SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4476-1
Self-sustained oscillation in soft actuators enables autonomous, untethered robotic locomotion, yet existing light-driven systems suffer from low oscillation frequencies, rapid photothermal degradation, and reliance on external controllers. This work presents a bat-inspired soft robot that converts continuous near-infrared (NIR) irradiation into sustained rotational motion via a coiled MXene-based liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuator. The actuator integrates Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets as photothermal converters within an LCE matrix, achieving a photothermal conversion efficiency of 78.3% and a steady-state temperature of 142 °C under 1.5 W cm−2 NIR (808 nm). The coil geometry induces a self-shadowing effect that generates periodic light exposure, producing autonomous oscillation at 2.7 Hz with an amplitude of 45°. The robot demonstrates a rotational speed of 120 rpm and a specific power density of 3.2 W kg−1, outperforming previously reported light-driven oscillators by a factor of 2.5. Under continuous operation for 10,000 cycles, the actuator retains 92% of its initial oscillation amplitude, with a degradation rate of 0.008% per cycle. The bat-inspired wing morphology enables directional rotation and obstacle avoidance in confined spaces. This platform eliminates the need for external modulation, offering a scalable route to autonomous soft robotics for inspection, environmental monitoring, and micro-manipulation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4391-5
Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) enable precise tuning of the ITO/active layer interfacial dipole, yet their impact on the crystallization kinetics of the overlying active layer remains poorly understood, limiting their potential in high-efficiency organic solar cells. This study introduces THPC, a self-assembling material with an extended carbazole core and heteroatom substitution, as a hole transport layer (HTL). Unlike the hydrophilic PEDOT:PSS, THPC exhibits low surface energy, providing a favorable template that extends the film formation kinetics of the PM6:L8-BO-X blend by nearly 1.4 times, mitigating the explosive nucleation prevalent in PM6-based active layers. This promotes a highly ordered fibrous morphology and enhances vertical phase separation. The deep work function of THPC (5.32 eV) increases the built-in potential, reduces interfacial trap density, and facilitates charge extraction. Consequently, non-radiative recombination loss decreases from 0.243 eV to 0.227 eV, and the open-circuit voltage rises from 0.866 V to 0.883 V, yielding a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.19%, outperforming the PEDOT:PSS control (18.67%). This finding is confirmed across multiple Y-series acceptors, all approaching 20% PCE. Notably, the D18:L8-BO system achieves a PCE of 20.55%, demonstrating broad applicability.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4260-5
Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are recognized as a leading candidate for next-generation energy storage due to their high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mAh g⁻¹). However, the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) severely limits cycle life and energy efficiency. Here, we report a multi-interface engineering strategy employing a MnO₂-TiO₂@Ti₃C₂ MXene (MT@MX) heterojunction, synthesized via a facile redox reaction between MXene and KMnO₄, to modulate bidirectional polysulfide conversion. The 2D structure with high conductivity and abundant heterogeneous interfaces facilitates fast ion/electron transfer, reduces reaction energy barriers, and enhances adsorption via d-band center effects. The stepped built-in electric field (BIEF) in MT@MX lowers the migration energy barrier of LiPSs from catalytic MXene to TiO₂ and then to adsorptive MnO₂, enabling reversible migration across multi-interfaces. Optimized heterointerfaces synergistically integrate adsorption, diffusion, and catalytic conversion, yielding excellent cycling stability even at a high sulfur loading of 6.4 mg cm⁻². This work demonstrates that constructing heterojunctions with stepped BIEF offers a feasible approach to modulate interfacial diffusion and provides a new design strategy for high-performance LSB electrocatalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4340-0
Thin films with nonreciprocal circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) emit circularly polarized light with opposite handedness from its two opposite sides, holding great promise for advancing optical multiplexing technologies. Herein, we introduce component orientation mismatch into chiral composite films via stretching, which leads to macroscopic optical anisotropy and accordingly drives the films to show nonreciprocal CPL activity. Stretching triggers linear dichroism-linear birefringence (LD-LB) coupling to realize nonreciprocal circular dichroism (CD) in elastomer films consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and chiral polyacetylene (R/S-PSA). Moreover, fluorescence anisotropy-linear birefringence (f-LB) coupling occurs after introducing fluorescent groups into the films to achieve multi-color nonreciprocal CPL. The unstretched films exhibit reciprocal CPL with a luminescence dissymmetry factor (|glum|) of 10⁻¹, with handedness determined by PSA’s intrinsic helical chirality. In the stretched films, the oriented fluorescent groups undergo f-LB coupling with matrix crystallization, resulting in nonreciprocal CPL (|glum|=10⁻²). Based on this distinctive chiroptical feature, we have developed chiral logic gates, multidimensional optical encryption systems, and enantioselective photopolymerization platforms to demonstrate the potential uses of the as-obtained CPL films. This work provides both fundamental insights into and a versatile material platform for developing smart nonreciprocal photonic systems with advanced chiroptical functionality.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4344-5
Germanium-based materials (Ge-based) have been explored as anodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity (369 mAh g-1) and moderate potassium insertion potentials. However, their application is hindered by volume expansion and unstable solid electrolyte interphase films. This review systematically synthesizes recent advances in Ge-based materials (encompassing metallic Ge, oxides, chalcogenides, and alloys), with an emphasis on structure-performance relationships to elaborate synergistic optimization strategies. Key optimization strategies such as nanostructuring, composite design with conductive supports, interfacial engineering, doping, and electrolyte modification are elaborated. The potassium storage mechanisms of different materials are compared, and the effectiveness of various modification strategies is evaluated under different operating conditions. High-throughput computations are integrated with experimental validation to guide material and electrolyte design. A life cycle assessment perspective is also introduced to evaluate the sustainability and practical viability of Ge-based materials. Given the high cost and low abundance of Ge, these materials are more suitable for niche applications where high energy density is critical, rather than large-scale grid storage. The review underscores the necessity of balancing electrochemical performance with economic and environmental considerations, proposing a roadmap for future research that prioritizes cost-effective synthesis and scalable manufacturing.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4235-6
Fluorite-structured oxides (HfO2, ZrO2) are promising for resistive random-access memory (RRAM) due to their scalability and tunable properties. However, achieving high resistive switching on/off ratios remains challenging. Here, we report a collaborative strategy combining Hf/Zr ratio optimization and Lu3+ doping to regulate band structure and oxygen vacancy concentration in Hf0.4Zr0.6O2 (LHZO) thin films. The resulting LHZO devices exhibit a resistive switching ratio of 8.4 × 10^4, two orders of magnitude higher than that of ZrO2 (1.2 × 10^3). Electrical characterization and synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy reveal that Lu doping widens the bandgap to 4.95 eV, downshifts the valence band, and introduces defect states, collectively suppressing p-type conductivity and reducing off-state leakage current. Simultaneously, Lu3+ doping enriches oxygen vacancies, stabilizing ohmic conductive filaments in the on-state. This co-optimization of band structure and oxygen vacancies effectively enhances insulating properties in the high-resistance state and ohmic conductivity in the low-resistance state, leading to superior resistive switching performance with robust retention (>10^4 s). Our findings establish a fundamental strategy for tailoring electronic properties of doped HfZrO2 thin films toward high-performance RRAM applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4232-1
Polyanionic cathode materials are widely considered as potential cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to their strong three-dimensional framework and intrinsic thermal safety. Nevertheless, the limitation of the specific capacity and energy density hindered their application, which can be ascribed to the common reliance of single-electron redox reaction of the transition metal. By realizing the reversible double redox reaction of vanadium-based and manganese-based polyanion cathodes, researchers have successfully opened up a new way to break through the long-term performance limitations. Recent studies disclose that vanadium and manganese-based polyanionic cathodes exhibit the possibility of realizing a reversible double-redox reaction, which opened up new avenues to overcome the capacity dilemma. However, many fundamental issues remain unclear, including insufficient structural stability at high operating voltages, irreversible structural evolution induced by sodium extraction, sluggish electronic and ionic transport kinetics, and Jahn–Teller distortion. Therefore, it is imperative to summarize recent work in order to clarify the pathway for future investigation. In this review, the key challenges associated with the activation of the double-redox reaction are outlined, followed by the realization and regulation of the double-redox reaction in polyanionic cathode materials. A systematic summary of recent studies is performed for both vanadium and manganese-based compounds, which could contribute to the fundamental understanding of the double-redox reaction mechanism. Combined with the modification strategy and future perspective, this review provides insights into the rational design of polyanionic cathodes with a reversible double-redox reaction. It also offers insights into the development of high-energy-density cathode materials for next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
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/s40843-025-3664-x
The proliferation of electronic devices and wireless communications has escalated the demand for materials that simultaneously provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and infrared (IR) thermal camouflage, a combination critical for military and civilian applications. Traditional metallic shields suffer from high density, poor processability, and cost, while polymer-based alternatives often lack sufficient shielding effectiveness and environmental stability. Here, we report a multilayer composite film fabricated via layer-by-layer vacuum filtration and hot-pressing, integrating modified aramid nanofibers (ANF) and MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets. The film architecture comprises ANF-polypyrrole (ANF-PPy) as the matrix and Ag-MXene as the functional filler, with in-situ grown Ag nanoparticles intercalating between MXene layers to enhance interlayer spacing and electromagnetic wave scattering. At a thickness of only 33 μm, the film achieves an average EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 66.75 dB and a specific shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of 38432.54 dB cm2 g−1. The multilayer structure promotes multiple internal reflections and interfacial polarization losses, while the tight integration ensures high IR reflectivity. This work establishes a foundation for developing multifunctional protective materials with dual EMI shielding and IR camouflage capabilities, addressing the critical bottleneck of simultaneous performance in ultrathin, flexible formats.
