SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4302-9
The pre-deposited lead iodide (PbI2) film in two-step inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) often exhibits a dense structure, which impedes the diffusion and reaction of organic ammonium salts, leading to unreacted PbI2 residues and compromised device performance. To address this, 2,4-oxazolidinedione (OD) is introduced as a molecule additive into the PbI2 precursor solution. Owing to its stronger coordination with PbI2, OD effectively modulates its crystallization behavior, resulting in a porous structure. This porous structure significantly facilitates the diffusion and infiltration of organic ammonium salts, thereby minimizing PbI2 residue and enhancing the completeness of the perovskite conversion. Furthermore, OD and the constructed porous network jointly retard the crystallization kinetics of perovskite, promoting the formation of perovskite films with improved crystallinity and preferred crystal orientation. Therefore, the optimized PSCs achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.31%, and demonstrate excellent operational stability, retaining 90.24% of initial PCE for 1500 h at 25°C and 90.47% after 1000 h at 65°C. The champion device exhibits a VOC of 1.197 V, a JSC of 26.28 mA cm-2, and an FF of 83.58%, with negligible hysteresis. This study presents a straightforward yet effective approach to advancing the performance and stability of inverted PSCs fabricated via the two-step method.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4114-5
The precise and controllable synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures, coupled with the manipulation of their atomic and electronic configurations, is of paramount significance. However, due to the synthetic challenges associated with graphyne (GY) materials, their integration into 1D/2D heterostructures remains considerably difficult. Herein, we demonstrate a post-synthetic intercalation strategy for tellurium onto Ag(111), enabling the controllable fabrication of 1D-GY-nanowire/2D-AgTe-monolayers heterostructures. Scanning-probe microscopies are employed to characterize morphological evolution during the intercalation process. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy results confirm that AgTe monolayer intercalation induces interfacial decoupling of the graphyne nanowires. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that work function-driven Fermi level modulation via interfacial charge engineering assigns the 1D-GY-nanowire/2D-AgTe-monolayers heterostructures as type-I heterostructures. Our work not only significantly advances the fundamental understanding of interfacial interactions in 1D/2D heterostructures but also presents a scalable strategy for designing heterostructures with tailored electronic functionalities, thereby opening new avenues for applications in advanced nanoelectronics and optoelectronic devices.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4258-0
High-entropy noble-metal-based catalysts (HENCs) have emerged as a frontier in electrocatalysis, leveraging the synergistic effects of high-entropy alloys and noble metals to achieve exceptional atomic utilization, tunable electronic structures, and vast compositional space. Their anisotropic architectures confer superior dissolution resistance, rapid electron/mass transfer, and abundant active sites. This review systematically categorizes advanced structural regulations—grain boundary engineering, single-atom alloys, intermetallic compounds, amorphous structures, and core@shell configurations—and evaluates their impact on electrocatalytic performance. By modulating surface electronic states and lattice strain, these strategies optimize reaction kinetics and durability. Notable applications include oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER), hydrogen evolution (HER), and CO2 reduction (CO2RR). Despite progress, challenges persist in scalable synthesis, mechanistic understanding, and long-term stability. This review underscores the potential of HENCs to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial deployment, providing a roadmap for future catalyst design.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3520-1
Solution-processed metal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have advanced rapidly due to high color purity, tunable emission, and low cost, with external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) surpassing 30%. However, high EQEs are typically achieved at low brightness, suffering severe efficiency roll-off at high current densities due to Auger recombination and Joule heating. Three-dimensional (3D) perovskites offer superior charge transport but suffer from low photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) and efficiency roll-off. The fundamental roll-off mechanism remains poorly understood. Recently, Yao and co-workers developed a molecule-in-lattice-enabled intragrain heterostructure in 3D perovskite to promote carrier confinement. Using device-level ultrafast spectroscopy, they identified hole leakage as the origin of efficiency roll-off in pure-red CsPbI3−xBrx PeLEDs. A strong bonding small molecule with multiple anchor groups was introduced to penetrate the lead halide octahedron framework, constructing wide bandgap barriers inside perovskite grains, reducing hole leakage without compromising carrier transport. This approach enabled ultrabright, highly efficient, and stable pure-red PeLEDs with extremely low efficiency roll-off. The work provides a new strategy for achieving high brightness and efficiency simultaneously, advancing PeLED technology toward practical applications in displays and lighting.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3637-6
