High-performance piezoceramics are urgently needed for precision actuation, but conventional lead-based materials face environmental restrictions. The BiFeO₃‑BaTiO₃ (BF-BT) lead-free system offers high Curie temperature yet suffers from large leakage current and poor process stability. A team led by Prof. Bo-Ping Zhang at University of Science and Technology Beijing developed a one-step sintering method to fabricate 0.7BiFeO₃‑0.3BaTiO₃ ceramics, achieving a d₃₃ of 201 pC/N, a high-field d₃₃* of 1021 pm/V, a large strain of ~0.38%, and a Curie temperature of 501 °C. Through precise Fe non-stoichiometry defect engineering, the study reveals the temperature-dependent leakage conduction mechanisms in the BF-BT system and the synergistic role of internal bias fields on strain behavior, providing insights into defect–property relationships for lead-free piezoceramics.

A new study argues that protected areas alone cannot safeguard Africa’s biodiversity, urging a shift to inclusive, community-centered conservation across human-managed landscapes.

The escalating complexity of the electromagnetic environment calls for advanced electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials capable of efficient multi-frequency attenuation. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising dielectric candidate but is hindered by intrinsic impedance mismatch and limited polarization loss. Herein, we report a novel ternary heterostructure absorber consisting of SiC nanowires synergistically coupled with dual rare-earth silicides (Ce₅Si₄ and Pr₅Si₄), fabricated via a combined magnesiothermic/carbothermal reduction process using an MFI-type zeolite precursor. This unique architecture creates an intricate porous network featuring abundant multiple heterogeneous interfaces (SiC/Ce₅Si₄, SiC/Pr₅Si₄, and Ce₅Si₄/Pr₅Si₄). The simultaneous incorporation of Ce and Pr optimizes the complex permittivity for impedance matching and induces intense multi-interface polarization relaxation. Consequently, the designed composite achieves efficient and strong EMW absorption performance in the C-band (4.30 GHz), X-band (8.24 GHz), and Ku-band (16.51 GHz), demonstrating remarkable multi-frequency points absorption performance. Radar cross-section (RCS) simulations further demonstrate its significant stealth capability, highlighting the potential of dual rare-earth synergistic engineering. This work provides a pioneering strategy for designing high-performance, multi-frequency SiC-based absorbers through the construction of ternary rare-earth silicide heterostructures.

Metabolic regulation at the maternal-embryo interface is essential for successful embryo implantation, yet its dynamics in humans remain poorly understood because of ethical and technical constraints. Researchers established a physiologically relevant maternal-embryo interaction model by co-culturing human blastoids with 3D endometrial assembloids, enabling analysis of metabolic changes during the implantation window. The study provides a systematic view of metabolic dynamics at the human maternal-embryo interface, identifies lipid remodeling and arachidonic acid (ARA) metabolism as key regulators of maternal and embryonic responses during implantation, and offers a mechanistic basis for diagnosis and metabolic intervention strategies in implantation failure.