SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4177-3
Chirality profoundly influences tumor therapy by regulating key physiological processes, yet the link between chirality and therapeutic properties of atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) remains poorly understood. Atomically precise Au25 NCs protected by chiral cysteine ligands (L-Au25(cys)18, D-Au25(cys)18, and Rac-Au25(cys)18) were constructed and systematically investigated to elucidate the association between chirality and tumor therapeutic performance. Although no significant difference in enzyme-like activity was observed among the three NCs, Rac-Au25(cys)18 exhibited enhanced reactive oxygen species generation under 808 nm laser irradiation, achieving superior phototherapeutic effects in both in vitro and in vivo tumor models. The chiral Au25 NCs induced distinct cell death pathways: L-Au25(cys)18 primarily triggered ferroptosis, D-Au25(cys)18 induced both ferroptosis and apoptosis, and all three NCs activated disulfidptosis. In vivo, tumor inhibition rates for L-Au25, D-Au25, and Rac-Au25 groups were 46.7%, 42.5%, and 68.3%, respectively, with no significant body weight fluctuations and minimal hepatorenal toxicity. Hematological and histopathological analyses confirmed favorable systemic biocompatibility. This work clarifies the correlation between chiral structures and tumor therapeutic performance of gold NCs, providing experimental insights and theoretical support for the design of novel chiral nanomaterials and optimization of precise tumor phototherapeutic strategies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4317-4
This correction addresses an image assembly error identified in Fig. 7a of the original article published in Science China Materials, volume 66, issue 6, 2023, pages 2513–2522. The error was confined to the assembly of images in Fig. 7a, which presents H&E staining analysis of major organs from a toxicity study. The corrected version of Fig. 7 is provided in this corrigendum. The original study evaluated the toxicity of lyophilized cabazitaxel (CTX) and Tween 80-based CTX formulations in CD-1 mice following a single intravenous administration of 30 mg kg−1 CTX via the tail vein on day 0, with sacrifice on day 14 for analysis (n=5). The figure includes H&E staining of major organs, complete blood count (CBC) analysis with statistical significance indicated by *p < 0.05, and mouse weight measurements. The correction does not affect the overall results, data interpretation, or scientific conclusions of the original article. All authors have reviewed and approved the content of this corrigendum. The authors sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to the editorial office, reviewers, and readers. The article was received on 6 May 2026, accepted on 4 June 2026, and published online on 31 July 2026.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4112-6
Radiostrontium remediation is crucial for ecological protection and sustainable development of nuclear energy. However, efficient removal of 90Sr from complex radioactive liquid waste, especially under acidic conditions, remains challenging due to material instability and intense proton competition. Herein, the rapid and highly selective capture of Sr2+ in neutral and even acidic solutions has been achieved by a layered potassium phosphatoantimonate KSbP2O8 with excellent radiation and thermal stability. Under neutral conditions, it possesses high maximum adsorption capacity (qmSr = 110.25 mg g−1), rapid adsorption kinetics (the removal rate (RSr) of 91.54% within 30 min), and excellent selectivity for Sr2+, and facile regeneration. Particularly, even under acidic conditions (pH 2.0), KSbP2O8 still maintains excellent Sr2+ removal capacity (qmSr = 79.38 mg g−1), fast kinetics, and high selectivity. A mechanism study by multiple characterizations reveals that the efficient Sr2+ removal of KSbP2O8 mainly stems from ion exchange between Sr2+ and interlayer K+ in KSbP2O8, which is attributed to the synergy between the Sb5+-induced Brønsted acidity and the high charge density of the anionic framework. This study demonstrates the exceptional capability of phosphatoantimonates to selectively capture Sr2+ under acidic conditions, highlighting the potential of phosphatoantimonates as effective scavengers for radiostrontium remediation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3684-4
The efficient conversion of dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) under mild conditions remains a critical challenge for sustainable nitrogen fixation. This study reports a rationally designed ternary heterojunction, GO/MXene/UiO-66 (GM/UiO-66), which achieves directed charge transfer for enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The internal electric field at the heterointerface drives anisotropic migration of photogenerated charges, leading to rapid separation of electron–hole pairs and suppression of interfacial recombination. The intrinsic defect structure of graphene oxide (GO) provides active sites for N2 adsorption and activation, while π–π interactions between GO and UiO-66 accelerate electron transfer. Additionally, the Schottky junction between UiO-66 and MXene facilitates hole (h+) transfer. The incorporation of GO and MXene extends visible-light absorption of UiO-66. Under simulated solar illumination, GM/UiO-66 exhibits an NH3 generation rate of 25.1 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 1.9 times higher than that of pristine UiO-66 (13.5 μmol g−1 h−1). This work presents a novel strategy for designing ternary heterojunction composites that optimize charge transfer and significantly improve photocatalytic performance.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202507029
