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Nano Research

Recent progress of reversible thermochromic hydrogels and their application in smart windows

In the context of global energy transition and the urgent pursuit of carbon neutrality, building energy consumption has become a central focus in achieving sustainable development. Although traditional glass windows are widely used, they have limited ability to dynamically regulate indoor thermal environments, often failing to balance energy efficiency with user comfort. To address this challenge, researchers have turned their attention to thermochromic hydrogel smart windows, a promising class of materials capable of automatically adjusting solar transmittance based on environmental temperature. These smart windows offer a revolutionary solution by enabling "light transmission when cold and light blocking when hot," effectively reducing heating and cooling demands without external power or mechanical control. This dynamic response not only enhances occupant comfort but also significantly contributes to energy savings and environmental sustainability.   Professor Zhan'ao Tan led a research team that recently published a review article titled "Recent progress of reversible thermochromic hydrogels and their application in smart windows" in Nano Research. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the development, performance, and future directions of the thermochromic hydrogel technology for smart windows. The study systematically examines key performance indicators such as phase transition temperature, optical properties, response speed, and cycle stability, while exploring the underlying mechanisms and optimization strategies for material design. The review highlights several key approaches that have successfully improved the performance of thermochromic hydrogels, including: Nanomaterial composites to enhance thermal sensitivity and optical response; Microstructural control for precise tuning of phase behavior; Crosslinking network optimization to improve mechanical strength and durability. These strategies have demonstrated significant improvements in temperature adaptability, optical performance, and mechanical robustness, laying a solid foundation for practical applications. Importantly, the review outlines three strategic research directions for future development: Development of wide-temperature-range responsive materials: To enable smart windows to adapt to diverse climatic conditions across different regions and seasons. Optimization of low-cost, large-scale manufacturing processes: To overcome challenges in material synthesis and device fabrication, thereby accelerating commercialization. Integration of multifunctional capabilities: Exploring synergies with technologies such as photovoltaics and self-cleaning surfaces, to create advanced, intelligent building interfaces. As global efforts toward energy conservation and climate resilience intensify, thermochromic hydrogel smart windows are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable construction. With ongoing research and technological advancements, the commercialization of this technology is expected to accelerate, offering a more intelligent and eco-friendly approach to building design.  Other contributors include Lanlan Deng and Xiaodong Xu from Beijing University of Chemical Technology.  This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52373169). See the Article: Recent progress of reversible thermochromic hydrogels and their application in smart windows
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Technology Review for Carbon Neutrality

Avoiding Nature’s Minsky Moment: How NatureFinTech is turning ecosystem integrity into investable capital

More than half of global economic output depends on nature - from fertile soils and clean water to climate regulation and biodiversity. Yet these foundations of prosperity remain largely invisible in financial decision-making. A new peer-reviewed study warns that this disconnect is building systemic risk into the global economy, creating the conditions for what the authors call a “Nature’s Minsky Moment”: a sudden and disruptive repricing of assets once hidden ecological dependencies become impossible to ignore. The article, “Nature’s Minsky Moment, NatureFinTech and the world’s next asset class,” published in TRCN, reviews existing approaches to nature finance and explains why carbon-centric and project-based instruments alone cannot close the estimated USD 700 - 800 billion annual global nature funding gap. Instead, the authors argue for a structural shift - treating nature as critical infrastructure that underpins economic stability, rather than as a voluntary or peripheral concern. “Ecosystem degradation is no longer just an environmental issue - it is increasingly being recognized a macro-financial risk,” said lead author Martin Stuchtey, professor at the University of Innsbruck. “As with the financial crisis of 2008, risks can accumulate for years until markets are forced into abrupt repricing. In the case of nature, that correction could affect value chains, insurance markets, real estate values, and sovereign risk simultaneously.” A central obstacle to financing nature at scale has long been the lack of reliable, decision-grade data that can be used in financial contracts, valuation, and risk assessment. The study highlights how recent advances in Earth observation, ecological modelling, and artificial intelligence are now closing this gap. These innovations are giving rise to a new field known as NatureFinTech - digital technologies that translate ecosystem condition into auditable, comparable metrics suitable for capital allocation, enabling continuous, high-resolution monitoring of ecosystem performance at the level of individual land parcels. A key example discussed in the paper is the Ecosystem Integrity Index (EII), a composite metric aligned with international ecological frameworks that integrates functional, structural, and compositional aspects of ecosystem health into a single, comparable score. Implemented at global scale and modulated with local data, the EII enables ecosystem condition to be tracked with auditability comparable to financial assets. “Once ecosystem integrity becomes measurable in a robust and scalable way, it can be embedded into economic and financial decision-making,” said co-author Benedict Witte. “Metrics such as the EII make it possible to link capital flows directly to verified ecological outcomes, rather than proxies or promises.” Building on these measurement capabilities, the study introduces Nature Equity as an emerging asset class. Nature Equity instruments allocate capital to the improvement and long-term stewardship of natural capital. Rather than functioning as one-time compensation mechanisms - as known from the carbon markets, Nature Equity is designed as an infrastructure-like investment, linking long-term capital to the ongoing condition and resilience of ecosystems as verified through continuous, outcome-based measurement - across multiple dimensions including biodiversity, soil, carbon and water. While challenges remain - including valuation methods, regulation, and market maturity - the authors argue that financing nature as infrastructure could reduce systemic risk, stabilize ecosystem-dependent cash flows, and support more resilient economic systems. “If ecosystem integrity continues to be ignored in capital allocation, the likelihood of a disorderly correction will only grow,” Stuchtey said. “Recognizing and financing nature as critical infrastructure offers a credible pathway to avoid that outcome.”  See the Article: Nature’s Minsky Moment, NatureFinTech and the world’s next asset class
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Food & Medicine Homology

From Tradition to Precision: Atlas of "Food and Medicine Homology" in 2026

The ancient concept of "food and medicine homology" is on the cusp of a transformative shift from empirical tradition to a modern, precision-driven scientific discipline in 2026. A comprehensive perspective article, authored by over 40 experts across China, delineates this trajectory, presenting an integrated roadmap that intertwines standardization, pioneering research, personalized health management, and industrial innovation. The paper contends that the future credibility and global influence of food and medicine homology hinge on the establishment of a robust evidence-based system, coupled with the strategic utilization of technologies such as artificial intelligence, multi-omics, and synthetic biology. The article, structured as a comprehensive blueprint, delineates six interconnected focus areas for 2026. It commences by emphasizing the necessity of rigorous standards, safety protocols, and high-quality clinical evidence as foundational elements. Subsequently, it explores the "foundation" of mechanistic research, advocating for a paradigm shift from isolated compound studies to understanding complex host-microbiome-metabolite interactions and novel biological phenomena such as phase separation. The "application" domain underscores advancements in personalized nutrition and dynamic health management strategies for chronic diseases and life-cycle support. The "translation" component emphasizes transforming scientific discoveries into high-value products while revolutionizing the entire industry value chain through innovative raw material utilization and sustainable practices. Driving "innovation" are emergent technologies including AI-powered R&D, intelligent delivery mechanisms, and synthetic biology applications. Lastly, the "interdisciplinary" dimension advocates for integrative approaches combining neuroscience, social sciences, and information technology. “The field is at a critical juncture,” said authors. “Our perspective provides a unified vision. It is no longer sufficient to know that something works based on tradition; we must demonstrate how it works, for whom, and at what dose. The integration of modern science, from multi-omics for patient stratification to AI for formula design, is what will transform ‘food and medicine homology’ from a holistic concept into a reproducible, safe, and effective pillar of future precision health and preventive medicine.” The roadmap underscores the ultimate objective of establishing a transparent, sustainable, and intelligent ecosystem. This encompasses the development of traceable supply chains, environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes, and digital platforms that guarantee quality and foster consumer confidence. The authors foresee the evolution of food and medicine homology from individual products to comprehensive "product + service + scenario" solutions, which incorporate wellness tourism and personalized, data-driven health management systems. This perspective, titled "Food and Medicine Homology Focus in 2026" is set to be published online on January 1, 2026, in the journal Food & Medicine Homology. Highlights Driving a paradigm shift in the food and medicine homology field from traditional experience-based practices to a scientific, systematic, and precise methodology. Advocating for a paradigm shift in mechanistic research, moving away from simple linear models towards an integrated comprehension of intricate biological networks and systems biology. Developing a novel proactive health management system with dynamic individual data, incorporating real-time optimization and adaptive adjustment features. Facilitating the intelligent and eco-friendly upgrade of the entire industrial chain from raw material innovation to ecological construction, by integrating advanced technologies. Elevating the provision of health products by integrating lifestyle, cultural experiences, and synergistic ecosystem into comprehensive health solutions. See the Article: Food and Medicine Homology Focus in 2026
Life Sciences and Medicine
Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development (English Edition)

