SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4467-x
Conventional eye-movement interaction systems depend on video capture, infrared tracking, and image recognition, which impose inherent constraints on accuracy, response latency, and stability. This study introduces an eyelash-guided signal interaction system based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (PF-TENG) using PDMS-FDTS thin films. The system employs eyelash movements as interactive inputs, eliminating the need for complex optical acquisition devices. A CNN-LSTM hybrid neural network classifies distinct eyelash movement patterns with a classification accuracy exceeding 98.5%. The PF-TENG device exhibits ultra-flexibility and transparency, enabling seamless integration onto eyeglasses without obstructing the user's field of view. Experimental validation demonstrates real-time monitoring of ocular states for driving fatigue detection, accurately identifying fatigue signs and enhancing application potential in intelligent driving. The system offers a natural, comfortable input modality and significant advantages for human-machine interaction, with broad prospects in eye-movement control and intelligent transportation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4165-1
Developing efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesis is vital for sustainable chemistry, yet optimizing the electronic structure of triazine-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) through precise spatial engineering remains a challenge. In this work, we constructed four model COFs to systematically decode how the spatial arrangement and incorporation level of triazine moieties regulate the electronic structures and H2O2 production efficiency. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses revealed that FB-AT achieved an optimal donor-acceptor architecture via rational spatial arrangement of triazine and benzene moieties. This configuration established an intramolecular potential gradient, which not only promoted charge separation by suppressing the exciton binding energy but also enriched the electron density at triazine sites. These electron-rich active centers significantly facilitated the oxygen reduction reaction by lowering the thermodynamic energy barrier for *OOH intermediate formation. Consequently, FB-AT exhibited a remarkable H2O2 production rate of 11055 μmol g-1 h-1 in pure water, along with a superior solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 1.16%. Additionally, FB-AT enabled complete degradation of phenol, tetracycline, and rhodamine B within 5–15 min of visible light irradiation. This work provides crucial guidance for the rational design of advanced COF photocatalysts for sustainable H2O2 production and water decontamination.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4200-0
Self-powered broadband photodetectors are pivotal for next-generation intelligent healthcare. Solution-processed mercury sulfide (HgS) is an attractive near-infrared absorber but is limited by interfacial instability, high defects, and sluggish response. Inspired by sulfur-mediated adhesion in Alhagi sparsifolia, a bioinspired interfacial engineering strategy employs an antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) interlayer to construct a bidirectional chemical bonding network. The Sb2S3 interlayer simultaneously forms Sb–O bonds with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates and Sb–S/Hg–S bonds with the HgS layer, thereby reinforcing interfacial adhesion, passivating coordination-unsaturated defect states, and establishing a type-II heterojunction with a strong built-in electric field. The resulting Sb2S3/HgS photodetector exhibits self-powered operation, broadband sensitivity spanning the visible to near-infrared region (642–1550 nm), an ultrafast response time of 2.47 ms, a detectivity up to 1.7 × 10^11 Jones, and retaining nearly constant photocurrent over 5000 continuous on-off switching cycles as well as prolonged air exposure. Beyond device-level performance, we demonstrate its utility in intelligent healthcare scenarios, including machine-learning-assisted liquid drug identification, binary-coded optical wireless communication, and high-fidelity photoplethysmography monitoring. This work establishes biomimetic bidirectional bonding as a generalizable paradigm for stabilizing solution-processed chalcogenide optoelectronics and accelerates the integration of self-powered broadband photodetectors into intelligent healthcare systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4213-x
