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An ideal anti-counterfeiting technique has to be inexpensive, mass-producible, nondestructive, unclonable and convenient for authentication. Although many anti-counterfeiting technologies have been developed, very few of them fulfill all the above requirements. Here we report a non-destructive, inkjet-printable, artificial intelligence (AI)-decodable and unclonable security label. The stochastic pinning points at the three-phase contact line of the ink droplets is crucial for the successful inkjet printing of the unclonable security labels. Upon the solvent evaporation, the three-phase contact lines are pinned around the pinning points, where the quantum dots in the ink droplets deposited on, forming physically unclonable flower-like patterns. By utilizing the RGB emission quantum dots, full-color fluorescence security labels can be produced. A convenient and reliable AI-based authentication strategy is developed, allowing for the fast authentication of the covert, unclonable flower-like dot patterns with different sharpness, brightness, rotations, amplifications and the mixture of these parameters. Anti-counterfeiting technologies should ideally be unclonable, yet simple to fabricate and decode. Here, the authors develop an inkjet-printable and unclonable security label based on random patterning of quantum dot inks, and accompany it with an artificial intelligence decoding mechanism capable of authenticating the patterns.

A better understanding of the redox process of lithium polysulfide (LPS) on carbon surfaces is helpful for designing Li/S batteries with better performance. The “shuttle mechanism” can explain the low coulomb efficiency and self-discharge of a Li/S battery, but it cannot explain the fact that battery performance is strongly affected by electrolyte volume and sulfur load. This paper aims to reveal the main redox process of LPS on the surface of carbon by examining the cathodic behavior with different electrolyte volume and sulfur load. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and impedance spectra of the cathode before and after the first discharge were compared, and it was found that the discharge process is the continuous dissolution of sulfur composited with carbon into the electrolyte to form LPS. At the same time, LPS re-precipitates sulfur on the surface of the cathode through a disproportionation reaction to form a solid film. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves showed that the solid film passivates the electrode, and the electrode is activated only when the potential is swept negatively and Li2S is generated. When a lean electrolyte is used, there is fluctuation in the CV curves, which proves that the dissolution-reprecipitation of sulfur is the main process of the cathode. The discharge–charge curves of cathodes with different sulfur load were compared, and it was found that there is wavy fluctuation in the discharge curve when the sulfur load increases, which proves again that the sulfur reaction dominates the electrode process.

This study examines how state-mandated translation policies shape the identities of translators in China’s Academic Translation Project (CATP), a state-sponsored initiative aimed at globalizing Chinese academic scholarship. Employing a document-based qualitative research design, the study analyzes translation policy documents and biographical data of translators, including gender, age, academic qualifications, and institutional affiliations. Findings reveal that translators are primarily elite academics: over 90% hold PhD degrees, and more than half are affiliated with China’s top-tier “985/211” universities. Women slightly outnumber men, and most translators fall within the 35–55 age range. Nearly 60% of translations target English. While translators function as linguistic and cultural intermediaries, their agency is constrained by policies governing text selection, terminology, and thematic focus, reducing their role to state-regulated “organic intellectuals” who balance scholarly legitimacy with ideological compliance. By foregrounding their multiple roles, the research enriches debates on translation’s instrumentality in authoritarian contexts through translation policy, where translators simultaneously enable cross-cultural dialogue and reinforce state ideologies. Plain language summary Translators in state translation programs: a case study This study explores how government policies influence translators working in China’s Academic Translation Project (CATP), a national initiative to promote Chinese academic research worldwide. The research examines who these translators are, focusing on their gender, age, academic background, and institutional affiliations. Findings show that most translators are highly qualified academics—over 90% hold Ph.D. degrees, and more than half work at China’s top universities (985/211). The majority are between 35 and 55 years old, and women slightly outnumber men. English is the dominant target language, accounting for nearly 60% of translations. Despite their expertise, translators have limited decision-making power. Government policies determine what gets translated, which terms are used, and what themes are prioritized, shaping translators into state-regulated professionals. They serve as both cultural mediators and ideological agents, helping to share Chinese research globally while also reinforcing the government’s preferred narratives. This study highlights how translation policies in authoritarian settings both enable cross-cultural exchange and maintain state control.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has attracted increasing interest for chemical and biochemical sensing. Several studies have shown that SERS intensities are significantly increased when an optical interference substrate composed of a dielectric spacer and a reflector is used as a supporting substrate. However, the origin of this additional enhancement has not been systematically studied. In this paper, high sensitivity SERS substrates composed of self-assembled core-satellite nanostructures and silica-coated silicon interference layers have been developed. Their SERS enhancement is shown to be a function of the thickness of silica spacer on a more reflective silicon substrate. Finite difference time domain modeling is presented to show that the SERS enhancement is due to a spacer contribution via a sign change of the reflection coefficients at the interfaces. The magnitude of the local-field enhancement is defined by the interference of light reflected from the silica-air and silica-silicon interfaces, which constructively added at the hot spots providing a possibility to maximize intensity in the nanogaps between the self-assembled nanoparticles by changing the thickness of silica layer. The core-satellite assemblies on a 135 nm silica-coated silicon substrate exhibit a SERS activity of approximately 13 times higher than the glass substrate.

