SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3630-2
This study demonstrates a dual-interface engineering approach for performance enhancement in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. By applying ethylenediamine dihydroiodide (EDAI2) to simultaneously modify both top and bottom interfaces of wide-bandgap perovskite layers, we achieve synergistic defect suppression and charge transport optimization. Time-resolved photoluminescence characterization reveals extended carrier lifetimes and improved spatial homogeneity in dual-modified perovskite films. The optimized single-junction wide-bandgap (>1.66 eV) perovskite solar cells attain a champion efficiency of 22.75% with enhanced operational stability. Implemented in perovskite-silicon tandem configuration, the devices achieve over 31% power conversion efficiency, validating the effectiveness of organic ligand-mediated dual-interface engineering in regulating carrier dynamics and advancing perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3728-5
Biological intelligence achieves exceptional energy efficiency and environmental adaptability, exemplified by the human brain's ~20 W resting power consumption. A key strategy is the use of multi-ions as signal carriers for transduction and processing. Iontronics, employing ions instead of electrons, offer a promising route to low-energy, heat-dissipation-free devices for memory, sensing, and neuromorphic computing. However, conventional iontronics require external voltage bias to drive ion motion, complicating miniaturization and integration. Here, we highlight a recent breakthrough by Guo et al. reporting a bias-free iontronic memory sensor ('memsensor') that operates by controlling surface ion migration. The device couples vanadium dioxide (VO2) with a low-work-function indium (In) patch. Upon immersion in NaCl solution, In3+ ions generated electrochemically within the Debye length are driven by the intrinsic surface electric field to diffuse into the VO2 surface, inducing an insulator-to-metal phase transition and a measurable, non-volatile change in surface conductance. This conductance state correlates with NaCl concentration and can be reversibly restored by H2O2 treatment. The memsensor emulates the gustatory plasticity of C. elegans, mimicking the response dynamics of ASEL and ASER neurons. In a proof-of-concept, a model boat equipped with the memsensor exhibits adaptive chemotaxis: after 'starvation' training in high NaCl concentration, it avoids high-concentration zones; conversely, after training in low concentration, it migrates toward high-concentration zones. This work demonstrates a bias-free strategy for programmable memory and sensing, potentially advancing autonomous microsystems and bioinspired electronics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3772-y
Conformal contact between functional electronic films and biological surfaces is critical for long-term device stability, high signal sensitivity, and favorable signal-to-noise ratio. Traditional transfer methods, such as soft stamps and pad printing, often involve mechanical pressing, leading to poor conformality, localized stress concentration, or structural failure. Alternative strategies, including geometric engineering of non-stretchable materials or using stretchable organic alternatives, mitigate these issues but increase design complexity and reduce fabrication efficiency. Here, we highlight a novel 'drop-printing' strategy introduced by Li et al. that leverages capillary force to manipulate a water droplet to pick up a thin film, transfer it to a target substrate, and print it onto the surface. As the droplet evaporates, the film conformally wraps the surface. The droplet acts as a lubricating layer, while interfacial liquid penetrating microstructures generates capillary pressure, facilitating shape-adaptive deformation and significantly reducing stress concentration. The final positioning and conformality are governed by droplet behavior on the target surface. This approach achieves positional deviation of less than 20 μm via regulation of three-phase contact lines. The strategy enables damage-free conformal wrapping of non-stretchable films onto three-dimensional biological surfaces, as demonstrated by drop-printed silicon microfilm conformally wrapping on a rat brain, with successful NIR laser stimulation triggering forelimb movement and synchronized brain electrophysiological signals. This gentle, high-precision method addresses the pressing need for low-stress conformal bioelectronics, offering a general solution for diverse biological interfaces.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010302
Cadmium (Cd) contamination of agricultural soils poses significant economic and health risks. While extensive research has focused on Cd accumulation in staple crops like rice, data on oilseed crops remain scarce, hindering safety assessments of edible oils and oilseed meals. This study investigated Cd accumulation and translocation in rapeseed (Brassica napus) grown in You County, Hunan Province, a region severely contaminated with Cd. Rhizosphere soil and plant tissues (roots, stems, seeds) were collected and analyzed for Cd concentrations. Results showed that approximately 71% of rhizosphere soil samples exceeded the agricultural soil pollution risk screening value for Cd, indicating high ecological risk. Cd concentrations in roots and stems were (0.49 ± 0.39) mg·kg⁻¹ and (0.54 ± 0.31) mg·kg⁻¹, respectively, comparable to or higher than soil Cd levels (0.51 ± 0.31) mg·kg⁻¹, with elevated bioaccumulation and translocation factors. This suggests that improper disposal of rapeseed roots and stems, such as returning them to fields or burning, could lead to secondary Cd pollution. In contrast, Cd bioaccumulation and translocation factors in seeds were less than 1, and Cd concentrations in seeds, oil, and oilseed meals were relatively low. Comparative analysis with sesame, camellia oleifera, and peanut indicated that rapeseed-derived oil and meal contain lower Cd levels, positioning rapeseed as a promising low-Cd-accumulating edible oil crop for cultivation in Cd-contaminated areas.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010608
