SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4279-0
Inkjet printing has emerged as a viable additive manufacturing route for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), offering drop-on-demand patterning, high material utilization, and compatibility with large-area flexible substrates. This review critically examines the formulation science, printhead physics, and drying kinetics that govern the quality of inkjet-printed organic layers. We analyze the rheological window required for stable jetting, typically 1–20 mPa·s viscosity and 25–45 mN/m surface tension, and the dimensionless Ohnesorge number (0.1 < Z < 1) that defines satellite-free droplet formation. The coffee-ring effect, driven by capillary flow and solvent evaporation gradients, remains the dominant failure mode for pixel non-uniformity; binary solvent systems and substrate temperature control (40–60 °C) mitigate this. We survey recent progress in printed hole-transport, emissive, and electron-transport layers, with particular attention to cross-linkable hole-transport materials that resist interlayer dissolution. Device performance metrics from printed OLEDs now reach external quantum efficiencies of 15–20% for fluorescent emitters and >25% for phosphorescent systems, with operating lifetimes (T95) exceeding 1,000 hours at 1,000 cd/m². We identify remaining bottlenecks: nozzle clogging from aggregated nanoparticles, film thickness variation across large panels, and the absence of standardized ink formulations. The review concludes with a roadmap for industrial adoption, emphasizing in-line metrology and closed-loop process control as prerequisites for yield parity with vacuum-deposited OLEDs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4491-3
Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with multiferroic tunneling barriers offer a pathway to fully electrically controlled multi-state memory, addressing the high energy costs and scalability limits of magnetically controlled counterparts. In this work, we propose a theoretical design achieving four or ten distinct resistance states via electrical control, with a giant tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio of 1.1×10^4% (11000%). This value surpasses all previously reported MTJs, including experimental systems such as CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB (TMR 65%, 4 states) and theoretical systems like Ga2O3/MgO/Ga2O3 (TMR 1120%, 2 states). The multiferroic barrier enables simultaneous control of ferroelectric and magnetic order parameters, allowing reversible switching between multiple resistance levels without external magnetic fields. Our first-principles calculations reveal that the high TMR arises from spin-dependent tunneling through the barrier, modulated by the ferroelectric polarization direction and magnetization configuration. The device operates with low write energy and exhibits non-volatile retention, making it suitable for high-density storage and in-memory computing. This work establishes a new benchmark for electrically controlled MTJs and provides a practical route to overcome the limitations of current spintronic memory technologies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4287-1
Atomic-level manufacturing is a frontier technology enabling materials to achieve ultimate performance. This study explores the potential applications and critical scientific issues of metal atomic clusters, which are predominantly used in catalysis but suffer from intrinsic instability, leading to low yield, inconsistent size and structure, and susceptibility to agglomeration, oxidation, and sintering. We propose a novel concept: employing oxidized metal atomic clusters as dopants in oxygen-bearing materials, such as oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys, oxide-based cermets, and toughening ceramics. Using ODS alloy as a proof-of-concept, Ni-NiO coupled cluster-strengthened metallic Ni exhibits finer grains, a larger proportion of low-angle grain boundaries, higher geometrically necessary dislocation density, and achieves a 38% enhancement in Vickers hardness. To advance this concept, four critical scientific issues require resolution: oxidation control, disaggregation and dispersion, effectiveness comparison, and physicochemical behaviors and mechanisms. This work bridges the gap between atomic-level manufacturing and structural materials, offering a pathway to overcome the instability of metal clusters by leveraging their oxidation characteristics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4207-0
Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are critical for optimizing electrode interfaces in organic solar cells (OSCs), as their molecular conformation and ordering govern interfacial quality. Conventional carbazole-based SAMs (e.g., 2PACz) rely on flexible alkyl linkers whose conformational freedom often results in disordered packing, incomplete coverage, and limited environmental robustness, especially under air processing. Here, we design and systematically study a series of well-defined carbazole SAM homologues (Cz-PPA, Cz-HPA, PCz-HPA, and PCz-PPA) to elucidate the role of synergistic conformational locking achieved through linker rigidification and terminal conjugation extension. PCz-HPA, which integrates a rigid cyclohexane linker with a strongly conjugated 3,6-diphenylcarbazole end group, enables effective conformational locking. It forms a highly ordered, densely packed monolayer on ITO, delivering high surface coverage, a strengthened interfacial dipole, and improved energy-level alignment. The rigid framework and ordered interface enhance air-process stability and interfacial contact, thereby suppressing recombination and facilitating exciton dissociation and charge collection. Using PCz-HPA as SAM for the devices based on PM6:L8-BO reaches 19.75% efficiency and it demonstrates consistent gains across multiple systems. These results identify conformational locking via linker rigidification as a general design rule for durable, high-performance SAM interlayers in organic optoelectronics.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(25)61029-8
Zinc-ion supercapacitors (ZISCs) are promising energy storage devices due to their low cost, high safety, and minimal environmental impact. However, their low energy density and poor cycling performance hinder practical application. This study presents a simple electrochemical exfoliation method to reconstruct the surface of carbon paper, introducing oxygen functional groups that enhance pseudocapacitance. The resulting binder-free electrode (EECP) exhibits a large surface area and rapid charge transfer, leading to a dominant capacitive-type charge storage mechanism with 78.8% capacitive contribution at 10 mV/s. The EECP electrode delivers a maximum specific capacitance of 252.5 F/g at 1 A/g and retains 81.7% of its capacitance after 10,000 cycles. A full ZISC device, assembled with EECP as the cathode, Zn as the anode, and 1 mol L−1 ZnSO4 aqueous electrolyte, achieves a capacitance of 186.22 F/g at 1 A/g, a capacitance retention of 97.01% after 10,000 cycles, and an energy density of 46.6 Wh/kg at a power density of 500.4 W/kg. These results demonstrate that EECP is a promising cathode material for high-rate, next-generation zinc-ion supercapacitors.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3746-x
The polyanionic compound Na3V2(PO4)2O2F (NVPOF) possesses a stable three-dimensional framework, high theoretical specific capacity, and favorable operating voltage, yet its sluggish Na+ diffusion kinetics and low electronic conductivity impede industrial application. This study proposes a dual regulation strategy combining carbon coating and heat treatment temperature to synergistically enhance crystallinity and electrochemical performance. NVPOF@C-400 and NVPOF@C-600 were synthesized via in-situ dopamine hydrochloride coating followed by heat treatment at 400 °C and 600 °C, respectively. Carbon coating at 600 °C significantly improved crystallinity and increased electronic conductivity by three orders of magnitude through the carbon layer's conductive network. The ~4.5 nm carbon layer effectively suppressed abnormal grain growth and secondary crystallization aggregation at high temperatures, maintaining uniform particle size of approximately 0.36 μm, which shortens Na+ diffusion pathways and prevents ion transport obstruction. Consequently, NVPOF@C-600 delivered a high discharge capacity of 102.5 mAh g−1 at 20 C and retained 96.5% capacity after 10,000 cycles. In a full-cell configuration with hard carbon (HC), NVPOF@C-600//HC achieved an impressive 89.3% capacity retention after 9,000 cycles. This work provides critical insights for practical implementation of high-performance NVPOF cathodes in sodium-ion batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3649-0
Injectable hydrogels formed via dynamic chemical crosslinks hold great promise as drug delivery platforms due to their robust yet adaptable nature, stimuli-responsiveness, and tunable structures and properties. However, their inherently high water content poses a significant challenge for the efficient encapsulation and sustained release of hydrophobic drugs. Here, we present a novel injectable hydrogel system constructed via a strain-promoted disulfide-thiol exchange between dithiolane-functionalized polymer strands and thiolated core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) under physiological conditions. The hydrophobic core and hydrophilic shell structure of the NPs enables effective loading and protection of hydrophobic drugs, while rapid gelation occurs upon mixing the thiolated NPs with dithiolane-polymers in phosphate-buffered saline. The hydrogel shows excellent injectability, self-healing capability, in vitro biodegradability, and cytocompatibility. This hydrogel system enables sustained release of hydrophobic drugs over 32 days in aqueous media and supports sequential dual-drug release. Its redox-responsiveness under tumor-mimicking reducing conditions, enabled by the disulfide crosslinks, further facilitates controlled intracellular drug release. This multi-component platform offers a versatile strategy for designing advanced injectable hydrogels with potential applications in hydrophobic drug delivery and other biomedical fields.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3653-2