Fighting highway subgrade settlement on the roof of the world

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau houses China’s largest permafrost region, where highways have served for over seven decades. However, recent decades have seen rapid warming (0.35°C/decade, twice the global average) and increasing precipitation, thickening thaw layers and reducing bearing capacity beneath roadbeds. Existing construction strategies largely rely on maintaining frozen soil through embankment elevation, insulation, heat pipes, block stone layers, and passive cooling structures. Yet field observations show that uneven settlement, thaw-induced deformation, cracking, and slope sliding remain widespread, particularly in ice-rich foundations. With permafrost degradation becoming inevitable under climate change, passive preservation alone can no longer ensure long-term safety. Due to these challenges, deeper research into foundation-treatment-oriented design is urgently needed. Researchers from the Research Institute of Highway Ministry of Transport, China, published (DOI: 10.26599/HTRD.2025.9480065) their findings in Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development, analyzing large-scale field monitoring data from the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Gongyu Expressway, and G214/G109 routes. The article, published in September, 2025, systematically reviews historical design evolution, reveals causes of roadbed failures, and introduces a new engineering principle — treating permafrost foundations through coordinated pavement-subgrade-foundation design to improve stability under long-term warming. Field drilling, geophysical surveys, and deformation monitoring show severe wave-like settlement, longitudinal cracking, thaw subsidence, and slope failure across multiple road sections. In high-temperature permafrost zones, the permafrost table has sunk to 7–10 m, forming thick thawed interlayers that retain water, trap heat, and accelerate degradation. Settlement depth correlates strongly with initial ice content — roadbeds over ice-rich frozen soils experience more frequent and deeper subsidence. Traditional “protect-permafrost” strategies rely on elevation, insulation, block-stone structures, heat rods, ventilation pipes, and surface cooling. While effective initially, long-term performance varies due to hydrology, groundwater, and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. The study emphasizes shifting from passive protection to active foundation treatment, including excavation and replacement, drainage improvement, deep reinforcement, and combined structural solutions for ≥3 m thaw-affected foundations. The authors outline future needs: refined geological–hydrological investigation, performance-based evaluation systems, real-time monitoring, and new treatment materials/equipment suitable for high-altitude construction. A collaborative pavement-subgrade-foundation design model is proposed, enhancing resilience under persistent warming trends. “The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is entering a new phase of permafrost degradation,” the author writes. “Highways must no longer rely solely on passive thermal protection. Instead, we should view the foundation as an active engineering object — one that can be re-shaped, reinforced, and improved. Only by treating permafrost foundations directly and developing long-term assessment standards can we manage settlement risks and secure transportation stability for decades to come.” The proposed paradigm shift could benefit major highways, railways, oil/gas pipelines, and other infrastructure crossing fragile permafrost terrain. By integrating monitoring-based foundation reinforcement, drainage control, and thermal-mechanical co-design, engineers may reduce maintenance frequency, prevent road cracking and subsidence, and lower long-term repair costs. The approach also supports climate-resilient development in plateau regions, ensuring safer transport corridors for trade, emergency logistics, and ecological conservation. Continued investment in monitoring systems, materials research, and deep treatment technology will be key to future applications. Funding information This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, No. 2023YFB2604800, the Key Research and Development Program of Xizang, No. XZ202301ZY0038G. About Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development The Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development (English Edition) (HTRD), established in 2006 and sponsored by the Research Institute of Highway, Ministry of Transport, is a quarterly academic journal dedicated to advancing global highway and transportation research. Since 2024, it has been co-published by Tsinghua University Press and operates as an open access journal, with earlier articles (2006–2023) accessible via the ASCE Library. HTRD publishes innovative and practical studies covering civil and transportation engineering, intelligent transport systems, automotive engineering, logistics, environmental engineering, transportation economics, and road construction machinery. Upholding the principles of academic exchange, technological innovation, and international engagement, HTRD aims to become a high-impact journal showcasing scientific discoveries and supporting transportation development worldwide.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Communications in Transportation Research

From Global Open Multi-Source Data to Network-Wide Traffic Flow: A Large-Scale Case Study across Multiple Cities

