Metastable 1T-RhO with a Triangular Lattice: A Possible Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate.

The discovery of intrinsic magnetism in layered van der Waals (vdW) magnets has received intensive attention due to their fundamental importance in low-dimensional magnetism and potential device applications. To date, most vdW magnets contain 3d transition metals. Extending vdW magnetism to 4d and 5d transition metal systems is therefore of great interest as it offers opportunities to explore exotic magnetic behaviors arising from the interplay between electronic correlations and strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC).

Activating Ferroelectric-Magnetic Synergistic Effects at Cathode-Electrolyte Interfaces Toward Superfast and Stable Sodium Storage.

Layered oxides are promising cathode candidates for sodium-ion batteries due to their high energy density. However, the rate and cycling performances are hindered by severe interfacial side reactions and sluggish kinetics. Using NaNiMnO (NM) as a model material, ferroelectric-magnetic synergistic effects are activated at the NM-electrolyte interfaces via constructing a multiferroic layer on the NM surface, significantly realizing the superfast and stable sodium storage.

Topological bubble domain engineering for high strain response.

Enhancing the piezoelectric or strain response of materials through nanodomain engineering has proven to be highly effective. Here, we demonstrate that topological bubble domains (BDs) can be induced in BiNaTiO (BNT)-based thin films via lattice distortions. We establish a positive correlation between the density of BDs, macroscopic polarization, and strain response.

Breaking polarization-breakdown strength paradox for ultrahigh energy storage density in NBT-based ceramics.

Dielectric capacitors are crucial in contemporary electronic devices for storing and recycling electric energy. However, their energy-storage density is significantly hindered by the paradox between polarization (P) and breakdown strength (E). Herein, we propose a strategy to overcome the paradox through a unique high-entropy design aimed at regulating phase structure and minimizing interfacial polarization.

Magnetic Field-Driven Catalysis: Revealing Enhanced Oxygen Reactions in Li-O Batteries Using Tailored Magnetic Nanocatalysts.

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O) batteries offer immense promise for next-generation energy storage technology due to their ultra-high theoretical energy density. However, their adoption faces challenges like large overpotential and slow oxygen reaction kinetics. This study introduces a novel strategy that leverages custom-designed magnetic nanocatalysts and external magnetic fields to boost electrochemical performance.

Spin-Polarized Antiferromagnets for Spintronics.

Spin-polarized antiferromagnets (AFMs), including altermagnets, noncollinear AFMs, and 2D layer-polarized AFMs, have emerged as transformative materials for next-generation spintronic and optoelectronic technologies. These systems uniquely combine spin-polarized electronic states with vanishing net magnetization, enabling ultrafast spin dynamics, high-density integration, and robustness against stray magnetic fields. Their unconventional symmetry-breaking mechanisms-governed by crystal symmetry, chiral spin textures, or interlayer potential control-give rise to emergent phenomena previously exclusive to ferromagnets: nonrelativistic spin-momentum locking, spontaneous anomalous transport phenomena, gate-tunable magneto-optical responses, nonrelativistic spin-polarized current, and tunneling magnetoresistance effect.

Designing Spin Symmetry for Altermagnetism with Strong Magnetoelectric Coupling.

Altermagnets, a recently identified class of collinear magnets, exhibit unique properties such as zero net magnetization and spin polarization dictated by lattice symmetry, making them a subject of intense research. In contrast to conventional strategies for inducing altermagnetism in antiferromagnets that rely on manipulating real-space symmetry, this work introduces a novel and general approach to achieving altermagnetism by modulating spin-space symmetry. Through a combination of tight-binding models and first-principles calculations, the microscopic origin of altermagnetism driven by spin-space symmetry is uncovered, and the mechanism underlying enhanced spin splitting is identified.

Unconventional Topological Weyl Dipole Phonon.

A pair of Weyl points (WPs) with opposite topological charges can exhibit an additional higher-order Z topological charge, giving rise to the formation of a Z Weyl dipole (WD). Owing to the nontrivial topological charge, Z WDs should also appear in pairs, and the WPs within each Z WD can not be annihilated when meeting together. As a novel topological state, the topological Weyl dipole (TWD) phase has garnered significant attention, yet its realization in crystalline materials remains a challenge.

