SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4383-8
Conventional cancer therapies remain constrained by undruggable oncogenic proteins and acquired resistance. Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a transformative modality that harnesses the ubiquitin-proteasome system to selectively degrade target proteins, offering advantages over traditional small-molecule inhibitors. However, clinical translation of PROTACs is impeded by intrinsic physicochemical limitations: high molecular weight, poor bioavailability, and lack of tumor-specific delivery. Integrating PROTACs with nanotechnology has yielded advanced nano-PROTACs platforms. Nanocarriers enhance solubility and stability, optimize pharmacokinetics, and enable spatiotemporally controlled drug release through passive or active targeting. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in engineering multifunctional nano-PROTACs for cancer therapy, with particular emphasis on design strategies by which nanoengineering enhances PROTAC performance. We evaluate how these platforms improve anticancer efficacy and minimize systemic toxicity while exploring their therapeutic potential in monotherapy and synergistic treatment settings. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future perspectives, providing a theoretical and technical foundation for next-generation nano-PROTACs as a precise and potent strategy in precision oncology.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3807-8
Electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO2 and nitrate offers a sustainable route for urea synthesis, valorizing nitrogenous waste and CO2. However, achieving high-performance urea electrosynthesis under ambient conditions remains challenging due to the need for simultaneous activation of CO2 and efficient H2O dissociation to supply active *H for *NOx hydrogenation, ultimately forming key C- and N-containing intermediates for C–N coupling. Here, we report a bifunctional Pd-single-atom-modified Cu (Pd1Cu) nanorod catalyst that synergistically promotes adsorption and stepwise activation of CO2 and H2O, steering the reaction pathway toward selective urea synthesis. Integrating experimental evidence, in situ spectroscopy, and computational analyses, we disclose that atomically dispersed Pd sites kinetically favor co-generation of *CO and *NH2 via H2O dissociation-driven proton transfer, forming an optimal intermediate balance. The dual metal active sites enhance C–N coupling via combined electronic and geometric effects, substantially lowering the reaction energy barrier and improving selectivity. This work provides a rational design strategy for advanced multifunctional catalysts for urea electrosynthesis, contributing to carbon neutrality and waste nitrogen valorization.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3723-4
Molecular hydrogen has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent in respiratory medicine owing to its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Its visibility during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak demonstrated its potential, but the significance of hydrogen therapy extends far beyond a single infection. This review examines pathological features shared across respiratory diseases, with emphasis on viral infections exemplified by SARS-CoV-2, and summarizes advances in hydrogen administration, its biological effects and therapeutic mechanisms. Particular consideration is given to biomaterial-assisted delivery strategies that enable sustained and targeted release in the lung. Clinical studies, including examples from COVID-19, provide evidence for the therapeutic potential of molecular hydrogen and its capacity to support recovery in respiratory diseases. Established administration routes such as inhalation, hydrogen-rich water and hydrogen-enriched saline have been evaluated in both preclinical and clinical settings, while emerging biomaterials provide platforms for controlled release and pulmonary targeting. Future development of hydrogen therapy in respiratory medicine is discussed, with particular focus on optimizing delivery strategies, establishing dose-effect relationships and strengthening long-term clinical evaluation.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60622-0
Photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from sustainable biomass-derived carbon catalysts offers a renewable route to valuable chemicals, yet the regulatory role of surface functional groups on reaction kinetics remains underexplored. Here, hydrothermal carbon spheres (CS) rich in oxygen-containing functional groups demonstrated a remarkably high H2O2 production rate of 653 μmol/(g·h) in both pure water and actual seawater, without any sacrificial agent. The catalyst also exhibited outstanding activity in visible-light-driven photocatalytic oxidation of benzylamine to imines, achieving 92% conversion and >99% selectivity. Comprehensive analysis revealed that CS was rich in surface oxygen-containing functional groups, a feature strongly associated with its high photocatalytic efficiency. The observed positive Zeta potential of CS in seawater likely diminished electrostatic repulsion against positively charged intermediates, facilitating their accumulation at the liquid-solid interface. This work proposes a strategic framework for developing metal-free photocatalysts from biomass, offering a sustainable pathway for photocatalytic applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3967-x
Metal-halide perovskites exhibit exceptional optical gain, narrow emission linewidths, and high emission efficiency, positioning them as promising candidates for next-generation lasers. Thermal evaporation, a mature semiconductor fabrication technique, offers scalability, yet monitoring phase distribution during deposition remains challenging. This study systematically investigates and regulates thermally evaporated FAxCs0.8PbBr3 perovskite films by tuning formamidinium (FA) content to optimize phase distribution. At intermediate FA content, films achieve a balanced distribution of n=2 to n=5 quantum-well phases, facilitating ultrafast carrier transfer (<0.31 ps) and suppressing nonradiative recombination. FA+ actively incorporates as an A-site cation, promoting ordered crystallization and reducing defect densities. The optimized films exhibit a net modal gain of 1041 cm−1 and a gain lifetime of 129 ps. Benefiting from efficient internal scattering, the threshold for cavity-free random lasing is reduced to below 5 μJ/cm2 at room temperature. The low spatial coherence of random lasing enables speckle-free imaging with a speckle contrast as low as 0.011 and improved contrast-to-noise ratios across all spatial frequencies. This work provides a scalable strategy for perovskite composition-phase engineering, advancing speckle-free laser imaging systems compatible with semiconductor-grade, large-area manufacturing.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60752-9
Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is a pivotal process for efficient hydrogen production. This study employs density functional theory (DFT) calculations to comparatively analyze the MSR reaction mechanism on PdCu(111) and PtCu(111) bimetallic surfaces. The investigation unveils how alloying modulates reaction pathways and overall catalytic performance. Notably, Cu sites stabilize adsorption of OH and CH2O species, whereas Pd/Pt sites exhibit preferential affinity for CO. This spatial site separation facilitates progression along the formate pathway. PdCu(111) demonstrates superior overall catalytic performance compared to PtCu(111), with water dissociation identified as the rate-determining step (RDS), featuring an activation energy of only 0.74 eV. The bimetallic synergy breaks the inherent contradiction between activity and selectivity of monometallic catalysts: Cu sites serve as a source of hydroxyl groups, while Pd/Pt sites enhance C–H bond cleavage efficiency, ultimately enabling high methanol conversion alongside low CO formation. From the perspectives of electronic structure and geometric configuration, this study establishes a theoretical framework to guide rational design of high-performance bimetallic catalysts for MSR.