Traditional optical fiber communication encryption methods lack sufficient dynamic adaptability and hardware flexibility, while reconfigurable logic gates can overcome this limitation, thereby significantly improving the flexibility of encryption systems. This study reports a reconfigurable optoelectronic logic gate (OELG) system based on hafnium-zirconium oxide (HZO) ferroelectric thin films. Through ultra-low temperature atomic layer deposition technique, the fabricated HZO thin films demonstrate an exceptional pyroelectric coefficient of 1835.91 μC m−2 K−1 and robust multi-level polarization stability, enabling efficient broadband photon-to-current conversion. By leveraging the pyroelectric effect and tunable polarization states, the OELG device achieves dynamic optical signal modulation and logic processing. The OELG device supports five fundamental logic operations (AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NOT) via electrical bias and polarization control, without requiring hardware modifications. The OELG device demonstrates stable performance over 10^9 cycles with no degradation, meeting practical application requirements. Furthermore, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-integrated image encryption-decryption framework was validated, achieving 95.01% recognition accuracy on decrypted data, while unauthorized decryption attempts resulted in significant feature loss. This study addresses security challenges in optical communication networks by proposing an innovative solution that integrates pyroelectric materials with reconfigurable logic gate technology, offering a new pathway to enhance physical-layer security.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3672-8
Pore-tuning engineering is an effective strategy for designing catalysts for energy storage and conversion. Here, we report a rhombic dodecahedral iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) material with hierarchical micro-mesoporous structures, synthesized using mesoporous silica as both pore template and iron source. The resulting catalyst (m-Fe/NC) exhibits significantly enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, with half-wave potentials of 0.81 V and 0.88 V in acidic and alkaline media, respectively. When employed as a cathode in zinc-air batteries, m-Fe/NC delivers a superior specific capacity of 815 mAh g_Zn^-1 and a stable cell voltage of 1.31 V at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. Advanced characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that the mesoporous structure not only increases active site exposure but also induces a curvature-induced strain effect on concave surfaces, which enhances intrinsic activity. This work provides insights for developing innovative nanoporous electrocatalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3663-6
Escalating global climate change has precipitated a dramatic surge in building cooling/heating energy demands, critically undermining urban sustainability. Although dynamic thermal management technologies show potential for reducing architectural carbon footprints, prevailing active regulation systems remain constrained by energy-intensive mode-switching mechanisms and unsustainable operational costs. Here, we develop a zebra-inspired radiative modulator (ZIRM) that achieves climate-customized building thermal management through spatially partitioned integration of radiative cooling (RC) and heating (RH) functional units. The material breakthrough resides in a hybrid thin-film architecture combining a cellulose acetate/Zeolitic imidazolate framework-L (ZIF-L) porous membrane (solar reflectance ~95%, thermal emissivity ~0.88) with an MXene/ZIF-67 derived carbon-based absorption layer (solar absorption ~93%, thermal emissivity ~0.37), resolving the opto-thermal coupling limitations inherent to conventional materials. Experimental verification demonstrates that programmable regulation of the RC/RH area ratio enables broad-range temperature differential control from −4.3 to 12.1 °C during daytime operation. Building energy simulations reveal ZIRM’s annual energy consumption of 1.45×10^10 GJ, corresponding to 9.9% and 2.7% reductions compared to pure RC and RH systems, respectively. The established “configuration-environment-performance” predictive model pioneers a paradigm-shifting solution for carbon-neutral architecture, synergizing material innovation with climate-customized engineering strategies.
