Advanced Energy Materials · 2026 · IF 26
Qiang Xue,Chenxiao Wang,Ting Chen,Guangjun Zhang,Chaofan Yin,Fengxue Zhang,Yucun Zhou,Xuesong Shen,Lang Xu,Shaorong Wang
The development of high-performance air electrodes for reversible protonic ceramic cells (RPCCs) is constrained by the inherent trade-off between electrocatalytic activity and operational stability. To address this challenge, a dual-doping strategy was employed to dop Ti and Nb into PrBaCo 2 O 5+δ , resulting in a novel triple-conducting (H + /O 2− /e − ) perovskite air electrode, PrBaCo 1.8 Ti 0.1 Nb 0.1 O 5+δ (PBCTN). The comprehensive characterization study demonstrates that the PBCTN oxide exhibits outstanding stability under high-temperature and high-humidity environments and show a polarization resistance as low as 0.06 Ω cm 2 at 700°C. Density functional theory calculations reveal that optimized hydration energy, a more favorable O 2p band center, and accelerated surface reactions enhance the oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics. Through this design, the RPCC with the PBCTN air electrode achieves a peak power density of 1.12 W cm −2 at 700°C in fuel cell mode and a current density of 3.1 A cm −2 at 1.3 V in electrolysis mode, along with stable operation for over 380 h. This work provides insights into concurrently enhancing both activity and stability in electrocatalysts for advanced energy conversion technologies.
Research fields: Materials Science · Electrochemistry · Energy Conversion · Ceramic Materials · Fuel Cells · Solid Oxide Electrolytic Cells
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BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY · 2026 · IF 9
Qi Wang,Junlang Zhou,Yunpu Wang,Krzysztof Kapusta,Haiwei Jiang,Jiayi Xue,Wenguang Zhou,Liangliang Fan
Model compounds were selected to elucidate hydrothermal carbonization mechanism. • HTC-AP boosted microalgae growth (2.60 g/L) with 78.59% N, 81.78% P recovery. • The harvested microalgae biomass showed elevated protein and LCFA levels. • Promoting and inhibiting factors for microalgal growth were investigated. • Wastewater significantly increased GS-GOGAT protein synthesis in microalgae. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) effectively converts microalgae into hydrochar, yet the in-depth research on the related mechanism requires to be further investigated and the disposal of aqueous phase (AP) needs to be considered. In the present work, the HTC of Chlorella sp. resulted in a hydrochar yield of 50.66% with energy yield of 54.71% at 180 ℃. The behaviors and interaction mechanisms of three major components within microalgae were investigated. Proteins drove carbonization, boosting hydrochar yield but reducing its structural order. Carbohydrates facilitated Maillard reactions with protein derivatives, stabilizing N -heterocycles in hydrochar. Conversely, lipids hindered hydrochar formation by generating oil-phase byproducts that suppressed pore development. The HTC-AP diluted 20-fold for cultivation yielded 36.84% higher biomass than BG11 medium, with high N (78.59%) and P (81.78%) removal, during which COD and TOC were reduced by 76.66% and 58.58%, respectively. Notably, the microalgae after cultivating with AP possessed high protein content (42.30%) and long-chain fatty acids content (3.78%). Single-factor dose experiments demonstrated that differences for organic components of AP regulated the microalgae growth, with d -galactose/glycerol serving as readily metabolizable carbon sources that promoted growth, while phenol/pyridine/furan derivatives exhibited growth-inhibitory effects. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis elucidated the regulatory role of AP in microalgal growth. Download: Download high-res image (163KB) Download: Download full-size image
Research fields: Environmental Engineering · Biological Resource Technology · Microalgal Biotechnology · Waste Management · Sustainable Energy
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ADVANCED MATERIALS · 2026 · IF 26.8
Yuting Ren,Chenlong Su,Chao Qiu,Ping Zhu,Xuan Li,Lihui Yuan,Yihan Yang,Ying Zhao,Dujin Wang,Xia Dong
Developing transparent materials combining superior optical and mechanical properties with robust service stability remains a significant challenge. Herein, an amorphous alicyclic poly(ether-b-amide) (PEBA) copolymer is synthesized by incorporating bis(4-aminocyclohexyl) methane (PACM) into the hard segment (HS) to suppress crystallization, combined with low-molecular-weight poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) (PTMEG) as the soft segment (SS) to enhance segmental compatibility. Such molecular design results in a weakly microphase-separated structure with diffused boundaries between the nanometer microdomains. This “interface-erasing” strategy yields a hot-pressed film with a miscible-dominated morphology with phase regions ranging from 50 to 100 nm, significantly smaller than visible-light wavelengths. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations further demonstrate that these small phase regions, together with the miscible phase acting as a refractive index (RI) buffer, collectively reduce off-axis scattering, achieving excellent optical clarity (91.1% transmittance, 5.80% haze). The material also shows robust mechanical properties (>30 MPa, >1000% elongation), low-temperature impact resistance, service reliability, solvent resistance, and damping performance. By integrating multiscale characterization and theoretical modeling, this work provides a simple yet effective molecular design strategy and a multiscale mechanistic insight for transparent high performance elastomers, promising for applications as transparent protective layers.
