Yunnan Normal University

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis faces significant challenges due to the kinetically sluggish four-electron oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are active for OER, however, the fundamental relationship between their electronic structure and catalytic performance remains ambiguous. This work investigates the electronic modulation of Ni sites in NiAl-LDH through strategic incorporation of s-block and d-block metal cations. A distinct volcano-shaped thermodynamic correlation emerges between the Ni valence states and OER activity upon metal substitution. Synergistic modification with Co and Fe (CoFeNiAl-LDH) optimally regulates the Ni d-band center position and oxidation states, which facilitates OH^- adsorption/desorption processes at the electrocatalyst-electrolyte interface, and lowers the energy barrier for the rate-determining *O → *OOH transition. When integrated CoFeNiAl-LDH in an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, it enables stable water splitting at 100 mA cm^-2 with a low cell voltage of 1.68 V. This work establishes a cation engineering paradigm for rational design of high-efficiency electrocatalysts through precise electronic structure manipulation.

Potato late blight, which is caused by Phytophthora infestans and was responsible for the Irish potato famine, remains a major threat to global food security¹. Most late-blight resistance (R) genes encode nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs), but many have been overcome by the rapid evolution of P. infestans². Deploying R genes through hybrid potato breeding^3-7 offers a promising solution to manage late blight. Here we construct a section-wide NLRome comprising 39,211 NLR genes from 31 wild and 21 cultivated potato genomes, representing Solanum section Petota, the tuber-bearing clade. This includes newly sequenced genomes of seven wild species with strong resistance to late blight. Phylogenomic analyses reveal asymmetric patterns of evolution that distinguish sensor and helper NLRs. Mining of the NLRome enabled us to clone Rpi-cph1, a homologue of which has previously been identified only in American black nightshade, and Rpi-cjm1, a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing NLR against late blight. We show that non-canonical NLR integrated domains are widespread in the NLRome. Tracing their evolutionary trajectory enabled us to identify Rpi-brk1, an R gene that perceives a P. infestans effector through its heavy-metal-associated (HMA) domain. We find that incorporating the HMA domain into the potato NLR R1 broadens its resistance spectrum, suggesting that a domain 'plug-in' strategy could be used to engineer disease resistance. These findings provide a paradigm for R-gene discovery through comparative and evolutionary genomics, and a strategy for R-gene engineering.

Juniperus coxii A. B. Jacks is a near threatened species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genomes of J. coxii, which was 127,588 bp in length, with a GC content of 35.1%. A total of 122 genes were annotated, including 82 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs, and no inverse repeats. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that J. coxii and J. pingii form a sister group, and were nested in the monophyletic clade of the genus Juniperus. The chloroplast genome of J.coxii will provide useful genetic resources for further evolutionary studies of the genus Juniperus.