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HighlightsAn effective buried interface stabilization strategy based on synergistic effect of fluorine and sulfonyl functional groups is proposed.The correlations between molecular structures, defect passivation, interfacial energy band alignment, perovskite crystallization and device performance are established.The device with KFSI achieves an impressive efficiency of 24.17%.The interfacial defects and energy barrier are main reasons for interfacial nonradiative recombination. In addition, poor perovskite crystallization and incomplete conversion of PbI2 to perovskite restrict further enhancement of the photovoltaic performance of the devices using sequential deposition. Herein, a buried interface stabilization strategy that relies on the synergy of fluorine (F) and sulfonyl (S=O) functional groups is proposed. A series of potassium salts containing halide and non-halogen anions are employed to modify SnO2/perovskite buried interface. Multiple chemical bonds including hydrogen bond, coordination bond and ionic bond are realized, which strengthens interfacial contact and defect passivation effect. The chemical interaction between modification molecules and perovskite along with SnO2 heightens incessantly as the number of S=O and F augments. The chemical interaction strength between modifiers and perovskite as well as SnO2 gradually increases with the increase in the number of S=O and F. The defect passivation effect is positively correlated with the chemical interaction strength. The crystallization kinetics is regulated through the compromise between chemical interaction strength and wettability of substrates. Compared with Cl−, all non-halogen anions perform better in crystallization optimization, energy band regulation and defect passivation. The device with potassium bis (fluorosulfonyl) imide achieves a tempting efficiency of 24.17%.

• Litter decomposition plays a key role in nutrient cycling across ecosystems, yet to date, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the nonadditive decomposition effects in leaf litter mixing experiments. • To fill that gap, we compiled 69 individual studies with the aim to perform two meta-analyses on nonadditive effects. • We show that a significant synergistic effect (faster decomposition in mixtures than expected) occurs at a global scale, with an average increase of 3–5% in litter mixtures. In particular, low-quality litter in mixtures shows a significant synergistic effect, while additive effects are observed for high-quality species. Additionally, synergistic effects turn into antagonistic effects when soil fauna are absent or litter is in very late stages of decomposition (nearhumus). In contrast to temperate and tropical areas, studies in boreal regions show significant antagonistic effects. • Our two meta-analyses provide a systematic evaluation of nonadditive effects in mixed litter decomposition studies and show that litter quality alters the effects of litter mixing. Our results indicate that nutrient transfer, soil fauna and inhibitory secondary compounds can influence mixing effects. We also highlight that synergistic and antagonistic effects occur concurrently, and the final litter mixing effect results from the interplay between them.

14 MeV fusion neutrons induce significant displacement damage in materials and generate transmutation gases such as hydrogen (H) and helium (He) through (n,p) and (n,α) nuclear reactions. Previous studies have shown that the H-He synergistic effects with displacement defects accelerate degradation in materials. To explore the impact of H-He synergistic effects on cavity nucleation and growth at different temperatures, systematic experiments were performed using the Xiamen Multiple Ion Beam In situ Analysis TEM Facility. In this study, pure nickel samples were irradiated to a damage level of approximately 12 displacements per atom (dpa) at temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 600 °C with varying concentrations of implanted gas atoms. The irradiation configurations and corresponding H–He injection ratios were as follows: single beam (Ni, 0–0 appm dpa−1), dual beam (Ni + He, 0–10 appm dpa−1), dual beam (Ni + H, 50–0 appm dpa−1), and triple beam (Ni + He + H, 40–10 appm dpa−1).The results revealed a distinct transition from nucleation-dominated to growth-dominated cavity evolution with increasing temperature. At lower temperatures, cavity formation is primarily governed by nucleation processes, whereas at 600 °C, pronounced cavity growth becomes dominant after initial nucleation. Helium plays a crucial role in stabilizing vacancy clusters and promoting cavity nucleation, while hydrogen exhibits a considerably weaker influence. Nevertheless, under triple ion beam irradiation conditions, hydrogen promotes the nucleation-driven evolution at 450 °C but contributes more to growth-driven evolution at 600 °C by accumulating around larger cavities.

