SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3706-3
Aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries are severely limited by slow cathode reaction kinetics and large polarization. Herein, we design and prepare a Mott-Schottky catalyst by uniformly embedding ultrafine Ru nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped carbon (Ru@NC) nanoflakes to accelerate oxygen redox kinetics of Li-O2 batteries. The Mott-Schottky effect of Ru@NC drives spontaneous electron rearrangement in the NC matrix and induces a strong built-in electric field at heterointerfaces, which accelerates the activation and conversion of oxygen intermediates. The obtained Ru@NC possesses rich Mott-Schottky heterointerfaces and defective carbon structures, which provide extensive adsorption and nucleation sites. More importantly, Ru@NC manifests moderate affinity for the intermediate LiO2, inducing formation of unique nanosheet-like Li2O2 with low Li2O2/cathode interfacial impedance, which further enhances oxidation kinetics. These enable the Li-O2 battery with Ru@NC to deliver a remarkably reduced polarization of 0.89 V, superior rate performance, and prolonged lifespan of over 200 cycles. This work will provide valuable guidelines for engineering advanced electrocatalysts for high-performance Li-O2 batteries and beyond.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3727-0
Lead halide perovskites are promising scintillators for X-ray imaging due to high X-ray absorption efficiency, excellent luminescence, and facile synthesis. However, their ionic nature challenges simultaneous high photoluminescence efficiency and environmental robustness. This work introduces a multilevel encapsulation strategy: CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) are sequentially coated with Cs4PbBr6, SiO2, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Cs4PbBr6 passivates surface defects, while SiO2 and PDMS provide barriers against moisture, heat, and radiation. The resulting CsPbBr3@Cs4PbBr6/SiO2/PDMS flexible films exhibit a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 85%, outstanding mechanical flexibility, and durability under stretching, bending, and compressing. Films retain emission stability under elevated temperatures, prolonged X-ray irradiation, and extended water immersion. X-ray imaging demonstrates spatial resolution of 12 lp/mm, enabling distortion-free imaging of curved objects; superior water resistance allows long-term underwater imaging. This work highlights hierarchical encapsulation in balancing luminescence efficiency and stability, offering a pathway toward practical flexible perovskite scintillators.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202507110
Algal-derived taste and odor compounds (2-methylisoborneol, 2-MIB, and geosmin, GSM) in drinking water sources are poorly removed by conventional treatment. This study systematically evaluated the standalone and combined performance of ozone micro-nano bubbles (O3-MNBs) oxidation and powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption for removing 2-MIB, GSM, and algal cells from source water. Results showed that O3-MNBs pre-oxidation achieved >97.5% removal of odorants at 400 ng·L−1 and 67.2% algal cell removal within 30 min. When applied as a deep treatment stage, the degradation rate constant (k) was 10.1%–25.6% higher than in pre-oxidation due to lower background matrix interference. Both pre-oxidation and deep treatment reduced effluent concentrations of 2-MIB and GSM to below 10 ng·L−1, with oxidation kinetics fitting pseudo-first-order models (R²>0.95). PAC adsorption of both compounds followed pseudo-second-order kinetics (R²>0.99), with GSM equilibrium adsorption capacity approximately 20.0% higher than that of 2-MIB. In pure water, adsorption capacity increased by >10.0% compared to raw water. Based on kinetic models, a quantitative prediction method was established for O3-MNBs oxidation and PAC adsorption processes, aiming to achieve efficient odorant removal and cost optimization, providing theoretical support for advanced drinking water purification and smart water plant construction.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4003-7
The escalating electromagnetic (EM) pollution necessitates the development of high-performance microwave absorbers (MAs) with integrated functionalities. However, it is still a difficult problem to integrate more related high performances into the designed MAs. Herein, a sustainable strategy was reported for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) porous magnetic Ni@C-anchored carbon foams (Ni@C/CFs) with abundant heterointerfaces and magnetic Ni@C nanoparticles using 3D porous chitosan foams and Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid chelate (Ni-NAC) as precursors. The modulation of carbonization temperature and concentration of Ni-NAC solution contributed to the tunable carbon graphitization, Ni crystallinity and magnetic Ni@C nanoparticles loading, which effectively improved their EM properties and EM wave absorption performances (EMWAPs). The optimized 3D porous magnetic Ni@C/CFs not only exhibited exceptional EMWAPs with a minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −27.58 dB and an ultra-wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.20 GHz, but also presented efficient thermal insulation and strong antibacterial activity (>95% inhibition against E. coli), which mainly originated from their excellent magnetic-dielectric synergies and unique 3D hierarchical porous structures. Consequently, this work delivers a coherent design strategy for next-generation multifunctional absorbers with potential applications in EM protection, thermal management, and adaptive stealth technologies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3366-9
Organic solar cells (OSCs) have transitioned from <1% initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) to a benchmark exceeding 20% in single-junction and tandem architectures, marking a critical milestone for solution-processable photovoltaics. This review consolidates recent reports (2022–2025) on OSCs with PCE >20%, analyzing key strategies: photoactive material innovation (wide-bandgap polymer donors, narrow-bandgap non-fullerene acceptors), multi-component system construction, deposition protocol optimization, solid/solvent additive engineering, and hole/electron transport layer development. Empirical data from 15 high-impact studies reveal PCEs of 20.0–20.6% in single-junction devices and 20.2–26% in perovskite/organic tandem cells, with interfacial engineering (e.g., yttrium phosphotungstate, carbazole-modified 2PACz, naphthalene diimide interlayers) suppressing bimolecular recombination and enabling scalable large-area fabrication. Operational stability remains a bottleneck: amide-based cathode interlayers achieve 20% PCE with dual-modification mechanisms, while self-assembled monolayers enable hole transport layer-free devices with 18% efficiency and improved stability. The review identifies next-stage challenges: reducing voltage losses (to <0.5 V), scaling deposition uniformity beyond 100 cm², and achieving cost parity with silicon (<$0.30/Wp). These issues are critical for flexible and wearable power suppliers, where mechanical durability (<5% PCE degradation after 1000 bending cycles) and low-temperature processing (<150°C) are mandatory. The analysis provides a roadmap for industrial translation, emphasizing that material–device co-optimization, rather than isolated breakthroughs, will determine commercial viability.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3546-5
Organic cocrystals have emerged as a distinct functional material platform for near-infrared (NIR) optoelectronics, exploiting charge-transfer (CT) interactions between donor and acceptor constituents to generate ultranarrow optical bandgaps. This review systematically consolidates design strategies, controlled synthesis routes, structure–property relationships, characterization methodologies, and frontier applications of NIR-active organic cocrystals. The central mechanistic premise is that hybridization of the donor HOMO and acceptor LUMO produces new excited states whose absorption or emission extends into the 780–2500 nm window. Unlike conventional inorganic NIR materials, which incur high cost and complex fabrication, or discrete organic small molecules, which require multistep synthesis, cocrystals offer a non-destructive assembly route with tunable photophysical output, improved biocompatibility, and environmental stability. The review surveys cocrystal systems including TCNQ- and TCNB-based architectures, carbazole-based CT complexes, and TTF-derived conductors, with emphasis on how hydrogen- and halogen-bonding motifs govern packing, ionicity, and optoelectronic response. Controlled synthesis methods—mechanochemical grinding, vapor digestion, and solution assembly—are compared with respect to polymorph selectivity and stoichiometric fidelity. Characterization approaches spanning three-dimensional electron diffraction, FT-IR, and single-crystal X-ray analysis are evaluated for their capacity to resolve CT degree and band structure. Applications in NIR photothermal conversion, organic field-effect transistors, optical waveguides, and amplified spontaneous emission are assessed against performance metrics. Remaining challenges include scalable polymorph control, quantitative prediction of CT degree, and long-term operational stability under ambient and biological conditions.