Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ offers a sustainable route for producing fuels and chemicals. Pd-based catalysts are effective for converting CO₂ into formate at low overpotentials and CO/H₂ at high overpotentials, while undergoing poorly understood morphology and phase structure transformations under reaction conditions that impact performance. Herein, in-situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy and select area diffraction measurements are applied to track the morphology and Pd/PdH_x phase interconversion under reaction conditions as a function of electrode potential. These studies identify the degradation mechanisms, including poisoning and physical structure changes, occurring in PdH_x/Pd electrodes. Constant potential density functional theory calculations are used to probe the reaction mechanisms occurring on the PdH_x structures observed under reaction conditions. Microkinetic modeling reveals that the intercalation of *H into Pd is essential for formate production. However, the change in electrochemical CO₂ conversion selectivity away from formate and towards CO/H₂ at increasing overpotentials is due to electrode potential dependent changes in the reaction energetics and not a consequence of morphology or phase structure changes.

One of the most important goals of condensed matter physics is materials by design, i.e. the ability to reliably predict and design materials with a set of desired properties. A striking example is the deterministic enhancement of the superconducting properties of materials. Recent experiments have demonstrated that the metamaterial approach is capable of achieving this goal, such as tripling the critical temperature T_C in Al-Al₂O₃ epsilon near zero (ENZ) core-shell metamaterial superconductors. Here, we demonstrate that an Al/Al₂O₃ hyperbolic metamaterial geometry is capable of a similar T_C enhancement, while having superior transport and magnetic properties compared to the core-shell metamaterial superconductors.

Developing novel antimicrobials capable of controlling multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is essential to restrict the use of antibiotics. Bacteriophages (phages) constitute a major resource that can be harnessed as an alternative to traditional antimicrobial therapies. Phage ZCSE2 was isolated among several others from raw sewage but was distinguished by broad-spectrum activity against Salmonella serovars considered pathogenic to humans and animals. Lytic profiles of ZCSE2 against a panel of Salmonella were determined together with low temperature activity and pH stability. The morphological features of the phage and host infection processes were characterized using a combination of transmission electron and atomic force microscopies. Whole genome sequencing of ZCSE2 produced a complete DNA sequence of 53,965 bp. No known virulence genes were identified in the sequence data, making ZCSE2 a good candidate for phage-mediated biological control purposes. ZCSE2 was further tested against S. Enteritidis in liquid culture and was observed to reduce the target bacterium to below the limits of detection from initial concentrations of 10⁷–10⁸ Colony Forming Units (CFU)/mL. With a broad host-range against pathogenic Salmonella serovars, phage ZCSE2 constitutes a potential tool against a major cause of human and animal disease.