SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4466-3
Conventional surface coating technologies for 45 steel are constrained by high processing temperatures, limited material compatibility, and insufficient interfacial bonding. This study introduces ultrasonic vibration-assisted mechanical coating (UVAMC) as a low-temperature deposition route that mitigates these limitations. The process yields a chromium coating on 45 steel with a nanoscale elemental interdiffusion transition layer at the interface, achieving a bonding strength of 66.0 MPa. The coating delivers improved corrosion resistance in aggressive environments while preserving the substrate's original compressive and tensile strength. The method also demonstrates broad process adaptability, successfully depositing copper, aluminum, and 316 stainless steel powders, and forming complex shapes such as the "SZU" pattern. These results establish UVAMC as a viable surface functionalization strategy for metallic materials, combining efficient deposition with operational flexibility.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3506-3
Metallic glasses (MGs) often suffer from sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics in neutral and alkaline media, with their catalytic performance predominantly confined to acidic environments. Herein, we reported a novel thermoplastic forming technique to fabricate a self-supported partially crystallized nanoporous Pt56.2Ni5.2Cu16.8P21.8 metallic glass (C-NPMG). The C-NPMG catalyst delivers ultralow overpotentials of 18.0 mV (0.5 M H2SO4), 42.2 mV (1 M KOH), and 88.0 mV (1 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, outperforming most state-of-the-art non-noble MGs and Pt-based benchmarks across all pH conditions. Notably, it maintains negligible performance decay for over 1000 h in alkaline electrolytes, showcasing superior stability. Experimental and computational analyses reveal that the enhanced HER activity arises from three synergistic effects: (1) the high-specific-surface-area nanoporous architecture that maximizes active site exposure; (2) the formation of crystallite-amorphous interfaces during partial crystallization, which lowers the energy barrier for H2 desorption; (3) the hierarchical super-hydrophilic and super-hydrophobic wettability of the C-NPMG, which optimizes mass transport and prevents electrolyte-induced corrosion. This work establishes a novel design paradigm for developing high-performance, pH-universal HER electrocatalysts by integrating structural nano-engineering and crystallite-amorphous phase synergy in metallic glass systems to overcome the trade-offs between performance and stability in electrochemical water splitting.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4028-5
The escalating thermal management demands of modern electronics necessitate materials with superior thermal conductivity and matched thermal expansion. Cu/Diamond composites are promising, yet their fabrication typically requires extreme conditions (high temperature/pressure) or complex coating processes. This work introduces a one-step, heat-source-free cold manufacturing method using ultrasonic vibration to consolidate Cu/Diamond composites at room temperature and a low pressure of ~16 MPa within seconds. The applied pressure is reduced by 200–500 times, and the required temperature is only 20% of that used in conventional high-temperature high-pressure sintering. Direct metallurgical bonding at Cu-Cu interfaces and solid embedding of diamond particles in the Cu matrix are achieved, yielding a composite with a high yield strength of 150 MPa. The method enables a maximum diamond proportion of ~60%, resulting in a thermal conductivity exceeding 1043 W/(m·K) and a coefficient of thermal expansion below 10×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Complex shapes are readily fabricated, and heat dissipation tests demonstrate superior performance compared to commercial Al₂O₃ and AlN substrates. The loose preparation conditions and rapid processing confer significant industrial production potential.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3981-7
Solution-processable quasi-2D perovskites are promising laser gain media due to their high exciton binding energy and improved stability relative to 3D counterparts. However, conventional synthesis yields mixed n-value phases, introducing interfacial defects and energetic disorder that impede charge injection into desired emission centers. Here, we report the first demonstration of stimulated emission from a phase-pure quasi-2D perovskite (n=8) achieved via a solvent-sieving method for selective phase removal. This dynamic purification yields near-unity phase purity (99.85%) with no detectable low-n phases, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The phase-pure film exhibits a narrower and more intense (001) diffraction peak (FWHM 0.16 nm, intensity 16,129) compared to pristine films (FWHM 0.22 nm, intensity 3,304), indicating enhanced crystallinity and increased grain size. Time-resolved photoluminescence reveals a prolonged carrier lifetime of 6.98 ns, suggesting reduced trap density. Atomic force microscopy shows a nearly pinhole-free surface with root mean square roughness of 1.18 nm. Consequently, the amplified spontaneous emission threshold is reduced to 13.82 μJ cm−2, a 12.5% improvement over conventional mixed-phase films (15.8 μJ cm−2). This work provides an efficient route to pure-phase quasi-2D perovskites for low-threshold lasers.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60692-5
Long persistent luminescence materials (LPLMs) have demonstrated significant potential in photo- and electro-catalysis due to their unique capability of storing and controllably releasing photogenerated charge carriers. These materials offer innovative solutions for environmental remediation and sustainable energy technologies. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the application of LPLs in photo- and electro-catalysis, outlining their developmental history and underlying mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on their applications in organic pollutant degradation, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and photovoltaic cells. Furthermore, design strategies and research frameworks for LPLs are discussed. The current limitations and challenges in this field are examined, and future research directions are proposed to facilitate the transition of LPLMs from fundamental research to practical applications in energy and the environment. Key materials such as SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ exhibit afterglow lasting up to 30 hours, enabling round-the-clock catalytic activity. Composite systems like g-C3N4@Au@SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ and Cu|CuO/SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ have achieved efficient degradation and simultaneous hydrogen evolution. Z-scheme heterojunctions, e.g., Sr2MgSi2O7:Eu2+,Dy3+/Ag3PO4, demonstrate enhanced performance. The review highlights the potential of LPLMs to overcome the limitation of intermittent light sources, providing a pathway for continuous catalytic processes.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3284-x
The development of high-performance n-type organic semiconductors is critical for advancing organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and p-n complementary logic circuits. This study reports two novel n-type triple-acceptor triads, NTI-BTT and NTI-BT, based on naphtho[2,3-b]thiophene diimide (NTI), a monothiophene-extended naphthalene diimide (NDI). The influence of thiophene fusion versus spacer insertion on physicochemical and charge transport properties is systematically investigated. NTI-terminated triads exhibit enhanced electron-withdrawing capabilities, deeper energy levels, and more planar backbones compared to NDI-based counterparts. However, NTI-BT-based OFETs suffer a substantial drop in electron mobility to 0.004 cm2 V−1 s−1 due to polycrystalline structure with multiple grain boundaries that increase trap state density. In contrast, introducing thiophene spacers between NTI and benzothiadiazole units in NTI-BTT effectively enhances n-type charge transport by improving π-π interactions and reducing intermolecular distances, achieving a short π-π stacking distance of 3.45 Å. Consequently, NTI-BTT exhibits a significantly improved electron mobility of 0.13 cm2 V−1 s−1, four times higher than the NDI-based counterpart. These findings provide valuable insights into molecular design principles for high-performance n-type organic semiconductors, highlighting the impact of molecular structure and intermolecular interactions on charge transport.