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/s40843-026-4315-2
High-temperature X-ray imaging demands scintillators with high crystallinity, efficient scintillation, and robust thermal stability, yet suitable materials remain scarce. Here, we report an ultra-high-crystallinity transparent glass-ceramic (GC) scintillator strategically designed via controllable heat-treatment-induced crystallization. A sequential precipitation method is employed, where cubic CaF2 nanocrystals initially form, subsequently promoting heterogeneous nucleation and growth of hexagonal BaAl2Si2O8. Intrinsic nanoscale phase separation into F-rich and O-rich domains significantly reduces atomic diffusion distances, yielding an unprecedented crystallinity of up to 97.6%. Notably, defect traps (oxygen vacancy defects, likely located within the lattice or at crystalline/amorphous interfaces) enable efficient carrier capture and thermally stimulated release, contributing to remarkable resistance to thermal quenching. Consequently, the GC scintillator maintains 90.6% of its integrated X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) intensity at 300 °C, with the integrated XEL intensity reaching 94.2% of commercial Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) at room temperature. This enables stable high-temperature X-ray imaging with a spatial resolution of ~10.4 lp mm−1 up to 225 °C. This work provides a versatile pathway for developing high-sensitivity scintillators for extreme-environment X-ray imaging.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4151-2
The rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 due to fossil-fuel consumption has heightened the demand for efficient carbon capture and utilization technologies. Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as versatile media and catalysts for CO2 conversion, offering advantages such as negligible volatility, wide electrochemical windows, and strong CO2 affinity. However, the vast design space of ILs and limited experimental data make traditional trial-and-error screening inefficient. This review summarizes recent advancements in applying machine learning (ML) to the design and screening of ILs for CO2 conversion. The roles of ILs in catalytic processes and the limitations of traditional screening methods are discussed. ML-based workflows are explored, with emphasis on addressing challenges posed by small and noisy datasets. Finally, future opportunities in mechanism-informed descriptors, multi-objective optimization, and the integration of domain expertise with data-driven approaches are highlighted to accelerate the discovery of next-generation ILs for sustainable CO2 conversion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4337-2
Silica aerogels are recognized as leading super-insulating materials due to their ultralow thermal conductivity, yet their intrinsic brittleness and poor processability restrict practical deployment in complex industrial and extreme environments. This study introduces a macro-scale 'stiff–soft' synergistic strategy, combining a macroscopically processable, soft-and-tough framework as the load-bearing component with hard-and-brittle polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels as the insulating component. A pressure-driven assembly process enables viscosity-tunable PMSQ gel inks to be controllably infused into various hollow frameworks, including honeycomb panels, wheat straws, and hollow fibers. Guided by a modified Hagen–Poiseuille model, ink viscosity is precisely matched to the geometric parameters of the hollow structures. The resulting composites achieve compressive strength of 2.5 MPa, flexural strength of 6.25 MPa, and tensile strength of 40 MPa, while maintaining excellent thermal insulation. This versatile and scalable approach offers a new design paradigm for mechanically adaptive silica aerogel composites in thermal management applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3538-6
The understanding of anion transporting behaviors under sub-nanoconfined regimes can guide the design of high-performance anion selective membranes (ASMs), yet it is little known. Here, we build membrane channels that combine physical rigidity with chemical affinity to anions simply through bridging graphene oxide nanosheets with charged linkers. We observe that the rigidly confined interaction imposed by channels to anions can reconfigure hydration shells in varying degrees for different anions via compensating for hydration-induced energy barriers and differentiating their rearrangement behaviors. During the configuration evolution, water molecules within hydration shells would rotate and simultaneously change their distance from the ion center. Based on the big discrepancy in configuration evolution, these membranes can realize ultrahigh selectivity of, for example, 125 for Cl−/SO4^2− and surpass the performance upper bound concerning Cl−/SO4^2− separation by other membranes. The knowledge of the configuration change of hydration shells during the dehydration process will be key to designing next-generation ASMs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3687-6