Network-wide traffic flow, which represents the dynamic traffic volumes on each link of a road network, is fundamental to smart cities. However, the installed sensors are usually insufficient to cover the entire network due to the associated high installation and maintenance costs. Existing studies mainly address this challenge using private datasets from individual cities, which makes their methods typically face a trade-off challenge between accuracy and generality. Developing an open multi-source, cross-city traffic flow estimation framework is essential. To address this, Associate Professor Wei Ma’s team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (including Dr. Zhenjie Zheng and Dr. Zijian Hu), in collaboration with Professor Monica Menendez from New York University, proposes a cross-city traffic flow estimation framework based on Global Open Multi-Source (GOMS) data. The study begins with a systematic literature review, identifying a core contradiction in the field: the trade-off between estimation accuracy and cross-city generalization. To resolve this, the study uncover strong correlations between road traffic flow and open multi-source urban characteristics, specifically: (1) urban building structures (from OpenStreetMap); (2) human activity (population density maps); (3) infrastructure connectivity (road network topology); and (4) dynamic traffic conditions (speed data). By leveraging these correlations, an attention-based graph neural network with novel triple cross-attention and dense connection blocks to effectively fuse and extract the static geographical and demographical information from GOMS maps. Additionally, the observed traffic data are encoded through graph spatial and temporal blocks that embed the spatial-temporal traffic dynamics information. The model is validated using data from 15 heterogeneous cities across Europe and North America. Results demonstrate stable and satisfactory estimation accuracy across these cities. The team published their study (DOI: 10.1016/j.commtr.2025.100222) in Communications in Transportation Research on November 18, 2025. We use three types of map images rather than traditional tabular data to incorporate richer and more comprehensive geographical and demographical information. These map images comprise OpenStreetMap (OSM), sensor distribution map, and population density map, including macro-level static geographical and demographical information such as POI, road topology, building footprints, sensor locations, population density, land cover, and so on. Importantly, these multi-source data are closely related to the traffic flow dynamics, which enables effective flow estimation. Accordingly, we develop an attention-based graph neural network with novel triple cross-attention and dense connection blocks to effectively fuse and extract the static geographical and demographical information from GOMS maps. Additionally, the observed traffic data are encoded through graph spatial and temporal blocks that embed the spatial-temporal traffic dynamics information. Importance of GOMS data To break the trade-off between accuracy and generality, we advocate the use of Global Open Multi-Source (GOMS) data for NTFE. The GOMS data mainly refers to the globally and publicly available geographical and demographical information, including multi-source datasets such as road topology, building footprints, and population density  that contribute to NTFE. Importantly, these GOMS data can significantly enhance the NTFE accuracy, as the network-wide traffic flow data are either the cause or the consequence of the urban activities recorded in the GOMS data. Preliminary research utilizing GOMS data has also shown promising results in estimating land-use patterns and air pollution. In the context of NTFE, the employed GOMS data should meet two requirements: 1) The GOMS data should be widely available in multiple cities and therefore can address the generality issue; 2) The GOMS data should contain sufficient information to contribute to a more accurate NTFE. Advantages of GOMS map images Compared to traditional tabular GOMS data, GOMS map images offer a more effective representation of the NTFE. Specifically, GOMS map images naturally include spatial relationships between different elements in the network (e.g., road topology and bottleneck locations), which are essential for the extraction of rich spatial information in NTFE. In contrast, tabular data often struggles to capture these spatial relationships comprehensively and efficiently. The GOMS maps also contain extensive contextual information, such as geographic features and demographic patterns, that are difficult to express in tabular form. Typically, manual feature engineering is often required to extract the contextual information in tabular data, which can be both time-consuming and prone to human bias. Additionally, GOMS maps allow large amounts of data to be handled more efficiently. This scalability is particularly useful in NTFE, where traffic flow patterns need to be identified over large networks. More importantly, deep learning methods trained on map images tend to show satisfying generalization ability in various urban studies, especially when faced with unseen network conditions. To summarize, these advantages make GOMS maps particularly powerful in NTFE, where the complexity and dynamic nature of flow patterns can be better captured and modeled. Satisfactory estimation accuracy across cities We evaluate the proposed method across 15 cities in Europe and North America. Results show that the average, minimum, and maximum  mean absolute percentage errors among all cities are 23%, 17%, and 27%, respectively. The stable and satisfactory estimation accuracy in multiple cities demonstrates that the trade-off challenge can be successfully addressed using our approach. It is also found that the estimation accuracy is impacted by several underlying factors, such as data quality, sensor coverage, and urban layouts. The above research is published in Communications in Transportation Research (COMMTR), which is a fully open access journal co-published by Tsinghua University Press and Elsevier. COMMTR publishes peer-reviewed high-quality research representing important advances of significance to emerging transport systems. COMMTR is also among the first transportation journals to make the Replication Package mandatory to facilitate researchers, practitioners, and the general public in understanding and advancing existing knowledge. At its discretion, Tsinghua University Press will pay the open access fee for all published papers in 2025.  
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Journal of Advanced Ceramics

