Jing Zhang

The dynamic patterning of light-activated photoresponsive interfaces by DNA-modified particulate systems consisting of particles, liposomes or cells acting as rolling motor patterning agents, are demonstrated. Photolithography and scanning laser confocal microscopy are used to dictate the patterning cues. Directional patterning dictated by the cues or by coupled DNA responsive rolling motor units are demonstrated.

Abstract

Patterning of photoresponsive RNA/DNA monolayer interfaces by DNA-modified rolling motor particles consisting of SiO₂ particles, liposomes and cells is described. The DNA/RNA interface is composed of o-nitrobenzyl phosphate caged RNA hairpin/DNA monolayer. Photochemical uncaging of the interfaces (λ = 365 nm) activates the interface toward binding of the DNA-modified particle frameworks, and in the presence of RNase H stimulates the patterning of the interface by the rolling motor particles. While photoactivation of the entire interface leads to random patterning by rolling motors, photolithographic or/and localized laser confocal microscopy of the surface leads to directional patterning of the photoactivated confined interface domains by the DNA-modified rolling motor frameworks. Moreover, dictated DNA-bridged rolling motor particle assemblies lead to dictated linear patterns that are disrupted into random patterning paths by auxiliary triggered separation of the particle dimers. Furthermore, a method to transform cells into rolling motor patterning frameworks by integration of DNA tetrahedra into the cell membrane is introduced.

Nature, Published online: 27 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02011-0

Several groups hope to develop artificial-intelligence models that can predict how cells behave.

It is demonstrated that aligned extracellular matrix (ECM) topography in the tumor microenvironment induces neuroblastoma cells to acquire mesenchymal features closely associated with therapy resistance and metastatic potential, using biomimetic substrates that mimic ECM topography. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism is elucidated, identifying the ROCK–YAP–EZH2 signaling axis as a key driver of the phenotypic transition linked to poor clinical outcomes.

Abstract

Neuroblastoma (NB), the most common extracranial solid tumor in children, exhibits intra-tumoral heterogeneity with two interconvertible identities: adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES). Compared to ADRN cells, MES cells exhibit phenotypes associated with metastasis and therapy resistance. Thus, the transition from ADRN to MES may contribute to poor clinical outcomes, necessitating further investigation into this ADRN-to-MES transition (AMT) to improve clinical responses. The extracellular matrix (ECM), a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), provides structural support and delivers mechanical signals that influence oncogenic processes. This research demonstrates that high-risk NB tumors contain more topographically aligned ECM fibers than low-risk NB tumors. Using nano-fabricated biomaterials designed to mimic the aligned ECM, ECM topography is revealed to drive AMT through transcriptional and epigenetic changes, accompanied by enhanced MES phenotypic features. Furthermore, ECM topography is shown to stimulate Rho-associated kinase and YAP signaling pathways, which mediate ECM-driven reprogramming. These findings introduce ECM-driven AMT as a novel mechanism in NB progression and provide insights into TME-targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at suppressing MES cells to improve clinical outcomes in NB.

With the growing demand for cell-based therapies, efficient cellular engineering is crucial. This review calls for greater recognition of mechanobiology principles applied through advanced biomaterial designs, mechanical confinement, and highlights recent advances using micro/nanotechnologies to enhance cell manufacturing. Challenges and opportunities are also discussed to encourage further innovation in advanced cell engineering.

Abstract

The rise of cell-based therapies, regenerative medicine, and synthetic biology, has created an urgent need for efficient cell engineering, which involves the manipulation of cells for specific purposes. This demand is driven by breakthroughs in cell manufacturing, from fundamental research to clinical therapies. These innovations have come with a deeper understanding of developmental biology, continued optimization of mechanobiological processes and platforms, and the deployment of advanced biotechnological approaches. Induced pluripotent stem cells and immunotherapies like chimeric antigen receptor T cells enable personalized, scalable treatments for regenerative medicine and diseases beyond oncology. But continued development of cell manufacturing and its concomitant clinical advances is hindered by limitations in the production, efficiency, safety, regulation, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of current manufacturing routes. Here, recent developments are examined in cell engineering, with particular emphasis on mechanical aspects, including biomaterial design, the use of mechanical confinement, and the application of micro- and nanotechnologies in the efficient production of enhanced cells. Emerging approaches are described along each of these avenues based on state-of-the-art fundamental mechanobiology. It is called on the field to consider mechanical cues, often overlooked in cell manufacturing, as key tools to augment or, at times, even to replace the use of traditional soluble factors.