Concurrently enhanced piezoelectric performance and curie temperature in stressed lead-free BaCaTiZrO ceramics.

Eco-friendly, lead-free BaTiO-based piezoelectrics are critical for sustainable electronics, but improving their piezoelectric properties often compromises Curie temperature (T). To address this trade-off, we implemented an innovative stress engineering approach by introducing a secondary phase BaAlO in BaCaTiZrO (BCTZ) ceramics. The thermal expansion mismatch between BCTZ and BaAlO induces internal stress within the BCTZ matrix, causing significant lattice distortion and phase fraction modulation, which improves both T and the piezoelectric coefficient (d).

Flexocatalytic Hydrogen Generation and Organics Degradation by Nano SrTiO.

Flexocatalysis, a groundbreaking approach in mechanocatalysis, overcomes the material limitations imposed by the symmetry requirements of piezocatalysis, enabling a broader range of materials to generate free radicals through mechano-catalytic reactions. This method not only offers an eco-friendly pathway for green hydrogen production via water splitting but also facilitates the use of biocompatible materials in health diagnostics and treatments. In this study, the flexocatalytic activity of centrosymmetric SrTiO (STO) nanopowders is demonstrated, achieving notable hydrogen evolution (1289.

Unlocking Quantum Catalysis in Topological Trivial Materials: A Case Study of Janus Monolayer MoSMg.

The emerging field of topological catalysis has received significant attention due to its potential for high-performance catalytic activity in the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER). While topological materials often possess fragile surface states, trivial topological materials not only offer a larger pool of candidates but also demonstrate robust surface states. As a result, the search for topological catalysts has expanded to include trivial schemes.

Zero-Dimensional Interstitial Electron-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling Dirac States in Sandwich Electride.

The development of inorganic electrides offers new possibilities for studying topological states due to the nonnuclear-binding properties displayed by interstitial electrons. Herein, a sandwich electride 2[CaCl]:2e is designed, featuring a tetragonal lattice structure, including two atomic lattice layers and one interstitial electron layer. The interstitial electrons form nonsymmorphic-symmetry-protected Dirac points (DPs) at the X and M points, which are robust against the spin-orbit coupling effect.

Proposing Altermagnetic-Ferroelectric Type-III Multiferroics with Robust Magnetoelectric Coupling.

Multiferroic materials, characterized by the coexisting of ferroelectric polarization (breaking space- inversion symmetry, 𝒫) and magnetism (breaking time-reversal symmetry, 𝒯), with strong magnetoelectric coupling, are highly sought after for advanced technological applications. Novel altermagnets, distinct from conventional magnets, have recently been revealed to exhibit unique spin polarization protected by crystal symmetry, which naturally overcomes the isolation of magnetism from ferroelectrics associated with spatial symmetry. In this study, a novel class of type-III multiferroics is proposed, which leverages the unique symmetry of altermagnets to enforce spin-ferroelectric locking, setting them apart from conventional multiferroics.

Ru Single Atoms Anchored on Oxygen-Vacancy-Rich ZrO/C for Synergistically Enhanced Hydrogen Oxidation.

The hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline media is pivotal for the advancement of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), and the development of single-atom catalysts offers a promising solution for creating cost-effective, highly efficient HOR catalysts. Although the transition from nanoparticle to single-atom catalysts enhances catalytic activity, the stability of these single-atom sites remains a significant challenge. In this study, a highly active and stable alkaline HOR catalyst is successfully designed by incorporating Ru atoms into ZrO/C nanoparticles, forming the single atoms catalyst Ru-SA-ZrO/C.

Coordination Chemistry Regulation Suppressing Voltage Hysteresis for NaMnTi(PO) in High-Rate Sodium-Ion Batteries.

As a natrium superionic conductor, NASICON-type NaMnTi(PO) (NMTP) has garnered increasing attention for large-scale sodium-ion batteries due to its high stability and power densities. Nevertheless, it still suffers from an inferior rate capability and poor cycling longevity, arising from sluggish intrinsic kinetics and severe structural degradation. Herein, vanadium (V) is used as a dopant for equal substitution of manganese (Mn) and titanium (Ti) in NMTP to alleviate voltage hysteresis and enhance the cycling performance.

1D Magnetic Topological Inorganic Electrides.

