Horizons enriched in phosphorus are identifed in ooidal ironstones underlying the oxide-carbonate manganese ores of the Marsyaty deposit (Northern Urals). The maximum P2O5 content reaches 6.37 wt. % in a quartz sandstone interbed with ooids consisting of Fe3+ oxyhydroxides and is associated with authigenic fuorapatite. In iron oxyhydroxide ooidal ores, phosphorus is present mainly as apatite, which forms massive and radial zones in both the ooids and the matrix. In siderite ooidal ores, the phosphate minerals include apatite and hydrous Al and Ca silicate-phosphates, possibly a mineral of the crandallite-goyazite series and perhamite. They occur as radial aggregates emphasizing the zonation of carbonate ooids and common in the matrix. Phosphorus is also part of an authigenic rhabdophane-like mineral flling the radial and concentric cracks in iron oxyhydroxide ooids. Some phosphorus is associated with detrital monazite and apatite. Phosphorus for the formation of phosphates was most likely sourced from organic relics, whereas seawater and minerals unstable under sedimentation and diagenesis conditions were the source of cations. The formation of crystalline phosphates is associated with diagenetic processes, during which the organic relics were fermented and replaced by mineral phases, while the minerals metastable in shallow marine basin were decomposed with desorption of elements captured by Fe3+oxyhydroxides from seawater.

The development of nanophotonics is hindered by a fundamental trade-off between a material's refractive index (n) and its electronic bandgap (E g), which severely restricts the choice of materials for short-wavelength applications. This challenge is particularly acute in the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectra, where high-performance devices require materials that are simultaneously highly refractive and transparent. Here, we report on the van der Waals (vdW) crystal cadmium phosphorus trisulfide (CdPS3) as a solution to this long-standing problem. Through comprehensive optical and structural characterization, we show that CdPS3 possesses an anomalously high in-plane refractive index across the visible spectrum approaching three in the near-UV, combined with a wide indirect bandgap. This combination of properties is validated by first-principles calculations and direct near-field imaging of highly confined waveguide modes. These findings establish CdPS3 as a leading material for UV-visible photonics, opening a new pathway for the development of high-density integrated circuits and metasurfaces.

Electron tunneling between sheets of bilayer Bernal graphene twisted at different small angles was studied experimentally and theoretically. The current-voltage characteristics exhibit resonant peaks, steps, and regions of negative differential resistance, the origin of which is explained by the intersections of energy- and momentum-shifted electron dispersions of adjacent layers. A theoretical analysis of tunneling transport demonstrated that the key to understanding this phenomenon lies in the competition between two contributions: between like (conductivity-conductivity or valence-valence) and unlike (conductivity-valence) bands of parallel bilayer graphene sheets. A systematic evolution of the tunneling current patterns with increase of the twist angle is investigated. Polarization of electron wave function across graphene sublayers caused by displacement field within bilayer graphene is shown to strongly affect the tunneling probability, thus enhancing negative differential resistance due to Van Hove singularities at the band edges.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnets are promising for the development of novel physical paradigms and next-generation spintronics. However, their practical applications are limited by a low Curie temperature (TC) and the strong thickness dependence of TC, which decreases significantly toward the 2D limit. 2D Fe-M-Te (M = Ge, Ga) compounds have emerged as key platforms, exhibiting intrinsic ferromagnetism below but near room temperature in few-layer Fe-Ge-Te and above room temperature in few-layer Fe-Ga-Te. This review discusses their recent advances and challenges, especially about the first well above-room-temperature intrinsic 2D vdW ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2 which makes room-temperature practical 2D spintronic and quantum devices possible. The preparation and properties are first summarized, followed by magnetism regulation strategies (e.g., doping, pressure, electrical control, and interfacial engineering) and vdW spintronics (e.g., topological spin textures, vertical spin valves, and spin/orbital torque devices). Finally, some fundamental and technological challenges are highlighted, providing insights into room-temperature spintronics based on vdW ferromagnets.

