A research team from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with collaborators, has introduced a “kinetic decoupling–recoupling” strategy that converts polyethylene into ethylene and propylene with a yield of up to 79%—more than triple that of conventional processes—without noble metals or external hydrogen. The two-stage, tandem-catalysis route offers a practical closed-loop solution for plastic recycling. Researchers leveraged large-scale scientific facilities in Huairou Science City, including high-field nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy, to elucidate the fine structure of active catalytic sites, clarify bond-activation mechanisms, and boost catalyst stability. The findings appear in Nature Chemical Engineering.

Source: Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

To clarify the physical characteristics of asymmetric changes in tropical-cyclone size, a team led by Chen Guanghua at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, CAS focused on vertical wind shear—the key environmental factor. Combining statistical analysis with high-resolution numerical experiments run on the Earth System Numerical Simulator Facility (EarthLab) in Huairou Science City, they systematically examined how varying shear intensities influence the asymmetric expansion or contraction of cyclones. The results, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres and Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, deepen our understanding of cyclone-size dynamics and provide guidance for improving intensity-size forecasts.

Source: Earth System Numerical Simulator Facility

Groups led by Qu Jing and Liu Guanghui at the Institute of Zoology, CAS have identified lamins as the master builders behind the “genomic Lego” model of human stem cells. By systematically mapping the 3-D epigenomic landscape in the absence of the entire lamin family, the teams demonstrate that lamins not only anchor chromatin to the nuclear envelope and shape large-scale genome topology, but also fine-tune the spatial positioning and clustering of nuclear speckles via direct interactions with speckle proteins. The findings offer fresh insight into the pathogenesis of laminopathies and are reported in Cell Reports.

Source: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

A joint CAS team has officially released Panshi V1.5, the latest upgrade of the integrated research platform first launched on 26 July. Version 1.5 strengthens the core capabilities of the Panshi Scientific Foundation Large Model and the Panshi Literature Compass, and introduces two new scientific agents—Panshi·Innovation Evaluator and Panshi·Agent Factory—making the ecosystem still more powerful. The platform has already driven breakthroughs in astrophysics, materials synthesis, and mechanical engineering.

Source: Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Researchers from the Institute of Physics, CAS / Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, together with collaborators, have grown Bi?O?Se films with single-unit-cell precision by molecular-beam epitaxy. Self-modulation doping injects electrons that render the films metallic in-plane, while weak interlayer electrostatic interactions preserve an out-of-plane ferroelectric state near the insulating limit. The work breaks the thickness ceiling for 2-D ferroelectrics, supplies a new material platform for atomic-scale ferroelectric devices, and demonstrates the coexistence of in-plane metallicity and out-of-plane ferroelectricity—advances critical for multifunctional nanoelectronics. Results appear in Nano Letters.

Source: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences