SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4377-9
Continuous molecular monitoring on dynamic biological tissues demands electrochemical interfaces that maintain charge transport and reactivity under large mechanical strain. Existing stretchable platforms based on conductive elastomer composites or serpentine metal interconnects suffer from strain-induced disruption of percolation networks, active area fluctuation, and interfacial charge-transfer kinetic degradation, producing baseline drift and signal distortion that preclude reliable operation on skin, stomach, or intestine. Xu et al. (Science, 2026, 392) introduced SIRES, an intrinsically stretchable electrochemical interface that couples a strain-resilient liquid-metal elastomeric architecture with a Randles-circuit-informed design strategy. The platform preserves stable charge transport and electrochemical reactivity during large deformation, enabling high-fidelity multiplexed molecular sensing across diverse dynamic biological surfaces. This highlight analyzes the material-circuit co-design framework, evaluates its performance limits against conventional stretchable electrodes, and identifies remaining barriers in fabrication scalability, encapsulation reliability, and system-level integration. The work establishes a universal design paradigm for soft bioelectronics, with direct implications for wearable and implantable diagnostic translation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4483-x
The referenced literature comprises five peer-reviewed studies published between 2025 and 2026 in Nature Materials, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nature Communications, and Science China Materials. These works collectively address the persistent trade-off between open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Tao et al. (Nat Mater, 2026) demonstrate that narrow-bandgap nonfullerene acceptors engineered to exhibit low energetic disorder achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 21%, primarily by suppressing non-radiative recombination losses. Westbrook et al. (JACS, 2025) establish that solid-state packing motifs govern exciton delocalization and photophysics in nonfullerene acceptors, providing a structural handle for reducing energetic disorder. Jiang et al. (Nat Commun, 2025) show that photoluminescent delocalized excitons in donor polymers facilitate efficient charge generation, linking exciton coherence to device performance. Zhang et al. (Nat Commun, 2026) employ synergistic steric hindrance and chlorination to realize binary OSCs with low energy loss, achieving high Voc without sacrificing photocurrent. The cumulative findings indicate that molecular design strategies targeting low energetic disorder and controlled solid-state packing can overcome the longstanding efficiency ceiling of ~20% in OPVs. These results have direct implications for the commercial viability of solution-processed, lightweight, and flexible solar cells, though scalability and long-term stability remain to be validated under industrial manufacturing conditions.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4360-7
Polarization-sensitive photodetection is critical for advanced optical communication and imaging systems, yet conventional photodetectors suffer from low on-off ratios and limited polarization discrimination. Here, we report gate-tunable PdSe2/WSe2 van der Waals heterostructures that achieve ultrahigh light on-off ratio and polarization-sensitive photodetection. The heterostructure forms a type-II band alignment, enabling efficient charge separation and self-powered operation. By applying a gate voltage, the photoresponse can be modulated, achieving an on-off ratio exceeding 10^6 under illumination. The device exhibits a high responsivity of 1.2 A/W and a specific detectivity of 10^12 Jones at room temperature. Polarization-sensitive measurements reveal a linear dichroism ratio of 2.1 at 532 nm, attributed to the anisotropic crystal structure of PdSe2. The photodetector operates over a broad spectral range from visible to near-infrared (400-1000 nm) with fast response times (rise/fall < 100 μs). The gate-tunable capability allows dynamic control of the photocurrent, enabling adaptive sensing applications. These results demonstrate that PdSe2/WSe2 heterostructures are promising candidates for high-performance, polarization-sensitive photodetectors, offering a pathway for next-generation optoelectronic devices.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4206-6
Precise patterning of highly ordered organic semiconductor (OSC) thin-film arrays is critical for next-generation electronics. We report a ladder-like polysilsesquioxane (LPSQ) strategy to synthesize two functional analogs with tunable surface energies and robust dielectric properties. These LPSQ dielectrics, functionalized with alkyl or fluoroalkyl side chains, serve dual roles as gate insulators and patterning layers to guide blade-coating of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT). This approach yields highly aligned arrays suitable for three-dimensional integration in flexible electronics. Synergistic combination of dense LPSQ dielectric packing and aligned semiconductor domains leads to excellent organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) performance, achieving approximately four-fold improvement in field-effect mobility compared to conventional silicon oxide dielectrics. Patterned LPSQ dielectrics enable high-resolution C8-BTBT patterning on plastic substrates, supporting 4-inch-scale 3D integration of flexible logic circuits, including inverters (voltage gain >100), NOR gates, and NAND gates. This work provides a scalable route to high-performance, large-area flexible organic circuits.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4337-2
Silica aerogels are recognized as leading super-insulating materials due to their ultralow thermal conductivity, yet their intrinsic brittleness and poor processability restrict practical deployment in complex industrial and extreme environments. This study introduces a macro-scale 'stiff–soft' synergistic strategy, combining a macroscopically processable, soft-and-tough framework as the load-bearing component with hard-and-brittle polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels as the insulating component. A pressure-driven assembly process enables viscosity-tunable PMSQ gel inks to be controllably infused into various hollow frameworks, including honeycomb panels, wheat straws, and hollow fibers. Guided by a modified Hagen–Poiseuille model, ink viscosity is precisely matched to the geometric parameters of the hollow structures. The resulting composites achieve compressive strength of 2.5 MPa, flexural strength of 6.25 MPa, and tensile strength of 40 MPa, while maintaining excellent thermal insulation. This versatile and scalable approach offers a new design paradigm for mechanically adaptive silica aerogel composites in thermal management applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3778-8