Designing photosensitizers with efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) and long-lived triplet excited states is critical for photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, conventional molecular design principles often rely on heavy-atom effects or specific donor-acceptor architectures, limiting generality. Here, we report a facile and rational strategy to convert intrinsically non-photosensitizing fluorophores into effective reactive oxygen species (ROS) generators by introducing guanidinium substituents. The modified photosensitizers exhibit prolonged triplet excited state lifetimes and considerable ROS production, in stark contrast to unmodified fluorophores which show intense fluorescence and negligible ROS generation. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry confirm the formation of stable nitrogen-centered radical cations on the guanidinium moiety, stabilized by p-π conjugation. Mechanistic studies indicate that these radicals promote ISC and prolong triplet state lifetimes. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that guanidinium-modified photosensitizers induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) and elicit potent anti-tumor immunity. This work provides a universal and facile strategy for designing organic photosensitizers through stable radical cation-containing building blocks, expanding the scope of PDT agents.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3683-y
Effective management of traumatic hemorrhage requires rapid blood loss control and facile removal of hemostatic materials to minimize secondary tissue damage. We fabricated a strongly adhesive aerogel (OPA) via Schiff-base crosslinking of oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) and ε-polylysine (ε-PL), enabling rapid hemostasis in lethal arterial trauma and on-demand removal via phase transition. OPAs exhibited tunable porosity and rapid blood absorption. Surface hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups promoted strong hydrogen bonding with tissues, blood cells, and plasma proteins, enhancing tissue adhesion and platelet capture/activation. In a rabbit femoral-artery-injury model, OPA4 shortened hemostatic time by ~80% and reduced blood loss to 38% of the blank group. Notably, OPAs retained only 2% of initial adhesion after hydration, allowing gentle removal. OPAs also demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The simple one-step freeze-drying process and tailorable shapes offer scalable production and versatile applications. This study provides a versatile strategy for emergency and surgical hemostasis, combining rapid control of life-threatening arterial bleeding with on-demand atraumatic removal, promising improved patient outcomes and streamlined postoperative care.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3773-7
Kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells suffer from significant open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficits due to severe interfacial and bulk recombination, restricting their power conversion efficiency (PCE) far below the Shockley-Queisser limit. This work proposes a low-temperature annealing strategy during ITO sputtering (SA) to synergistically address these challenges. The temperature applied during ITO sputtering not only improves the crystallinity, carrier concentration, and optical transmittance of the ITO layer but also promotes the diffusion of In from ITO into both CdS and CZTSSe layers. Consequently, lattice matching at the CZTSSe/CdS interface is optimized, enabling epitaxial growth. And a favorable ITO/In:CdS/In&Cd:CZTSSe structure with optimal band alignment is obtained. As a result, a champion device with a PCE of 14.29% was achieved. The SA-treating also enabled the CZTSSe solar cells to achieve the highest VOC reported to date, exceeding 590 mV. This underscores the essential role of SA processing in optimizing interface engineering and suppressing defects, thus promoting the development of low-cost, high-performance kesterite photovoltaics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3882-y
Organic semiconductor crystals with well-defined morphologies are highly desirable for high-performance optoelectronic devices, yet precise control over their growth remains a challenge. Here, a novel donor-acceptor (D-A) molecule, TQDPT, has been successfully developed, featuring a rigid π-conjugated acceptor core composed of thiazoloquinoxaline and naphthalene, coupled with phenylphenothiazine donors. This study presents a temperature-mediated crystallization strategy for precisely controlling the morphology and carrier transport properties of TQDPT single crystals. By systematically investigating the growth kinetics across a controlled temperature range (15–35°C), we reveal a distinct transition from needle-like structures to plate-like crystals, with tunable average widths spanning from around 2.8 to 30.1 μm. This morphological evolution is driven by temperature-dependent molecular diffusion and nucleation kinetics. Significantly, the plate-like crystals grown at 25°C exhibit an order-of-magnitude enhancement in mobility compared to needle-like counterparts, while higher temperatures of 35°C yield broader crystals with improved carrier mobility and device stability. This work highlights the critical role of temperature as a pivotal parameter in the dimensional and electronic optimization of organic crystals, offering an attractive approach to optimize functional materials for advanced optoelectronics.
