In recent years, a range of two-dimensional boron polymorphs, collectively referred to as borophene, have been experimentally realized on a diverse set of metallic substrates by bottom-up synthesis in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). However, since borophene is highly reactive chemically and rapidly oxidizes in ambient conditions, robust encapsulation methods are needed to ensure the long-term stability of borophene outside of UHV environments. Here, we demonstrate that encapsulation using UHV electron-beam evaporation of alumina (AlOx) prevents oxidation of borophene in ambient conditions. This protection of borophene from chemical degradation is achieved with UHV-deposited AlOx encapsulated layers as thin as 3.7 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy confirm that this encapsulation scheme preserves the integrity of borophene for at least 12 months in ambient conditions. This long-term stability addresses a critical hurdle in the processing and integration of borophene into practical device architectures.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal primary brain tumor with limited therapeutic efficiency because of resistance to Temozolomide (TMZ), which is the standard chemotherapy drug. Here, we developed the metabolic adaptive strategy based on the complex TMZ resistance mechanisms, and engineered metal-phenolic networks (TBFP-MT MPNs) by self-assembly of PEG-polyphenol encapsulating FeIII, TMZ, and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor, modifying T10 and cMBP for blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration and targeting resistant cells. TBFP-MT suppressed drug efflux by inhibiting mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) signaling and reduced DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) by blocking pyrimidine synthesis via DHODH inhibition. Additionally, it triggered ferroptosis by disrupting the DHODH/GPX4 defense systems, overcoming the tumor cell survival mechanisms. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed its ability to suppress resistant GBM growth and extend survival. This study reveals drug-resistant cell vulnerabilities and provides a new pathway to overcome chemoresistance by disrupting multiple resistance mechanisms in GBM.

MXenes, a class of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, exhibit promising tribological properties at the nanoscale. However, the influence of X elements on the surface chemistry of MXene atomic layers remains underexplored. Here, we investigate how nitrogen in the Ti3CN atomic layer modifies its nanotribological behavior compared to Ti3C2. Using friction force microscopy and peak force quantitative nanomechanics , we find that Ti3CN exhibits a notable increase in friction along with higher adhesion and energy dissipation, which we attribute to enhanced hydroxyl termination, stronger surface dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further reveals that nitrogen incorporation leads to greater electron withdrawal from titanium atoms, resulting in a higher oxidation state and altered surface chemical functionality. These results provide mechanistic insight into how X-element chemistry influences the tribological performance of MXenes, highlighting the importance of surface composition in designing 2D materials for specific applications.

We present fluorescence intensity ratio encoding and difference (FIRED) microscopy, an innovative far-field super-resolution method capable of surpassing the optical diffraction barrier in fluorescence microscopy. By dynamically modulating the effective excitation spot in an optimized confocal microscope, this method uses the unique ratio of fluorescence intensity between two images generated via distinct excitation light paths to derive a weight matrix. The weight matrix encodes the original confocal image to generate the super-resolution FIRE image. Subsequent differential modulation between this FIRE image and a weighted confocal image produces the final FIRED image, suppressing artifacts while enhancing both resolution and background contrast. Experimental validations confirmed that FIRED achieves a resolution improvement of up to 4-fold over conventional confocal microscopy, attaining a lateral resolution of 71.2 nm. Additionally, FIRED exhibits an enhanced signal-to-background ratio, positioning it as a robust tool for pushing the limits of confocal microscopy in biological and materials science applications.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene (STING) pathway can respond to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to mediate innate immunity. However, activation of the cGAS/STING pathway initiates autophagy, which typically plays a negative regulatory role in the cGAS-STING pathway, largely attenuating the efficacy of antitumor immunity. Herein, we construct an oligonucleotide-based bioorthogonal platform to intervene in the crosstalk between the cGAS-STING pathway and autophagy, thereby achieving enhanced immunotherapy. In the platform, a dsDNA segment conjugated with unpaired guanosines serves as an agonist for the cGAS-STING pathway. The i-motif acts as a template for synthesizing palladium nanoparticles, which catalyze the synthesis of autophagy inhibitor and also function as carriers of oligonucleotides. Furthermore, the platform includes an aptamer for targeted delivery to cancer cells. In cancer cells, the platform activates the cGAS-STING pathway and disrupts autophagy, enhancing the anticancer immunity. This study provides a promising strategy to improve outcomes in tumor immunotherapy.

Precise control of lanthanide luminescence decay is essential for the development of emerging nanophotonic applications. However, existing strategies rely on static material modifications. Here, we introduce a pumping-flux modulation strategy that enables reversible, on-demand tuning of luminescence lifetimes via direct control of the cross-relaxation processes. Using highly Er3+-doped nanocrystals, we demonstrate that adjusting excitation pulse duration and intensity enables over 10-fold tuning in green (from 47.3 to 537.1 μs) and near-infrared (1506.4 to 145.5 μs) emissions. Mechanistic studies reveal that excitation profile modulation alters the populations of ground and intermediate energy states, which, in turn, influences cross-relaxation pathways and emission kinetics. We further demonstrate dynamically programmable lifetime mapping for optical encryption, eliminating the need for complex materials engineering. This work introduces a fundamentally new route for controlling lanthanide emission in real time with broad implications for adaptive displays, reconfigurable photonics, and time-domain optical security.

Whole-cell cancer vaccines can trigger broader-spectrum antitumoral immune responses. However, a lack of immunogenicity and unclear interactions with antigen-presenting cells (APCs) hinder their translation into effective personalized immunotherapies. Herein, tumor cells are engineered via layer-by-layer bimineralization integrating sequential silicification and manganese mineralization, which reprograms the APC recognition with high immunogenicity. These bacteria-mimicking cells with enhanced mechanical stiffness protect against antigen degradation and facilitate phagocytosis by APCs. The secondary Mn mineralization creates spiky-like MnO2 nanoclusters with extreme roughness that stimulate the intracellular NLRP3 inflammasome and concurrently activate the cGAS-STING pathway, which is closely related to diverse immune patterns in response to intracellular bacterial infection. As a consequence, such bimineralized tumor cells outperform other monomineralized vaccinations in terms of prophylactic and therapeutic outcomes against the development and progression of a mouse B16F10 melanoma model. This bimineralization strategy uniquely bridges materials science and immunology, offering a transformative framework for engineering immunogenic whole-cell cancer vaccines.

Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) are a class of low-voltage-driven ionic actuators that have drawn much attention in soft robotics. However, conventional IPMC actuators are plagued with practicality because of cracked electrodes, blocked electron transmission, and electrolyte loss, which would cause degradation in actuation performance and lifetime. Herein, IPMC with high-quality Pt/Au composite electrodes was developed, which achieved superior electromechanical properties and extended lifetime by improved electrode morphology and efficient electron channels. On one hand, the Au layer enables efficient charge transfer, resulting in 27% larger displacement compared to the Pt IPMC. Moreover, the Au layer enhances the water retention of IPMCs during operation, making it 6.15 times longer in lifetime. Finally, the interactive function of the Pt/Au IPMC was demonstrated in a bionic butterfly and a soft prosthesis. This work can provide insight into the development of high-performance actuators and pave the way for practical applications of IPMCs in robotics.

Renal-clearable nanoparticles hold great promise for kidney targeting and associated biomedical applications. Surface functionalization with renal-targeting ligands is an effective strategy for their kidney-specific targeting; however, it remains poorly understood how the ligand coating density affects their kidney-targeting efficiency, clearance, and off-target effects. Herein, utilizing a series of folate (FA)-conjugated ultrasmall gold nanoparticles with controlled FA densities to target renal folate receptors as a model system, we found that higher FA density enhanced kidney targeting in a Boltzmann sigmoidal function with an inflection at ∼3.20 FA/nm2, which was dictated by the association kinetics of nanoparticles with folate receptors. Meanwhile, increasing the FA density nonlinearly reduced renal clearance efficiency and elevated accumulation in extrarenal organs. By integrating these multiple effects, we identified a critical balance point of FA density at ∼5.28 FA/nm2 with enhanced renal targeting but without significantly compromising nonspecific biodistribution, providing critical guidance for the rational design of precision renal nanomedicine.

Due to fluorine's high electronegativity, which facilitates the highest discharge plateau and exceptional energy density, transition metal fluorides (TMFs) are considered one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, the complexity and toxicity of the synthesis process as well as the durability of TMFs hinder their wide application. Herein, we present a green synthesis strategy of iron fluorides (FeFx), utilizing recycled polytetrafluoroethylene as fluorine source, combined with Fe powder through mechanochemical ball-milling at ambient conditions (35 °C). Benefiting from the coupling reaction between pseudocoherent FeFx and semi-ionic CFy, the resulting FeFx-CFy cathode delivers an impressive capacity of 240.0 mAh g-1 and maintains 76.2% after 2000 cycles at 1C, obviously surpassing the prevailing LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 and LiFePO4 cathodes. This work not only introduces a sustainable strategy for synthesizing high-performance and high value-added fluorides under mild conditions but also contributes to waste recycling.