A pre-coordination strategy is proposed to design SACs with tunable local coordination environments on 2D honeycomb-like carbon nanofoams. By pre-coordinating the metal precursor with customized functional groups on a layered Mg(OH)₂ template through strong d-p orbital hybridization, a series of SACs featuring Co─N₄ (Co₁/NC), Co─C₄ (Co₁/CC), and Co─C₂S₂ (Co₁/CSC) configurations are fabricated.

Abstract

Coordination structure engineering represents a promising approach for optimizing the catalytic properties of single-atom catalysts (SACs). However, the precise tailoring of single-atom sites remains challenging. Herein, a pre-coordination strategy is proposed to design SACs with tunable local coordination environments on 2D honeycomb-like carbon nanofoams. By pre-coordinating the metal precursor with customized functional groups on a layered Mg(OH)₂ template through strong d-p orbital hybridization, SACs featuring Co─N₄ (Co₁/NC), Co─C₄ (Co₁/CC), and Co─C₂S₂ (Co₁/CSC) configurations are fabricated. The lamellar honeycomb-like architecture facilitates active site exposure, reactant enrichment, and mass transfer during the reaction process. Consequently, the Co₁/NC catalyst, despite its extremely low Co loading of 0.12 wt.%, demonstrates exceptional catalytic activity and stability for nitroaromatics reduction, achieving an impressive overall turnover frequency (TOF) of 73668 h⁻¹ for the conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-nitroaniline, surpassing most reported catalysts. Theoretical calculations indicate the Co─N₄ configuration possesses moderate Fermi electronic states compared to Co─C₄ and Co─C₂S₂, significantly promoting the formation and utilization of reactive H^* species and accelerating the reaction kinetics for aromatic nitroreduction. This work establishes a novel avenue for the meticulous manipulation of coordination structures in SACs, paving the way for the advancement of sophisticated catalytic materials for chemical transformations.

Surface-attached multilayer micromagnet systems are fabricated by two-photon crosslinking. The pillar-shaped micro actuators consist of a soft and flexible surface-attached cell-repellent hydrogel layer at the bottom, acting as a hinge and a cell-adhesive hydrophobic polymer filled with magnetic nanoparticles. The use of such systems to perform single-cell actuation is described.

Abstract

Mechanical forces play a crucial role in many biological processes, including cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. The generation of surface-attached multilayer micromagnet systems fabricated by two-photon lithography and the use of such systems to perform single-cell actuation are presented. The actuators are generated by two-photon crosslinking and consist of a soft and flexible surface-attached hydrogel layer swollen in aqueous medium and a hydrophobic polymer filled with magnetic nanoparticles. To this, thin copolymer bilayers containing a photoreactive crosslinking moiety are deposited on a solid substrate. The crosslinker units are activated by two-photon excitation and react via a C,H insertion reaction with any nearby aliphatic C,H bonds. This leads to crosslinking and surface-attachment of the forming structures so that arrays of micromagnetic pillars with spatially controlled cell adhesion behavior are formed in a single step. Cells are placed on the pillars and actuation is induced by an external magnetic field allowing for highly controllable dynamic and static actuation. Geometric differences can be used to vary cell morphogenesis and movement of the actuators to stretch the cells resulting in highly customizable actuator systems for specific cell growth and actuation control and the study of cell behavior on the molecular level.

An aqueous phase synthesis method is developed for the first time to synthesize inorganic 2D lanthanide halide scintillator, Cs₂TbCl₅·6H₂O, utilizing pure water as the sole solvent. This crystal exhibits reversible recrystallization upon moisture absorption. Through in situ recrystallization, scintillator films are successfully fabricated with exceptional performance, highlighting the significant potential of 2D lanthanide halide scintillators for advanced radiation imaging applications.

