SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4498-7
Two-dimensional porphyrin-based hypercrosslinked polymers (TPP-HCPs) were synthesized via room-temperature interfacial polymerization using 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin and 1,3,5-trioxane. The resulting TPP-HCPs exhibited a BET surface area of 548 m2 g-1 and a CO2 uptake of 7.97 wt% at 1 bar and 298 K. CuO/TPP-HCPs nanospheres were fabricated by thermal conversion of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O in DMF at 135 °C, using TPP-HCPs as dynamic templates. This in-situ strategy generated CuO nanoparticles within the conjugated porous matrix, facilitating electron transfer and enhancing CO2 access to catalytic centers. In CO2 electroreduction, the composite achieved a total gas Faradaic efficiency exceeding 90% at ~500 mA cm-2 (-1.4 V vs. RHE), with 40.9% for C2H4, 8.2% for CH4, 31.9% for CO, and 12.3% for H2. The catalyst maintained stability over 24 h in an H-cell. These results demonstrate that 2D conjugated polymer-templated catalysts can sustain high-rate CO2 conversion to value-added products, offering a viable route for industrial CO2 utilization.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4258-0
High-entropy noble-metal-based catalysts (HENCs) have emerged as a frontier in electrocatalysis, leveraging the synergistic effects of high-entropy alloys and noble metals to achieve exceptional atomic utilization, tunable electronic structures, and vast compositional space. Their anisotropic architectures confer superior dissolution resistance, rapid electron/mass transfer, and abundant active sites. This review systematically categorizes advanced structural regulations—grain boundary engineering, single-atom alloys, intermetallic compounds, amorphous structures, and core@shell configurations—and evaluates their impact on electrocatalytic performance. By modulating surface electronic states and lattice strain, these strategies optimize reaction kinetics and durability. Notable applications include oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER), hydrogen evolution (HER), and CO2 reduction (CO2RR). Despite progress, challenges persist in scalable synthesis, mechanistic understanding, and long-term stability. This review underscores the potential of HENCs to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial deployment, providing a roadmap for future catalyst design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3558-4
The development of advanced titanium alloys capable of operating above 600 °C remains a critical challenge for aerospace propulsion systems, where conventional Ti alloys suffer from insufficient high-temperature strength and microstructural instability. Here, we propose a computationally driven design strategy for titanium-based medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) that integrates thermodynamic phase prediction with mechanistically informed strength modeling, enabling systematic exploration of the Ti-Nb-Al-Cr quaternary system. The optimized Ti70Nb10Al15Cr5 MEA exhibits exceptional performance metrics: 18% room-temperature ductility (as-cast), a yield strength of 520.7 MPa at 650 °C (post-aging), and an ultralow density of 4.76 g/cm3 (45% lighter than Inconel 718). Microstructural characterization reveals a metastable single-phase BCC structure in the as-cast state, which transforms into a BCC/Ti3Al dual-phase system upon aging, with temperature-dependent precipitate morphology and phase stability. The alloy demonstrates superior high-temperature strength retention up to 900 °C (>80 MPa yield strength), outperforming commercial titanium alloys (e.g., Ti-1100, TG6) and bridging the performance gap between conventional Ti alloys and nickel-based superalloys. This work establishes a multi-criteria design paradigm for entropy-engineered alloys, offering a viable pathway to lightweight, high-temperature structural materials for next-generation aerospace applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3793-9
Organic solar cells (OSCs) require both a high donor/acceptor (D/A) interfacial area for efficient exciton dissociation and a vertically phase-separated morphology for efficient charge transport. Traditional bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) provide large interfacial areas but lack vertical phase separation, while quasi-planar heterojunctions (QPHJs) achieve vertical separation at the cost of reduced interfacial contact. Here, we introduce an in situ pore-forming strategy for polymer thin films. By incorporating an excess of additives as pore-forming agents into the donor layer, a nanoporous film with a fibrous nano-network is generated. Subsequent deposition of acceptor molecules fills these nanopores, creating a hybrid planar/bulk heterojunction (HP/BHJ) that synergizes the strengths of both architectures. This design enhances performance by: (1) increasing the D/A interfacial area via nanopores, forming a three-dimensional network that accelerates exciton dissociation; (2) promoting close molecular packing that minimizes carrier recombination and establishes low-defect charge transport channels; and (3) fostering vertical phase separation through layer-by-layer deposition. Binary OSCs fabricated with this strategy achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.0%, surpassing conventional BHJ and QPHJ devices by a significant margin. The approach demonstrates general applicability, with analogous improvements observed in D18/BTP-eC9-4F and PM6/L8-BO systems, underscoring its potential for advancing OSC performance.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61072-4
