SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4257-y
Hafnia-based ferroelectrics exhibit a distinctive reverse size effect and exceptional scalability, positioning them as critical candidates for CMOS-compatible non-volatile memory and ferroelectric transistors, with substantial promise for advancing hardware acceleration in artificial intelligence and large-data storage technologies. However, their practical deployment is constrained by a longstanding dilemma: the difficulty in simultaneously stabilizing metastable polar phases and ensuring long-term reliability under the high electric fields required for polarization switching. This review reinterprets this challenge through the lens of defect physics and advocates a paradigm shift from stochastic, disorder-mediated defect incorporation toward ordered, multiscale defect engineering. We systematically discuss the collective influence of point defects, line defects, planar defects, and defect-coupled structures on the phase stability, switching kinetics, and failure mechanisms in hafnia-based ferroelectrics. Controlling oxygen-vacancy states, engineering dopants via Fermi-level and chemical pressure, deploying periodic dislocation arrays, designing topological domain walls, functionalizing interfaces, and leveraging flexoelectric strain gradients constitute the core strategic toolkit. Through such ordered defect architectures, scalable performance metrics, including high remanent polarization, low coercive field, fast switching speed, and endurance exceeding 10^12 cycles, become attainable. These approaches establish a set of design principles for next-generation low-power, high-reliability ferroelectric electronics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3828-y
The rapid development of halogen-free solvent-processed organic solar cells (OSCs) has been enabled by side-chain modification on small molecular acceptors, yet the structure-property relationship between inner/outer chain lengths and device performance remains unclear. This study systematically investigates five non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) with varied side-chain positions and architectures, clarifying the effects of inner versus outer modifications on energy level distribution, film morphology, and carrier dynamics. Notably, longer alkyl chains are not always superior; excessive solubility reduces molecular packing order. The optimized PM6:BTP-TO12 blend achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.2%. Furthermore, ternary OSCs incorporating BTP-TO12 as a guest material reach a remarkable PCE of 19.5%, enhancing the performance of L8-BO-based devices processed with green solvents. This improvement is attributed to the low energy loss and well-controlled aggregation behavior of BTP-TO12 in environmentally friendly toluene. These findings establish a design guideline for side-chain engineering in green-solvent-processed OSCs, achieving state-of-the-art performance and advancing scalable, eco-compatible photovoltaic technologies.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604018
To address the issues of high air volume and unorganized emissions of waste gas in semi-steel vulcanization production lines, a combined approach of experimental testing and numerical simulation was employed to study the diffusion characteristics of VOCs-containing waste gas and the air volume of the collection system. The structure of the semi-enclosed hood was optimized, and pipe diameters were adjusted to achieve negative pressure balance, enabling efficient waste gas collection. Results showed that toluene concentration distributions from numerical simulation were largely consistent with experimental measurements, with a maximum average error of -3.9%. Existing hood inlet wind speeds ranged from 0.04 to 0.2 m/s, indicating uneven distribution. Under calm wind conditions, toluene diffusion in enclosed and semi-enclosed hoods was similar, with concentrations of 248 mg/m³ and 115 mg/m³, respectively, and deposition observed in trenches. For a single vulcanizer, at a design air volume of 2700 m³/h, the enclosed hood achieved a toluene concentration of 80 mg/m³ versus 63 mg/m³ for the semi-enclosed hood, demonstrating superior capture of hot fumes. Optimizing the semi-enclosed hood with soft curtains and a height of 1200 mm, at a total design air volume of 1.0×10⁵ m³/h, yielded an average hood inlet velocity of 0.35 m/s but still uneven distribution. Adding 900 mm gradual reducers and adjusting branch pipe diameters resulted in total air volume deviations of -0.44% and 0.38% for branches I and II, respectively, with individual hood deviations below 10%. This achieved negative pressure balance, effective collection, and improved workshop hygiene.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025011303