Abstract

Inorganic metal halides have shown great promise for optoelectronic applications; however, their irreversible hydrolytic degradation compromises optoelectronic performance, hindering practical applications. Herein, for the first time a novel inorganic 2D lanthanide halide structure is reported, Cs₂TbCl₅·6H₂O, with narrow-band green emission. In Cs₂TbCl₅·6H₂O, H₂O molecules stabilize the structure by forming [TbCl₂·6H₂O]⁺ dodecahedral units, rather than coordinating to [TbCl₆]³⁻ octahedral units. Under excitation, a halogen-to-lanthanide ion charge-transfer process occurs within the [TbCl₂·6H₂O]⁺ groups, resulting in emission. Bi³⁺-doping notably enhances the material's overall absorption. Through efficient energy transfer, the characteristic emission of Tb³⁺ is clearly observed. The resultant 2D material exhibits remarkable recoverability, with its structure and optical properties fully restored upon water-mediated recrystallization. It has a narrow emission peak and high photoluminescence quantum yield of 82.92%. Radioluminescence studies reveal a high steady-state X-ray relative light yield of 58 000 ± 2000 photons/MeV. The scintillator film, fabricated by in situ recrystallization of this 2D crystal within the polymer solution, achieves a high spatial resolution of 19.69 lp mm⁻¹. This research not only develops a new strategy for the synthesis of novel 2D lanthanide metal halides with exceptional stability and optical properties, but also demonstrates their promising application in high-resolution X-ray imaging.

Intracellular delivery plays a critical role in gene editing, immunotherapy, and cell-based diagnostics. This review presents a comprehensive overview of microfluidic chip-enabled physical intracellular delivery strategies, systematically categorized based on microchannel structure and integration with external physical fields. Key mechanisms, material considerations, existing challenges, and future directions for the development of next-generation microfluidic delivery platforms are also discussed.

Abstract

Intracellular delivery of biomolecules is now a pivotal strategy across various fields, including intracellular biomarker detection and cellular immunotherapies. Effective delivery of exogenous biomolecules into cells is essential for advancing precision medicine, enhancing cell-based therapies, and exploring complex biological processes. Methods for biomolecule delivery are classified as carrier-based or membrane disruption-based. In contrast to the limitations of carrier-based intracellular delivery, which is constrained by the specific cell type, and the cell damage associated with intracellular delivery based on chemical membrane disruption, physical membrane disruption approaches emerge as a promising alternative. Traditional physical membrane disruption approaches, such as microneedles and electroporation, are commonly utilized. However, it is difficult to balance cell damage and delivery efficiency. Strikingly, the emergent microfluidic chip offers precise control and high throughput, showing great promise in addressing these challenges. This review systematically examines microfluidic chip-based physical intracellular delivery methods, emphasizing mechanisms, specific approaches, applications, advantages, and limitations. The prospects of next-generation strategies are also discussed.

Strong light-matter interaction in the type-II Dirac semimetal NiTe₂ is demonstrated through the spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) technique for the three distinct wavelengths of laser light. Large nonlinear susceptibility (≈10⁻⁷ esu) due to light-matter interaction is achieved in NiTe₂ for the red, green, and violet lasers. All-optical logic diode and switching are also realized utilizing the SSPM of NiTe₂ along with V₂O₅ and CeO₂.

Abstract

The tilted Dirac cones in the type-II Dirac semimetal NiTe₂ enhance charge transport efficiency, leading to strong optical absorption and a significant nonlinear optical response. This pronounced nonlinear optical behavior in NiTe2 is confirmed by the large nonlinear susceptibility (≈10⁻⁷ esu) observed herein for red, green, and violet lasers. Furthermore, the theoretically calculated value of χ⁽³⁾ using semi-empirical Miller's rule predicted its value≈1.12 × 10⁻⁷ esu, tallying well with the experimentally observed results. These findings suggest that NiTe₂ exhibits a nonlinear optical response comparable to that of graphene. The large χ⁽³⁾ value is attributed to laser-induced carrier coherence, facilitated by the high Dirac carrier mobility. The formation of diffraction rings is explained using the Wind-Chime model, with measured ring formation times of 0.64, 0.32, and 0.64 s for red (672 nm), green (532 nm), and violet (405 nm) lasers, respectively. The Wind-Chime model is further validated using solvents with varying viscosity and polarity (polar and nonpolar), showing strong agreement with the experimental results. Additionally, an optical diode based on NiTe₂ combined with V₂O₅ and CeO₂ is demonstrated, along with an all-optical OR logic gate, highlighting NiTe₂ as a promising candidate for photonic device applications.

