SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4500-8
Electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene offers a promising route for renewable electricity storage, yet achieving high ethylene selectivity at industrial current densities remains challenging due to the large energy barrier for C–C coupling. Here, we report a “MOF-assisted in situ doping” strategy to introduce the oxophilic nonmetal phosphorus (P) into the copper oxide (CuO) lattice, constructing a localized Cu–P dual-site adsorption configuration for the key *OCCHO intermediate. The optimized catalyst delivers an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 64.6% for ethylene with a partial current density of 646 mA cm-2. Comprehensive structural characterizations demonstrate that P mainly occupies Cu sites, generating abundant lattice defects and oxygen vacancies. In situ synchrotron infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that P doping modulates the electronic structure of Cu, optimizes the binding energies of *CO and *CHO, and stabilizes *OCCHO via P–O/Cu–C dual-site adsorption, thereby significantly lowering the asymmetric C-C coupling energy barrier to 0.74 eV. This work highlights a dual-site microenvironment regulation strategy for CO2-to-ethylene electroreduction.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4312-8
Carbazole phosphonic acid-based self-assembled molecules (SAMs) serve as effective hole-selective contacts in organic solar cells (OSCs), yet their molecular packing and aggregation behavior during solution processing remain difficult to control, limiting hole transport and device durability. This study introduces a polymer-templated self-assembly strategy to regulate molecular organization by one-step spin-coating a blend of [2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (2PACz) and PEDOT:PSS. The polycationic PEDOT+ framework acts as a template, providing supplementary anchoring interactions that promote ordered molecular arrangement and suppress unfavorable agglomeration. Pronounced face-on orientation and enhanced structural coherence of 2PACz within the polymer matrix are evidenced. The templated ordering improves vertical charge transport, interfacial homogeneity, and film morphology. In binary OSCs based on PM6:BTP-eC9, the hybrid hole transport layers (HTLs) yield a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.26%, with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.874 V, a short-circuit current (JSC) of 28.97 mA cm-2, and a fill factor (FF) of 80.02%. Devices incorporating hybrid HTLs exhibit exceptional operational stability, retaining over 90% of initial PCE (T90) after 405 h of continuous operation at the maximum power point (MPP). This work establishes polymer-directed SAM assembly as a scalable route to simultaneously optimize nanoscale molecular packing, interfacial energetics, and long-term device stability for high-performance OSCs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4201-0
Open fracture fixation faces dual critical challenges: bacterial infection and impaired bone healing. This study presents a rationally designed biomacromolecular network coating (Ti-GOED) on titanium alloy bone plates to simultaneously address these issues. The coating integrates antimicrobial and osteogenic components, achieving an optimal balance between antibacterial efficacy and biocompatibility. In vitro assays demonstrated that Ti-GOED eliminates over 99% of common pathogenic bacteria by inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis, disrupting bacterial cell wall formation, compromising membrane integrity, and leading to intracellular DNA leakage and bacterial death. Concurrently, Ti-GOED enhances the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) via activation of the PI3K-Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathways. In vivo animal experiments confirmed strong antibacterial and osteogenic properties. This work provides a strategy for developing antibacterial coatings on medical devices, with significant potential for preventing and treating infections post-fracture fixation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3863-x
Lead-free double perovskites are promising for optoelectronic applications due to their tunable optical properties, stability, and non-toxicity. However, achieving efficient ultrabroadband near-infrared (NIR) emission and X-ray radioluminescence (RL) simultaneously remains challenging. Here, we report a Mo4+-doped Cs2(Na0.4Ag0.6)InCl6 double perovskite that exhibits efficient blue-light-excitable NIR emission with a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield. The emitter demonstrates robust thermal stability, retaining 84% of its initial emission intensity at 420 K relative to 300 K. Under X-ray irradiation, the material shows bright NIR RL with a high light yield of 39,400 ± 1100 photons/MeV. A flexible film of Mo4+-doped Cs2(Na0.4Ag0.6)InCl6/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was fabricated and applied as an NIR light source and X-ray scintillator. A dual-functional platform for cooperative NIR and X-ray imaging was established using a bullfrog palm as the target, achieving pixel-level fusion of NIR and X-ray images without spatial mismatch or complex image processing. The fused image simultaneously visualizes blood vessels and skeleton textures under the skin tissue. This work provides a viable strategy for lead-free double perovskites in advanced optoelectronic devices, particularly for multispectral imaging.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3299-x
Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) offer intrinsic safety and cost advantages for grid-scale energy storage, yet their practical deployment is constrained by parasitic reactions, poor anode stability, and dendritic zinc growth. This study introduces a ternary aqueous eutectic electrolyte composed of N-ethylacetamide (Nea), H2O, and Zn(OTf)2 to mitigate these failure modes. The Nea molecules preferentially adsorb on the zinc anode, establishing a uniform interfacial electric field and a de-watering shielding layer that suppresses side reactions. Concurrently, an organic/inorganic hybrid solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) forms in situ, inhibiting the tip effect and promoting homogeneous Zn2+ diffusion and deposition. The Zn//Zn symmetric cell achieves 4590 h cycling at 0.5 mA cm−2/0.5 mAh cm−2 and a depth of discharge of 85.4% at 1.0 mA cm−2/5.0 mAh cm−2. Full cells with a V2O5·1.6H2O cathode deliver over 5000 cycles with Coulombic efficiency near 100% at 1.0 and 2.0 A g−1. These results demonstrate that eutectic electrolyte engineering can simultaneously address dendrite formation and interfacial side reactions, providing a viable pathway for long-life aqueous ZIBs.