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The role of Leflunomide in αPD1-induced cardiotoxicity remains unclear. Here, the authors show that leflunomide mitigates αPD1-induced cardiac toxicity in melanoma-bearing mice through modulation of the microbiota-indole-3-propionic acid-heart axis.

The production of higher alcohols is very valuable because of their high volumetric energy density. Now, Sargent, Sinton and co-workers report the design of copper nanoparticles with tailored nanocavities that promote n-propanol formation by the coupling of C2 and C1 intermediates inside the cavity.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with high metal loading are highly desired to improve catalytic performance. Here, the authors report a dual protection strategy by nanocasting SiO₂ into metal–organic frameworks to prepare high-loading SACs with excellent catalytic performance toward oxygen reduction.

It is desirable yet challenging to develop sustainable structural materials to replace petroleum-based plastics. Here, the authors report a facile assembly method for manufacturing high-performance structural materials with a unique combination of high strength, toughness and stiffness.

The electro-oxidative synthesis of valued chemicals offers to enhance the overall efficiency and economic viability of renewable electrosynthesis systems. Here, the authors use dopant-tuned catalysts to promote the electrosynthesis of dimethyl carbonate from CO and methanol via oxidative carbonylation.

Electronic components made from two-dimensional MoTe₂ can be chemically synthesized and integrated in a single step, creating devices in which each component in the active layer is connected via covalent bonds.

Natural materials with highly oriented and heterogeneous structures often have favorable materials properties, but such structures are challenging to replicate in artificial materials. Here, the authors report the development of hierarchically aligned heterogeneous hydrogels with toughness and strength.

Developing highly active and stable anode catalysts for green hydrogen production is crucial but challenging. Here, the authors report a Cr0.2Ru0.8O2-x catalyst with an unconventional dopant-mediated hydroxyl spillover mechanism for high-efficiency proton exchange membrane water electrolysis.

The formation mechanisms for periodic heterostructures are still poorly understood. Here, the authors propose a versatile approach to synthesize one-dimensional segmented heterostructures and reveal a stress-induced ordering mechanism through phase-field simulations.

For bioinspired structural materials, integral preparation of multiscale structures remains challenging. The authors report a hierarchical strategy to assemble multiple micro-nano units to complex multiscale structures integrally synchronously.

To understand and control the toughening by tortuous cracks in heterogeneous materials, a distorted crack-front geometric toughening mechanism is presented here by manipulating bioinspired heterogeneity.

The burden of mosaic chromosomal alterations in blood-derived DNA, a type of clonal hematopoiesis, is associated with an increased risk for diverse types of infections, including sepsis and pneumonia.

Soft actuators have potential in a range of applications, but achieving the required properties can be challenging. Here, the authors report a hierarchical design to give fast response and anisotropic actuation in response to multiple stimuli.

The lack of efficient and cost-effective catalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) hampers the application of hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, authors reported bimetallic MoNi₄ and WNi₄ nanoalloys with marked HOR activity in alkali, among which MoNi4 outperforms the Pt/C catalyst.

Defect-engineering offers a promising route to vary material properties and reactivities, although the achievable defect types are limited. Here, the authors introduced unusual CN-vacancies in Prussian blue analogue pre-catalysts that can limit Fe leaching and improve oxygen evolution performances.

Sensitive, biocompatible and stable contrast agents for MRI are in demand. Here, the authors combine gadolinium ions with amorphous calcium carbonate to make stable paramagnetic amorphous carbonate nanoclusters with high MRI contrast and significantly improved biocompatibility over commercial gadolinium-based agents.

Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells operating in alkaline electrolyte are more cost-effective than their proton exchange membrane counterparts, but their performance is still considerably lower. Now, a Ni–Mo–Nb metallic glass is put forward as a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst with high activity and stability in alkaline electrolyte.

Highly conductive and stretchable conductors from bacterial cellulose (BC) can be fabricated through a simple and inexpensive method using bacterial cellulose pellicles as starting materials, which can be produced in large amounts on an industrial scale via a microbial fermentation process. The prepared pyrolyzed BC/polydimethylsiloxane composites exhibit highly stable electric conductivity even under high stretching and bending strain.

Achieving rapid, robust, and universal hydrogel adhesion poses challenges for nanoparticle-based glues. Here, the authors present nanohesives that can adhere to diverse surfaces without pre-treatment based on hydrogel mechanics design and interface chemistry modification.

Low-density compressible materials often suffer from fatigue-induced failure or limited elasticity. Here, the authors create a hierarchical multi-arch carbon material that achieves high compressibility, superior elasticity and fatigue resistance simultaneously, inspired by properties of arches in daily life.

Artificial materials that replicate the mechanical properties of nacre represent important structural materials, but are difficult to produce in bulk. Here, the authors exploit the bottom-up assembly of 2D nacre-mimetic films to fabricate 3D bulk artificial nacre with an optimized architecture and excellent mechanical properties.

