SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4419-1
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) fed with reformate hydrogen suffer severe anode poisoning by trace CO, necessitating high CO electrooxidation potentials that degrade performance and durability. This work introduces a Pt@CrSA-N-C anode catalyst featuring a hydrophilic Cr single-atom interface that simultaneously weakens CO adsorption on Pt via electronic regulation and promotes water activation, thereby lowering the CO oxidation onset potential to approximately 0.13 V vs. RHE. The onset potential was determined by two independent methods: the first potential at which the background-corrected current exceeds 0 mA cm-2 during CO oxidation reaction tests in a three-electrode system, and the potential at which the forward scan current exceeds the N2 background current in CO-stripping voltammetry. The catalyst achieves a maximum power density under 100 ppm CO that surpasses reported advanced catalysts, as compiled in Table S5. Structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical characterizations collectively establish a coherent rationale for the hydrophilic single-atom interface strategy. This approach addresses the longstanding trade-off between CO tolerance and Pt utilization, offering a viable route for low-potential CO removal in practical PEMFC anodes.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4271-5
Photocatalytic functional coatings are at a pivotal juncture where the primary research focus must transition from intrinsic material activity to a unified framework centered on surface serviceability. Surface serviceability encompasses the ability of a coating to maintain catalytic activity, interfacial integrity, multifunctional performance, safety, and manufacturability under specific service environments over its operational lifetime. Over the past three decades, photocatalytic surfaces have demonstrated potential for degrading organic pollutants, maintaining surface cleanliness, and enabling air purification, with applications in buildings, glass, highways, and infrastructure. However, high intrinsic activity alone does not guarantee stable long-term performance when the photocatalyst is immobilized as a substrate-integrated film. Performance is governed by coupled factors including interfacial adhesion, film structure, environmental aging, and functional durability. Current challenges extend beyond catalytic activity to include long-term deactivation, coating-substrate interfacial stability, trade-offs among multiple functions, adequacy of evaluation methods, and scalability of fabrication. These issues form a progressive service chain: design determines catalyst exposure and adhesion; environmental stresses induce functional or structural failure; multifunctional integration may compromise one function for another. Therefore, application-oriented evaluation is essential. This perspective advocates for a paradigm shift toward service-oriented design, requiring establishment of service-relevant evaluation protocols and development of scalable, repairable fabrication routes. Such efforts will enable photocatalytic coatings to evolve from high-activity laboratory materials into engineering surfaces that are verifiable, comparable, manufacturable, and durable in real-world applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4206-6
Precise patterning of highly ordered organic semiconductor (OSC) thin-film arrays is critical for next-generation electronics. We report a ladder-like polysilsesquioxane (LPSQ) strategy to synthesize two functional analogs with tunable surface energies and robust dielectric properties. These LPSQ dielectrics, functionalized with alkyl or fluoroalkyl side chains, serve dual roles as gate insulators and patterning layers to guide blade-coating of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT). This approach yields highly aligned arrays suitable for three-dimensional integration in flexible electronics. Synergistic combination of dense LPSQ dielectric packing and aligned semiconductor domains leads to excellent organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) performance, achieving approximately four-fold improvement in field-effect mobility compared to conventional silicon oxide dielectrics. Patterned LPSQ dielectrics enable high-resolution C8-BTBT patterning on plastic substrates, supporting 4-inch-scale 3D integration of flexible logic circuits, including inverters (voltage gain >100), NOR gates, and NAND gates. This work provides a scalable route to high-performance, large-area flexible organic circuits.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3564-9
Sluggish water dissociation kinetics in the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) hamper its practical production. Here, a heterojunction electrocatalyst featuring Ru-Ni(OH)2 interfaces on nickel foam (NF) with self-engineered built-in electric fields (BIEF) was synthesized via a simple in situ galvanic replacement reaction. The hierarchical Ru-Ni(OH)2/NF exhibits a record overpotential of 9.6 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for alkaline HER, surpassing most reported catalysts and commercial Pt/C. It also shows exceptional activity for hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) at 100 mA cm−2 with a remarkably low potential of ca. 0.015 V vs. RHE. The assembled overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) system integrating HER and HzOR requires a cell voltage of about 0.09 V to reach 50 mA cm−2, which is 1.637 V lower than the corresponding overall water splitting (OWS) device. Systematic analysis and calculation reveal that the BIEF induces redistribution of interfacial electrons for Ru, facilitating H2O dissociation and intermediate conversion, delivering ultra-high electrocatalytic performance. This work provides an avenue for design and preparation of electric field-mediated catalysts towards sustainable energy conversion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3605-0