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/s40843-025-3598-1
Embedding a dielectric layer between as-synthesized graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and metal surfaces represents a powerful strategy to achieve electronic decoupling, thereby enabling the extraction of these ribbons' intrinsic electrical properties. Although several reports have documented dielectric intercalation between GNRs and metal substrates, studies on Ag(111) substrates are limited. Here, we demonstrate a semiconducting AgTe monolayer intercalation method to achieve electronic decoupling between as-synthesized GNRs and an Ag(111) substrate. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, we directly observed the AgTe intercalation process at the GNR/Ag(111) interface. By combining scanning tunneling spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we elucidate the critical role of AgTe monolayer intercalation in reducing the interaction between as-synthesized GNRs and the Ag(111) substrate and observe the near-intrinsic electrical properties of the GNRs. Our findings offer a practical and effective strategy for intercalating AgTe monolayers between carbon-based nanomaterials and Ag(111) substrates, facilitating the unambiguous characterization of the near-intrinsic electronic properties of these materials.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3636-9
Metal halide perovskites have significantly improved solar cell performance due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Recently, p-type small molecules such as Me-4PACz, assisted by dual-functional passivation, have enabled perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to achieve certified power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 26.15%. However, issues such as molecular aggregation during solution processing limit the storage stability of precursor solutions and lead to poor molecular distribution within the film, hindering device efficiency and operational stability. Zhu's group enacted the co-deposition of a new p-type small molecule, D4PA, with perovskite. Density functional theory (DFT) investigations revealed that D4PA exhibits strong dual-terminal anchoring interactions with indium tin oxide (ITO) via two phosphonic acid groups, stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, ensuring robust adhesion and improved interface uniformity. Additionally, D4PA forms stable coordination with Pb2+ ions, suppressing defects and facilitating efficient charge transfer. Temperature-dependent Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed strong binding between D4PA and perovskite, contrasting with the weaker binding of Me-4PACz. This stable interaction improves perovskite crystallinity and promotes uniform distribution of D4PA, resulting in superior photovoltaic performance. D4PA-based PSCs achieved a record PCE of 26.83% in small-area devices (certified 26.72%), and a mini-module (10.86 cm2) achieved a PCE of 23.37% with a certified MPPT efficiency of 22.66%. Devices retained 97.2% of initial efficiency after 2500 h of continuous operation at MPP under one-sun illumination. Reduced and homogeneous photoluminescence intensity indicated efficient and uniform hole extraction, and electroluminescence quantum efficiency (EQE-EL) reached 15.25%, significantly higher than 6.23% for Me-4PACz-based devices. This molecular engineering strategy provides a promising route for high-performance and high-durability inverted PSCs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3919-0
Nuclear energy is critical for sustainable economic development and achieving carbon neutrality. With only about 6.14 million tons of terrestrial uranium, sufficient for ~70 years of global nuclear power plant operation, the recovery of uranium from seawater and spent fuel is essential for long-term nuclear fuel supply. The ocean contains approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which could sustain nuclear power for ~2000 years if efficiently extracted. However, seawater uranium extraction faces significant challenges due to the extremely low uranium concentration (~3.3 ppb), high concentrations of competing ions, natural organic matter, and marine biofouling. This perspective reviews representative laboratory advances, including sulfonated covalent organic frameworks (S-COF) achieving a sorption capacity of 31.5 mg/(g·day) with high selectivity, amidoxime-based organic cages with a capacity of 11.97 mg/g over 30 days, and a micro-redox reactor strategy that continuously regenerates binding sites. Electrochemical methods have also shown promise for converting soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) oxides. Despite these advances, the transition from laboratory powders to durable marine materials remains problematic. Key gaps include the need for antibacterial properties, mechanical stability under wave action, cost competitiveness with terrestrial mining, and environmental safety of nanomaterials. Artificial intelligence (AI) is proposed to accelerate the design of high-performance, stable materials. This perspective emphasizes the necessity for interdisciplinary research to bridge the gap between bench-scale innovations and practical ocean deployment.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.3724/2097-213X.2025.JFCT.0032