Defect-Engineering-Driven Synergistic Modulation of Dual-Phase (Fe₀.₅Mg₀.₅CoNiCuMn)₃O₄@CuO Ceramics for Superior Microwave Absorption

To address the growing problem of electromagnetic pollution, the development of high-performance wave-absorbing materials is critical. High-entropy ferrites demonstrate significant advantages by synergistically regulating dielectric and magnetic losses through their multi-element magnetic ions and disordered cation distributions. However, their performance in single-phase form is limited by the difficulty in achieving an ideal match between electrical conductivity and permittivity. Consequently, constructing multiphase composite structures and implementing precise defect engineering emerge as key strategies. In this work, based on defect-engineering-driven synergistic modulation, composite ceramics of high-entropy ferrite ((Fe₀.₅Mg₀.₅CoNiCuMn)₃O₄) and copper oxide (CuO) are successfully fabricated, achieving the controllable construction of defect gradient. Recently, a team of material scientists led by Lixi Wang from Nanjing Tech University, China first reported the composition, structure, morphology, defect engineering design, microwave absorption properties, mechanism of enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption and thermal transport properties of (Fe₀.₅Mg₀.₅CoNiCuMn)₃O₄)@CuO. This work not only regulated the oxygen vacancy concentration and the degree of lattice distortion, but also achieved excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties. The team published their work (DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2025.9221229) in Journal of Advanced Ceramics on December 10, 2025. “In this report, we synthesized (Fe₀.₅Mg₀.₅CoNiCuMn)₃O₄@CuO composite ceramics with tunable microwave absorption. The lattice distortion and surface oxygen vacancy concentration were positively correlated with absorption performance. The optimized material exhibited a minimum reflection loss of –48 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.9 GHz in the X-band, attributed to the frequency-dependent synergistic effect between dielectric and magnetic loss mechanisms” said Lixi Wang, professor at Nanjing Tech University (China), a senior expert whose research interests focus on the field of wave-absorbing materials and spectral conversion materials. “We find that both lattice distortion and surface oxygen vacancy concentration follow a parabolic trend, first rising and then falling—a pattern mirrored in the reflection loss and absorption bandwidth. This synergy stems from a balanced defect effect: moderate distortion enhances polarization loss by creating metal vacancies and strengthening dipoles, while excessive distortion causes elemental segregation and disrupts conduction. Similarly, optimal oxygen vacancies lower the electron transition barrier and act as polarization centers, boosting dielectric loss; too many, however, overload the lattice, degrading its integrity and loss performance.” said Lixi Wang. “The material developed in this study demonstrates unique comprehensive advantages. Its thermal conductivity of 2.154 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ not only far exceeds that of traditional wave-absorbing fillers but also, through defect engineering and dual-phase regulation, equips it with considerable electromagnetic wave dissipation capability.” said Lixi Wang. However, more refined research efforts are still required to explore the applicability of high-entropy ceramics as wave-absorbing materials. In this regard, Wang further proposed five main future research directions that could be pursued, including: (1) the establishment of multi-scale structure–property relationship models; (2) precise doping and gradient structure design to tailor electromagnetic parameters; (3) integration of multiple loss mechanisms via multiphase/heterointerface engineering; (4) performance optimization under extreme environments such as high temperature and oxidation; and (5) the development of smart or self-healing wave-absorbing materials Other contributors include Xia Feng, Yixiang Lu, Fanqi Meng, Yi Hou, Xiaodong Feng, Haikui Zhu from the Nanjing Tech University, China. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program 12374394；Youth Project 52402362)，Youth Project of Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20230341), Nanjing Overseas Educated Personnel Science and Technology Innovation Program, "Qinglan Project" Young, Middle-aged Academic Leaders Program of Jiangsu Province and Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). About Author Wang Lixi, Professor, specializing in wave-absorbing materials and spectral conversion materials. She was recognized as a "Young and Middle-aged Academic Leader" under the Qinglan Project in 2021, named a Global "Top 1% Highly Cited Author" by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2019, and honored as an Outstanding Expert in the Suqian Dual Hundred Talents Project. She also serves as a Council Member of the Youth Working Committee of the Chinese Materials Research Society and a Council Member of the Jiangsu Society of Composite Materials. Her awards include the Third Prize for Technological Invention (ranked second) from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation and the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress (ranked second) from the Jiangsu Society of Composite Materials. She has led eight national-level projects and two provincial-level projects, published over 100 SCI/CSSCI-indexed papers, and filed more than twenty patent applications.  About Journal of Advanced Ceramics Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2024 IF is 16.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/33, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2024 CiteScore is 25.9 (5/130) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508
Ceramics
Polyoxometalates

Evaluation of antiviral activity of organic–polyoxometalate hybrids based on berberine against encephalomyocarditis virus in vitro

The clinical application of POM drugs is limited by their poor stability, nonspecific accumulation, and inevitable side effects on normal tissues. Recently, organic or biological groups were designed and linked covalently or non-covalently with POMs to regulate the biological performance of molecules and introduce another bioactivity into POMs. Berberine (BR), a natural isoquinoline alkaloid from Coptis Chinensis herb, is frequently used as a treatment for bacterial diarrhea in clinical practice. Modern studies have found that BR not only possesses antibacterial and antiviral activities but also synergistic effects and enhanced efficacy when it is used in combination with other drugs. However, no clear research results or literature have reported the specific effects of POM, BR, or their combination on EMCV. In our previous study, we synthesized BR-POMs and investigated their structures, aggregate morphologies, and antibacterial activities. In the present study, the organic–POM hybrids BR4[SiW12O40] (BR-SiW), BR3[PMo12O40] (BR-PMo), BR4K[EuSiW11O40]∙2H2O (BR-EuSiW), and BR6Na3[EuW10O36] (BR-EuW) were fabricated using POMs and BR. The thermogravimetric results indicated that the hybrids had higher thermal stability than BR. The four synthesized BR-POMs exhibited distinct antiviral effects. According to the MTT results, all four hybrids inhibited EMCV and PRV, with a stronger effect on EMCV. Among the hybrids, BR-EuSiW was further screened for its antiviral ability. The time-of-addition assay results demonstrate that the antiviral ability of BR-EuSiW is dose-dependent and may act on the virus at its biosynthesis stage to inhibit virus proliferation. These experimental data are helpful for the development of POM-based antiviral drugs against EMCV and demonstrate that the addition of traditional Chinese medicine monomer molecules can reduce the toxicity of POMs to BHK-21. Research on organic–POM hybrids remains scarce, and their clinical applications are even more unexplored. This new approach could open avenues for combining organic and inorganic antivirals, leveraging their synergistic potential to develop next-generation antiviral therapies. This work promotes the development of POM-based drugs for clinical application by controlling the organic cations on the surface of organic–POM hybrids, ultimately yielding new POM drugs with high efficiency and low toxicity. This work was supported by Open Funds of the Biomedical Research Center from Northwest Minzu University (No. BRC-KF202303), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 31920240105), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32260037).   About the Authors Dr. Chunxia Tan is an associate professor in Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, China. His research interests focus on the structural modification of natural products and their biological activities, as well as the preparation, characterization and antiviral research of organic-polyoxometalate complexes. Until now, he has published more than 20 papers in Acta Mater and other journals, presided over 5 provincial scientific research projects. About the Journal Polyoxometalates (ISSN 2957-9821) is a peer-reviewed (single-blind), open-access and interdisciplinary journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University. It publishes high-quality original research and authoritative reviews that focus on cutting-edge advancements in polyoxometalates, and clusters of metals, metal oxides and chalcogenides. Expeditious peer review enabling timely publication is a key feature of Polyoxometalates. It is indexed by ESCI, Scopus (CiteScore 2024 = 14.7), Ei Compendex, CAS, and DOAJ. For details about Polyoxometalates, please visit: https://www.sciopen.com/journal/2957-9821.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Nano Research

Addressing interfacial challenges in lithium metal batteries: A multi-pronged approach with 2-FBSA