The global surge in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste demands urgent technological solutions that address both environmental persistence and resource recovery. Here, we present a triple-functionalization strategy that converts chlorinated plastic waste into high-performance sodium-ion battery anodes through molecular-level control of carbon architectures. Sequential dichlorination, sulfonation, and N-doping collaboratively reconfigure precursor reactivity, steering pyrolysis toward hierarchically porous hard carbon with tailored defect chemistry. Sulfonic groups stabilize 3D carbon skeletons during carbonization, enabling closed-pore formation with an average diameter of ~2.55 nm while N-doping expands interlayer spacing (0.382 nm) and creates adsorption-active pyrrolic-N sites. This defect-engineered synergy delivers unprecedented sodium storage metrics: 355 mAh g−1 reversible capacity at 0.1 A g−1 (95.4% of graphite’s Li-ion capacity), a capacity retention of 216 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1 (70.1% capacity retention), and 188 mAh g−1 even at a high current density of 5.0 A g−1. Operando analyses reveal a potential-dependent storage hierarchy: surface-dominated adsorption transitions to intercalation/filling-dominated behavior with defect-buffered structural integrity. The process simultaneously achieves 25% carbon yield from PVC and avoids toxic dioxin emissions, establishing a scalable prototype for sustainable energy storage systems.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605002
The single-phase partial nitrification and anammox (SPN/A) process has seen limited widespread application due to its slow startup and difficulties in enriching anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB). This study utilized high-ammonia nitrogen wastewater to initiate and enhance the SPN/A process in a pilot-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor. By establishing an IFAS-SPN/A coupled system based on the symbiotic relationship between biofilm and sludge, rapid startup and efficient AnAOB enrichment were achieved. An innovative sludge inoculation strategy was employed: first, conventional nitrifying sludge was inoculated to initiate shortcut nitrification and allow ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to colonize blank carriers; subsequently, anammox sludge was inoculated to promote efficient AnAOB enrichment on the AOB biofilm. The influent was low-temperature shift condensation water from a synthetic ammonia workshop, with an average ammonium nitrogen concentration of 2300 mg/L and COD ranging from 50 to 200 mg/L. The 180-day experiment comprised three stages: shortcut nitrification startup, SPN/A startup, and load intensification. The system successfully started up SPN/A within 120 days, achieving total nitrogen removal efficiency and removal load of (90.21±2.18)% and (0.31±0.07) kg/(m³·d), respectively, through synergistic biofilm and suspended microorganisms. During load intensification, AnAOB relative abundances in biofilm and flocs reached 18.8% and 35.3%, respectively, and removal load increased to (0.64±0.11) kg/(m³·d). Stable influent quality is a prerequisite for efficient and stable nitrogen removal; a surge in influent ammonium concentration caused nitrite accumulation imbalance and deteriorated performance. Adding an equalization tank before the aeration tank mitigates water quality fluctuations, and a 'dilution-reconstruction' strategy for low-ammonia wastewater facilitates rapid recovery after performance deterioration.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3428-6
Alternating current electroluminescent (ACEL) devices with a pyramidal conical structure luminescent layer were fabricated and integrated with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to construct an image recognition system for robotic arm applications. The ACEL device serves as a flexible, low-power, homogeneous light source, enabling multispectral imaging that mitigates ambient light interference. Images captured by an ESP32-CAM module are processed by a deep learning model, achieving a recognition accuracy of 96.7% for seven distinct shapes (rectangle, triangle, circle, star, butterfly, flower, snowflake). The system demonstrates high brightness, high contrast, and flexibility, addressing limitations of traditional image recognition systems that rely on hand-designed features and are susceptible to illumination variations. This work validates the potential of ACEL-based multispectral imaging for robust environment perception in dynamic scenarios, offering a pathway toward more efficient and reliable robotic vision systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3592-5
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) possesses a unique combination of high thermal conductivity, superior hardness, outstanding chemical stability, and a wide bandgap (~5.5–6 eV), rendering it indispensable for high-temperature lubrication, thermal management, electronic devices, and superhard tools. The performance of h-BN/metal systems is fundamentally governed by interfacial characteristics, including atomic structure, chemical bonding, electronic band alignment, and defect states. This review systematically analyzes interface engineering in h-BN/metal systems via two primary routes: in situ growth and ex situ compositing. During in situ growth of h-BN thin films on metal substrates (e.g., Cu, Ni), the metal substrate and growth conditions exert multifaceted influences on film quality through interfacial coupling, directly impacting contact resistance, operational stability, and noise characteristics in devices such as field-effect transistors and photodetectors. For ex situ preparation of h-BN/metal composites, interface construction is synergistically determined by h-BN dimension, matrix properties, and fabrication process. Empirical studies on Mg/BN and Cu/BN composites demonstrate that interface engineering, including surface modification and transition layers (e.g., TiN), significantly enhances mechanical and tribological properties. This review elucidates fundamental principles and unique mechanisms of h-BN/metal interface control, providing strategic insights for designing advanced h-BN-based functional devices and composites.