Sodium-ion capacitors (SICs) typically feature a hybrid design, incorporating a battery-type anode that operates by faradaic redox reactions and an activated carbon cathode that functions through electrical double-layer (EDL) adsorption/desorption. However, the kinetics of faradaic processes are inherently slower than those of EDL processes, leading to a fundamental problem known as kinetic imbalance between the electrodes, which hinders the development of high-performance SICs. To address this, we synthesized composites of bismuth nanoparticles in N-doped carbon (Bi@NC) by a high-temperature sintering method. The resulting Bi@NC anode has a specific capacity of 300 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, an exceptional rate capability (maintaining performance at currents exceeding 75 A g−1), and outstanding cycling stability over 12,000 cycles. Three-electrode Swagelok cell tests revealed that this high-rate Bi@NC composite effectively decreases the kinetic gap with the activated carbon cathode, as shown by an analysis of their respective potential swing windows (vs. Na/Na+). This enables the fabricated SIC to achieve a maximum energy density of 115 Wh kg−1, a peak power density of 45,535 W kg−1, and a long cycle life exceeding 8,000 cycles.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3685-7
NiMo-based catalysts are promising for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), yet optimizing their electronic structure and enhancing mass transfer remain challenging. Here, we report a route to synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous Mo2N-Ni heterojunction nanosheets with tuned Ni/Mo ratio for enhanced alkaline HER. The precursor is assembled from polyoxometalate clusters (PMo12) and layered Ni(OH)2. The interaction between PMo12 and Ni(OH)2 suppresses particle agglomeration during pyrolysis, yielding 2D porous sheets composed of small Mo2N-Ni units. Electron transfer from Ni to Mo2N redistributes electrons at the heterojunction, optimizing intermediate adsorption/desorption. The porous structure enhances mass transfer, reducing catalyst impedance. The optimized catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 19 mV at 10 mA cm−2, comparable to commercial Pt/C. An anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer pairing this catalyst with NiFe-LDH achieves 500 mA cm−2 at 1.80 V and operates stably for 300 h. This assembly method offers a scalable strategy for efficient catalyst production.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3838-5
Air-permeable and ultrathin conductive electrodes are essential for next-generation soft electronics, including breathable wearables, on-skin devices, and bio-integrated electronics. However, conventional metallization strategies, such as sputtering and ink-printing, often suffer from severe vertical charge leakage due to the porous and ultrathin characteristics of nanofibrous networks, leading to device short-circuiting, operational failure, and limited vertical integration. Here, we present a solvent-selective dissolution-assisted transfer printing strategy to achieve surface-confined metallization of ultrathin, lightweight, and gas-permeable nanofibrous networks, enabling lateral conductivity while maintaining vertical insulation. This transfer printing process facilitates not only the rapid formation of conductive patterns on the surface of nanofibrous networks but also mechanical reinforcement through solvent evaporation-induced interlocked fiber-fiber welding. Meanwhile, the strategy preserves the high permeability of the nanofibrous networks and imparts a unique combination of surface conductivity (2 Ω cm) and vertical insulativity (10^11 Ω cm). The resulting anisotropic conductive networks enable low-voltage wearable heaters, high-sensitive pressure sensors, and ultralight temperature sensors. A pressure-temperature dual-modal sensing patch is further fabricated for intelligent grasping classification. The proposed surface-confined metallization strategy enables rapid fabrication of an anisotropic conductive network as a building block to construct air-permeable, ultrathin, and lightweight wearable electronics.
