Durotomy frequently results in cerebrospinal fluid leakage, leading to serious secondary complications. Tissue adhesives have become a popular alternative to sutures for achieving rapid, watertight sealing of dural tears. However, current materials cause excessive swelling and unwanted tissue adhesion. Now, researchers have developed an innovative monolithic Janus patch using a simple method that enables rapid sealing of dural tears through low-energy visible-light activation, while exhibiting minimal swelling (reduced mass effect) and excellent biocompatibility.

As global data traffic soars, transmitting information with light instead of electrical signals is becoming crucial for moving more data with much less power. Scientists in China have overcome a long-standing bottleneck in this area by growing high-quality barium titanate films on an industry-friendly platform and demonstrating a compact on-chip modulator. Their device switches light efficiently with small electrical signals at high speeds, enabling dense, energy-efficient optical links in future data centers and communication systems. 

Researchers have reported a zero-dimensional metal halide that switches its fluorescence ON through two independent pathways: pressure induces a structural transition to bright orange emission, while DMF solvent exposure activates intense yellow luminescence with 97% quantum yield. The solvent-driven “ON” state is fully reversible by mild heating, offering excellent cycling stability. This dual-stimuli response enables high-sensitivity DMF detection, advanced optical encryption, and reconfigurable logic operations.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) aid the body against autoimmune diseases and cancer, among other things. Patients have to pick up the medicine every few weeks. It would be easier for them to be able to inject the medicine themselves at home, but this would only be possible if the medications were highly concentrated but not too viscous. A team at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, led by Professor Lars Schäfer from the Center for Theoretical Chemistry and the company Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma have developed a quick and realistic simulation method to make this possible. This method can predict how formulations will behave. The team reports its findings in the Journal of Physical Chemistry from December 7, 2025.

An international team of astronomers, including researcher from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has uncovered the first decisive evidence that at least some fast radio burst (FRB) sources—brief but powerful flashes of radio waves from distant galaxies—reside in binary stellar systems. This means the FRB source is not an isolated star, as previously assumed, but part of a binary stellar system in which two stars orbit each other.

Researchers have developed a novel data-driven Faraday polarimetric decoupling method, offering a robust technical solution to the challenge of atomic density fluctuations inatomic gyroscopes. The study, published in Defence Technology, introduces a framework that integrates finite-element simulation with neural networks to isolate density disturbances from signal measurements.

Prof. ZHOU Yongjin's team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Martin Grininger's team from Goethe University Frankfurt developed a modular and programmable fatty acid synthesis platform which enables high specificity production of medium-chain fatty acids in yeast.

A team from Lanzhou University of Technology have developed a novel NiTi shape memory allow (SMA) with harmonic microstructures fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM). This work explores the relationship between microstructural evolution at various deformation stages and corrosion behaviour in seawater environments. The study reveals that in its initial states, the alloy exhibits superior corrosion resistance, primarily owing to dense and stable passivation films composed mainly of TiO₂ and NiO. Post-fracture, the formation of fragmented amorphous phases and nanocrystalline grains accelerates corrosion processes. Leveraging first-principles calculations and electrochemical analysis, the team provides insights into microgalvanic reactions and phase interactions that influence corrosion resistance, paving the way for advanced smart materials in marine applications.

A team at the Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry and the Institute of Advanced Carbon Conversion Technology, Huaqiao University has developed a coordination-pyrolysis strategy to fabricate a highly dispersed copper sulfide (CuS) nanosheets supported on N-doped porous carbon precatalyst (CuS@NC). The covalent S species trigger the deep-reconstruction of CuS nanosheets, and the in-situ generated SO₄^2- not only promotes the formation of Cu^2+δ species but also facilitates the cleavage of α–C–H and –O–H bonds in HMF. The optimized CuS@NC achieved a high current density of 335 mA cm^-2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE, representing a remarkable 628% enhancement over the control catalyst.