The development of renewable energy is a key path for the global energy structure to transform towards low-carbonization and an important technical direction for addressing climate change. However, battery technology, as the core energy storage carrier, is confronted with multiple challenges such as resource constraints, energy density limitations, and high costs. In this context, rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) have emerged as a highly promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage system due to their advantages such as abundant raw materials, low cost and high safety. In a recent review published, Chinese researchers systematically reviewed the related studies of RABs, pointing out that by leveraging the multi-ion cooperative strategy and multi-electron redox reaction mechanism, the long-term bottlenecks of aluminum batteries in reaction kinetics and capacity retention can be effectively broken through, providing a clear technical path for their large-scale practical application.

Space missions are complex, multidisciplinary tasks that involve high risk and high cost. Systems engineering (SE) technology is an emerging discipline used to manage project complexity and ensure mission success . As technology advances and systems become more complex and volatile, SE needs to accommodate the constant reassessment, upgrading, and development of systems . Traditional SE relies on a large number of decentralized documents that cannot keep up with the changes in the system. Therefore, SE is transforming toward digitalization and has led to model-based systems engineering (MBSE), which provides a way to address SE challenges and is emerging as a paradigm and principle of SE. According to the International Council on Systems Engineering, MBSE is “the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phase”.Space missions are complex, multidisciplinary tasks that involve high risk and high cost. Systems engineering (SE) technology is an emerging discipline used to manage project complexity and ensure mission success . As technology advances and systems become more complex and volatile, SE needs to accommodate the constant reassessment, upgrading, and development of systems . Traditional SE relies on a large number of decentralized documents that cannot keep up with the changes in the system. Therefore, SE is transforming toward digitalization and has led to model-based systems engineering (MBSE), which provides a way to address SE challenges and is emerging as a paradigm and principle of SE. According to the International Council on Systems Engineering, MBSE is “the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phase”.

A single carbon atom is revolutionizing pesticide design. Scientists reveal how adding a tiny methyl group to existing insecticides can dramatically boost their killing power against crop-destroying pests—offering a clever, cost-effective solution to combat rising resistance and protect global food supplies.

Local photothermal effect of AuNRs gives rise to high local temperatures. Two methods based on electron spin resonance (ESR) technique were developed to characterize the local temperature (T_local) around the excited rod. The obtained T_local is 20-30℃ higher than the global temperature (T_global) of the illuminated suspension measured using thermocouple. The local photothermal effects of gold nanorods (AuNRs) can promote the thermal decomposition of H₂O₂ to generate hydroxyl radicals. The AuNRs + H₂O₂ system can be used as a light-triggered hydroxyl radical source to regulate the generation of hydroxyl radical by time and space.

A noncontact virtual reality (VR) human-machine interface (HMI) was developed by electret-based triboelectric sensor (ETS), which is fabricated by the electrospun polylactic acid/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) electret nanofiber film. Integrated with a deep learningbased multilayer perceptron neural network, the ETS realizes the recognition of 18 different types of 3D gestures with a high average accuracy of 97.3%. An intelligent noncontact VR interactive system based on the ETS is further developed to manipulate game characters for performing different actions by 3D gestures. This work for the first time introduces the triboelectric 3D gesture recognition method to the VR HMIs, and could make the interaction between human and virtual environments become more efficient and fascinating.

Directly observing the atomic rearrangement in ferroelectric semiconductor In₂Se₃ paves the way for developing stable and reliable in-memory computing devices.

Electrocatalysts constantly experience structure evolution during CO₂RR, directly affecting activity, selectivity, and long-term durability. In this review, researchers explain how atomic migration, redox transitions, and surface restructuring determine catalytic performance, and highlights advanced in-situ characterization techniques for decoding these dynamic processes. Understanding such reconstruction mechanisms plays a key role in designing robust catalysts for industrial CO₂ conversion.

Forest restoration, a critical strategy for mitigating climate change and rejuvenating natural ecosystems, is a global priority, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) targeting substantial atmospheric carbon removal through these efforts. However, understanding the factors that govern the recovery of soil organic carbon (SOC) – the largest terrestrial carbon pool – has remained a complex challenge. A comprehensive global meta-analysis, led by Shan Xu and Junjian Wang from the Southern University of Science and Technology with international collaborators including Nico Eisenhauer from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, now clarifies these crucial drivers, offering vital insights for effective climate change mitigation strategies.