SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4290-9
Thermoelectric materials enable direct and reversible conversion between heat and electricity, offering unique advantages for waste heat recovery, solid-state refrigeration, and deep-space power systems. The performance is evaluated by the dimensionless figure of merit, zT = S²σT/κ, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and κ is the total thermal conductivity. Achieving high zT requires simultaneous realization of a large power factor (S²σ) and low thermal conductivity. However, these parameters are intrinsically coupled, posing a fundamental challenge. PbTe is a representative thermoelectric material operating in the intermediate temperature range, with outstanding performance originating from its unique electronic band structure featuring multiple nearly degenerate valence band maxima near the L points. Band convergence via alloying with mono-tellurides such as MgTe, MnTe, CdTe, YbTe, SrTe, and EuTe effectively modifies the valence band structure, increasing band degeneracy and density-of-states effective mass, thereby enhancing electrical conductivity without decreasing the Seebeck coefficient. However, increasing the content of these mono-tellurides limits acceptor dopability, making conventional dopants like Na difficult to incorporate. This study demonstrates that co-doping strategies can preserve dopability while achieving band convergence and dislocation engineering, leading to significantly reduced lattice thermal conductivity and extraordinary peak zT values. The decoupling of electronic and thermal transport through this approach offers a promising route for high-performance thermoelectrics.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2024112106
Selective synergistic catalytic elimination (SSCE) of CH3SH and CO2 represents a significant approach towards achieving green chemistry objectives. In this study, a series of Al2O3 catalysts with different surface hydroxyl coordination states were designed and fabricated through a simple water bath strategy. The performance of the corresponding catalysts for selective synergistic catalytic elimination of CH3SH and CO2 was systematically evaluated. The catalysts were comprehensively characterized by BET, XRD, XPS, NMR and CO-DRIFTS techniques. The experimental results revealed that the synthesized samples exhibited uniform specific surface areas (150 m2·g−1) and pore sizes (12 nm), while demonstrating varying hydroxyl coordination states, which significantly affects the surface acidity of W-Al2O3 catalyst. Notably, W80-Al2O3, synthesized at 80 °C via water bath heating, displayed the highest proportion of μ1-type hydroxyl coordination. This unique structural feature endowed the catalyst with enhanced Brønsted acidity and superior CO adsorption capacity compared to other catalysts, which significantly promotes the further hydrogenation of CO to CH4 in the SSCE process. As a result, the SSCE performance of W80-Al2O3 was significantly improved, achieving complete conversion of CH3SH (100%) and a CH4 product concentration of 1326 μmol·g−1, which is significantly higher than that of Al2O3 (56 μmol·g−1) and W-Al2O3 (54 μmol·g−1). This work provides a new strategy for the synergistic reduction of typical sulfur-containing odorous pollutants and carbon dioxide.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3737-9
The radar stealth performance of weaponry is crucial to their battlefield survivability, jointly determined by the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) and mechanical properties of microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs). However, conventional MAMs often suffer from narrow EAB and absorption coatings prone to detachment. Herein, inspired by the wing scales of butterfly, we develop a biomimetic concave basalt fiber-reinforced composite (BC-BFRC) that delivers both broadband absorption and superior mechanical performance. Remarkably, the BC-BFRC achieves an EAB (reflection loss < −10 dB) of 14.7 GHz (3.3–18 GHz), which is 26.7% higher than the conventional planar structure (planar BFRC) and covers 91.9% of the S–Ku band. It maintains stable broadband absorption across incidence angles of 0°–45° (reflection loss < −8 dB at 4–18 GHz) and is insensitive to the incident direction. In fact, the broadband absorption originates primarily from impedance gradient between the layers and energy capture induced by the biomimetic concave at bottom. Critically, the composite exhibits a flexural strength of 239.2 MPa, enabled by basalt fiber reinforcement. This work provides a novel biomimetic strategy and feasible pathway for realizing structure-function integration of MAMs, enabling advanced radar stealth and electromagnetic shielding applications.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60666-4
The catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to ethanol is a pivotal technology for carbon neutrality and high-value chemical production. Cobalt-based catalysts, with their unique electronic structure and tunability, are promising for this reaction, yet challenges persist: low single-pass CO2 conversion, ethanol selectivity below 60%, and rapid deactivation. This review systematically analyzes recent progress, establishing the thermodynamic and kinetic framework, and dissecting molecular-level mechanisms, particularly C–C bond formation and controlled oxygen removal. It critically evaluates synergistic effects among metallic Co, Co2C, CoOx, and bimetallic configurations, emphasizing structure-activity relationships influenced by supports and promoters. Inverse catalysts and tandem systems are reviewed, along with water's role as a hydrogen source. The review identifies shortcomings and advocates for advanced in situ/operational characterization and theoretical modeling to guide next-generation catalyst design. Key findings from cited studies include: Co/La4Ga2O9 achieving high selectivity (reference [85]); K-loaded Cu/CoOx boosting ethanol production (reference [86]); Ga-promoted CuCo catalysts with Cu-CoGaOx interfacial sites (reference [88]); and Mo-tailored CoFe alloys suppressing over-carburization (reference [89]). These insights provide a framework for developing efficient cobalt-based systems, deepening mechanistic understanding, and accelerating sustainable ethanol production.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4332-3
This correction addresses an error in the affiliations of the authors of the article 'Intrinsic pseudocapacitive Na0.44MnO2 prepared by novel ion-exchange method for high rate and robust sodium-ion batteries' originally published in Science China Materials, volume 66, issue 10, 2023, pages 3810–3816. In the original publication, one affiliation of the first author (Yuge Cao) was missing, and the affiliations of the authors were incorrectly labeled. The corrected affiliations are as follows: Yuge Cao is affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China; the Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; and the Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. The other authors' affiliations are also corrected accordingly. The corresponding authors are Hui Bi ([email protected]) and Fuqiang Huang ([email protected]). This correction does not affect the scientific content of the original article.