SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4428-0
Passive radiative thermal management is reframed as a device-level engineering problem for thermoelectric generators (TEGs) rather than a spectral-material optimization exercise. The surface temperature difference (ΔT) generated by photothermal (PT) absorbers and passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) emitters is not equivalent to the effective junction ΔT that drives carrier transport under load; parasitic heat leakage, contact thermal/electrical resistance at electrodes and interfaces, and nonuniform heat spreading systematically degrade the usable gradient. Spectral selectivity sets the upper bound of attainable ΔT, while module architecture, interfacial resistance, and heat-transfer path matching determine whether that bound is preserved as continuous electrical output. The Perspective identifies a critical metrology gap: most reports cite surface ΔT or peak open-circuit voltage without reporting the ΔT-transfer ratio under load, obscuring where thermal losses occur. Because both open-circuit voltage and internal electrical resistance vary with ΔT, external load must be dynamically matched across day-night and weather cycles; night-time reversal of heat-flow direction through the PDRC/PT stack necessitates DC polarity-conversion circuitry, and compact energy storage must buffer intermittent output. The authors argue that fill-factor reduction can preserve junction ΔT by raising thermal resistance but simultaneously increases electrical resistance and suppresses current. Credible assessment criteria are proposed: outdoor 24 h energy density, load-matched power, day-night continuity, and cycle-to-cycle repeatability, rather than peak voltage alone. Near-term deployment targets building-envelope sensors, structural-health monitors, wearables, and distributed IoT nodes where wiring or battery replacement dominates lifetime cost.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3579-8
Metal sulfides such as CdS are promising for solar-driven H2O2 production but suffer from rapid charge recombination and severe photocorrosion. This study introduces a dual-functional strategy synergizing sulfur vacancy (Sv) engineering and polydopamine (PDA) coating to overcome these limitations. Sv-CdS nanorods were hydrothermally synthesized with tunable vacancy concentrations, followed by in-situ PDA deposition to construct a direct Z-scheme heterojunction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the introduction of S vacancies reduces the work function of CdS, facilitating energy level alignment with PDA and enabling efficient electron transfer from CdS to PDA. By tuning the concentration of S vacancies, the charge transfer efficiency can be maximized. As a result, the photocatalytic H2O2 production rate reaches 2539.5 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible light, and further increases to 4395.5 μmol g−1 h−1 after PDA encapsulation—15.6 times higher than that of pristine CdS. Concurrently, PDA enhances O2 adsorption and protects Sv-CdS from photocorrosion. Sv-CdS@PDA exhibited superior photostability compared to Sv-CdS after three consecutive photocatalytic cycles. Mechanistic studies suggest that the Z-scheme heterojunction effectively separates electron-hole pairs: electrons in the conduction band of CdS reduce O2 to ·O2−, which is subsequently converted to H2O2, while holes in the valence band of Sv-CdS oxidize water to replenish O2. This work provides fundamental insights into engineering charge transfer and stability in sulfide-based photocatalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3798-x
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colorectal mucosa, where conventional enema therapies suffer from poor retention and limited inflammation modulation. Here, we report a highly fluid probiotic-containing enema solution (s-BSA-Fe+EcN) integrating bovine serum albumin (BSA), Fe2+, and probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN). The solution's high fluidity enables comprehensive coverage of irregular colorectal mucosa. Upon encountering reactive oxygen species (ROS)-rich inflamed lesions, Fe2+ mediates H2O2 scavenging and hydroxyl radical generation, triggering BSA crosslinking and in situ gelation into a conformal hydrogel (h-BSA-Fe+EcN). This targeted adhesion mitigates oxidative damage to host tissues and preserves probiotic viability. In a porcine model, endoscopic imaging confirmed inflammation-targeted gelation in vivo. In a dextran sulfate sodium-induced mouse colitis model, h-BSA-Fe+EcN demonstrated excellent therapeutic efficacy, reducing disease activity index and restoring colonic architecture. This strategy addresses the dual challenges of fluid perfusion and rapid ROS-responsive gelation, offering an advanced transanal treatment for UC.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60635-4
