Browse Articles

Dyotropic Rearrangement of Hypervalent Iodine Species: Migrative Heterofunctionalization of Quaternary Carbons

ABSTRACT Phenonium intermediates are almost universally invoked to account for 1,2‐aryl migration processes in reactions that exploit in situ‐generated hypervalent iodine(III) leaving groups. Here, we demonstrate that such transformations can instead proceed through a previously unrecognized 1,2‐C/I(III) dyotropic rearrangement, which represents a fundamentally different mechanistic manifold in iodine(III) chemistry. Treatment of ethyl 2‐alkyl‐2‐aryl‐3‐iodopropanoates with Selectfluor and Py·9HF enables migratory aryl fluorination across a C(sp 3 )─C(sp 3 ) bond, installing fluorine regioselectively at the ester Cα position. The same dyotropic logic extends to migratory acyloxy arylation and alkoxy arylation reactions using hypervalent iodine reagents in combination with carboxylic acids or alcohols, respectively, and proceeds with inversion of absolute configuration at the Cα stereocenter. Although a phenonium intermediate is well‐established for many systems, this study demonstrates that a dyotropic rearrangement pathway can be energetically favored, offering a distinct rationale for the observed reaction outcome.

Pre‐Crosslinking via MOFs With Coordinatively Unsaturated Metal Sites for Fabricating Macroporous Hydrogels Toward Efficient Atmospheric Water Harvesting

ABSTRACT Freshwater scarcity is a global crisis, and sorbent‐based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) offers location‐independent water supply, yet developing fast‐kinetic adsorbents remains challenging. In this study, we report an MOF pre‐crosslinking strategy using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with unsaturated metal sites to prepare macroporous hydrogels. This strategy alleviates slow water diffusion induced by dense polymer chain stacking in traditional hydrogels. The obtained MOF pre‐crosslinked macroporous hydrogels (MPMHs) use MOF particles as cross‐linking nodes to construct interconnected macroporous networks, whose hydrophilic nanochannels facilitate rapid water transport inside cross‐linking domains. Compared with conventional hygroscopic salt hydrogel composites (HSHCs), MPMMHs exhibit greatly improved sorption–desorption kinetics and superior SAWH performance. MPMH‐101 attains 96% of its saturated water uptake (0.83 g g −1 ) within 30 min at 25°C and 30% RH, desorbs 70% stored water within 20 min at 70°C, and retains stable performance over 50 cycles. It delivers a water yield of 14.50 g g −1 day −1 at 30% RH and 9.70 g g −1 day −1 in outdoor tests which is 2.4 times higher than that of HSHCs. Moreover, this strategy is versatile to various water stable MOFs (MOF‐808(Zr), UiO‐66(Zr)), and polymers low methoxyl pectin (LMP), providing a potential solution for designing next‐generation SAWH adsorbents.

Giant Compressed Mo Blue Wheel {Mo ₁₁₈ }: A Molecular Photothermal Agent for High‐Effective NIR‐II Chemo‐Photothermal Therapy

ABSTRACT The rational construction of well‐defined polyoxometalate (POM)‐based second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) molecular photothermal agents (PTAs) and the elucidation of their structure‐activity relationships are crucial, but remain unresolved. Herein, we report a decameric molybdenum blue (MB) wheel {Mo 118 }, comprising a {Mo 112 } wheel capped by two {(SO 4 )Mo 3 } units, where compression of the giant ring arises from {Mo 1 *} units and distinct coordination modes of corner‐sharing {Mo 2 } units. As a rare structurally well‐defined POM‐based molecular PTA that exhibit photothermal conversion performance under NIR‐II region, {Mo 118 } features extensive delocalization of 28 Mo 4 d electrons within its framework, which endows it with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 50.8%, substantially outperforming that of the classical MB‐based analogue {Mo 154 } PTA. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy further elucidates that a more rapid non‐radiative relaxation process in {Mo 118 } underpins its enhanced photothermal performance. By encapsulating {Mo 118 } into a dual‐responsive hydrogel via electrostatic interactions, a biocompatible system was constructed that affords photothermal‐triggered chemo‐photothermal therapy, demonstrating potent antitumor activity against 4T1 tumors both in vitro and in vivo. This work not only provides critical insights into the relationship between the electronic structure of POMs and their photothermal properties, but also establishes a new paradigm for the rational design of next‐generation molecular cluster‐based PTAs.

