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Energy Environ. Sci., 2025, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE06113F, Paper Open Access &nbsp This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.Ibrahem O. Baibars, Haisen Huang, Yang Xiao, Shuhao Wang, Yan Nie, Chen Jia, Kamran Dastafkan, Chuan Zhao
Simultaneous reduction of concentration and activation overpotentials at hierarchically porous Ni/CeOx interfaces in anion-exchange membrane water electrolysers.
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Energy Environ. Sci., 2025, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D5EE01444A, Paper Open Access &nbsp This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.Mengzheng Ouyang, Zhenyu Guo, Luis E Salinas-Farran, Siyu Zhao, Mengnan Wang, Feiran Li, Yan Zhao, Kaitian Zheng, Hao Zhang, Guangdong Li, Xinhua Liu, Shichun Yang, Fei Xie, Paul Shearing, Maria Magdalena Titirici, Nigel Brandon
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are cost-effective alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but their low energy density remains a challenge. Current electrode designs fail to simultaneously achieve high areal loading, high active...
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Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Paul Goddard - University of Warwick
• Wednesday 18 June 2025, 11:15-12:00
• Venue: Mott Seminar Room (531), Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics.
• Series: Quantum Matter Seminar; organiser: Mads Fonager Hansen.

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Quadrature By Rational Approximation

Many numerical algorithms rely on quadrature formulas such as Gauss quadrature, the trapezoidal rule, and their conformal transplantations to specialized domains. Each quadrature formula can be interpreted as a rational approximation to an analytic function with a branch cut. Reversing the logic, new quadrature formulas can be quickly derived even for specialized domains by numerical rational approximation via the AAA algorithm, avoiding the need for conformal maps or other analysis. The poles of the rational approximations delineate branch cuts, and the poles and residues are the quadrature nodes and weights. The talk will present ten examples: five known problems, plus a variant for each one. I hope it will change your understanding of quadrature formulas.

• Speaker: Nick Trefethen (Oxford and Harvard)
• Thursday 19 June 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, MR14.
• Series: Applied and Computational Analysis; organiser: Matthew Colbrook.

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Seminars in Cancer

Abstract not available

Please note this seminar is on a Friday

• Speaker: Andrea Sottoriva, Human Technopole
• Friday 12 December 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: CRUK CI Lecture Theatre.
• Series: Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute (CRUK CI) Seminars in Cancer; organiser: .

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Seminars in Cancer

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Professor Julian Downward, Francis Crick Institute
• Thursday 20 November 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: CRUK CI Lecture Theatre.
• Series: Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute (CRUK CI) Seminars in Cancer; organiser: Kate Davenport.

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Searching for Ultra-light dark matter with atomic & nuclear clocks and Interferometers

Fundamental physics has come to somewhat of a crossroads. With the as-yet absence of new particles at high energy colliders it has become increasingly attractive to consider the possibility that the new physics we seek has remained hidden not by an inaccessible energy barrier but via incredibly weak couplings to the Standard Model. Emerging quantum sensing technologies have recently unlocked a number of tantalising avenues to probe new physics at this feebly interacting frontier. In this talk I will outline how atomic & nuclear clocks and interferometers offer a means to detect theories of ultra-light dark matter which cause fundamental constants to oscillate in time. I will then propose a new method for detecting scalar ultra-light dark matter – nuclear interferometry – and show that this may provide access to unchartered theoretical territory.

• Speaker: Hannah Banks (Cambridge U.)
• Friday 30 May 2025, 16:00-17:00
• Venue: Ray Dolby Centre, Seminar Room - North (Floor: 0 A0.019).
• Series: HEP phenomenology joint Cavendish-DAMTP seminar; organiser: Nico Gubernari.

