SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4406-y
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising adsorbents for uranium extraction from complex aqueous environments due to their tunable pore structures and customizable functionalities. However, conventional bottom-up assembly routes yield frameworks with fixed dimensionality, where internal pores and buried functional sites remain inaccessible, limiting dynamic optimization for uranium capture. This study introduces a reversible coordination-directed clip-off strategy that enables dimensional programming of COFs through silver-nitrogen coordination bonds and thiosulfate/silver ion regulators. The approach allows controlled cleavage and reconstruction of coordination bonds, dynamically exposing hidden binding sites and adapting the framework to uranium extraction requirements. While the strategy demonstrates high-efficiency uranium extraction, it faces challenges including increased material and operating costs from silver-based regulators, potential structural fatigue from repeated cleavage-reconstruction cycles, and limited validation beyond laboratory scale. The reversible dimensional programming is generalizable to other reticular frameworks such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), enabling stimuli-responsive smart materials, controlled-release carriers, and adaptive separation membranes. Integration with machine learning and computational screening could accelerate rational design of functional active sites. This interdisciplinary approach offers a pathway toward intelligent, dimensionally morphing materials for energy and environmental sustainability, though optimization of regulating components and structural durability is required for practical scalability.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4251-2
The human vascular system, characterized by multi-scale topological complexity, serves as the fundamental infrastructure for nutrient transport, hemodynamic regulation, and immune surveillance. Replicating this system is critical for injury repair, disease modeling, and organ-on-a-chip development, yet a key gap persists between structural mimicry and full functional reproduction. This review evaluates how emerging 3D printing strategies are advancing beyond geometric imitation toward integrated physiological functions, thereby helping to bridge this divide. Over the past decade, 3D printing has advanced significantly in functional vascular reconstruction via precise molding and cell-material integration. This review summarizes the latest progress, including material design, molding methods, and structural optimization, focusing on 3D printing breakthroughs in three core scenarios: high-fidelity in vitro vascular models, in vivo tissue functional replacement, and vascularized organ-on-a-chip systems. Furthermore, this review delves into the existing challenges and future prospects of these application directions. Keywords: vascular reconstruction, 3D printing, bionic vessels, hydrogel.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3831-0
Ammonia decomposition is a key process for generating COx-free hydrogen, yet conventional cobalt catalysts require high temperatures (>550 °C) to overcome the strong Co–N binding that limits N2 desorption. Here we report a novel Co catalyst supported on a Ce and N co-modified perovskite (Co@La_xCe_{1-x}AlO_{3-y}N_z) that achieves 92.6% ammonia conversion with a hydrogen production rate of 9.7 mmol g−1 min−1 at 425 °C and GHSV = 9000 mL h−1 g_cat−1, representing a 125 °C reduction in operating temperature relative to conventional Co-based catalysts. Mechanistic studies using isotopic labeling and in-situ DRIFTS reveal that synergistic Ce and N modification creates a unique LA-L(A+B)-LB active site configuration, which lowers the Schottky barrier at the metal-support interface and promotes facile hydrogen spillover. The reaction proceeds via an interfacial Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, contrasting with the traditional Langmuir-Hinshelwood pathway on conventional Co catalysts. This work provides new insights for designing low-temperature Co-based ammonia decomposition catalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3706-3
Aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries are severely limited by slow cathode reaction kinetics and large polarization. Herein, we design and prepare a Mott-Schottky catalyst by uniformly embedding ultrafine Ru nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped carbon (Ru@NC) nanoflakes to accelerate oxygen redox kinetics of Li-O2 batteries. The Mott-Schottky effect of Ru@NC drives spontaneous electron rearrangement in the NC matrix and induces a strong built-in electric field at heterointerfaces, which accelerates the activation and conversion of oxygen intermediates. The obtained Ru@NC possesses rich Mott-Schottky heterointerfaces and defective carbon structures, which provide extensive adsorption and nucleation sites. More importantly, Ru@NC manifests moderate affinity for the intermediate LiO2, inducing formation of unique nanosheet-like Li2O2 with low Li2O2/cathode interfacial impedance, which further enhances oxidation kinetics. These enable the Li-O2 battery with Ru@NC to deliver a remarkably reduced polarization of 0.89 V, superior rate performance, and prolonged lifespan of over 200 cycles. This work will provide valuable guidelines for engineering advanced electrocatalysts for high-performance Li-O2 batteries and beyond.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3707-8
Wound infection is a major cause of death during the wound healing process. Improperly dressed wounds can lead to secondary injury, prolonging healing time and increasing infection risk. Here, we propose an antibacterial slippery dressing through molecular engineering of copper ions. The oil layer forms a barrier to reduce clot adhesion to the wound site and prevent environmental contamination. Single-cell level detection indicates that secreted copper ions induce bacterial death not only by disrupting membrane integrity but also by relying on the production of reactive oxygen species. Further membrane depolarization and adenosine triphosphate production blockage result in the aggregation of important proteins in various biological processes, such as metabolic homeostasis, ultimately leading to bacterial death. The animal model confirms that our dressing accelerates wound healing by promoting the growth of granulation tissue and collagen deposition. Our dressing demonstrates significant clinical implications for the design of next-generation therapeutic applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3919-0
Nuclear energy is critical for sustainable economic development and achieving carbon neutrality. With only about 6.14 million tons of terrestrial uranium, sufficient for ~70 years of global nuclear power plant operation, the recovery of uranium from seawater and spent fuel is essential for long-term nuclear fuel supply. The ocean contains approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which could sustain nuclear power for ~2000 years if efficiently extracted. However, seawater uranium extraction faces significant challenges due to the extremely low uranium concentration (~3.3 ppb), high concentrations of competing ions, natural organic matter, and marine biofouling. This perspective reviews representative laboratory advances, including sulfonated covalent organic frameworks (S-COF) achieving a sorption capacity of 31.5 mg/(g·day) with high selectivity, amidoxime-based organic cages with a capacity of 11.97 mg/g over 30 days, and a micro-redox reactor strategy that continuously regenerates binding sites. Electrochemical methods have also shown promise for converting soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) oxides. Despite these advances, the transition from laboratory powders to durable marine materials remains problematic. Key gaps include the need for antibacterial properties, mechanical stability under wave action, cost competitiveness with terrestrial mining, and environmental safety of nanomaterials. Artificial intelligence (AI) is proposed to accelerate the design of high-performance, stable materials. This perspective emphasizes the necessity for interdisciplinary research to bridge the gap between bench-scale innovations and practical ocean deployment.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202507046
Addressing the insufficient applicability and accuracy of carbon footprint accounting for electromechanical products due to data gaps, this study proposes an accounting method based on life cycle assessment (LCA). Using LCA as the overall framework with a system boundary of "cradle to gate", the method constructs a carbon footprint accounting approach combining substitution algorithms and correction coefficients for different data missing scenarios from suppliers, manufacturers, and databases. Data quality indicators and Monte Carlo simulation are employed to quantify data quality and uncertainty, while single-factor and multi-factor sensitivity analyses identify key influencing factors. Taking an optical gyrocompass as a case study, the carbon footprints and uncertainties under eight typical data missing scenarios are explored, and robustness checks are conducted on five typical products including transformers, high-speed diesel engines, and wind turbines. As data missing degree deepens, the carbon footprint deviation of the optical gyrocompass increases from 0.05% to 3.03%, and uncertainty rises from 2.65% to 5.45%. Under mixed data missing scenarios, the carbon footprint uncertainties of all five electromechanical products remain below 10%. The method exhibits wide applicability, strong implementability, and high accuracy, effectively supporting carbon footprint accounting for electromechanical products, reducing carbon tariff risks, optimizing emission reduction strategies, and promoting green development.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2024122501
Fullerene (C60) is an emerging atmospheric pollutant that may influence sulfate formation during haze events. This study investigated the effect of C60 on sulfate production in the gas-phase oxidation of SO2 by H2O2 using a flow tube reactor. Results demonstrated that the presence of C60 significantly increased sulfate yields. Control experiments varying C60 loading, H2O2 concentration, and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation revealed that higher C60 amounts, elevated H2O2 levels, and UV exposure enhanced the promoting effect. Mechanistic investigations via free radical trapping and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated a pre-adsorption-oxidation pathway. XPS analysis showed electron transfer on the C60 surface, converting adsorbed S(IV) to S(VI), confirming direct participation of C60 in sulfate formation. Radical trapping experiments and model calculations confirmed that C60 promotes the generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O2−), which are key oxidants driving SO2 conversion to sulfate. The study reveals that C60 particles markedly enhance atmospheric sulfate formation, offering a novel pathway for understanding sulfate generation mechanisms. These findings have implications for air quality modeling and haze mitigation strategies, as C60 may act as a catalytic surface for sulfate production in polluted atmospheres.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3800-7
Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) crystals, stacked via atomically thin layers, exhibit rich functionalities and tunable stacking orders. Their mechanical behaviors are crucial for flexible and miniature electronics. While some vdW crystals show superior plasticity, the mechanical properties of SnS2 bulk crystals remain largely unexplored. Here, we synthesize high-quality SnS2 crystals via the Bridgman method and comprehensively investigate their mechanical properties. SnS2 bulk crystals exhibit remarkable plasticity and softness: bending and compression strains exceed 20% and 45%, respectively, without fracture, while tensile fracture strains reach up to ~12% (range 9%–16%). Scanning/transmission electron microscopy reveals multiple deformation units, including layer segments, interlayer/cross-layer slip, twisting, and twinning-like structures. These units provide multiple pathways to release strain energy, promoting plasticity. Alongside weak interlayer vdW interactions, relatively ionic and weak intralayer Sn–S bonds contribute to the softness. This work fills the knowledge gap on SnS2 mechanical properties, advancing its processing and application in diverse electronic devices. Further studies may focus on balancing plasticity and strength by tuning microstructure to activate but confine deformation units.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202507094
To address land waste and poor bearing capacity from sludge landfill, this study developed a composite solidifying agent using loess, fly ash, desulfurized gypsum, and cement. Orthogonal experiments combined strength testing, SEM/XRD microanalysis, permeability and heavy metal leaching tests, and cost accounting. Results show that cement significantly enhances early and mid-term strength, while loess dominates later strength development. Optimal fly ash and desulfurized gypsum content is 12% each. The optimal mix ratio (loess:fly ash:desulfurized gypsum:cement:sludge) is 0.1:0.12:0.12:0.08:1. The solidified matrix forms dense structures via C-S-H gel and ettringite (Aft), effectively controlling heavy metal leaching at low cost. This work enables solid waste resource utilization and provides robust support for sludge solidification engineering.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010604
Groundwater is a vital component of Beijing's water supply, yet elevated sulfide concentrations restrict its utilization. This study employed principal component analysis (PCA) and absolute principal component-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) to apportion sulfide sources and quantify their contributions in the middle and lower reaches of the Chaobai-Wenyu alluvial-proluvial fan. Sulfur and oxygen isotopes (δ34S and δ18O) were used to identify sulfate sources and discern anthropogenic versus natural influences. Results showed that high-sulfide groundwater predominantly occurred in Na-type water, with sulfide accumulation from desulphidation widespread, particularly in Shunyi and within the first, second, and third aquifers, independent of wet/dry seasons. Isotopic analysis indicated sulfate mainly originated from evaporite dissolution, and sulfides from desulphidation were of geological background origin. PCA extracted four principal components: leaching-enrichment (F1), natural dissolution of iron-manganese oxides (F2), water desulphidation (F3), and CaF2 dissolution equilibrium (F4). F3 exhibited the highest factor loading for sulfide (0.418), while other components had small negative loadings. APCS-MLR revealed F3 contributed 21.32% of sulfide, while indigenous sources (e.g., acid-volatile sulfide dissolution, elemental sulfur disproportionation, geothermal activity, well casing materials) contributed 63.66%. Overall, sulfide in the study area is a geological background factor, with limited anthropogenic influence.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3802-0
