SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4299-9
A dual-doping strategy incorporating boron (B) and sulfur (S) into graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was employed to engineer band structures and construct an S-scheme homojunction (BSCN) for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution. The BSCN catalyst exhibited an interwoven architecture of porous nanotubes and nanosheets, providing a large specific surface area and abundant active sites. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed an S-scheme charge transfer mechanism at the BCN/SCN interface, driven by a built-in electric field that facilitates efficient spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Photoelectrochemical measurements confirmed improved light harvesting and charge separation. DFT simulations indicated near-thermoneutral hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔGH* = 0.12 eV) at S-doped sites, favorable for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics. The optimized BSCN achieved an exceptional H2 evolution rate of 14.409 mmol g−1 h−1, approximately 75-fold and 3.4-fold higher than pristine BCN and SCN, respectively. This work establishes a rational doping-mediated approach for designing high-efficiency g-C3N4 homojunctions and provides mechanistic insights into S-scheme charge transfer for solar-driven H2 production.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3815-0
The development of bifunctional electrocatalysts capable of integrating biomass-derived platform molecule oxidation with organic reduction offers a promising strategy for simultaneously enhancing energy efficiency and generating high-value chemicals. However, designing catalysts that exhibit both high activity and stability in integrated systems remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a self-supported electrode composed of nitrogen-doped carbonized wood (NCW) supported NiCo nanosheets (NiCo 0.3/NCW) that enables the electrocatalytic 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and the nitrobenzene reduction to yield aniline in an integrated electrochemical cell. The NiCo 0.3/NCW electrode achieves the production of FDCA and aniline at a low cell voltage of 1.7 V, with ~99% anodic and ~92% cathodic Faradaic efficiencies, respectively. Experimental characterizations disclose that the hierarchical porous NCW architecture promotes the dispersion of active sites, while nitrogen doping strengthens metal–support interactions. In-situ spectroscopic experiments combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that cobalt incorporation tunes the electronic structure of nickel, thus optimizing substrate and intermediate adsorption, and lowering energy barriers. These effects ultimately enhance the performance of the natural wood-derived catalyst in integrated biomass valorization and selective organic electrosynthesis.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025012001
Nanozymes, nanomaterials capable of mimicking natural enzyme catalytic activity, exhibit exceptional stability, high catalytic activity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, demonstrating immense potential in water treatment. This review article delves into the applications of metal nanozymes in water treatment, focusing on the pivotal roles of peroxidase-like, oxidase-like, and multi-enzyme active nanozymes. In this article, the central role of metals of nanozymes in the catalytic activity was analyzed, enhancing catalytic activity and the oxidation efficiency of pollutants. It is emphasized that the synergistic effect of bimetals further enhances catalytic activity and the oxidation efficiency of contaminants. This article offers profound insights into the catalytic mechanisms of nanozymes, providing a reference for selecting appropriate metals based on the characteristics of water pollution and developing metal nanozymes with specific catalytic activities.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202509053
The escalating global generation of waste plastics necessitates robust recycling strategies to mitigate environmental impact and advance low-carbon development. This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) and emission factor methodologies to quantify the carbon footprints of six distinct waste plastic valorization pathways: mechanical recycling, pyrolysis, alcoholysis, co-coking, solid fuel production, and direct incineration. The functional unit is one tonne of waste plastic, with system boundaries encompassing transportation, pretreatment, and resource utilization. The model accounts for indirect emissions from energy consumption, direct emissions from plastic decomposition, and carbon offsets from material or energy recovery. Results indicate that pyrolysis yields the highest carbon offset of approximately -3,024 kgCO2e per tonne, while mechanical recycling achieves an 88% material recovery rate and a net carbon offset of -991.4 kgCO2e. Net carbon emissions per tonne of waste plastic rank as follows: direct incineration (1,104 kgCO2e) > co-coking (185.8 kgCO2e) > solid fuel (115.4 kgCO2e) > alcoholysis (-259.5 kgCO2e) > mechanical recycling (-991.4 kgCO2e) > pyrolysis (-2,592 kgCO2e). These findings demonstrate that pyrolysis offers superior carbon reduction benefits compared to incineration, exhibiting a net-negative carbon footprint across its life cycle. The study provides a scientific basis for selecting low-carbon waste plastic valorization routes and informs carbon trading and emission reduction strategies in the solid waste sector.
