SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3973-9
Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is a phenomenon where chiral molecules emit light with distinct left or right circular polarizations upon excitation. Unlike conventional luminescent materials, chiral materials produce light with inherent helicity, leading to unique applications in chiral optoelectronics, quantum technologies, and biophotonics. This review systematically explores the theoretical and computational foundations of CPL, focusing on the interplay between molecular chirality, transition dipole moments, and photoluminescence quantum yield. A major challenge in designing efficient CPL-active materials is optimizing the luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum) while maintaining high photoluminescence efficiency. This review comprehensively summarizes how first-principles computational methods, by establishing robust predictive frameworks, have significantly advanced the design of CPL molecules. Even though significant progress has been made in modeling monomeric systems, the effective integration of first-principles calculations to describe CPL in aggregated states remains an ongoing challenge. The review also highlights the promising synergy between computational models, experimental validation, and emerging data-driven techniques such as machine learning (ML) for guiding the design of novel high-performance CPL materials. In conclusion, further research is needed to overcome current computational limitations and develop more effective strategies for CPL material design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4190-y
Chirality, a fundamental property of matter, underpins diverse phenomena across chemistry, biology, materials science, and physics. This editorial introduces a special topic on chiral materials, comprising 31 high-quality papers (12 reviews, 1 perspective, 18 original research contributions) that collectively advance the field from molecular to supramolecular chirality, chiral self-assembly, and chirality transfer across multiple length scales. The collection highlights recent progress in theoretical understanding, artificial intelligence-driven design, and applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, sensing, and biomedicine. Key contributions include first-principles calculations elucidating circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) origins, AI-accelerated discovery of chiral functional materials, and reviews on CPL-active non-perovskite halides, chiral inorganic catalysts, polyoxometalate-based materials, and chiral carbon dots. Organic, polymeric, and supramolecular systems are also featured, including stimuli-responsive azobenzene-based helices, aromatic foldamers, and folding-mediated chirality control. Original research spans helical wrapping, enantiomer purity regulation, optically active helical polymers, 2D assemblies, metal-organic frameworks, chiral hybrid halides, perovskites, Eu(III) enantiomers, co-assembled copolymers, polymer dots, ferroelectric liquid crystals, nanozymes, and homochiral MOFs. These works collectively address fundamental questions and demonstrate potential for advanced functional materials with programmable properties, pointing to promising innovation pathways for future technological development.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3808-x
The uncontrollable Zn dendrites and serious parasitic side reactions of the zinc anode severely impede the practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. In this work, a unique strategy of multipoint solvate coordination center is proposed, which anchors Zn2+ and H2O with complex sites to establish an intermolecular connection within the asymmetric solvation structure. A hydrated deep eutectic electrolyte based on multi-site methylurea (MU) with Janus properties is developed, in which Zn2+ and H2O interact with MU through Lewis acid-base and hydrogen bonding interaction, and the regulated asymmetric solvation configuration can guide the (002)-ordered Zn deposition. Simultaneously, a small amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG, Mw=20000) can facilitate homogenous (002) Zn deposition by suppressing Zn2+ transfer kinetics. Benefiting from the rationally regulated solvation structure and PEG molecules adsorbed onto Zn anodes, the side reactions and Zn dendrites are significantly inhibited. As a result, the Zn||Zn symmetric cell delivers outstanding cycling performance over 3900 h (1 mA cm−2, 0.5 mA h cm−2). In addition, the Zn||V2O5 battery maintains 79.2% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1. The results suggest a promising oriented regulation strategy for sustainable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3530-3
Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are pivotal for large-area wearable devices, optoelectronic displays, logic circuits, and next-generation optoelectronics, yet their commercialization is impeded by extrinsic impurities, particularly ubiquitous oxygen. Oxygen's high electronegativity drives redox interactions within OSCs, traditionally viewed as detrimental charge-carrier traps that degrade performance and stability. Recent evidence reveals a paradoxical effect: at trace levels, oxygen doping can enhance device performance and stability by pre-emptying donor-like traps. This perspective delineates the mechanistic underpinnings of trace oxygen doping, discussing state-of-the-art modulation strategies to optimize device mobility and stability. Through systematic analysis of structure-property relationships, we examine oxygen-induced modifications in charge transport dynamics and operational reliability. We propose a development framework for oxygen element doping engineering and outline emergent challenges in interfacial stabilization protocols. The analysis synthesizes findings from recent literature, including observations that prolonged air exposure leads to oxygen adsorption and penetration into the organic semiconductor channel, forming traps. By reconciling contradictory roles of oxygen, this work provides a roadmap for precise oxygen modulation, aiming to overcome stability bottlenecks in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), and sensing devices. The perspective underscores the need for targeted strategies to control oxygen incorporation at trace levels, balancing trap passivation and doping effects to achieve optimized optoelectronic performance and operational longevity.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3532-0
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a low-cost, high-safety alternative to lithium-ion batteries for grid-scale energy storage, but their commercial viability is constrained by zinc dendrite growth and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the Zn anode, which cause low Coulombic efficiency (CE), short cycle life, and capacity fade. This study introduces polyquaternium-7 (PQ-7), a cationic surfactant, as a multifunctional electrolyte additive. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that PQ-7 adsorbs at initial tip sites on the Zn anode, shielding H2O molecules and inhibiting HER. Competitive adsorption with Zn2+ mitigates the tip effect, promoting uniform Zn deposition over dendritic growth. Consequently, symmetric Zn||Zn cells with PQ-7 achieve stable cycling for over 2117 h at 5 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2, a 15-fold increase over additive-free cells. Zn||Ti cells exhibit a CE exceeding 98% after 240 cycles. Zn||MnO2 full batteries retain 92.1% capacity after 1000 cycles at 1 C and 80% after 1000 cycles at 5 C. These results demonstrate that PQ-7 effectively regulates Zn deposition and suppresses parasitic reactions, offering a straightforward, low-cost strategy for long-life aqueous ZIBs.