http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/rss/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095

Investigation of charge carrier dynamics in graphene/ MoS2 heterostructures under photoexcitation, revealing associated intraband THz responses. The study highlights charge transfer mechanisms and carrier lifetimes, advancing the understanding of light-matter interactions in 2D materials for optoelectronic applications.

The engineering of terahertz phonons is challenging due to difficulties in achieving sub-nanometer material precision and in facilitating efficient phonon coupling at terahertz frequencies region. The effective generation, detection, and manipulation of terahertz phonons via the integration of atomically thin layers in van der Waals heterostructures can enable new designs for next-generation optoelectronic quantum devices, offering new avenues for thermal engineering in the terahertz regime. Here, optical pump terahertz probe and terahertz time-domain experiments are used to reveal the behavior of charge carrier transfer in real time at heterostructure interfaces of single-layer graphene and monolayer MoS2 upon photoexcitation and plausible mechanism has been put forward. Moreover, a temperature-dependent terahertz response of GM heterostructure along with experimental observation is explored in detail with considered appropriate theoretical models. These insights can prove valuable for designing the next generation of optoelectronic applications with stacked 2D heterostructures within the terahertz bandwidth.

A novel approach is introduced that leverages polymer phase transitions to modulate brush behavior. The oleophilic bottle brush system exhibits two distinct melting transitions—bulk and surface—enabling a two-stage swelling and wetting transition. These transitions can be controlled globally, or locally with a focused laser beam, offering a new strategy for designing adaptive surfaces based on intrinsic polymer properties.

Functional polymer brush coatings have great potential for various industrial applications thanks to their ability to adapt to environmental stimuli, providing tunable surface properties. While existing approaches rely on polymer-solvent interactions and their response to external stimuli, changes in the intrinsic physical properties of the polymer also play a critical role in modulating brush behavior. In this context, the melting transition of a semicrystalline oleophilic poly-octadecylmethacrylate (P18MA) brush coating is shown to drive a swelling and wetting transition upon exposure to various liquid alkanes. The top surface of this polymer displays a somewhat higher melting temperature than the bulk, enabling separate control of the bulk-driven swelling and surface-driven wetting transitions. Laser-induced heating enables reversible on-demand activation of both transitions with micrometer lateral resolution. These findings suggest a new concept of polymer brush-based functional surfaces that allow for controlled fluid transport via separately switchable surface barriers and bulk transport layers based on a suitable choice of polymer-polymer and polymer-solvent interactions.

A customizable and scalable approach to fabricate flexible 3D kirigami microelectrode arrays (MEAs) featuring up to 128 shanks, including surface and penetrating electrodes designed to interact with the 3D space of neural tissue, is presented. The 3D kirigami MEAs are successfully deployed in several neural applications, both in vitro and in vivo, and identified spatially dependent electrophysiological activity patterns.

3D microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are gaining popularity as brain–machine interfaces and platforms for studying electrophysiological activity. Interactions with neural tissue depend on the electrochemical, mechanical, and spatial features of the recording platform. While planar or protruding 2D MEAs are limited in their ability to capture neural activity across layers, existing 3D platforms still require advancements in manufacturing scalability, spatial resolution, and tissue integration. In this work, a customizable, scalable, and straightforward approach to fabricate flexible 3D kirigami MEAs containing both surface and penetrating electrodes, designed to interact with the 3D space of neural tissue, is presented. These novel probes feature up to 512 electrodes distributed across 128 shanks in a single flexible device, with shank heights reaching up to 1 mm. The 3D kirigami MEAs are successfully deployed in several neural applications, both in vitro and in vivo, and identified spatially dependent electrophysiological activity patterns. Flexible 3D kirigami MEAs are therefore a powerful tool for large-scale electrical sampling of complex neural tissues while improving tissue integration and offering enhanced capabilities for analyzing neural disorders and disease models where high spatial resolution is required.

A charge-coupled phototransistor is presented that uses dual photosensitive capacitors to provide gate voltage to a single transistor channel, enabling simultaneous capture of dynamic and static information, surpassing existing DAVIS technology. This charge-coupled phototransistor paves the way for the development of high-performance, low-power, and highly integrated machine vision technology.

Emerging machine vision applications require efficient detection of both dynamic events and static grayscale information within visual scenes. Current dynamic vision and active pixel sensors (DAVIS) technology integrates event-driven vision sensors and active pixel sensors within single pixels. However, the complex multi-component pixel architecture, typically requiring 15–50 transistors, limits integration density, increases power consumption, and complicates clock synchronization. Here, a charge-coupled phototransistor is presented that uses dual photosensitive capacitors to provide gate voltage to a single transistor channel, enabling simultaneous capture of dynamic and static information, surpassing existing DAVIS technology. Under illumination, both top and bottom gates generate photogenerated electrons through a charge-coupling effect; electrons in the top gate are blocked by a thick dielectric layer, producing a stable current change for static grayscale detection, while electrons in the bottom gate tunnel through a thin dielectric layer, creating transient current spikes for dynamic event detection. This device demonstrates a dynamic range of 120 dB and a response time of 15 µs, comparable to traditional DAVIS pixels, while significantly reducing power consumption to 10 pW and overcoming clock synchronization issues. This charge-coupled phototransistor paves the way for the development of high-performance, low-power, and highly integrated machine vision technology.

Oral artificial mitochondrial nanorobots (AMNs) can treat ischemic heart disease by delivering ATP to damaged cardiomyocytes, modulating oxidative stress, and restoring cell viability. It improves energy metabolism and mitochondrial structure and reduces inflammation at the genetic level, providing a universal and innovative approach to repair therapies for mitochondrial damage-related diseases.

Delivering energy in vivo is essential for treating mitochondrial damage-related diseases. Current methods, including natural mitochondrial transplantation and artificial energy delivery systems, lack non-destructive, external energy-free, and clinically viable potential solutions. Here, artificial mitochondrial nanorobots (AMNs) carrying high-energy phosphate bonds rebuild the in vivo energy supply system to provide energy. Using ischemic heart disease (IHD) as an energy-deficient disease model and the oral route, which has high patient compliance and facilitates long-term administration, to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of AMNs. AMNs remain stable in the gastrointestinal tract, cross the intestinal barrier via a barrier-crossing unit, and target damaged heart tissue and cardiomyocytes using a motion unit chemotactically. Intracellularly, their energy-generating unit provides high-energy phosphate bonds for ATP synthesis (duration 12 h), while synergistically reducing inflammation and restoring cell viability. At the same frequency of administration, oral AMNs (50 mg kg−1) match intravenous AMNs (10 mg kg−1) in therapeutic efficacy, offering a convenient approach to improving cardiac function. Transcriptomics confirm that 200 µg AMNs emulate 5 × 10⁶ natural mitochondria, restoring energy metabolism and structural function in damaged hearts at the genetic level. This innovative design opens a new pathway for the construction of artificial energy delivery systems in vivo.

Paracrystalline diamond, a new-type sp 3-bonded non-crystalline carbon, is synthesized at 16 GPa (vs. 30 GPa in previous reports) via uniaxial stress-induced collapse of C60 at lower pressures. By integrating experimental and computational insights, this work opens avenues for designing novel materials through controlled stress environments under pressure and offers a strategy for low-cost high-pressure material production.

Synthesizing fully sp 3-bonded non-crystalline carbon remains a long-standing challenge due to the intrinsic instability of the sp 3 bond at ambient pressure. Recently, paracrystalline diamond, a new-form sp 3-bonded non-crystalline carbon consisting of sub-nanometer-sized paracrystallites, has been synthesized from face-centered cubic C60 at 30 GPa, which has attracted attention due to its unique structural features and excellent physical properties. However, the ultrahigh synthesis pressure of paracrystalline diamond poses an obstacle to its large-scale production and applications. In this study, paracrystalline diamond is synthesized at an exceptionally low pressure (16 GPa) via inducing uniaxiality at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions, thereby breaking through the temperature-pressure phase diagram of C60. By combining structural characteristics and advanced molecular dynamics simulation, the remarkable reduction of synthesis pressure is attributed to the fact that the symmetry of the C60 cage is broken due to the uniaxiality, which further allows the C60 cage to collapse at much lower pressures. This work reveals the critical role of uniaxiality in the reduced-pressure synthesis of paracrystalline diamond, which may provide a potent methodological strategy for the development of novel low-cost high-pressure materials.

A cellular cell micro-vortex air filter constructed by 3D honeycomb-like structured nano-networks is created by a unique electro-netting-assembly technique. Due to the micro-vortex cascade filtration mode of cellular cells, 3D porous cell walls (average pore size ≈410 nm) consisting of nano-scaled fibers (diameter 45 nm), enhanced air slip effect, our filters achieve high-efficiency and low-resistance PM0.3 removal, desirable dust holding capacity and remarkable biodegradibility.

Particulate matter (PM) pollution has posed a serious threat to public health, especially with the outbreak of respiratory infections. However, most existing fiber filters face an inevitable trade-off between removal efficiency and air resistance, due to their thick fibers and uncontrolled flat stacking structure. Herein, a unique high-performance integrated micro-vortex filter is created using honeycomb-like structured cellular nanofibrous networks via the innovative electro-netting-assembly nanotechnique for air filtration. Manipulation of the ejection, deformation, and self-assembly of the charged droplets from the Taylor cone enables the one-step construction of 3D cellular cells with 2D nano architectured networks consisted of 1D nanowires with a diameter of ≈45 nm on a large-scale. The resultant micro-vortex air filter, functioned as an integrated filter system, achieved a remarkable air slip effect and striking micro-vortex cascade filtration mode, showing >99.97% PM0.3 removal, ≈0.12% atmosphere pressure of air resistance, 27 g m−2 dust holding, along with robust mechanical stability. This work may provide a promising avenue for the design and development of novel separation and purification materials.

The different designs between the strategies used for solid polymer electrolyte (SPE)-based lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) and those from SPE based Li batteries and liquid electrolyte (LE)-based LSBs caused by the unique interactions of SPEs with S cathodes are successively reviewed. Subsequently, several challenges that need to be urgently addressed and the future prospects of SPE-containing LSBs are discussed.

Nonflammable and flexible solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are widely studied to improve the safety of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Studies on SPE-based LSBs primarily focus on addressing issues stemming from poor SPE properties, Li dendrites, and “shuttle effect” of polysulfides. Currently, strategies from SPE-based lithium batteries (without sulfur cathodes) and liquid electrolyte (LE)-based LSBs (without SPEs) are the most commonly employed approaches to tackle above issues. These strategies are designed without taking into account the problems caused by the coexistence of SPEs and sulfur cathodes, resulting in SPE-based LSBs exhibiting significantly inferior performance than liquid-electrolyte-based LSBs. Therefore, the strategies for SPE-based LSBs necessitate different designs. However, no reviews have focused on the aforementioned differences and analyzing their corresponding causes thus far, which is unfavorable for the development of this field. Herein, the emerging advances in SPE-based LSBs are comprehensively reviewed. In particular, for the first time, the different designs and their corresponding causes are comprehensively discussed. These causes include the high adsorption strength of SPEs with polysulfides, corrosion of polysulfides to barrier layers, deterioration of the ionic conductivity of SPEs, and defective interfaces between cathodes and SPEs. Finally, several pressing challenges and future prospects for the field are discussed.

An innovative interfacial engineering strategy has been proposed to construct and modulate polar topological domains within ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals. These ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, featuring diverse and adjustable polar topological structures including vortex, centrifugal vortex, and center-divergent domains, hold significant potential for applications in the field of topological photonics.

Polar topological domains, distinguished by their inherent topological protection and diverse optoelectronic functionalities, have recently attracted significant interest across scientific disciplines. However, the realization of these structures in inorganic materials is often impeded by crystal symmetry constraints. In this context, ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, characterized by spontaneous polarization and flexible polarization orientation, provide an exceptional platform for the development of polar topological domains. Despite their potential, a considerable challenge lies in identifying a straightforward yet versatile approach for engineering polar topological domains within liquid crystals. Here, this study presents an interfacial engineering strategy that effectively stabilizes a range of polar topological domains in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, including vortex, centrifugal vortex, and center-divergent configurations, by synergistically modulating the surface tension and interfacial tension. Utilizing a combination of experimental characterization and simulation, the role of anchoring energy is systematically investigated in the molecular alignment of liquid crystals and facilitates transitions between diverse topological structures. This research not only extends the horizons for constructing and manipulating polar topological domains but also enhances their prospective applications in topological photonics.

In this research article, the authors found that the overwhelming apoptotic cells after myocardial infarction (MI) result in an overburdened efferocytosis in CAR-MΦ, which compromises their antifibrotic potency. To address this challenge, an in situ engineered legumain (Lgmn) is developed to elevate the cargo degradation of phagolysosome for promoting the efferocytosis of CAR-MΦs, restoring their antifibrotic capability.

Uncontrolled and excessive cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) is a primary contributor to mortality by heart failure. Chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-MΦ) therapy shows great promise in cardiac fibrosis, however, the overwhelming apoptotic cells after MI results in an overburdened efferocytosis in CAR-MΦ, which compromises their antifibrotic potency. This work here reports an in situ engineered legumain (Lgmn) to elevate the cargo degradation of phagolysosome for promoting the efferocytosis of CAR-MΦs, restoring their antifibrotic capability. Specifically, with the in-house customized macrophages-targeting lipid nanoparticles, this work first creates an efferocytosis-boosted fibrosis-specific CAR-MΦs by introducing dual mRNAs that encode Lgmn, an endolysosomal cysteine protease, along with an anti-fibroblast activation protein (FAP) CAR, respectively. This data demonstrate these CAR-MΦs displayed a significantly increased phagocytic capacity as well as improved efferocytosis and enhanced antifibrotic capability. Treatment with the in situ reprogrammed CAR-MΦs in MI mice obviously reduced the infarct size and mitigated cardiac fibrosis, leading to significant restoration of cardiac function. In sum, these findings establish that promoting efferocytosis through Lgmn engineering effectively relieved the overburdened efferocytosis of CAR-MΦs, and enhanced their treatment efficacy of cardiac fibrosis with broad application in other fibrotic diseases.

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) enables silicon nanostructure fabrication but suffers from isotropic undercutting. This study highlights the critical role of catalyst morphology in etching directionality. High-aspect-ratio catalysts induce lateral etching, while thermal treatment at 450 °C stabilizes catalyst geometry, promoting vertical etching. These findings offer a strategy for precise silicon nanostructure control, advancing semiconductor and nanofabrication applications.

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) has emerged as a promising technique for fabricating silicon nanostructures, yet the presence of anomalous isotropic etching poses significant challenges for precise dimensional control. Here, it is demonstrated that catalyst morphology, particularly its aspect ratio, plays a crucial role in determining etching directionality. Through systematic investigation of the initial stages of MaCE, it is revealed that significant undercutting occurs within seconds of etching initiation, persisting across all solution compositions. This phenomenon is quantitatively analyzed using the Degree of Undercutting (DoU) and Degree of Anisotropy (DoA) metrics, establishing that conventional solution chemistry control alone cannot suppress lateral etching. These findings reveal that high-aspect-ratio dendrite catalysts, formed at elevated AgNO3 concentrations, undergo physical separation during etching, leading to residual catalysts that promote localized isotropic etching. To address this, a thermal treatment approach is developed that effectively transforms these problematic structures into stable, low-aspect-ratio catalysts. A critical transition at 450 °C, where enhanced silver atom mobility coincides with surface defect formation, enables nearly perfect vertical etching. This work not only provides fundamental insights into the relationship between catalyst geometry and etching behavior but also presents a practical solution for achieving precise control over silicon nanostructure fabrication.