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants with environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, posing significant threats to marine ecosystems and human health. This study developed an analytical method using anhydrous sodium sulfate-alumina composite column chromatography coupled with gas chromatography-orbitrap mass spectrometry to quantify mono- to deca-BDEs in coastal seawater of Dalian, China. The total PBDE concentrations (∑PBDEs) ranged from not detected to 511.96 pg·L−1, with a mean of 163.96 pg·L−1. BDE-209 was the dominant congener, contributing 24.1% to ∑PBDEs. Spatial distribution exhibited distinct heterogeneity, with higher abundances of highly brominated PBDEs near sewage discharge outlets. Partial least squares discriminant analysis indicated that anthropogenic activities, particularly sewage discharge, were the primary sources. Ecological risk assessment revealed extremely low risk, with the highest risk quotient of 0.013 for BDE-17. These findings provide baseline data for PBDE contamination in Dalian coastal waters and underscore the need for continued monitoring of emerging contaminants.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606002
Industrial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions are a major contributor to regional air pollution, and the rubber paste preparation process is a significant source. This study developed an intelligent monitoring system for whole-process VOCs management in a rubber paste preparation workshop, integrating software engineering and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The system architecture combines a hybrid database (MySQL relational and InfluxDB time-series), MQTT-based low-power wide-area communication, role-based access control, and containerized microservices. Field deployment at a large rubber enterprise enabled real-time monitoring of adsorption/desorption centrifugal fans and data fusion analysis. Under typical operating conditions, the extraction and ventilation systems achieved volume flow rates of 40,000 m³/h and 30,000 m³/h, respectively, maintaining a continuous micro-negative pressure environment that effectively suppressed fugitive emissions. The purification process, comprising zeolite rotor adsorption and regenerative thermal catalytic oxidation, reduced non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations to below 10 mg/m³, meeting the GB 27632—2011 emission standard. The system's multi-level permission management module precisely allocated operational responsibilities across production, environmental, and management roles, reducing response time to abnormal conditions. An online evaluation model for purification efficiency was constructed based on the actual process. The system demonstrates potential for extension to other high-VOCs industries such as coatings and printing. This research provides theoretical and practical references for applying computer technology to VOCs reduction and whole-process management in typical industries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3874-1
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) model sizes to trillions of parameters has intensified the demand for computational paradigms that overcome the von Neumann bottleneck. Emerging memory technologies, while advancing, fall short of meeting the massive requirements of large-scale models. Ferroelectric materials, with their continuous tunability of domain patterns, offer a promising route to emulate synaptic weights in biological learning. This review systematically examines four fundamental ferroelectric-based device architectures: ferroelectric capacitors, ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs), ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs), and ferroelectric domain wall memories. We analyze their latest progress, application domains, and inherent advantages, while critically assessing the challenges impeding their commercialization. Key issues include scalability, endurance, retention, and integration with CMOS technology. We also highlight optimization strategies for material and device performance, array-level design, and neuromorphic computing architectures. Future research directions are proposed, emphasizing the expansion of novel applications and the realization of energy-efficient, high-density in-memory computing systems. This review provides a comprehensive framework for researchers and engineers aiming to harness ferroelectric devices for next-generation computing.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4107-x
Aqueous fiber zinc-iodine batteries (FZIBs) with four-electron redox exhibit inherent safety and high energy density for wearable electronics. Nevertheless, their practical implementations are hindered by unsatisfactory cycling stability and low realistic energy density, mainly caused by severe H2O-induced nucleophilic attack toward iodine species and poor zinc anode reversibility. Here, we report a quaternary ammonium-mediated coordination strategy to simultaneously address the irreversible cathode/anode redox behavior and thus promote the electrochemical performance of four-electron FZIBs. The cationic choline ion (Ch+) induces complexation with ICl2− via electrostatic interaction, homogenizing the electron cloud density and suppressing irreversible hydrolysis of I+ species, enabling a reversible near-theoretical high capacity of 418.3 mAh g−1. Meanwhile, preferentially adsorbed Ch+ on the zinc anode surface creates positively charged shielding layers, mitigating the tip effect caused by localized electric field and achieving robust zinc stripping/plating. The enhanced cathode/anode reversibility and improved interfacial stability enable stable FZIBs operation for over 20,000 cycles at 20.0 A g−1. Moreover, successful integration of FZIBs into electronic textiles with glucose and cardiac rhythm sensors demonstrates great potential for next-generation wearable electronics.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202512031