This study elucidates the nonlinear relationship between the softening point of coating asphalt and its oxidative cross-linking behavior, as well as the sodium storage performance of the derived hard carbon. Comparative analysis of asphalts with low (80 °C), medium (160 °C), and high (260 °C) softening points revealed that both the 80 and 260 °C asphalts incorporated a higher oxygen content (20%–25%) during oxidation, leading to the formation of a deeply cross-linked structure dominated by anhydride and ester groups. This effectively suppressed graphitization during carbonization, yielding hard carbon with large interlayer spacing, high disorder, and abundant closed pores. The derived hard carbon exhibited superior sodium storage performance: the initial charge capacities of EPOC-80 and EPOC-260 reached 314.7 and 306.6 mA·h/g, with first-cycle coulombic efficiencies of 81.3% and 79.3%, respectively, along with excellent cycling stability and rate capability. In contrast, the medium softening point asphalt (160 °C) showed limited oxygen incorporation (~5%) and insufficient cross-linking after oxidation, resulting in a densely packed hard carbon with smaller interlayer spacing (3.46 Å) and restricted sodium storage sites, which led to a significantly reduced capacity of 173.2 mA·h/g. This work provides new design principles and theoretical support for optimizing hard carbon anode structures through precise control of the precursor softening point.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605012
The extraction process of large-scale infiltration galleries significantly alters surface water-groundwater exchange dynamics. Existing models often simplify the gallery as a boundary condition or adopt loosely coupled schemes, constrained by iterative exchange algorithms, failing to capture dynamic water flux interactions and transient responses. This study focuses on the large riverbed infiltration and purification water supply project in Shijiazhuang, China, establishing an integrated three-domain fully coupled numerical model—encompassing surface water, groundwater, and the infiltration gallery—using the dual-node coupling approach in HydroGeoSphere. The model sets two upstream inflow scenarios (wet and dry seasons) and simulates groundwater level evolution and water exchange processes under two operational modes: single-pump extraction at 1000 m³/h and no pumping. Results show that groundwater levels decline markedly under pumping, with the most pronounced response in the dry season, where maximum drawdown reaches approximately 1.24 m. Monitoring wells near the gallery show an earlier hydraulic response to pumping, reaching peak drawdown rates about 2–3 days sooner than wells farther away. At steady-state balance, surface water contributes more recharge to groundwater during the wet season than in the dry season, and water exchange between the gallery and aquifer is substantially enhanced under pumping. Spatially, water exchange concentrates primarily around transverse and longitudinal gallery sections, consistent with localized permeability enhancement from the perforated structure. These findings reveal groundwater dynamics and multi-domain interaction mechanisms under operational conditions, providing a theoretical basis for planning, design, and management of similar riverbed infiltration projects.
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.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3864-4
Organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials, particularly those emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) region, hold great promise for bioimaging due to their deep-tissue penetration and minimal autofluorescence interference. However, achieving efficient NIR RTP with long lifetimes remains challenging due to inefficient triplet exciton utilization. Herein, we propose a dark triplet state activation strategy to achieve efficient NIR RTP by leveraging host–guest energy transfer. Using benzophenone derivatives (BP, OBP, MBP, PBP) as rigid host matrices with high intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency and an NIR fluorophore (MPTCF) as the guest, we achieve efficient Dexter-type triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) that converts non-emissive host triplets into guest-centered NIR phosphorescence. Systematic optimization of the host–guest system has shown that PBP/MPTCF exhibits exceptional performance, including long phosphorescence centered at 705 nm, an ultralong phosphorescence lifetime (210.3 ms), and high ISC efficiency (44.4%). When fabricated into nanoparticles (NPs), PBP/MPTCF exhibits superior performance, featuring prolonged phosphorescence signals (>120 s), deep tissue penetration capability (>2 mm), and excellent biocompatibility (cell viability >95% at 300 μM). In addition, this system enables high-contrast subcutaneous imaging with excellent dispersibility and stable in vivo imaging capability. More importantly, PBP/MPTCF NPs demonstrate precise lymph node mapping through time-gated phosphorescence imaging and efficient tumor visualization within 4 h post-injection with a high tumor-to-liver ratio of 2.8. The successful activation of dark triplet states through this host–guest approach provides a general design principle for developing high-performance NIR RTP materials, while the demonstrated biomedical applications highlight their significant potential for advanced bioimaging and precision diagnostics.