DNA damage induces checkpoints to ensure that damage is not transferred to the next generation, but the molecular pathways responsible for checkpoint recovery are not clear. Here the authors show that the nutrient sensor mTORC1 is a determinant for G2/M checkpoint recovery through regulation of cyclin B1 and PLK1 expression.

Smart windows offer more efficient sunlight modulation and heat management. Here, the authors propose a co-assembly strategy to produce smart windows that combine electrochromic and thermochromic functions with tunable components and ordered structures for dynamic solar radiation regulation.

Designing high performing low-cost nanomaterials for catalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains challenging. Here, the authors report a volcano-shape correlation between HER activity and cobalt atomic configuration in single-atom doped CoSe2-DETA (DETA = diethylenetriamine) nanobelts toward achieving high performance.

While polytypic semiconductors are promising for solar-to-fuel applications, preparing homojunction nanomaterials has proven challenging. Here, authors obtain a library of polytypic copper-based quaternary sulfide nanocrystals by selective epitaxial growth of kesterite phase on wurtzite structure.

Noble-metal-free catalysts often show stability issues in acidic media due to structural degradation. Here authors show that phase-mixed engineering of cobalt diselenide electrocatalysts can enable greater covalency of Co-Se bonds and improve robustness for catalyzing hydrogen evolution in acid.

Lithium metal is the anode of choice for the next-generation high energy density batteries. To address the key technological challenges, the authors report a hybrid Li anode design with hierarchical pores structure derived from natural diatomite and improved electrochemical performance in all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Biomimetic assembly of nanosheets into nacre-like structures and films is of interest for a range of applications; the abundance of mica makes it a good candidate. Here, the authors report on the large-scale exfoliation of ground mica into nanosheets and the assembly into polymeric mica films.

Developing highly elastic and conductive hydrogels is challenging, especially for use in harsh environments including organic solvents and extreme temperatures. Now, a self-assembly and in situ polymerization method is reported for the fabrication of highly compressible and environmentally adaptive conductive hydrogels with concrete-type constituents and high-tortuosity interconnected cellular architectures.

There is substantial research into new catalysts for electroreduction of water. Here, the authors report a robust and active molybdenum disulfide/cobalt diselenide hydrogen evolution catalyst with onset potential of 11 mV and Tafel slope of 36 mV per decade, approaching the activity of platinum.

The solar conversion efficiencies of photoelectrochemical catalysis are hindered by the light harvesting range. Here, the authors use near-infrared-active photoanodes that feature lattice-matched morphological hetero-nanostructures to realize efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.

Quaternary sulfides are important candidates for solar-to-H₂ conversion due to tunable bandgaps for controllable light absorption. Here, authors prepare single crystalline wurtzite Cu-Zn-In-S and Cu-Zn-Ga-S nanobelts with (0001) facets that show strong photocatalytic H₂ production performances.

Self-healing property is important for supercapacitors when powering the electronics, but designing devices that possess a universal healing mechanism remains challenging. Here, the authors achieve an optically, electrically, and magnetically-responsive self-healing device with integrated configuration.

A new type of non-noble-metal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst based on ultrafine Mo₂C nanoparticles embedded within 3D N-doped carbon nanofiber networks was fabricated by using a cheap, green, 3D nanostructured biomass (bacterial cellulose) as precursor. It exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic HER performance from pH 0 to pH 14.

The precise control over nanoscale structures is crucial in developing new, functional nanomaterials. Here, authors demonstrate a controllable method to epitaxially stack CdS quantum dots into ZnS nanowires and show improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities.

The conversion of carbon dioxide into multi-carbon alcohols would enable the synthesis of sustainable liquid fuels with high energy densities. Now, vacancy-engineered core–shell copper-based catalysts are able to shift the selectivity of electrochemical CO₂ reduction into alcohols instead of alkenes, as obtained with bare-copper catalysts.

The development of artificial muscle-like actuators is often hampered by the lack of general fabrication routes towards anisotropic responsive materials. Here, the authors fabricate anisotropic hydrogels by an in-situ polymerization strategy of a lamellar network, crosslinked by metal nanostructure assemblies.

Transition metal dichalcogenides represent an exciting class of earth-abundant hydrogen-from-water electrocatalysts, although low efficiencies limit commercialization. Here, authors present a doping strategy to induce a phase transition in cobalt selenide and boost H₂-evolution performance.

Stretchable conductors are important for further developments in the electronics industry, but improving the deformability when maintaining the high-level conductivity is still challenging. Here the authors demonstrate a ternary self-healing silver nanowire/polymer network as high-performance stretchable conductor.

High-speed absorption of vicious crude oil spill into oil sorbent was realized by introducing the Joule heating effect of graphene to the interface between the skeleton surfaces of sorbent and oil.

A double-buffer-layer engineering strategy enables the selective growth of magnetic materials at specific locations on a wide variety of semiconducting nanorods.