2D materials such as MXenes are recognised for their therapeutic potential in biomedicine. However, morphology of nanomaterials determines their interactions with biological systems, and uneven shape of MXenes impose critical limitations on their clinical applicability. Here, we introduce spherical MXenes as a novel class of biocompatible nanomaterials, and demonstrate applicability of Ti3C2 nanospheres for photothermal therapy (PTT) of breast cancer. The Ti3C2 nanospheres were prepared by femtosecond laser fragmentation of MXene powder and retained the crystallinity and internal optical properties of the parent material. The nanoparticles have characteristic light absorption both in the NIR-I and NIR-II windows, with a superior photothermal conversion efficiency of 68% and 63% under 808-nm and 1064-nm laser irradiation, respectively. The Ti3C2 nanospheres did not induce photodynamic effects and demonstrated negligible toxicity in vitro in three different cell lines and in vivo in healthy mice. Under laser irradiation, the Ti3C2 nanospheres exhibit potent photothermal cytotoxicity as shown in cell monolayers, spheroids and a 4T1 murine tumor model. When employed for PTT, they significantly inhibit tumor growth and 1.4-fold prolong median survival of animals. These findings demonstrate biocompatibility and therapeutic potential of spherical MXenes for cancer management.

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased the demand for large-scale data storage, making hard disk drives (HDDs) indispensable in data centers due to their cost-effectiveness and stability. To support AI-driven data requirements, increasing the areal storage density is critical. However, this metric is increasingly constrained by the carbon overcoat (COC), the essential protective layer for magnetic media. Traditional diamond-like carbon (DLC) can no longer fulfill the stringent demands for ultrathin coatings and high thermal stability required by next-generation technologies like Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and bit-patterned media. Here, we introduce monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC) as a superior alternative. MAC is directly grown on the heterogeneous (Fe, Pt, SiO2) HDD surface at low temperatures (∼ 300°C), achieving an uniform 0.8 nm thickness across 2.5-inch disks. Despite its atomic thickness, MAC demonstrates high corrosion resistance and low roughness comparable to commercial 2.5 nm COCs. Its fully amorphous, sp2-hybridized structure ensures excellent thermal stability under HAMR-like conditions (∼450°C) and a low friction coefficient, enabling potential lubricant-free operation. Replacing traditional COCs with MAC facilitates the development of HDD media capable of achieving 10 Tb/in2, addressing the urgent storage demands of the digital era.

The high-yield, low-quality issue in the mainstream ball milling production process of silicon-carbon anodes is a major barrier hindering the commercialization of silicon-based batteries. Utilizing biomedical Microjet technology, this research aimed to produce high-quality multilayer graphene in a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way, in conjunction with the ball milling process for silicon-based anode production to overcome its challenges. By utilizing Microjet-assisted ball milling, the graphene-supported carbon-coated silicon anode (Gr/Si@C) was synthesized. The amorphous carbon shell and graphene framework synergistically reduce Si volume expansion, prevent electrolyte decomposition, control Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) growth, and improve Li-ion migration. Compared to Si@C without graphene support as filler in a single ball milling process, Gr/Si@C demonstrated an initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 92.97% and 1622 mAh g−1 at 1/3C (∼0.7A g−1), indicating a 17% increase in -ICE and a 48% increase in capacity. The NCM811//(Gr/Si@C) pouch cell delivered 7.0 mAh cm−2 of areal capacity and 310 Wh kg−1 of energy density, outperforming -certain commercial batteries. This innovative cross-disciplinary approach not only addresses the problem of high-yield, low-quality ball-milled silicon carbon anodes inexpensively, but it also leads the way in applying biomedical Microjet technology to cost-effective graphene.

Bacterial adhesion to biomaterials/tissues can lead to inevitable infection, inflammation, and even death, posing a serious threat to human health. An in-depth understanding of interactions between bacteria and biomaterial surfaces could provide effective strategies for inhibiting bacterial adhesion. Adhesion behavior can be quantified using adhesion forces measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. Although AFM-based force spectroscopy has been applied to investigate bacterial adhesion, the effect of biomaterials (including metals, ceramics, polymers, and cells) and surface modifications (including patterning and coating) on bacterial adhesion forces has not been systematically summarized. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in bacterial adhesion on biomaterials, focusing on the use of AFM-based force spectroscopy with bacterial probes. Surface topography on metals and ceramics reduces the contact area and inhibits bacterial adhesion. Coatings and chemical modifications on ceramic surfaces can either inhibit or promote bacterial adhesion, depending on the surface properties. The discussion about the bacterial adhesion on different biomaterial surfaces would benefit the inhibition of adhesion and the rational surface design for enhanced antibacterial properties. Statement of Significance The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance has led to increased interest in developing antibacterial materials with tailored surface properties. A critical aspect of understanding bacterial adhesion on surfaces is quantifying bacterial adhesion forces, often using atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. While numerous studies have explored how biomaterials and surface modifications influence bacterial adhesion, a systematic review focusing on the nanomechanical aspects of adhesion forces is lacking. Here, a broad overview of the state-of-the-art research addresses this gap by summarizing the influence of biomaterials and surface modifications on bacterial adhesion forces in the context of AFM-based force spectroscopy. It will be of interest to researchers designing more effective antimicrobial materials and surfaces.