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/s40843-025-3925-5
Capacitive pressure sensors have garnered significant attention in electronic skin, human-machine interaction, health monitoring, and medical devices due to their remarkable properties like highly sensitive pressure perception, good repeatability, and rapid response capabilities. However, manufacturing capacitive pressure sensors that simultaneously achieve a broad linear detection range and high sensitivity remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel hierarchically interlocked capacitive pressure sensor (HI-CPS) was designed by integrating a stretchable polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based nanofilm dielectric layer with hierarchically interlocked microstructures, demonstrating excellent linearity and high sensitivity over a wide sensing range. HI-CPS based on a one-layer nanofilm exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (9.40 kPa−1) and an ultralow detection limit (0.1 Pa). When the dielectric layer comprises two layers of stacked nanofilms, the sensor not only maintains high sensitivity (3.17 kPa−1) but also achieves excellent linearity (R2 = 0.999) over a broad working range (<5 kPa), along with remarkable stability even after 10,000 cycles. Benefitting from the outstanding comprehensive performance, HI-CPS has been proven to be successfully implemented in monitoring various human biological signals, sign language recognition, and basketball shooting gesture correction. This strategy of assembling the tailored nanofilm with structural engineering has significant potential application in building high-performance pressure detection and recognition devices.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202511047
Ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines are critical infrastructure for China's energy strategy. Compared with conventional voltage lines, UHV lines exhibit nonlinear growth in resource and capital consumption, complex supply chains, and strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity in carbon emission factors, resulting in substantial and uncertain construction-phase emissions. Accurate accounting is essential for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in the power sector. To address issues of ambiguous system boundaries, weak characterization of input parameter uncertainty, and poor cross-year applicability of input-output carbon intensities, this study defines the accounting boundary using budget quotas and develops a hybrid life cycle assessment (HLCA) model. For easily traceable emission sources, process-based LCA (PLCA) is applied, with uncertainty analysis via distribution fitting and Monte Carlo simulation. For difficult-to-trace sources, input-output LCA (IO-LCA) is used with carbon intensity correction. A case study of a ±800 kV transmission line yields a construction-phase carbon emission intensity of 1,858.91 t·km⁻¹ (CO₂ equivalent), with a 95% confidence interval of [1,379.73, 2,486.45] t·km⁻¹. Sobol global sensitivity analysis identifies key emission reduction pathways. The method's validity is confirmed by comparison with existing studies, providing quantitative support for low-carbon design, construction optimization, and carbon auditing of UHV projects.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025051307
This study investigates the ionic concentration characteristics and sources of atmospheric precipitation in Changsha, China, based on samples collected from December 2019 to November 2021. The total dissolved solids (TDS) in precipitation ranged from 51.71 to 813.40 μeq·L−1, with a volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentration of 245.58 μeq·L−1. The VWM ionic concentrations followed the order: Ca2+ > SO4^2− > NO3^− > HCO3^− > K+ > Na+ > Cl− > Mg2+. Ca2+ and SO4^2− together accounted for 55.76% of the total ionic mass. Seasonal variation of total ionic concentration was highest in winter and lowest in spring, following the order winter > autumn > summer > spring. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between SO4^2− and NO3^− (r = 0.78) and between Ca2+ and Mg2+ (r = 0.70), suggesting common sources. Principal component analysis and enrichment factor (EF) analysis indicated that SO4^2− and NO3^− predominantly originated from anthropogenic activities, with contribution rates of 99.5% and 95.4%, respectively, likely from coal combustion and industrial emissions. Ca2+ and K+ were mainly terrestrial, with contribution rates of 99.2% and 98.3%, respectively, from soil and biomass burning. Mg2+ had dual sources: 68.8% terrestrial and 31.2% marine. Cl− exhibited an EFmarine of 0.74 and EFsoil of 50.20, indicating a dominant marine source contributing 98% of its input. These findings provide a scientific basis for understanding regional atmospheric pollution and supporting environmental management strategies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3892-2