The overuse of antibiotics has led to residual amoxicillin (AMX) in aquatic environments, promoting the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and threatening ecological safety. In this study, magnetic iron-modified biochar (Fe-BC) was prepared from agricultural waste sugarcane bagasse via FeCl3·6H2O impregnation and oxygen-limited pyrolysis. The adsorption performance and mechanism of Fe-BC for AMX were systematically investigated. Under conditions of 25 °C, pH 6, and initial AMX concentration of 50 mg·L−1, the adsorption capacity reached 32.61 mg·g−1. Characterization of Fe-BC before and after adsorption, combined with adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic analyses, revealed that adsorption primarily relied on oxygen-containing functional groups. The mechanisms included pore filling, electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, complexation, and π–π interaction. After six thermal regeneration cycles, the removal efficiency of AMX remained above 76%. The specific surface area of Fe-BC increased from 279.20 m2·g−1 to 481.42 m2·g−1, an enhancement of approximately 72.4%. These results provide a technical reference for the resource utilization of agricultural waste and cost-effective treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater in rural decentralized areas.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025041405
Microplastics, as a class of emerging environmental contaminants, pose global concerns due to their potential ecological and human health impacts. Accurate identification and quantification of microplastics in environmental matrices are essential for assessing their environmental fate and ecological risks. Pyrolysis-based analytical methods, which decompose macromolecules into smaller fragments followed by gas chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric detection, offer high sensitivity and accuracy, making them significant for microplastic analysis. Despite these advantages, their application remains nascent, with limited comprehensive understanding of their applicability across diverse environmental media. This review systematically compares three pyrolysis-based techniques—pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), and thermal extraction-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS)—for microplastic detection in various matrices. The effectiveness of each method is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and matrix compatibility. Critical challenges, including lack of standardized protocols, complex sample pretreatment requirements, and limitations in quantifying mixtures, are identified. Future research directions emphasize the need for standardization, optimization of pretreatment for complex matrices, and integration with complementary techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to enhance comprehensive microplastic characterization. This review provides a critical framework for selecting appropriate pyrolysis-based methods and highlights areas requiring further methodological development.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4033-1
Photodetectors are critical components in modern optoelectronic systems, underpinning applications in optical communication, low-altitude economy, environmental monitoring, and national defense. Layered two-dimensional (2D) materials such as MoS2, WS2, black phosphorus (BP), and ReS2 have attracted extensive attention due to their remarkable electronic and optical properties, including facile mechanical exfoliation and tunable characteristics via thickness engineering. The absence of dangling bonds enables the construction of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures free from lattice-matching constraints, promoting efficient charge transport, enhanced light absorption, and suppressed dark current. Among layered materials, semimetals such as graphene, PdTe2, MoTe2, and TaIrTe4 exhibit narrow or zero bandgaps, enabling ultrabroadband spectral responses from ultraviolet (UV) to terahertz (THz). ZrTe3, a layered gapless semimetal, demonstrates pronounced carrier transport features, including robust excitons and ultrafast carrier relaxation times, making it an ideal candidate for photodetection. However, pure ZrTe3-based photodetectors suffer from substantial dark current due to the absence of an energy bandgap, degrading signal-to-noise ratio and specific detectivity (D*). This work reports a high-performance broadband photodetector based on a ZrTe3/CuInP2Se6 heterostructure. By exploiting an asymmetric contact configuration that introduces a Schottky barrier, the device effectively suppresses dark current while enhancing photoresponse. The photodetector exhibits broad spectral sensitivity from UV to near-infrared (355–1177 nm), microsecond-level response speed, and high responsivity and specific detectivity. Beyond conventional photodetection, an optoelectronic information encryption-decryption application is demonstrated, where modulated light and bias voltage serve as dual input channels to encode and decode ASCII signals. This study resolves the challenge of high dark current in semimetal-based photodetectors and introduces a multifunctional platform for secure optoelectronic communication, highlighting the potential of ZrTe3 for next-generation photonic and quantum information technologies.