This study presents a systematic investigation of the synergistic effect of deuterium and helium on the microstructural evolution of W–Y2O3 material during plasma exposure. The effect of single D/He and sequential D/He, He/D plasma exposure on the stability of Y2O3 nanoparticles and the microstructural evolution of the W matrix were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that Y2O3 particles undergo a significant size change during plasma exposure, and this process was significantly influenced by the synergistic effects of hydrogen and helium. The size evolution of Y2O3 particles is controlled by three mechanisms: the etching-controlled process at the initial stage, followed by deposition-controlled process or mixed-controlled processes. Interestingly, the fuzz structure on the surface of Y2O3 particles is proved to be W instead of Y2O3, which results from the deposition during plasma exposure. Significant synergistic effects of deuterium and helium were observed, in which the strong combination of H and He-vacancy composites suppressed the bubble formation and growth, leading to a different evolutionary dynamic.

The controllable growth of metal nanoparticles on nanomaterials is becoming an effective strategy for developing nanocomposites with designated performance. Herein, a simple and mild strategy for the in situ growth of Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to regulate the nanozyme activity was designed for colorimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and glutathione (GSH). The COFs not only offer sufficient loading sites for the uniform dispersion of Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles, but also increase the adsorption of substrate to promote the catalytic reaction. With the bimetallic synergistic effect of Pt–Pd nanoparticles, the prepared multifunctional nanozyme (Pt–Pd/COFs nanozyme) simultaneously exhibited superior peroxidase (POD)-like activity and oxidase (OXD)-like activity. Using the multifunctional nanozyme, a colorimetric sensing system was constructed for sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 and GSH, with the wide linear ranges of 5–1000 µmol/L and 1–40 µmol/L, and the detection limits were 1.14 μmol/L and 0.43 μmol/L, respectively. It was successfully used for the detection of real samples in environmental water and serum, providing a simple method for disease diagnosis and environmental monitoring.

Heavy air pollution is strongly influenced by weather conditions and is thus sensitive to climate change. Especially, for the areas with complex topography such as the Sichuan Basin (SB), one of the most polluted areas of China, the synergistic effects of synoptic weather patterns and topography on air quality are unclear and warrant investigation. This study examined the typical synoptic patterns of SB in winter days of 2013–2017 and revealed their synergistic effects with topography on air quality. Three categories of synoptic patterns including dry low-trough, high-pressure, and wet low-vortex patterns accompanying heavy, medium, and slight air pollution, respectively, were identified. In particular, the dry low-trough patterns occur most frequently, accounting for around 62% of the total days. In the case of this pattern, westerly wind prevails over the SB and the aloft atmosphere is warmer than the Tibetan Plateau (TP) at the same height, which induces the cold air over TP moving eastward to the SB. Under the synergistic effects of the cold air eastward movement and TP, a strong descending motion (known as foehn) is observed on the leeward slope of the towering TP. This foehn warming causes a stable layer above the planetary boundary layer (PBL), which suppresses secondary circulation and PBL. These features restrict atmospheric pollutant dispersion, resulting in poor air quality. In contrast, for the high-pressure and wet low-vortex patterns, cold air masses from the north invade southward and cover the northwest SB. This invasion remarkably decreases the atmospheric stability of the lower troposphere, deepens the PBL, and enhances the height of secondary circulation, thereby facilitating air pollutant dispersion. Moreover, the wet low-vortex pattern is accompanied by frequent precipitation events (with 80% rainy days), further bringing down air pollution levels. These findings provide an insight for improving air pollution forecast in the complex terrain areas under global warming.