Unlocking the Distance Effect on CO ₂ Electroreduction to Multi‐Carbon Products via Monolayer Model Catalysts

ABSTRACT The interaction between adjacent active sites significantly influences electrocatalytic performance, for example, CO 2 electroreduction (CO 2 RR), yet quantifying this effect experimentally remains challenging due to the difficulty in precisely controlling inter‐site distances. Here, we construct a monolayer model catalyst using Cu‐coordinated porphyrins with well‐defined Cu–N 4 sites on Au(111). The distance between Cu centers is regulated at the sub‐nanometer level by modifying molecular ligands and aggregation states, and is directly measured by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This adjustable spacing critically determines the selectivity toward multi‐carbon products in CO 2 RR. When Cu sites are spaced 0.98 nm apart,a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 6.1% for C 2 H 4 is achieved. Increasing the inter‐distance of Cu sites to 1.50 nm dramatically reduces C 2 H 4 FE to 1.2%. At larger separations of 1.63 nm and 1.74 nm, C─C coupling is almost completely suppressed, and C 2 H 4 production becomes negligible. These results provide direct experimental evidence of the distance effect in CO 2 electroreduction, and precisely identify, for the first time, the distance between Cu sites capable of facilitating C─C coupling process. This study establishes a molecular‐level platform for probing fundamental mechanisms in electrocatalysis.

Structural Water‐Enabled Helicity Emergence From an Asymmetric Achiral Molecule

ABSTRACT Helical supramolecular architectures are ubiquitous in nature yet remain challenging to construct from asymmetric achiral molecules. Here, we demonstrate that structural water acts as a symmetry‐breaking and frustration‐generating element in artificial self‐assembly. Using an asymmetric achiral naphthalene derivative ( N1 ) as a model system, we show that trace water fundamentally redirects its assembly pathway. In the presence of structural water, N1 forms racemic P/M helical fibers, whereas only non‐helical aggregates are obtained under anhydrous conditions or with control molecules lacking sufficient hydrogen‐bonding capability. Single‐crystal x‐ray analysis reveals that each water molecule functions as a tetravalent hydrogen‐bonding node, bridging four N1 molecules into a nonplanar C 2 ‐symmetric tetramer. This water‐centered motif introduces geometric incompatibility with optimal π–π stacking, generating packing frustration that is relieved through hierarchical helical twisting. The hydrogen‐bonding network can be reversibly modulated by acid–base stimuli, enabling interconversion between helical and non‐helical morphologies. Moreover, the resulting helices can be biased into homochiral states by chiral aromatic amino acids, revealing a water‐gated chirality transfer mechanism that is absent under anhydrous conditions. This work extends design principles for supramolecular helicity beyond conventional symmetric monomers and highlights the role of structural water in controlling complex self‐assembly pathways.

Component Self‐Initiated Photopolymerization for Gel Polymer Electrolytes in Zinc–Air Batteries

ABSTRACT Flexible zinc–air batteries (FZABs) require gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) to ensure ionic transport, interfacial stability, and mechanical flexibility, yet their development is limited by trade‐offs among mechanical robustness, low‐temperature tolerance, and fabrication efficiency. Herein, a component self‐initiated photopolymerization strategy is developed to achieve rapid gelation within minutes under visible‐light irradiation without external initiators, providing an efficient route for fabricating high‐performance GPEs. Within a proton‐rich microenvironment, sodium citrate (SC) undergoes proton‐coupled electron transfer to generate radicals that initiate the copolymerization of vinyl monomers within a sodium alginate (SA) matrix, forming a double‐network hydrogel (AAS x ‐SA). Additionally, SC induces network densification via the Hofmeister effect and modulates electrochemical properties, resulting in mechanically robust, dendrite‐suppressing, and freeze‐resistant GPEs. Consequently, the optimized AAS25‐SA‐GPE exhibits an ionic conductivity of 109 mS·cm −1 at −40°C and a freezing point of −69.1°C, enabling stable operation of the AAS25‐SA‐based FZAB for over 4220 cycles at −40°C. This work establishes an electrolyte design strategy in which a single electrolyte component integrates photoinitiation, structural construction, and electrochemical regulation, transforming electrolyte additives into active building blocks.