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.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3695-8
Sulfur-based lithium-ion batteries, particularly those employing sulfurized poly(acrylonitrile) (SPAN) cathodes and graphite (Gr) anodes, offer high theoretical capacity and low cost but suffer from temperature-dependent capacity decay. This study systematically investigates the electrochemical dynamics and capacity decay mechanism of SPAN||Gr pouch cells cycled at 25–55 °C. Multiscale analyses reveal that capacity fade arises from active lithium loss and increased resistance, both accelerated by higher temperatures. Active lithium loss is primarily attributed to dead lithium formation and thickening of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), while resistance increase is predominantly due to SEI/CEI thickening. As temperature rises, active lithium loss becomes the dominant decay factor. Leveraging the consistent decay mechanism across temperatures, an accelerated aging model based on the Arrhenius equation is developed: y = 0.9x + a. This model accurately predicts cycling parameters at specific temperatures and reduces testing time by 50% when extrapolating from 55 °C to 25 °C. These insights provide critical guidance for developing long-life sulfur-based batteries for practical energy storage applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3733-2
Irreversible sodium loss, primarily caused by solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation during initial cycling, significantly degrades the capacity of sodium-ion batteries by depleting active sodium. While pre-sodiation mitigates initial sodium loss, it fails to address continuous loss throughout the battery lifecycle. To overcome this limitation, we propose a sustained sodium compensation strategy utilizing activation-releasing systems. Key to this approach are high-capacity sodium compensators, Na2C2O4 and Na2C4O4, supported on a B and N co-doped Mo2C-W2C (MoW-C) heterostructure catalyst. This configuration enables efficient sodium release at charging voltages of 3.53 and 3.78 V, respectively. By integrating the sodium supplement agent onto the separator, and precisely controlling voltage and charge, multiple sodium replenishment is achieved over the entire battery lifecycle. This strategy reduces initial active sodium loss by 36.53%. Furthermore, a single activation during subsequent usage provides an additional 0.115 mAh cm−2 of active sodium. As a result, the cell exhibits exceptional cycling stability, with a capacity loss of only 0.059% per cycle over 350 cycles at 0.5 C.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3686-6
Fused silica (SiO2) exhibits exceptional thermal stability and dielectric properties, making it an attractive material for aerospace and military applications. However, its relatively poor mechanical performance has limited its widespread practical utilization. This study proposed an innovative approach to fabricate SiO2-hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) composite ceramics via spark plasma sintering (SPS), leveraging the high-temperature phase transformation of cubic boron nitride (cBN) to introduce randomly oriented hBN as a reinforcing phase within the SiO2 matrix. The randomly oriented hBN nanoplates allow cracks to propagate along stronger grain boundaries, rather than along weaker interlayers of hBN, significantly improving the overall strength and fracture toughness of the composite. The maximum flexural strength and fracture toughness achieved are 183.4 MPa and 2.06 MPa m1/2 respectively, which are 3.6 times and 4 times that of fused SiO2. Concurrently, the composites exhibit low dielectric constants (ε = 3.58–3.69) and dielectric losses (tan δ < 0.0087) at 1 MHz. This work successfully enhanced the mechanical performance of fused SiO2 while preserving its excellent dielectric characteristics, opening new possibilities for its potential applications in advanced structural and functional fields.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3679-8
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease with high mortality and limited therapeutic options. Dysregulated macrophage polarization drives fibroblast activation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), yet no effective management exists. Here, we develop an inhalable methane nanocapsule (MNC) that spatiotemporally controls methane release in the lung to remodel the fibrogenic microenvironment. MNC is formulated via self-assembly of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) and a novel acid-responsive methane prodrug Fe(BPY)2(CH3)2, enhancing mucosal penetration and sustained methane release in acidic inflammatory niches. In a bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, MNC inhalation achieves efficient lung deposition and sustained methane release, significantly reducing inflammation, ameliorating fibrosis, and improving lung function without systemic side effects. Mechanistically, MNC rebalances macrophage polarization by inhibiting M2 phenotype overexpression and downregulates the MMP9/TIMP-1 ratio to suppress myofibroblast proliferation and EMT, synergistically halting fibrotic progression. This inhalable methane nanocapsule offers a promising strategy for safe and effective IPF treatment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3722-3
Magnesium alloys are promising biodegradable bone implant materials due to their biocompatibility and mechanical compatibility, but rapid degradation and postoperative bacterial infection limit clinical application. Here, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PD) composite coatings (ZIF-8@PD) were fabricated in situ on micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coated AZ31 alloys via two-step and one-step (OS) methods. The MAO/ZIF-8@PD and MAO/ZIF-8@PD (OS) coatings reduced corrosion current density by three and two orders of magnitude, respectively, compared to MAO coating, due to the physical barrier of the 2D-co-3D MOF structure. Under 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation, photothermal and photodynamic effects from PD, combined with contact killing by released Zn2+ ions, achieved bactericidal rates ≥99.5% against E. coli and S. aureus. Photothermal conversion efficiencies were 44.01% and 48.57% for the two-step and one-step coatings, respectively. The distinct Zn2+ sources led to different 2D-co-3D MOF structures, influencing degradation and antibacterial behavior. These coatings offer a strategy to enhance corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity of Mg alloys for biomedical applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3654-5
Hydrogen production by photosynthetic green algae is an efficient biological process that utilizes light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into clean and renewable energy. In this paper, we constructed a hybrid system combining graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Chlorella), in which g-C3N4 serves as an extracellular electron source and Chlorella acts as a biological reactor for specific hydrogen production. In particular, the electronic structure of carbon nitride was optimized by means of hydrothermal alkalization and copper ion doping, expanded the light absorption range and enhanced the light response ability. g-C3N4, as an extracellular electron source, can provide electrons for Chlorella to improve hydrogen production performance which is 3.7 times that of bare Chlorella. The construction of a biological hybrid system is a feasible optimization strategy for the hybrid system to promote the synergistic effect of the hybrid system by regulating the properties of non-living components.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3748-9
Direct regeneration is a sustainable solution for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), yet the irregular strains induced by the irreversible FePO4 phase after cycling hinder Li+ replenishment in spent LiFePO4 cathodes. This study proposes a lattice stress modulation strategy that reduces FePO4 to Fe2P2O7, reducing unit cell volume from 271.7 to 122.6 Å3, releasing residual stress and reconstructing continuous Li+ transport channels. The phase transformation reconstructs FeO6 octahedra, lowering the migration energy barrier for ions. This synergistically weakens steric effects, facilitating Li+ replenishment and eliminating Li-Fe anti-site defects. Regenerated LiFePO4 cathodes achieve 80.2% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 2C, outperforming commercial cathodes. The work establishes fundamental principles for the pre-treatment stage of direct regeneration and provides a paradigm-shifting solution for sustainable LIB recycling.
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/s40843-025-3777-0
Optically clear adhesives (OCAs) are critical for next-generation optoelectronic systems, yet their end-of-life management remains a sustainability challenge. Here, we report a debondable and robust polyurethane (PU)-based OCA that integrates both mechanical and chemical recyclability. The PU-based OCA exhibits high optical transparency (>90% transmittance from visible to near-infrared), strong adhesion to glass and polymeric substrates (bonding strength up to 5.0 MPa), and thermally sensitive H-bonding interactions that enable on-demand deadhesion at elevated temperatures. This capability facilitates non-destructive detachment of functional assemblies, promoting component reuse and material recycling. The adhesive demonstrates excellent mechanical properties, including ductility and strength, and outperforms several commercial optical adhesives in key performance metrics. Its straightforward synthesis and industrial scalability make it a promising solution for advancing circular economy principles in optoelectronic device manufacturing. The work addresses critical bottlenecks in balancing mechanical performance, adhesion/detachment, and recyclability, offering a transformative approach to sustainable advanced manufacturing.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202506021
To elucidate the seasonal variation in cadmium (Cd) accumulation in ratoon rice and its relationship with root surface iron plaque, this study compared Cd concentrations in brown rice and the characteristics of iron plaque components (amorphous Fe, Am-Fe; crystalline Fe, Cry-Fe) between the main and ratoon crops of six rice varieties under different stubble heights. A field experiment was conducted in a Cd-contaminated paddy in Liuyang, Hunan (soil total Cd: 0.56 ± 0.06 mg·kg⁻¹). Ratoon crop treatments included low stubble (20 cm) and high stubble (60 cm). Brown rice Cd concentrations varied by variety, season, and stubble height. Low stubble generally increased brown rice Cd in the ratoon crop compared to high stubble; high stubble reduced Cd in most varieties relative to the main crop. Health risk assessment indicated that low stubble in the ratoon crop posed higher non-carcinogenic risk than the main crop and high stubble, while carcinogenic risks exceeded acceptable levels across all treatments. Iron plaque Am-Fe and Cry-Fe concentrations in the ratoon crop were generally lower than in the main crop, with Am-Fe consistently exceeding Cry-Fe. In the main crop, total Fe, Am-Fe, and Cry-Fe on root surfaces were significantly negatively correlated with brown rice Cd (P < 0.05), but correlations were not significant in the ratoon crop. High stubble reduced Cd accumulation and non-carcinogenic risk in most varieties, yet carcinogenic risk remained. Iron plaque significantly impeded Cd uptake in the main crop but its effect weakened in the ratoon crop. Selecting low-Cd-accumulating varieties and optimizing stubble height are key strategies for safe ratoon rice production in Cd-contaminated areas.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2024122001
Biomass is the only renewable carbon resource with huge reserves and wide sources, and it is green and environmentally friendly. Under the background of 'dual carbon', the clean and efficient utilization of biomass has received increasing attention. Preparation of biochar from biomass is one of the main methods to use biomass efficiently. Biochar surfaces possess porous and aromatic structures, which exhibit good fixation effects on heavy metals in wastewater. However, biochar has shortcomings such as difficulty in recovery and non-reusability. The introduction of iron into biochar can not only enrich surface functional groups, develop pore structure, and increase specific surface area, but also endow magnetic properties, facilitating solid-liquid separation after adsorption. This paper reviews the preparation methods of iron-based magnetic biochar (MBC-Fe), summarizes the effects of different iron sources on its characteristics, and illustrates the adsorption performance and mechanisms of MBC-Fe for typical heavy metals in water. Finally, applications of MBC-Fe in the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater are concluded, and future utilization potential in other fields is proposed. The review highlights that MBC-Fe exhibits high adsorption capacities, e.g., for Pb(II) and Cd(II), with rapid kinetics and easy separation, making it a promising adsorbent for wastewater treatment.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2024121101
The excessive and uncontrolled use of antibiotics inevitably leads to their release into natural environments, accelerating the production, occurrence, and transport of resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Among these, antibiotic resistance plasmids (ARPs) pose a significant public health challenge due to their environmental persistence and ability to spread and amplify within microbial communities. This study used the tetC gene-pUC18 plasmid as a model ARP to investigate aggregation behavior in aqueous environments under varying pH (3–7), ionic strength (0.001–0.1 mol·L−1 NaCl and 0.001–0.05 mol·L−1 CaCl2), and in the presence of different concentrations of natural colloids. Results indicate that at low pH, ARP structure condenses inward and functional groups may protonate, reducing negative charge and overall size. Compared to Na+, Ca2+ forms cationic bridges between negatively charged phosphate diester groups, significantly enhancing aggregation. Natural colloids induce heteroaggregation with ARPs, with aggregate size increasing with colloid concentration. This study provides scientific evidence for elucidating ARP behavior in soil and groundwater, crucial for assessing risks to human health and ecosystems and understanding global circulation mechanisms.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025112601
The pervasive presence of tetracycline (TC) in aquatic environments poses significant ecological and public health risks. This study reports the synthesis of MIL-101-Bim, a covalently modified metal-organic framework (MOF), via a pre-modification strategy that introduces formyl groups into the MIL-101(Cr) framework (MIL-101-CHO), followed by Schiff base condensation and NaBH4 reduction to graft benzimidazole moieties. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed retention of the parent MIL-101(Cr) topology. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy verified successful functionalization. 1H NMR analysis of digested MIL-101-Bim revealed a benzimidazole modification degree of 41%, with 32% of formyl groups reduced to hydroxymethyl and 27% remaining unreacted. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated good thermal stability. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements showed a specific surface area of 1361 m2·g−1 and pore sizes ranging from 1 to 2.3 nm. Adsorption kinetics for TC on both materials followed a pseudo-second-order model, and isotherm data fitted the Langmuir model. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of MIL-101-Bim for TC was 86.31 mg·g−1, significantly higher than that of MIL-101-CHO (39.56 mg·g−1). Zeta potential measurements indicated optimal adsorption performance at pH 5–8. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided evidence of hydrogen bond formation during adsorption. The adsorption mechanism involves both physical adsorption (pore filling, electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking) and chemical adsorption (weak hydrogen bonding). Regeneration studies showed that MIL-101-Bim retained an adsorption capacity of 46.93 mg·g−1 after five cycles, demonstrating promising reusability.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604013
Reclaimed water serves as an alternative water source for replenishing natural water bodies, yet residual pollutants pose ecological risks. A pilot-scale hybrid vertical flow constructed wetland filled with manganese ore sand, quartz sand, and cobblestones was operated for approximately 140 days to assess nutrient and organic matter removal, ecotoxicity, and the suitability of manganese sand as a functional medium. Influent concentrations were up to 0.4 mg/L ammonia, 0.2 mg/L phosphate, 8 mg/L nitrate, and 30 mg/L COD. After 2–3 months of operation, ammonia and phosphate removal efficiencies exceeded 90% and 80%, respectively. Average reductions for nitrate and COD were 0.67 mg/L and 4.2 mg/L. Manganese sand enhanced organic decomposition, reducing maximum 3D fluorescence intensity by 26%, humic substances by 48%, UV254 by 38%, and achieving 70.8% removal of four target antibiotics. Purified water exhibited no significant genotoxicity, with micronucleus rates approaching tap water levels, and non-concentrated samples showed no acute biotoxicity. However, concentrated samples displayed acute toxicity, suggesting different causative pollutants for genotoxicity and acute toxicity. The study supports manganese sand as an effective medium for improving reclaimed water quality and controlling ecological risks.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3857-1
High-Be Cu-Be alloys exhibit dendritic segregation and brittle β/γ phases, complicating processing and applications. This study investigates the influence of cooling path on eutectoid transformation, microstructure, and mechanical properties in Cu-2.8Be and Cu-3.8Be alloys. A two-step homogenization treatment effectively eliminates segregation and suppresses the formation of harmful acicular phases. Diffusion-kinetic and thermodynamic analyses demonstrate that both the initial temperature and cooling rate determine eutectoid morphology and extent. Crystallographic and Eshelby-based analyses reveal that the β → γ transformation involves an isotropic contraction of ~3.9%, producing much lower strain energy than the anisotropic β → α transformation (~28.5% expansion and ~9.2% contraction), thus explaining the preferential nucleation of γ. Rapid cooling promotes incomplete eutectoid decomposition along grain boundaries, forming fine α/γ lamellae with interlamellar spacing down to ~7 nm. Lattice strain analysis confirms considerable distortions at α/γ interfaces (ε_xx = 0.0167, ε_yy = 0.0095). The mechanical incompatibility and high internal strain at these interfaces cause stress concentration and crack initiation. This work establishes a process-microstructure-property-mechanism framework essential for controlling the performance of high-Be Cu-Be alloys.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4028-5
The escalating thermal management demands of modern electronics necessitate materials with superior thermal conductivity and matched thermal expansion. Cu/Diamond composites are promising, yet their fabrication typically requires extreme conditions (high temperature/pressure) or complex coating processes. This work introduces a one-step, heat-source-free cold manufacturing method using ultrasonic vibration to consolidate Cu/Diamond composites at room temperature and a low pressure of ~16 MPa within seconds. The applied pressure is reduced by 200–500 times, and the required temperature is only 20% of that used in conventional high-temperature high-pressure sintering. Direct metallurgical bonding at Cu-Cu interfaces and solid embedding of diamond particles in the Cu matrix are achieved, yielding a composite with a high yield strength of 150 MPa. The method enables a maximum diamond proportion of ~60%, resulting in a thermal conductivity exceeding 1043 W/(m·K) and a coefficient of thermal expansion below 10×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Complex shapes are readily fabricated, and heat dissipation tests demonstrate superior performance compared to commercial Al₂O₃ and AlN substrates. The loose preparation conditions and rapid processing confer significant industrial production potential.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3545-7
Magnetically driven hydrogel robots show promise in biomedical and underwater applications due to remote controllability, flexibility, biocompatibility, and chemical stability. However, limited functional integration restricts their adaptability. Here, a universal modular assembly strategy is introduced using a self-healing κ-carrageenan/polyacrylamide hydrogel embedded with magnetic particles, enabling free assembly of magnetic actuation modules. These modules construct soft robots with complex geometries and magnetization distributions, allowing diverse deformations under magnetic fields. The strategy further integrates photocatalysis by embedding Ru-Bi2CrO6 photocatalysts into functional modules, yielding an oxygen-generating robot. This robot exhibits flexible underwater movement via magnetically controlled oscillatory actuation, minimizing water agitation while supplying stable oxygen to specific aquatic environments. The photocatalytic oxygen evolution rate reaches 389.1 μmol g−1 h−1. The hydrogel skeleton suppresses particle aggregation and sedimentation, and facilitates magnetic recovery. This scalable and adaptable approach advances multifunctional soft robot design.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61093-1
Advanced catalyst structures with good active site accessibility and strong metal-support interactions are crucial for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysis. A hierarchically porous Pt catalyst supported on honeycomb-like nitrogen-doped carbon (Pt/HNC-400, where 400 denotes the optimal dosage (mg) of the sacrificial SiO2 hard template used during synthesis) was fabricated by combining template-assisted pyrolysis and alcohol reduction. The fabrication involves the template-assisted pyrolysis of ZIF-67 (which provides the N-dopant through its 2-methylimidazole ligand) followed by HF etching to completely remove the SiO2, yielding a 3D interconnected porous carbon support. Compared to a commercial Pt/C, it had an exceptional ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.901 V (41 mV higher), a mass activity at 0.9 V that was 15.3 times higher, and significantly improved durability (a half-wave potential decay of 25 mV vs. 80 mV after 10,000 accelerated durability tests (ADTs)). Mechanistic investigations showed that this superior performance is due to the combined effects of the 3D porous structure, ultrafine Pt nanoparticles with strong metal-support interactions, and in-situ formed Co-Nx moieties from the pyrolysis of precursor ZIF-67. After 10,000 ADTs it was shown to have excellent structural integrity, retaining 87.4% of its initial electrochemically active surface area (102.7 m2 g−1). This study may assist the development of new high-performance ORR catalysts.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61106-7
Hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries suffer from limited capacity, low initial Coulombic efficiency, and poor long-term cycling stability. To address these issues, we report a dual-stabilization strategy that combines micropore confinement and chemical bonding to control sulfur species in coal-derived hard carbon. Bituminous coal, with its naturally condensed aromatic framework, serves as the carbon precursor. A two-step thermal process first constructs a microporous carbon framework, followed by gas-phase sulfidation to introduce sulfur. The sulfur is confined within micropores and forms stable covalent C–S bonds with the carbon matrix, providing synergistic physical–chemical stabilization. This suppresses sulfur migration, prevents interfacial side reactions, and introduces additional redox-active sites. The optimized sample (HC-10) delivers a high reversible capacity of 450 mAh/g after 800 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g, with excellent rate capability and cycling stability. Mechanistic analysis reveals that the stabilized sulfur species reversibly participate in sodium-ion storage and improve interfacial kinetics. This work provides an effective strategy for stabilizing sulfur in coal-derived carbon materials and offers insights into the design of high-performance anodes for sodium-ion batteries.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60647-0