Single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has attracted increasing interest for chemical and biochemical sensing. Many conventional substrates have a broad distribution of SERS enhancements, which compromise reproducibility and result in slow response times for single-molecule detection. Here we report a smart plasmonic sensor that can reversibly trap a single molecule at hotspots for rapid single-molecule detection. The sensor was fabricated through electrostatic self-assembly of gold nanoparticles onto a gold/silica-coated silicon substrate, producing a high yield of uniformly distributed hotspots on the surface. The hotspots were isolated with a monolayer of a thermoresponsive polymer (poly( N -isopropylacrylamide)), which act as gates for molecular trapping at the hotspots. The sensor shows not only a good SERS reproducibility but also a capability to repetitively trap and release molecules for single-molecular sensing. The single-molecule sensitivity is experimentally verified using SERS spectral blinking and bianalyte methods. Conventional substrates used for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are slow in response and lack reproducibility. Here, Zheng et al. describe a plasmonic sensor that can trap a single molecule at hot spots for rapid single-molecule detection with repeated trap and release capability and good SERS reproducibility.

Fundamental understanding on reaction mechanism of a working Li/S system is of great significance to design better batteries. In view of the importance of lithium polysulfides (PSs) in the working process of battery, PSs saturated solution in ethylene glycol dimethyl ether/1,3-dioxolane (DME/DOL) was synthesized by chemical method. The properties of PSs solution were studied by Tyndall experiment, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and OCP-t curve. It was found that the PSs solution is heterogeneous. PSs and S8 maintain dynamic equilibrium through disproportionation reaction. S8 generated accounts for passivation of electrode. Cyclic voltammetry of S/C electrode under different fabrication conditions were studied by using three electrode system. It was found that Li2S generated through reduction of PSs helps to dissolve passive layer and activates electrode. Passivation is more serious at charge stage. Process of electrode is an electron transfer reaction accompanied by chemical equilibrium. A novel mechanism based on precipitation and dissolution of S8 at the surface of electrode is used to elucidate the discharge-charge process of Li/S battery.

A nanocrystal catalyst Ag/ZnO was successfully synthesized using a simple solvothermal method in this study. This catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that this catalyst was composed of metallic Ag and ZnO. The photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) was investigated in aqueous suspension containing Ag/ZnO catalyst under UV irradiation. Liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of the samples coming from the photocatalytic degradation of MO. The experimental results showed that there were four intermediates existing in the photocatalytic reaction. MO could be mineralized in the Ag/ZnO suspension after 60 min illumination.

Exploiting the spin degree of freedom to store and manipulate information provides a paradigm for future microelectronics. The development of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has created a fascinating platform for exploring spintronic properties in the two-dimensional (2D) limit. Transition-metal dichalcogenides such as tungsten diselenide (WSe2) have electronic band structures that are ideal for hosting many exotic spin–orbit phenomena. Here, we report the spin-filtering effect in all-vdW heterostructures with WSe2 barrier. Combining 2D-perpendicular magnetic anisotropy Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) with different thicknesses of WSe2, the FGT/WSe2/FGT spin valve shows distinct charge and spin transport behavior. Moreover, the negative magnetoresistance (−4.3%) could be inverted into positive magnetoresistance (up to +25.8%) with decreasing the WSe2 thickness. Furthermore, we proposed a spin-filtering model based on Δ-symmetry electrons tunneling to explain the crossover from negative to positive MR signal through ab initio calculation. These experimental and theoretical results illustrate the rich potential of the families of TMDC materials to control spin currents in 2D spintronic devices.

The practical applications of solid-state electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are hindered by their low ionic conductivity and high interfacial resistance. Herein, an ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate based quasi-solid-state electrolyte (ETPTA-QSSE) with a three-dimensional (3D) network is prepared by a one-step in-situ photopolymerization method. The 3D network is designed to overcome the contradiction between the plasticizer-related ionic conductivity and the thickness-dependent mechanical property of quasi-solid-state electrolytes. The ETPTA-QSSE achieves superb room-temperature ionic conductivity up to 4.55×10−3 S cm−1, a high lithium ion transference number of 0.57, along with a wide electrochemical window of 5.3 V (vs. Li+/Li), which outperforms most ever of the reported solid-state electrolytes. Owing to the robust network structure and the cathode-electrolyte integrated electrode design, Li metal symmetrical cells show reduced interface resistance and reinforced electrode/ electrolyte interface stability. When applying the ETPTA-QSSE in LiFePO4∥Li cells, the quasi-solid-state cell demonstrates an enhanced initial discharge capacity (155.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C) accompanied by a high average Coulombic efficiency of greater than 99.3%, offering capacity retention of 92% after 200 cycles. Accordingly, this work sheds light on the strategy of enhancing ionic conductivity and reducing interfacial resistance of quasi-solid-state electrolytes, which is promising for high-voltage LIBs.

A series of aluminum promoted Cu/CeO2 nanocatalysts with aluminum content in the range of 0–5wt.% were prepared by co-precipitation method and examined with respect to their catalytic performance for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, H2-TPR and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The results indicate that catalytic activity increases with the aluminum content at first, but then decreases with the further increase of aluminum content. Hereinto, Cu/CeO2 catalyst doped with 1 wt.% of aluminum shows the highest catalytic activity (CO conversion reaches 84.4% at 200 °C) and thermal stability for WGS reaction. Correlation to the results from above characterization, it is found that the variation of catalytic activity is in very agreement with that of the surface area, the area of peak γ (i.e., the reduction of surface copper oxide (crystalline forms) interacted with surface oxygen vacancies on ceria), and the area of peak C2 and \\[A_1 (Cu^0\\,\\,Cu^2+\\] in cyclic voltammetry process), respectively. Enough evidence was found for the fact that the metallic copper (Cu0) interacted with surface oxygen vacancies on ceria is the active site for WGS reaction over Cu/CeO2 catalysts.