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More ARMs than arms: From Sunk to Silicon Supremacy

Every second, over a thousand ARM microprocessors are manufactured; in total, more than 320 billion have been shipped – far exceeding the estimated 120 billion humans who have ever lived. Given that most people have two arms and now carry around 40 ARMs, this is a no-contest “arms race” won by silicon. A pivotal factor in that success was an instruction set called Thumb, “the really useful bit on the end of your ARM .” Conceived 30 years ago on a train to a Japanese ski resort – following a disastrous meeting with Nintendo – Thumb was born of both necessity and audacity. Three weeks later, it was hastily presented to Nokia in a last-ditch attempt to convince them that a chip which wouldn’t exist for another 12 months was exactly the one they needed for their next generation mobile phone. The design rejected ARM ’s heritage as a CPU for computers and instead targeted the power- and cost-sensitive embedded space – a gamble that ultimately unlocked the high-volume markets ARM needed to survive. This talk explores Thumb’s origins, its technical design, and critical role in ARM ’s commercial breakthrough, along with its enduring legacy in today’s ubiquitous, low-power, digital world.

Biography:

Dave Jaggar joined ARM in 1991 and spent nine years transforming the architecture that would become the foundation of modern embedded computing. He authored the first ARM Architecture Reference Manual, formalizing the architecture and introducing Thumb, a second instruction set that enabled ARM ’s widespread adoption in low-power, high-volume devices. Jaggar also pioneered on-chip debug support, restructured the architecture to support full operating systems, and created a new floating-point instruction set. As the founding director of the ARM Austin Design Center, he helped expand the company’s global technical footprint. He holds 29 US patents and is co-recipient of the 2019 IEEE /RSE James Clerk Maxwell Medal for groundbreaking contributions to computer architecture.

• Speaker: Dave Jaggar
• Tuesday 03 June 2025, 11:00-12:00
• Venue: SS03, Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building.
• Series: Computer Laboratory Computer Architecture Group Meeting; organiser: Timothy M Jones.

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Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Professor Dario Alfè, UCL
• Wednesday 03 December 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: Unilever Lecture Theatre, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.
• Series: Theory - Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Lisa Masters.

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Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Dr Tomoaki Yagi, RIKEN
• Wednesday 19 November 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: Unilever Lecture Theatre, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.
• Series: Theory - Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Lisa Masters.

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Energy Environ. Sci., 2025, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D5EE01031D, PaperHaodan Guo, Yang Wang, Kun Zhang, Mingquan Tao, Lutong Guo, Xiwen Zhang, Zhaofei Song, Jinxu Wen, Tian Hou, Yuelong Huang, Yanlin Song
The efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has witnessed remarkable improvements, yet the unbalanced δ-to-α phase crystallization transition dynamics and defects remain significant barriers to the reproducibility and stability of...
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With de novo design, semiconducting oligomers and their nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit unexpectedly efficient Third harmonic generation (THG) performances with NIR-IIb excitation and anti-photobleaching capability. With these advantages, semiconducting oligomer NPs achieve high-resolution in vivo THG angiography of the deep brain at a record-high depth of 1745 µm with spatial resolution and good biocompatibility, thus opening new horizons for developing high-performance THG probes.

Abstract

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) has unparalleled promise in high-spatiotemporal bioimaging within the tissue-transparent window of 1500 to 1700 nm, commonly referred to as the near-infrared-IIb (NIR-IIb) region. However, so far, surprisingly few cases of non-fluorescent MPM probes have been reported, and their imaging performances are relatively limited. Herein, this study introduces a highly efficient third harmonic generation (THG) probe based on semiconducting oligomer derivatives (BTICs), which exhibit strong THG responses under NIR-IIb (1700 nm) excitation. Leveraging halogen chemistry, semiconducting oligomers with varying halogen substitutions and nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit unexpectedly high THG performance across different aggregation states upon NIR-IIb excitation. The BTICs NPs exhibit a large THG conversion efficiency (1215 × 10−84 cm6 s2 photon−2) and exceptional resistance to photobleaching. Furthermore, the biocompatibility and in vivo THG angiography capabilities of BTICs NPs are validated, achieving the visualisation of deep-brain vasculature with unprecedented spatial resolution at a record-high imaging depth of 1745 µm. The pioneering exploitation of semiconducting oligomer-based THG probes establishes a new class of high-performance materials, enabling ultra-deep THG imaging of the brain and advancing the design of next-generation THG imaging platforms.

