SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4192-y
Electrochemical water splitting is pivotal for scalable green hydrogen production, yet its practical deployment hinges on cost-effective electrocatalysts with high activity and durability. This study introduces a low-cost, three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous ZrVFeCoNi material fabricated via chemical dealloying, at merely 0.16% of the cost of Pt. The structure-activity relationship between its microstructure and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance was systematically explored. Lattice defect effects from multiphase intermetallic compounds, combined with multi-metal synergy, optimize H+ adsorption energy and electron transfer kinetics. The 3D nanoporous architecture provides a high electrochemical surface area with abundant active sites, enhancing electrolyte penetration and reducing interfacial mass transfer resistance. Consequently, the ZrVFeCoNi electrode exhibits outstanding HER performance, requiring only a 38 mV overpotential to reach 10 mA cm−2 and maintaining stable operation for 1000 h at 500 mA cm−2. Integrated into a full water electrolyzer (ZrVFeCoNi || IrO2/Ni), the system achieves a cell voltage of 1.60 V at a current density of 400 mA cm−2. Advanced characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that interfacial interactions and charge transfer at heterointerfaces drive catalytic activity, showcasing the potential of 3D nano-structured multiphase intermetallic compounds as high-performance electrocatalysts for green hydrogen systems.
New Carbon Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(26)61113-4
Porous pyrolytic carbon (PPyC) serves as the buffer layer in TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel particles, providing storage for fission gases, preventing damage to outer layers, and absorbing stresses caused by fuel-kernel swelling. However, the changes of PPyC micro- and meso-structure at high temperatures remain insufficiently understood. In this study, PPyC fabricated by chemical vapor deposition was heat-treated from 1200 to 1600 °C and characterized across atomic-to-mesoscopic scales. Results show that the structure changes with temperature with a transition at approximately 1400 °C. Below 1400 °C, a decrease in Raman ID/IG ratio, narrowing of the graphite diffraction peak, and increased sp2 hybridization indicate progressive ordering associated with defect redistribution. Concurrent decreases in true density and mesopore volume, together with increased closed porosity, are consistent with partial conversion of open pores into closed pores. Above 1400 °C, increased ID/IG ratio, broadening of the diffraction peak near the rhombohedral graphite (101) reflection, and transition regions between crystalline and amorphous material observed by TEM indicate increasing structural disorder. Meanwhile, initially distinct PPyC particle boundaries blur and merge into broad, plate-like domains. Subsequent decrease in closed porosity and increase in mesopore surface area are consistent with partial connection of closed pores to the open-pore network. This work shows that intrinsic coupling between atomic-scale structural change and mesoscale pore connectivity provides a basis for assessing high-temperature structural stability of PPyC in TRISO fuel particles.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605015
The national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market was relaunched in 2023, with China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) as the trading unit, serving as a crucial supplement to the national carbon market. The initial phase includes the offshore wind power sector. This study evaluates the CO2 and air pollutant emission reduction effectiveness and economic feasibility of China's offshore wind power industry under the CCER mechanism. Using CCER methodology, baseline scenario analysis, and empirical data from 2020 and projections for 2025, we quantify reductions in CO2 and principal air pollutants (particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides) across coastal provinces. Emission inventories are constructed using authoritative grid emission factors. Economic viability is assessed by integrating levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), additional revenues from CCER transactions, and external environmental benefits. Results provide four policy insights: (1) The sector shows a positive trend in emission reduction and economic-environmental contribution, but faces financial deficit risk by 2025 without CCER subsidies; (2) Economically developed coastal provinces exhibit greater development potential; (3) Profitability analysis for 2020 and 2025 indicates sustainable economic returns with appropriate policy support; (4) Among air pollutants, nitrogen oxides reduction is largest, while sulfur dioxide reduction yields the most significant co-benefits. This study offers evidence-based recommendations for strategic planning and policy formulation in China's offshore wind industry.