Lipid peroxyl radicals (ROO·) are terminal propagating species in lipid peroxidation, driving oxidative damage in neurological disorders. Their prolonged lifetime and rapid diffusion within lipid membranes render them difficult to neutralize. Here, we report a bioelectric-responsive TEMPO-doped polydopamine (PDA@TEMPO) nanozyme that sustains catalytic interception of ROO· radicals under persistent oxidative stress. By coupling a PDA redox reservoir with TEMPO catalytic centers, the nanozyme establishes a self-regenerating radical-neutralization cycle via proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The π-conjugated framework facilitates charge migration and enables an electric-field-enhanced antioxidant response. In a seizure model, the nanozyme dynamically responds to bioelectric fluctuations, accelerating radical interception and alleviating oxidative stress in neural microenvironments. These findings establish bioelectric-coupled nanozymes as a general strategy for catalytic and sustained regulation of oxidative stress in neural microenvironments, providing a potential therapeutic approach for neurological disorders.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3583-6
Water scarcity and the increasing demand for clean water have driven the development of efficient solar desalination technologies. Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) is promising, yet its practical deployment is hindered by insufficient light harvesting and salt crystallization on photothermal surfaces. Here, we report a Janus hydrogel evaporator in which tubular Co9S8 nanocrystals are uniformly embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix with a concave pyramid pattern, creating a broadband light-trapping architecture (200–2500 nm) with 96% solar absorption. The top surface is further coated with hydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), while the bottom retains intrinsic hydrogel hydrophilicity, establishing asymmetric wettability that sustains rapid water supply yet suppresses salt deposition. Under one-sun illumination (1 kW m−2), the Janus evaporator achieves an evaporation rate of 2.69 kg m−2 h−1 and a solar-to-vapor efficiency of 98.15%. Continuous operation in 3.5 wt% brine shows stable performance for 11 h without observable salt crystallization. This work offers an effective, durable pathway toward high-performance solar desalination and wastewater purification.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3553-7
Gesture interaction has emerged as a highly effective interface for intelligent human-computer interaction, attributed to its intuitive interaction modality and multi-dimensional control capabilities. However, traditional gesture interaction devices often depend on predefined encoding rules, which substantially limit interaction efficiency and degrade user experience. This study introduces an innovative intelligent finger ring interaction system based on a triboelectric nanogenerator utilizing PDMS/SrTiO3 composite thin film (PS-TENG). The system maps freehand writing gestures directly to textual information input, thereby eliminating the need for complex gesture encoding schemes and offering a user-friendly, low-learning-curve input method. By integrating a deep learning model, the system achieves recognition accuracies of 98.21% for English letters, 96.87% for Arabic numerals, and 96.44% for Chinese characters. Furthermore, it supports secure and encrypted data transmission and enables wireless interaction for gaming control. These findings indicate that the intelligent finger ring interaction system possesses significant potential for practical applications in information input and wireless control.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3687-6
P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 (NNMO) is a promising cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high energy density and operating voltage. However, severe P2-O2 phase transition at high cut-off voltage causes large volume variation, structural degradation, and rapid capacity decay. Ion doping has been explored to suppress this transition, but achieving both high capacity and stability remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate that precise composition regulation enables both. The designed P2-Na0.67Ni0.28Mg0.03Fe0.04Mn0.55Ti0.1O2 retains high electrochemical active element content while effectively suppressing phase transition, leading to outstanding structural stability and fast charge transfer kinetics. This cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 143.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and maintains stable cycling over 1000 cycles. Our work provides a new strategy for rationally designing high-capacity, stable cathode materials for SIBs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3773-7
Kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells suffer from significant open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficits due to severe interfacial and bulk recombination, restricting their power conversion efficiency (PCE) far below the Shockley-Queisser limit. This work proposes a low-temperature annealing strategy during ITO sputtering (SA) to synergistically address these challenges. The temperature applied during ITO sputtering not only improves the crystallinity, carrier concentration, and optical transmittance of the ITO layer but also promotes the diffusion of In from ITO into both CdS and CZTSSe layers. Consequently, lattice matching at the CZTSSe/CdS interface is optimized, enabling epitaxial growth. And a favorable ITO/In:CdS/In&Cd:CZTSSe structure with optimal band alignment is obtained. As a result, a champion device with a PCE of 14.29% was achieved. The SA-treating also enabled the CZTSSe solar cells to achieve the highest VOC reported to date, exceeding 590 mV. This underscores the essential role of SA processing in optimizing interface engineering and suppressing defects, thus promoting the development of low-cost, high-performance kesterite photovoltaics.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025011501