Environmental Chemistry•2026•DOI: 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2025030305
The rapid expansion of livestock and poultry farming has intensified the challenge of managing sludge, which contains heavy metals (primarily Cu and Zn), antibiotics, and pathogens. Calcium carbide slag (CCS), an alkaline industrial waste rich in Ca(OH)2, CaCO3, and other minerals, poses environmental risks due to its high alkalinity. This study investigates the speciation transformation of heavy metals in biochar derived from co-pyrolysis of livestock sludge and CCS under varying temperatures (400–700 °C) and mixing ratios (sludge:CCS = 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1). The results demonstrate that at 600 °C and a 2:1 mixing ratio, calcium-based compounds and SiO2 in CCS effectively immobilize heavy metals through crystal solid solution and complexation, reducing their ecological risk. Sequential extraction indicated a shift from exchangeable and reducible fractions to residual fractions, with the residual fraction of Cu and Zn increasing by up to 45% and 38%, respectively, compared to sludge-only pyrolysis. The formation of apatite phosphorus (Ca5(PO4)3OH and Ca3(PO4)2) enhances the bioavailability of phosphorus in the biochar, making it a potential slow-release fertilizer. The study provides a novel strategy for the synergistic treatment of livestock sludge and CCS, offering environmental and economic benefits by producing stable, nutrient-rich biochar while mitigating heavy metal toxicity.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202505103
This study evaluated the drought resistance of seven dominant plant species from the Inner Mongolia desert steppe during seed germination to identify suitable species for ecological restoration of arid mining dumps. Seeds were subjected to soil moisture gradients ranging from 2.56% to 12.77% to simulate drought stress. Germination percentage, growth parameters, germination index, simplified vigor index, and drought resistance index were measured. A multi-dimensional evaluation system was constructed using the membership function method. Results showed that with increasing water stress, germination parameters generally declined nonlinearly. Under severe drought (soil moisture 5.11%), Lolium perenne and Melilotus officinalis exhibited significantly higher germination rates than other species (P<0.05). Comprehensive evaluation ranked drought resistance as: Lolium perenne > Melilotus officinalis > Setaria viridis > Elymus dahuricus > Medicago sativa > Astragalus adsurgens > Artemisia oxycephala. These findings indicate that Lolium perenne, Melilotus officinalis, and Setaria viridis possess strong drought resistance and can serve as pioneer species for vegetation reconstruction in mining areas. Furthermore, a soil moisture content of 5.11% (40% of field capacity) was identified as the lower threshold for seed germination, providing a quantitative basis for water management in arid mining ecological restoration.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4033-1
Photodetectors are critical components in modern optoelectronic systems, underpinning applications in optical communication, low-altitude economy, environmental monitoring, and national defense. Layered two-dimensional (2D) materials such as MoS2, WS2, black phosphorus (BP), and ReS2 have attracted extensive attention due to their remarkable electronic and optical properties, including facile mechanical exfoliation and tunable characteristics via thickness engineering. The absence of dangling bonds enables the construction of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures free from lattice-matching constraints, promoting efficient charge transport, enhanced light absorption, and suppressed dark current. Among layered materials, semimetals such as graphene, PdTe2, MoTe2, and TaIrTe4 exhibit narrow or zero bandgaps, enabling ultrabroadband spectral responses from ultraviolet (UV) to terahertz (THz). ZrTe3, a layered gapless semimetal, demonstrates pronounced carrier transport features, including robust excitons and ultrafast carrier relaxation times, making it an ideal candidate for photodetection. However, pure ZrTe3-based photodetectors suffer from substantial dark current due to the absence of an energy bandgap, degrading signal-to-noise ratio and specific detectivity (D*). This work reports a high-performance broadband photodetector based on a ZrTe3/CuInP2Se6 heterostructure. By exploiting an asymmetric contact configuration that introduces a Schottky barrier, the device effectively suppresses dark current while enhancing photoresponse. The photodetector exhibits broad spectral sensitivity from UV to near-infrared (355–1177 nm), microsecond-level response speed, and high responsivity and specific detectivity. Beyond conventional photodetection, an optoelectronic information encryption-decryption application is demonstrated, where modulated light and bias voltage serve as dual input channels to encode and decode ASCII signals. This study resolves the challenge of high dark current in semimetal-based photodetectors and introduces a multifunctional platform for secure optoelectronic communication, highlighting the potential of ZrTe3 for next-generation photonic and quantum information technologies.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3480-1
Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) offers a sustainable route for wastewater denitrification and decentralized ammonia synthesis, but its practical deployment is constrained by sluggish reaction kinetics and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Monometallic Cu electrocatalysts, despite favorable nitrate adsorption and tunable electronic structure, exhibit weak H* adsorption, limiting the hydrogen radical-mediated pathway that suppresses HER at low overpotentials. Here, highly dispersed Cu/WO3 heterojunctions supported on carbon fiber were synthesized via carbothermal shock reduction, which reaches ultra-high temperatures within seconds and prevents active-site accumulation. The optimal Cu/WO3 heterojunction achieves an ammonia yield rate of 158.66 μmol h−1 cm−2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 98.27%. Electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory calculations reveal a synergistic mechanism: Cu sites preferentially adsorb NO3−, while adjacent WO3 sites accelerate water dissociation to generate hydrogen radicals (H*), which drive the continuous hydrogenation of nitrate to ammonia. This spatial separation of functions promotes the H*-mediated pathway and suppresses HER. The work establishes a heterojunction design strategy for non-precious-metal NRA electrocatalysts, enabling high-rate, high-selectivity ammonia production under mild conditions.