SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4258-0
High-entropy noble-metal-based catalysts (HENCs) have emerged as a frontier in electrocatalysis, leveraging the synergistic effects of high-entropy alloys and noble metals to achieve exceptional atomic utilization, tunable electronic structures, and vast compositional space. Their anisotropic architectures confer superior dissolution resistance, rapid electron/mass transfer, and abundant active sites. This review systematically categorizes advanced structural regulations—grain boundary engineering, single-atom alloys, intermetallic compounds, amorphous structures, and core@shell configurations—and evaluates their impact on electrocatalytic performance. By modulating surface electronic states and lattice strain, these strategies optimize reaction kinetics and durability. Notable applications include oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER), hydrogen evolution (HER), and CO2 reduction (CO2RR). Despite progress, challenges persist in scalable synthesis, mechanistic understanding, and long-term stability. This review underscores the potential of HENCs to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial deployment, providing a roadmap for future catalyst design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3657-9
Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells (TSCs) have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCE) up to 34.9%, surpassing the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction devices. The interconnection layer (ICL) critically bridges top and bottom subcells, enabling charge carrier recombination. Conventional indium oxide (In2O3)-based TCOs suffer from high-energy ion bombardment during sputtering, damaging amorphous silicon subcells and reducing open-circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF). Additionally, indium scarcity and cost necessitate indium-free alternatives. Here, we introduce a highly degenerate indium-free samarium-doped cadmium oxide (CdO:Sm) TCO as the ICL for perovskite/SHJ TSCs, deposited via low-damage reactive plasma deposition (RPD). The ultrathin CdO:Sm film (~3 nm) exhibits average transmittance of 85% (400–1200 nm) and 90% (800–1200 nm), enabling efficient near-infrared absorption in the bottom subcell. High doping concentration and mobility ensure excellent electrical conductivity. The low work function (4.04 eV) of CdO:Sm facilitates carrier tunneling and efficient recombination. Devices employing CdO:Sm ICL achieved approximately 1% higher efficiency compared to those with indium-based TCO ICLs. Detailed characterization including contact resistivity (1.68 mΩ cm2), conductive atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and photoluminescence quenching confirm enhanced carrier transport and extraction. This work demonstrates a viable indium-free ICL for high-efficiency perovskite/SHJ TSCs, addressing both performance and sustainability challenges.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61069-4
Four-directional dual-matrix C/C composites were fabricated from PAN-based carbon fibers using a combined approach of soft-hard hybrid weaving preform molding, chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) of pyrolytic carbon (PyC), and high-pressure impregnation and carbonization of pitch-derived carbon. The ablation resistance was evaluated in a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, and the ablation behavior was investigated. The carbon rods, formed by twisting and carbonizing fiber bundles, exhibited a hexagonal cross-section, surrounded by a dense PyC 'wall' structure. The linear ablation rates after pulse I and pulse II were 0.068 mm/s and 0.113 mm/s, respectively. A cellular-like PyC layer and nanowire structures were deposited on the surface of the throat convergent section during the post-combustion cooling phase, while cracks and delamination occurred on and within the divergent section. The ablation process involved ultra-high temperatures, high-speed gas scouring, oxygen-containing thermochemical ablation, and thermal shock. This work elucidates the ablation behaviors under dual-pulse conditions and provides technical guidance for designing C/C composites for extreme environments.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60613-X
This study systematically optimized the preparation of Co-modified Ce/TiO2 catalysts and investigated the effects of preparation method and Co loading on their low-temperature denitrification activity. The sol-gel method with a Co/Ti mass ratio of 0.025 (Ce-Co0.025/TiO2-SG) yielded superior performance compared to impregnation and co-precipitation methods. The catalyst maintained NO conversion above 95% in the 225–350 °C range and exhibited high N2 selectivity. Characterization via BET, XRD, XPS, H2-TPR, and in situ DRIFTS revealed that the enhanced activity was attributed to abundant surface oxygen vacancies, a high proportion of Ce3+ species, and prominent acidic sites. The catalyst followed the Eley-Rideal mechanism, effectively inhibiting nitrate intermediate formation and promoting NO-to-NO2 oxidation. This work provides a reference for developing efficient low-temperature denitrification catalysts for industrial applications such as cement production, which emitted 722,000 tons of NOx in 2020, accounting for 17.3% of industrial emissions.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607007
Printing and dyeing sludge (PDS) fly ash is often classified as hazardous waste due to its high content and diversity of heavy metals (HMs). This study co-disposed PDS fly ash and heavy metal-contaminated soil to produce sintered ceramsites, investigating the effects of sintering conditions on physical properties and HM migration/transformation, and elucidating the immobilization mechanisms. The optimal sintering process was identified as preheating at 400 °C for 10 min, followed by sintering at 1150 °C for 10 min. The resulting ceramsites exhibited a 1-h water absorption of 2.7%, a bulk density of 830 kg/m³, HM volatilization rates below 15%, and a residual fraction (F4) proportion exceeding 86%. Characterization revealed that during sintering, HMs were encapsulated by the glassy phase and reacted with amorphous silica-alumina to form stable silico-aluminates, synergistically reducing HM mobility. However, sintering temperatures ≥1200 °C destabilized the ceramsite structure, causing secondary HM release. This research provides an efficient and simple route for the resource utilization of dyeing sludge fly ash and contaminated soil.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3875-1