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic persistent organic pollutants that pose significant risks to human health. Owing to their high binding affinity for proteins, PFAS are ubiquitously detected in human populations worldwide. Following oral ingestion, PFAS bind to transport proteins such as human serum albumin and organic anion transporters, facilitating their distribution and accumulation in various tissues and organs, including the liver and kidneys, and enabling penetration across the blood-brain and placental barriers. This review systematically examines the migration and enrichment behaviors of PFAS in human tissues and organs mediated by multiple transport proteins, the molecular mechanisms underlying PFAS-protein interactions, and the key factors influencing these interactions. Additionally, we discuss the potential applications derived from PFAS-protein binding. By synthesizing current research findings, this review provides a theoretical foundation for future investigations into PFAS-protein interactions and outlines prospective research directions. The pervasive environmental contamination and documented health effects, including developmental retardation, endocrine disruption, obesity, and cancer, underscore the urgency of understanding PFAS toxicokinetics. Our analysis highlights the critical role of protein binding in the prolonged biological half-lives of PFAS and their tissue-specific accumulation, which are central to health risk assessment and the development of mitigation strategies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3802-0
Exploring efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions is key to water electrolysis. However, the inherently slow reaction kinetics of electrocatalysis are constrained by mass transfer limitations and unsuitable adsorption/desorption dynamics. Herein, a Fe-doped-Ni3S2/NiFeCoCeIn oxide hydroxide (FNS/HEOXY) crystalline–amorphous heterostructure electrocatalyst with a large work function difference (ΔΦ) and strong built-in electric field (BEF) is successfully designed and synthesized. Benefiting from the electron transfer behavior from FNS to HEOXY, the FNS/HEOXY shows outstanding catalytic activity for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution, along with ultra-high stability in an alkaline medium at an industrial-level current density. Moreover, the anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) assembled by the FNS/HEOXY requires only a minimal cell voltage of 1.83 V to reach 1 A cm−2 at 80 °C. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm the interfacial charge redistribution induced by the strong BEF, thus finely optimizing the adsorption energy. This work proposes a new design principle toward efficient electrocatalysts for energy conversion.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509026
Rocky desertification poses a severe threat to ecosystem function in karst regions of southern China. This study, conducted in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, Hunan Province, investigated the adaptive responses of Paulownia fortunei to rocky desertification habitats and its subsequent effects on soil properties. Leaf structural and physiological parameters were measured, alongside soil physicochemical properties. Results demonstrated that P. fortunei enhanced its adaptability through increased leaf thickness (upper epidermis +50%, total +27.38%), palisade tissue thickness (+22.45%), elevated chlorophyll a (+3.55 mg·g−1) and chlorophyll b (+1.39 mg·g−1) contents, and upregulated activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. Planting P. fortunei significantly improved soil structure and fertility: soil bulk density decreased by 0.57 g·cm−3, total porosity increased by 2.41% (0–5 cm) and 3.35% (5–10 cm), field water capacity rose by 18.63% and 18.87%, capillary porosity increased by 11.45% and 14.19%, and soil organic matter content improved from Grade IV to Grade II. These findings indicate a synergistic 'plant adaptation–soil improvement' feedback mechanism, highlighting the potential of P. fortunei for ecological restoration of rocky desertification areas.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.3724/2097-213X.2025.JFCT.0035