Nickel oxide (NiOx) is widely used as a hole transport material in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, its practical application is limited by low intrinsic conductivity and insufficient hole extraction ability, leading to significant interfacial defects that reduce device efficiency and stability. To overcome these issues, two isomeric small organic molecules, 2,6-NOT and 1,5-NOT, were developed and introduced to modify NiOx. These isomers share the same structure but differ in the substitution positions of functional groups, resulting in distinct molecular planarity. Experimental results demonstrate that 1,5-NOT, featuring extended conjugation and enhanced planarity, more effectively enhances the hole extraction/transport capabilities and conductivity of NiOx compared to 2,6-NOT. The NiOx/1,5-NOT-based device achieves a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.20%, along with excellent long-term stability, surpassing the NiOx control device (18.12%) and the 2,6-NOT-based device (21.87%). These findings indicate that modifying NiOx with small organic molecules significantly improves charge transport performance, and increasing molecular planarity is particularly beneficial for enhancing hole transport and reducing defect density, thereby increasing both efficiency and stability. This work provides a new strategy for NiOx modification via small organic molecules, offering a promising route to high-performance inverted PSCs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3708-y
Polar two-dimensional (2D) perovskites, with their excellent semiconductor properties, intrinsic anisotropy, and bulk photovoltaic effect, have emerged as promising candidates for self-driven polarization-sensitive photodetectors. However, these self-driven polarized detectors typically require fabrication along the spontaneous polarization direction to maintain device operation in the self-driven mode, which imposes additional limitations. Herein, we demonstrate multidirectional self-driven polarization-sensitive photodetection by constructing 2D perovskite-based asymmetric contact devices, Ag/2D perovskite/C. The built-in electric field, originating from the difference in work functions, acts as the driving force for the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. Notably, this approach does not necessitate a specific direction, thereby enabling multidirectional self-driven photodetection. Under excitation by linearly polarized light, our devices exhibit impressive polarization-sensitive discrimination in multiple directions, achieving polarization ratios of 3.3 and 3.1 along the a and b-axes, respectively. Our work enriches the approaches enabling self-driven polarization-sensitive photodetection, free from the previous limitations.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60617-7
The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with wind energy gaining increasing prominence due to its clean and renewable nature. However, as installed wind power capacity expands, disposal of waste wind turbine blades (WWTB) has emerged as a significant challenge. These blades are predominantly composed of epoxy resin (EP) polymers, carbon fibers (CFs), and glass fibers (GFs). Improper disposal exacerbates environmental concerns and leads to loss of valuable resources, particularly carbon-based materials. Pyrolysis technology, a versatile and environmentally sustainable method for resource recovery, has garnered considerable attention for WWTB disposal. This work presents a comprehensive review of pyrolytic recycling of WWTB, focusing on principles and classifications of pyrolysis technology, key factors influencing the pyrolysis process, as well as pyrolysis methods, equipment, products, and their applications. Through in-depth analysis of current research, this review identifies critical unresolved issues and provides a forward-looking perspective on emerging research trends. The review highlights that pyrolysis can effectively recover glass fibers and carbon fibers with mechanical property retention depending on process conditions, and that catalytic pyrolysis can enhance the quality of recovered products. Economic analysis indicates that collaborative disposal methods can improve cost-effectiveness. Future research should focus on optimizing process parameters for large-scale industrial application and developing more efficient catalysts to improve product selectivity and fiber quality.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025062404
To investigate the pollution characteristics and temporal variations of water-soluble ions in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during autumn and winter in Taiyuan City, continuous sampling and analysis were conducted using a Swiss Metrohm ion chromatograph in autumn and winter 2023. The results show that the daily mean concentration of nine water-soluble ions was 26.04 μg m−3, accounting for 52.1% of the average PM2.5 mass concentration. Ion concentrations ranked in descending order: NO3−, NH4+, SO42−, Cl−, K+, Na+, Ca2+, F−, and Mg2+. Secondary inorganic ions (SNA) constituted 87.6% of total water-soluble ions. The mass ratio of NO3− to SO42− reached 1.83, indicating a shift from sulfate-dominated to nitrate-dominated aerosol chemistry. During pollution episodes, water-soluble ion concentrations increased exponentially, with distinct ion-specific trends: on moderately polluted days, SO42− increased to 5.31 times that on clean days, whereas on heavily polluted days, NO3− increased to 5.37 times, highlighting nitrate as a primary driver of severe pollution. Comparison with historical data reveals a recent increase in the proportion of water-soluble ions in PM2.5, with higher proportions during more polluted periods. Analysis of NH4+ forms and PM2.5 acidity suggests that acidic components contribute more under heavier pollution. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified four major sources: secondary sources, combustion and motor vehicles, industrial sources, and dust. The secondary source contributions were 45.4%, 64.7%, and 63.4% on clean, lightly polluted, and moderate-to-heavy polluted days, respectively, indicating a significantly higher secondary contribution on polluted days.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61098-0