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.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025011302
Heavy metal contamination in soil severely compromises the quality and safety of Alisma orientale medicinal materials, and consumption of contaminated herbal preparations poses health risks. To characterize contamination and risks in Sichuan's genuine producing areas, 159 paired soil and plant samples were collected. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Ni were determined via ICP-OES. Soil pollution was assessed using the Single Pollution Index (Pi), Nemerow Comprehensive Index (Pn), and Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI). Human health risks from heavy metals in Alisma were evaluated via Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI). Mean soil concentrations were Cu 29.57, Zn 61.86, Pb 29.51, Cd 1.77, and Ni 28.08 mg·kg−1. Except for Cd, all elements were below agricultural soil screening values. Pi and Pn confirmed Cd contamination, with Cd posing slight to strong potential ecological risks. Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni showed highly significant positive correlations, indicating common origins. Heavy metal concentrations in Alisma did not exceed pharmacopeial limits. The plant exhibited strong Zn enrichment but weak accumulation of Cu, Cd, and Pb, and negligible Ni enrichment. THQ and HI values indicated no potential health risks under current exposure. Quantitative assessment is critical for soil pollution control, safe cultivation, and medication safety.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3993-y
Conventional liquid-phase in-situ synthesis of Cu-TiB2 composites often suffers from coarse and non-uniformly distributed reinforcements, stemming from insufficient understanding and control over the in-situ nucleation and growth mechanisms of TiB2 particles. This study introduces a novel melt dispersion-turbulent mixing (MDTM) in-situ reaction technology to fabricate high-performance Cu-TiB2 composites. The MDTM strategy synergistically refines reaction micro-regions by reducing the initial melt droplet size via melt dispersion while enhancing solute convection via turbulence, promoting high-density nucleation and refinement of TiB2 particles. Based on turbulence characteristics and in-situ reaction kinetics, we optimized the melt disperser parameters and established a quantitative model linking particle size to disperser rotation speed and reactant solute concentration. It was found that disperser rotation speed governs three distinct nucleation and growth mechanisms for TiB2 particles. Low-density nucleation at low disperser rotation speeds (0–50 r/min) leads to coarse TiB2 particles. At medium rotation speeds (100–150 r/min), the refinement of micro-regions in the dual-melt reaction achieves high-density TiB2 nucleation. Conversely, at high rotation speeds (150–200 r/min), intense turbulence weakens the nucleation driving force and induces TiB2 particle coarsening. This work provides new insights into liquid-phase in-situ reaction mechanisms and offers a novel, controllable route for fabricating high-performance micro/nano particle-reinforced metal matrix composites.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3790-5
Near-infrared (NIR) phosphors with high quantum efficiency (QE) and thermal robustness are critical for phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs). Here, a Cr3+-activated Lu2BaAl4SiO12 (LBASO) garnet phosphor is engineered via chemical unit cosubstitution of [Ba2+-Si4+] for [Lu3+-Al3+] in Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG), inducing a strong crystal field that yields NIR emission at 705 nm. The optimized LBASO:0.07Cr3+ exhibits an internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 84.82% and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 46.02%. Notably, it demonstrates anti-thermal quenching (ATQ) with 126.03% of its initial intensity at 498 K under 442 nm excitation, attributed to a wide band gap, weak electron-phonon coupling, defect trap energy levels, high structural rigidity, and optimized electron population distribution. A NIR pc-LED fabricated with this phosphor achieves an output power of 134.99 mW and photoelectric conversion efficiency of 11.4% at 100 mA drive current. These results underscore the potential of LBASO:Cr3+ for applications in plant lighting, night vision, and nondestructive analysis.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025041405