Inorganic electrides, which are characterized by the presence of interstitial anionic electrons (IAEs) within distinct geometric cavities, exhibit unique properties and have garnered significant attention in various fields. Nevertheless, inorganic electrides face significant challenges in terms of their stability and magnetic topological states. To address these issues, a combination of high-throughput screening, first-principles calculations, and experimental synthesis is used to identify a series of stable 1D magnetic topological inorganic electrides with diverse properties and applications.

Controllable topological phase transition ferroelectric-paraelectric switching in a ferromagnetic single-layer MMGeX family.

Recently, the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) multiferroic materials has opened a new perspective for exploring topological states. However, instances of tuning topological phase transitions through ferroelectric (FE) polarization in 2D ferromagnetic (FM) materials are relatively rare. Here, we found that 11 single layer (SL) materials, named the MMGeX family, possess both FE and FM properties.

Self-Poled Bismuth Ferrite Thin Film Micromachined for Piezoelectric Ultrasound Transducers.

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (pMUTs), especially those using lead-free materials, are crucial next-generation microdevices for precise actuation and sensing, driving advancements in medical, industrial, and environmental applications. Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO) is emerging as a promising lead-free piezoelectric material to replace Pb(Zr,Ti)O in pMUTs. Despite its potential, the integration of BiFeO thin films into pMUTs has been hindered by poling issues.

Engineering Magnetic Heterostructures with Synergistic Regulation of Charge-Transfer and Spin-Ordering for Enhanced Water Oxidation.

The design of heterojunctions offers a crucial solution for energy conversion and storage challenges, but current research predominantly focuses on charge transfer benefits, often neglecting spin attribute regulation despite the increasing recognition of spin-sensitivity in many chemical reactions. In this study, a novel magnetic heterostructure, CoFeO@CoFeMoO, is designed to simultaneously modulate charge and spin characteristics, and systematically elucidated their synergistic impact on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Experimental results and density functional theory calculations confirmed that the magnetic heterostructure exhibits both charge transfer and spin polarization.

Manipulating the d- and p-Band centers of amorphous alloys by variable composition for robust oxygen evolution reaction.

Amorphous electrocatalysts display several unique advantages in electricity-driven water splitting compared to their crystalline analogs, but understanding their structure-activity relationships remains a major challenge. Herein, we show that the d- and p-electronic states of amorphous Ni-Fe-B can be subtly manipulated by varying the Ni and Fe contents. The optimal Ni-Fe-B alloy exhibits a high performance in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as supported by its impressive stability (no clear degradation after 100 h) and considerably lower overpotential compared to those of its crystalline analogs.

Interfacial-Polarization Engineering in BNT-Based Bulk Ceramics for Ultrahigh Energy-Storage Density.

Ceramic capacitors, known for their exceptional energy-storage performance (ESP), are crucial components in high-pulsed power systems. However, their ESP is significantly constrained by breakdown strength (E), which is influenced by interfacial polarization. This study delves into the physics, characterization, and application of interfacial polarization.

Altermagnetism Induced by Sliding Ferroelectricity via Lattice Symmetry-Mediated Magnetoelectric Coupling.

Altermagnets, distinct from conventional ferromagnets or antiferromagnets, have recently attracted attention as the third category of collinear magnets, which exhibit the coexistence of zero net magnetization and spin polarization due to their unique lattice symmetries. Meanwhile, the additional layer degrees of freedom in multilayer sliding ferroelectrics offer opportunities for coupling with lattice symmetries, paving the way for an innovative approach to constructing multiferroic lattices. In this study, altermagnetic tuning in SnS/MnPSe/SnS heterostructures is achieved by breaking and restoration of lattice inversion symmetry through sliding ferroelectric switching.

A 2D low-buckled hexagonal honeycomb Weyl-point spin-gapless semiconductor family with the quantum anomalous Hall effect.

Spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs), serving as superior alternatives to half-metals, open up new avenues in spintronics. Specifically, Weyl-point SGSs (WPSGSs) with ideal Weyl points at the Fermi energy level represent an optimal amalgamation of spintronics and topological physics. Moreover, considering spin-orbital coupling (SOC), most two-dimensional (2D) WPSGSs undergo transformation into half Chern insulators (HCIs) with the emergence of the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE).