SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4412-y
GeTe-based thermoelectric materials are promising lead-free alternatives to PbTe, but their intrinsically high Ge vacancy concentration (~10^21 cm^-3) leads to excessive carrier density and degraded Seebeck coefficient. This study integrates resonant levels (RLs) via In doping and local van der Waals gaps via Sb/Bi alloying to decouple electron and phonon transport. The optimal composition Ge0.91Sb0.04Bi0.04In0.01Te exhibits a Seebeck coefficient of ~287.31 μV K^-1 at 323 K, more than double that of the In-free sample (~102.28 μV K^-1). The peak figure of merit zT reaches ~1.8 at 723 K, with an average zT of ~1.0 over 323–723 K. Vickers hardness is enhanced to ~224 HV, a ~93% improvement over pristine GeTe (~116 HV). X-ray diffraction reveals a structural evolution toward a pseudo-cubic phase with increasing In content, and the (202) peak shifts to lower angles, indicating lattice expansion. These results demonstrate that synergistic RLs and van der Waals gaps effectively optimize carrier concentration and suppress thermal conductivity, offering a viable route for high-performance, mechanically robust GeTe thermoelectrics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4262-7
The escalating demands of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural computing necessitate multifunctional optoelectronic devices capable of integrating sensing, memory, and processing. Two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) offer unique advantages, yet their practical deployment is hindered by complex architectures and inefficient mode-switching. Here, we demonstrate a MoTe2/SnS2 anti-ambipolar heterojunction device enabling single-gate reconfiguration among frequency doubling, broadband photodetection, and neuromorphic computing. The device exhibits a peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) of 465, ensuring efficient frequency doubling. As a photodetector, it operates across an exceptionally broad spectral range of 520–2200 nm, with outstanding responsivity and detectivity. Furthermore, the device emulates complete synaptic behaviors, including short-term plasticity (STP), long-term plasticity (LTP), and paired-pulse facilitation (PPF). Integrated into a reservoir computing (RC) system trained on a vehicle motion dataset, it achieves a directional recognition accuracy of 98.7%. This work establishes a paradigm for multifunctional integration and low-power neuromorphic computing, advancing next-generation intelligent optoelectronic systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3650-6
Aggregation-induced emission active chiral polymer dots (AIE@CPdots) are emerging as high-performance emission layers (EMLs) for circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs) due to their persistent emission stability, high photoluminescence quantum yields, excellent solution processability, facile functionalization, tunable bandgap-governed emission, and superior device processability. However, reports on such systems remain scarce. In this study, a pair of chiral conjugated polymer enantiomers (R/S-PFC) was synthesized via Suzuki polymerization using three monomers: a chiral binaphthalene moiety, a fluorenyl linker, and an AIE-active cyanostyrene dye. After annealing at 110 °C, the resulting R/S-PFC self-assembled into chiral nanoparticles (AIE@CPdots) in a chloroform/n-hexane mixed solvent (9:1 v/v), exhibiting enhanced circularly polarized luminescence with a luminescence dissymmetry factor (|g_lum|) of 4.4 × 10⁻³ at 462 nm. Notably, AIE@CPdots served as the EML in CP-OLEDs, achieving high-performance circularly polarized electroluminescence with an electroluminescence dissymmetry factor (|g_EL|) of 3.0 × 10⁻³ at 464 nm, a maximum luminance (L_max) of 6022 cd m⁻², and a maximum current efficiency (CE_max) of 1.10 cd A⁻¹. This work provides a novel strategy for designing superior EML materials for CP-OLEDs via chiral self-assembled AIE@CPdots.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606006
Chitosan-based microsphere composites have attracted considerable attention for phosphorus adsorption due to their facile preparation, low cost, environmental friendliness, and high uptake capacity. This review summarizes the physicochemical properties and preparation methods of chitosan microspheres for phosphate removal, outlines common modification strategies to enhance adsorption capacity, and discusses their applications in aqueous environments. Adsorption mechanisms, regeneration, and resource recovery of spent microspheres are analyzed. Challenges and recommendations are proposed, including streamlined preparation, enhanced phosphorus recovery, removal of multiple phosphorus forms, and practical implementation. The review aims to guide the development of high-performance chitosan-based microspheres for phosphorus removal.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606020
