdisciplinary work across materials science and microelectronics.

A comprehensive review published in Nano Research reveals how mechanical forces—such as fluid shear, matrix stiffness, and cyclic strain—are essential for building realistic organoids and organ-on-a-chip models. The work bridges mechanobiology and microengineering, offering a roadmap for designing next-generation in vitro systems that truly mimic human physiology. These advances could revolutionize drug screening, disease modeling, and personalized medicine.

Niobium/tantalum–tellurium (Nb/Ta–Te) charge density wave materials have been developed for infrared detection. Devices based on these materials enable efficient mid- and long-wave infrared sensing at room temperature under zero-bias conditions, eliminating the need for an external power supply, and achieve a detectivity of up to 10⁸ Jones. Furthermore, by integrating the detector with artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted image enhancement, the quality of single-pixel infrared imaging is significantly improved, offering a promising route toward next-generation low-power, intelligent infrared optoelectronic systems.

The stability of zinc metal anodes is a critical bottleneck hindering the practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. The team of Zhaoling Ma and Hongqiang Wang from Guangxi Normal University has developed a ZnV₂O₄ ion-sieve interface layer featuring a three-dimensional tunnel structure. By leveraging the synergistic effect of moderate oxygen vacancies and tunnel geometry, the material achieves ultra-fast and selective Zn²⁺ transport. This design enables symmetric cells to deliver stable cycling for over 3,700 hours at 4 mA cm⁻², and full cells to maintain a capacity retention of 52.5% after 1,000 cycles, offering a promising strategy for long-life aqueous zinc-ion batteries.