Laser-assisted grown graphene electrodes are promising for electrochemical energy storage, but their performance is limited by poorly controlled pore networks. This study demonstrates that a simple thermal post-treatment effectively tunes porosity and surface chemistry, significantly enhancing capacitive performance. Systematic variation of annealing temperature, dwell time, and atmosphere (air vs. inert) revealed that mild annealing in air up to 500 °C reduces oxygen-containing functionalities and increases the sp2/sp3 carbon ratio. Critically, specific surface area increased from 110 to 498 m² g⁻¹, with a broader pore-size distribution. These structural and chemical changes correlate with an almost order-of-magnitude increase in capacitance compared to untreated electrodes. The optimal condition—400 °C in air for 6 h—yielded electrodes retaining 92% of capacitance at a 25-fold current increase and 99% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations support a buckling–unknotting mechanism, where metastable interlayer sp3 or C–O–C linkages relax into lower-energy, untied bilayer configurations, reopening pores. This laser-based fabrication combined with thermal annealing offers a scalable, chemical-free route to high-performance graphene electrodes, avoiding wet-chemical activation. The established structure–property relationships provide clear guidance for optimizing related porous carbon architectures.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013
The escalating eutrophication of aquatic systems has intensified algal blooms, leading to substantial release and accumulation of algal-derived dissolved organic matter (ADOM), which profoundly influences carbon cycling and pollutant transport. Iron minerals, particularly ferrihydrite, are recognized as critical mediators of DOM sequestration, yet the adsorption fractionation of ADOM under varying environmental conditions remains poorly understood. This study systematically investigated the effects of pH (2.0–10.0) and initial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (2–100 mg C/L) on the adsorption capacity and selectivity of ADOM onto ferrihydrite, employing UV-Vis spectroscopy and excitation-emission matrix fluorescence with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). Results demonstrated that adsorption capacity increased with pH from 2.0 to 7.0, reaching a maximum of 21.59 mg C/g at pH 7.0, followed by a decline at pH > 7.0 due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion. Within the environmentally relevant pH range of 3.0–9.0, selective fractionation intensified with increasing pH, favoring highly aromatic, high-molecular-weight chromophoric DOM (CDOM) and protein-like/aromatic amino acid fluorescent DOM (FDOM) with high humification and autochthonous characteristics. With increasing initial DOC concentration, adsorption exhibited non-linear growth, with preferential uptake of low-aromaticity, high-molecular-weight CDOM and protein-like FDOM of lower humification and stronger autochthonous features. These findings elucidate that ferrihydrite can effectively sequester reactive ADOM components via pH- and concentration-dependent selective adsorption, potentially altering DOM composition and reactivity in eutrophic waters, thereby providing fundamental data for understanding iron mineral-mediated internal carbon sequestration.
The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12034/j.issn.1009-606X.226111
Efficient capture of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is critical for climate change mitigation and resource recovery. In this study, two guanidinium-based hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) with pyridyl nitrogen site isomerism, namely G-5,5'-BPyDC and G-4,4'-BPyDC, were constructed using 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid and 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid as ligands. The effects of ligand structure on hydrogen-bonded network, pore environment, and N2O/N2 adsorption separation performance were systematically investigated via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and gas adsorption experiments. Both frameworks are built via N-H...O hydrogen bonds. The asymmetric unit of G-5,5'-BPyDC contains two methanol molecules, resulting in larger free volume and surface area compared to G-4,4'-BPyDC, which exhibits more compact packing. Both materials show decomposition temperatures above 290°C, indicating good thermal stability. Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the total contribution of O-H/H-O and N-H/H-N hydrogen bonds in G-5,5'-BPyDC (32.0%) is higher than that in G-4,4'-BPyDC (29.7%). At 25°C and 4.0 MPa, the N2O adsorption capacity of G-5,5'-BPyDC is 2.32 mmol/g, surpassing that of G-4,4'-BPyDC (2.02 mmol/g). IAST calculations show that the selectivities of G-5,5'-BPyDC for N2O/N2 (50:50 and 10:90) mixtures reach 29.26 and 111.32, respectively, significantly superior to those of G-4,4'-BPyDC (6.61 and 17.03). Pyridyl nitrogen site isomerism effectively optimizes N2O/N2 adsorption and separation by modulating pore polarity and hydrogen-bonded network, offering a new strategy for isomer design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3913-3
