A research team has developed an interphase activator strategy to improve lithium-ion transport in garnet-polymer composite solid electrolytes. The strategy uses SbF₃ to reconstruct the surface of LLZTO garnet particles and regulate the surrounding PVDF-based polymer phase, creating a continuous pathway for lithium ions across the ceramic-polymer interface. The optimized electrolyte shows high lithium-ion conductivity, stable lithium-metal cycling, and strong full-cell performance at 30 ℃, highlighting its promise for safer and higher-energy solid-state lithium-metal batteries.

This perspective article proposes a paradigm shift from single-discipline pathogen control to an integrated, cross-disciplinary approach that combines earth science and environmental engineering. Led by Zheng-Yang Huo from Renmin University of China, an research team outlines how geochemical insights and advanced disinfection technologies can work together to achieve full-chain assessment and control of waterborne pathogens, addressing a persistent threat that causes over 10 million deaths annually worldwide.

Human biological evolution typically unfolds over millennia, while artificial intelligence can undergo major advances within years. This growing disparity in rates of change raises a fundamental question: How should humanity respond as technological change increasingly outpaces biological adaptation?

Addressing this question, a team led by Professor Tian-Ling Ren of Tsinghua University has published a Position Paper titled “Transcending Natural Evolution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” in SCIENCE CHINA Information Sciences. The paper describes this disparity as an “evolutionary tempo mismatch” and examines how artificial intelligence could extend from the digital realm into physical environments, the human body, and neural tissue. It also introduces two related concepts, the “embodiment threshold” and “transcending natural evolution”, and outlines how flexible bioelectronics and brain-computer interfaces could support human-machine integration. The paper further considers the risk of “biological-technological stratification” under constraints in compute capacity, energy, materials, and technological access, and proposes a phased, trigger-based framework for adaptive governance.

Researchers at Westlake University have developed a new anion exchange membrane for water electrolysis that combines long-term chemical stability with easier large-scale manufacturing. The material reduces reliance on corrosive superacids during synthesis and performs efficiently in both lab-scale devices and kilowatt-scale hydrogen-producing stacks.

A study published in Science Bulletin reports the real-time rotational growth of single- and few-wall high-crystallinity carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and tracks the dynamics of the CNT-catalyst interface using atmospheric environmental transmission electron microscopy. The researchers identified two non-periodic growth modes: free rotation and restricted rotation, which are distinct from previously reported periodic-rotation models. Free rotation originates from weak CNT-catalyst interfacial interactions and enables straight, high-crystallinity CNT growth. Additional constraints, such as CNT-substrate contact, restrict this rotation, induce structural distortions, decelerate growth rate, and can even cause growth termination. This study establishes rotational freedom as a key interfacial parameter that linking CNT-catalyst interactions and the quality and growth dynamics of CNTs. It also provides guidance for designing catalysts and interfaces to achieve efficient synthesis of defect-free, high crystalline CNTs.