SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3757-2
β-Ga2O3 is a promising candidate for solar-blind ultraviolet photodetection owing to its suitable bandgap of approximately 4.9 eV, excellent photoresponse characteristics, and high stability. However, the lack of a sufficient driving force within the material leads to extensive bulk charge recombination, limiting its photocurrent and thus posing significant challenges in designing high-performance Ga2O3-based photodetection. In this study, we propose a gradient doping strategy to achieve a Sn-doping concentration gradient along the β-Ga2O3 film thickness. By combining sol–gel synthesis with rapid thermal annealing, a spatially graded band structure with a full-space built-in electric field is constructed, which increases the width of band bending over a large region and is crucial for significantly enhancing carrier separation and transport in the bulk. The resulting gradient Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 enables exceptional photoelectric performance without an external bias under 254 nm irradiation, including a superior responsivity of 66.88 mA W−1, a high detectivity of 8.12 × 10^11 Jones, and a fast rise/decay time of 79/65 ms, outstanding most existing similar reported photoelectrochemical (PEC) type optoelectronic devices. Additionally, the device exhibits excellent long-term stability and enables high-resolution underwater ultraviolet imaging. This study demonstrates that the gradient doping strategy provides a feasible approach for enhancing the PEC performance of β-Ga2O3 photoelectrodes.
The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12034/j.issn.1009-606X.225185
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), widely used as an insulating gas in high-voltage electrical equipment, possesses a global warming potential (GWP) 25,200 times that of CO2, necessitating efficient degradation technologies. This study employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the thermal catalytic degradation of SF6 in a fixed-bed reactor, integrating models for porous media, heat transfer, turbulence, and chemical kinetics. The simulations revealed significant radial non-uniformities in pressure, velocity, temperature, and species concentration distributions, with temperature identified as the dominant factor influencing degradation efficiency. Radial temperature gradients caused uneven reaction rates, with degradation rates near the wall substantially exceeding those at the central axis, thereby reducing overall SF6 conversion. To address this, structural optimizations were implemented, including reducing the reactor tube diameter and incorporating inert porous media with high thermal conductivity at both ends of the catalytic section. These modifications enhanced radial heat transfer, homogenized the temperature field, and improved the uniformity of reaction rates and species concentrations. Parametric studies on inlet gas velocity showed that both excessively low and high flow rates were detrimental: low velocities led to underutilization of the downstream catalyst and increased energy consumption, while high velocities deteriorated heat transfer and exacerbated radial temperature gradients. The optimal inlet velocity range was determined to be 0.4–0.8 m/s for a reactor tube inner diameter of 10 mm, balancing catalyst utilization, energy consumption, and degradation efficiency. This research provides data-driven guidance for the design and scale-up of SF6 catalytic degradation reactors.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4002-8
Neuromorphic electronic systems, inspired by the brain's parallel and distributed information processing, have emerged as a promising alternative to von Neumann architectures, which suffer from the memory wall and limited energy efficiency. However, seamless integration with biological tissue, particularly human skin, necessitates mechanical flexibility and conformability. Flexible neuromorphic electronics, combining neuromorphic computing with flexible substrates, enable brain-inspired processing with high efficiency and ultralow power consumption, targeting smart wearables, digital health, and brain-computer interfaces. Despite rapid advances in flexible synaptic devices, a cross-disciplinary synthesis connecting materials, device physics, circuit integration, and applications is lacking. This review systematically follows a device-to-system framework, first summarizing recent progress in flexible artificial synapses that emulate neural functions, then discussing neuromorphic circuits and systems, focusing on collaborative sensing-computing and heterogeneous integration strategies toward integrated sensing-memory-computing systems. Emerging applications in next-generation bio-intelligent systems, including wearables, health monitoring, and human-machine interaction, are highlighted. Key challenges and future directions are summarized to guide development of efficient, intelligent, and biocompatible bionic hardware. The review underscores the need for standardized metrics and scalable manufacturing to translate laboratory prototypes into practical flexible neuromorphic systems.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606011
Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination in chromite ore processing residue (COPR) and associated soils poses a persistent environmental challenge. This study developed a dispersedly stabilized iron-sulfur-based slurry (DSS-ISB) modified with an inorganic dispersant to enhance nanoparticle suspension stability and interfacial reactivity. The slurry, with a particle size of approximately 200 nm, efficiently reduced and immobilized Cr(VI) without pH adjustment. Under optimal conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio of 5 mL:10 g, DSS-ISB dosage of 1.8 mg/g, reaction time of 20 h), the removal efficiency exceeded 97%, reducing the leaching concentration from 15.03 mg/L to 0.03 mg/L, well below the GB 5085.3—2007 limit of 5 mg/L. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses revealed a synergistic mechanism of chemical reduction (Fe2+/S2- as dual electron donors) and surface adsorption, converting toxic Cr(VI) to stable Cr(III). Compared with traditional reductants ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and sodium sulfide (Na2S), DSS-ISB increased removal efficiency by 28.24% and 6.23%, respectively, and unit mass removal capacity by 92.43% and 77.08%. The reagent cost per ton of COPR was reduced to RMB 36.40, achieving savings of 33.82% and 26.02% versus FeSO4 (RMB 55.00) and Na2S (RMB 49.20). The process eliminates pH adjustment and subsequent passivation, simplifying remediation. DSS-ISB offers an economical and green solution for Cr(VI) remediation in both industrial residues and contaminated soils.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3898-7
Platinum (Pt) is the benchmark catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in acidic electrolytes, but its performance in alkaline media is limited by excessively strong hydrogen binding energy (HBE). Here, we report oxygen-modified ultrasmall RuCu nanocrystals (RuCu/C-200) as an efficient catalyst for both alkaline HER and HOR. The RuCu/C-200 catalyst exhibits excellent HER activity with an overpotential of 9 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 19.7 mV dec−1. For HOR, it achieves a 4.2-fold higher exchange current density than the unannealed sample. Mechanistic studies reveal that the optimized HBE, hydroxyl binding energy (OHBE), and strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water, induced by oxygen modification, are the intrinsic determinants of the improved catalytic activity. This work underscores the potential of combining nanoscale structural design with oxygen modification to develop high-performance Ru-based electrocatalysts for both alkaline HER and HOR.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509120
The 'Zero-Waste City' initiative, centered on source reduction, resource utilization, and safe disposal of solid waste, aims to minimize environmental impact. To quantitatively assess its carbon reduction contribution, this study took Mianyang as a case, systematically collecting data on solid waste generation, utilization, and disposal across industrial, agricultural, and other sectors from 2021 to 2024. Employing an improved WARM model and emission factor method, and incorporating generation, utilization, and disposal intensities, the carbon reduction benefits before (2021–2022) and after (2023–2024) the initiative were evaluated. Results show that despite significant improvements in comprehensive utilization and safe disposal rates, total solid waste generation increased, leading to a net negative carbon effect of -127.6×10^4 tCO2eq based on absolute quantities. However, after stripping economic and population growth factors, intensity-based accounting revealed a cumulative reduction of 10.8×10^4 tCO2eq, demonstrating significant synergistic benefits. The industrial sector contributed the most, with a reduction of 40.2×10^4 tCO2eq, driven by green transformation and enhanced utilization capacity. Conversely, the rising intensity of domestic solid waste generation resulted in a negative benefit of -46.1×10^4 tCO2eq, highlighting a key area for future improvement. The study underscores the necessity of considering both intensity and absolute quantity dimensions in evaluating rapidly developing cities. These findings provide practical evidence and reference pathways for advancing 'Zero-Waste City' construction and synergistic pollution reduction and carbon mitigation under the 'dual carbon' goals.