The depletion of fossil resources necessitates the development of sustainable polymers from renewable feedstocks. Eugenol, a biomass-derived compound, serves as an ideal platform molecule due to its reactive allyl group and rigid aromatic scaffold. This study introduces a chiral Pd/Wei-Phos catalytic system for the helix-selective living polymerization of achiral eugenol-based diazo acetate monomer, delivering helical polycarbenes in high yield with controlled molecular weight (Mn), narrow dispersity (Đ), and optical activity. Post-polymerization functionalization was achieved via thiol-ene click chemistry, enabling efficient incorporation of diverse functional groups (carboxyl, ester, ketone, and diol) with high conversion (>99%). Additionally, an innovative pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionic acid) (PETMP) cross-linked eugenol-based polycarbene system has been constructed. By controlling the polymerization degree and cross-linking density of the polymer, the mechanical properties (tensile strength can reach 15 MPa) of the cross-linked materials can be easily adjusted. Moreover, the cross-linked films exhibit excellent chiral separation ability and can be used for the enantioseparation of enantiomers of various chiral alcohols, with enantiomeric excess (ee) up to 96%. This not only contributes an innovative strategy for designing high-performance functional materials, but also provides inspiring ideas for the development of biomass-derived high-performance materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3931-6
Detection of circularly polarized light (CPL) is crucial for advancing next-generation chiral optoelectronic applications, where a large photocurrent dissymmetry factor (g_Iph) is essential for accurate polarization discrimination. Chiral hybrid perovskites (CHPs) have emerged as promising CPL-active materials owing to their intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and chiroptical properties. However, an intrinsic conflict between g_Iph and photocurrent response remains a major bottleneck in current CHP-based devices. Low-dimensional CHPs typically suffer from limited carrier mobility, while multilayered structures improve carrier transport but generally reduce the chiral component, thereby reducing chiroptical activity and g_Iph. Herein, we report a Cs-based multilayered chiral-polar perovskite, (R-β-MPA)PACsPb2Br7 (1R, MPA=methylphenethylammonium, PA=propylammonium). The distinctive chiral-polar photovoltaic effect in 1R benefits spin-selective carrier separation and collection, and the resulting device achieves self-powered CPL detection with a high g_Iph of 0.5 and maintains excellent polarization selectivity even at ultralow light intensities of 62 nW cm−2. Meanwhile, the multilayered framework enables high responsivity of 71 mA W−1 and detectivity of 6×10^12 Jones (1 Jones = 1 cm Hz^(1/2) W−1) even at zero bias. This work provides a rational design strategy to achieve chiral optoelectronic materials with a high dissymmetry factor and photocurrent response.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3897-6
Decoding the nature of catalytically active sites is an essential prerequisite for the rational design of catalysts for electrochemical H2O2 synthesis, but faces significant challenges, particularly for controversial cobalt single-atom catalysts (Co SACs). Herein, we report trace Co single-atom sites embedded within pyridinic N-rich carbon nanospheres (Co1-NNH3-C), synthesized via a self-assembly coupled surface-coating strategy. The Co1-NNH3-C catalyst demonstrates remarkable H2O2 selectivity (99%) and activity at current density of −3.5 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M H2SO4. Through a combined approach of molecular probe experiments, surface modification, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we disclose that pyridinic N, rather than Co single atoms, serves as the direct active site for 2e− oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The trace Co (0.05 wt%) indirectly facilitated pyridinic N formation during pyrolysis but exhibits negligible direct catalytic involvement. DFT reveals pyridinic N sites optimize OOH intermediate adsorption (ΔG*OOH = 4.0 eV) and minimize reaction overpotential of 0.20 V, enabling scalable H2O2 production (907.5 mmol gcat−1 h−1). This work redefines the role of trace metal in SACs, providing a paradigm for designing metal-induced carbon catalysts for sustainable electrosynthesis for H2O2.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3763-9
Developing near-infrared (NIR) organic phototheranostic agents with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is crucial for precise diagnosis and synchronous cancer treatment by regulating excited-state energy dissipation. However, the distorted molecular configuration of AIE systems poses a challenge to achieving both high fluorescence quantum yield (QY) and large molar extinction coefficient (ε). Herein, a series of donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) AIE small molecules with bright NIR emission and high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) were developed through an acceptor planarization and donor rotation molecular engineering strategy. Upon encapsulation into water-dispersible nanoparticles (NPs), SVD NPs exhibited strong molar absorptivity (ε = 3.92 × 10^4 M^-1 cm^-1), high QY of 4%, and improved photothermal performance (PCE × ε = 2.2 × 10^4), enabling effective NIR fluorescence imaging-guided phototherapy for successful ablation of subcutaneous tumors. This study offers valuable insights into the simultaneous enhancement of bright NIR luminescence and exceptional photothermal performance in AIE phototheranostic agents, propelling advancements in tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60641-X
Polycarbonate (PC) is a widely utilized engineering plastic, but its accumulation in waste streams poses environmental and health risks due to the leaching of toxic bisphenol A (BPA). This study presents a catalyst-free methanolysis route for the chemical recycling of waste PC into BPA under mild conditions. At 160 °C, complete depolymerization of PC (100.0% conversion) was achieved with a high BPA yield of 95.0% without any catalyst or auxiliary solvent. A scaled-up experiment with 10 g PC demonstrated a facile separation process, recovering BPA with over 85.0% yield. The method proved effective for various commercial PC grades and mixed plastics, including ABS-PC blends, as well as other polyesters such as polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and polyethylene terephthalate. Based on SEM and GPC analyses, a probable alcoholysis depolymerization mechanism was proposed, involving initial swelling and gradual breakdown of PC into soluble macromolecules with broad molecular weight distribution, ultimately yielding BPA. This work offers a facile, green, and efficient approach for the alcoholysis recovery of polyester plastics, addressing both environmental concerns and sustainable resource utilization.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202508101
The emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from fossil fuel combustion and metal smelting industries poses severe risks to environmental and human health. This study utilized depleted lead-zinc molten slag as a desulfurizer for wet flue gas desulfurization, and the resulting desulfurization slurry was further employed for NOx removal, achieving resource utilization. The desulfurization efficiency of the slag was determined, and NaClO2 was identified as the most effective oxidant when combined with the slag slurry for NOx removal. The effects of NaClO2 concentration, reaction temperature, flue gas flow rate, oxygen concentration, NOx concentration, and pH on removal efficiency were investigated. Optimal conditions were found at NaClO2 concentration of 2.5 mmol·L−1, temperature 45 °C, flue gas flow 200 mL·min−1, O2 volume fraction 10%, NOx volume fraction 0.03%, and pH 6, achieving a NOx removal efficiency of 97.24%. Metal ion experiments revealed that Fe3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and K+ exhibited synergistic effects with NaClO2, with Fe3+ showing the most significant enhancement. Fe3+ promoted the decomposition of NaClO2 to generate stronger oxidants such as ClO2, thereby enhancing NOx oxidation and absorption. This approach offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional selective catalytic reduction, avoiding ammonia slip and secondary pollution.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025030302
A novel core-shell composite adsorbent, C18-SiO2@C, was synthesized for the determination of five phthalates in food samples. The adsorbent was prepared by assembling hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) into γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) cavities via saturated solution method, followed by hydrothermal oxidation to form SiO2@C, and subsequent C18 modification on the inner SiO2 core. The outer hydrophilic amorphous carbon shell enables effective extraction, while the inner C18 layer provides hydrophobic interactions. Using tip-based solid-phase microextraction (SPME), the adsorbent (10 mg) efficiently enriched phthalates from water, milk, and cola. Under optimized conditions (pH, eluent type/volume, sample volume, salt concentration), the method coupled with GC/MS exhibited linearity in the range of 0.5–10 ng·mL−1 (R² > 0.99), limits of detection (S/N ≥ 3) of 0.04–0.15 μg·L−1, and spiked recoveries of 74%–100% (RSD 1.32%–3.49%). For real samples, recoveries were 84.6%–102.3% for tap water, 80.7%–104.6% for cola, and 80.2%–101.4% for milk. The method offers simplicity, rapidity, low sample consumption, high enrichment efficiency, and strong matrix interference resistance, demonstrating significant potential for trace phthalate monitoring in foods.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025030404
The photoelectrocatalytic degradation of seven sulfonamide antibiotics—sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfisoxazole (SIA), sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), sulfapyridine (SPD), sulfadimidine (SMT), and sulfaguanidine (SG)—was investigated using a bismuth vanadate-loaded titanium dioxide array (BiVO4/TiO2) as the anode under visible light irradiation. Systematic evaluation of BiVO4 loading, solution pH, current density, electrolyte type, and electrolyte concentration revealed optimal conditions of 50 mmol·L−1 Na2SO4, a current density of 1.67 mA·cm−2, and pH 2. Under these conditions, STZ removal and total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached 95.7% and 76.7%, respectively. Removal efficiencies for SDZ, SIA, SMZ, SPD, SMT, and SG were 94.9%, 80.9%, 79.1%, 57.7%, 52.3%, and 52.0%, with TOC removal ranging from 50% to 76.7%. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) identified hydroxyl radicals (·OH), singlet oxygen (1O2), and sulfate radicals (SO4−·) as dominant reactive species. The BiVO4/TiO2 composite exhibited a valence band edge at EVB = 2.775 V vs. RHE, enabling oxidation of H2O, OH−, and SO4^2− to generate these radicals. The heterostructure narrowed the bandgap to 2.12 eV and enhanced visible light response, facilitating efficient charge separation and transfer. Degradation pathways involved oxidation of aniline moieties to nitro groups, followed by hydroxylation and cleavage of S–N, N–C, or S–C bonds, ultimately mineralizing to CO2, H2O, SO4^2−, and NO3−. The system demonstrated high stability and catalytic efficiency across acidic and alkaline conditions, offering a promising approach for antibiotic removal from environmental waters.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606015
This study evaluated the sustainability and tissue-specific mechanisms of corn stover as a solid-phase carbon source for nitrate removal from groundwater. Cyclic heterotrophic denitrification experiments were conducted using leaf, stem pith, stem bark, stem node, husk, and mixed tissues as carbon sources. Denitrification efficiency, sustainability, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release, carbon utilization efficiency, intermediate accumulation, and environmental parameters were systematically assessed. Kinetic modeling, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied to elucidate regulatory mechanisms. Results demonstrated that mixed tissues and husk achieved the highest denitrification efficiency, with nitrate removal rates consistently above 98% across four repeated cycles. Total nitrogen removal reached 39.30 mg/g for mixed tissues and 39.95 mg/g for husk, while byproduct concentrations (NO2-N and NH4-N) remained below 2 mg/L. DOC release profiles indicated stable carbon release