As the most widely used energy storage device, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with graphite as the negative electrode have already approached the theoretical limit of energy density, which cannot provide enough energy density required in electric vehicles in the pursuit of high driving range. Li metal, with an ultrahigh theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g−1) and the lowest redox potential (−3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode), is regarded as the “holy grail”of the next-generation negative electrode material. As well known, the commercial electrolyte formulae with LiPF6 as solute and organic carbonate as solvent have been widely used in the battery industry for several decades. However, carbonate solvents are tend to decompose on the surface of highly reductive Li metal anode and form loose solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) rich in organic Li salts. This phenomenon induces Li dendrite growth and the continuous electrolyte decomposition, greatly limiting the practical application of Li metal batteries The team published their research (DOI: 10.26599/NR.2025.94907751) in Nano Research on November 28, 2025. The authors report an additive 2-fluorobenzenesulfonamide (2-FBSA), which possesses three major functional groups that can regulate both electrode interfaces effectively. Comprehensive characterization analyses reveal that the solvation clusters formed by 2-FBSA molecules exhibit a lower de-solvation energy barrier, thereby accelerating Li+ transport kinetics. Further comprehensive characterization analyses are carried out to study the working mechanism of 2-FBSA additive. Furthermore, the introduction of 2-FBSA enhances the solvation degree of ions and free solvent molecules, and the newly formed solvation clusters were more inclined to adsorb on the Li electrode surface, preferentially participating in the further interface construction. Thus, the C-F, amino, and sulfonyl functional groups existing in 2-FBSA will be decomposed preferentially to form SEI rich in F, N, and S inorganic Li salts on the electrode surface. As excellent Li+ conductors and electronic insulators, these inorganic Li salts can homogenize the transport behavior of Li+. At the same time, the high Young’ s modulus of inorganic Li salts enables them to resist stress changes caused by volume expansion during electrode cycling. This effectively alleviates both interfacial side reactions and uncontrollable Li dendrite growth affecting the Li metal anode, thereby improving the mechanical and electrochemical performance of the SEI and ensuring stable battery cycling. In addition, ROSO2Li is produced on positive particles owing to the decomposition of sulfonyl group, which has been proven to be a good passivation component, and effective in maintaining the stability of the positive electrode interface. Therefore, with assistance of optimal dosage additive, Li-Li symmetric batteries prolong the lifetime (2400 h) at 0.5 mA cm-2, more than twice that of additive free cells. And the assembled Li-LiFePO4 full cells have also been tested, demonstrating outstanding capacity retention (72%) after 400 cycles at 1 C, significantly higher than that without additive participation. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22279070 (L. W.) and U21A20170 (X. H.)), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2019YFA0705703 (L. W.)), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. L242005 (X. H.)) and the “Explorer 100” cluster system of Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology. About Nano Research Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Carbon Future

Toward circular nitrogen: Electrochemical ammonia recovery using redox-active materials

Ammonia is an essential chemical commodity for modern agriculture as a fertilizer. It can also be a precursor to oxidized nitrogen compounds, such as nitric acid, which are easily lost in the environment. Meanwhile, ammonia-rich waste streams, such as manure wastewater, are often discharged into farms and cause serious environmental problems, including eutrophication and biodiversity loss. Recovering ammonia from waste streams should provide a sustainable way to close the nitrogen cycle. Redox-active materials, often solid-state compounds capable of reversible storage of ions and electrons, can selectively uptake ammonium ions in practical waste streams. Dr. Rui Wang from Northwestern University summarizes recent progress (DOI: 10.26599/CF.2025.9200057) in electrochemical ammonia recovery using redox-active materials in Carbon Future on November 20, 2025. The review highlights two strategies: (1) electrochemical cycles, where renewable electricity drives the uptake and release of ammonium through redox reactions in Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) and related materials; and (2) electrochemical–chemical cycles, in which organic matter in wastewater spontaneously donates electrons to drive ammonium capture, while electrochemical regeneration simultaneously produces value-added chemicals such as hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide. In particular, the electrochemical–chemical cycle enables efficient nutrient recovery and chemical co-production. For example, in manure wastewater, redox-active materials based on PBAs achieved 84% ammonia recovery and 56% COD removal, with hydrogen peroxide at over 90% Faradaic efficiency. A techno-economic analysis estimated potential annual profits of up to US$200,000 for a 1,000-cow dairy farm, reducing ammonia emissions by 70%. “Redox-active materials open a new avenue for coupling nitrogen recovery with clean chemical synthesis,” said Dr. Rui Wang, the author of the study. “By investigating electrochemical-chemical pathway, we can simultaneously mitigate pollution and generate valuable products.” The study also outlines challenges for scaling up, including optimizing ion selectivity, improving material stability, and transitioning from batch to continuous-flow operation. Achieving high-rate recovery with practical energy efficiency will be key for real-world deployment. “We envision future systems where nutrient recovery, clean energy generation, and wastewater treatment converge through smart electrochemical design,” added Dr. Wang. This review provides a roadmap for integrating redox-active materials into sustainable ammonia recovery technologies and contributes to a circular nitrogen economy. About Carbon Future Carbon Future is an open access, peer-reviewed, and international interdisciplinary journal sponsored by Tsinghua University and published by Tsinghua University Press. It serves as a platform for researchers, scientists, and industry professionals to share their findings and insights on carbon-related materials and processes, including catalysis, energy storage and conversion, as well as low carbon emission process and engineering. It features cutting-edge research articles, insightful reviews, perspectives, highlights, and news and views in the field of carbon. The article publishing charge is covered by the Tsinghua University Press. Carbon Future aims at being a leading journal in related fields.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Communications in Transportation Research

