SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3652-2
Existing robotic end-effector gripping technologies often encounter challenges such as poor adaptability to environmental changes, incomplete deformation sensing, and insufficient adhesion stability, which can compromise operational safety and reliability. Here, we present the bio-inspired self-sensing suction cup, in which the core self-sensing capability is achieved by combining high-performance, laser-induced graphene/Ag NWs flexible sensors with a Wheatstone bridge design. The flexible sensors provide high sensitivity, while the Wheatstone bridge circuit enables accurate and stable detection of deformation during the gripping process. Integrated into the octopus-inspired suction cup, this system allows for real-time monitoring of deformation and adsorption stability. The self-sensing suction cup demonstrates good performance across a 0–25 kPa negative pressure range, with outstanding linearity (R2 = 0.993) and high sensitivity (GF = 10.436 kPa−1). Experimental results confirm that the suction cup can achieve stable adsorption under varying loads and enable real-time monitoring of the suction cup status during the gripping process. This design provides a promising solution for intelligent gripping systems, logistics, and object recognition in challenging environments.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3634-0
Messenger RNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccines have demonstrated extraordinary efficacy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, establishing LNPs as the premier platform for mRNA therapeutics. However, the pervasive presence of anti-polyethylene glycol (PEG) antibodies undermines PEGylated LNP performance by diminishing therapeutic efficacy. To address this challenge, we synthesized a panel of lipid-poly(2-oxazoline) (lipid-POx) conjugates as alternatives to lipid-PEG and systematically evaluated how their polymer backbone, degree of polymerization, and lipid tail structure influence LNP physicochemical properties and mRNA delivery performance. Among POx-LNPs formulated with heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl)(6-oxo-6-(undecyloxy)hexyl)amino)octanoate (SM-102) as the base lipid, those constructed with single-tailed C18-POx exhibited smaller particle sizes and superior freeze-thaw stability. These C18-POx-LNPs maintained comparable in vivo transfection efficiency to PEG-LNPs even when fully replacing 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3 (DMG)-PEG. Notably, in mice bearing pre-existing anti-PEG antibodies, C18-POx-LNPs demonstrated over 200-fold higher transfection efficiency than PEG-LNPs. Additionally, repeated administration of POx-LNPs induced dose-dependent anti-POx immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG responses, with antibody titers inversely correlated with POx hydrophilicity. This study underscores the effectiveness of substituting PEG with POx in LNP construction to address the transfection efficiency in populations with pre-existing anti-PEG antibodies, and would inspire the development of more hydrophilic polymers for LNP formulation.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010201
The Guanzhong region, traversed by the Wei River Basin, is one of the most industrially, agriculturally, and medically advanced and densely populated areas in Northwest China, has seen increasing attention paid to the pollution of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in its surface water environment. This study systematically investigated the pollution characteristics of PFASs in the surface water of this region and their ecological and health risks. By optimizing the online solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (Online SPE-LC/MS/MS), efficient detection of 19 PFASs was achieved, with the method detection limits ranging from 0.2 ng·L−1 to 0.3 ng·L−1, linear correlation coefficients all ≥ 0.990, and spiked recoveries between 75.2% and 130.0%. Monitoring data indicated that PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA and PFOS, short-chain perfluorinated compounds, were the main pollutants in this region, with high detection frequencies and concentrations, but the overall content was lower than that in most areas of China. The concentrations of PFASs in surface water showed significant seasonal variations, with the highest concentrations during the dry season (∑19PFASs:126.1 — 2584.3 ng·L−1), followed by the normal season (∑19PFASs:3.5—3567.6 ng·L−1), and the lowest during the wet season (∑19PFASs:26.3—294.6 ng·L−1). Ecological risk assessment showed that, except for PFDoDA in the dry season, the ecological risk quotient (RQ) of all other PFASs was < 1. Although the water of the Wei River is not used as direct drinking water, health risk assessment indicated that all PFASs posed low risks, with only PFOA and PFOS showing potential risks (HR > 0.1) to adults and children at some sites during dry/normal seasons. This study provides a scientific basis for PFASs pollution control in the Wei River Basin.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025011503
This study investigated odor emissions from a large-scale ink manufacturing enterprise through comprehensive analyses of odor concentration, substance concentration, and characteristic odor compounds across all exhaust stacks. The aim was to assess odor dispersion patterns and identify critical odor-generating processes to inform strategic upgrades of air pollution control systems. The results showed that acrolein, hydrogen sulfide, isobutyraldehyde, m-xylene, p-xylene, and ethanol were screened as typical odor substances, with acrolein being ubiquitously present across all emission processes. The odor dispersion radius extended 1.4–2.6 km beyond the facility boundary. Vertical odor impact at a sensitive point 1 km from the plant boundary revealed a parabolic profile: concentrations initially increased with height, peaked at 30 m (equivalent to a 10-story building), then decreased at higher heights. The exhaust stack of the sewage treatment station accounted for 53.26% of total odor emissions, establishing this system as the priority control node for implementing enhanced air purification technologies in industrial air quality management.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4181-6
Green hydrogen production via electrocatalytic water splitting is pivotal for sustainable energy, yet the high cost and scarcity of platinum (Pt) catalysts impede large-scale adoption. Ruthenium (Ru)-based materials emerge as promising alternatives, but their performance requires enhancement. Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), particularly ReS2, offer intrinsic 1T' phase with good conductivity and stability, yet suffer from inert surfaces limiting water adsorption. Here, we report a heterostructure comprising Ru nanoclusters anchored on ReS2 nanosheets (Ru/ReS2) to modulate electronic structure via d-p coupling. This design enhances water dissociation kinetics and optimizes hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔG_H*). The Ru/ReS2 catalyst exhibits superior hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in acidic media, achieving an overpotential of 47 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 38 mV dec−1, outperforming commercial Pt/C (overpotential 54 mV, Tafel slope 45 mV dec−1). Notably, it demonstrates exceptional stability, with negligible degradation after 10,000 cyclic voltammetry cycles, contrasting with Pt/C's 54 mV overpotential increase. Density functional theory calculations reveal that d-p coupling between Ru and ReS2 optimizes the electronic structure, facilitating water adsorption and dissociation. This work provides a rational strategy for designing efficient, durable, and cost-effective HER electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production.