Exploring efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions is key to water electrolysis. However, the inherently slow reaction kinetics of electrocatalysis are constrained by mass transfer limitations and unsuitable adsorption/desorption dynamics. Herein, a Fe-doped-Ni3S2/NiFeCoCeIn oxide hydroxide (FNS/HEOXY) crystalline–amorphous heterostructure electrocatalyst with a large work function difference (ΔΦ) and strong built-in electric field (BEF) is successfully designed and synthesized. Benefiting from the electron transfer behavior from FNS to HEOXY, the FNS/HEOXY shows outstanding catalytic activity for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution, along with ultra-high stability in an alkaline medium at an industrial-level current density. Moreover, the anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) assembled by the FNS/HEOXY requires only a minimal cell voltage of 1.83 V to reach 1 A cm−2 at 80 °C. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm the interfacial charge redistribution induced by the strong BEF, thus finely optimizing the adsorption energy. This work proposes a new design principle toward efficient electrocatalysts for energy conversion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3804-7
Supramolecular helical architectures hold promise for enantioselective catalysis, yet the influence of screw pitch on catalytic performance remains underexplored. Here, we report the construction of right-/left-handed helical nanoribbons (P/M-DAIPA) based on 5-aminoisophthalic acid dimer (DAIPA). Through an alcohol-mediated self-assembly strategy, the average screw pitch was tuned from 360 to 3152 nm. Mechanistic studies revealed that hydrogen-bonding interactions between DAIPA, modulated by alcohol identity and alcohol/water ratios, dictate helical morphology and pitch. Encapsulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles yielded P-DAIPA-Fe3O4 and M-DAIPA-Fe3O4 nanozymes, which exhibited higher catalytic efficiency toward S-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and R-DOPA, respectively. Notably, catalytic enantioselectivity inversely correlated with screw pitch, achieving selectivity factors from 1.52 to 2.01. Experimental evidence demonstrated that shorter screw pitch enhances adsorption enantioselectivity of R/S-DOPA on the nanozymes, providing mechanistic insight into pitch-dependent asymmetric catalysis. This work deciphers solvent-driven control of supramolecular screw pitch and establishes a framework for engineering chiral nanozymes with tunable enantioselectivity, advancing enantioselective synthesis.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3609-0
This correction addresses an inadvertent duplication error in Fig. 4d of the original article published in Sci China Mater 2021, 64(8): 2045–2055. The TUNEL staining image of tumor tissue in the PBS group was mistakenly duplicated with the Vector/siNC group during figure assembly. The corrected Fig. 4 is provided, which includes the timeline for in vivo tumor immunotherapy, relative tumor volume changes (n=6 per group; **p<0.01, ***p<0.001), relative mouse body weight variations, and H&E and TUNEL staining of tumor sections on day 14. The correction does not alter the overall results, interpretation, or conclusions of the study. The original research demonstrated that dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles (Au DENPs) can effectively deliver siRNA for gene silencing, thereby boosting immune checkpoint blockade for tumor therapy. The study highlighted the potential of this nanoplatform for combined gene therapy and immunotherapy in cancer treatment.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025021805
This study analyzed 75 precipitation samples collected from August 2017 to August 2018 in the Meili Snow Mountain region of the Hengduan Mountains. The chemical characteristics of inorganic ions and their seasonal variations between monsoon and non-monsoon periods were examined. The volume-weighted mean total ion concentration was 246.2 μeq·L–1, with higher concentrations in the non-monsoon season and lower in the monsoon season. The dominant water chemistry type was HCO3–-Ca2+. Principal component and partial correlation analyses indicated that Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3–, and SO42– mainly originated from local sedimentary rock dust, while Na+ and Cl– were primarily marine during the monsoon, with reduced marine influence in the non-monsoon period. NO3– was largely attributed to South Asian pollution emissions, with significant contributions from biomass burning to K+, Na+, and Cl– in the pre-monsoon phase. PMF source apportionment confirmed that during the monsoon, approximately 70% of Cl– and Na+ were from sea salt, whereas in the non-monsoon, over half came from biomass burning. NO3– was almost entirely from fossil fuel combustion during the monsoon (96%), decreasing to 72% in the non-monsoon. Ca2+ and Mg2+ were mainly from carbonate dust in the monsoon and weathered dust in the non-monsoon. Backward trajectory analysis showed that the non-monsoon period was dominated by westerly transport (60%), while the monsoon was dominated by southwest monsoon transport (81%). These findings provide scientific basis for understanding atmospheric pollution and background values in the region.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606004
To identify optimal watershed remediation pathways under environmental and economic dimensions, an integrated environmental-economic impact assessment framework combining life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) based on openLCA was established, using 1 m³ of treated wastewater as the functional unit. This framework comprehensively evaluated the environmental impacts and economic costs of three ecological buffer measures—constructed wetlands, ecological intercepting ditches, and vegetation restoration projects—in non-point source pollution control. The results indicated that constructed wetlands offer the optimal environmental-economic profile, featuring the lowest comprehensive cost (¥1.01 yuan/m³) and the lowest load across most environmental impact categories, with only slightly higher land resource consumption intensity. Ecological intercepting ditches exhibited higher impacts in areas such as metal resource consumption due to the use of rebars and base fertilizer inputs, resulting in a moderate comprehensive cost (¥1.57 yuan/m³). Vegetation restoration projects incurred the highest comprehensive cost (¥61.14 yuan/m³) and produced the most significant environmental impacts, with elevated indicators such as human carcinogenic toxicity. This primarily stemmed from the extensive use of concrete grass pavers and base fertilizer in rural river sections. These findings provide quantitative references for environmental-economic integrated evaluation and decision-making regarding ecological buffer zone engineering schemes in similar watersheds.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3894-9
Photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using water and O2 offers an economical, environmentally friendly, and sustainable route for H2O2 synthesis. However, current photocatalytic systems suffer from poor charge carrier transport, narrow light absorption, and insufficient active sites, leading to unsatisfactory H2O2 production efficiency. In this study, a CoS/ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) composite was constructed by in-situ growing CoS nanoclusters on ZIS via a solvothermal method for photocatalytic H2O2 production. The integration of CoS with ZIS broadened the light absorption spectrum. The optimized CoS/ZIS-3 composite exhibited an exceptional H2O2 production rate of 2693.39 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible light in isopropanol, surpassing pristine ZIS and CoS by factors of 6.54 and 18.08, respectively. The S-scheme heterojunction and built-in electric field synergistically enhanced the separation and transportation of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby improving photocatalytic efficiency. The H2O2 synthesis mechanism involves dual-channel oxygen reduction and water oxidation reactions mediated by CoS/ZIS. The produced H2O2 effectively degraded organic pollutants and inhibited the growth of E. coli. This study presents a promising green strategy for enhancing ZIS-based photocatalysts through constructing S-scheme heterojunctions for efficient H2O2 synthesis.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3769-2
Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are pivotal for sustainable hydrogen production, yet the corrosion-induced TiOx on porous transport layers (PTLs) introduces Schottky contact barriers and pinch-off effects, severely impeding charge transfer and efficiency. Here, a cost-effective MoIrOx coating via spray deposition and thermal treatment on Ti felts is proposed. The coating forms a conductive interlayer that establishes a Schottky barrier staircase, reducing the effective electron transfer barrier and isolating TiOx from the ionomer to mitigate the pinch-off effect. The optimal PTL achieves a current density of 3.27 A cm−2 at 2 V, surpassing uncoated Ti felts by 59.5%. The MoIrOx interlayer suppresses localized electron accumulation at the interface, enabling stable operation with ultra-low catalyst loadings by preventing direct ionomer-TiOx contact. This work demonstrates a scalable strategy to enhance PEMWE efficiency and durability while minimizing precious metal reliance, offering critical insights into interface engineering for electrolyzers.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3783-x
The synergistic strategy combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy has recently demonstrated significant promise in cancer treatment. However, the substantial physicochemical disparities between chemotherapeutic agents and small-molecule immune adjuvants pose considerable challenges for co-delivery strategies. In this study, we designed a reactive oxygen species-responsive paclitaxel prodrug, PTX-PBA, which markedly enhanced drug encapsulation stability and dual-drug loading efficiency by various polymeric delivery systems. The resultant nanosystem (NanoPR) exhibited excellent physicochemical properties and ROS-triggered release profiles, effectively inducing immunogenic cell death in tumor cells while promoting dendritic cell maturation and CD8+ T cells activation. In murine models of 4T1 breast cancer and CT26 colon carcinoma, NanoPR achieved significant tumor growth inhibition and elicited durable immune memory responses. Collectively, this work provides an innovative molecular design strategy for the co-delivery of chemotherapeutics and immunomodulators, offering a robust foundation for the clinical translation of chemo-immunotherapy.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2026031202
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are a novel class of organic compounds primarily used in the manufacturing of electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs). LCMs can enter the environment and organisms through various pathways, and due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity, they pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health, emerging as a concerning category of organic pollutants. Current research focuses on developing standardized, high-throughput, and highly sensitive analytical methods based on chromatography-mass spectrometry for quantifying LCMs across multiple environmental media. By integrating exposomics and long-term dynamic monitoring, exposure mapping is used to identify characteristic LCMs in different regions. Through screening LCM-exposed biomarkers and integrating human metabolic kinetic models, the assessment methodology is transitioning from environmental concentration-based external exposure estimation to biologically effect-based internal exposure risk evaluation. This research provides a scientific foundation for improving exposure monitoring systems and control measures for LCMs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3950-x
Photocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production via the two-electron pathway offers an environmentally friendly oxidant and a clean fuel. However, challenges exist in optimal oxygen (O2) adsorption capacities and maintaining O–O bond during O2 activation. Herein, we present a zinc single-atom catalyst (Zn/VN-CN) incorporating nitrogen vacancies (VN), designed to modulate the electronic structure of the photocatalyst, leading to optimized O2 adsorption energy and a remarkable enhancement in H2O2 yield. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between nitrogen vacancies and Zn single atoms, the optimized Zn/VN-CN catalyst exhibits a photocatalytic H2O2 production rate of 2.399 mmol g−1 h−1 under visible-light irradiation, representing a 12-fold enhancement compared to pristine g-C3N4 (CN), along with a high H2O2 selectivity of 87.4%. Combined experimental and theoretical studies indicate that the Zn-N3 sites act as highly active reaction centers, while nitrogen vacancies increase the charge density and downshift the d-band center of the Zn sites, thereby moderating O2 adsorption strength, lowering the activation energy barrier for the formation of *H2O2, and further converting it to H2O2. This work proposes an effective strategy for tuning O2 adsorption behavior to achieve highly selective and active photocatalytic H2O2 production.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3989-4
Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halides (OIMHs) based on Cu(I) ions exhibit broad application prospects in stimulus-responsive luminescent materials due to their rich structural diversity and highly adjustable electronic states. However, achieving sensitive and broad-temperature-range thermal responses remains a significant challenge. Here, we synthesize a zero-dimensional warm white-light emitting OIMH, MPC-W ((C9H20N2O)4(Cu2I4)(Cu2I6)(H2PO2)2), using 4-morpholinopiperidine (4-MP) and CuI. MPC-W features hybrid structures of [Cu2I4]2− and [Cu2I6]4−. The coexistence of three luminescent mechanisms—organic cluster luminescence (CL), self-trapped exciton (STE) emission of [Cu2I6]4−, and cluster-centered (CC) state luminescence of [Cu2I4]2−—endows MPC-W with temperature- and excitation-wavelength-dependent dynamic luminescence. From 77 to 297 K, the luminescence color continuously tunes from blue to cyan, green, yellow-green, and white. In the range of 217–463 K, MPC-W exhibits abnormal luminescence enhancement with increasing temperature. Upon chemical stimuli, MPC-W reversibly transforms into blue-emitting MPC-B ((C9H20N2O)Cu2I4) and yellow-emitting MPC-Y ((C9H18N2O)7Cu8I8). These dynamic luminescent properties position MPC-W for applications in temperature sensing, optical anti-counterfeiting, and password locks. This work provides new insights for developing wide-temperature-responsive multifunctional intelligent luminescent materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3969-9
Phosphor-in-glass (PiG) materials are promising color converters for high-power laser illumination, yet suppressing interfacial reactions between phosphor and glass matrix at elevated sintering temperatures remains a critical challenge. Here, we report a Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce) phosphor-in-silica glass (PiSG) with high SiO2 content (>85 wt%) fabricated via a Cs2CO3 flux. Incorporation of Cs2O significantly inhibits SiO2-YAG:Ce reactions, preserving internal quantum efficiency (IQE) at 97.7% of pure YAG:Ce, and achieving 88.3% IQE even after calcination at 1400°C for 2 h. In contrast, smaller alkali ions (Li+, Na+) accelerate YAG:Ce decomposition. Mechanistic studies reveal that Cs+ with large ionic radius and weak interaction with oxygen suppresses non-bridging oxygen (NBO) formation, promoting a complete silica network that limits alkali ion diffusion. Leveraging the mixed alkali effect (10% Li2O + 5% Cs2O), the PiSG exhibits enhanced hydrothermal stability, withstanding 200°C treatment for 10 h. A PiG film-sapphire device delivers 3080 lm luminous flux and 213 lm W−1 efficiency under blue laser excitation. These findings establish YAG:Ce-PiSG as a highly promising color-conversion material for high-performance laser illumination.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3995-6
The deployment of single-site metal catalytic nodes into zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) offers vast advantages in catalytic recyclability, product separation, and mechanistic analysis, underscoring their paramount significance in heterogeneous catalysis. Nonetheless, their occupation within pores/channels usually diminishes mass transfer and catalytic efficiency during reactions such as the hydroboration of carbonyl compounds, especially for bulkier substrates. To address this issue, three microporous single-site Ti(IV) embedded Zr-MOFs with sequentially extended ligand arms are novelly synthesized to enable precise pore modulation ranging from 9.04, 10.12, to 11.18 Å. The catalytic performance is investigated using eight carbonyl compounds of varying sizes and four additional larger-scale substrates, which demonstrates that the catalytic efficiency is increased through pore size regulation, yet still away from optimal catalytic performance. Then a further strategy was shifted to the linker installation of linear dicarboxylate ligands chelated single-site Ti(IV) within coordination-unsaturated windows of mesoporous Zr-MOFs, and the result elucidates that the obtained catalyst exhibits superior catalytic efficiency (all exceeding 90%) while preserving the inherent mesoporosity of Zr-MOFs with a pore size of approximately 21.73 Å. We believe this research provides critical guidance for future research on structural design and catalytic optimization of MOFs, opening new avenues in heterogeneous catalysis.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4037-1
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) poses a therapeutic challenge due to its anatomical complexity and the limitations of conventional treatments in achieving precise targeting and sufficient efficacy. Here, we report a multifunctional platform based on heat-triggered electrospray self-healing porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres encapsulating indocyanine green (ICG), sequentially coated with a tannic acid-Fe3+ (TAF) metal-phenolic network and fibronectin (FN) for targeted photothermal/chemodynamic combination therapy. The resulting functional microspheres (PI-TAF@FN) exhibit an average size of 1.9 μm, excellent colloidal stability, heat-induced self-healing performance, and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 51.4%. These microspheres specifically target NPC cells via FN-mediated integrin recognition, enabling ICG/TAF-mediated photothermal therapy under 808-nm laser irradiation and TAF-mediated chemodynamic therapy, leading to enhanced cancer cell apoptosis in vitro. In a mouse NPC model, the combined photothermo-chemodynamic therapy achieved effective tumor treatment with minimal systemic toxicity. Furthermore, the dual TAF and ICG components allow multimode FN-targeted T1-weighted magnetic resonance/fluorescence/thermal imaging for precision NPC management. This electrospray self-healing porous microsphere platform offers a unique theranostic strategy that can integrate diverse therapeutic and diagnostic components for precision oncology.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4052-0
Cutaneous wound infections affect millions of patients annually worldwide, and early diagnosis is critical for timely anti-infection treatment. Bacterial infections alter wound pH, offering a promising diagnostic approach. Here, a diagnostic smart dressing (CMC-PDBI) is developed by ultraviolet-initiated crosslinking of a pH-responsive indicator coating, incorporating modified bromothymol blue, onto a carboxymethyl cellulose substrate. The dressing exhibits superior pH-triggered color-changing performance in both phosphate buffer solution and bacterial cultures across the pH range associated with wound infection (orange at pH 6.0, green from pH 6.5 to 7.5, blue at pH 8.0). In a murine wound infection model, CMC-PDBI indicates infection two days before symptomatic manifestation. Early therapy guided by the dressing accelerates wound healing and reduces inflammation. A smartphone application (InfectSense) assists in identifying infection risk. This work presents a novel early-warning platform for qualitative visual diagnosis of wound infections before clinical symptom onset, with high potential for clinical and home care settings.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4104-4
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising adsorbents for gas adsorption and separation, yet identifying optimal structures among their vast design space requires efficient high-throughput screening. Conventional machine-learning predictors rely heavily on specific gas-related features, which are time-consuming and limit scalability, leading to inefficiency and labor-intensive processes. Here, we propose COFAP, a universal COFs adsorption prediction framework that extracts multi-modal structural and chemical features via deep learning and fuses these complementary features through a cross-modal attention mechanism. Without relying on explicit gas-specific thermodynamic descriptors, COFAP achieves state-of-the-art prediction performance on the hypoCOFs dataset under the conditions investigated, outperforming existing approaches. Based on COFAP, we found that high-performing COFs for gas separation concentrate within a narrow range of pore size and surface area. A weight-adjustable prioritization scheme is also developed to enable flexible, application-specific ranking of candidate COFs. Superior efficiency and accuracy render COFAP directly deployable in crystalline porous materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3421-2
Conventional piezoelectric materials, exemplified by Sm-doped Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 single crystals, exhibit a maximum piezoelectric coefficient d33 of approximately 4000 pC N−1, yet their operational temperature is fundamentally constrained by the Curie temperature (TC), above which the non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric phase transitions to a non-piezoelectric paraelectric state. This study demonstrates that reduction-sintered BaTiO3 ceramics overcome both the magnitude and temperature limitations through a flexoelectric piezoelectric metamaterial (FPM) architecture. Reduction sintering yields an effective flexoelectric coefficient μeff exceeding 50 mC m−1, a 25-fold enhancement over the highest previously reported value. The resulting BaTiO3−δ FPMs exhibit a giant effective d33 above 20000 pC N−1 with no depoling observed above TC. The mechanism is attributed to spontaneously polarized surface layers, formed by inhomogeneous oxygen vacancy distributions, coupled with a negative capacitance amplification effect that boosts the dielectric and piezoelectric responses of these surface layers. This work establishes a generic strategy for designing high-performance piezoelectric materials with extended working temperatures, and identifies a new route for engineering negative capacitance materials for low-energy memory applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3342-5
Analogue compute-in-memory (ACIM) systems leveraging memristor crossbar arrays offer exceptional energy efficiency and parallelism for neural network classification tasks but face critical limitations in regression tasks requiring high dynamic range and floating-point precision. The reliance on low-precision integer computations and susceptibility to noise accumulation restrict their applicability to complex regression problems such as object detection. This work presents the memristor-based AnDi architecture, a dual-domain system integrating ACIM arrays with digital cores to overcome these limitations. The architecture incorporates a dual-domain floating-point processor (DDFP) that enables seamless data conversion between analogue and digital domains. A quantization unit transforms floating-point feature maps into 8-bit integer (INT-8) representations with 15-bit floating-point (FP-15) scaling factors, while a dequantization unit recovers high-precision FP-32 outputs. Experimental validation demonstrates that during 256 × 256 floating-point matrix multiplication, the ACIM array consumes 98.7% of total energy, whereas the DDFP processor accounts for only 1.3%, achieving significant energy efficiency. The hybrid mapper flexibly distributes matrix multiplication across both domains with single row and column granularity, enhancing floating-point compatibility, accuracy, and array spatial utilization compared to pure ACIM systems. This dual-domain approach addresses the fundamental bottlenecks of traditional ACIM in floating-point compatibility, noise accumulation, and array utilization, enabling high-precision regression tasks while maintaining energy efficiency. The system integrates up to 12 memristor arrays and an RISC-V softcore CPU on a Xilinx FPGA, demonstrating a viable path for deploying advanced neural network applications in edge computing environments.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3320-3
The development of ductile inorganic semiconductors has gained traction for flexible electronics and thermoelectrics, yet achieving metal-like processability remains a challenge. This work demonstrates that Ag2Te1−xSx (0.3 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) exhibits exceptional room-temperature ductility and processability, enabling low-cost fabrication of Ag2(S,Te)-based inorganic semiconductors. The study builds on prior discoveries of plastic inorganic semiconductors such as Ag2S, InSe, and Mg3Bi2, and addresses the need for materials that combine high thermoelectric performance with mechanical deformability. By tuning the S/Te ratio, the authors achieve a balance between ductility and semiconductor functionality. The findings shed light on the design of other plastic inorganic semiconductors and open avenues for flexible thermoelectric devices. The paper was received on 21 February 2025, accepted on 7 March 2025, and published online on 24 April 2025 in Science China Materials (August 2025, Vol. 68, No. 8, p. 2992).