Pristine mono- or few-layer graphene lacks a permanent dipole due to its centrosymmetric lattice, making ferroelectricity unlikely. However, ABCB tetralayer, the simplest mixed-stacked graphene, breaks both inversion and mirror symmetry, thus exhibiting intrinsic out-of-plane polarization arising from asymmetric charge carrier distribution across its layers. We report robust ferroelectric behavior in ABCB tetralayer graphene encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride, in the moiré-less limit. The device exhibits pronounced hysteresis in resistance under both top and bottom gate modulation, with the effect persisting up to room temperature. This hysteresis originates from reversible layer-polarized charge reordering, driven by gate-induced transitions between ABCB and BCBA stacking configurations. Our findings establish stacking-order-induced symmetry breaking as a fundamental route to ferroelectricity and open pathways for nonvolatile memory applications.

The miniaturization of photonic circuits is impeded by the difficulty of combining active nonlinear frequency conversion with passive subdiffractional light guiding. Here, we establish a rhombohedral 3R-polytype of MoS2 (3R-MoS2) as a multifunctional platform resolving this challenge. Unlike its centrosymmetric 2H counterpart, 3R-MoS2 preserves broken inversion symmetry in the bulk, enabling scalable second-order nonlinearity. Challenging the assumption of identical linear properties between polytypes, we reveal that 3R-MoS2 not only possesses a giant optical anisotropy similar to 2H, but also exceeds it. By determining the full dielectric tensor, we demonstrate that this anisotropy enables extreme skin-depth (e-skid) waveguides capable of subdiffractional light confinement, achieving mode sizes nearly 20% below the diffraction limit. Furthermore, we harness the combination of our measured giant in-plane refractive index and high optical nonlinearity to tune the Fabry-Pérot (FP) resonator and enhance second-harmonic (SH) generation at a given wavelength, yielding an effective nonlinear response of 1.2 nm/V. These findings bridge the gap between active and passive functionalities, positioning 3R-MoS2 as a solution for high-density multifunctional nanophotonic integration.

The integration of metals into two-dimensional material architectures is essential for next-generation electronics, but their high surface energy intrinsically favors three-dimensional island growth, hindering the scalable fabrication of continuous, atomically-thin metallic layers. While recent advances have yielded freestanding 2D metals like goldene, their technological integration remains constrained by limited dimensions. Here we resolve this fundamental thermodynamic challenge by merging template stripping with a graphene-inspired transfer method to produce 6-inch wafer-scale, continuous, and transferable gold films with thicknesses approaching the atomic limit. These ultrathin gold films exhibit atomic smoothness with a root-mean-square roughness below 0.4 nm and possess near-bulk electronic properties, yielding exceptional optoelectronic performance with optical transmittance above 86% and sheet resistance below 20 Ω/□. The adhesion-free nature of the films enables their versatile integration into various devices, which we demonstrate with flexible organic light-emitting diodes, effective thermal camouflage, and conformal epidermal sensors that achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of ≈15 dB for electrocardiogram and ≈70 dB for electromyogram monitoring, superior to that of clinical gel electrodes. The suggested approach establishes a universal and scalable route for integrating atomically-thin metals into complex heterostructures and functional systems.

Synthesis of robust, functional membranes is hindered by the lack of spatial control in conventional bulk-phase reactions, which offer limited regulation over network structure and nanoscale uniformity. Here we report a nanoconfinement strategy to fabricate membranes where polymerization occurs within sub-2-nm channels that act as spatially defined reaction compartments. The nanoconfined space governs nanoscale alignment and network packing, producing high-density poly(epoxy) membranes (1.51 g cm-3), 37% denser than their non-confined analogue (1.10 g cm-3) and exceeding typical polymers. The resulting materials combine high tensile strength (119.9 MPa), flexibility (100,000 bending cycles) and broad solvent resistance, unifying properties that are difficult to achieve simultaneously. We further demonstrate that producing high-density membrane matrices facilitates selective ion transport, as shown by as-fabricated positively charged poly(ammonium) membranes, which outperform state-of-the-art counterparts in terms of mechanical strength, OH- conductivity and selectivity against small neutral molecules. This work demonstrates nanomaterials as spatially confined reactors to govern polymer architecture and function, while also offering fundamental insights into structure regulation under nanoconfinement.