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/s40843-025-3821-2
Stimuli-responsive chiral materials hold significant potential for applications in smart photonic devices, chiral sensors, and data storage. Chiral supramolecular smart responsive materials based on azobenzene (Azo) self-assembly systems have attracted considerable attention due to their dynamic and reversible chirality regulation under external stimuli. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the construction, regulation mechanisms, and functional applications of chiral supramolecular helical structures derived from Azo-based materials. Starting from molecular structure, assembly modes, and external stimuli responsiveness (such as light, heat, solvent, and pH), we discuss precise control over supramolecular chirality, including chiroptical switching, inversion, and asymmetric amplification. Furthermore, the potential applications of assembly materials containing Azo building units in chiroptical properties, chiral recognition, and nanoscopic/macroscopic chiral functional materials are highlighted. We hope this review will provide helpful insights for the design and fabrication of the new generation of smart chiral functional materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3752-0
Counterfeit products have become widespread, necessitating advanced anti-counterfeiting solutions. Inspired by random wrinkles on peanut surfaces, we propose a biologically physical unclonable function (PUF) label with all-optical anti-counterfeiting. Using spatially selective plasma etching, a single-material random wrinkling strategy overcomes limitations of traditional double-layer wrinkling, such as low entropy and complex processes, enabling selective wrinkling in fixed areas. Innovative introduction of dual-modal luminescent micron defects in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films enables orthogonal control and coordination of the frequency domain of unpredictable wrinkles at the mesoscopic scale, promoting transition from long-range anisotropy to short-range isotropy. Verification requires only simple optical equipment, providing cost-effectiveness and ease of detection. This anti-counterfeiting system incorporates three collaborative security mechanisms: (i) high-entropy PUF encoded wrinkle fingerprints, (ii) angle-sensitive Bragg-like structural colors, and (iii) spatially segmented dual-mode fluorescence. The label exhibits near-ideal cryptographic properties: uniformity close to 0.5, Shannon entropy close to 1, Hamming distance approximately 0.5, and robust environmental stability (similarity >84% after storage at 2°C and 50°C for 48 h). Plasma parameter modulation enables continuous tuning of wrinkle wavelength from 6.1 to 25.0 μm. The system's straightforward preparation, portable verification, and anti-spoofing capabilities position it for real-world applications in secure packaging, high-value product labels, and smart encryption, with potential extension to flexible electronics and wearable security systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3720-2
The emergence of smart textiles and wearable electronics demands conductive fibers that maintain stable electrical performance under dynamic mechanical deformation. Conventional conductive yarns, based on carbon nanomaterials, metallic coatings, or hybrids, suffer from a trade-off between conductivity and stretchability, often exhibiting resistance fluctuations or failure under strain. Liquid metals (LM) offer high conductivity and intrinsic deformability but suffer from interfacial instability, such as dewetting and leakage, without structural guidance. This work presents a hierarchical design strategy integrating capillary-guided infiltration and interfacial anchoring of LM within yarn microstructures. Electrospun poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS) microfibers onto commercial spandex (PU) yarns create a porous base with three-dimensional microchannels. These channels are functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to enhance wettability and provide reactive sites for alloying with LM. Upon immersion, LM is drawn into the porous network via capillary action, forming stable intermetallic bonds (Ag9In4 and AgIn2) with the AgNP-modified fibers. Encapsulation with a second SBS layer yields the final SBS-LM/Ag-SBS (SLMAS) yarn. The resulting yarns exhibit exceptional electrical conductivity, with resistance as low as 0.082 Ω/cm at an LM loading of 6.88 mg/cm. They demonstrate strain-invariant performance, long-term durability, and functional convergence, supporting Joule heating and electrochromic display within a single fiber. Joule heating tests show a temperature rise from 86.4 to 122.7°C, following Ohm's and Joule's law. Integration of thermochromic microcapsules enables voltage-triggered color change, laying groundwork for electrothermally responsive textiles. Challenges remain in material costs, multi-step fabrication, and durability under environmental stressors. This work establishes a new paradigm for stretchable fiber electronics, reconciling conductivity with extreme mechanical compliance.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3925-5
Capacitive pressure sensors have garnered significant attention in electronic skin, human-machine interaction, health monitoring, and medical devices due to their remarkable properties like highly sensitive pressure perception, good repeatability, and rapid response capabilities. However, manufacturing capacitive pressure sensors that simultaneously achieve a broad linear detection range and high sensitivity remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel hierarchically interlocked capacitive pressure sensor (HI-CPS) was designed by integrating a stretchable polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based nanofilm dielectric layer with hierarchically interlocked microstructures, demonstrating excellent linearity and high sensitivity over a wide sensing range. HI-CPS based on a one-layer nanofilm exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (9.40 kPa−1) and an ultralow detection limit (0.1 Pa). When the dielectric layer comprises two layers of stacked nanofilms, the sensor not only maintains high sensitivity (3.17 kPa−1) but also achieves excellent linearity (R2 = 0.999) over a broad working range (<5 kPa), along with remarkable stability even after 10,000 cycles. Benefitting from the outstanding comprehensive performance, HI-CPS has been proven to be successfully implemented in monitoring various human biological signals, sign language recognition, and basketball shooting gesture correction. This strategy of assembling the tailored nanofilm with structural engineering has significant potential application in building high-performance pressure detection and recognition devices.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025040102