and high carbon utilization efficiency (203.99 mg TN/g organic carbon for mixed tissues; 182.41 mg/g for husk). Correlation and SEM analyses revealed that carbon source type indirectly governed total nitrogen removal by modulating DOC release, which subsequently influenced pH, electrical conductivity, and nitrogen transformation pathways. Significant differences among tissues were observed in denitrification efficiency, carbon utilization, and micro-environmental regulation. Mixed tissues and husk emerged as superior carbon sources due to their combined efficiency and stability. However, husk released odorous compounds during operation, posing sensory challenges for practical application. The findings support the potential of corn stover tissues as cost-effective carbon sources for in-situ groundwater nitrate remediation, though further optimization is required for field-scale implementation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3864-4
Organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials, particularly those emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) region, hold great promise for bioimaging due to their deep-tissue penetration and minimal autofluorescence interference. However, achieving efficient NIR RTP with long lifetimes remains challenging due to inefficient triplet exciton utilization. Herein, we propose a dark triplet state activation strategy to achieve efficient NIR RTP by leveraging host–guest energy transfer. Using benzophenone derivatives (BP, OBP, MBP, PBP) as rigid host matrices with high intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency and an NIR fluorophore (MPTCF) as the guest, we achieve efficient Dexter-type triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) that converts non-emissive host triplets into guest-centered NIR phosphorescence. Systematic optimization of the host–guest system has shown that PBP/MPTCF exhibits exceptional performance, including long phosphorescence centered at 705 nm, an ultralong phosphorescence lifetime (210.3 ms), and high ISC efficiency (44.4%). When fabricated into nanoparticles (NPs), PBP/MPTCF exhibits superior performance, featuring prolonged phosphorescence signals (>120 s), deep tissue penetration capability (>2 mm), and excellent biocompatibility (cell viability >95% at 300 μM). In addition, this system enables high-contrast subcutaneous imaging with excellent dispersibility and stable in vivo imaging capability. More importantly, PBP/MPTCF NPs demonstrate precise lymph node mapping through time-gated phosphorescence imaging and efficient tumor visualization within 4 h post-injection with a high tumor-to-liver ratio of 2.8. The successful activation of dark triplet states through this host–guest approach provides a general design principle for developing high-performance NIR RTP materials, while the demonstrated biomedical applications highlight their significant potential for advanced bioimaging and precision diagnostics.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202505106
Open-pit coal mining causes severe soil nutrient depletion, limiting vegetation restoration. This study, conducted in the Baiyinhua No.2 mining area (Inner Mongolia), evaluated the effects of different fertilization strategies on soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability and microbial community responses. A field experiment was established in May 2023 with five treatments: low (L), medium (M), and high (H) phosphorus inorganic fertilizers, green manure (GM), and a microbial fertilizer (MF) containing nitrogen-fixing and rhizobia bacteria, compared to a control (CK). Results showed that MF significantly increased total carbon (TC) from 8.47 to 10.17 g·kg⁻¹ and total nitrogen (TN) from 0.37 to 0.56 g·kg⁻¹, while H significantly increased available phosphorus (AP) from 9.78 to 26.28 mg·kg⁻¹. Both treatments significantly altered fungal community structure, with increased relative abundances of Gibberella and Alternaria. The study concludes that MF and H improve soil nutrient availability by modulating fungal communities, with MF offering a sustainable biological approach for mine reclamation. These findings provide targeted fertilization strategies for restoring degraded mining soils and advancing green mining practices.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202505108
Open-pit mining in high-cold regions causes severe ecological degradation, including vegetation loss, soil structure destruction, and frequent freeze-thaw disturbances, complicating ecosystem recovery. This review systematically synthesizes the current status, theories, and key restoration technologies for degraded ecosystems in high-cold mining areas. Comparative analysis with typical high-cold degraded ecosystems worldwide reveals that high-cold mining areas face challenges such as frequent freeze-thaw cycles, hydrological disruption, wind erosion, and difficult vegetation establishment. We propose strengthening aboveground-belowground synergistic restoration: (1) aboveground restoration should focus on screening cold-resistant native plants and optimizing mixed community configurations, combined with plant growth-promoting multi-microbial consortia to facilitate vegetation recovery; (2) belowground restoration should be based on engineering soil profile reconstruction, integrating physical-chemical-biological multi-dimensional remediation techniques to achieve aboveground and belowground community reconstruction and functional recovery; (3) a progressive restoration framework is established, with short-term goals targeting soil stabilization and structure improvement, medium-term goals focusing on constructing multifunctional plant-soil communities, and long-term goals achieving self-sustaining, maintenance-free restored ecosystems. Finally, addressing the unclear mechanisms of aboveground-belowground synergistic interactions and insufficient environmental adaptability of restoration technologies, two prospects are proposed: (1) deepening research on aboveground-belowground synergistic mechanisms to reveal interactions between cold-tolerant microorganisms and plants; (2) advancing the development of characteristic restoration technologies adapted to high-cold environments.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202503016