Selenium sulfide (SeS₂) features higher electronic conductivity than sulfur and higher theoretical capacity and lower cost than selenium, attracting considerable interest in energy storage field. Although nonaqueous Li/Na/K-SeS₂ batteries are attractive for their high energy density, the notorious shuttle effect of polysulfides/polyselenides and the intrinsic limitations of organic electrolyte have hindered the deployment of this technology. To circumvent these issues, here we design an aqueous Cu-SeS₂ battery by encapsulating SeS₂ in a defect-enriched nitrogen-doped porous carbon monolith. Except the intrinsic synergistic effect between Se and S in SeS₂, the porous structure of carbon matrix has sufficient internal voids to buffer the volume change of SeS₂ and provides abundant pathways for both electrons and ions. In addition, the synergistic effect of nitrogen doping and topological defect not only enhances the chemical affinity between reactants and carbon matrix but also offers catalytic active sites for electrochemical reactions. Benefiting from these merits, the Cu-SeS₂ battery delivers superior initial reversible capacity of 1,905.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and outstanding long-span cycling performance over 1,000 cycles at 5 A g−1. This work applies variable valence charge carriers to aqueous metal–SeS₂ batteries, providing valuable inspiration for the construction of metal–chalcogen batteries.

The potential of probiotics for treating ulcerative colitis (UC) has attracted increasing attention. However, more studies are still needed to guide physicians on the proper selection and use of probiotics. Here, we propose that combination of multiple probiotics with different functions can reduce intestinal inflammation. In this study, the effects of probiotics (Lactobacillus reuteri, Bacillus coagulans, Bifidobacterium longum, and Clostridium butyricum) on the physiology and histopathology of colon were evaluated in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. The combined species, as well as the species individually, were tested and compared with sulfasalazine (SASP) and two Chinese herbal therapies. Results show that the functions of the four probiotic strains were different in regulating intestinal immunity and barrier function. The four-species probiotic cocktail was more effective than the species individually and anti-inflammatory drugs in repairing the dysbiosis of mucosal microbial ecology and reducing intestinal inflammation. The multi-strain probiotic mixture increased the proportion of beneficial bacteria and decreased the proportion of pro-inflammatory bacteria in the colonic mucosa. In addition, probiotic mixture significantly enhanced the expression of IL-10 and intestinal barrier function. These results suggest that a combination of multiple probiotics with different functions has synergistic effects and can restore the balance of interactions between microorganisms and immunological niches.

This study focuses on the impacts of low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) on pollution and carbon emissions and synergistic emission reduction efficiency, and then explores whether it can realize the synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction. Based on the panel data of 282 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this paper treats LCCP as a quasi-natural experiment and tests its effect using difference-in-differences model. The results show that LCCP reduces pollution and carbon emissions and improves synergistic emission reduction efficiency, realizing synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction. The policy effects are mainly realized through strengthening technological innovation, tertiary industry employment and human capital. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction of LCCP only exists in large cities and non-resource cities. Furthermore, LCCP promotes economic growth, so that it realizes the synergetic effect of pollution and carbon reduction without sacrificing GDP growth.

Cropping sequence diversification provides a systems approach to reduce yield variations and improve resilience to multiple environmental stresses. Yield advantages of more diverse crop rotations and their synergistic effects with reduced tillage are well documented, but few studies have quantified the impact of these management practices on yields and their stability when soil moisture is limiting or in excess. Using yield and weather data obtained from a 31-year long term rotation and tillage trial in Ontario, we tested whether crop rotation diversity is associated with greater yield stability when abnormal weather conditions occur. We used parametric and non-parametric approaches to quantify the impact of rotation diversity (monocrop, 2-crops, 3-crops without or with one or two legume cover crops) and tillage (conventional or reduced tillage) on yield probabilities and the benefits of crop diversity under different soil moisture and temperature scenarios. Although the magnitude of rotation benefits varied with crops, weather patterns and tillage, yield stability significantly increased when corn and soybean were integrated into more diverse rotations. Introducing small grains into short corn-soybean rotation was enough to provide substantial benefits on long-term soybean yields and their stability while the effects on corn were mostly associated with the temporal niche provided by small grains for underseeded red clover or alfalfa. Crop diversification strategies increased the probability of harnessing favorable growing conditions while decreasing the risk of crop failure. In hot and dry years, diversification of corn-soybean rotations and reduced tillage increased yield by 7% and 22% for corn and soybean respectively. Given the additional advantages associated with cropping system diversification, such a strategy provides a more comprehensive approach to lowering yield variability and improving the resilience of cropping systems to multiple environmental stresses. This could help to sustain future yield levels in challenging production environments.