A machine learning framework is harnessed to scrutinize the thermodynamically induced crystal phase transition behavior of medium-entropy Prussian blue analogs (ME-PBA). This study provides a unified framework for understanding the crystal phase transformation in ME-PBA and is poised to lay the groundwork for the development of other polymetallic coordination polymer derivatives.

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are exemplary precursors for the synthesis of a diverse array of derivatives.Yet, the intricate mechanisms underlying phase transitions in these multifaceted frameworks remain a formidable challenge. In this study, a machine learning-guided analysis of phase transitions in a medium-entropy PBA system is delineated, utilizing an array of descriptors that encompass crystallographic phases, structural subtleties, and fluctuations in multimetal valence states. By integrating multimodal simulations with experimental validation, a thermodynamics-driven phase transformation model for medium-entropy PBA is established and accurately predicted the critical synthesis parameters. A constellation of advanced techniques—including atomic force microscopy coupled with Kelvin probe force microscopy for individual nanoparticles, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, operando ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, in situ X-ray diffraction, theoretical calculations, and multiphysics simulations—substantiated that the iron oxide@NiCoZnFe-PBA exhibits both exceptional stability and remarkable electrochemical activity. This investigation provides profound insights into the phase transition dynamics of polymetallic complexes and propels the rational design of other thermally-induced derivatives.

The reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive ordered assembly of magnetic nanoparticles (RMNAs) achieve a ROS-dependent off/on MPI signal regulation through the ordered assembly/disassembly-mediated MPI tuning strategy. Remarkably, the activatable MPI probe, RMNA, demonstrates a 3.98-fold recovery of MPI signals in response to ROS conditions, enabling ultra-sensitive monitoring of acute liver injury at a low dosage of 0.05 mg kg−1, with a 27-fold increase in MPI signals compared to the non-responsive group.

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has emerged as a versatile biomedical imaging modality, yet a significant challenge persists in the absence of activatable MPI probes for targeted imaging of disease biomarkers. In this study, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive ordered assembly of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is reported, engineered through the meticulous design of magnetic nanoparticle building blocks and ROS-responsive polymeric ligands, enabling precise control over the assembly structure. This ordered configuration amplifies magnetic dipole-dipole interactions, raising the energy barrier during nonequilibrium dynamic magnetization and effectively quenching the MPI signal. By modulating the assembly and disassembly of these ordered structures in response to ROS, this nanoprobe achieves ROS-dependent off/on MPI signal regulation. Consequently, the probe enables the monitoring of early pathological ROS change in a mice model of early acute liver injury, facilitating highly sensitive monitoring of the ROS level-dependent severity of the disease. This work represents the inaugural application of microenvironment-responsive MPI probes for the early diagnosis of ROS-associated diseases. The introduction of ordered assembly structures for MPI signal tuning offers a promising translational approach in the development of next-generation activatable MPI probes.

Full-color tunable time-dependent room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from self-protective carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) is achieved via a self-doping strategy for simultaneous modulation of their carbon core N-related and surface oxygen-related emissive centers. The broad emission color, long lifetime, and excellent luminescence stability of these dynamic afterglow materials promote their practical applications in multimodal anti-counterfeiting and advanced dynamic information encryption, as well as time-delay light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Achieving full-color time-dependent tunable phosphorescence (TDTP) in pure organic materials remains a significant challenge due to the nonradiative transition and modulation puzzle of triplet states. Herein, full-color TDTP has been realized in self-protective carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) under ambient conditions using a self-doping strategy. These CPDs are generated with dual emission centers of the high-energy N-related triplet state and the low-energy surface oxide triplet state, which are responsible for the slow-decaying blue afterglow (453 nm) and the fast-decaying green to red afterglow (513–609 nm), respectively. These luminescent centers can be activated simultaneously upon CPD aggregation due to the generated rigid networks by intra/intermolecular hydrogen-band interactions. The detailed experimental characterization and theoretical calculation confirm that the red-shifted afterglow color is attributed to a gradual reduction of their energy levels with the increasing surface C═O content and aggregation degree of CPDs. Thus, these matrix-free CPDs exhibit dynamic TDTP colors over the entire visible spectrum in the solid state after turning off 365 nm UV light. Based on their unusual phosphorescent properties and excellent photostability, these CPDs have been tested for various applications such as multidimensional dynamic information encryption and anti-counterfeiting, as well as time-delayed light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the single-atom site electrocatalysts (SACs) stability/durability, encompassing both deactivation mechanism at the atomic-, meso-, and nanoscale, and mitigation strategies by controlling the catalyst composition, structure, morphology and surface. Moreover, the challenges and prospects of efficient SACs for long-term use are proposed. This review can provide a unique perspective as well as rational guidelines, with emphasis on stability/durability issues, for future large-scale applications of SACs and beyond.

Single-atom site electrocatalysts (SACs), with maximum atom efficiency, fine-tuned coordination structure, and exceptional reactivity toward catalysis, energy, and environmental purification, have become the emerging frontier in recent decade. Along with significant breakthroughs in activity and selectivity, the limited stability and durability of SACs are often underemphasized, posing a grand challenge in meeting the practical requirements. One pivotal obstacle to the construction of highly stable SACs is the heavy reliance on empirical rather than rational design methods. A comprehensive review is urgently needed to offer a concise overview of the recent progress in SACs stability/durability, encompassing both deactivation mechanism and mitigation strategies. Herein, this review first critically summarizes the SACs degradation mechanism and induction factors at the atomic-, meso- and nanoscale, mainly based on but not limited to oxygen reduction reaction. Subsequently, potential stability/durability improvement strategies by tuning catalyst composition, structure, morphology and surface are delineated, including construction of robust substrate and metal-support interaction, optimization of active site stability, fabrication of porosity and surface modification. Finally, the challenges and prospects for robust SACs are discussed. This review facilitates the fundamental understanding of catalyst degradation mechanism and provides efficient design principles aimed at overcoming deactivation difficulties for SACs and beyond.

The study developed GAZn-PEG nanoparticles (GAZn-PEG NPs) that synergize with HIFU to enhance anti-tumor immunity. GAZn-PEG NPs reduce HSP-90 expression, promote dendritic cell maturation, and activate the cGAS-STING pathway, amplifying immune stimulation. Combined with HIFU, GAZn-PEG NPs eradicated local tumors and induced durable systemic immunity, effectively suppressing metastasis and recurrence.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is emerging as a promising non-invasive treatment for solid tumors. Nevertheless, HIFU may also induce the upregulation of Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP-90), potentially resulting in resistance to HIFU. Besides, although it is effective against in situ tumors, challenges remain with tumor metastasis and recurrence. Herein, the innovative design of gambogic acid (GA) based coordination polymer—GAZn-PEG nanoparticles (GAZn-PEG NPs) are synthesized through the coordination of GA with zinc ions (Zn2+), and subsequently functionalized with lipid bilayer incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG), sensitizing HIFU for the treatment of cervical and ovarian cancers. Briefly, under HIFU exposure, GA markedly suppresses the expression of HSP-90, thereby increasing the tumor's sensitivity to HIFU therapy. Furthermore, Zn2+ not only overcome the issue of GA's poor water solubility but also synergistically stimulate immune responses in conjunction with GA. More intriguingly, it has been discovered that GAZn-PEG can effectively activate the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, thereby enhancing the immune responses provoked by HIFU. Specifically, GAZn-PEG NPs show a remarkable increase in dendritic cell activation and the effective stimulation of the cGAS-STING pathway, crucial for long-term protection against tumor recurrence and metastasis.

Quasi-periodic metamaterials combine stiffness and large-strain deformability, overcoming limitations of traditional stretching-dominated periodic designs that are prone to global buckling instabilities and catastrophic layer collapses. By leveraging non-uniform force chains, they achieve high isotropic stiffness, stable deformation, and remarkable failure resistance. Supported by numerical and experimental results, these advances open pathways for low-density applications in impact resistance and energy absorption.