The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12034/j.issn.1009-606X.225264
The high cost of high-purity hydrogen necessitates the utilization of low-cost industrial by-product hydrogen as an alternative gas source to reduce hydrogen storage costs. Industrial by-product hydrogen typically contains impurities such as H2S and CO, yet the poisoning mechanisms of these gases on superlattice hydrogen storage alloys during hydrogen absorption/desorption remain poorly understood. This study systematically investigates the poisoning effects and regeneration behavior of La0.65Mg1.32Ca1.03Ni9Y0.17 superlattice hydrogen storage alloy in atmospheres containing 10^-3 H2S and CO. The experimental protocol comprised 10 poisoning cycles followed by 1 regeneration, repeated to total 20 poisoning cycles and 2 pure hydrogen regenerations. Results show that in pure hydrogen, the alloy's hydrogen storage capacity gradually decreases after 22 cycles but is effectively restored after dehydrogenation at 473 K. In the presence of impurity gases, the hydrogen storage capacity retention rates after 10 poisoning cycles with H2S and CO are 3.56% and 2.71%, respectively; after 20 cycles, these decrease to 3.68% and 1.73%, respectively. After dehydrogenation at 473 K, retention rates recover to 40.35% and 98.27%, respectively. This indicates that poisoning severity follows the order CO > H2S, while regeneration difficulty follows H2S > CO. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that after poisoning, the main phase transforms from AB3 to AB3H, but reverts to AB3 after high-temperature dehydrogenation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that after H2S poisoning, CaS and CaSO4 form on the alloy surface, indicating irreversible chemical adsorption. In contrast, after CO poisoning, no new substances are detected, indicating reversible adsorption. This study clarifies the differentiated poisoning mechanisms of impurity gases and provides theoretical support for the application of rare-earth superlattice hydrogen storage alloys in complex atmospheres.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3899-9
Metal halide hybrids have emerged as a highly promising class of optoelectronic materials owing to their rich chemical and electronic diversity, high luminescence efficiency, and tunable photophysical properties. Incorporating chirality into these systems imparts pronounced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity, creating new opportunities for advanced smart optoelectronic and spintronic applications. Although numerous reviews have been dedicated to CPL-active perovskites, their non-perovskite ionic counterparts have yet to be systematically and comprehensively reviewed. Given the rapid advancements in this burgeoning field, such a work is both timely and crucial to chart its future course. This review summarizes recent progress in non-perovskite ionic metal halide hybrids exhibiting CPL emission, highlighting four aspects: (1) the intrinsic correlations among different characterization techniques; (2) the strategic advantages of these materials for CPL applications; (3) methodologies for enhancing their CPL performance; (4) the prerequisites and mechanisms underlying CPL generation in achiral metal halide hybrids. Finally, we discuss their emerging applications in light-emitting devices, information encryption, anti-counterfeiting technologies, and scintillators, and provide perspectives on the remaining challenges and future directions in this rapidly evolving field.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60710-4
Lignin pyrolysis is a promising route for sustainable production of high-value phenolic chemicals, yet the intricate radical reaction network remains a major bottleneck to optimizing product selectivity. This work constructs a standardized DFT computational database that systematically describes the fast pyrolysis of vanillyl alcohol at 823.15 K. The database features three key components: primary reaction pathways, thermodynamic energy barriers, and atomic-level electronic fingerprints. The dataset covers primary reaction pathways, secondary rearrangements, and both global and local reactivity indices of key intermediates. Notably, it innovatively integrates electronic-structure fingerprints, filling the gap in reaction-network–electronic-property correlation data. Standardized computational workflows and rigorous quality control ensure accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility. The public release of this dataset provides a reliable theoretical benchmark for mechanistic studies of lignin pyrolysis and offers foundational data support for rational design of new catalysts and refinement of reaction kinetic models. Ultimately, this database not only provides an important reference for data-driven catalyst development but also lays a theoretical foundation for precise regulation of lignin depolymerization.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4132-y