A high-energy silicon solid-state battery exceeding 400 Wh kg⁻¹ is demonstrated using a 99.9 wt% micro-Si anode, a thin sulfide electrolyte, and high-loading NMC811 cathode. Optimized dry/wet processing and interface engineering enable excellent cell cycling stability. Key degradation mechanisms are identified, providing strategies to enhance long-term performance of solid-state batteries.

Abstract

For the first time, we demonstrate a silicon solid-state battery (SSB) architecture that achieves >400 Wh kg−1, approaching the theoretical limit for silicon-based SSBs. This configuration features a 99.9 wt% micro-Si, a thin sulfide solid electrolyte (SSE), and a high-loading NMC811. Key to these results is strategically selecting and evaluating the processing techniques, whether wet or dry, for the negative electrode, positive electrode and thin sheet-type SSE. Excessive lithium incorporation into the silicon host, beyond the Li3.75+Si phase to form a LiSi composite, is essential to match the high capacity of the positive electrode. This SSB achieves over 1000 cycles for a 2 mAh cm−2 with ≈80% capacity retention and 94% capacity retention for 3 mAh cm−2 over 500 cycles at 25 °C. Post analysis identifies the primary capacity decay mechanisms as oxidation at the NMC/SSE interface and structural disruptions within NMC. Meanwhile, the Si electrode maintains a robust solid-electrolyte interphase layer, minimizing capacity decay. This study highlights the necessity for improved NMC coatings, lattice oxygen stabilization, and a durable positive electrode-electrolyte interface to improve the long-term stability of SSBs. Strategies leading to a single-layer pouch cell SSB exceeding 400 Wh kg−1 are developed.

An in situ heterogeneous nucleation strategy for quasi-2D perovskite films via microelectronic printing is demonstrated, employing delaminated Cd-MOF as modulators. The layered Cd-MOF framework facilitates controlled nucleation, regulates phase distribution, and promotes stress relaxation, yielding films with an ultrahigh photoluminescence quantum yield and enhanced stability. These advancements underscore the potential of MOF-assisted synthesis in advancing high-performance perovskite materials for optoelectronics.

Abstract

Microelectronic printing technology has recently emerged as a key approach in advancing pixel-array perovskite films, particularly quasi-2D perovskite films, to meet current scientific and technological demands. However, its further development remains hindered by the uncontrollable crystallization of perovskite during the printing process. Herein, a novel in situ heterogeneous nucleation growth approach for obtaining quasi-2D perovskite films is demonstrated, utilizing delaminated metal–organic frameworks (i.e., layered Cd-MOF) with an ordered structure as modulators. The inosculation of phenylethylammonium (PEA+) with layered Cd-MOF serves as crystal nuclei, facilitating heterogeneous crystal nucleation and growth while regulating the distribution of the n-phase. Moreover, the intercalation of the layered Cd-MOF alleviates rigid stress, thereby eliminating defects in the printed films. The resulting quasi-2D perovskite films exhibit an impressive photoluminescence quantum yield of 37.40% along with exceptional luminescent stability, making them promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications. Overall, this study highlights the significant potential of MOF-assisted synthesis in advancing high-performance perovskite materials through microelectronic printing technology, offering a promising pathway for the development of future optoelectronic devices.

Properties of LM and its application in the diagnosis and treatment of CVDs.

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains a leading cause of high mortality and imposes a significant health burden globally. The biocompatibility between materials and the cardiovascular system, encompassing biological safety, modulus matching, and anti-fatigue performance in dynamic physiological environments, has been a critical challenge in the diagnosis and treatment of CVDs. The emergence of liquid metal (LM) offers promising opportunities to develop diagnostic and therapeutic methods that exhibit excellent biocompatibility with the cardiovascular system. In this perspective, the progress of LM applications in contrast agents, nanomedicine, implantable and wearable bioelectronic devices, and bionic materials is evaluated, providing a comprehensive and in-depth discussion of the role and advantages of LM in CVDs management. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects of LM in the field of CVDs diagnosis and treatment are outlined.

