High-entropy carbides are promising noble-metal-free catalysts for hydrogen evolution, yet the nanocrystals reported so far have all been dense solids, and their metallic constituents have been drawn mainly from groups IVB–VIB metals. Recently, a team of materials scientists led by Wen Ma from Inner Mongolia University of Technology, China, reported the first synthesis of hollow rare-earth-containing high-entropy carbides via a one-pot electroreduction process in molten salt at 800 °C. Simply changing the carbon source tailors the architecture from solid to hollow. In 1.0 M KOH, the dual-rare-earth carbide (HfNbTaTiZrCeY)C delivers an overpotential of 167 mV at 10 mA·cm^-2, a Tafel slope of 58.8 mV·dec^-1 and a charge-transfer resistance of 2.7 Ω, outperforming its single-rare-earth counterparts. This work provides a novel strategy for the design of high-performance non-noble metal-based catalysts.

How a layered boride behaves depends on both its atomic structure and the way it is made. A comprehensive review of MAB phases connects those factors with reported mechanical and functional properties, including oxidation-assisted crack healing and magnetocaloric behavior. It also examines how certain parent compounds yield two-dimensional MBenes. The review describes current limits in synthesis, product identification and testing as researchers explore structural ceramics and functional devices.

The simultaneous achievement of ultra-high quality factor (Q×f) and near-zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) remains a critical challenge for microwave dielectric ceramics in 5G/6G systems. Rare-earth vanadate zircon (AVO₄) ceramics are promising for high-frequency applications owing to their intrinsically low dielectric constant, and chemical stability. This work resolves the persistent dilemma between high Q×f and thermal stability in microwave dielectric ceramics, offering a reliable design framework and laying the essential material foundation for advanced microwave components in 5G and 6G networks.

Electrically conductive composite ceramics face a trade-off between electrical conductivity and densification. Herein, a bimodal micro/nano particle size grading strategy is proposed to resolve this issue in the Al₂O₃–TiC system. Nano-Al₂O₃ fills interparticle spaces and pins TiC grain boundaries, while micro-Al₂O₃ coarsens, enlarging the phase domain size ratio and forming continuous 3D TiC networks. At a nano-Al₂O₃ content of 10 vol% , the composite reaches 99.02% relative density and a conductivity of 4.02 × 10⁴ S/m , with the percolation threshold reduced from 15.54 to 10.20 vol%. EDM performance is also enhanced, offering a promising route for machinable conductive ceramics.

A research team has developed a highly efficient cytosine base editing platform for potato, overcoming a major barrier to precise improvement of this genetically complex crop.

Lensless holographic microscopy replaces imaging optics with computation, but its classical Gabor principle has long been confined to thin, weakly scattering specimens. Researchers at Warsaw University of Technology have now pushed the method into the multiple-scattering regime. Near-infrared illumination preserved resolvable information through tissue-like scattering layers up to 1.4 mm, while increasing the sample-sensor distance unexpectedly doubled lateral resolution—revealing a new acquisition strategy for high-throughput, robust, amplitude-and-phase imaging in complex media.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, is characterized by high mortality and limited treatment options. A new review published in the Chinese Medical Journal provides a comprehensive overview of how two key cancer hallmarks—epigenetic regulation and metabolic reprogramming—interact to drive HCC progression. The review highlights the bidirectional crosstalk between these processes and explores how targeting this axis could open new avenues for therapy.

A new review highlights the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway as a central switch that can convert immunologically “cold” tumors into “hot,” inflamed tumors and improve immunotherapy responses. 

The circadian clock—plants' internal timekeeping system—does more than regulate when flowers open or leaves fold.