SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3947-3
Fiber photodetectors (FPDs) with high deformability, flexible designability, and seamless integrability with everyday textiles hold tremendous potential for next-generation wearable optoelectronics. Inorganic semiconductors (ISCs) are considered ideal building blocks to design and govern the functions of FPDs owing to their superior electrical and optical properties. Recent developments in wearable technology of ISCs, especially in fiber form factor, have driven the creation of various FPDs with smart capabilities, from light sensing, information interfacing, to sophisticated logic operating, revolutionizing human-machine interaction paradigms in many emerging fields. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of recent progress of ISC-based FPDs. Firstly, key design principles for ISC-based FPDs are explored, encompassing material selection, fabrication technologies, device architectures, and textile integration strategies. Then, how defect engineering, alignment engineering, and heterojunction engineering of ISCs can control the optoelectronic performance of FPDs is examined. Following this, potential wearable applications of ISC-based FPDs in optical communication, image sensing, and health monitoring are analyzed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the design of high-performance ISC-based FPDs are outlined.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4036-4
Alkaline water electrolysis is a pivotal technology for large-scale green hydrogen production, yet its efficiency is constrained by sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics at industrial current densities. Here, we propose a synergistic dual-doping strategy to lower kinetic barriers for both Volmer and Heyrovsky steps. A robust amorphous NiCoV nanosheet electrode was synthesized via scalable one-step electrodeposition. In situ spectroscopic and kinetic characterizations reveal that hydrophilic V species optimize interfacial water by disrupting the hydrogen bond network, ensuring rapid supply of free water at the inner Helmholtz plane. Co dopants modulate electronic structure to facilitate electron transfer and optimize intermediate adsorption energetics. The NiCoV electrode requires an ultralow overpotential of 253 mV at -400 mA cm−2, surpassing most Pt-based catalysts, and maintains stability for over 200 h. Industrial validation in a scaled-up electrolyzer demonstrates a cell voltage of 1.89 V at 400 mA cm−2, achieving energy savings of 0.12 kWh m−3 H2 compared to commercial benchmarks. This translates to annual electricity savings of 1.33 × 10^6 kWh for a medium-scale demonstration project, highlighting immense potential for sustainable industrial applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3347-1
Two-dimensional (2D) Dion–Jacobson (DJ) phase perovskites are promising for photodetection but suffer from inefficient charge carrier extraction and significant ion migration. This study introduces Br− doping into the axial halide sites of (DMPD)Pb(I0.96Br0.04)4 (DMPD = 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylammonium), inducing local structural symmetry breaking. This symmetry breaking leads to energy band splitting, increased activation energy for ion migration, and relaxed microstrain, as confirmed by theoretical and experimental analyses. The modified lattice and electronic band structures synergistically reduce charge carrier recombination, enhance transport and extraction, and suppress ion migration. Consequently, the single-crystal photodetector achieves a detectivity of 7.12 × 10^12 Jones, among the highest for 2D DJ phase perovskite devices. These findings provide a design strategy for efficient 2D perovskites for advanced optoelectronics.