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from pure water is a promising strategy to address critical challenges in energy sustainability and environmental remediation. However, HER over single-component photocatalysts is intrinsically limited by inefficient carrier separation and relatively poor photostability. Forming abundant interfaces between two components is an effective approach for solving these issues. Herein, a series of hierarchical core-shell heterojunction photocatalysts, designated as F@Z-X, was rationally constructed by in situ growing ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) nanosheets on a Ti-based metal-organic framework (FIR-125), demonstrating remarkable structural stability. Due to the abundant intimate contact interfaces and well-matched band structure, the F@Z-X series exhibit enhanced HER performance. Among them, the optimized heterojunction [email protected] shows a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 3789.45 μmol g−1 h−1, which is about 4.4 and 264.4 times higher than that of pristine ZIS (859.57 μmol g−1 h−1) and FIR-125 (15.32 μmol g−1 h−1), respectively. Moreover, the photocatalyst manifests excellent reusability and durability, maintaining its performance over five consecutive cycles and sixteen hours of continuous reaction. The outstanding performance of [email protected] may be ascribed to an optimal balance among three fundamental photocatalytic processes: sufficient light absorption, exceptional carrier separation, and appropriate surface reaction. This work offers valuable insights into the rational design and controllable synthesis of novel heterojunction photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202510042
Given China's escalating municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and the limitations of current classification schemes, this study proposes a novel waste classification model centered on mid-end intelligent sorting technology. The approach integrates targeted pretreatment with multimodal visual recognition and robotic grasping to efficiently sort complex household waste, while compact equipment innovations adapt to the low-value characteristics of recyclables. An engineering demonstration case shows that the technology can effectively recover low-value recyclables comprising 15%–30% of mixed MSW. If applied at 5% of a case city's waste transfer stations, approximately 5×10^4 t of recyclables could be sorted annually. Preliminary estimates indicate a 20% return on investment for operators at an 80 t·d−1 scale. The study demonstrates that mid-end intelligent sorting offers a technically feasible and economically sustainable solution to reduce fiscal expenditure on waste classification while improving efficiency.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4066-x
Direct seawater electrolysis offers a sustainable route to green hydrogen, yet is hindered by the competing chlorine evolution reaction and severe catalyst corrosion. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), with tunable host layers and exchangeable interlayer galleries, are promising for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in seawater, but their intrinsic activity and chloride tolerance need enhancement. Anion intercalation engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy to address these challenges. By inserting functional anions—from simple inorganic ions and polyoxometalates to organic molecules—into LDH interlayers, it is possible to expand interlayer spacing for improved mass transport, modulate the electronic structure of metal centers to boost intrinsic OER activity, and create a negatively charged interfacial microenvironment that selectively enriches OH−. This review comprehensively examines design principles, mechanistic insights, and catalytic performance of various anion-intercalated LDHs for seawater splitting. It highlights representative breakthroughs in material design, discusses integration strategies in practical electrolyzer devices, and evaluates long-term stability under industrial operating conditions. Finally, it outlines key challenges and future directions for rational design and scalable deployment of high-performance, durable LDH-based catalysts for sustainable hydrogen production from seawater.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4208-8
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to the abundance of sodium resources. Among cathode materials, P2-type layered oxides (Na_xTMO_2) offer high ionic conductivity and rate capability but suffer from low initial sodium content and Na+/vacancy ordering, leading to structural degradation and capacity fading. This study proposes a synergistic strategy combining high sodium content with Li/Mg co-doping to enhance the cycling stability of P2-type cathodes. The high sodium content increases the sodium reservoir, reducing the depth of desodiation for a given capacity, while Li/Mg co-doping mitigates Na+/vacancy ordering and stabilizes the crystal structure. The optimized cathode exhibits significantly improved cycling performance, retaining 82.3% of its initial capacity after 500 cycles at 1C, compared to 65.4% for the undoped counterpart. Furthermore, the co-doped material demonstrates enhanced rate capability, delivering 112 mAh/g at 5C, and suppressed phase transitions, as evidenced by in-situ X-ray diffraction. This work provides a rational design pathway for high-performance P2-type cathodes, addressing key bottlenecks in SIB commercialization.