SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4279-0
Inkjet printing has emerged as a viable additive manufacturing route for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), offering drop-on-demand patterning, high material utilization, and compatibility with large-area flexible substrates. This review critically examines the formulation science, printhead physics, and drying kinetics that govern the quality of inkjet-printed organic layers. We analyze the rheological window required for stable jetting, typically 1–20 mPa·s viscosity and 25–45 mN/m surface tension, and the dimensionless Ohnesorge number (0.1 < Z < 1) that defines satellite-free droplet formation. The coffee-ring effect, driven by capillary flow and solvent evaporation gradients, remains the dominant failure mode for pixel non-uniformity; binary solvent systems and substrate temperature control (40–60 °C) mitigate this. We survey recent progress in printed hole-transport, emissive, and electron-transport layers, with particular attention to cross-linkable hole-transport materials that resist interlayer dissolution. Device performance metrics from printed OLEDs now reach external quantum efficiencies of 15–20% for fluorescent emitters and >25% for phosphorescent systems, with operating lifetimes (T95) exceeding 1,000 hours at 1,000 cd/m². We identify remaining bottlenecks: nozzle clogging from aggregated nanoparticles, film thickness variation across large panels, and the absence of standardized ink formulations. The review concludes with a roadmap for industrial adoption, emphasizing in-line metrology and closed-loop process control as prerequisites for yield parity with vacuum-deposited OLEDs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3694-3
Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) are among the most promising candidates for next-generation batteries with high energy density. However, their practical application is hindered by persistent challenges such as dendritic lithium growth, unstable solid electrolyte interphases (SEI), and poor Coulombic efficiency. Surface coating has emerged as a viable solution to address these limitations. In particular, atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) techniques offer unparalleled control over the fabrication of ultrathin, conformal coatings, making them especially suitable for stabilizing LMA interfaces. This review comprehensively summarizes recent progress in applying ALD and MLD methodologies to construct durable artificial interphases on LMAs. We discuss the underlying mechanisms through which these coatings inhibit dendrite formation, improve interfacial integrity, and facilitate uniform lithium-ion transport. The roles of inorganic ALD coatings, organic MLD coatings, and their organic–inorganic hybrids are systematically examined, with a focus on their chemical composition, deposition behavior, and electrochemical characteristics. Moreover, we highlight the enhanced performance achieved through the integration of ALD/MLD-engineered interfaces in full-cell systems. The review concludes with a discussion of current challenges and potential research avenues aimed at advancing the rational development of effective LMA protection strategies. Overall, this work offers valuable insights into the role of interfacial engineering via ALD and MLD in enabling the practical deployment of lithium metal batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3748-9
Direct regeneration is a sustainable solution for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), yet the irregular strains induced by the irreversible FePO4 phase after cycling hinder Li+ replenishment in spent LiFePO4 cathodes. This study proposes a lattice stress modulation strategy that reduces FePO4 to Fe2P2O7, reducing unit cell volume from 271.7 to 122.6 Å3, releasing residual stress and reconstructing continuous Li+ transport channels. The phase transformation reconstructs FeO6 octahedra, lowering the migration energy barrier for ions. This synergistically weakens steric effects, facilitating Li+ replenishment and eliminating Li-Fe anti-site defects. Regenerated LiFePO4 cathodes achieve 80.2% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 2C, outperforming commercial cathodes. The work establishes fundamental principles for the pre-treatment stage of direct regeneration and provides a paradigm-shifting solution for sustainable LIB recycling.