Iron-based catalysts in CO2/H2 atmospheres undergo dynamic carburization and oxidation phase transitions, complicating active-phase identification and stability control. This study prepared high-purity single-phase χ-Fe5C2 (Hägg carbide) and θ-Fe3C (cementite) via gas-solid carburization, with purity confirmed by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Fixed-bed reactor tests (H2/CO2 = 1, 0.1 MPa, 270–420 °C), pulse experiments (270 °C), and in situ XRD (10% CO2/He, 340 °C) were employed to investigate catalytic performance and structural evolution in the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Results show that χ-Fe5C2 exhibits higher RWGS activity but is more susceptible to oxidation, whereas θ-Fe3C demonstrates superior oxidation resistance but lower activity. Under RWGS conditions with H2, θ-Fe3C partially transforms into χ-Fe5C2; however, in 10% CO2 atmosphere, both carbides directly oxidize to Fe3O4 without inter-carbide transformation. In situ XRD at 340 °C and 0.1 MPa revealed that χ-Fe5C2 fully oxidizes within 11 h, while θ-Fe3C retains residual phase after 18.3 h, confirming its higher oxidation stability. These findings elucidate the atmosphere-dependent evolution mechanisms of χ-Fe5C2 and θ-Fe3C, providing experimental basis for phase-structure regulation and operational stability optimization in iron-based Fischer-Tropsch and RWGS catalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3823-4
The global demand for chlorine gas continues to rise, driven by its indispensable role in chemical synthesis, disinfection, and wastewater treatment. Electrocatalytic chlorine evolution from seawater presents a promising alternative to the energy-intensive chlor-alkali process, yet it is hampered by the competing oxygen evolution reaction and the sluggish kinetics of chlorine evolution on conventional catalysts. Here, we report a novel hollow porous CoNiSe2/NiSe2 heterostructure nanosheet array synthesized via ion exchange and calcination, which exhibits exceptional catalytic activity and selectivity for the chlorine evolution reaction in acidic seawater-like electrolytes. The unique hollow porous morphology provides a high specific surface area, facilitating mass transport and exposing abundant active sites. Crucially, the heterointerface between CoNiSe2 and NiSe2 promotes d-p orbital hybridization between Co/Ni 3d and Se 4p states, which lowers the reaction energy barrier for chlorine evolution. The catalyst achieves a low overpotential of 108 mV to reach a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 4.0 M NaCl acidic medium, with excellent stability and Cl2 selectivity. This work demonstrates the potential of non-noble metal selenides as efficient and durable catalysts for chlorine production, offering a pathway toward more sustainable chlor-alkali technology.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3917-x
The escalating global challenge of antibiotic contamination demands advanced sensing technologies for environmental monitoring and public health protection. Here, we present a structurally well-defined, intercalation-engineered metal-organic framework (MOF), HSB-W18, which functions as an ultrasensitive and selective fluorescence sensor for fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis unambiguously determined both the framework architecture and the spatial organization of intercalated 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalate molecules at atomic resolution. Through ultrasound-assisted synthesis, highly stable book-shaped microsheets (HSB-W18-MS) were obtained, maintaining exceptional aqueous dispersibility and luminescence intensity for over one month. These microsheets offer distinct advantages for antibiotic detection: specific recognition of diverse fluoroquinolones via unique fluorescence signatures; highly sensitive ratiometric detection of enoxacin (ENX) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.62 nM and rapid response kinetics (<30 s); exceptional selectivity alongside reusability. Systematic mechanistic investigations revealed a synergistic detection process involving multiple photophysical pathways. Furthermore, a smartphone-based portable detection system was successfully implemented, and the practical utility of the sensor was validated by quantifying ENX in complex environmental samples: tap water LOD = 18.32 nM and river water LOD = 29.87 nM. This study contributes to fundamental materials science and environmental monitoring by elucidating discernible structure-property relationships in intercalated MOFs, demonstrating a robust platform for field-deployable antibiotic detection and proposing an innovative design paradigm for environmental optical sensors.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3951-4
Silicon anodes offer an ultrahigh theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1) but suffer from >300% volumetric expansion during cycling and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, leading to rapid capacity fading. Here, we design a hierarchical composite p-cSi@aSi@MgSiN2@C featuring a porous crystalline-amorphous silicon core (p-cSi@aSi), an in-situ MgSiN2 transition layer, and an outer nitrogen-doped carbon shell. The 3D interconnected pores accommodate volume expansion, while amorphous silicon enables isotropic lithiation-induced strain, eliminating crystalline phase transition barriers. The MgSiN2 layer transforms into a tough Li3N-rich SEI with ultra-fast ion channels, and the carbon shell provides mechanical confinement and electronic conductivity. This synergistic interface engineering achieves an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 81.4%, a charge transfer resistance of 16.4 Ω after 200 cycles (64% reduction), and a Li+ diffusion coefficient of 1.72×10−11 cm2 s−1. The anode delivers 1719.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C after 200 cycles and 823.8 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C after 500 cycles. The molten salt electrolysis synthesis achieves a current efficiency of 68.12% and specific energy consumption of 12.76 kWh kg−1, with an estimated electricity cost of 1154.69 USD ton−1, only 20% of commercial Si/C anodes. This work resolves the ICE-cycle life trade-off and provides a scalable, cost-effective approach for next-generation high-energy batteries.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4009-0
Micro light-emitting diode (Micro-LED) display technology is a promising next-generation display technology due to its high brightness, high contrast, low power consumption, long life, and fast response. However, aggressive downscaling of Micro-LEDs to a few microns makes lift-off fabrication of metal bumps for soldered joints between Micro-LEDs and driver substrates increasingly difficult, challenging high-yield bump arrays under high-density conditions. This study innovatively replaces conventional metal bumps with a photosensitive conductive polymer (PCP), enabling fabrication of polymeric micro-bump arrays via well-established photolithography, bypassing complex lift-off processes and reducing short-circuit risk. Isopropyl alcohol regulates developer wettability for optimal development, yielding bump arrays with bump size 20 μm × 12 μm and height (1.9288 ± 0.0213) μm on thin-film transistor (TFT) drivers with yield over 99.99%. The issue of low bonding yield from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thermal expansion was resolved by adjusting chip spacing on the temporary substrate, achieving bonding yield exceeding 99.8%. A 0.99-inch full-color Micro-LED display with density 114 pixels per inch (PPI) and brightness 5537 cd/m² was fabricated. High-yield bump arrays, Micro-LED arrays, and high bonding yield are highly reproducible, promoting development of Micro-LED displays and related fields.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4039-1
Immunosuppressive metabolites are major drivers of tumor immune suppression. Among these, kynurenine (Kyn) is produced through the catalysis of tryptophan (Trp) 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, TDO inhibition alone is often insufficient because residual pathway flux sustains the accumulation of the downstream immunosuppressive metabolite quinolinic acid (QA). Here, we propose a strategy to disrupt residual kynurenine pathway activity to enhance metabolism-driven tumor immunotherapy. We develop acid-responsive metal-organic complex nanoparticles (APAP@TDOi-Zn, ATZn) that integrate the TDO inhibitor (TDOi) and Zn2+, while encapsulating acetaminophen (APAP) to inhibit 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase (HAAO), thereby limiting QA production and simultaneously suppressing the residual immunosuppressive metabolite. QA suppression limits M2 macrophage polarization, whereas Kyn inhibition and Zn2+ supplementation promote T cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. Consequently, ATZn rewires Trp-Kyn metabolism and augments antitumor immunotherapy. This work enhances the efficacy of metabolic checkpoint blockade and provides a strategy to overcome metabolism-driven immune resistance.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4070-2
A series of ~20 nm intermetallic Pd3Pb nanocubes with tunable surface Pb exposure were synthesized via a facile one-step solvothermal approach, providing an ideal system to investigate the way in which the surface configurations of Pb-rich (Pd3Pb/Pb), Pd-rich (Pd3Pb/Pd), and standard Pd3Pb nanocubes influence the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) mainly through the ligand effect while excluding geometric influences. Electrochemical measurement results indicate that the Pd3Pb/Pb catalyst delivered outstanding C1+ selectivity, achieving a high Faradaic efficiency of 96.88% at −0.72 V (vs. RHE), significantly outperforming the Pd3Pb/Pd (39.86%) and standard Pd3Pb (81.75%) counterparts. In situ FTIR together with DFT calculations further elucidated that Pb incorporation can modulate the electronic structure of Pd via p-d hybridization, leading to the upshift of the d-band center. This will, in return, strengthen the intermediate adsorption ability and lower the energy barriers of the C1+ pathways while effectively suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. This work establishes a precise surface engineering paradigm of intermetallic nanocrystals for designing high-performance electrocatalysts.