Materials discovery is fundamental to advance next-generation technologies as well as for sustainable and circular economy. Beyond computational screening, generative models are efficient at finding materials with desired properties, via multi-modal learning using multiscale data. This perspective examines the landscape of generative design for inorganic materials and discusses the integration of multi-modal learning with high-throughput experimental validation. We contextualize these challenges through the lens of a generative design framework as a unified approach to address the data-driven inverse design of functional materials. The central idea of the framework is constructed around a foundation AI model for inorganic materials interlinked deeply with various property databases and high-throughput experiments via a machine learning driven closed loop, which enables the framework to solve key challenges in functional materials. We argue that domain-specific implementations of such integrated workflows represent a promising pathway toward the unresolved challenge of data-driven inverse design for atom-engineered inorganic functional materials.

Highly confined phonon polaritons enable strong light-matter interactions that tailor incandescent heat sources for enhanced thermal emission in both the near- and far-field regimes. However, single polar dielectric materials are limited in both the emission spectral range and achievable mode confinement. In this study, we employ a bilayer structure comprising monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) integrated with silicon dioxide (SiO2) to exploit confined phonon polariton modes across a broadened energy spectrum. The distinct, nonoverlapping Reststrahlen bands of h-BN and SiO2 provide multiple spectral channels for polaritonic enhancement, improving far-field emission. We report a 3.4-fold enhancement in emissivity with the addition of h-BN to a SiO2 nanoribbon. We identify the confined modes within the Reststrahlen bands with numerical modeling, revealing the enhancement mechanism. This effect is verified with direct thermal measurements by using a thermal bridge method, yielding a peak emissivity of 0.6. This work offers insights into engineering broad-band polaritonic thermal emitters.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), composed of metal nodes coordinated with organic ligands, have emerged as a versatile class of functional materials for next‐generation smart textile systems. Their high surface area, tunable pore chemistry, and modular structural diversity enable multifunctional textile platforms. When integrated into textile substrates, MOFs can retain the properties, breathability, and comfort of fabrics while imparting advanced functionalities significant for sensing, environmental protection, biomedical interfaces, and energy‐related applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in MOF‐integrated smart textiles, focusing on material design principles, integration strategies, and application‐driven performance. Key fabrication approaches including surface coating, in situ growth, post‐synthetic modification, hydrothermal assembly, and emerging printing techniques such as inkjet and electrohydrodynamic jet are critically examined with respect to scalability, durability, and textile compatibility. Representative applications spanning gas and chemical sensing, detoxification, antimicrobial and biomedical functions, energy harvesting, and flexible energy storage are systematically discussed. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities are outlined, highlighting pathways toward scalable, durable, and application‐oriented MOF‐based smart textiles for real‐world applications.

ABSTRACT Inverse design of functional materials—using target performance to guide optimal parameters—provides a powerful alternative to traditional forward methods, especially for complex, high‐dimensional problems. Advances in machine learning (ML) enhance its feasibility through fast surrogate modeling, efficient design‐space exploration, and direct mapping from desired properties to material solutions. This review presents a unified overview of ML‐driven inverse design methodologies, covering topology optimization, direct inverse mapping, and hybrid frameworks. We analyze key ML models, optimization algorithms, and adaptive schemes that tackle challenges including data scarcity and coupled physical constraints. Focusing on diverse functional materials, we highlight and illustrate how ML‐based inverse design is accelerating innovation across diverse classes of materials by rapid generation of microstructures and geometries tailored to specific functionalities, including mechanical and architected materials, acoustic and thermal metamaterials, optical materials, energy functional materials, biomedical and chemical materials. Finally, we outline key challenges and future directions toward autonomous, physics‐integrated, and generative pipelines for advanced functional materials. This review aims to provide a unified foundation for ML‐based inverse design and to guide the development of intelligent discovery pipelines for advanced materials.

