SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3596-2
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have shown great promise in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their tunable composition and unique physical and chemical properties. However, the role of HEAs in CO2RR and the underlying reaction mechanism remain underexplored, particularly through in situ techniques. In this work, we investigate the mechanism of CO2 reduction on AuAgCuPdPt HEAs using in situ Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to reveal key intermediates and reaction pathways. Our results demonstrate that within the potential window of −0.2 to −0.7 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), the AuAgCuPdPt HEAs efficiently reduce CO2 to CO, achieving a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for CO greater than 90%, with a peak FE of 96.5% at −0.3 V vs. RHE. The CO2− intermediate was observed at low potentials, revealing the reaction pathway in the CO2 reduction process. Additionally, in situ ATR-FTIR results suggest that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Pt metal not only promotes water dissociation to generate protonic hydrogen, but also facilitates the desorption of *CO intermediates. The kinetic isotope effect of hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) confirms that water dissociation acts as a key proton donor in CO2RR. Furthermore, the catalyst of AuAgCuPdPt HEAs was applied as cathodes in a Zn-CO2 battery, achieving 90.23% FE for CO and a power density of 3.474 mW cm−2. This study provides new insights into the mechanistic understanding of CO2 reduction and underscores the importance of in situ spectroscopic techniques for advancing the design of efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 conversion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3789-x
Wearable sensors have attracted significant attention due to their superior sensitivity, safety, and adaptability compared with conventional detection technologies. However, developing sustainable sensing materials that combine excellent performance with environmental friendliness remains a significant challenge. In this study, Juncus effusus (JE), a natural fiber featuring a unique internal three-dimensional (3D) network structure, was employed as the substrate. Conductive polyaniline was loaded onto the JE structure to impart electrical conductivity, and Ecoflex encapsulation provided high elasticity. Based on this approach, a JE-based resistive flexible sensor (PHE-JE) was successfully fabricated. The PHE-JE sensor exhibits high stability under various strain conditions, along with excellent flexibility and durability. Moreover, benefiting from its complex 3D structure and synergistic material interactions, the PHE-JE sensor enables accurate detection of diverse motion types, showing promising potential for future wearable sensing applications.
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.