Research fields: Polymer Science · Materials Engineering · Optical Materials · Soft Matter Physics · Mechanical Properties of Materials
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Foods · 2026 ·Vol. 15 ·Issue 11 ·1888 · IF 5.1
Ning Su,Huiliang Yang,Qiyun Zheng,Fei Lin,Taosheng Xu
Fatty acid abundance is a key parameter for evaluating the quality of edible oils. This study developed a rapid and non-destructive method for predicting palmitic acid content in edible oils by combining visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) reflectance spectroscopy with deep learning models. A total of 1740 reflectance spectra in the range of 350–2500 nm were collected from 87 brands of edible oils, including peanut, soybean, corn, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame, and olive oils. Reference values of palmitic acid content were determined via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two conventional machine learning models (SVR and KNN) and four deep learning models (1D-CNN, 1D-ResNet, 1D-Inception, and 1D-Inception-ResNet) were developed and compared using both full-spectrum data and CARS selected characteristic wavelengths. Among the full-spectrum models, the designed 1D-ResNet model achieved the best performance, with the determination coefficient of prediction (Rp2
Research fields: Food Science · Spectroscopy · Machine Learning · Analytical Chemistry · Deep Learning Applications
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POLYMER COMPOSITES · 2026 · IF 4.7
Jianquan Zhu,Shuwei Xu,Jia Fu,Jiawei Zhan,Jiamin Wang,Shuting Shen,Qiang Wu,Guomin Wu,Qian Li
High-fiber-loading bamboo fiber (BF) composites are attractive for lightweight and renewable structural applications, yet their practical use is limited by the intrinsic flammability of lignocellulosic fibers, insufficient resin impregnation, and weak interfacial bonding at high fiber contents. Herein, BF was functionalized with ammonium phosphate groups (PBF) using a reactive ternary deep eutectic solvent (TDES) composed of phytic acid, urea, and sulfamic acid, and then mixed with a waterborne epoxy resin (WEP) to fabricate PBF/WEP composites (PBECs) by hot-press molding at approximately 95 wt% fiber loading. The PBECs exhibited enhanced mechanical performance, attributed to restricted interfacial sliding and fiber pull-out. Specifically, the tensile strength increased from 180.22 MPa (BEC) to 200.18 MPa (PBEC-120), whereas the elongation at break decreased due to the suppression of plastic deformation. Compared with BEC, the TDES-treated composites (PBECs) exhibited markedly improved flame resistance, with the limiting oxygen index (LOI) increasing from 22.3% to 44.5%. These improvements are attributed to an N–P synergistic flame-retardant effect in the gas and condensed phases and to strengthened PBF-WEP interfacial interactions. This work demonstrates a TDES-enabled, solvent-minimized route to mechanically robust and flame-retardant bamboo fiber/WEP composites for fire-safe structural applications. Highlights Green high-fiber-loading bamboo fiber/epoxy composites were prepared. Ammonium phosphate groups were grafted onto BF via TDES pretreatment. Strength and flame retardancy were simultaneously enhanced. N–P synergistic effect promoted early formation of a stable char layer.
Research fields: Materials Science · Polymer Composites · Fire Safety Engineering · Green Chemistry · Sustainable Materials
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Polymers · 2026 ·Vol. 18 ·Issue 12 ·1416 · IF 4.9
Ji Ma,Zhixuan Yan,Dandan Liu,Guangye Liu,Naixiu Ding,Lixia He
Silica dispersion in rubber matrices remains a critical issue due to the polarity mismatch between silica and the rubber phase. This study aimed to synthesize functionalized liquid polyisoprene rubber (F-LIR) and evaluate its role in improving the interfacial interaction between silica and solution styrene–butadiene rubber (SSBR). F-LIR was synthesized by introducing an alkoxysilane-containing functionalizing agent at the termination stage of anionic polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) were used to confirm the successful introduction of silyl groups at the chain ends of liquid polyisoprene. The optimal loading of F-LIR in SSBR was evaluated through bound rubber content, dynamic mechanical analysis, and mechanical performance testing. The results demonstrated that F-LIR improved the tensile strength, modulus at 300% elongation, and bound rubber content of SSBR composites. These enhancements are attributed to the reaction between the silyl groups of F-LIR and surface hydroxyl groups of silica, together with the co-crosslinking interaction between F-LIR and SSBR. The composites containing 4 phr F-LIR exhibited the best overall balance of properties. This study provides a novel method for synthesizing F-LIR, which bridges silica and the rubber matrix by enhanced filler–rubber interactions at the filler–rubber interface.