A nonlinear conductive graphene composite (NcGc) layer, incorporating a conductive laser-reduced graphene oxide layer, is assembled into flexible pressure sensors without microstructural designs, achieving high sensitivity (742.3 kPa−1) and a wide linear sensing range (>800 kPa). The nonlinear conductivity of the NcGc layer enables bias-tunable sensitivity, inherently correcting thermal drifts and thereby preserving the precision of robotic gripper manipulation across varying temperatures.

Abstract

Thermal fluctuations pose a significant challenge to the signal stability of nanomaterial-based piezoresistive pressure sensors, limiting their effectiveness in applications such as electronic skin and robotics. Conventional temperature compensation strategies often rely on additional thermal sensors or complex calibration algorithms. Here, a flexible pressure sensor is reported featuring a nonlinear conductive graphene composite layer within a bilayer architecture, enabling bias voltage-controlled sensitivity without structural redesign. The sensor achieves ultra-high sensitivity (742.3 kPa−1), a broad linear sensing range of up to 800 kPa (R2 = 0.99913), and excellent long-term durability over 10 000 cycles. Crucially, the unique nonlinear characteristics enable the bias voltage to function as an internal remote control for correcting temperature drifts between 25 and 60 °C, as demonstrated by precise manipulation in robotic grippers under varying temperature conditions. This work offers a universal strategy for building environmentally adaptive sensors, advancing the development of robust and high-precision wearable electronics.

The formation of Bi2O2(OH)(NO3) monolayer with strong force-sensitivity eliminates interlayer electric field screening induced by H bond between [Bi2O2OH] and [NO3] layers, resulting in larger piezoelectricity and strengthened internal electric field (IEF). It also incurs sufficient surface polar inherent hydroxyls, benefiting surface charge carrier decoupling and more favorable H2O molecules adsorption and H* desorption. Mechanical strain can induce in situ self-polarization, which further boosts IEF and reduces energy barriers of H* desorption and key intermediate *OH formation, facilitating piezocatalytic water splitting.

Abstract

Piezocatalytic two-electron water splitting into spontaneously isolated H2 and H2O2 shows huge prospects in meeting industrial requirements. Herein, asymmetric single-unit-cell Bi2O2(OH)(NO3) monolayer (BON-M) with superb force-sensitivity are developed for pure water and seawater dissociation. The formation of a monolayer structure allows sufficient exposure of polar inherent hydroxyls and eliminates the interlayer electric field screening induced by hydrogen bonding between [Bi2O2OH] slices and [NO3] layers, resulting in larger piezoelectricity and strengthened internal electric field. It also benefits surface charge carrier decoupling and renders more favorable H2O molecules adsorption and H* desorption. Particularly, the mechanical strain can induce the in situ self-polarization of BON-M, which further enhances electric field intensity and reduces energy barriers of H* desorption and key intermediate *OH formation, facilitating water splitting to H2 and H2O2 kinetically and thermodynamically. An exceptional piezocatalytic H2 and H2O2 production rate up to 2071.05 and 970.27 µmol g−1 h−1 is delivered by BON-M from pure water. It also accumulates H2 output of 12 429.68 µmol g−1 within 8 h from seawater splitting, along with mechanical-to-hydrogen efficiency of 0.15%. This work develops an effective strategy for exploiting high-performance piezocatalyst by building ultrafine nanostructure enriched with inherent polar groups on the surface.

This paper reports the one-step preparation of ultralight polyimide microtube aerogel sponges (PMAS) using airflow-induced spinning. PMAS has ultralow density, excellent thermal insulation properties and compression resilience over a wide temperature range, and can be applied in thermal insulation. Notably, airflow-induced spinning technology fills the gaps in industrial-scale preparation and material compatibility of microtube.