This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of 27 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface water and sediment of the Fuchun River, a tributary of the Qiantang River Basin. Surface water samples were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Total PFAS concentrations (∑PFAS) in surface water ranged from 30.04 to 105.26 ng/L, with mean and median values of 59.64 ng/L and 51.43 ng/L, respectively. The dominant compounds were perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA). Concentrations generally decreased from upstream to downstream, consistent with previous studies. Notably, GenX levels were significantly elevated compared to earlier reports. In sediment, ∑PFAS concentrations ranged from not detected (ND) to 0.59 ng/g dry weight, with mean and median values of 0.14 ng/g and 0.11 ng/g, respectively. PFOA and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were the primary sediment contaminants. Source apportionment indicated that industrial wastewater discharge and sewage treatment plant effluents were the main sources of PFAS in the river. Risk assessment using risk quotients suggested low ecological risks to aquatic organisms for most detected PFAS. However, the presence of short-chain and novel PFAS warrants further investigation due to potential unknown risks.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3822-y
Precise control over supramolecular chirality and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is achieved through fluorene-content engineering of alkylated fluorene-quinoxaline copolymers. By systematically varying the fluorene ratio, three polymers (F8QX, F8QX-II, F8QX-III) are synthesized and co-assembled with a chiral inducer (R/S-5011). Thermal annealing induces highly ordered, crosslinked superstructures with strong chiroptical activity, where the dissymmetry factor (g_lum) decreases with increasing fluorene content. The optimal system, (F8QX)0.7-(R/S-5011)0.3, achieves a high |g_lum| of 0.52. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that lower fluorene ratios facilitate tighter π–π stacking and more efficient chirality amplification. This system further serves as an excellent host for a narrowband multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter (DBN-ICZ) via Förster resonance energy transfer, yielding ternary co-assemblies with narrowband green emission (FWHM = 25 nm) and strong CPL with g_lum of 0.43. Circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs) based on (F8QX)0.7-(R/S-5011)0.3-(DBN-ICZ)0.005 exhibit yellow circularly polarized electroluminescence with |g_EL| value of 0.12. This work provides a comprehensive strategy integrating molecular design, hierarchical assembly, and energy transfer toward high-performance chiral optoelectronic materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3904-6
Disrupting calcium ions (Ca2+) homeostasis to induce calcium overloading has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer therapy. However, calcium overloading based on exogenous calcium salts (such as calcium carbonate and calcium peroxide) can easily lead to off-target Ca2+ release, causing severe side effects such as hypercalcemia and cardiac or renal dysfunction. This review explores the calcium-free nanomaterials for mediating targeted calcium dysregulation in tumors. These nanomaterials function not by carrying Ca2+ but by precisely regulating endogenous calcium signaling pathways. They promote massive Ca2+ influx through targeted activation of calcium channels and/or inhibit Ca2+ efflux by suppressing pumps, effectively triggering intracellular calcium accumulation. Such a strategy efficiently induces mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and immunogenic cell death, thereby inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis while potentiating antitumor immunity. We systematically summarize the design principles, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic applications of these calcium-free nanoplatforms, highlighting their potential to overcome the limitations of traditional therapies and boost ion-interference-based cancer treatment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3957-y
Developing circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs) that simultaneously achieve a high electroluminescence dissymmetry factor (g_EL) and a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) remains a central challenge in polarized optoelectronics. Here, we report a general composite strategy for constructing full-color CP-OLEDs by integrating a 5CB-based chiral nematic liquid crystal (N*-LC) layer with OLEDs based on achiral emitters. The resulting CP-OLEDs exhibit both high polarization purity and high electroluminescence efficiency, with |g_EL| values of up to 1.9, EQEs reaching 26.9%, and Q-factors as high as 0.48. Notably, contrary to the conventional assumption that N*-LC integration causes severe optical losses (>50%) due to Bragg reflection, the EQE of the devices is preserved mainly in this composite architecture. This behavior is attributed to an internal photon-recycling process enabled by the reflection of light within the device structure. To the best of our knowledge, these CP-OLEDs represent the highest comprehensive performance reported to date. Furthermore, the practical utility of these high-performance devices is demonstrated through the encryption and decryption of information based on circularly polarized electroluminescence.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3861-4
Multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters are pivotal for achieving high color purity and 100% internal quantum efficiency in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, extending emission to the red region (>600 nm) remains challenging due to limited MR cores and the synthetic complexity of fused-ring extensions. Here, we report a novel strategy that breaks the fused ring by employing a linear conjugated diene linker between nitrogen and carbonyl moieties, enabling simultaneous introduction of three MR units in one step with high yield. Two emitters, NF-CON1 and NF-CON2, exhibit pure-red emission at 620 nm with narrow full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) below 35 nm in dilute toluene, small Stokes shifts of 26 nm, and weak solvatochromic shifts (~25 nm from toluene to ethanol), confirming the MR-characteristic short-range charge transfer. The emitters show low reorganization energies (0.209 eV for NF-CON1 and 0.194 eV for NF-CON2), singlet-triplet energy gaps of ~0.2 eV, and high reverse intersystem crossing rates of ~3.0×10^5 s^-1. In doped films with m-MTDATA, delayed lifetimes of 31–40 μs are achieved. These properties, combined with high oscillator strengths, ensure efficient RISC and high IQE. The facile synthesis and solution-processability of this MR-TADF skeleton address the bottlenecks of cost and scalability, offering a promising route for practical pure-red OLEDs.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025041405