In the dimer-like structure EuAl₂O₄ system, Sr²⁺ doping induces a rebalancing between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions via the effect of localized magnetic moments, leading to a suppression of the magnetic ordering temperature from 0.9 to 0.73 K, and enabling a significantly enhanced magnetic entropy change at lower temperatures.

Abstract

In the realm of rare-earth-based magnetic refrigeration materials, the precise tuning of magnetic exchange interactions among rare-earth ions is the key challenge to achieve large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) over a wide temperature range in the sub-Kelvin region (< 1 K) under low magnetic fields. Here, this work demonstrates that modulating the magnetic interactions within a system exhibiting coexisting antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions represents an ideal strategy. EuAl₂O₄ features a unique dimer-like structure, wherein every four Eu²⁺ ions form a monomer. Within each monomer, the Eu²⁺ ions are ferromagnetically coupled, whereas antiferromagnetic coupling exists between the monomer. This weak coexisting interaction facilitates a significant MCE under low fields: the magnetic ordering temperature (T _ord) is 0.9 K, and a maximum magnetic entropy change is 28.2 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 10 kOe, representing one of the best magnetic refrigerants reported with T _ord < 1.5 K. Furthermore, by substituting Eu²⁺ ions with non-magnetic Sr²⁺ ions, the local magnetic moment effect promotes a rebalancing of the magnetic exchange interactions, thereby further reducing the T _ord to 0.73 K and achieving an extended wide temperature range with a large MCE under low fields. This provides a new strategy for breaking the performance bottleneck of ultra-low temperature magnetic refrigeration materials.

This study reports a conceptual strategy to realize the ultra-sensitive low-temperature thermoresponsive upconversion by interfacial energy transfer in the lanthanides separately doped core-shell nanostructure. The design of non-thermally coupled emissions results in a highly sensitive thermochromic red-to-green color change and achieves the relative sensitivity up to 15.1% K⁻¹ at 50 K, showing great potential for real-time visual nanothermometry and other thermoresponsive devices.

Abstract

Nanothermometry with high resolution and sensitivity shows significant potential for both fundamental research and frontier applications. However, achieving real-time high-sensitivity temperature sensing in low-temperature regions at the single nanoparticle level has remained challenging. Here a conceptual strategy is reported to realize the ultra-sensitive low-temperature thermoresponsive upconversion by interfacial energy transfer in a core-shell nanostructure. The nanoscale spatial separation of the sensitizer Yb³⁺ and activator Ho³⁺ contributes to a remarkable enhancement of the upconversion by suppressing back energy transfer channels in addition to a temporal control of upconversion dynamics. Moreover, the design of non-thermally coupled upconverting system results in highly sensitive thermochromic upconversion emissions with a contrast red-to-green color change and the relative sensitivity is raised up to 15.1% K⁻¹ at 50 K. Furthermore, the sensing limit can be extend above room temperature to 443 K by incorporating another temperature-responsive Yb³⁺/Tm³⁺ layer through a multi-layer core-shell architecture design. These findings gain a deep insight into the thermoresponsive upconversion in nanoparticles but also provide a new way for the development of ultrasensitive real-time visual nanothermometry and other thermoresponsive devices.

Utilizing net charges of NPs in nonpolar solvent, dielectrophoretic attraction and Coulombic modulation are combined to achieve distinct particle densities at oppositely charged surfaces. This selective assembly enables efficient submicron-scale separation of NP mixtures and forms complex binary NP patterns in one step, offering a powerful and direct route for assembling and integrating multiple NPs into advanced multifunctional nanodevices.

Abstract

Precise nanofabrication of diverse nanoparticles (NPs) with high spatial resolution is crucial for developing advanced nanodevices. While various bottom-up approaches have been developed, limitations such as complex overlay steps, contamination risks, and low spatial resolution still exist. Here, an approach is presented for sub-micron spatial resolution nanopatterning of binary NPs. By utilizing net charges of NPs dispersed in nonpolar solvent, dielectrophoretic attraction and sign-dependent Coulombic modulation are combined to achieve distinct particle densities at oppositely charged surfaces. This selective assembly enables efficient separation of NP mixtures at submicron scales, facilitating the formation of complex binary NP patterns in a single step. The technique offers a powerful and direct route for assembling and integrating multiple NPs, providing a new way for advanced multifunctional nanodevices.