Abstract

Flexible thermal protection is of great significance in fields facing various environments such as aerospace and electric vehicles. Elastic aerogels with micro-nanofibers as the base unit effectively solve the force-thermal compatibility, optimized the contradiction between mechanical strength and thermal insulation performance, and solves the risk of fragile aerogel. In order to develop elastic aerogels with lower density and better thermal insulation properties. Here, the first one-step preparation of ultralight polyimide microtube aerogel sponges (PMAS) using airflow-induced spinning is reported. PMAS consists of a large number of structurally controllable microtube, resulting in ultralight density (≈50 mg cm−3), ultralow thermal conductivity (37 mW m−1·K at 25 °C), and excellent elasticity and fatigue resistance, with no significant attenuation of the maximum stress after 1000 cycles of compression at 80% strain. In addition, PMAS has temperature-invariant dynamic mechanical stability and an operating temperature range from 77 to 573 K. These superior properties enable PMAS to be ideal choice for thermal insulation in extreme environments, thermal runaway in batteries, adsorption and gas filling. Airflow-induced spinning fills the gap in the industrial-scale preparation and material compatibility of microtube, while also providing a promising solution for the universal preparation of microtube structures.

A 3D array of magnetoactive mechanical metamaterials enables rapid and reversible stiffness modulation under external magnetic fields. By adjusting field direction and intensity, the system exhibits diverse deformation modes and tunable modulus. This fast-responding mechanical metamaterial offers real-time adaptability for advanced reconfigurable and load-bearing applications.

Abstract

Programmable mechanical materials often require dynamic stiffness adaptability, but existing solutions face challenges with slow response times and limited precision. This study introduces magnetically tunable stiffness metamaterials (MTSM) that utilize a bioinspired ternary programming framework to achieve rapid and precise stiffness modulation. Drawing inspiration from biological sarcomeres, which naturally adjust stiffness through structural changes, the MTSM design employs direct ink writing, a 4D printing method, to incorporate neodymium microparticles and a styrene-isoprene-styrene polymer matrix. This approach enables the metamaterial to transition between three distinct stiffness states—soft, moderate, and stiff—through structural deformation controlled by magnetic torque. Integration of MTSM into a 3D array further enhances its versatility, allowing multi-layer stiffness adjustments under magnetic fields. The MTSM array achieves an impressive 390 percent stiffness modulation range and rapid changes in response to an external magnetic field, surpassing the limitations of prior designs. These findings emphasize the potential of ternary programming in MTSM as a foundation for creating next-generation programmable mechanical systems capable of rapid and efficient adaptability.

A fluorogen-activating HSA engineered via confinement fluorescence enhances brightness, minimizes phototoxicity, and achieves superior cell permeability for nanoscale mitochondrial imaging. Co-crystal structure reveals HSA immobilizes the fluorophore in hydrophobic cavities via α-type binding, restricting torsional motions for high quantum yields. Theoretical calculations elucidate excited-state dynamics. AmpHecy@HSA enables low-phototoxicity super-resolution mitochondrial imaging in living cells, expanding fluorogenic toolkit for mitochondrial science.

Abstract

Fluorescence nanoscopy of living cells employs contrast agents to reveal intrinsic correlations between mitochondrial dynamics and functions at the molecular level. However, regular mitochondrial fluorophores usually present poor photostability, low brightness, non-specific inhibitory effects, high phototoxicity, and rapid photobleaching, which have hindered the use of these tools to capture the intricate dynamic features of mitochondria. Herein, we engineered a fluorogen-activating protein (FAP), AmpHecy@HSA, a non-covalent self-assembly of HSA and amphiphilic hemicyanine (AmpHecy) fluorophore, with exceptional cell permeability, long-lasting photostability, high brightness/fluorogenicity, and minimal phototoxicity. Crystallography and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy techniques were combined to elucidate the structural and mechanistic intricacies of fluorescence activation. These findings revealed that fluorophore photoactivation happens through the molecular conformation-induced intramolecular charge transfer, whose kinetics is mainly determined by the hydrophobic interaction between the fluorophore and nearby amino acids. This aligns with classical molecular dynamics simulations and excited-state conformation quantum mechanics. It was further demonstrated that AmpHecy@HSA can be used for super-resolved images of mitochondria within living cells without apparent phototoxicity. This work expands the fluorescent toolkit based on FAP engineering for studying live-cell mitochondrial morphology and function, advancing the fields of chemistry and biomedicine.