P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 (NNMO) is a promising cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high energy density and operating voltage. However, severe P2-O2 phase transition at high cut-off voltage causes large volume variation, structural degradation, and rapid capacity decay. Ion doping has been explored to suppress this transition, but achieving both high capacity and stability remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate that precise composition regulation enables both. The designed P2-Na0.67Ni0.28Mg0.03Fe0.04Mn0.55Ti0.1O2 retains high electrochemical active element content while effectively suppressing phase transition, leading to outstanding structural stability and fast charge transfer kinetics. This cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 143.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and maintains stable cycling over 1000 cycles. Our work provides a new strategy for rationally designing high-capacity, stable cathode materials for SIBs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3503-9
This correction addresses an image misuse in the original publication (Sci China Mater, 2025, 68(6): 2095, DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3311-6). Specifically, a fluorescent image in Fig. 4d, depicting live/dead cells after treatment with MPDA@TMZ without laser irradiation, was erroneously presented. The corrected Fig. 4 is provided, and the authors confirm that the results and conclusions of the original paper remain unaffected. The correction ensures the integrity of the reported data, particularly the cell viability and apoptosis assays. The study focuses on mesoporous bowl-shaped polydopamine (MPDA) nanoparticles co-loaded with temozolomide (TMZ) and indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic glioblastoma therapy. The corrected figure includes CLSM images of G422 cells after incubation with various formulations (ICG, sPDA@ICG, mPDA@ICG, MPDA@ICG), cell viability curves, quantitative fluorescence intensity, live/dead staining, and apoptosis quantification. Statistical significance is denoted as ****p < 0.01. The correction maintains the scientific validity of the findings, which demonstrate the potential of MPDA-based nanoplatforms for combined chemo-photothermal therapy.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3780-3
Real-time health monitoring and ongoing evaluation of physiological conditions are becoming increasingly vital for the advancement of future medical diagnostics and personalized healthcare solutions. Given that certain illnesses necessitate prompt and accessible detection methods, wearable chemical sensors have garnered considerable interest for their capability to monitor health through physiological signals and chemical indicators. This review delivers a thorough examination of recent developments in four primary categories of wearable chemical sensors: biosensors, humidity sensors, gas sensors, and ion sensors. We explore the representative materials, device structures, operating mechanisms, and various application scenarios for each type of sensor. By investigating the latest innovations in these technologies, we aim to provide a detailed overview of the current research landscape, highlight existing challenges, and present potential future directions of wearable chemical sensors in healthcare monitoring.
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.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3795-x
Two-dimensional MXene Ti3C2Tx demonstrates great promise in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, sulfur-terminated Ti3C2Tx (S-Ti3C2Tx) is developed by modifying Ti3C2Tx via a facile hydrothermal method using thioacetamide. As a perovskite additive, S-Ti3C2Tx outperforms pristine Ti3C2Tx by (1) significantly promoting grain growth, enhancing carrier mobility, and reducing defect density; (2) optimizing energy level alignment to lower interfacial energy barriers and minimize interface non-radiative recombination; (3) stabilizing uncoordinated Pb2+ and [PbI6]4− octahedra via Pb–S bonds while alleviating bulk lattice strain, as this Pb–S interaction exerts a “tape-like” effect. Based on this synergistic mechanism, PSCs with S-Ti3C2Tx achieve a champion efficiency of 25.51%—outperforming control (23.46%) and pristine Ti3C2Tx-based devices (24.54%)—with enhanced stability. This work highlights terminal group engineering as a critical strategy for advancing high-performance PSCs and their potential for emerging photovoltaic technologies.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202506031
The production of activated carbon from waste biomass such as cyanobacteria from Lake Taihu represents a promising resource utilization route. However, existing studies are mostly confined to laboratory scale, and the gap between laboratory processes and industrial production hinders the evaluation of technical feasibility and economic viability. This study optimized the process for producing cyanobacteria-based columnar activated carbon by co-processing cyanobacteria with garden waste (sawdust), and validated the process on an engineering-scale production line with a daily capacity of 5 t of raw materials. Economic feasibility was also assessed. Results showed that the optimized activated carbon exhibited a particle strength of 91.3% and a specific surface area of 571.44 m2·g−1. The engineering-scale line processed 5 t of raw materials daily, yielding approximately 1.18 t of activated carbon with stable quality: strength of 94.3% and specific surface area of 471.42 m2·g−1, featuring a microporous-dominant structure with coexisting micropores and mesopores. Cost analysis indicated a production cost of 3,595.65 CNY per ton of activated carbon, demonstrating favorable economic benefits. This work provides a basis for larger-scale production and application of cyanobacteria-based activated carbon.
Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering•2026•DOI: 10.12030/j.cjee.202506064
To address the challenges of high salinity, recalcitrance, limited mass transfer, and coating detachment in traditional anodes for textile wastewater treatment, a porous RuO2@r-TiO2 nanotube array (NTA) anode was fabricated via anodic oxidation, electrochemical reduction, and thermal decomposition. A flow-through electrochemical oxidation system was constructed using this anode and a graphite felt cathode. The material's morphology and physicochemical properties were characterized by SEM, XRD, and XPS. Congo red (CR) was used as a model pollutant to evaluate degradation performance under various conditions. Optimal conditions were identified as current density 5 mA·cm−2, permeate flux 480 L·(m2·h)−1, initial CR concentration 0.15 mmol·L−1, and NaCl concentration 75 mmol·L−1. Under these conditions, the system achieved 91% decolorization within 20 min and 82% mineralization within 60 min. Mass transfer tests showed a rate constant of 2.23×10−4 m·s−1 in flow-through mode, three times higher than conventional mode, with active chlorine and H2O2 production increased by 32.8% and 66.7%, respectively. Radical quenching experiments indicated that singlet oxygen (1O2) was the primary reactive species. The degradation mechanism was proposed based on quenching and UV spectral analysis. The system achieved >90% decolorization for five typical dye pollutants with an energy consumption of only 0.16 kWh·m−3. Cyclic voltammetry confirmed long-term stability. These findings provide theoretical support for applying electrochemical advanced oxidation to high-salinity textile wastewater.
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.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606003
Membrane separation technology, offering high separation efficiency, low energy consumption, and operational flexibility, is promising for lithium recovery. However, selective lithium extraction from complex matrices such as salt lake brines and battery leachates remains challenging. Traditional membrane development relies on empirical trial-and-error, suffering from low efficiency and the permeability-selectivity trade-off. This review systematically delineates machine learning (ML)-based frameworks for membrane material development, including high-throughput rational screening, inverse design of synthesis protocols, and high-fidelity performance prediction. We elucidate how advanced ML algorithms decipher structure-activity relationships at the molecular level, enabling breakthroughs in performance ceilings and guiding bottom-up fabrication of next-generation membranes. Critical challenges are assessed: scarcity of high-quality standardized datasets, limited model interpretability, and poor generalizability to industrial scales. Future directions emphasize physics-informed hybrid models, open-source global databases, and full-process system optimization to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial deployment.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3943-y
Biodegradable polymers are promising for bioelectronic materials, yet simultaneously improving their mechanical, electrical, and optical performance remains a major challenge. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxyvalerate) (P34HB), a microbially synthesized polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), exhibits excellent biocompatibility and degradability but suffers from poor chain length control, limiting its functional performance. Here, we report a low-temperature, non-destructive supercritical ethyl alcohol-assisted polymerization (SEAP) strategy to enhance P34HB at the molecular level. Operating at 40 °C and 1500 psi, SEAP combines the permeability of supercritical CO2 with ethanol-mediated catalysis to promote in situ dehydration polymerization and efficiently remove impurities. Post-treatment, P34HB exhibits a 16% increase in number-average molecular weight, along with a record-high Young's modulus of 51.08 GPa and a 144% increase in elongation at break, overcoming the conventional trade-off between stiffness and ductility. Optical performance is also improved, with transmittance rising by 44% and refractive index increasing to 1.2. Material analyses confirm a higher ester group density and reduction of residual impurities. Electrical insulation is notably enhanced, with leakage current reduced by 50% to below 1 pA and reduced dielectric loss to 0.06. Cytotoxicity assays further verify excellent biocompatibility. This work establishes SEAP as a sustainable strategy for functionalizing P34HB, enabling its deployment in next-generation bioelectronics and flexible electronics.
Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology•2026•DOI: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607020
Kitchen waste (KW) and excess sludge (ES) are urban biowastes with resource recovery potential, commonly treated via anaerobic digestion (AD) for methane production. However, KW mono-digestion suffers from acidification, while ES yields low methane. This study employed semi-continuous reactors to simulate practical AD, co-digesting KW and ES at a 4:1 volatile solids ratio with biochar addition (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 g/L). The optimal biochar dosage was 2.5 g/L, achieving cumulative biogas and methane volumes of 17.53 L and 11.63 L, respectively, representing 42.10% and 39.47% increases over the biochar-free control, and 34.45% and 43.30% enhancements relative to thermally hydrolyzed sludge. The methanogenic lag phase decreased from (5.65±0.11) d to (4.33±0.12) d. Process stability improved, with average volatile fatty acids (VFAs) during stable operation dropping from 1708 mg/L to 1033 mg/L. Microbial analysis revealed enhanced diversity and enrichment of Synergistetes and Syntrophomonas, indicating direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) promotion. Biochar at low concentrations enhances AD by immobilizing microbes and facilitating electron transfer, while high concentrations (10 g/L) may inhibit methanogenesis due to fatty acid degradation blockage, yet total methane production remained above control. These findings demonstrate that biochar addition at 2.5 g/L effectively enhances methane production and process stability in KW-ES co-digestion.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4079-4
Utilization of ultrahigh-nickel LiNi_xCo_yMn_1-x-yO_2 (NCM) (x > 0.97) in Li-ion batteries can distinctively boost energy density through enhanced discharge capacity. However, capacity and thermal stability deteriorate as Ni content approaches the limit. Here, we propose a facile strategy by introducing high-valence tungsten (W) into ultrahigh-nickel polycrystalline LiNi_0.98Co_0.01Mn_0.01O_2 (PCNCM98). W-doped PCNCM98 (W-PCNCM98) exhibits refined, compactly stacked primary particles, whereas PCNCM98 shows equiaxial, non-uniform larger particles. The refined microstructure enhances mechanical strength: average particle hardness of W-PCNCM98 is 104 MPa, 1.5 times higher than PCNCM98 (68 MPa). This improved mechanical property suppresses lattice volume changes and relieves microcrack formation from H2–H3 phase transition. Consequently, cycling performance in pouch-type full cells is significantly enhanced, with capacity retention of 73% after 2000 cycles at 1 C and 25 °C, 54% higher than PCNCM98. Enhanced structural stability and strong electron affinity of W6+ also improve thermal stability: exothermic peak for W-PCNCM98 is postponed to 203 °C with heat generation of 1287 J g−1, versus 190 °C and 1528 J g−1 for PCNCM98. This high-valent doping strategy stabilizes ultrahigh-nickel NCM cathodes, accelerating large-scale EV applications.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-4035-5
Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to formate offers a promising pathway for storing renewable electricity in chemical fuels and enabling carbon recycling. The development of efficient and stable catalysts for this specific pathway, however, remains a central challenge. Heteroatom doping can significantly tune the interaction between active sites and key intermediates, boosting catalytic performance. Conventional doping in Bi-based catalysts often relies on uncontrollable in-situ electrochemical processes, leading to ineffective bulk incorporation. Here, we present a simple pre-doping strategy that enables precise doping at surface active sites, thereby enhancing electrochemical performance. The resulting catalyst achieves >95% Faradaic efficiency for formate across 100–500 mA cm−2 in a flow cell and maintains >95% efficiency for over 70 h at 100 mA cm−2 in a membrane electrode assembly, outperforming pure Bi and Bi2S3. A solar-driven system further demonstrates a 4.4% solar-to-formate conversion efficiency. Mechanistic studies reveal that sulfur doping increases electron density, stabilizes the key *OCHO intermediate, and suppresses hydrogen evolution. These findings provide valuable insights into the precise pre-doping modulation of surface active sites for designing highly efficient and stable CO2RR catalysts.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3968-3
The commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is hindered by stability issues primarily stemming from interfacial defects. This study employed a machine learning (ML) screening approach and constructed a learnable weighted ensemble model (LWEM) to enhance prediction robustness for identifying effective interface passivation materials. The ML model predicted that an imidazolium salt-based interface modifier, 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMT), is suitable for planar n-i-p PSCs. Subsequent experimental results demonstrated that BMT provides synergistic passivation via an 'ion-coordination dual-lock' mechanism that significantly suppresses non-radiative recombination, facilitates hole extraction, and improves the quality of the perovskite film. The BMT-modified devices achieve a significant increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 22.45% to 24.89% under AM 1.5G illumination, and attain a high PCE of 41.31% under 1000 lux light emitting diode (LED) indoor lighting. Additionally, the modified devices exhibit outstanding stability under long-term storage and maximum power point tracking conditions. This work provides a strategy for developing high-performance and highly stable PSCs for both indoor and outdoor applications.