This study develops a muscle atrophy evaluation and rehabilitation system utilizing rare earth oxide-enhanced triboelectric sensors integrated with a multi-channel signal collector and machine learning algorithms, enabling precise assessment of ulnar nerve injury recovery. The system demonstrates high sensitivity, accuracy, and visualization capability, offering significant advances in grip strength rehabilitation monitoring and biomedical sensing applications.

Abstract

Ulnar nerve injuries often lead to muscle atrophy and reduced hand function, necessitating precise monitoring and effective rehabilitation strategies. Current grip strength measurement tools rely on rigid mechanical equipment, which is inconvenient and requires frequent calibration. To address this, a muscle atrophy evaluation and rehabilitation system (MUERS) is presented, featuring a highly sensitive rare earth oxide-enhanced triboelectric sensor (RETS). Utilizing the unique electrochemical properties of rare earth oxides, RETS demonstrates a linear voltage-force response in the range of 8–80 kPa, with a maximum linear error of 1.5%. Integrated with a multi-channel STM32 signal collector, RETS enables real-time grip strength monitoring across all five fingers. Combining sensor output with an SVM algorithm, the system achieves 98.61% accuracy in identifying finger grip strength injuries and classifies damage into three levels with an average accuracy of 96.67%. MUERS evaluates rehabilitation progress by scoring grip strength and providing feedback to clinicians. Over a four-week cycle, it consistently captures improvements in muscle recovery, aiding individualized rehabilitation plans. This system offers fine-grained assessment capabilities for diagnosing and monitoring nerve injury-induced muscle atrophy, paving the way for advanced biomedical sensing and personalized rehabilitation.

Nature Synthesis, Published online: 16 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s44160-025-00823-6

Atomic-level control of semiconductor nanomaterials remains difficult due to their complex structures. Now, a programmable approach to synthesize a series of precisely defined Zn14Se13, Cd14Se13 and Hg14Se13 clusters is reported, and the origin of their atom-like wavefunctions and distinct doublet absorption features is examined.

A dynamic and multifunctional anti-counterfeiting device based on a fluorescent electrophoretic display (FEPD) is developed using surface-modified upconversion fluorescent particles (UCEP). The device achieves high ambient contrast (56), fast response (175 ms), and dual-mode switching from reflective white to emissive green under 980 nm light, demonstrating strong potential for high-security and versatile anti-counterfeiting applications.

Abstract

Fluorescence-based anti-counterfeiting (AC) technology, typically achieved through static printed images, is vulnerable to lower security and easier replication. Therefore, developing multifunctional and dynamic AC devices is crucial. The application of upconversion fluorescent materials to electrophoretic displays offers a promising approach to creating dynamic, multifunctional AC devices. In this work, a multifunctional AC device based on a fluorescent electrophoretic display (FEPD) is designed. By surface-modifying commercial infrared fluorescent powder, an upconversion fluorescent electrophoretic particle (UCEP) is developed which can be driven under an electric field and emit green fluorescence under infrared light excitation. The UCEP is incorporated into black-and-white electrophoretic ink to fabricate the FEPD. This device exhibits a high ambient contrast ratio of 56, a fast response time of 175 ms, and the ability to switch from a white reflective state to a green luminous state under 980 nm light. These results demonstrate the potential application of the FEPD in dynamic, high-security, and multifunctional AC devices.

Photoresist materials are crucial for implementing extreme ultra-violet lithography (EUVL) in high-volume manufacturing. The advancement of EUVL, particularly for high numerical aperture applications, necessitates the ongoing development of innovative photoresist materials that improve resolution, sensitivity, pattern roughness and reduce EUV-specific stochastic defects. This review highlights the challenges and recent progress in resist development for next-generation EUVL.