Single-atom co-catalysts on semiconductor substrates offer a cost-efficient route to enhance photocatalytic performance with minimal precious metal loading. However, precise tuning of local coordination environments and construction of efficient single-atom co-catalysts remain challenging for overall water splitting. Here, we employ an icing-assisted photochemical reduction strategy to anchor atomically dispersed Pt species as hydrogen evolution co-catalysts on Al3+-doped SrTiO3 (Pt SA-STO). The optimized Pt SA-STO exhibits remarkable activity, with hydrogen and oxygen evolution rates of 13.62 and 6.71 mmol h−1 g−1, respectively, and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 2114.5 h−1. We pioneer the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to quantitatively track the temporal evolution of Pt4+ to Pt2+ under continuous irradiation during the icing-assisted photoreduction. Advanced characterizations and theoretical calculations confirm that single-atom Pt co-catalysts facilitate directional transfer and extraction of photogenerated charge carriers, effectively suppressing surface recombination. This work provides insights into designing novel single-atom co-catalysts by deepening understanding of electronic configurations and active sites in photocatalytic overall water splitting.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202510071
Carbon source is a critical factor driving heterotrophic denitrification, yet the low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) of livestock wastewater limits this process. This study developed novel composite carbon sources by combining corncob (CC) and polycaprolactone (PCL). Static carbon release and denitrification experiments were conducted to evaluate carbon release patterns and nitrogen removal performance. Results showed that the carbon release index (n) was below 0.45, indicating Fickian diffusion as the dominant release mechanism. The composite carbon source prepared at a CC:PCL mass ratio of 3:2 (denoted YP4) achieved a nitrate nitrogen removal efficiency of 94.76%, with effluent ammonia nitrogen meeting the discharge limits of GB 18596-2001. High-throughput sequencing revealed that YP4 increased the relative abundance of genera capable of denitrification and biopolymer degradation (e.g., Aeromonas, Novosphingobium, Bacteroides, and Clostridium sensu stricto), thereby enhancing heterotrophic denitrification and nitrogen removal. These findings provide a novel approach for selecting and preparing external carbon sources for biological heterotrophic denitrification of low C/N wastewater.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60672-X
Dry reforming of methane (DRM) converts CH4 and CO2 into syngas, offering a route to mitigate greenhouse gases. Ni-based catalysts suffer from sintering and carbon deposition at high temperatures. This work employs MgO-MgAl2O4 composite supports to regulate Ni loading and introduces Ce, La, and Zr as promoters to investigate their effects on DRM activity, structural stability, and surface oxygen species. Optimal Ni loading of 12.5% yields highest CH4 and CO2 conversions. Promoter introduction slightly suppresses low-temperature activity but substantially modifies support local structure and metal-support interface, improving NiO dispersion and increasing surface oxygen vacancies and active oxygen species (Oβ). These changes enhance CO2 adsorption-activation and suppress carbon deposition. After 20 h DRM, Ce-promoted catalyst shows smallest Ni particle growth (6.23→8.07 nm) and lowest carbon deposition, demonstrating superior stability and anti-coking capability. The study elucidates how Ce, La, and Zr enhance sintering and coking resistance via interfacial electronic modulation and improved oxygen storage/release, guiding rational design of stable Ni-based DRM catalysts.
Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5813(26)60762-1
The CO2 dry reforming of methane (DRM) is pivotal for CO2 utilization within the dual-carbon framework, offering advantages in carbon reduction and value-added chemical production. However, shaped catalysts suitable for industrial-scale DRM remain limited. This work constructs a monolithic catalyst using honeycomb cordierite as the structural support, systematically investigating the effects of organic and inorganic binders on coating structure and catalytic performance. Comparative studies reveal that the active coating fabricated with inorganic aluminum sol exhibits a continuous uniform morphology and excellent adhesion strength. During high-temperature calcination, elemental diffusion within Al2O3 networks bridges the cordierite surface with active catalyst particles, forming a (Ni-Mg)AlxO4 composite structure. This creates robust metal-support interactions between active sites and the residual alumina matrix. The interconnected mesoporous framework provides superior pore confinement, contributing to strong coating adhesion, enhanced activity, and improved resistance to carbon deposition in the monolithic m-NCM-Al-sol catalyst. In contrast, coatings derived from inorganic silica sol suffer from detachment and activity loss due to heterogeneous surface structures and poor adhesion. Organic binders demonstrate inferior performance in macroscopic coating uniformity, adhesion strength, mesoporous confinement, and localized electronic effects, resulting in the poorest catalytic performance. By optimizing aluminum sol coating parameters—binder content, active component dosage, and coating cycles—a synergistic balance between coating thickness and mass transfer is achieved. The optimized catalyst demonstrates excellent DRM performance, providing insights for constructing high-performance shaped catalysts with cordierite coatings.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3843-9
Lignocellulose-based electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are gaining prominence across multiple sectors, driven by the growing EMI issues associated with rapid advances in communication technologies and electronic devices. These materials have demonstrated significant superiority over traditional EMI shielding solutions, which are often hampered by high cost and environmental concerns. This review emphasizes the excellent potential of lignocellulose as a cost-effective and flexible alternative to deliver the hierarchical structures and functional properties that qualify it for EMI shielding applications. The underlying EMI shielding mechanisms are then elucidated, with a focus on the benefits conferred by lignocellulose in such material systems. Furthermore, typical fabrication strategies for lignocellulose-based EMI shielding materials are comprehensively summarized, along with a discussion of their emerging applications in diverse scenarios. Finally, the challenges encountered in developing lignocellulose-based EMI shielding materials and their significant prospects for future boosting high-performance design and application are also outlined. The insights presented herein are expected to promote the development of efficient and green lignocellulose-based EMI shielding materials that meet the evolving demands of modern society.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4007-x
Hydrogels, with their hydrophilicity, flexibility, and environmental friendliness, are highly desirable for moisture-electric generators (MEGs) that harness ubiquitous moisture to generate electrical energy. As the active material layer in MEGs, hydrogels play a crucial role in absorbing atmospheric moisture and converting chemical potential energy into electricity. However, the relatively low output current of the device and the instability of hydrogels pose challenges to the development of high-performance hydrogel-based MEGs. Herein, we introduce a straightforward, feasible, cost-effective, and versatile two-step solvent displacement strategy to overcome the barrier associated with the development of MEGs. Through tunable solvent interactions of glycerol and water, the moisture absorption capability and stability of the hydrogel can be improved, while promoting favorable ion migration. Such an effective processing route not only significantly boosts the output performances but also greatly improves the long-term durability of hydrogel-based MEGs. Notably, the current output and power density of the treated MEGs can increase by up to two orders of magnitude. The mechanisms behind the intriguing observation are investigated by various characterizations and theoretical calculations. This universal strategy holds promise to be extended to various hydrogel-based MEGs. Moreover, the MEGs can be used for energy harvesting, self-powered respiratory monitoring, and non-contact humidity detection. This work offers new opportunities for advancing green energy and self-powered technologies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4081-y
The evolution of precision medicine has propelled multimodal imaging-guided phototheranostics to the forefront for precise tumor diagnosis and therapy. Low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a promising approach for the treatment of melanoma due to its non-invasiveness and minimal damage to normal tissues. However, its efficacy is limited by cancer cell thermal tolerance. To address this, a new type of multifunctional energy disruptor (CAMeO-Q NPs) is developed featuring homologous targeting and mitochondria targeting, and synergistically enhancing low-temperature PTT in melanoma by reversing heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)-mediated thermal tolerance and blocking mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biosynthesis. The multifunctional energy disruptor enables precise trimodal imaging (fluorescence imaging/FLI, photoacoustic imaging/PAI, and photothermal imaging/PTI) guidance for low-temperature PTT. Comprising a mitochondria-targeting photothermal agent and an Hsp90 inhibitor, CAMeO-Q NPs induce selective mitochondrial damage under 660 nm laser irradiation and downregulate cellular HSP expression by ATP inhibition and Hsp90 inhibitor. This multifunctional energy disruptor provides a novel strategy for enhancing multimodal imaging-guided low-temperature photothermal therapy through combined homologous targeting, mitochondria-targeting, and Hsp90 inhibition.