Asymmetric Tellurium‐Bonding Catalysis for Mannich Reaction

ABSTRACT Chalcogen‐bonding catalysis has recently emerged as a powerful tool in organocatalysis. Nevertheless, its application in asymmetric transformations remains largely unexplored, primarily due to the scarcity of efficient chiral chalcogen‐bond donors. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of a series of chiral tellurium‐bonding catalysts based on an axially chiral 1,1′‐spirobiindane scaffold. Taking advantage of the highly directional and strongly polarizable tellurium‐centered donors along with a well‐defined C 2 ‐symmetric chiral environment, these catalysts enable cooperative bifunctional activation of substrates. Under optimized conditions, the asymmetric Mannich reaction of isatin imines with dicyanoolefins proceeds smoothly to afford a broad range of products in good to excellent yields with high enantioselectivities. Mechanistic studies support a dual chalcogen‐bonding activation mode involving cooperative interactions between the two tellurium centers and the isatin imine substrate. This work constitutes a seminal contribution to asymmetric catalysis enabled by chalcogen bonding and offers a new platform for the development of chiral tellurium‐bonding catalysts and related enantioselective transformations.

Allosterically Controlled Capture of Mutually Repulsive Guests With Positive Cooperativity and Ultrahigh Affinity

ABSTRACT A hexacationic cage incorporating three urea units can encapsulate two mutually repulsive anions in close proximity through a combination of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. This leads to exceptionally high binding affinities, with a K 1 × K 2 value of approximately 10 20 M ‒2 in MeCN‐ d 3 , for pairs of Cl ‒ or F ‒ anions. In its unbound state, the cage adopts a collapsed conformation stabilized by intramolecular interactions. These interactions are disrupted upon binding of the first anion guest, inducing an unfolded conformation that facilitates the binding of the second guest. Consequently, despite repulsion, the second Cl ‒ anion binds more strongly than the first by three orders of magnitude. This work presents a straightforward strategy for mimicking biological allosteric regulation and offers insights into the underlying physicochemical principles. The strong halide binding enables several applications. The cage can extract F ‒ from CaF 2 , suggesting a route to utilize fluorine from fluorspar for fluorochemical synthesis that bypasses the generation of hazardous HF. Furthermore, the cage can extract Cl ‒ or Br ‒ anions from organic halides, thereby stabilizing the corresponding carbocations and accelerating reactions involving these intermediates. In addition, the high affinity of the cage for halide anions released from fire suppressants provides for corrosion resistance.

Synthesis, Structure, and Photothermal Conversion of a Bowl‐Shaped Nanographene Containing Fused 5‐/7‐Ring Pairs

ABSTRACT Incorporation of non‐hexagonal topologies into bowl‐shaped nanographenes offers opportunities for tailoring their electronic properties and supramolecular behavior, however synthesis of such curved systems remains challenging. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of a bowl‐shaped nanographene ( TAT ) embedded with three circularly fused pentagon–heptagon (5/7) pairs via a three‐fold intramolecular Heck reaction. Its concave geometry is verified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectrometry, and x‐ray crystallography. Variable‐temperature 1 H NMR studies reveal a low bowl‐to‐bowl inversion barrier of 13.5 ± 1.3 kcal·mol −1 , enabling its fast dynamic motion even at room temperature. UV‐ vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry demonstrate a narrow energy gap, reflecting its highly delocalized π‐conjugation system. The concave geometry of TAT allows it to co‐assemble with fullerenes, forming a 2:1 complex with C 60 as confirmed by single‐crystal x‐ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveals its ultrafast nonradiative excited‐state deactivation process. Benefiting from this photophysical behavior, water‐soluble nanoparticles of TAT encapsulated in an amphiphilic polymer achieve a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 41%. This work establishes a bottom‐up strategy for synthesizing an unprecedented bowl‐shaped nanographene and provides insights into its intrinsic optoelectronic, supramolecular properties, and photothermal conversion potentials.