This study systematically evaluates the environmental risks associated with the resource utilization of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash in the production of aerated concrete, co-prepared with multiple solid wastes. The focus is on the leaching behavior and total content of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn) under CO2 curing and chelating agent stabilization. Water washing pretreatment parameters (liquid-to-solid ratio, washing time, ash-to-slag ratio) were optimized for chloride removal. Results demonstrate that CO2 curing suppresses the leaching of most metals; leaching concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd, and Zn decrease with reduced fly ash content, whereas Cu leaching increases when fly ash is absent. The addition of 17.5% organic sulfur stabilizer (DTC) significantly outperforms inorganic sulfide (Na2S) in immobilizing heavy metals, achieving compliance with national standards without compromising compressive strength or carbon sequestration. Water washing effectively reduces soluble chloride content to below 1% (mass fraction), meeting the HJ 1134-2020 regulatory limit. Optimal parameters include a liquid-to-solid ratio of 5, washing time of 20 min, and a raw material ratio of incineration bottom slag:fly ash:slag = 40:20:40. Under these conditions, the final product exhibits a compressive strength of 1.50 MPa, with heavy metals and soluble chlorides fully compliant. This work provides key technical support for the safe recycling of MSWI fly ash in building materials.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025022302
The escalating environmental contamination by mercury ions (Hg2+) poses severe risks to ecosystems and human health, necessitating the development of rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective detection methods. In this study, Fe1-xS@CNT composite nanozymes were synthesized via a straightforward solvothermal approach. The nanozymes exhibit uniform morphology, structural stability, and significant peroxidase (POD)-like activity. The incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) facilitates electron transfer, enhancing the Fenton reaction between Fe2+/Fe3+ to generate abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide anions (·O2−). The synergistic action of these ROS and photogenerated holes (h+) promotes the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to a blue-colored product (oxTMB), establishing a colorimetric system of Fe1-xS@CNT + H2O2 + TMB. The specific binding of S2− on the nanozyme surface to Hg2+ inhibits POD activity, reducing the absorbance of the system. This principle was harnessed to develop a colorimetric method for Hg2+ quantification in environmental water samples. The method demonstrates a linear range of 0.1–500 μg·L−1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 μg·L−1. Validation in real water samples (campus and tap water) showed recoveries between 94.4% and 111.1% with relative standard deviations (RSD) below 3.0%, comparable to atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The method offers advantages of simplicity, rapid analysis, and naked-eye visibility, providing a novel approach for on-site monitoring of heavy metal pollutants.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3840-3
Tactile sensing for dexterous robotic hands is essential for achieving human-like precision in manipulation. However, current tactile sensors face challenges such as insufficient durability, limited coverage, and poor conformability to curved, jointed surfaces. This study presents a stretchable distributed tactile sensor array designed for dexterous robotic hands. The array comprises 18 sensing units distributed across the hand, incorporating quasi-homogeneous functional layers interconnected by crosslinked interpenetrating networks, and composite electrodes combining high conductivity with stretchability. This design yields a thin, soft, transparent, and stretchable sensor array that integrates seamlessly with a commercial dexterous hand. The sensor array exhibits high interlayer tensile strength, high sensitivity, low hysteresis, and excellent long-term reliability over 10,000 loading cycles. Experimental results demonstrate accurate detection of tactile force across the entire robotic hand during object grasping. Using convolutional neural network algorithms, the sensor array identifies different object types with 90.1% accuracy, with results displayed in real time on a digital twin interface. The proposed sensor array holds significant potential for embodied intelligence and robotics in adaptive grasping, safe manipulation, and remote teleoperation.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3948-7