Research fields: Polymer Science · Materials Science · Rubber Technology · Composite Materials
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ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA · 2026 · IF 6
Xiaoyu Yang,Shunbi Xie,Runzi Zhang,Wanyi Xiong,Yi He
Background The detection of chloramphenicol residues in food is critical to consumer health. To achieve efficient and sensitive detection, this study proposes a biosensor based on covalent organic framework@Au nano-flower (COF@Au NFs) and DNAzyme cascade amplification. Owing to their excellent biocompatibility, high electrical conductivity, and strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement, COF@Au NFs serve as an efficient substrate for both electrochemistry (EC) and SERS detection. Results The biosensor achieves sensitive dual-mode EC and SERS detection at femtomole levels. In the sensing system, chloramphenicol specifically activates a DNAzyme, triggering a cascade amplification reaction and releasing single-stranded DNA (S1), S1 subsequently induces the self-assembly of the sequence-specific DNA fragment EAD2 into a G-quadruplex bipedal structure capable of binding methylene blue (MB). This bipedal design enhances MB binding, thereby significantly improving both the EC and SERS responses. Experimental results demonstrate that the method exhibits an excellent linear response over the range of 1.0 × 10 −13 M to 0.1 × 10 −7 M, with an EC detection limit of 6.0070 × 10 −14 M and a SERS detection limit of 2.3472 × 10 −14 M. Significance This dual-mode detection method, with its high sensitivity and selectivity, holds promise for rapid and reliable chloramphenicol residue detection, providing robust technical support for food safety monitoring and further safeguarding consumer health.
Research fields: Food Safety · Analytical Chemistry · Biosensors · Nanomaterials · Environmental Monitoring
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JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY · 2026 · IF 6.2
Tianyuan Jiang,Xu Shen,Yu Zhang,Feiyan Cai,Li Tian,Jinshan Yang,Shaoming Dong
In this work, continuous and dense Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 coating was formed on the surface of SiC fibers by reaction of the Yb 2 O 3 coatings prepared via urea-based homogeneous precipitation with SiO 2 scales formed by fiber oxidation. The effect of SiO 2 to Yb 2 O 3 thickness ratio on the microstructure and morphology of Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 coatings was investigated. Fiber oxidation and defects introduced during coating synthesis cause severe fiber degradation, and pre-deposition of SiC via chemical vapor infiltration can improve the strength retention of the fibers. The Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 coatings can protect fibers from corrosion in water vapor environment at 1200 ℃, showing great resistance to oxidation.
Research fields: Materials Science · Ceramic Coatings · High-Temperature Materials · Fiber Reinforcement
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Gels · 2026 ·Vol. 12 ·Issue 5 ·381 · IF 5.3
Jizhong Yuan,Yaohuang Jiang,Mengle Liu,Peipei Wu,Guoxian Feng,Yanchun Yu,Xiongfa Yang
UV-curable L(-)–borneol-functionalized antibacterial hydrogels for packaging fresh-cut banana and cherry tomato (UV-LBs) were designed from L(-)–borneol-functionalized polyurethane acrylate prepolymers (LB-PUAs) and thiol-functionalized PVA (PVA-SH) using a thiol-ene click reaction initiated by UV light. UV-LBs exhibit unique properties, including excellent thermal stability, high mechanical performance and quite high antibacterial efficiency. The initial thermal decomposition temperature (Td5), tensile strength and elongation at break are in the range of 225–240 °C, 1.38–2.05 MPa and 44.4–68.6%, respectively. The antibacterial efficiency of UV-LBs againstStaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus),Escherichia coli(E. coli), andMonilia albican(M. albican) can reach 67.4%, 75.6% and 83.7%, respectively. The storage time of packaged fresh-cut banana and cherry tomato can be extended from 12 h to 30 h and 4 d to 5 d, respectively.
Research fields: Materials Science · Food Packaging Technology · Polymer Chemistry · Antimicrobial Materials · Applied Chemistry
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Chemistry-Switzerland · 2026 ·Vol. 8 ·Issue 5 ·56 · IF 2.4
Huan Yi,Xiaoshuai Wang,Junjie Yang,Yanjie Fang,Shaolong Huang,Zhengyuan Jin,Ribao Feng
An effective strategy for significantly enhancing photocatalytic activity of composite materials is to construct heterojunctions. Herein, a series of imidazole-modified heterostructured g-C3N4/SnO (CNIS) Z-scheme photocatalysts were prepared by calcination methods, leading to superior photocatalytic performance than pure SnO and imidazole-modified g-C3N4. Rhodamine B (Rh B) aqueous solution was taken as the target pollutant, and the result presented that both imidazole modification and the Z-scheme heterojunction construction benefited from significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity. Moreover, it is revealed that electrons were transferred from imidazole-modified g-C3N4to SnO through the interface of the composite by XPS analysis. Under visible light (>420 nm) irradiation, the built-in electric field, band edge bending, and Coulomb interaction work synergistically to drive the recombination of relatively useless electrons and holes in the hybrid. As a result, the residual electrons and holes, which possess enhanced reducibility and oxidizability, endow the composite with exceptional redox capability. This research can not only deepen our comprehension of designing and fabricating innovative Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts but also presents an effective approach to tackle environmental pollution issues in the future.