Calcium peroxide (CaO2) with a rich porous structure was synthesized via chemical precipitation for efficient fluoride removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized by SEM, BET, LPSA, and XRD, revealing a mesoporous material with a total pore volume of 0.51 cm3·g−1. Batch experiments investigated the effects of adsorbent dosage, initial fluoride concentration, reaction time, pH, and coexisting anions. Adsorption kinetics followed a fractal-like pseudo-first-order model, with intraparticle diffusion as the rate-limiting step. Equilibrium data were well described by the Sips isotherm, predicting a maximum adsorption capacity of 479.8 mg·g−1. Site energy distribution analysis indicated a normal distribution with an average energy of 13.36 kJ·mol−1. Mechanistic studies using FTIR and XPS revealed that fluoride removal proceeds via surface precipitation, ligand exchange, and electrostatic attraction. The high density of active sites contributes to the exceptional defluoridation performance, positioning CaO2 as a promising adsorbent for fluoride-contaminated water treatment.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2026050701
Azo food colorants are persistent aquatic pollutants posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Utilizing biomass waste to produce low-cost activated carbon offers a sustainable strategy for their removal. In this study, activated carbon (HPR-AC) was synthesized from Haematococcus pluvialis residue via phosphoric acid activation, and its adsorption performance was evaluated using Sunset Yellow (SY), Ponceau 4R (P4R), and Tartrazine (TY) as model pollutants. The effects of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and temperature on adsorption efficiency were systematically examined. Characterization by BET, FTIR, XRD, and XPS revealed that HPR-AC possesses a high specific surface area and an abundant mesoporous structure. The adsorption process was well described by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, indicating monolayer chemisorption and an endothermic nature. At pH 5 and 55 °C, the maximum adsorption capacities reached 67.12, 79.72, and 72.75 mg·g−1 for SY, P4R, and TY, respectively. Statistical physics modeling further suggested a multilayer physical adsorption mechanism, primarily governed by pore filling, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and charge transfer. These findings provide both theoretical insights and empirical data for the valorization of H. pluvialis residue and the development of efficient, sustainable adsorbents for azo dye removal from water.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202608021
To address the significant increase in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its chemical component concentrations caused by the concentrated setting-off of fireworks and firecrackers during the Spring Festival in Yancheng City, this study introduced the Bayesian-optimized XGBoost model (BO-XGBoost) based on PM2.5, particulate component, and meteorological observation data. The model simulated non-setting-off baseline concentrations using meteorological factors as independent variables, enabling quantitative assessment of setting-off contributions. Results showed that the concentrated setting-off exerted significantly differentiated effects on various pollutants. Among water-soluble ions, K+ and Mg2+ were core characteristic tracers, with concentrations reaching 15.89 and 20.08 times baseline levels on Lunar New Year's Eve, directly reflecting high-intensity emissions. Secondary conversion ions such as SO4^2- and NO3^- showed sustained high contributions on both Lunar New Year's Eve and the fifth day of the first lunar month, reflecting cumulative effects of atmospheric chemical transformation. Among inorganic elements, K, Ba, and Sr were core characteristic tracers, with concentrations showing explosive growth on Lunar New Year's Eve, serving as direct fingerprints of fireworks. Elements such as Pb and Mn were also significantly affected, reflecting direct heavy metal emissions. Temporal comparisons indicated that emission intensity on Lunar New Year's Eve was significantly higher than on the fifth day, with increased proportional contribution of secondary conversion processes on the fifth day. The study achieved accurate quantification of setting-off contributions through a data-driven model, clarifying pollution fingerprint characteristics and temporal differentiation patterns, providing scientific basis for air quality management and policy optimization during the Spring Festival.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4034-3
The local concentration and configuration of active sites critically influence the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction, yet constructing well-defined structures to probe this relationship remains challenging. Here, we report a molten salt-assisted strategy to synthesize Ce-Ov-Cu cascade catalysts with tunable configurations and relative concentrations of Cu and Ce-Ov sites. Two distinct geometries were engineered: one with dense Cu sites surrounding Ce-Ov (Cu10CeOx) and another with isolated Cu centers encapsulated by Ce-Ov (CuCe10Ox). These configurations direct key intermediates (*CHO or *COH) toward either C-C coupling or deep hydrogenation, thereby switching product selectivity. CuCe10Ox achieves a CH4 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 61.7% at -1.6 V vs. RHE, whereas Cu10CeOx favors C2 production with a maximum FE of 61.5% at -1.4 V vs. RHE. Mechanistic studies reveal that locally concentrated Cu sites exhibit strong *CO2 binding affinity, enhancing *CO surface coverage and facilitating *CO-*COH coupling. In contrast, Ce-Ov-rich regions with isolated copper centers supply abundant *H, promoting deep protonation of *CHO toward CH4. This work provides insights into catalyst design, demonstrating that manipulating structural chemistry can guide CO2RR toward targeted products.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4051-x
