SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3721-y
Anisotropic hydrogels have attracted significant attention for applications in actuators, soft robotics, and artificial muscles due to their ability to undergo shape morphing and generate anisotropic responses under external stimuli. Here, we report a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic hydrogels using liquid crystal polymers (LCPs). A series of liquid crystal polyester-polyethylene glycol (LCP-PEG) multiblock copolymers with varying PEG block molecular weights were synthesized via one-pot melt-polycondensation. Upon stretching, LCP-PEG forms a stable, oriented microphase-separated lamellar structure, which enables reversible shape changes driven by melting-induced contraction and crystallization-induced expansion of the oriented PEG crystals. This unique structure imparts anisotropic swelling behavior to the films when exposed to water or humidity. The oriented microphase-separated lamellar structure confers high fracture strength (11.2–14.7 MPa), fracture strain (1600%–2100%), fracture energy (1.7–2.8 MJ m−2), and Young’s modulus (51.2–139.9 MPa). Furthermore, the anisotropic LCP-PEG hydrogel actuators exhibit versatile locomotion modes, including object grabbing and transfer between water and air, object gripping in rainy conditions, walking and somersaulting on ratchet-patterned bases under humidity stimuli, and slope climbing through somersault locomotion under salty water stimuli. These results demonstrate the potential of LCP-based anisotropic hydrogels for advanced soft robotic applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3666-2
Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are promising for low-cost, solution-processed display and lighting applications, yet achieving high efficiency and color purity remains challenging. Here, we report two ionic multi-resonance (MR) emitters with narrowband blue emission for high-color-purity LECs. By covalently bonding an imidazolium functional group into a boron/nitrogen-doped polycyclic skeleton, the emitters retain the narrowband emission and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the MR core while gaining ionic character. The design exploits two types of nitrogen atoms in the imidazolium unit: the pyrrolic N at the 1-position forms a para-B-π-N linkage, elevating excited-state energy levels and blue-shifting emission; the pyridinic N at the 3-position provides a quaternization site, yielding intrinsically ionic emitters compatible with ionic hosts. The emitters exhibit blue emission with narrow full-width at half-maximum of 26–27 nm and high PLQYs of 95%–97% in solid-state films. LECs based on these emitters achieve narrowband blue electroluminescence with CIE coordinates of (0.12, 0.26) and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 4.6%, representing the first narrowband blue LECs based on intrinsically ionic MR emitters. This work demonstrates a viable molecular design strategy for high-color-purity LECs, addressing the long-standing trade-off between efficiency and color purity in this technology.
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.