Open-pit coal mining severely damages soil and plant community structure and function, causing soil nutrient loss and ecological degradation. Vegetation reconstruction is a key measure for restoring degraded mining ecosystems, with the core challenge being the selection of suitable plant species and optimization of plant configurations. This study focused on the degraded ecosystem of the Baiyinhua open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, screening native plant species for vegetation reconstruction experiments to investigate early-stage changes in soil nutrient availability and the underlying microbial mechanisms. Results showed that soil physicochemical properties and fungal community diversity exhibited strong adaptability during early reconstruction. However, soil fungal community composition and the relative abundance of saprotrophic fungi differed significantly among plant configurations. Leymus chinensis significantly increased the proportion of soil saprotrophic fungi from 67.28% in the control to 81.63%, while reducing the relative proportion of pathogenic fungi from 15.63% to 4.33%, demonstrating its potential to enhance soil health. Medicago rivularis improved soil microbial community composition and increased soil available phosphorus content, highlighting its capacity as an excellent pioneer species for optimizing soil nutrient availability. Furthermore, mixed sowing of grasses and legumes showed potential to enhance the nitrogen-fixing effect of legumes. Given the significant positive correlation between soil fungal community composition and total nitrogen and available nitrogen, the effects of different plant configurations on soil nutrient availability and biological health likely stem largely from the regulation of soil fungal community composition. In conclusion, achieving the goal of selecting optimal plant configurations still requires long-term continuous observation and analysis, particularly for optimizing configurations between high-quality grasses like Leymus chinensis and legumes.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025031302
Trifluoropropylmethylsiloxanes (D3F and D4F) are emerging contaminants whose environmental behavior remains poorly understood. This study investigated their occurrence, bioaccumulation, and elimination in sediments and mollusks collected from 60 sites across 12 coastal cities along Bohai Bay, China. Concentrations in sediments ranged from <LOD to 17.1 ng/g dry weight (dw) with a detection frequency of 30% and a mean of 5.6 ng/g dw. In mollusks, concentrations ranged from <LOD to 20.2 ng/g wet weight (ww) with a detection frequency of 21.7% and a mean of 4.1 ng/g ww. Compared with cyclic dimethylsiloxanes (D4, D5, D6), trifluoropropylmethylsiloxanes exhibited 1–2 orders of magnitude lower concentrations and 1.4–2.2 times lower biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF: 0.67 for D3F, 0.61 for D4F). However, from 2017 to 2023, trifluoropropylmethylsiloxanes showed higher annual accumulation rates in sediments (21.5%) and mollusks (32.8%) than dimethylsiloxanes (10.2% and 6.7%, respectively). This discrepancy is attributed to their higher usage growth, stronger sorption (lg KOC: 6.77 for D3F, 8.81 for D4F vs. 4.22–5.99 for D4–D6), and slower elimination in mollusks (half-lives: 11.1 d for D3F, 20.1 d for trans-D4Fa vs. 5.4–8.6 d for D4–D6). The primary degradation product, methyl(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)silanediol, was detected in sediments (mean 15.7 ng/g dw, detection frequency 33.3%) and mollusks (mean 31.2 ng/g ww, detection frequency 33.3%). Its accumulation rate in mollusks was 1.4 times faster than in sediments, suggesting its potential as an exposure indicator. These findings highlight distinct environmental behaviors of trifluoropropylmethylsiloxanes, necessitating further monitoring and risk assessment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3966-0
The development of low platinum-loading catalysts for the economically viable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains challenging. Herein, a precursor dilution strategy is used to fabricate Pt nanoclusters anchored on Ni-embedded porous carbon microspheres. The approach begins with the facile synthesis of Zn/Ni-based coordination polymers (Ni-BTC-Zn) due to the isomorphic substitution of Zn2+ and Ni2+. During pyrolysis, the evaporation of zinc species results in a highly porous carbon structure with well-dispersed nickel nanoparticles. Subsequent solvothermal treatment allows for the uniform deposition of Pt nanoclusters to form the final bimetallic PtNi catalysts (PtNi-BTC-C). Among them, the optimized PtNi-BTC-C10 exhibits exceptional alkaline HER performance, requiring an overpotential of only 41 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 31.1 mV dec−1. It also demonstrates outstanding durability with a current retention of 90.7% after 70 h, far exceeding Pt/C. Extensive characterization confirms that moderate Zn dilution optimally modulates the Ni particle size and dispersion, leading to maximized active sites and enhanced charge transfer. Combined with DFT calculations, the Pt-Ni-cluster model for PtNi-BTC-C10 possesses an optimized electronic structure with a shifted d-band center, which facilitates water dissociation and optimizes H* desorption with the most favorable energetics (0.262 eV). This work provides a fundamental understanding of precursor dilution engineering and offers a versatile pathway for designing advanced noble-metal-based bimetallic electrocatalysts.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202512014