The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12034/j.issn.1009-606X.226111
Efficient capture of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is critical for climate change mitigation and resource recovery. In this study, two guanidinium-based hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) with pyridyl nitrogen site isomerism, namely G-5,5'-BPyDC and G-4,4'-BPyDC, were constructed using 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid and 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid as ligands. The effects of ligand structure on hydrogen-bonded network, pore environment, and N2O/N2 adsorption separation performance were systematically investigated via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and gas adsorption experiments. Both frameworks are built via N-H...O hydrogen bonds. The asymmetric unit of G-5,5'-BPyDC contains two methanol molecules, resulting in larger free volume and surface area compared to G-4,4'-BPyDC, which exhibits more compact packing. Both materials show decomposition temperatures above 290°C, indicating good thermal stability. Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the total contribution of O-H/H-O and N-H/H-N hydrogen bonds in G-5,5'-BPyDC (32.0%) is higher than that in G-4,4'-BPyDC (29.7%). At 25°C and 4.0 MPa, the N2O adsorption capacity of G-5,5'-BPyDC is 2.32 mmol/g, surpassing that of G-4,4'-BPyDC (2.02 mmol/g). IAST calculations show that the selectivities of G-5,5'-BPyDC for N2O/N2 (50:50 and 10:90) mixtures reach 29.26 and 111.32, respectively, significantly superior to those of G-4,4'-BPyDC (6.61 and 17.03). Pyridyl nitrogen site isomerism effectively optimizes N2O/N2 adsorption and separation by modulating pore polarity and hydrogen-bonded network, offering a new strategy for isomer design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3786-8
Conventional cancer diagnostic techniques, such as tissue sampling and microscopy, are invasive and prone to misdiagnosis, driving the need for non-invasive, precise alternatives. Chiral biophotonics, exploiting circularly polarized light (CPL), offers unique polarization-selective interactions with biological tissues, enabling higher imaging contrast and molecular-level discrimination. However, current CPL detection technologies are passive and single-mode, lacking dynamic tunability and parallel processing capabilities. Meanwhile, AI-assisted diagnostics rely on separated sensing and computing units, suffering from poor integration and transmission inefficiency. Here, we report a near-infrared (NIR) chiral organic synaptic photodiode with electrically tunable dual-mode operation, enabling simultaneous CPL detection and neuromorphic processing. Under negative bias, the device operates as a highly sensitive CPL detector for chiroptical signal acquisition. Under positive bias, it exhibits history-dependent synaptic behavior with photocurrent dissymmetry factor (g_ph) dynamically tunable up to -0.06. By integrating this device into an optical convolutional neural network (OCNN), we achieved intelligent cancer detection with CPL-based imaging. Experimental results demonstrate that CPL detection accuracy reaches 83%, approaching the theoretical 87%, significantly outperforming natural light detection at 65%. The device enhances image contrast and feature extraction, laying a foundation for intelligent, adaptive diagnostic systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3742-5
Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (NLCEs) exhibit excellent mechanical properties and diverse deformation modes, while cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) as photonic crystals (PCs) possess superior optical performance and intelligent response characteristics. Combining these two elastomers into a monolithic material is a challenging yet promising endeavor. Here, we designed and synthesized a new diselenide-bonded molecule (DSeAc), whose lower bond energy between selenium atoms endows it with excellent bond exchange ability. Consequently, two LCE matrices containing DSeAc molecules can achieve seamless bonding under mild conditions via dynamic diselenide bond exchange. By integrating a CLCE film and an NLCE actuator into a monolithic film, we enable the integration of two functional components, whose functional characteristics can be tailored as required. This function block combination strategy offers a promising pathway for developing smart materials with complex functions, showing great potential in information storage, anti-counterfeiting, and biomimetics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-024-2798-5
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (NO3−RR) offers a dual solution for wastewater remediation and ambient ammonia synthesis, yet the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and sluggish eight-electron transfer limit Faradaic efficiency (FE) and yield. This study reports lanthanum-doped Co3O4 nanowire arrays on carbon cloth (La-Co3O4/CC) that achieve an NH3 FE of 96.36% and a yield of 537.44 μmol h−1 cm−2, markedly surpassing undoped Co3O4 (87.78%, 279.4 μmol h−1 cm−2). Density functional theory calculations reveal that La doping induces electron deficiency at Co sites, enhancing NO3− adsorption and optimizing hydrogenation energetics. A Zn–NO3− battery incorporating La-Co3O4/CC delivers a peak power density of 9.86 mW cm−2, demonstrating viable energy recovery. The catalyst maintains structural integrity over 24 h of continuous operation with negligible performance decay. This work establishes rare-earth doping as a rational strategy to overcome the intrinsic limitations of Co3O4 in nitrate electroreduction, providing a scalable pathway for decentralized ammonia production and nitrate removal.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3349-2
Oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) catalysts are pivotal for the selective electroreduction of CO2 to multi-carbon (C2+) products, yet the reconstruction pathways that dictate active facet formation remain inadequately resolved. This study introduces a 'framework-dissolution' strategy to modulate the Cu–O geometric coordination in precursor oxides by incorporating inert elements, thereby directing the reconstruction process. In situ X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy reveal that distinct Cu–O coordination environments—specifically tetrahedral versus octahedral—govern the evolution of OD-Cu facets. Tetrahedral coordination yields a dominant Cu(200) facet, whereas octahedral coordination favors Cu(111). The OD-Cu t catalyst, enriched in (200) facets, achieves a Faradaic efficiency for C2+ products (FEC2+) of 75.1% at a partial current density of −187.8 mA cm−2, significantly outperforming its (111)-dominated counterpart. Density functional theory calculations attribute this enhancement to the lower energy barrier for C–C coupling on the (200) surface. These findings establish a direct correlation between precursor coordination geometry and catalytic performance, offering a rational design principle for high-efficiency CO2 reduction catalysts.