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE), occurring in materials with broken time-reversal symmetry, epitomizes the intricate interplay between magnetic order and orbital motions of electrons[1-4]. In two dimensional (2D) systems, AHE is always coupled with out-of-plane orbital magnetization associated in-plane chiral orbital motions. In three dimensional (3D) systems, carriers can tunnel or scatter along the third dimension within the vertical mean free path lz. When sample thickness far exceeds lz, scattering disrupts coherent out-of-plane motion, making 3D AHE effectively a thickness-averaged 2D counterpart[4]- still governed by out-of-plane orbital magnetization arising from in-plane orbital motions. Here, we explore an uncharted regime where the sample thickness is much larger than the atomic layer thickness yet smaller than or comparable to lz. In such "transdimensional" regime, carriers can sustain coherent orbital motions both within and out of the 2D plane, leading to a fundamentally new type of AHE that couples both out-of-plane and in-plane orbital magnetizations. We report the first observation of such phenomenon- transdimensional AHE (TDAHE)- in electrostatically gated rhombohedral ennealayer graphene. This state emerges from a peculiar metallic phase that spontaneously breaks time-reversal, mirror and rotational symmetries driven by electron-electron interactions. Such TDAHE manifests as concurrent out-of-plane and in-plane Hall resistance hysteresis, controlled by external magnetic fields along either direction. Our findings unveils a new class of AHE, opening an unexplored paradigm for correlated and topological physics in transdimensional systems.

Metal-free carbon materials are important electrocatalysts for two-electron oxygen reduction toward H 2 O 2 production owing to their low cost, good conductivity and tunable surface chemistry. Herein, we report flash Joule heating (FJH)-engineered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for selective H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis. FJH induces partial wall exfoliation and structural reconstruction of MWCNTs, enabling the simultaneous regulation of oxygen-containing defects, edge site exposure and graphitic conductivity. The sample treated at 1200 °C (denoted as MWCNTs-1200) preserves abundant oxygen-containing defects while exposing additional edge sites through partial wall exfoliation, providing a balanced structure for efficient 2e - ORR. MWCNTs-1200 delivers an H 2 O 2 production rate of 10.57 mol g cat -1 h -1 at 200 mA cm -2 with a Faradaic efficiency of 85%, and maintains stable operation for 10 h at 100 mA cm -2 , with the Faradaic efficiency decreasing only moderately from 94.6% to 82.2%. This work highlights FJH as an effective strategy to regulate CNT structure for efficient H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), along with their ternary derivatives, have attracted considerable attention mostly due to pronounced excitonic resonances emerging in visible (Vis) and near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions, enabling strong light-matter interaction. Nevertheless, a comprehensive insight of the temperature-dependent optical dispersions for the most of representatives of the family remains yet unrevealed. Here, we report on systematic studies of dielectric permittivity functions of uniaxial ternary MoSSe and WSSe across 430-1000 nm spectral region over a broad temperature window of 80-670 K. We show that the temperature evolution of their dielectric responses is governed by Varshni's formalism in Vis spectral region further affecting their high refractive index properties at the lossless NIR spectral tails. Furthermore, we exploit the measured optical dispersion of ternary WSSe designing ultrathin plano-convex NIR photonic lenses that demonstrate continuous modulation of performance with temperature variation. Our work provides critical insights for the creation of next-generation thermo-driven nanophotonic and optoelectronic devices.

ABSTRACT Thermoelectric materials, long explored for energy harvesting and thermal sensing, convert heat directly into electrical signals. Extending their application to the terahertz (THz) frequency range opens opportunities for low‐noise, bias‐free THz detection, yet conventional thermoelectrics lack the sensitivity required for practical devices. Thermoelectric coefficients can be strongly enhanced near van Hove singularities (VHS), though these are usually difficult to access in conventional materials. Here it is shown that moiré band engineering unlocks these singularities for THz optoelectronics. Using graphene and bilayer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) moiré heterostructures as a model system, a pronounced enhancement of the THz photothermoelectric response is observed when the Fermi level is tuned to band‐structure singularities. Applying a relatively small magnetic field further boosts the response through the THz‐driven Nernst effect, a transverse thermoelectric current driven by the THz‐induced temperature gradient. These results establish moiré superlattices as a versatile platform for THz thermoelectricity and highlight engineered band structures as a route to high‐performance THz optoelectronic devices.