Mining activities cause severe soil degradation and microbial diversity loss, impeding ecological restoration. This study evaluated the effects of a novel soil amendment, microporous bio-gravel (MBG), on bacterial and fungal community structure and function in degraded soil from the Baiyinhua open-pit mine, Inner Mongolia. A pot experiment with four MBG-to-soil volume ratios (CK, L=1:3, M=1:2, H=1:1) was conducted, with a simplified plant community and uniform fertilization. After 180 days, soil samples were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics. Results showed that the medium ratio (M) significantly increased fungal Shannon index and evenness, while the high ratio (H) negatively affected bacterial communities. At phylum and genus levels, MBG promoted enrichment of Cyanobacteria and specific functional groups (e.g., nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Bacillus). Co-occurrence network analysis revealed peak complexity, modularity, and average degree in bacterial and fungal networks under the M treatment. Functional prediction indicated significant enrichment of pathways related to lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, nitrotoluene degradation, and plant-pathogen interactions, alongside increased abundance of saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Mantel and VPA analyses showed that MBG indirectly regulated microbial community structure by improving soil physicochemical properties and plant traits, with stronger effects on fungi than bacteria. In conclusion, MBG optimizes the soil microhabitat and plant-soil-microbe interactions, modulating microbial diversity, network complexity, and functional potential. The medium ratio (1:2) was most effective, demonstrating potential for ecological restoration of degraded mine soils.
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.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025042101
Chloropyridine compounds, widely used as pesticide intermediates in China, pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health due to their high toxicity, persistence, and frequent detection in water bodies. This study addresses the removal of 3,4,5,6-tetrachloropyridine-2-carboxylic acid (TCPA), a representative chloropyridine contaminant, using a novel composite material. Biochar-supported zero-valent iron/iron carbide composites (SL-FeC2O4-800 °C) were synthesized via a high-temperature carbothermal process, employing activated sludge as the carbon source and ferrous oxalate (FeC2O4) as the iron precursor. The composite exhibited rapid and efficient TCPA degradation across a wide pH range (3–9), achieving 98% removal within 2 minutes. Mechanistic studies using scavenging experiments revealed that TCPA removal proceeds through synergistic pathways: adsorption onto biochar, direct reduction by zero-valent iron, and oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated via oxygen activation. Surface-bound iron species were identified as critical for ROS formation. The material demonstrated reusability over five cycles, with degradation efficiencies decreasing from 98.54% to 40.36%, indicating gradual deactivation due to iron consumption and surface passivation. This work not only provides an efficient and environmentally sustainable method for removing persistent and highly toxic pollutants like TCPA but also offers a novel strategy for sludge resource utilization. The low-cost raw materials, simple preparation, and high activity position this composite as a promising candidate for industrial wastewater treatment, particularly in pesticide manufacturing effluents.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4101-5
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) represent a frontier in catalytic science, offering theoretically 100% atom utilization, tunable electronic structures, and coordination microenvironments, with broad prospects in energy conversion and high-end chemical synthesis. However, atomic-scale challenges—disordered active site distribution, constrained electronic structures, metal atom agglomeration, limited loading capacity, and insufficient coordination environment precision—severely restrict performance optimization and practical deployment. This review systematically analyzes the mechanistic interconnections among these challenges, framing them as a multi-level, coupled systemic problem rather than isolated issues. It summarizes recent regulation strategies including support engineering, coordination regulation, spatial confinement, and dynamic synthesis, emphasizing the value of multi-strategy synergy for performance breakthroughs. Future research directions include developing in-situ characterization with high spatial and temporal resolution, exploring multi-site synergistic catalytic mechanisms, and constructing standardized databases and rational design platforms. These efforts aim to enable large-scale advances in clean energy and green chemical processes.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4118-0
Polymer composite dielectrics are key materials for high-temperature film capacitors, yet their energy storage capability is severely constrained at elevated temperatures. Molecular fillers that simultaneously integrate deep-level trapping (high electron affinity, Ea), strong insulation (large bandgap, Eg), and high thermal stability are rarely available, posing a major challenge for improving high-temperature energy storage performance. To address this challenge, we screen and identify hexaazatriphenylene hexacarbonitrile (HAT-CN) as a promising candidate that fulfills the above critical requirements from numerous commercial organic molecules. When incorporated into a high glass transition temperature (Tg) polymer fluorene polyester (FPE), the resulting all-organic composite exhibits simultaneously suppressed high-temperature conduction loss and preserved mechanical robustness. Consequently, the optimized composite achieves record-high discharged energy densities of 7.31 J cm−3 at 150 °C and 6.14 J cm−3 at 200 °C (η≥90%) with a low cost and scalable process. This work demonstrates that the filler design based on synergistic key properties provides a potent pathway to break the longstanding high-temperature performance bottleneck in polymer dielectrics.