Graphite lubricants are critical for high-quality and high-efficiency drawing of refractory metal wires, yet inadequate dispersion stability frequently challenges their practical application. Inspired by the bio-surfactant synergic mechanism that combines different bio-surfactants to collectively reduce surface energy and friction, a binary anionic surfactant system comprising sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium lignosulfonate (SL) was engineered to enhance dispersion and stability via a synergistic effect. The synergistic parameter β was calculated to be −2.34, indicating strong synergism. The resulting graphite lubricants maintained homogeneous dispersion for up to 60 days. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the synergistic effects originate from steric hindrance, electrostatic repulsion, π-π stacking, and hydrogen bonding. These hierarchical secondary interactions collectively increased the interfacial formation energy at the graphite/surfactant/water tri-phase interface, thereby effectively wetting particle powders and enhancing stability. During metal wire drawing, the graphite lubricants reduced the friction coefficient between the die and metal wires to 0.06, ultimately enabling drawn tungsten wires with superior surface integrity, expanded loop diameter, and enhanced tensile strength relative to single-surfactant benchmarks. This study provides experimental and theoretical guidance to design effective graphite lubricants for high-quality drawn metal wires.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60667-6
The introduction of an appropriate amount of Cu effectively enhances the catalytic performance of ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts in CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. However, systematic studies on the effect of Cu content in ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts remain limited. In this work, a ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution and a series of Cu/ZnO/ZrO2-x catalysts (x = 0.3, 0.7 and 0.9, denoting the molar ratio of Cu/(Cu+Zn+Zr)) were prepared by co-precipitation method. Among these catalysts, the Cu/ZnO/ZrO2-0.7 catalyst exhibited the optimal catalytic performance, with a space-time yield of methanol (162.7 g/(kg·h)) that was 6.6 times higher than that of the ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalyst (24.8 g/(kg·h)) at 250 °C. Structural characterizations reveal that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Cu led to the coexistence of a solid solution and individual metal oxides, and promoted the formation of medium-strength basic sites. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results further confirm that Cu introduction facilitated the conversion of key reaction intermediates. This work provides a systematic investigation of the influence of Cu content on the methanol synthesis performance of ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts and elucidates the promotional mechanism induced by Cu incorporation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4126-0
Flexible X-ray detectors are constrained by the difficulty of producing semiconductor films that simultaneously exhibit uniform morphology, high crystallinity, and mechanical robustness. Here, we introduce a hydrogen-bond engineered supramolecular (HBES) strategy to overcome these limitations in supramolecular bismuth halide clusters (PDBiI5). By incorporating polyacrylic acid (PAA), a dynamic supramolecular network is formed that suppresses the coffee-ring effect during ultrasonic spray-coating via increased solution viscosity and controlled kinetic balance between solvent evaporation and solute diffusion. The HBES approach also modulates crystallization kinetics, extending crystal growth time from 23 to 41 s, yielding densely packed films with enhanced crystallinity and reduced defect states. These improvements lead to superior charge transport: a hole mobility of 2.16 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a mobility-lifetime product of 9.1 × 10−4 cm2 V−1. The resulting X-ray detectors achieve a record sensitivity of 19,009 μC Gyair−1 cm−2 and an ultralow detection limit of 3.35 nGyair s−1, with excellent operational and environmental stability. Leveraging the mechanical robustness from the supramolecular network, we demonstrate the first direct-type flexible X-ray imager, retaining 85% performance after 1000 bending cycles. This imager overcomes geometric distortion and vignetting, maintaining 85% edge photocurrent versus 58% for rigid detectors, enabling clear imaging of curved objects. This work establishes a versatile supramolecular engineering paradigm for high-performance flexible X-ray detection and imaging.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3643-8
Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffer from defect-mediated nonradiative recombination and inefficient charge extraction, particularly at the buried interface and grain boundaries (GBs), which limit power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability. This study introduces a multifunctional phosphonic acid molecule, (2-(3,6-bis(trifluoromethoxy)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl)phosphonic acid (M28), as an additive in the perovskite precursor solution. M28 spontaneously segregates toward the buried interface and GBs, fulfilling three roles: (1) slowing crystallization to enlarge grains and improve film quality, (2) passivating defects to suppress charge recombination, and (3) inducing p-type doping to create an extra electric field that promotes hole transport. Devices incorporating M28 achieve a champion PCE of 25.96% and retain 80% of initial efficiency after 1500 h of maximum power point tracking. This work demonstrates the efficacy of multifunctional phosphonic acid additives in addressing buried-interface and GB defects, offering a viable route to high-performance, stable inverted PSCs.