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers a direct route to convert solar energy into clean hydrogen fuel. CuBi2O4, a p-type semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.5–1.8 eV, exhibits visible-light responsiveness and good stability, yet its performance is limited by high interfacial resistance and severe charge carrier recombination. This study introduces a CuO interlayer between fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and CuBi2O4 to construct CuO/CuBi2O4 photocathodes, aiming to improve interfacial charge transfer. The optimized CuO/CuBi2O4-200 photocathode achieved a photocurrent density of −1.71 mA/cm² at 0 V vs. RHE, more than 3.5 times that of bare CuBi2O4. Incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) at 365 nm reached ~13%, and the maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) was 0.17%. Water splitting experiments yielded 2.05 μmol/cm² of hydrogen, significantly surpassing the unmodified photoelectrode. Mechanistic studies indicate that the CuO layer establishes favorable band alignment, promotes hole transport toward the FTO substrate, and suppresses interfacial carrier recombination. This work demonstrates a simple and efficient interfacial engineering strategy, offering insights for the design of high-performance semiconductor-based PEC photoelectrodes.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025010804
Heterogeneous Fenton technology employs solid catalysts to activate H2O2, generating hydroxyl radicals (·OH) that oxidatively degrade organic pollutants. Among reported catalysts, iron-based materials are most prevalent but suffer from insufficient active sites and sluggish Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling. Compositing iron with carbon materials increases active site density and accelerates Fe(II) regeneration, thereby enhancing catalytic efficiency. This review summarizes recent advances in carbon/iron-based heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, analyzing reaction mechanisms and characteristics for organic pollutant removal. It also discusses external energy field-assisted strategies (e.g., photo-, electro-, and ultrasound-assisted) that augment reaction kinetics. The paper concludes with perspectives on future development of carbon/iron-based Fenton-like materials, emphasizing the need for scalable synthesis and mechanistic elucidation. Key challenges include maintaining stability under continuous operation and achieving cost-effective production. The review highlights that carbon/iron composites with optimized interfacial properties can significantly improve H2O2 utilization and broaden pH applicability, addressing limitations of conventional Fenton processes. Future research directions include designing catalysts with tailored porosity and surface functionality, and integrating physical fields to synergistically enhance pollutant mineralization.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025111302
High-concentration chloride ions (Cl−) in industrial wastewater cause severe corrosion and environmental hazards. Conventional removal methods suffer from low efficiency, high cost, and difficulty in product recovery. This study fabricated porous metallic bismuth-based blocks (Bi-PM) via 3D printing, combining chemical precipitation with additive manufacturing. Systematic evaluation of Cl− removal under varying pH and light irradiation revealed that at pH 0.1 and 0.5, dark-condition efficiencies were 53.6% and 31.0%, respectively, increasing to 69.3% and 38.1% under light. Radical trapping identified photogenerated holes as the primary active species, oxidizing metallic Bi to release Bi3+ and enhance precipitation. At pH 0.5, Bi-PM exhibited balanced efficiency and structural stability; over five cycles, average removal efficiency was 25% in darkness versus 41.2% under light, with superior stability under illumination. XRD and SEM confirmed abundant BiOCl formation on the surface under light, mitigating Bi loss. This approach ensures high chloride removal while minimizing material degradation, offering a novel pathway for industrial wastewater treatment.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025011503
This study investigated odor emissions from a large-scale ink manufacturing enterprise through comprehensive analyses of odor concentration, substance concentration, and characteristic odor compounds across all exhaust stacks. The aim was to assess odor dispersion patterns and identify critical odor-generating processes to inform strategic upgrades of air pollution control systems. The results showed that acrolein, hydrogen sulfide, isobutyraldehyde, m-xylene, p-xylene, and ethanol were screened as typical odor substances, with acrolein being ubiquitously present across all emission processes. The odor dispersion radius extended 1.4–2.6 km beyond the facility boundary. Vertical odor impact at a sensitive point 1 km from the plant boundary revealed a parabolic profile: concentrations initially increased with height, peaked at 30 m (equivalent to a 10-story building), then decreased at higher heights. The exhaust stack of the sewage treatment station accounted for 53.26% of total odor emissions, establishing this system as the priority control node for implementing enhanced air purification technologies in industrial air quality management.
The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12034/j.issn.1009-606X.225250
Slag foaming is a critical phenomenon in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, enhancing thermal efficiency, suppressing metal splashing, and stabilizing the refining process. Accurate prediction and control of slag foaming are essential for green and efficient steelmaking. This review systematically examines research progress on slag foaming prediction, clarifying the applicability, advantages, and limitations of different predictive methods to support intelligent control of foamy slags. Following the framework of 'influencing factors-prediction methods-development trends', the study summarizes the coupling effects of multiple variables such as basicity, viscosity, surface tension, suspended particles, gas parameters, and temperature on foam formation and stability. It compares five major prediction approaches: empirical formulas, dimensionless modeling, thermodynamic calculations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and machine learning models, analyzing their core concepts, merits, and constraints. Results indicate that single models often struggle to balance real-time capability and accuracy, particularly under multi-variable coupling and complex operating conditions. Therefore, a hybrid prediction framework combining mechanism-based and data-driven models is proposed, emphasizing physical constraints, multi-scale coupling, and multi-source data fusion. This integrated approach is expected to advance slag foaming prediction from 'computable' to 'controllable and adjustable', offering methodological insights for the development of green and intelligent EAF steelmaking.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3756-5
Photochemical organic synthesis exploits the distinctive redox properties of excited-state photocatalysts to avoid stoichiometric redox reagents, enabling green and sustainable transformations. However, the conversion efficiency of light-to-chemical energy remains a key bottleneck for large-scale application. Here, we synthesize ultra-thin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets by regulating precursor types and thermal protocols. In photochemical Minisci-type cross-couplings, this ultra-thin carbon nitride exhibits high catalytic efficiency, achieving rates of 40 mmol g_cat−1 h−1 under LED irradiation and 10.9 mmol g_cat−1 h−1 under natural sunlight. The photocatalyst's high specific surface area (120 m2 g−1) enhances substrate adsorption capacity and accelerates surface electron transfer, boosting photocatalytic efficiency. Furthermore, the material demonstrates excellent recycling stability, and the reaction system was successfully scaled to gram-level, highlighting its potential for industrial applications. This work provides a typical case for solar-driven organic synthesis and inspires further developments in heterogeneous photocatalysis.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3897-6
Decoding the nature of catalytically active sites is an essential prerequisite for the rational design of catalysts for electrochemical H2O2 synthesis, but faces significant challenges, particularly for controversial cobalt single-atom catalysts (Co SACs). Herein, we report trace Co single-atom sites embedded within pyridinic N-rich carbon nanospheres (Co1-NNH3-C), synthesized via a self-assembly coupled surface-coating strategy. The Co1-NNH3-C catalyst demonstrates remarkable H2O2 selectivity (99%) and activity at current density of −3.5 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M H2SO4. Through a combined approach of molecular probe experiments, surface modification, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we disclose that pyridinic N, rather than Co single atoms, serves as the direct active site for 2e− oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The trace Co (0.05 wt%) indirectly facilitated pyridinic N formation during pyrolysis but exhibits negligible direct catalytic involvement. DFT reveals pyridinic N sites optimize OOH intermediate adsorption (ΔG*OOH = 4.0 eV) and minimize reaction overpotential of 0.20 V, enabling scalable H2O2 production (907.5 mmol gcat−1 h−1). This work redefines the role of trace metal in SACs, providing a paradigm for designing metal-induced carbon catalysts for sustainable electrosynthesis for H2O2.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3742-5
Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (NLCEs) exhibit excellent mechanical properties and diverse deformation modes, while cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) as photonic crystals (PCs) possess superior optical performance and intelligent response characteristics. Combining these two elastomers into a monolithic material is a challenging yet promising endeavor. Here, we designed and synthesized a new diselenide-bonded molecule (DSeAc), whose lower bond energy between selenium atoms endows it with excellent bond exchange ability. Consequently, two LCE matrices containing DSeAc molecules can achieve seamless bonding under mild conditions via dynamic diselenide bond exchange. By integrating a CLCE film and an NLCE actuator into a monolithic film, we enable the integration of two functional components, whose functional characteristics can be tailored as required. This function block combination strategy offers a promising pathway for developing smart materials with complex functions, showing great potential in information storage, anti-counterfeiting, and biomimetics.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509078
The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) installations and the impending retirement of early-stage modules have made the recycling of end-of-life PV modules an urgent issue. This review systematically examines the types and structures of retired PV modules, with a focus on crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film technologies. It critically evaluates the principles, processes, and pros and cons of physical, chemical, pyrolysis, biological, combined, and emerging methods for recovering c-Si modules. The current status of silicon, metal, and valuable component recovery processes is summarized. For thin-film modules, the core technologies for recovering valuable components via pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, biological, and novel approaches are analyzed in depth. Results indicate that conventional methods (physical, chemical, pyrolysis) remain dominant but suffer from high energy consumption, pollution, and chemical usage. Emerging technologies such as biological and green leaching are identified as key research directions, though they face challenges of low technical maturity and high costs. Finally, policy orientations and existing challenges are discussed, and future development directions are proposed, providing significant guidance for the sustainable and large-scale green development of the PV industry.
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.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509049
This study systematically compared three virus enrichment and concentration methods—polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, aluminum salt coagulation, and centrifugal ultrafiltration—for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in high-turbidity, high-strength wastewater from inbound flights. The aluminum salt coagulation method exhibited the best overall performance, achieving an average recovery rate of 25.95% for SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, significantly higher than PEG precipitation (12.91%) and centrifugal ultrafiltration (0.22%) (P<0.05). Its detection limit reached 10 copies·mL⁻¹, whereas centrifugal ultrafiltration suffered severe membrane fouling, limiting detection to 1,000 copies·mL⁻¹. Considering the high pH buffering of flight wastewater, the aluminum salt method was optimized by adjusting pH to 6.00±0.4, employing rapid magnetic stirring, and reducing mixing time to 1 minute, yielding an average recovery of 27.56% (not significantly different from the original 25.95%, P>0.05). An automated enrichment device was developed based on the optimized method, reducing processing time per sample from 115 min to 60 min while maintaining comparable recovery and improved repeatability. Applied to 1,309 wastewater samples from inbound flights between January 2024 and May 2025, the average detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 45.45%, with trends consistent with national COVID-19 epidemiological data. The automated device demonstrates suitability for routine surveillance, providing technical support for port epidemic prevention.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202508081
Traditional soil thermal remediation requires high temperatures (>300 °C), which can damage soil structure, increase energy consumption, and elevate carbon emissions. This study developed a Cu–CeOx/TiO2 trimetallic catalyst to enable low-temperature thermal remediation of naphthalene-contaminated soil. Using nano-TiO2 as a support, catalysts with varying Cu/Ce ratios were prepared via impregnation-calcination. Material characterization (XRD, TEM, XPS, etc.) revealed that Cu and Ce incorporation induced crystal defects in TiO2, enhancing lattice oxygen activity and electron mobility, thereby generating more oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl radicals. Performance evaluation using a TGA-GC-FTIR-MS platform showed that the catalyst with Cu:Ce = 1:1 achieved the best remediation efficiency, reducing the thermal remediation temperature from 250 °C to 211.5 °C and increasing the removal rate by an average of 19.49% compared to the non-catalyst group at the same temperature. The catalyst facilitated stepwise degradation of naphthalene into smaller organic molecules (alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes) and ultimately into H2O and CO2. This work demonstrates that Cu–CeOx/TiO2 significantly lowers the energy demand of thermal remediation, offering a promising approach for low-carbon remediation of organic-contaminated soils.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.3724/2097-213X.2026.JFCT.0001
The escalating global demand for carbon reduction has positioned chemical absorption using alkanolamine solvents as the predominant post-combustion CO2 capture technology, owing to its high absorption efficiency and process maturity. However, the regeneration of CO2-rich solvents is energy-intensive, with the desorption step accounting for 40.0%–60.0% of total energy consumption. Traditional amine-based methods suffer from high energy penalties, solvent degradation, and equipment corrosion, limiting scalability. Catalytic CO2 desorption, employing solid acid catalysts (SACs), has emerged to address these challenges by lowering the activation energy for CO2 release, enhancing reaction kinetics, and enabling efficient regeneration at lower temperatures (110–130 °C reduced). This review systematically examines research from the past five years on key catalyst materials, focusing on structure-activity relationships, synergistic mechanisms of Lewis acid, Brønsted acid, and basic sites, and their influence on desorption pathways. It highlights that SACs not only improve desorption dynamics but also facilitate catalyst recovery, avoiding adverse effects on absorption. The paper analyzes current scientific and technological challenges, including catalyst stability, selectivity, and scale-up, and provides an outlook on industrial application in low-cost carbon capture. Key findings indicate that catalysts such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), heteropolyacids, and waste-derived materials can reduce regeneration energy by up to 30%–40% while maintaining high desorption efficiency. The review underscores the potential of catalytic regeneration to significantly lower operational costs and enhance the viability of amine-based CO2 capture in industrial settings.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025022704
Secondary inorganic aerosols (SNA), comprising sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium, are critical contributors to PM2.5 pollution in the Fenwei Plain, yet their formation mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Wintertime observations in Taiyuan revealed SNA as the dominant PM2.5 component, with a mean mass concentration of 33.19 ± 18.72 μg m−3, accounting for 47.13% of total PM2.5 mass. SNA concentrations increased markedly with pollution severity, but even under relatively clean conditions, SNA maintained a high mass fraction. Diurnal variation and correlation analyses indicated that nitrate formation pathways differed between day and night, largely governed by relative humidity (RH). During daytime, high RH (>55%) facilitated the partitioning of gaseous HNO3 to particulate nitrate. At night, RH positively correlated with nitrate concentration and nitrogen oxidation rate (NOR), with increased aerosol liquid water content (AWC) promoting NO2-to-nitrate conversion. The PM2.5 pH ranged from 4.3 to 5.2, and sulfate formation was primarily driven by H2O2 oxidation, with NO2 oxidation as a secondary pathway. These findings enhance understanding of SNA formation in the Fenwei Plain and provide a scientific basis for air quality policy.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3898-7
Platinum (Pt) is the benchmark catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in acidic electrolytes, but its performance in alkaline media is limited by excessively strong hydrogen binding energy (HBE). Here, we report oxygen-modified ultrasmall RuCu nanocrystals (RuCu/C-200) as an efficient catalyst for both alkaline HER and HOR. The RuCu/C-200 catalyst exhibits excellent HER activity with an overpotential of 9 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 19.7 mV dec−1. For HOR, it achieves a 4.2-fold higher exchange current density than the unannealed sample. Mechanistic studies reveal that the optimized HBE, hydroxyl binding energy (OHBE), and strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water, induced by oxygen modification, are the intrinsic determinants of the improved catalytic activity. This work underscores the potential of combining nanoscale structural design with oxygen modification to develop high-performance Ru-based electrocatalysts for both alkaline HER and HOR.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3851-3
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) face critical challenges from zinc anode instability, including corrosion, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), parasitic byproduct formation, and uncontrolled dendrite growth. To address these issues, we developed a multifunctional cerium-based metal-organic framework (Ce-MOF) coating for zinc anodes. The coating features an ordered porous structure and inherent properties that mitigate HER, suppress side reactions, and inhibit dendrite formation. Symmetric cells using Ce-MOF/Zn demonstrated exceptional cycling stability for over 2060 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 with a low hysteresis polarization of 26 mV. In full cells with an I2@AC cathode, the Ce-MOF/Zn||I2@AC achieved outstanding cycling stability of 28,550 cycles at 5 A g−1, with 91% capacity retention (109.6 mAh g−1). Through integrated characterization employing in-situ optical microscopy, ex-situ XRD, SEM, and DFT calculations, we elucidated the multifunctional mechanism: the Ce-MOF coating facilitates preferential (002)-oriented Zn deposition to suppress dendrites, reduces Zn2+ desolvation energy to enhance deposition kinetics, and modulates interfacial chemistry to mitigate HER and corrosion. This work establishes Ce-MOF coatings as a simple yet powerful strategy for developing high-performance zinc anodes, providing critical insights for advancing practical AZIB technologies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4140-9
Metal covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs) are promising photocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the synthesis of ketimine-linked COFs remains challenging due to the low reactivity of ketones. Here, we report a straightforward strategy to construct diketimine-linked MCOFs via the condensation of acenaphthenequinone (Ace) with 1,3,6,8-tetra(4-aminophenyl)pyrene (TAPPy). The metal-free COF (TACOF-AA) exhibits AA stacking, while the addition of NiCl2·6H2O under identical conditions yields an AB-stacked Ni-based MCOF (Ni-TACOF-AB). The coordinated Ni species serve as active sites for CO2RR and enhance electron-hole separation. Photocatalytic tests demonstrate that Ni-TACOF-AB achieves a CO evolution rate of 11.71 mmol g−1 h−1 with 99.9% selectivity, which is 7.6 times higher than that of TACOF-AA. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Ni-TACOF-AB lowers the activation energy barrier of the rate-determining step by regulating local charge distribution, facilitating electron transfer to adsorbed CO2. This work provides a novel approach for synthesizing ketimine-based COFs and highlights the importance of interlayer stacking in modulating photocatalytic performance.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60638-X
The extensive emission of greenhouse gases, primarily CO2 and CH4, has contributed to intensified global warming. Dry reforming of methane (DRM, CH4 + CO2 → 2CO + 2H2) offers a pathway for the synergistic utilization of these two major greenhouse gases, presenting important implications for both environmental protection and energy sustainability. However, the catalysts still face challenges such as carbon deposition and sintering of active metals, which adversely affect the catalytic performance and long-term stability. Oxygen vacancies, which are common lattice defects in metal oxides, have been demonstrated to improve the DRM performance by modulating the surface and interfacial properties of the catalysts. This review systematically summarizes research progresses in DRM over the past decade, outlines the major challenges and emphasizes the critical roles of oxygen vacancies in suppressing carbon deposition and inhibiting metal sintering. Furthermore, the mechanisms through which oxygen vacancies influence DRM reactions are discussed, combined with their formation pathways and regulation strategies. These insights provide essential theoretical foundations for the design and synthesis of highly efficient and stable DRM catalysts.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025032801
A highly sensitive and accurate method using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous quantification of nine neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites in human urine and serum. Samples underwent enzymatic hydrolysis followed by ethyl acetate extraction, effectively enriching target analytes. Gradient elution and optimized mass spectrometry conditions enabled simultaneous determination. The method exhibited excellent linearity with correlation coefficients >0.999. In urine, limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.001 to 0.010 μg·L−1 and limits of quantification (LOQ) from 0.004 to 0.035 μg·L−1. In serum, LODs were 0.0004–0.02 μg·L−1 and LOQs 0.0014–0.07 μg·L−1. Average spiked recoveries were 89.3%–115.0% in urine and 83.0%–115.0% in serum, with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 0.5%–8.0% and 2.5%–9.5%, respectively. Analysis of paired urine and serum samples from 123 Guangzhou residents revealed detection rates of 94.3%–100% for the nine analytes in urine, with clothianidin showing the highest median concentration (1.89 μg·L−1). In serum, detection rates for clothianidin, thiacloprid, acetamiprid, imidacloprid-olefin, and 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid were below 60%, while the remaining four analytes ranged from 74.8% to 99.2%. Urinary concentrations of all nine analytes were significantly higher than serum concentrations (P<0.05). Significant positive correlations between urine and serum concentrations were observed for clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, and N-desmethyl-acetamiprid, with N-desmethyl-acetamiprid showing the strongest correlation. The LLE-UPLC-MS/MS method efficiently and accurately detects neonicotinoids and metabolites in urine and serum, providing a reliable tool for human exposure assessment.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025031102
Laccases are promising biocatalysts for environmental remediation, yet their application is hindered by the instability and limited substrate affinity of wild-type enzymes. Here, we report a computational strategy integrating homology modeling, molecular docking, and virtual mutagenesis to engineer high-performance laccase mutants targeting benzene-containing pollutants. Structural analysis revealed that fungal laccase (Trametes versicolor, T.v) exhibited stronger binding affinities for aniline, o-phenylenediamine, and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) compared to bacterial laccase (Bacillus subtilis, B.s), attributed to optimized hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond interactions within the substrate-binding pocket. Virtual mutagenesis identified critical residues (e.g., Ser113, Leu459) regulating substrate stability. Notably, mutations at Ser113 to Arg/Glu/Leu significantly enhanced binding energy (ΔG ≤ −7.1 kcal·mol−1 for HBT) by narrowing the pocket exit and reinforcing hydrophobic constraints. Mechanistically, polar mutations in the pocket interior promoted hydrogen bonding, while hydrophobic substitutions at peripheral residues restricted substrate dissociation. Our findings establish a dual-region engineering principle—enhancing hydrogen bonds internally and hydrophobicity externally—to optimize laccase activity. This work provides a generalizable framework for the rational design of oxidoreductases in pollutant degradation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3982-6
Skin wounds are refractory due to antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers noninvasiveness, high efficiency, and no drug resistance, its therapeutic effect is constrained by the complex structure of wound tissue and diffuse drug distribution. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) regulates tissue repair by engaging its receptor Fn14, which is highly expressed in wounds. In this study, we developed a novel photosensitizer, the selenoviologen-TWEAK conjugate (SeV-Tp), to enhance selective enrichment and synergistically promote wound healing. In vitro analyses demonstrated that SeV-Tp, under visible light, generated high levels of reactive oxygen species, resulting in potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Notably, SeV-Tp selectively bound to Fn14 and amplified fibroblast activation via photodynamic cooperation. In a mouse model of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wound, SeV-Tp accelerated healing by reducing bacterial burden, modulating the immune microenvironment, promoting collagen deposition, and stimulating hair follicle regeneration. Moreover, SeV-Tp preferentially accumulated within wound tissues with minimal adverse effects. SeV-Tp represents a strategy that selectively enriches and harnesses synergistic benefits from both components, positioning SeV-Tp as a promising photosensitizer for the treatment of refractory wounds.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202511052
Microplastics in sewage sludge, owing to their diverse physicochemical properties, can differentially affect subsequent anaerobic digestion. This study focused on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics, systematically investigating the effects of particle (MP), fiber (MF), and film (MPF) morphologies at concentrations of 0–150 mg·g⁻¹ (based on total solids) on sludge digestion performance and microbial community structure. Results showed that MP inhibited total biogas production at all concentrations (inhibition rates 8.16%–9.58%), whereas MF and MPF exhibited low-concentration stimulation and high-concentration inhibition, with MPF exerting stronger inhibition than MF. All MP concentrations induced significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation (increases of 9.43%–34.52%), indicating the strongest oxidative stress. Low concentrations of PET generally enhanced cell membrane permeability, prompting microbes to secrete different extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to resist stress. The morphology and concentration of microplastics regulated the relative abundances of key functional bacteria (e.g., proteolytic bacteria and organic acid-oxidizing bacteria) and low-abundance bacteria, ultimately leading to differences in digestion performance. This study provides a theoretical basis for efficient treatment of sludge containing microplastics.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025111403
Sediments from the Hengyang reach of the Xiangjiang River were analyzed for concentrations, chemical fractions, and sources of 14 heavy metals (As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb, Tl, Bi, Co, Ni, Mn, Zn, V, Cr, Cu). Mean concentrations of As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb, Tl, and Bi exceeded local background values, with Cd, Se, Bi, and As showing pronounced enrichment. Spatial heterogeneity was marked, with higher levels downstream; overall concentrations were lower than previously reported. Sequential extraction revealed that Sb, Bi, Se, Tl, Cu, As, V, Cr, and Ni were predominantly in the residual fraction (F4), while Zn, Cd, Pb, and Mn had higher extractable fractions (F1+F2+F3), with bioavailable fractions generally elevated downstream. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicated no contamination by Co, Zn, V, or Cr, but varying degrees of contamination by Mn, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb, Tl, Bi, and Cu, with pollution severity order: Se>Cd>Bi>As>Sb>Pb>Tl>Ni>Cu>Mn>Zn>Cr>Co>V. Enrichment factors showed significant enrichment for Cd, Sb, and Bi, moderate for Pb, and low for others. Potential ecological risk index (RI) revealed Cd as the primary contributor (87.49% of total risk), with overall moderate risk at downstream sites and slight risk across the entire section. Source apportionment using PCA and PMF identified three sources: industrial and traffic mixed source (57.60%), natural source (16.00%), and industrial-natural mixed source (26.40%). These findings enhance understanding of heavy metal pollution mechanisms in the Hengyang section and recommend priority control of industrial and traffic emissions, with focus on Cd mobility, to support sediment remediation strategies.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202608010
Under the synergistic advancement of the Dual Carbon Strategy and circular economy, high-value utilization of coal fly ash and multiscale pollutant remediation are critical. Direct synthesis of hierarchical porous zeolite A from coal fly ash, integrating microporous framework and mesoporous channels, faces challenges due to complex impurities and difficulty in controlling crystal growth and pore architecture. To overcome bottlenecks of conventional microporous zeolite A—narrow pores, mass-transfer limitations, and inefficiency in removing larger pollutants—this study used acid-treated coal fly ash as silica-alumina source and a soft-template-assisted alkali fusion-hydrothermal method to synthesize hierarchical porous zeolite A with three-dimensionally interconnected mesoporous network. Effects of template type and dosage on crystalline phase, morphology, and pore structure were systematically investigated. With 3% dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (TPOAC) as template, the zeolite exhibited step-like rough cubic morphology formed by self-assembly of nanocrystals. Its specific surface area and total pore volume reached 57.0 m²/g and 0.1351 cm³/g, respectively, approximately three- and four-fold increases over conventional microporous zeolite A. Using aqueous ammonia nitrogen and gaseous acetone as probe pollutants, differential responses were revealed: for ammonia nitrogen (ion-exchange mechanism), hierarchical pores mainly improved mass transfer, yielding adsorption capacity comparable to microporous zeolite A; for acetone (molecular sieving effect), hierarchical zeolite leveraged developed mesoporosity to overcome steric hindrance and induce capillary condensation, increasing adsorption capacity from 12 mg/g (microporous) to 59 mg/g—a 3.9-fold enhancement. This study elucidates structure-activity relationships and provides theoretical and technical support for large-scale fly ash utilization and design of materials for complex pollutant remediation.
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.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202608026
Biochar and microbial inoculants are widely used for agricultural soil amendment. To investigate the effects of different straw biochars and Bacillus subtilis inoculant, applied individually or combined, on nitrogen transformation in dryland soil, a 60-day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted with six treatments: control (CK), 4% rice straw biochar (S), 4% rapeseed straw biochar (Y), 4% rice straw biochar plus 5 mg/kg inoculant (SJ), 4% rapeseed straw biochar plus 5 mg/kg inoculant (YJ), and inoculant alone (J). Results showed that rice straw biochar significantly increased soil nitrate nitrogen content by 148.74%–152.68% compared to CK, enhancing nitrification. Combined application with inoculant further increased average net nitrogen mineralization rate by 77.28%–99.38%. Conversely, rapeseed straw biochar decreased nitrate nitrogen by 51.66%–57.61%, and combined application reduced net nitrogen mineralization rate by 82.07%–84.73%. Treatments S, Y, SJ, and YJ promoted microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) synthesis, with S and Y increasing MBN by 2.02- and 2.20-fold over CK, respectively. Combined treatments further increased MBN by 103.26%–149.44% relative to single biochar treatments. These findings indicate that biochar type governs nitrification and net nitrogen mineralization, while combined application exerts synergistic effects on MBN. For comprehensive dryland soil improvement, YJ treatment is optimal, reducing inorganic nitrogen loss risk and enhancing microbial nitrogen activity.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3977-8
Single quantum well (single-QW) two-dimensional (2D) perovskites are poised to revolutionize optoelectronic devices owing to their superior stability and optoelectronic properties. However, solution-processed 2D perovskites typically suffer from disordered multiple-QW structures, leading to inconsistent device performance. Here, we introduce a solvent-hydrolysis-driven method to control crystallization kinetics, yielding highly ordered single-QW 2D perovskite films. Dimethylamine (DMA), generated from the hydrolysis of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), serves as a critical mediator, preventing cluster aggregation and ensuring a uniform colloidal distribution. This approach circumvents the formation of a heterogeneous intermediate phase, thereby promoting the formation of a homogeneous (DMA,MA)PbI3 phase, which is essential for single-QW film development. The resultant photodetector exhibits outstanding performance, with a responsivity of 1153 mA/W and a detectivity of 6.98 × 10^12 Jones, along with excellent photostability under ambient conditions. These attributes render it ideal for photoelectric imaging sensors and large-scale integration. Our findings establish a scalable, solution-processed strategy for high-performance 2D perovskite materials, opening new avenues for advanced optoelectronic applications.
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/s40843-025-4036-4
Alkaline water electrolysis is a pivotal technology for large-scale green hydrogen production, yet its efficiency is constrained by sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics at industrial current densities. Here, we propose a synergistic dual-doping strategy to lower kinetic barriers for both Volmer and Heyrovsky steps. A robust amorphous NiCoV nanosheet electrode was synthesized via scalable one-step electrodeposition. In situ spectroscopic and kinetic characterizations reveal that hydrophilic V species optimize interfacial water by disrupting the hydrogen bond network, ensuring rapid supply of free water at the inner Helmholtz plane. Co dopants modulate electronic structure to facilitate electron transfer and optimize intermediate adsorption energetics. The NiCoV electrode requires an ultralow overpotential of 253 mV at -400 mA cm−2, surpassing most Pt-based catalysts, and maintains stability for over 200 h. Industrial validation in a scaled-up electrolyzer demonstrates a cell voltage of 1.89 V at 400 mA cm−2, achieving energy savings of 0.12 kWh m−3 H2 compared to commercial benchmarks. This translates to annual electricity savings of 1.33 × 10^6 kWh for a medium-scale demonstration project, highlighting immense potential for sustainable industrial applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4017-y
Lattice distortion via entropy engineering can significantly optimize thermoelectric performance by intensifying phonon scattering. However, excessive lattice distortion in high-entropy materials inevitably hinders carrier transport, limiting the wide-temperature average ZT (ZTave). To enhance the wide-temperature thermoelectric performance of low-cost PbS-based compounds, this work introduces moderate lattice distortion by controlling entropy around 1.0R (R is the gas constant) to balance phonon and carrier transport, alleviating restrictions on carrier mobility. Substantial Se and Te alloying in PbS induces rock-salt lattice distortion, effectively impeding phonon propagation, thus suppressing lattice thermal conductivity (κlat) from 2.41 W m−1 K−1 in PbS to 0.66 W m−1 K−1 in PbS0.5Se0.35Te0.15 at 300 K. Additionally, Cu interstitials are introduced into the lattice-distorted PbS0.5Se0.35Te0.15 to further optimize carrier density and weighted carrier mobility (μW), leading to significant improvement in μW/κlat parameter at 300–773 K. Finally, a room-temperature ZT of 0.53 and a maximum ZT of 1.44 are obtained in PbS0.5Se0.35Te0.15-1%Cu sample, contributing to an impressive ZTave of 1.08 at 300–773 K and a maximum power generation efficiency (ηmax) of 7.5%. The results outperform previously reported cost-effective PbS-based compounds and highlight the importance of lattice distortion regulation in enhancing wide-temperature thermoelectric performance.
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.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4029-4
Chemical sensing technology is pivotal in modern industry and daily life, with sensor performance critically reliant on nanomaterials. While sensors based on traditional nanomaterials, such as inorganic semiconductors and organic conductive polymers, have achieved commercialization, they face persistent challenges. As an emerging subclass, conductive metal-organic frameworks (c-MOFs) not only inherit the core advantages of traditional MOFs—high specific surface area, porosity, and tunable composition/structure—but also offer adjustable electrical conductivity, rendering them ideal for sensing applications. This review systematically elucidates the construction and properties of c-MOFs across microscopic crystalline and macroscopic micro-nano structural scales. Special emphasis is placed on the structural design and regulation of c-MOFs for analytical sensing, and the intrinsic structure-performance relationship is clarified to achieve higher sensitivity, selectivity, response speed, and long-term stability, as well as other performance metrics. Finally, we comprehensively summarize the typical applications of c-MOFs-based sensors, covering environmental and safety monitoring, photoelectric detection, and health monitoring and diagnosis. At the same time, the key challenges existing in this field, such as the controllable preparation of high-quality single-crystal materials, the theoretical analysis of intrinsic electrically conductive mechanisms, and the balance between macroscopic material stability and the processing performance of devices, were evaluated. The future research directions should focus on developing new ligands and metal combinations to optimize the band structure, deepening the exploration of the mechanisms of emerging physical effects such as piezoelectricity, and promoting the integration and application of materials in practical scenarios such as flexible electronics and wearable devices.
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•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4123-0
Aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) are promising for large-scale energy storage due to safety, sustainability, and theoretical high capacity. However, sluggish electron/ion transport in conventional cathodes limits rate capability. Here, we first propose high-entropy engineering of metal oxides (HEOs) as cathodes in AAIBs, leveraging the 'cocktail effect' and abundant electron transport pathways to enhance rate-capacity. Atomic-level interactions between different metal atoms broaden the d-band with reduced electronic level degeneracy, facilitating rapid electron transport, achieving one of the best rate capabilities (119.4 mAh g−1 at 10.0 A g−1) among metal-oxide cathodes. The disordered layered oxides formed with a high-entropy framework alleviate electrostatic repulsion between aluminum ions and the fixed lattice, mitigating structural degradation and imparting excellent cycling stability (over 95.1 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 2.0 A g−1). The optimized HEO-Cr cathode (Fe0.6Co0.6Ni0.6Mn0.6Cr0.6O4) exhibits outstanding rate performance and cycling stability. DFT simulations and electrochemical tests reveal that multi-transition metal incorporation, bandgap narrowing, and unique lattice structure drastically enhance electron transport efficiency. The layered phase formed after cycling, based on a high-entropy framework, overcomes challenges from high charge density aluminum ions, significantly enhancing cycling stability. This work paves the way for high-performance AAIBs and other aqueous multivalent metal ion batteries by rationally designing high-entropy engineering.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4222-9
The proliferation of high-frequency communication technologies has escalated electromagnetic (EM) pollution, posing risks to health and device reliability. Conventional microwave absorbers dissipate EM energy as heat, creating thermal management burdens and energy waste. This study introduces Bi2Se3 nanosheets, a topological insulator with surface conductivity and internal insulation, as a dual-functional material capable of both microwave absorption and thermoelectric conversion. Nanosheets with controlled morphology were synthesized via a polyol reduction method, with thickness and lateral size tuned by preparation conditions. The resulting composites exhibited excellent microwave absorption, achieving a broad absorption bandwidth of 2.95 GHz at sub-millimeter thickness. A multilayered structure design enabled full-band absorption from 2 to 18 GHz using a single absorbent. The Seebeck coefficient, derived from temperature differences up to 110 °C, was -152 μV/K, indicating efficient conversion of absorbed EM energy into electrical energy. This work demonstrates the potential of Bi2Se3 nanomaterials for self-powered electromagnetic devices, addressing both EM pollution and energy supply challenges.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4117-y
Real-time, in situ imaging of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a key reactive oxygen species implicated in various diseases, remains challenging due to limitations of existing probes, such as short emission wavelengths and reliance on external excitation. To address these issues, we developed an H2O2-triggered near-infrared (NIR) chemiluminescence (CL) nanoprobe with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics for in vivo inflammation imaging and tumor theranostics. This nanoprobe, denoted as CPPO@TN NPs, was constructed by co-encapsulating a tailored AIE photosensitizer (TN) with strong NIR emission and high singlet oxygen (1O2) generation, a H2O2-responsive chemiluminescent substrate (CPPO), and soybean oil (as a retarder) within F-127 micelles. Upon encountering H2O2, the nanoprobe undergoes a persistent chemically initiated electron exchange luminescence (CIEEL) process that activates AIEgens, resulting in intense NIR chemiluminescence and sustained 1O2 production without the need for external irradiation. Leveraging this mechanism, CPPO@TN NPs achieved highly sensitive and specific imaging of drug-induced liver injury and peritonitis in murine models, with exceptional tissue penetration and signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, the nanoprobe facilitated effective self-luminescent imaging and photodynamic therapy of tumors, significantly inhibiting tumor growth in a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model. This platform provides an external light excitation-free theranostic strategy for H2O2-associated diseases.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3347-1
Two-dimensional (2D) Dion–Jacobson (DJ) phase perovskites are promising for photodetection but suffer from inefficient charge carrier extraction and significant ion migration. This study introduces Br− doping into the axial halide sites of (DMPD)Pb(I0.96Br0.04)4 (DMPD = 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylammonium), inducing local structural symmetry breaking. This symmetry breaking leads to energy band splitting, increased activation energy for ion migration, and relaxed microstrain, as confirmed by theoretical and experimental analyses. The modified lattice and electronic band structures synergistically reduce charge carrier recombination, enhance transport and extraction, and suppress ion migration. Consequently, the single-crystal photodetector achieves a detectivity of 7.12 × 10^12 Jones, among the highest for 2D DJ phase perovskite devices. These findings provide a design strategy for efficient 2D perovskites for advanced optoelectronics.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3369-6
This study reports the synthesis of a ternary CeO2-AuNR-Cu2O Janus structure featuring dual Schottky junctions, achieved via sequential growth of CeO2 and Cu2O crystal domains on AuNR seeds. The dual Schottky junctions and Janus-type CeO2-Cu2O P-N heterostructure significantly enhance charge separation and suppress electron-hole recombination. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of AuNR and a Z-scheme electron transfer pathway further boost photocatalytic performance. The enhancement was demonstrated through model photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The proposed strategy improves photocatalytic efficiency and provides insights into electron migration mechanisms, offering new opportunities for advanced nanostructure development in various applications. The synthesis involves precise control over nucleation and growth to achieve a highly-ordered ternary architecture. Characterization confirms the formation of dual Schottky junctions at the CeO2-AuNR and AuNR-Cu2O interfaces, which facilitate directional charge transfer. The Janus structure with spatially separated oxidation and reduction sites enables efficient redox reactions. This work establishes a rational design principle for multi-component photocatalysts with synergistic effects, potentially applicable to environmental remediation and energy conversion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3296-4
The integration of rigid and flexible substrates into stretchable electronics is fundamentally limited by elastic modulus mismatch, which induces interfacial failure under mechanical strain. Conventional approaches, including serpentine and kirigami geometries and rigid island methods, have not fully resolved strain mismatch, scalability, or long-term stability. Inspired by the root-soil interlocking mechanism in nature, Park et al. developed a bioinspired interfacial engineered flexible island (BIEFI) that employs polyimide (PI) primary and secondary roots embedded in Ecoflex to create a mechanically interlocked interface. The primary roots distribute stress and delay interfacial failure, while secondary roots grasp the elastomer and suppress failure through flexible interlocking until a deformation threshold is reached. Optimization of primary root number (N), secondary root number (Rn), and root width (K) reveals that increasing N enhances stretchability. This platform enables reliable performance under diverse deformation modes, including stretching and twisting, and demonstrates application in a smart resistance band for workout monitoring. The BIEFI approach offers a scalable, stable solution for flexible-to-stretchable electronics, addressing critical challenges in wearable devices, displays, and energy harvesting.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3353-2
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections demand safe, high-efficacy alternatives to antibiotics. This study develops an acid-sensitive dynamic nanocomposite hydrogel (ACP@Ag/OC) incorporating metal-based nanoparticles for combined photothermal and antioxidant antibacterial action. The hydrogel achieves a photothermal conversion efficiency of 29.4% and near-complete reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging across all tested models. In vitro, ACP@Ag/OC inhibits Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by 60% and 57%, respectively; under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, antibacterial efficacy increases 1.7-fold for both strains. Polydopamine (PDA) incorporation confers exceptional adhesion, maintaining performance under strong water currents. Hemolysis assays confirm negligible cytotoxicity and excellent blood compatibility. The platform addresses key limitations of silver nanoparticles—aggregation and poor biocompatibility—by embedding them within a dynamic hydrogel network. Mechanical testing demonstrates superior strength, self-healing, and adaptability to dynamic environments, effectively sealing wounds. These results position ACP@Ag/OC as a promising tissue adhesive and wound healing patch, with potential for personalized modular functionalization via catechol and amine chemistry. The work provides a translational pathway for combating MDR infections through NIR-triggered photothermal therapy combined with antioxidant protection.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3386-1
Constructing ideal P-i-N-like network morphology and extending exciton diffusion length (LD) are considered bottleneck factors to further improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, simultaneous optimizations of the vertical phase separation morphology and LD have rarely been reported. In this work, we apply a gradient thermal-annealing strategy to efficiently regulate the molecular stacking orientation and crystallinity of the polymer donor. The ordered molecular stacking significantly improves the exciton diffusion paths and enlarges the LD from 19.47 nm (PM6-control) to 24.96 nm (PM6-target), enabling efficient exciton dissociation and charge transport. Moreover, the optimized crystallinity behavior inhibited PM6 film erosion from the upper acceptor solution. It ensured controlled donor-acceptor interpenetration, forming the desired pseudo planar heterojunction (PPHJ) structure. Eventually, benefiting from the ideal vertical morphology and the prolonged LD, the printing PPHJ (target) device achieves an outstanding PCE of 18.20% with suppressed non-radiative recombination losses (0.212 eV) and enhanced fill factor (78.2%), which is one of the top values for the reported eco-friendly printing binary OPVs. This study demonstrates a simple but feasible method to further improve the performance of polymer solar cells.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3325-6
The urgent need for renewable energy has driven rapid advancements in hydrogen production technologies. Among these, water electrolysis for green hydrogen, recognized for its significant environmental benefits, has garnered increasing attention and emerged as a critical technology for achieving carbon neutrality and peak carbon emissions targets. Currently, the mainstream electrolyzers include alkaline water electrolyzers (AWE), proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (PEM), and anion exchange membrane electrolyzers (AEM). However, these technologies face significant challenges in large-scale industrial applications, including high costs, limited hydrogen production efficiency, and insufficient durability. Consequently, the development of innovative electrolyzers that combine high efficiency, low cost, and long lifespan has become imperative. In this review, the innovative design of bipolar membrane electrolyzers is first introduced. Subsequently, several types of advanced electrolyzers are summarized, including semi-vapor electrolyzers, electrolyzers employing flow-engineered three-dimensional electrodes, quasi-gas-phase electrolyzers, and bioinspired structural electrolyzers, and their specific advantages and potential applications are discussed in detail. Following this, this review delves into two key strategies for achieving membrane-free electrolyzers, analyzing their design principles and practical applicability. Last but not least, the challenges faced by the further development of electrolyzers were analyzed, and potential solutions were proposed, aiming to promote breakthrough advancements in hydrogen production through water electrolysis.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3389-3
Adsorption and corrosion caused by Cl− are the main reasons for the low performance of Pt-based catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in seawater. Although the introduction of hydroxyl species is an ideal approach to enhance HER kinetics and resist harmful Cl−, achieving this goal in Pt-based catalysts is challenging. In this study, we developed a high-temperature reduction process to generate PtNi alloy particles that contain Ni vacancies (Lewis acid sites) that participate in transforming lattice hydroxyls to dissociative hydroxyls on Ni layered double hydroxides (Ni-LDH). The hydroxyls in Ni-LDH bind with Lewis acid active sites to form hydroxyl rich species, a process which enhances the hydrophilicity of PtNi/Ni-LDH to promote water adsorption and enhance resistance to Cl− absorption. Owing to these properties, PtNi/Ni-LDH exhibits superior performance as an electrocatalyst for the HER in alkaline natural seawater as reflected by a low overpotential of 19 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 31 mV dec−1, and an only slightly elevated overpotential after 100 h of operation. This study throws light on the development of new strategies for the design of high-performance catalysts for hydrogen production by electrolytic seawater splitting.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3450-6
Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials are critical for anticounterfeiting, yet their practical deployment in aqueous media is severely constrained by average lifetimes below 1 s due to moisture- and oxygen-induced quenching. This study introduces an ex-situ covalent coupling strategy to fabricate liquid-phase ultralong RTP composites by covalently anchoring feather-derived carbon dots (CDs) onto SiO2 microspheres. The resulting CDs@SiO2 microspheres exhibit an aqueous dispersion lifetime of 2.38 s and an absolute quantum yield of 22%, while the solid-state composite achieves an average lifetime of 3.04 s—surpassing existing carbon-based RTP materials. The enhanced phosphorescence originates from Si–O–C covalent bond immobilization and Si–O–Si rigid networks that suppress nonradiative decay. The composites display reversible water-responsive structural colors, blue fluorescence, and cyan RTP, enabling multilevel information encryption and high-level anticounterfeiting. These findings establish a scalable route for water-resistant, long-lived RTP materials with dual-mode optical security features.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3499-6
Biomass-derived hard carbons (HCs) are promising anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their low cost, renewable nature, and structural stability, yet their practical application is hindered by a low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and inadequate rate capability. Herein, we report a tri-functional nitric acid treatment coupled with one-step carbonization to synthesize a hard carbon with a sp2-C-dominated structure. The process not only eliminates impurities but also selectively dissolves lignin in the biomass, thereby promoting the alignment of graphite microcrystals. At the same time, edge-N and C=O groups are grafted onto the carbon skeleton, which together produce an HC with an optimized interlayer spacing and abundant closed micropores. These structure modifications collectively increase Na+ adsorption kinetics in the sloping region and enable efficient sodium storage in the low-voltage plateau region, yielding a high ICE of 91.69% and a remarkable rate capability, with 83.9% capacity retention at 600 mA g−1. A full SIB cell using this HC anode with a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode delivers an energy density of 213.14 Wh kg−1, demonstrating its practical potential. This work offers a simple and scalable engineering strategy to overcome the performance vs. manufacturing cost dilemma in developing HC anodes.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3751-6
Ionogels, which integrate the flexibility and ionic conductivity of ionic liquids with the mechanical robustness of polymer networks, have emerged as pivotal materials for flexible electronics. Their tissue-like biomechanical characteristics enable applications in health monitoring, smart wearables, and human-machine interfaces. However, ionogels are susceptible to mechanical damage under large deformations and continuous loading, leading to structural failure and device degradation. Self-healing capability, imparted through dynamic non-covalent bonds (hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions) and reversible covalent bonds, can significantly enhance device reliability, service life, and safety. This review systematically examines the latest progress in self-healing ionogels (SHIGs), covering self-healing mechanisms, design strategies, and preparation methods. Key applications are analyzed, including wearable strain sensors, flexible triboelectric nanogenerators, supercapacitors, flexible displays, and soft robots. The review highlights recent breakthroughs, such as rapid self-healing (within minutes) and superior toughness (fracture energy exceeding 10 kJ m⁻²) in ionically crosslinked polymer ionogels, and record-breaking mechanical properties in room-temperature self-healing ionogels inspired by sea cucumber dermis. Despite these advances, challenges persist in balancing self-healing efficiency with mechanical strength, achieving cost-effective scalability, and ensuring long-term stability under extreme conditions. Perspectives on future development are provided, emphasizing the need for multifunctional integration and standardized testing protocols to accelerate the commercialization of self-healing ionogels in next-generation flexible electronics.