Degradable Alternating Copolymers With Strained Cyclobutane Backbones via Photocontrolled RAFT Polymerization

ABSTRACT In this study, we report a reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) alternating copolymerization of 1,3‐disubstituted bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes (BCBs) with maleimides, maleic anhydride, or bio‐based fumarate derivatives, affording a class of well‐defined copolymers with strained cyclobutane backbones. Under visible‐light irradiation, a chain transfer agent (CTA)‐mediated photoiniferter process delivers BCB‐derived copolymers with a high degree of alternation, tunable molecular weights, and excellent end‐group fidelity. Our design leverages electronically and sterically tuned BCB monomers bearing an aryl substituent at one bridgehead and an electron‐withdrawing group at the other, facilitating precise control over radical reactivity and selective cross‐propagation. The resulting polymers exhibit high thermal stability with decomposition temperature up to 429°C, yet undergo highly efficient degradation under mechanical stimulation.

Regulating Solvation Chemistry via Strongly Coordinating Anion and Weakly Solvating Cosolvent for Low‐Temperature Sodium Metal Batteries

ABSTRACT Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) hold great promise for next‐generation energy storage systems due to their abundant sodium resources, high theoretical specific capacity, and low redox potential. However, they suffer from rapid capacity degradation at low operating temperatures, which inevitably hinders their practical application. In this work, we employ a strongly coordinating anion and a weakly solvating cosolvent to fabricate anion‐rich and varied solvation structures, aiming to enhance the low‐temperature electrochemical performance of SMBs. This unique solvation configuration efficiently reduces the Na + desolvation energy barrier, alleviates concentration polarization, accelerates liquid‐phase ion transport, and facilitates the in‐situ formation of a stable, highly ion‐conductive electrode‐electrolyte interphase. Benefiting from the synergistic regulation of interfacial stability and ion transport kinetics, dendrite‐free sodium deposition is achieved at −20°C, enabling stable cycling for over 500 h at 0.5 mA cm −2 and 0.5 mAh cm −2 . Additionally, the assembled SMBs exhibit excellent rate performance and cycling stability, delivering a high capacity retention of 70.54% and 68.28% after 1000 cycles at −20°C and −40°C, respectively. This work provides a novel perspective for the rational design of advanced electrolytes for high‐performance low‐temperature SMBs and lays a solid foundation for their practical application in cold environments.

Cr‐Leaching Induced Vacancy Engineering for High‐Performance Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

ABSTRACT Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) offers a compelling route to large‐scale green hydrogen production. However, developing catalysts that simultaneously combine high activity, long‐term durability, and stack‐level scalability remains a major challenge. Here, we report a magnetron‐sputtered NiFeCr 2 thin‐film catalyst that delivers 3 A cm − 2 at 1.77 V and 8.54 A cm − 2 at 2.10 V in an AEMWE membrane electrode assembly at 60°C, while maintaining stable operation at 2 A cm − 2 for 1798 h. Notably, the thin‐film catalyst was further assembled into a 15 × 100 cm 2 electrolyzer stack, delivering a peak power of 12.87 kW and validating its practical scalability. In situ spectroscopic characterization and electrochemical mechanistic studies reveal that electrochemical reconstruction induces partial Cr dissolution and the concomitant formation of active Ni/FeOOH phases, while confirming that NiFeCr 2 operates via a lattice‐oxygen‐mediated mechanism. Density functional theory calculations indicate Cr vacancies increase metal–oxygen covalency, strengthen adsorption of oxygenated intermediates, and lower free energy barriers for oxygen evolution reaction.

Heterocyclic Nanographenes Doped with Boron and Phosphorus: Post‐Phosphorization Synthesis, Excited‐State Dynamics and Ion‐Responsive Properties

ABSTRACT Incorporating more than one kind of heteroatom into polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is a powerful method for achieving diversiform heterocyclic structures and desirable physical properties. Herein, we disclose precise post‐phosphorization of conjugated organoboranes, which enables the successful synthesis of unprecedented boron‐/phosphorus‐codoped nanographenes. Two as‐obtained heterocyclic molecules, featuring boron atoms and phosphine oxide groups at the zigzag edges, show the curved C 42 B 2 P and C 42 B 2 P 2 frameworks, respectively, attributed to the structural distortion effects of the phosphorus‐containing hexagonal rings. They display intriguing properties, such as disturbed aromaticity, enhanced electron affinity, and enlarged energy gaps. Notably, the blue‐shifted stimulated emission and amplified spontaneous emission characteristics are observed, demonstrating not only the important effects of the boron atoms and phosphorus units but also their potential optical‐gain and lasing utility. Furthermore, the sulfuration reaction of the phosphorus center produced another heterocyclic derivative containing the phosphine sulfide units. Coordination of its boron atoms and phosphine sulfide groups with the fluoride and silver ions, respectively, is realized, indicating its uncommon dual ion‐responsive properties. This post‐phosphorization strategy, along with these findings, will inspire research of boron/phosphorus‐containing heterocycle chemistry and materials.