Research fields: Materials Science · Environmental Catalysis · Photocatalysis · Nanomaterials · Environmental Pollution Control
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Materials · 2026 ·Vol. 19 ·Issue 11 ·2351 · IF 3.2
Jingwen Yang,Guijian Guan
HighlightsA facile composition-regulation strategy via tuning the Al/Sr ratio enables Eu-doped strontium aluminate phosphors with continuous full-visible emission color tuning (red to blue).The Al/Sr = 1 phosphor achieves a high absolute quantum yield of 66.2% and acts as a luminescent thermometer with 0.27% K−1relative sensitivity and ~0.005 K resolution.Eu-doped strontium aluminate with Al/Sr = 2 exhibits efficient photothermal conversion, reaching ~72.8 °C under 980 nm laser irradiation (1 W·cm−2) within 10 s.This study demonstrates a single phosphor material system capable of continuously tuning color across the entire visible spectrum while integrating multiple luminescent functionalities. A series of these phosphors was conveniently synthesized with varying Al/Sr ratios in the reactants, enabling the emission color to progress through red, orange, yellow, green and blue. We systematically investigated the photoluminescence mechanisms by correlating crystal phase evolution with europium ion site occupancy and exploiting the resulting multicolor-emitting phosphors in optical display and anti-counterfeiting demonstrations. The relationships between composition, structure, and luminescence were revealed commendably, alongside more functional evaluations of europium-doped strontium aluminate phosphors. Notably, at an equimolar Al/Sr ratio of 1 (with 2 at% Eu doping), the phosphor achieves a high absolute quantum yield of 66.2% and functions as a luminescent optical thermometer with a relative sensitivity of 0.27% K−1and temperature resolution of ~0.005 K. At a non-equimolar Al/Sr ratio of 2, the Eu-doped phosphor exhibits efficient photothermal conversion, reaching ~72.8 °C under 980 nm laser irradiation (1 W·cm−2) within 10 s. This work introduces a facile composition-regulation strategy for designing multicolor-tunable, multifunctional phosphors, highlighting promising applications in optical displays, anti-counterfeiting, luminescence thermometry and photothermal conversion.
Research fields: Materials Science · Luminescent Materials · Optical Engineering · Temperature Measurement Technology · Photothermal Therapy · Display Technology
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IN VITRO CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY-PLANT · 2026 · IF 1.9
Zhang Cheng-cai,Chen Xiang-tao,Wang Hong-yang,Chen Wei-wu,Ciwang Jiumi,Dai Xiao-yu,Zhang Ya-fei,Li Qi,Wang Sheng,Zhang Ze-kun
Rhodiola species are highly valuable medicinal resources that hold significant importance in both traditional medicine and modern health fields. However, existing breeding techniques suffer from pain points such as low breeding efficiency and unstable active ingredients, which seriously restrict the development and utilization of their medicinal value. To develop a rapid tissue culture propagation system for endangered medicinal plants ( Rhodiola spp.) in plateau regions, and to determine the optimal conditions for seed germination, proliferation, seedling strengthening, rooting induction, and transplanting substrates across stages. L₉(3 3 ) orthogonal design and Box-Behnken response surface methodology were employed to explore the optimal tissue culture conditions. Results showed that the highest seed germination 92.67% was realized with 75% ethanol (30 s) pre-treatment, and then 1.0% NaClO (10 min). This study established a rapid tissue culture system for R. crenulate and R. rosea , achieving a proliferation coefficient of 7.38, 89% rooting rate, and enhanced active compound production. The most suitable transplanting substrate was a 2:1:1 mixture of vermiculite, sphagnum peat, and river sand, resulting in a survival rate of 68.54%. Post-transplantation, R. crenulate rhizomes accumulates higher salidroside and gallic acid, while R. rosea L. shows superior rosavin and tyrosol accumulation, revealing distinct interspecific patterns in active compound production. In conclusion, a tissue culture system for Rhodiola species was established providing a solid foundation for their sustainable resource utilization.
Research fields: Botany · Plant Biotechnology · Medicinal Plant Science · Plant Chemistry · Tissue Culture · Sustainable Use of Resources
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