Prof. AN Qizheng | Publications & Academic Profile | SinoGreenTech

Research Publications & English Decoded Briefs

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SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3698-5

Identifying the Surface Dynamic Evolution of Electrocatalysts during Oxygen Evolution Reaction by In Situ Techniques

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical bottleneck in next-generation sustainable energy systems due to its sluggish kinetics. Developing cost-effective, high-efficiency electrocatalysts requires understanding the dynamic structural evolution at electrode-electrolyte interfaces under operating conditions. In situ techniques are invaluable for identifying active centers and monitoring key intermediates. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in cutting-edge in situ methods for characterizing OER electrocatalyst structure evolution. It provides a brief overview of active motifs and robust structures using multiple in situ correlative techniques, establishing essential structure-performance relationships and updating mechanistic understanding at atomic scale under realistic conditions. Key challenges and perspectives are highlighted to promote rational design of promising electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen-associated electrocatalysis and electrosynthesis.

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SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3595-7

Short-lived TADF-Cu(I) complex for red OLEDs with EQE max of 25.9% and <2% roll-off at 10,000 cd m−2

Cu(I) complexes exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) have emerged as promising alternatives to noble-metal-based emitters for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the development of red-emitting Cu(I) complexes has been hindered by slow radiative decay and fast nonradiative decay. In this study, a linear two-coordinate Cu(I) complex, ICuTMC, was designed and synthesized. By pairing a pyrazine-fused N-heterocyclic carbene and a tetra-methylcarbazolyl ligand, a strong ligand-to-ligand charge transfer excited state is generated. Single-crystal structure authenticates close intramolecular C–H···Cu contacts, providing good steric shielding to the metal center. C–H···π interactions between ligands are also revealed. The complex exhibits highly efficient red TADF with emission maximum at 622 nm, photoluminescence quantum yield of 76%, and short delayed fluorescence lifetime of 0.24 μs. This is enabled by a large oscillator strength from the coplanar donor-Cu-acceptor conformation, a small singlet-triplet energy gap from spatial separation of frontier molecular orbitals, and strong spin-orbit coupling from the metal center. Vacuum-deposited OLEDs based on ICuTMC achieve a peak external quantum efficiency of 25.9% and a significantly small roll-off of 1.9% at 10,000 cd m−2. These performances demonstrate a way to overcome the energy gap law for linear coinage metal complexes toward red OLEDs.

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SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3527-x

Spatial Heteroatom Modulates Electron Itinerancy of Spinel Lattice for Accelerated Oxygen Catalysis

Heteroatom occupancy is pivotal for modulating specific material regions by introducing foreign elements into the host matrix, yet its spatial dimension remains underexplored. We introduce a 'satellite atom-spinel crystal' concept by synthesizing model catalysts with Fe atoms positioned at two distinct spatial locations of spinel Co3O4: satellite-Fe at Co3O4 (Fe(Sat)-Co3O4) and Fe-doped Co3O4 (Co3Fe(In)O4). Multidimensional in situ spectroscopies reveal that Fe(Sat)-Co3O4 overcomes the crystal field potential energy (FeSat–O > FeSat–O–CoOh) and exhibits 1% (Fe atom) lower impedance than Co3Fe(In)O4 due to a resistance-free electron delocalization layer formed in Fe(Sat)-Co3O4. This results in tens of times increase in turnover frequency and mass activity, and a 120 mV reduction in overpotential for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction compared to Co3Fe(In)O4. Density functional theory calculations dynamically elucidate the mechanisms governing electron itinerancy modulation. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of heteroatomic spatial positioning on material properties and significantly expands our understanding of atomic manipulation.

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