Abstract

Semiconducting device manufacturing relies on constant advancements in photolithography. The continued demand for shrinking feature sizes necessitates advanced lithographic solutions to address the challenges associated with printing very small features that meet stringent lithographic performance specifications, including sensitivity, roughness, and the ability to achieve defect and device yield requirements. An ongoing challenge is the development of photoresist materials that enable high numerical aperture (NA) extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) for the next generation semiconductor manufacturing. Key to next-generation material design is the ability to mitigate the resist stochasticity caused by the EUV-specific photon shot noise issue and the random distribution of resist components in the resist thin film, as well as to ensure macromolecular and thin film homogeneity to address resist blur, including photoacid diffusion and electron scattering. To tackle the ultimate resist variability challenge, multiple technical approaches are being explored, including the development of next-generation photoacid-induced chemically amplified resists, resists based on photoinduced polymer chain scission, molecular glass resists, and metal oxide resists. In this review, recent advances in resist development for next-generation high NA EUVL applications are presented. The need for improvements in material design, formulation, and optimization to support the semiconductor industry's patterning roadmap will also be discussed.

Nature Materials, Published online: 11 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02265-z

Broadband terahertz emission from a two-dimensional van der Waals ferroelectric semiconductor, NbOI2, offers opportunities towards nanoscale near-field terahertz spectroscopy and in situ probing of quantum collective excitations in two-dimensional materials.

Reactive vanadium- and terbium-metal nanoparticles are prepared in THF. Due to their size and reactivity, they offer unique options for liquid-phase syntheses, e.g., of low-valence compounds or metal-metal bonding.

Abstract

Lanthanide metals and early transition metals – although in principle highly reactive – only show a limited reactivity due to small surface, low solubility, and/or passivation. To this regard, small-sized metal nanoparticles can give the opportunity for reactions near room temperature in the liquid phase. With terbium-metal nanoparticles (2.8 ± 0.4 nm) and vanadium-metal nanoparticles (1.2±0.2 nm), representative lanthanide and early-transition metals are presented with different reactivity. Both are prepared by reduction of simple precursors (TbCl₃, VCl₃) in THF. The Tb(0)/V(0) nanoparticles are highly reactive and used as starting materials in the liquid phase (THF, toluene, n-dodecane, ionic liquid) to perform reactions with cyclopentadienyl precursors [Cp₂ MCl₂] and carbonyl precursors [M(CO)₆] (M = Mo, W). As a result, the novel compounds [BMIm][Cp₂Mo(GaCl₃)₂] 1), [BMIm][Cp₂W(GaCl₃)₂] 2), [Cp₂Mo{GaCl₂(THF)}₂] 3), [BMIm][Cp₂MoGa₂Cl₅] 4), [VO(H₂Cyclal)Mo(CO)₄] 5) and [VO(H₂Cyclal)W(CO)₄] 6) are obtained, containing metal-metal bonding (Mo–Ga, W–Ga) and/or low-valent metals (Mo(0/I), W(0/I), Ga(III)). Profound characterization of structure and bonding is performed (including TEM, XRD, FT-IR, DFT, MS, and ESR). Tb(0)/V(0) nanoparticles, in general, offer high potential for reactions/compounds different from the bulk lanthanide/transition metals and, specifically, for obtaining metal-metal bonding and low-valent metal compounds via a novel redox approach.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) prepared based on vinyl phosphonic acid and 1,10-decanedithiol bifunctional ligands can be patterned under ambient conditions with a resolution of up to 4233 PPI (pixels per inch), which is one of the highest resolutions for PQDs to date. In addition, high-resolution PQD-LEDs assembled from pixelated PQDs prepared under ambient conditions show a maximum quantum efficiency of 13.09% at 1707 PPI.

Abstract

Direct lithography enables precise micro-scale patterning of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), which is essential for realizing high-resolution PQD light-emitting diodes (PQD-LEDs). However, achieving PQDs patterning under ambient conditions is challenging due to the sensitivity of PQDs to ambient environments, high doses of UV light, and light-generated side reactions during photolithography processes. Moreover, existing photosensitive ligands used in the direct lithography process can hardly achieve both good conductivity and satisfactory dispersibility of PQDs. To overcome these limitations, a versatile dual-ligand (vinyl phosphonic acid, VPA; 1,10-decanedithiol, DE) passivation strategy is engineered to realize high photosensitivity, dispersion, and stability of PQDs (referred to as PQDs/VPA-DE) under ambient conditions. This innovative approach resulted in PQDs/VPA-DE with a high PLQY of up to 97.6%, compared to only 58.6% for pristine PQDs. Moreover, high-resolution (4233 pixels per inch, PPI), high-fidelity (approaching 99%), and multi-color (RGB) PQDs/VPA-DE pixels under ambient conditions are successfully fabricated. Furthermore, the feasibility of assembling high-resolution PQD/VPA-DE-LEDs is demonstrated using PQDs/VPA-DE pixels (1707 PPI) prepared under ambient conditions, with an EQE of 13.09% and a luminance of 29968 cd m⁻², which is one of the highest values for high-resolution PQD-LEDs assembled under ambient conditions.