Manganese-iron-based mixed polyanionic cathodes are promising for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to high energy density and operating voltage, but suffer from Jahn-Teller distortion of Mn3+ that degrades cycling stability. Here, a structural modulation strategy via Mg2+ doping is reported. Electrochemically inert Mg2+ forms stronger chemical bonds, adjusts lattice parameters, and suppresses Jahn-Teller distortion, enhancing structural stability. Mg2+ also widens sodium-ion diffusion channels, improving diffusion kinetics. Additionally, an in-situ three-dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT) conductive network boosts electronic conductivity. The resulting NFMPP-Mg@CNTs cathode delivers a discharge capacity of 126 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C (near theoretical 129 mAh g−1), retains 80% capacity after 3000 cycles at 0.5 C, and achieves an energy density of 401 Wh kg−1, among the highest reported for mixed phosphate systems. Ex-situ XPS and first-principles calculations confirm that Mg2+ resists geometric distortion by enhancing lattice stability and widening Na+ diffusion pathways (migration barrier reduced from 0.566 to 0.398 eV). This work provides a viable route for high-energy, long-life SIB cathodes suitable for large-scale energy storage.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3435-3
Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have been extensively applied in light sources, waveguides, and photodetectors (PDs), providing abundant components for optoelectronic interconnection applications. However, the efficient in-plane integration of various devices remains challenging, which is a prerequisite for the practical application of NWs. Here, the growth-based integration of CsPbBr3 NW arrays with CdSSe ribbons transferred onto mica is achieved via a vapor deposition route. The transferred ribbons not only act as preferential nucleation sites for CsPbBr3, but also break the growth symmetry of CsPbBr3 NWs on mica, allowing wires with the largest angle to the ribbon edge to grow longer and form arrays. The waveguide studies show that the CsPbBr3 NW arrays can confine and guide the light emission from both themselves and the CdSSe ribbon well. Importantly, the optoelectronic interconnection was successfully demonstrated based on the achieved heterostructures, where the CsPbBr3 NWs served as the light source and waveguide, and PDs were made from the CdSSe ribbon. When a single CsPbBr3 NW was illuminated by a focused 457 nm laser at a distance of 37.5 μm from the CdSSe ribbon, the on/off ratio of the system reached 8.3×10^3, resulting from the efficient response of the PD to the guided light. Moreover, the system can distinguish the pulsed light excitation well below 2000 Hz, limited by the response speed of the PDs. This work paves the way for the on-chip integration of nanoscale light emitters, waveguides, and detectors, promoting the practical application of semiconductor NWs in photonic circuits.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3459-7
Bacterial infection remains a critical impediment in clinical wound management, with conventional antibiotic therapies compromised by cytotoxicity and escalating drug resistance. Existing photodynamic therapy (PDT) and nanozyme-based antibacterial strategies often lack microenvironment specificity, exhibiting persistent activity that risks collateral tissue damage. This study reports the development of bacterial microenvironment-responsive Fe-Ce6 nanoparticles (NPs) that enable in situ generation of peroxidase (POD)-like activity and PDT activation for enhanced antibacterial wound therapy. Under stimulation by bacteria-secreted adenosine triphosphate (ATP), Fe-Ce6 NPs undergo disassembly and in situ formation of Fe-ATP complexes, synchronously releasing the Ce6 photosensitizer. The Fe-ATP complex, possessing POD-like activity, catalyzes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hydroxyl radicals (·OH), while Ce6 generates singlet oxygen (1O2) under 671 nm laser irradiation, synergistically augmenting nanozyme-PDT antibacterial effects. Intracellular ATP released from lysed bacteria further amplifies this cascade, promoting Fe-ATP complex formation and Ce6 release, ultimately inducing an avalanche effect that efficiently kills bacteria and reinforces therapeutic action. In vitro, the system demonstrates remarkable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in simulated bacterial environments. In vivo, it exhibits substantial bactericidal efficacy and accelerates wound healing. This study presents the Fe-Ce6 NPs smart system activated by bacterial microenvironments via an off-on mechanism, enabling precise reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation control, significantly reducing non-target tissue damage associated with traditional therapies, and offering a novel paradigm for developing microenvironment-responsive intelligent antibacterial systems.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3611-3
Supramolecular materials exhibiting reversible circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) are of great interest for their potential applications in the development of 3D display technology and information encryption. In this work, we synthesize a pair of molecular cage enantiomers constructed from (2R)/(2S)-diaminocyclohexane-functionalized naphthalenediimide units ((4R/S)Cy-NDIDA) and fluorescent tris(4-formylphenyl)amine (TPA) components. The cage exhibits extremely weak fluorescence emission in both liquid and solid states. Notably, the introduction of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (TFPB) as a guest molecule gradually activates the photoluminescence (PL) and CPL signals of the chiral cage via host-guest interaction. Furthermore, photochromic diarylethene (DAE) is incorporated into the system. The reversible isomerization of DAE under light irradiation enables dynamic control of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) interactions with the host-guest complex, resulting in switchable fluorescence quenching and recovery. This precise strategy for controlling dynamic CPL switching of the chiral molecular cage offers a novel strategy for the development of supramolecular CPL systems.