SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3582-9
Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) hold great potential for brain-like neuromorphic computing. However, the development of PQDs-based synaptic devices is hindered by interfacial defects and limited stability. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance Cs2AgBiBr6 QDs/organic single crystal heterojunction synaptic device, fabricated via a novel space-confined vertical growth technique combined with a polymer-free transfer process. Vertically grown organic single crystals enable superior carrier mobility and facilitate the formation of low-defect interfaces with PQDs. The heterojunction exhibits remarkable photosensitivity (7.22 × 10^5 at 425 nm) and detectivity (2.15 × 10^15 Jones), owing to the strong optical absorption of PQDs coupled with the superior charge transport characteristics of organic single crystals. Notably, the device achieves dual-functional light adaptation, emulating synaptic behaviour under blue light while exhibiting photo-switching under green/red light. This unique capability enables smart blue-light hazard protection. This work not only provides a versatile platform for high-performance PQDs-based synaptic devices but also advances the development of brain-inspired neuromorphic systems for next-generation computing and intelligent sensing.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60631-1
Methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) offers a carbon-neutral route to benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX), yet the regulatory mechanisms of Brønsted acid site (BAS) strength and spatial proximity to Mo sites remain unresolved. This study systematically tunes BAS strength via isomorphous substitution (Al, Ga, Fe, B) and Mo-BAS proximity in ZSM-5, integrating catalytic evaluations with density functional theory (DFT). Strongly acidic Al-zeolites achieve the highest methane conversion, while weakly acidic B-substituted systems exhibit optimal mono-/bifunctional synergy, outperforming moderate-acid counterparts. DFT reveals that deprotonation energy (DPE) correlates with acid strength; Al-ZSM-5 (DPE = -5.68 eV) lowers the C–H activation barrier (ΔG = 1.467 eV). Spatial proximity analysis shows that nanoscale Mo-BAS distances, achieved via ball milling, enhance methane conversion by 33% and BTX yield by 31% compared to micrometer-scale mixtures, by accelerating intermediate transport and suppressing coke. These findings establish a multi-scale framework linking acid strength, spatial confinement, and electronic modulation, providing actionable guidelines for designing next-generation MDA catalysts.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605004
To address the decline in operational performance of sewage pipeline networks in rainy cities of southern China caused by structural defects, stormwater-sewage cross-connections, and external water intrusion, a systematic governance framework comprising precise investigation, dynamic regulation, graded rehabilitation, and smart operation and maintenance was established. A zoned priority evaluation model was developed with comprehensive problem severity (P) and governance contribution (B) as core indicators, based on which differentiated governance strategies were formulated. Supported by a digital platform, monitoring, assessment, rectification, and verification data were integrated to develop a digital twin system for the pipeline network, and a correlation-based analysis and closed-loop operation and maintenance mechanism linking rainfall, groundwater level, and network hydraulic load was established. A typical urban area in Jiangxi Province was selected as the case study. After implementation, the mean COD concentration of terminal sewage in the study area increased steadily to above 230 mg/L, the average daily external water volume in the dry season decreased by 27.64%, and the sewage collection rate increased to 76%. The results indicate that the proposed framework can effectively support the quality and efficiency improvement of sewage pipeline networks in rainy cities of southern China, and provide a technical reference for similar cities.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3822-y
Precise control over supramolecular chirality and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is achieved through fluorene-content engineering of alkylated fluorene-quinoxaline copolymers. By systematically varying the fluorene ratio, three polymers (F8QX, F8QX-II, F8QX-III) are synthesized and co-assembled with a chiral inducer (R/S-5011). Thermal annealing induces highly ordered, crosslinked superstructures with strong chiroptical activity, where the dissymmetry factor (g_lum) decreases with increasing fluorene content. The optimal system, (F8QX)0.7-(R/S-5011)0.3, achieves a high |g_lum| of 0.52. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that lower fluorene ratios facilitate tighter π–π stacking and more efficient chirality amplification. This system further serves as an excellent host for a narrowband multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter (DBN-ICZ) via Förster resonance energy transfer, yielding ternary co-assemblies with narrowband green emission (FWHM = 25 nm) and strong CPL with g_lum of 0.43. Circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs) based on (F8QX)0.7-(R/S-5011)0.3-(DBN-ICZ)0.005 exhibit yellow circularly polarized electroluminescence with |g_EL| value of 0.12. This work provides a comprehensive strategy integrating molecular design, hierarchical assembly, and energy transfer toward high-performance chiral optoelectronic materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3834-x
Lithium metal anodes face critical barriers to practical application due to dendritic growth and interfacial instability, which cause short cycle life and safety hazards. This work introduces a highly stable and ultrahigh-rate lithium metal anode using a lithiophilic Sm2S3-modified carbonaceous host. The in situ formation of a Li2S-reinforced interphase layer enables highly reversible lithium plating/stripping and uniform deposition. The modified anode achieves an ultrahigh rate capability of 20 mA cm−2 and ultralong cycling stability of 7440 cycles with dendrite-free morphology. In a 4.5 V anode-less Li||LiCoO2 cell with an areal capacity of ~1.93 mA h cm−2, the system sustains over 1100 cycles with 87.2% capacity retention under harsh conditions: an ultralow negative-to-positive capacity ratio (N/P) of ~0.26 and lean electrolyte of ~5 g Ah−1. Furthermore, an anode-less pouch cell with an ultrahigh areal capacity of ~6.01 mA h cm−2 delivers superior cycling performance even at an ultra-low N/P ratio of ~0.71 and ultra-lean electrolyte of ~1 g Ah−1, achieving a high energy density of 505 Wh kg−1. This work provides a scalable and effective strategy for advancing reliable, practical lithium metal batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3794-0
Luminescent transparent display technology is widely used in emerging fields such as augmented reality glass, head-up vehicle display, and commercial retail windows. While electroluminescent display is well established, the photoluminescent transparent screen of full-color rendering ability remains elusive due to the severe crosstalk between emitters. Herein, a full-color transparent screen of an orthogonal red/green/blue (R/G/B) luminescence is reported. Lanthanide fluoride nanocrystals are used as the emitters, where the color is tuned by a deliberate choice of doping activators including Tb3+, Eu3+, and Tm3+. Polyvinyl alcohol, with an identical refractive index to nanocrystals, is employed as the host matrix, enabling a high transparency up to 86% in the visible region upon a high loading content (~78 wt%) of nanocrystals. It should be noted that the nanocrystals are embedded in separate monolayers before integration by a UV-selective absorber, i.e., epoxy resin, which absorbs 254-nm UV to block cross-excitation between Tb3+ and Eu3+ layers, providing an asymmetric luminescent property from both sides of the screen. In a proof-of-concept experiment, a full-color prototype is showcased in real time for its potential applications in advanced displays of immersive experience.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2026021002
The construction of species sensitivity distribution (SSD) models using a single function requires optimization to reduce subjectivity. To minimize model selection uncertainty and align with Chinese freshwater organism effect criteria, this study integrated native freshwater species toxicity data, including experimental and predicted values from interspecies correlation estimation (ICE) and acute-chronic ratio (ACR) methods, and applied a model-averaging approach to construct SSD models for seven representative phthalate esters (PAEs): dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), and dihexyl phthalate (DnHP). The derived short-term predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECacute) for DMP, DEP, DnBP, BBP, DEHP, DIDP, and DnHP were 16.796, 4.984, 9.064×10⁻², 2.490×10⁻¹, 1.898×10⁻², 1.386×10⁻¹, and 7.428×10⁻² μg·L⁻¹, respectively. Long-term PNECs (PNECchronic) were 3.245×10², 36.500, 1.149, 4.018, 8.949×10⁻², 1.637, and 4.073×10⁻¹ μg·L⁻¹, respectively. These PNECs, based on native species toxicity data and more stringent than existing standards, are recommended as potential references for water quality criteria based on Chinese freshwater organism effects. Ecological risk assessment using the hazard quotient (HQ) method on exposure concentrations from typical Chinese freshwater basins revealed that DEHP and DnBP posed high short-term risks, BBP mainly medium risk, while DMP, DEP, and DnHP showed low or no risk. Long-term risks indicated DEHP at medium to high risk, DnBP mainly medium to low, BBP low or no risk, and DMP, DEP, and DnHP no risk. The overall ecological risk ranking was DEHP > DnBP > BBP > DEP > DMP ≈ DnHP.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025032001
This study investigates the variation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and their monomer components during low-temperature thermal decomposition (250–500 °C) of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash from a typical mechanical grate furnace. Results demonstrate that pyrolysis temperature and time significantly affect the solid-phase removal rates of PCDD/F mass concentration and toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration. The influence weights of temperature on mass and TEQ removal rates are 20.86 and 21.41, respectively, while those of time are 4.27 and 3.36. Response surface analysis identifies optimal conditions at 380 °C for 1.0 h. At 250–300 °C, both PCDFs and PCDDs concentrations increase synchronously, indicating enhanced formation. At 300 °C for 2.0 h, high-chlorinated congeners undergo dechlorination to low-chlorinated ones, notably increasing 2,3,7,8-T4CDD (I-TEF=1.0) and 1,2,3,7,8-P5CDD (I-TEF=0.5). From 350 °C upward, significant degradation occurs; at 380 °C (1.0 h), degradation rates for PCDDs and PCDFs reach 97.8% and 97.6%, respectively, effectively reducing TEQ-contributing congeners. The process proceeds in two stages: initial dechlorination, followed by destruction of dioxin-like compounds at higher temperatures. 2,3,7,8-T4CDD emerges as a critical component for detoxification. These findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing thermal treatment of fly ash to minimize environmental and health risks.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202608027
The relocation of numerous industrial enterprises in China has left behind soil contamination, particularly by volatile organic compounds such as BTEX, whose migration and health risks are of great concern. Coastal plains, characterized by high groundwater tables and interbedded sedimentary strata, exhibit contaminant distribution and migration patterns distinct from inland regions. This study investigated a decommissioned resin plant site in the Yangtze River Delta coastal plain, systematically analyzing the spatial distribution, migration, and health risks of soil BTEX. Seven BTEX compounds were detected with detection rates ranging from 24.3% to 47.1%. Maximum concentrations of benzene, ethylbenzene, and m/p-xylene exceeded China's Class I construction land screening values. The contaminant plume was predominantly located in the southern product warehouse area, while the potential source was traced to the upstream wastewater treatment unit, indicating a 'source-sink' spatial mismatch. Vertically, contaminants exhibited a 'shallow-layer volatilization, middle-layer enrichment, and deep-layer retardation' pattern, with significant enrichment in silty clay at 3–6 m depth and sharp concentration declines in mucky clay. Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) multi-parameter detection revealed that benzene and toluene migrated as a whole, whereas chlorobenzene lagged due to strong adsorption. Benzene posed the most significant health risk, with carcinogenic risk up to 7.42×10⁻⁴ and non-carcinogenic hazard quotient up to 38.24, both exceeding acceptable levels. Inhalation of indoor air contaminated by vapor intrusion from underlying soil contributed over 87% of benzene's total risk, dominating the exposure pathway. This study elucidates the unique migration and risk formation mechanisms under high water table and interbedded strata, providing a scientific basis for precise investigation, risk assessment, and remediation of similar contaminated sites.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4063-2
Quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) are emerging as a leader in next-generation display technology. In principle, the efficiency of QLEDs is highly reliant on the radiative recombination rate of injected electrons and holes in the QD emissive layer. Within a solitary light-emitting cycle, a pre-negative-charged QD bursts into a fleeting sparkle upon encountering a hole, much like a lighted piston within a roaring engine. More pistons bring higher horsepower. The challenge of achieving highly efficient QLED lies in how to increase the number of pre-negatively charged QDs. To address these limitations, we developed a ZnO@ZnMgO core-shell nanoparticle (NP)-based electron transport layer (ETL). This design synergistically combines the high conductivity of ZnO core and the low defect density of the ZnMgO shell. Measured by electron-excited transient absorption, the average electron population (<N_e>) in the emissive layer for ZnO@ZnMgO and ZnMgO-based QLEDs was 0.61 and 0.33 at 4 V, respectively, which greatly increases the carrier recombination efficiency. As a result, green QLEDs achieve a peak EQE of 30.66%, maximum luminance of 1,615,039.85 cd/m2, and a low turn-on voltage of approximately 2 V. The T95 operational lifetime exceeded 29,000 h at 1,000 cd/m2. Currently, all parameters are at the top level within the QLED region.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3442-0
Cubic-phase CsCdCl3 microcrystals were synthesized via room-temperature solid-state synthesis, overcoming the elusiveness of this polymorph relative to the extensively reported hexagonal phase. Doping with 10% Mn2+ elevated the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) to near unity and extended afterglow duration to 10 h. The cubic phase exhibits metastability toward thermal treatment, transitioning to the hexagonal phase upon heating at 100 °C. Phase transition is also sensitive to Mn2+ doping concentration, providing a facile tool to manipulate the lattice structure of octahedra dimers (hexagonal) or monomers (cubic). Phonon spectrum and lattice formation energy calculations rationalize the phase transition mechanism. The phosphor demonstrates potential for information storage, X-ray imaging, and anti-counterfeiting. Under X-ray excitation, a spatial resolution of approximately 6 lp/mm was achieved, and luminescence intensity remained unchanged after 10 min of irradiation. Stored information, including a poem and a chip pattern, was retrievable upon heating at 125 °C. A hand-printed flower-like pattern on PET substrate, composed of pristine, 10% Mn2+, and 20% Mn2+-doped CsCdCl3, exhibited tunable photoluminescence color and afterglow duration. The digit '8' hidden under UV excitation was revealed after ceasing excitation, demonstrating anti-counterfeiting capability. This work opens avenues for advanced applications in information storage, X-ray imaging, and anti-counterfeiting.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3592-5
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) possesses a unique combination of high thermal conductivity, superior hardness, outstanding chemical stability, and a wide bandgap (~5.5–6 eV), rendering it indispensable for high-temperature lubrication, thermal management, electronic devices, and superhard tools. The performance of h-BN/metal systems is fundamentally governed by interfacial characteristics, including atomic structure, chemical bonding, electronic band alignment, and defect states. This review systematically analyzes interface engineering in h-BN/metal systems via two primary routes: in situ growth and ex situ compositing. During in situ growth of h-BN thin films on metal substrates (e.g., Cu, Ni), the metal substrate and growth conditions exert multifaceted influences on film quality through interfacial coupling, directly impacting contact resistance, operational stability, and noise characteristics in devices such as field-effect transistors and photodetectors. For ex situ preparation of h-BN/metal composites, interface construction is synergistically determined by h-BN dimension, matrix properties, and fabrication process. Empirical studies on Mg/BN and Cu/BN composites demonstrate that interface engineering, including surface modification and transition layers (e.g., TiN), significantly enhances mechanical and tribological properties. This review elucidates fundamental principles and unique mechanisms of h-BN/metal interface control, providing strategic insights for designing advanced h-BN-based functional devices and composites.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3517-3
Liquid crystal display (LCD) technology faces challenges in achieving a wide color gamut due to the limitations of conventional green phosphors, such as their low color purity and complex synthesis processes. This study reports a novel narrow-band green-emitting phosphor, Li4WO5:U6+, which uses uranium as the luminescent center through a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism. Under 450 nm blue excitation, the phosphor exhibits a sharp emission peak at 525 nm with a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 35 nm, achieving both high color purity and a quantum efficiency of 60%. The weak electron-phonon coupling results in spectral sharpness dominated by zero-phonon lines, while its structural robustness ensures exceptional thermal stability. When combined with a K2SiF6:Mn4+ red phosphor and a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) chip, the fabricated white LED demonstrates an expansive color gamut of 110.2% NTSC, significantly outperforming commercial β-Sialon:Eu2+-based white LED devices (84.4% NTSC). These findings indicate that Li4WO5:U6+ is a highly promising candidate for next-generation wide-color-gamut LCD backlighting, offering superior vividness and stability for advanced display applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3524-y
The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is indispensable for the initial diagnosis of cardiac conditions, yet existing neuromorphic hardware for multi-lead ECG monitoring requires multiple array circuits and two operational processes, imposing severe constraints on device consistency and diagnostic accuracy. This study introduces a neuromorphic parallel computing hardware architecture based on quantum dot synaptic transistors that leverages trap and surface electric field effects to enable 12-lead ECG monitoring within a single array circuit, eliminating the need for twelve separate circuits. The system concurrently processes multiple ECG signals and produces final outputs without external computing or control circuits. A 12-transistor array, termed STAC, directly processes one-dimensional ECG data without additional conversion circuits, integrating a feature extraction layer at the pixel level and a feature fusion layer at the circuit level. Classification of ECG signals from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database and the Chinese Twelve-Lead ECG Challenge Database yields a training accuracy exceeding 98%. A five-class ECG signal classification task achieves 96.2% recognition accuracy, with a 5×5 confusion matrix confirming high classification precision across normal (N) and four abnormal categories (A, V, L, R). The architecture accurately detects myocardial infarction by fine-tuning internal weights, demonstrating proficiency in monitoring abnormal ECG signals. This advancement offers a compact, low-cost solution for wearable and portable 12-lead ECG monitoring devices, enabling real-time cardiac assessment with reduced hardware complexity and enhanced diagnostic reliability.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3480-1
Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) offers a sustainable route for wastewater denitrification and decentralized ammonia synthesis, but its practical deployment is constrained by sluggish reaction kinetics and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Monometallic Cu electrocatalysts, despite favorable nitrate adsorption and tunable electronic structure, exhibit weak H* adsorption, limiting the hydrogen radical-mediated pathway that suppresses HER at low overpotentials. Here, highly dispersed Cu/WO3 heterojunctions supported on carbon fiber were synthesized via carbothermal shock reduction, which reaches ultra-high temperatures within seconds and prevents active-site accumulation. The optimal Cu/WO3 heterojunction achieves an ammonia yield rate of 158.66 μmol h−1 cm−2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 98.27%. Electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory calculations reveal a synergistic mechanism: Cu sites preferentially adsorb NO3−, while adjacent WO3 sites accelerate water dissociation to generate hydrogen radicals (H*), which drive the continuous hydrogenation of nitrate to ammonia. This spatial separation of functions promotes the H*-mediated pathway and suppresses HER. The work establishes a heterojunction design strategy for non-precious-metal NRA electrocatalysts, enabling high-rate, high-selectivity ammonia production under mild conditions.