Can we reconstruct accurate travel trajectories from sparse and noisy GPS data?

To address this challenge, researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Donghai Laboratory developed a new model called ProChunkFormer, which reconstructs vehicle trajectories from sparse and noisy GPS data, enabling more accurate mobility analysis and intelligent transportation planning.       They published their study (DOI: 10.1016/j.commtr.2025.100200) in August 2025, in Communications in Transportation Research. When GPS data is collected at long intervals or suffers from signal dropouts, large gaps emerge in the recorded vehicle trajectory. These gaps make it challenging to reconstruct the true path of travel, especially in dense urban road networks with many alternatives. ProChunkFormer was designed to address this problem by breaking down the reconstruction task into smaller, more manageable steps — progressively refining the predicted trajectory from a coarse outline to detailed local paths. Progressive decoding improves long-interval trajectory reconstruction In the study, the research team designed a two-stage process to recover complete travel trajectories from GPS data sampled as infrequently as once every four minutes. First, a “skeleton trajectory” is generated to provide a coarse outline of the trip. Then, missing segments between anchor points are reconstructed in parallel using a fine-grained decoder. Unlike prior models that suffer from cumulative errors and require full sequence processing, ProChunkFormer handles long trajectories efficiently by decomposing them into manageable chunks. “Traditional models either interpolate sparsely or struggle with long-distance reconstruction, especially when signal loss occurs in tunnels or high-rise areas,” says Dr. Yonghui Liu, a researcher at KAIST and first author of the paper. “Our approach mimics how humans might infer a trip from key locations — first outlining the major path, then filling in the details — and this progressive structure proves highly effective.” Trajectory gaps bridged even under severe sparsity The study also revealed how ProChunkFormer handles real-world data sparsity with improved robustness. For example, when tested on GPS traces with sampling intervals of up to 240 seconds — a level at which most methods fail — the model continued to generate accurate and continuous trajectories aligned with actual road networks. This capability is particularly valuable for data collected from battery-limited sensors or privacy-constrained services, where data completeness cannot be guaranteed. “Many public datasets or commercial services only offer limited trajectory points due to privacy or power-saving needs,” explains Li Qian, a researcher at Donghai Laboratory and co-author of the study. “With ProChunkFormer, even a handful of points can be turned into a coherent, road-consistent trajectory.” From sparse data to smart decisions Accurately reconstructed trajectories open new doors in urban mobility analytics. ProChunkFormer enables more reliable travel time estimation, traffic demand prediction, and even mode detection from incomplete GPS logs. This enhances the utility of existing mobility datasets and reduces the reliance on expensive high-frequency tracking. The authors suggest that the model has the potential to support real-time applications in navigation and traffic control systems by recovering lost paths on the fly, offering resilience to GPS dropout in tunnels, urban canyons, or data-poor regions. The above research is published in Communications in Transportation Research (COMMTR), which is a fully open access journal co-published by Tsinghua University Press and Elsevier. COMMTR publishes peer-reviewed high-quality research representing important advances of significance to emerging transport systems. COMMTR is also among the first transportation journals to make the Replication Package mandatory to facilitate researchers, practitioners, and the general public in understanding and advancing existing knowledge. At its discretion, Tsinghua University Press will pay the open access fee for all published papers in 2025.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
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