High-performance thermoelectric materials are typically narrow-band gap semiconductors. Here, by decoupling charge and heat transport in BaZrS3 with a band gap of about 1.9 eV, we made the emerging chalcogenide perovskite a high-performance thermoelectric material with only earth-abundant elements. Our first-principles calculations indicate that the high ionicity of BaZrS3 renders the electrons to propagate mainly through the Zr-4d orbitals, so that isovalent alloying Se on S sites minimally affects its charge transport while effectively suppressing lattice thermal conductivity. Using a flux-assisted solid-state method, we synthesized single-phase BaZrS3(1−x)Se3x samples with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25. As an indicator of decoupled charge and heat transport, the electron mobility is found barely degraded with increasing Se content, while the thermal conductivity is significantly reduced from 2.07 to 0.99 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature. This results in a record-high ZT of 0.81 at 750 K, a value never achieved for materials with band gaps greater than 1.5 eV, and the highest among all perovskite materials. Our work not only underscores the potential of wide band gap semiconductors as high-performance thermoelectric materials, but also demonstrates the strategy of decoupling the charge and heat transport for enhancing their thermoelectric performance.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3921-2
Moisture-enabled energy harvesting technologies offer a promising route for self-powered strain sensing, yet conventional generators suffer from slow response, poor recovery, and limited multidirectional resolution. Here, we report a stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiber moisture-enabled electric generator (MEG) with highly aligned ion channels. A carbon black/sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (CB/SDBS) layer is coated on the TPU membrane, while carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and acidified poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (HPSS) are applied on opposite sides, establishing lateral hydrophilicity and ion gradients to drive directional ion migration. The planar MEG is lightweight, flexible, and requires no fully covered electrodes, enabling conformity to complex deformations. The aligned channels reduce ion migration tortuosity, enhancing ion transport efficiency and flux. As a result, the aligned MEG (ATMEG) delivers 0.2 V and 0.51 μA cm−2 at ~90% relative humidity, corresponding to 400% and 287% enhancements compared with the unaligned MEG (UATMEG). The ATMEG also exhibits ultrafast response (0.16 s) and recovery (0.08 s). Utilizing its anisotropic characteristics, a multidirectional self-powered strain sensor is developed, capable of distinguishing both the amplitude and direction of human motion, demonstrating strong potential for adaptive wearable electronics and intelligent motion monitoring.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60670-6
Direct conversion of syngas to higher alcohols (C2+ alcohols) is critical for coal-based resource utilization and energy security. Here, a series of Na-modified CoFe/Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized via incipient wetness impregnation and evaluated for syngas-to-alcohol reactions. Multiple characterizations (XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, H2-TPR, XPS, DRIFTS, in situ Raman, Mössbauer spectroscopy) elucidated synergistic effects of Na and Fe promoters. Na facilitated formation of Co-Fe alloy sites during reaction, while Fe modified electronic state of Co and promoted transformation of lattice oxygen to adsorbed oxygen, increasing surface oxygen vacancies. Synergistic interaction between alloy and carbide sites enhanced CO insertion into olefin intermediates, improving C2+ alcohol selectivity. Under 260 °C and 2 MPa, Co1Fe1Na1 catalyst (n(Co):n(Fe):n(Na)=1:1:1) achieved total alcohol selectivity of 45%, with C2+ alcohols comprising 94.1% of total alcohols. This study provides insights into rational design of Co-based catalysts for efficient syngas conversion to C2+ alcohols.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4099-2
Lithium (Li)-metal batteries (LMBs) are promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g−1) and low electrochemical potential (−3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, uncontrollable Li dendrite growth and volume fluctuations during cycling cause low Coulombic efficiency, safety hazards, and rapid capacity decay. Conventional 3D current collectors mitigate these issues by increasing surface area and providing void space, but they suffer from top-heavy deposition and underutilization of internal space. Emerging Janus/gradient anode structures, featuring asymmetric or gradient properties in lithiophilicity, conductivity, or porosity, enable bottom-up Li plating and efficient space utilization. This review systematically summarizes design principles, operational mechanisms, and recent progress in lithiophilic-lithiophobic Janus designs, conductivity-gradient frameworks, and dual-gradient configurations. These structures collectively improve Coulombic efficiency, cyclic longevity, and safety. The review concludes with future research directions, underscoring the potential of Janus/gradient anodes for high-energy-density and durable LMBs.