Microplastics, as a class of emerging environmental contaminants, pose global concerns due to their potential ecological and human health impacts. Accurate identification and quantification of microplastics in environmental matrices are essential for assessing their environmental fate and ecological risks. Pyrolysis-based analytical methods, which decompose macromolecules into smaller fragments followed by gas chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric detection, offer high sensitivity and accuracy, making them significant for microplastic analysis. Despite these advantages, their application remains nascent, with limited comprehensive understanding of their applicability across diverse environmental media. This review systematically compares three pyrolysis-based techniques—pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), and thermal extraction-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS)—for microplastic detection in various matrices. The effectiveness of each method is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and matrix compatibility. Critical challenges, including lack of standardized protocols, complex sample pretreatment requirements, and limitations in quantifying mixtures, are identified. Future research directions emphasize the need for standardization, optimization of pretreatment for complex matrices, and integration with complementary techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to enhance comprehensive microplastic characterization. This review provides a critical framework for selecting appropriate pyrolysis-based methods and highlights areas requiring further methodological development.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4059-3
Deuterium (D2) is indispensable for isotope tracing, neutron scattering, and fusion reactions, yet its separation from hydrogen (H2) remains challenging due to their nearly identical physicochemical properties. Adsorptive separation exploiting the kinetic quantum sieving (KQS) effect at cryogenic temperatures offers a promising route, but demands precise pore engineering. Here, we report a biomass-derived carbon molecular sieve that permits rapid D2 transport while imposing a significant diffusion barrier for H2, enabling effective separation from D2/H2 mixtures. The molecular sieving micropores are generated by transforming cellulose components into slit-type carbon micropores, with lignin acting as a pore-size modifier. At 77 K, the diffusion rate of D2 is 1.8 times that of H2, leading to a D2 concentration in the recovered gas approximately 10% higher than that achieved with conventional microporous carbons. Aspen adsorption simulations demonstrate that D2 can be enriched to 90.1% from a 1.0% D2/H2 mixture within 12 successive cycles following a two-bed cryogenic pressure swing adsorption process. These findings advance the development of effective adsorbents for kinetic D2/H2 separation, offering a sustainable, low-cost route to deuterium enrichment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4056-1
Nanoparticle-based therapeutics have been intensively explored for tumor treatment. However, developing convenient and specific strategies that do not rely on exogenous energy-guided activation remains challenging. Herein, an ion-exchange-driven chemodynamic therapy is proposed based on the TME K+-mediated cation exchangeability of layered ferrous silicates (LFSs). LFSs were prepared by a facile "in situ 3D-to-2D structural transformation" strategy through valence bond transition from SiO–H–OSi to Fe–O, providing extensive convenience compared to conventional exfoliation methods. The structure-activity relationship and mechanism between surrounding TME ions and the cation exchange behavior of LFSs were revealed by both experimental investigation of the cation-exchange process and DFT calculations of the adsorption hydration behavior. As a result, the interlayered Fe ions were selectively and preferentially exchanged by TME K+ rather than surrounding TME Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, or Cl−, thereafter activating specific Fenton reaction together with TME H+, H2O2, and glutathione, demonstrating highly precise catalytic therapeutic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. This study proposes an original tumor-specific therapy modality with high precision and safety through taking advantage of ionic exchangeability of layered silicate, and provides enlightenment to reverse the TME K+ disorder.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4096-7
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanomaterials exhibit exceptional properties but suffer from severe aggregation due to undesirable surface characteristics, limiting their application in polymer nanocomposites. Existing covalent functionalization methods often compromise between time efficiency, energy consumption, and structural integrity. This study presents a rapid, room-temperature catalytic grafting strategy using tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C6F5)3) to functionalize h-BN nanoflakes bearing edge hydroxyl groups. The reaction between B–OH groups and activated Si–H bonds of hydrosilanes proceeds under mild conditions, preserving the structural integrity of h-BN. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the catalytic feasibility and elucidate two possible reaction pathways: backside-attack and flank-attack mechanisms. The modified h-BN exhibits significantly improved dispersibility in low-polarity solvents and tunable surface properties. This efficient method offers a versatile platform for h-BN surface engineering, facilitating broader practical applications.