Architected materials achieve unique mechanical properties through precisely engineered microstructures that minimize material usage. However, a key challenge of low-density materials is balancing high stiffness with stable deformability up to large strains. Current microstructures, which employ slender elements such as thin beams and plates arranged in periodic patterns to optimize stiffness, are largely prone to instabilities, including buckling and brittle collapse at low strains. This challenge is here addressed by introducing a new class of aperiodic architected materials inspired by quasicrystalline lattices. Beam networks derived from canonical quasicrystalline patterns, such as the Penrose tiling in two dimensions and icosahedral quasicrystals (IQCs) in three dimensions, are shown to create stiff, stretching-dominated topologies with non-uniform force chain distributions, effectively mitigating the global instabilities observed in periodic designs through distributed localized buckling instabilities. Numerical and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of these designs in combining stiffness and stable deformability at large strains, representing a significant advancement in the development of low-density metamaterials for applications requiring high impact resistance and energy absorption. These results demonstrate the potential of deterministic quasi-periodic topologies to bridge the gap between periodic and random structures, while branching toward uncharted territory in the property space of architected materials.

A broadband polycrystalline lithium niobate platform is developed for highly versatile and scalable fabrication of nonlinear metasurfaces. This work demonstrates simultaneous second harmonic generation and wavefront-shaping via a metalens on this platform. The high effective optical nonlinearity enables broadband frequency doubled light focusing for power density enhancement from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral range.

Miniaturizing nonlinear optical components is essential for integrating advanced light manipulation into compact photonic devices, enabling scalable and cost-effective applications. While monocrystalline lithium niobate thin films advance nonlinear nanophotonics, their high inertness limits the design of top-down fabricated nanostructures. A versatile bottom-up fabrication method based on nanoimprint lithography is presented for achieving polycrystalline lithium niobate nanostructures and demonstrate its significant potential for nonlinear metasurfaces. The fabrication enables nearly vertical features and aspect ratios of up to 6 combined, which we combine with a novel solution-derived material with high effective second-order nonlinearity d eff of 5 pm V−1. On this platform, second-harmonic focusing is demonstrated over a broad spectral range from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared, increasing the nonlinear signal intensity by up to 34 times. This method enables the first lithium niobate metalens and expands the field of nonlinear metasurfaces by providing a low-cost, highly scalable fabrication method for engineered nonlinear nanostructures.

Cancer metastasis begins with intravasation, a complex process involving cancer-endothelial interactions. INVADE (Intravasation-on-µDevice), a biomimetic microfluidic platform enables high-throughput analysis of intravasation under controlled conditions. This system reveals distinct invasion modes, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) - mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) switch, and endothelial suppression of mesenchymal traits. It also uncovers bilateral signaling, highlighting dynamic cancer-endothelial crosstalk with implications for metastasis research. .

Cancer metastasis begins with intravasation, where cancer cells enter blood vessels through complex interactions with the endothelial barrier. Understanding this process remains challenging due to the lack of physiologically relevant models. Here, INVADE (Intravasation-on-µDevice), a biomimetic microfluidic platform, is presented, enabling high-throughput analysis of cancer cell intravasation under controlled conditions. This engineered platform integrates 23 parallel niche chambers with an endothelialized channel, providing both precise microenvironmental control and optical accessibility for real-time visualization. Using this platform, distinct intravasation mechanisms are uncovered: MCF-7 cells exhibit collective invasion, while MDA-MB-231 cells demonstrate an interactive mode with three functionally distinct subpopulations. A previously unknown epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) switch is We discovered during intravasation, where MDA-MB-231 cells initially increase Vimentin expression before undergoing a 2.3 fold decrease over 96 h alongside a 1.5 fold increase in epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). Remarkably, endothelial cells directly suppress cancer cell mesenchymal properties, as evidenced by a 4.6 fold reduction in Vimentin expression compared to mono-cultures. Additionally, bilateral cancer-endothelial interactions are revealed, aggressive cancer cells induce significant intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) upregulation in endothelium. The INVADE platform represents an engineering advancement for studying complex cell–cell interactions with implications for understanding metastatic mechanisms.