Municipal wastewater treatment plants in China face excessive influent grit loads and carbon source deficiencies, while conventional pretreatment (screening, grit chambers, primary sedimentation) exhibits low fine grit removal and poor carbon retention. A novel swinging ultra-fine screen with a screening precision of 0.1 mm was developed and tested at a pilot scale of 1000 m³/d. Systematic evaluation of screens with apertures from 0.05 to 0.4 mm was conducted, with mechanisms analyzed via particle size distribution, COD fractionation, and fouling layer characterization. The 0.1 mm screen achieved an SS removal efficiency of 89.3%, significantly higher than 57.4% for conventional processes, while COD removal was only 9.5% versus 28.6%, corresponding to a carbon source retention of 93%. The device nearly completely retained particles >0.1 mm and achieved >98% removal for particles in the 0.075–0.1 mm range. Performance remained stable under fluctuating COD and SS conditions. A three-stage fouling theory for micro-screens was proposed. This work represents the first application of 0.1 mm screening precision in pretreatment, markedly improving fine grit retention and carbon source preservation, with strong resilience to water quality variations.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3988-6
Starvation therapy (ST) aims to hinder the rapid proliferation of cancer cells by depriving oxygen and nutrients, and has been considered an ideal approach for cancer treatment. However, traditional ST schemes suffer from low targeting efficacy, undesired systemic side effects, elevated tumor hypoxia, induced drug resistance, and increased tumor metastasis risk, limiting clinical applications. To overcome these challenges, numerous nanomedicines have been engineered to advance ST-driven anti-tumor therapy. This review highlights emerging breakthroughs at the intersection of ST, nanotechnology, and cancer treatment. It focuses on ST-related inducible strategies, including nutrient supply regulation, key nutrient deprivation, and emerging approaches. Furthermore, it underscores the synergistic benefits of combining ST with other therapeutic modalities such as phototherapy, chemodynamic therapy, chemotherapy, ferroptosis, gas therapy, and immune therapy. Finally, existing challenges and future perspectives on clinical ST of tumors are discussed.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3370-8
Solution-processed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) offer a low-cost route to flexible electronics, but their performance is often limited by high contact resistance arising from interfacial incompatibility between solution-deposited electrodes and organic semiconductors. This study addresses that bottleneck by inserting a multifunctional poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) buffer layer at the Ag/semiconductor interface in all-solution-processed OFETs. The buffer layer reduces the Schottky barrier and provides favorable affinity with Ag, enabling hybrid PEDOT:PSS/Ag electrode patterns. Using the p-type semiconductor PDVT-10, the optimized devices achieve a low contact resistance of 789 Ω cm, an average mobility of 10.5 cm2 V−1 s−1, and exceptional operational and bending stability. A pseudo-complementary inverter built entirely from solution-processed components exhibits a voltage gain exceeding 260. These results demonstrate that interface engineering with PEDOT:PSS can overcome the contact-resistance limitation of all-solution-processed OFETs, enabling high-performance flexible circuits at reduced cost.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3488-3
AgInS2, a representative I–III–VI2 chalcogenide, has garnered significant attention due to its tunable electronic structure, nontoxic nature, and air stability. However, its practical application is hindered by severe nonradiative recombination losses induced by deep-level InAg antisite defects, which act as carrier trapping centers. While Sb and Bi doping have been shown to suppress defect states in CuInS2, their impact on AgInS2 remains unexplored. This study systematically investigates Sb and Bi doping in AgInS2 from the perspectives of electronic orbitals interactions and defect regulation. Under S-rich, In-poor, and Ag-moderate conditions, the formation energy of InAg defects increases, thereby reducing their concentration. SbIn and BiIn emerge as dominant dopant-induced defects, yet they exhibit distinct effects on carrier recombination. Sb doping introduces deep-level states at 1.08 eV below the conduction band minimum through strong Sb–S antibonding interactions, exacerbating nonradiative recombination losses while reducing the radiative recombination coefficient by three orders of magnitude to 1.36×10−16 cm3/s versus intrinsic AgInS2’s 9.63×10−13 cm3/s. In contrast, BiIn defects remain neutral across the Fermi level range, with Bi doping demonstrating superior defect tolerance that effectively suppresses deep-level states and promotes radiative recombination. This enhances the radiative recombination coefficient by one order of magnitude to 1.27×10−12 cm3/s. This study offers critical insights into lone-pair electron effects in Ag-based chalcogenides, contributing to the advancement of sustainable and high-efficiency optoelectronic materials.