Polymer Composites of Ultra‐Small Nanoparticles: Coupled Dynamics for Synergistic Processability

ABSTRACT Ultra‐small nanoparticles (USNPs), characterized by fast dynamics, ultra‐small dimensions and dense surface functionalities, offer an underexplored yet powerful strategy to simultaneously modulate polymer behavior and NP assembly. Herein, we introduce a versatile materials design strategy based on USNP complexation to reprogram polymer chain dynamics and manipulate NP ordering. Using 1 nm metal oxide NP, H 3 PW 12 O 40 (PTA) complexed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), we show that USNPs induce anomalous viscosity reduction via chain collapse, enabling residual‐stress‐free film fabrication. The size of PTA, significantly smaller than the polymer coil dimensions, combined with strong attractive interactions to PVA chains, induces chain collapse in solution. Their ultrahigh surface area disrupts polymer crystallinity and forms humidity‐responsive supramolecular networks, demonstrating a humidity‑assisted proof‑of‑concept route for optical‑film orientation and fixation. Moreover, the energy barrier for USNP dynamics is substantially lower than that of colloidal NPs, allowing stretch‐induced orientation under uniaxial extension. In situ x‐ray scattering confirms unidirectional PTA orientation upon mechanical stretching, yielding promising birefringence (Δ n ≈ 0.018). This work establishes USNP complexation as a versatile strategy to simultaneously reprogram polymer processability and achieve precise NP ordering for functional devices.

Targeting m6A writer METTL3 with engineered nanovesicles reduces neuroinflammation in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Epigenetic editing, particularly N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification, represents a promising therapeutic strategy by silencing genes without altering DNA sequence. However, in vivo epigenetic intervention of neuroinflammation remains challenging and has rarely been explored. Here we developed a hybrid epigenetic nanomodulator, siMETTL3-hNVs, by integrating natural microglia-derived nanovesicles (NVs) with synthetic liposomes pre-loading small interfering RNA targeting the m 6 A writer methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3). Natural NVs enabled siMETTL3-hNVs to achieve inflamed-brain delivery through CCR2-CCL2 chemotaxis and caveolae-mediated transcytosis across the blood-brain barrier. More importantly, relying on abundant cytokine receptors on the NVs, siMETTL3-hNVs served as decoys to neutralize pro-inflammatory cytokines, synergizing with the intracellular silencing of METTL3 to drive microglial M2 repolarization. In female mouse models of acute neuroinflammation and radiation-induced brain injury, siMETTL3-hNVs treatment significantly reduced cytokine levels, attenuated hippocampal damage, and ameliorated cognitive deficits. This work overcomes critical delivery bottlenecks in m 6 A-based therapeutics and establishes a robust strategy for epigenetic reprogramming of neuroinflammation.

Discovery of a peripheral Myh11-expressing nucleus pulposus cell population demontrating therapeutic potential for disc degeneration

Thermoplastic modification of polycrystalline copper surface microstructure by nonmelting nanosecond laser pulses

Mechanisms of surface relief formation on bulk polycrystalline oxygen-free copper samples under single and multiple UV nanosecond laser pulses (355 nm, 10 ns) in air are investigated. The laser spot size ∼100 μm is several times larger than the average size ∼40 μm of crystal grains. Incident fluences are limited by ∼1 J/cm2 to avoid melting of copper. Confocal laser microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy are utilized to reveal the deformation processes leading to surface relief development. It is found that irradiation uncovers the grain boundaries on the exposed surface. Dislocation subboundaries and packets of nanoscale plates of deformation twins near the grain boundaries are observed in a subsurface layer of 20–100 nm thick. According to our theoretical analysis and simulations, the observed surface modification is caused by nonuniform plastic deformation of crystallites induced by nonmelting laser heating. Continuum modeling of such heating shows that the shockwave effects are negligible since the generated acoustic waves have a pressure of less than 100 atm. We demonstrate that the solid copper goes to the plastic deformation regime if the temperature rise exceeds ∼250 °C. Atomistic simulation of polycrystals reveals anisotropy of grain deformation and asynchronous plastic response due to their different stiffnesses depending on lattice orientation, as well as the residual stresses and growth of surface roughness after each heating–cooling cycle. The obtained results are important for understanding the physical mechanisms of surface degradation of copper mirrors under laser induced thermocycling.

Decoupling nonlinear programmability from resonance tuning in a spectrally stable graphene–GaN terahertz nanocavity

Electrically tunable graphene metasurfaces commonly rely on Fermi-level modulation to reshape plasmonic resonances, a process that inherently couples amplitude control to undesirable resonance-frequency shifts. This work introduces a mechanism to bypass this trade-off: field-programmed second-harmonic generation (SHG) within a spectrally stable graphene–GaN terahertz nanocavity. By applying a vertical DC field, we activate an effective second-order nonlinear response at the graphene–GaN interface through electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation. Crucially, the cavity-backed hybrid mode remains nearly invariant under bias, effectively decoupling the nonlinear source modulation from resonance-frequency tuning. Full-wave nonlinear simulations confirm electrically programmable SHG emission with minimal resonance pulling, stable near-field profiles, and multi-resonant SH spectra. This platform, leveraging multi-resonant enhancement from hybrid cavity-plasmon modes, provides a robust architecture for spectrally stable, active nonlinear terahertz metasurfaces.

Lanthanide ion electronic structure controls magnetic excitations in topological quantum ferrimagnets LnMn6Sn6 (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho)

The LnMn6Sn6 family of topological magnets is a promising platform for next-generation spintronic and magnonic technologies. However, the influence of the lanthanide ion (Ln3+) on the excited-state spin dynamics, or magnons, remains a critical knowledge gap. Here, we present the first comparative study of the magnetic dynamics in LnMn6Sn6 materials (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho) using Brillouin light scattering. Our findings reveal a direct correlation between the lanthanide ion’s intrinsic properties and the magnon behavior. We demonstrate that the magnon frequency in the absence of an applied magnetic field is primarily dictated by the strength of the lanthanide exchange coupling, as modeled by its relationship with the de Gennes factor. The response of the magnon to an applied field is influenced by material's gyromagnetic ratio and the overall anisotropy of the material, which are dictated by total angular momentum and the anisotropy of the lanthanide sublattice, respectively. These results establish that simple lanthanide substitution provides a powerful and predictable method for tuning magnon properties, enabling the rational design of materials for advanced technological applications.

Revealing nanoscale motion under photon limited coherent x-ray diffraction

Time-resolved coherent x-ray diffraction provides a powerful probe of nanoscale dynamics. Yet its extension beyond static imaging is constrained by photon exposure, background scattering, and instability of phase retrieval when individual diffraction frames are weak. Here, we demonstrate an in situ coherent x-ray diffraction approach that detects nanoscale motion even when frame-by-frame image reconstruction becomes unreliable. The method combines a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tensile platform, providing periodic mechanical actuation and time-resolved displacement readout, with coherent hard x-ray diffraction at a synchrotron nanoprobe. Using a self-assembled gold nanoparticle superlattice, we perform ptychography to obtain an experimentally calibrated complex probe and a high-resolution object. These serve as a reference for a probe-informed forward model that reproduces realistic diffraction movies under exposure-limited conditions, including photon-shot noise. We show that conventional frame-by-frame coherent diffraction imaging reconstructions are then dominated by reconstruction variability and scattering from nearby device features. To overcome these limitations, we use the measured MEMS displacement signal as an independent temporal reference and apply lock-in demodulation to the diffraction time series. This analysis isolates the periodic scattering response synchronized with the applied mechanical drive, while suppressing the large mean diffraction signal, slow drift, and broadband noise. As a result, nanoscale motion remains detectable as lock-in phase signatures even when individual diffraction frames cannot support stable retrieval of the whole lattice as an image. Our results establish this technique as a robust strategy for accessing periodic, drive-synchronized dynamics in exposure-limited coherent x-ray diffraction experiments, and guide future in situ studies of device-integrated nanomaterials.