A Cu-based carbon catalyst (H-Cu/C) with octahedral morphology was synthesized by pyrolyzing the metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor HKUST-1 under inert N2 atmosphere. Characterization via XPS, XRD, SEM, and HRTEM revealed that Cu(0) nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in a carbon matrix, with island-like Cu2O structures serving as active sites. The carbon matrix effectively stabilized the metal nanoparticles, suppressing migration and sintering during reaction. Combined with TEMPO and using molecular oxygen as a green oxidant, the H-Cu/C catalyst exhibited high efficiency in the selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols to corresponding aldehydes under alkali-free conditions. Using benzyl alcohol as a model substrate, an alcohol conversion of 99.2% and a benzaldehyde yield of 94.1% were achieved under mild conditions (100 °C, 0.5 MPa O2, 1 h). The catalytic system demonstrated excellent universality for various mono- and ortho/para-disubstituted aromatic alcohols, affording conversions over 99% and aldehyde yields above 95%. The catalyst could be regenerated via H2 reduction and reused without significant loss of activity. This work provides a new strategy for designing green and efficient non-noble metal catalytic systems for oxidation reactions.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60651-2
Carbohydrates, derived from abundant biomass resources, hold great promise for conversion into fine platform chemicals and fuels, which is crucial for sustainable development. The processes for carbohydrate conversion are predominantly driven by catalysis, with active components such as Brønsted acids and Lewis acids. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the catalytic conversion of various carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides) into high-value-added compounds. It elaborates on the specific pathways and mechanisms involved in reactions like hydrolysis, isomerization, and dehydration for target molecules such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, and furfural. Furthermore, the subsequent derivatization of these platform compounds and their application prospects in energy-related fields, including bio-fuels and batteries, are discussed. Finally, the current challenges in research are summarized, and future directions for the development of low-cost and high-performance catalytic systems are outlined.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3328-5
The recent synthesis of millimeter-sized hexagonal diamond (HD)-dominated bulk from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at ~30 GPa and 1400 °C by Liu, Yao and co-workers represents a significant advance in superhard materials. The bulk exhibits a highly oriented microstructure, yielding an anisotropic Vickers hardness of up to 155 GPa, exceeding natural cubic diamond by over 40%. However, the proposed direct transformation mechanism from post-graphite to HD remains contentious. First-principles calculations indicate that C–C bond formation between graphite layers requires interlayer spacing below 2.5 Å, yet synchrotron X-ray diffraction shows that at 30 GPa (and even 50 GPa) the interlayer spacing is substantially larger. This discrepancy challenges the direct phase transformation pathway. An alternative mechanism involving coherent gradia interface formation and subsequent interface advance, previously established for graphite-to-diamond conversion, offers a more plausible explanation. Furthermore, achieving high HD volume fractions necessitates low synthesis temperatures, which impede sintering of large-angle grain boundaries between diamond grains, compromising toughness—particularly impact toughness. Future efforts must prioritize advanced sintering techniques, such as high-pressure flash sintering, to meet practical toughness demands. This commentary assesses the breakthrough, its unresolved mechanistic questions, and the critical barriers to industrial deployment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3701-1
Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on N2200 donor-acceptor copolymer were fabricated with top-gate bottom-contact architecture. Parametric optimization revealed that a channel length of 150 μm enhances current density while maintaining leakage control. Optimal N2200/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) concentration ratio of 7/100 mg/mL and annealing at 80 °C for 3 h improved crystallinity and interfacial properties, yielding stable electrical performance. A dataset of 719 experimental data points, surpassing typical TCAD-generated datasets, was used to train convolutional neural network (CNN), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and random forest (RF) models. The CNN achieved R² > 0.9 for all metrics, with R² Vth = 0.95 and R² SS = 0.96. A novel CNN-particle swarm optimization (PSO)-BP hybrid architecture further reduced mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) by 15.7% and 14.9% for Vth, 10% and 9% for lg(Ion/Ioff), and 13.5% and 9.5% for SS, respectively. Residual analysis showed that the CNN-PSO-BP model produced the most compact residual distribution, effectively mitigating overfitting and underfitting. This machine learning framework enables autonomous extraction of physical characteristics without predefined formulas, offering a robust pathway for high-throughput device performance tuning.