Microplastics, as a class of emerging environmental contaminants, pose global concerns due to their potential ecological and human health impacts. Accurate identification and quantification of microplastics in environmental matrices are essential for assessing their environmental fate and ecological risks. Pyrolysis-based analytical methods, which decompose macromolecules into smaller fragments followed by gas chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric detection, offer high sensitivity and accuracy, making them significant for microplastic analysis. Despite these advantages, their application remains nascent, with limited comprehensive understanding of their applicability across diverse environmental media. This review systematically compares three pyrolysis-based techniques—pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), and thermal extraction-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS)—for microplastic detection in various matrices. The effectiveness of each method is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and matrix compatibility. Critical challenges, including lack of standardized protocols, complex sample pretreatment requirements, and limitations in quantifying mixtures, are identified. Future research directions emphasize the need for standardization, optimization of pretreatment for complex matrices, and integration with complementary techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to enhance comprehensive microplastic characterization. This review provides a critical framework for selecting appropriate pyrolysis-based methods and highlights areas requiring further methodological development.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4051-x
Graphite lubricants are critical for high-quality and high-efficiency drawing of refractory metal wires, yet inadequate dispersion stability frequently challenges their practical application. Inspired by the bio-surfactant synergic mechanism that combines different bio-surfactants to collectively reduce surface energy and friction, a binary anionic surfactant system comprising sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium lignosulfonate (SL) was engineered to enhance dispersion and stability via a synergistic effect. The synergistic parameter β was calculated to be −2.34, indicating strong synergism. The resulting graphite lubricants maintained homogeneous dispersion for up to 60 days. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the synergistic effects originate from steric hindrance, electrostatic repulsion, π-π stacking, and hydrogen bonding. These hierarchical secondary interactions collectively increased the interfacial formation energy at the graphite/surfactant/water tri-phase interface, thereby effectively wetting particle powders and enhancing stability. During metal wire drawing, the graphite lubricants reduced the friction coefficient between the die and metal wires to 0.06, ultimately enabling drawn tungsten wires with superior surface integrity, expanded loop diameter, and enhanced tensile strength relative to single-surfactant benchmarks. This study provides experimental and theoretical guidance to design effective graphite lubricants for high-quality drawn metal wires.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3535-8
The brain's selective visual attention mechanism (SVAM) enables robust visual recognition in noisy environments through diverse neural action potential peaks acting as filters. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) mimic this paradigm but limited noise immunity and high write current density hinder brain-like efficiency. Hardware implementing SVAM necessitates spiking spintronic devices with noise-resistant and low operation current densities; such devices remain unreported. Here, we report an orbit-torque (OT) actuated ferromagnetic spiking synapse and neuron featuring a tunable peak action potential. These are more akin to biological neurons with varying sensitivities to external sensory stimuli, thereby augmenting the perception aptitude of the system in complex surroundings. Capitalizing on the high-efficiency OT, the ferromagnetic device demands a write current density of 5 × 10^6 A/cm^2, which is an order of magnitude lower than other spiking devices actuated by spin-orbit torque. Leveraging these neuromorphic devices, an all-spin SNN with low current density and tunable action potential peak has been fabricated, successfully mimicking the SVAM. In complex noise environment, the SNN achieves 92% on Cifar-10 and 95% on MNIST dataset, surpassing state-of-the-art spin-based SNNs by 5%. Our work provides a promising avenue for exploring the SVAM-inspired spiking neuromorphic devices, enhancing the bionic performance of the SNNs.