A broadband, self-powered photodetector is developed by integrating Cl-substituted 2D perovskites with MoS₂/WSe₂ heterostructures via interface engineering. The device enables weak-light detection down to 0.54 µW cm⁻², offering enhanced carrier transport and photogating effects. This strategy highlights a general approach to boosting the performance of 2D material-based optoelectronic devices.

Abstract

Ultra-weak light detection represents a critical enabling technology for next-generation imaging, remote monitoring, and autonomous systems, where efficient charge transfer is essential to achieve ultralow detection thresholds. Herein, an interfacial lattice-distortion engineering strategy is proposed by selectively substituting phenylethyl ammonium (PEA) cations with 4-chlorophenylethylammonium (Cl-PEA) at perovskite heterointerfaces. This substitution induces beneficial octahedral distortions, boosting hole transport efficiency in few-layer 2D perovskites by 26%. When integrated with MoS₂/WSe₂ heterostructures, the optimized van der Waals contact and enhanced energy-level alignment yield a high-performance photodetection, including a responsivity of 2.7 × 10⁴ A/W, a detectivity up to 5.26 × 10¹⁴ Jones, and an exceptionally low noise equivalent power of 0.42 fW Hz^−1/2. Notably, the device operates self-powered at incident power densities as low as 0.54 µW cm⁻², enabling real-time, on-chip image processing even under dim-light conditions. This functionality is further utilized for noise reduction in traffic-light images prior to object detection with YOLOv11 network, establishing a direct bridge between device-level photodetection and machine-learning-driven recognition. This interfacial lattice distortion engineering paradigm in van der Waals-contacted 2D devices opens new avenues for designing ultrasensitive, low-noise, and functionally integrated optoelectronic devices.

This study presents the strategy for preparing large-area 2D zirconium tellurides through a siliconizing-driven layer-by-layer growth process. The use of Si-Te precursor in this strategy, instead of conventional Te source, enhances the growth controllability of 2D ZrTe₂ and ZrTe₃ single crystals such as layer thickness and crystallinity. The findings facilitate wafer-scale 2D tellurides for spintronic applications.

Abstract

2D transition metal tellurides (TMTs) possess fascinating properties for applications in ferroelectrics and optoelectronics. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to grow high-quality 2D TMTs with the desired phase (especially high-temperature phase) because of the weak bonding between the transition metal and Te as compared to S and Se atoms. Here, a strategy of siliconizing-driven layer-by-layer growth is reported to synthesize 2D ZrTe₂ and ZrTe₃ crystals with high crystallinity and desired thickness. Both as-synthesized crystals exhibit large-area uniform phases and atomically precise layered stacking structures. 2D ZrTe₂ shows type-II Weyl semimetal characteristics with negative magnetoresistance, and 2D ZrTe₃ demonstrates the existence of charge density waves and intrinsic superconductivity. Theoretical study reveals that silicon atoms can infiltrate and isolate a single layer of zirconium atoms and allow them to be tellurized in a layer-by-layer manner. The work paves the way for the synthesis of layer-controlled 2D TMTs and lays a material foundation for their physical property research.

The cell force dynamics are resolved at a maximum 5 ms temporal resolution. With plasmonic enhancement, heterogeneities in the evolution of cell mechanical properties during events such as cardiomyocyte contraction and small molecule binding to the cell membrane are discovered.

Abstract

Label-free plasmonic cell force microscopy is developed to reveal cell exerted force at diffraction-limited spatial resolution. By quantifying cell-substrate interaction dynamics in real-time through plasmonic scattering imaging, the spatial and temporal evolutions of cellular forces are accurately mapped. To demonstrate the capability of the technology, cardiomyocyte force evolution and loading rates are measured with millisecond resolution. Furthermore, cell force responses to nicotinic receptor activation are monitored and observed heterogenic cell force changes among a population of cells, underscoring the versatility and potential impact of this label-free approach.