Academic Research Journal•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908633
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with highly symmetric skeletons exhibit limited O2 adsorption and weak thermodynamic driving force for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e− ORR), constraining photocatalytic H2O2 production. Here, we modulate the local arrangement of fluorine atoms in COFs, creating para- and ortho-fluorinated variants (Fp-COFs and Fo-COFs) to induce an asymmetric electronic distribution. This asymmetry provides effective O2-adsorption sites and strengthens the driving force for 2e− ORR. Theoretical analysis reveals that asymmetric fluorination delocalizes lone-pair electrons of F atoms to adjacent carbons, producing a discretized electron distribution that enhances O2 adsorption at imine bonds. The increased electron density on these carbons facilitates electron transfer into the π* orbital of adsorbed O2, accelerating ·OOH* intermediate formation and lowering the Gibbs free energy barrier of the 2e− pathway. Consequently, Fo-COFs achieve a quantum yield of 8.8% for H2O2 photosynthesis in pure water. This work provides a new approach for tuning local electron distribution in COFs, offering guidance for rational design of efficient photocatalytic materials and broadening the application prospects of asymmetric electronic structures.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6168-7
With the continual deterioration of mining conditions, the deformation and failure of surrounding rock in roadways with weak roofs under intense mine pressure during close-distance coal seam extraction has become a critical issue restricting the safe and efficient mining of coal. To address the issue of increased surrounding rock damage caused by blasting pressure relief in such roadways, this study proposes an innovative non-explosive method for roof cutting and pressure relief with dense drilling (RCPRDD) to protect the roadway. A combined approach of laboratory experiments, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field testing was employed to clarify the rock weakening effects and mechanisms induced by dense drilling. An optimal design method for drilling diameter and spacing was established, and the effectiveness of this method was validated. The research results indicate that the degree of rock weakening induced by dense drilling is primarily related to the drilling density coefficient. As the drilling density coefficient increases, the rock weakening effect becomes more pronounced. At the same time, dense drilling exerts a significant amplifying effect on the tensile stress experienced by the side roof of the roadway goaf. A functional relationship between the dense drilling weakening coefficient and the drilling density coefficient was established, providing a theoretical basis for the selection of key parameters for dense drilling. The method was ultimately implemented in a field engineering test, effectively reducing the stress in the coal body of the advanced roadway, controlling the deformation and failure of the surrounding rock, and achieving the goal of protecting the roadway. This demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the RCPRDD. The research findings provide a scientific basis for controlling roadway deformation under similar conditions.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01719-y
Urgent requirements of the renewable energy boost the development of stable and clean hydrogen, which could effectively displace fossil fuels in mitigating climate changes. The efficient interconversion of hydrogen and electronic is highly based on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and water electrolysis (PEMWEs). However, the high cost continues to impede large-scale commercialization of both PEMFC and PEMWE technologies, with the expense primarily attributed to noble catalysts serving as a major bottleneck. The reduction of Pt loading in PEMFCs is essential but limited by the oxygen transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layers (CCLs), while the oxygen transport in anode catalyst layers (ACLs) in PEMWEs also being focused as the Ir/IrOx catalyst reduced. The pore structure and the catalyst–ionomer agglomerates play important roles in the oxygen transport process of both PEMFCs and PEMWEs due to the similarity of membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Herein, the oxygen transport mechanism of PEMFCs in pore structure and ionomer thin films in CCLs is systematically reviewed, while state-of-the-art strategies are presented for enhancing oxygen transport and performance through materials and structural design. The deeply research opens avenues for exploring similar key scientific problems in oxygen transport process of PEMWEs and their further development.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01685-5
The treatment of ammonia nitrogen wastewater (ANW) has garnered significant attention due to the ecology, and even biology is under increasing threat from over discharge ANW. Conventional ANW treatment methods often encounter challenges such as complex processes, high costs and secondary pollution. Considerable progress has been made in employing solar-induced evaporators for wastewater treatment. However, there remain notable barriers to transitioning from fundamental research to practical applications, including insufficient evaporation rates and inadequate resistance to biofouling. Herein, we propose a novel evaporator, which comprises a bio-enzyme-treated wood aerogel that serves as water pumping and storage layer, a cost-effective multi-walled carbon nanotubes coated hydrophobic/hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven mat functioning as photothermal evaporation layer, and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules incorporated as anti-biofouling agent. The resultant bioinspired evaporator demonstrates a high evaporation rate of 12.83 kg m−2 h−1 when treating simulated ANW containing 30 wt% NH4Cl under 1.0 sun of illumination. AIE-doped evaporator exhibits remarkable photodynamic antibacterial activity against mildew and bacteria, ensuring outstanding resistance to biofouling over extended periods of wastewater treatment. When enhanced by natural wind under 1.0 sun irradiation, the evaporator achieves an impressive evaporation rate exceeding 20 kg m−2 h−1. This advancement represents a promising and viable approach for the effective removal of ammonia nitrogen wastewater.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01628-6
Although room-temperature superconductivity is still difficult to achieve, researching materials with electrical conductivity significantly higher than that of copper will be of great importance in improving energy efficiency, reducing costs, lightening equipment weight, and enhancing overall performance. Herein, this study presents a novel copper–carbon nanofilm composite with enhanced conductivity which has great applications in the electronic devices and electrical equipment. Multilayer copper–carbon nanofilms and interfaces with superior electronic structures are formed based on copper materials using plasma immersion nanocarbon layer deposition technology, effectively enhancing conductivity. Experimental results show that for a five-layer copper–carbon nanofilm composite, the conductivity improves significantly when the thickness of the carbon nanofilm increases. When the carbon nanofilm accounts for 16% of the total thickness, the overall conductivity increases up to 30.20% compared to pure copper. The mechanism of the enhanced conductivity is analyzed including roles of copper atom adsorption sites and electron migration pathways by applying effective medium theory, first-principles calculations and density of states analysis. Under an applied electric field, the high-density electrons in the copper film can migrate into the nanocarbon film, forming highly efficient electron transport channels, which significantly enhance the material’s conductivity. Finally, large-area electrode coating equipment is developed based on this study, providing the novel and robust strategy to enhance the conductivity of copper materials, which enables industrial application of copper–carbon nanocomposite films in the field of high conductivity materials.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.10.003
Salt deposits in China predominantly originate from lake deposits, characterized by thin salt beds interspersed with numerous interlayers, collectively termed bedded salt formations. Historically, solution mining practices have adopted the layered solution mining approach, inspired by coal mining techniques. However, this approach fails to account for the unique challenges of salt solution mining. Practical implementation is inefficient, costs escalate post-construction, and cavern geometry is constrained by salt bed thickness. Additionally, resource loss in abandoned beds and stability risks in adjacent mining zones remain unresolved. This study investigates mining scheme selection for low-grade salt deposits in Huai'an Salt Basin, introducing a continuous solution mining method that traverses multiple interlayers. Through comprehensive analysis of plastic deformation in caverns and surrounding rock, volume shrinkage rates, and economic costs comparing continuous and layered solution mining approaches, the results demonstrate that: (1) In the layered solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme, plastic deformation zones propagate unevenly, posing interlayer connectivity risks. Concurrently, roof subsidence and floor heave destabilize the structure; (2) the continuous solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme reduces plastic deformation zones to 3.4% of cavern volume, with volumetric shrinkage below 17%, markedly improving stability; (3) Economically, the continuous solution mining scheme generates caverns 2.43 times larger than the layered solution mining, slashing unit volume costs to 41.1% while enhancing resource recovery and long-term viability. The continuous method demonstrates distinct economic advantages and achieves higher resource utilization efficiency in solution mining compared to layered mining. Furthermore, its superior cavern stability presents strong potential for large-scale implementation.
New Carbon Materials (新型炭材料)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(NCM2024-39-06-03)
Petroleum asphalt, an important by-product of the petrochemical industry, has diverse applications but often suffers from low industrial added value. Because of its low cost, high carbon content, and high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content, appropriate modification can increase its value and expand its energy storage applications. Current research progress on the common preparation methods of petroleum asphalt-based carbon materials, including template-assisted pyrolysis, molten salt treatment, activation, heteroatom doping, and pre-oxidation is reviewed, and its use in supercapacitors and alkali metal ion batteries, is also elaborated. Feasible solutions for the current problems with petroleum asphalt are proposed, with the aim of providing insights into its high value-added utilization.
New Carbon Materials (新型炭材料)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(NCM2024-39-01-05)
Because of the demand for clean and sustainable energy sources, nanocarbons, modified carbons and their composite materials derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as distinct catalysts for electrocatalytic energy conversion. These materials not only inherit the advantages of MOFs, like customizable dopants and structural diversity, but also effectively prevent the aggregation of nanoparticles of metals and metal oxides during pyrolysis. Consequently, they increase the electrocatalytic efficiency, improve electrical conductivity, and may play a pivotal role in green energy technologies such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. This review first explores the carbonization mechanism of the MOF-derived carbon-based materials, and then considers 3 key aspects: intrinsic carbon defects, metal and non-metal atom doping, and the synthesis strategies for these materials. We also provide a comprehensive introduction to advanced characterization techniques to better understand the basic electrochemical catalysis processes, including mapping techniques for detecting localized active sites on electrocatalyst surfaces at the micro- to nano-scale and in-situ spectroscopy. Finally, we offer insights into future research concerning their use as electrocatalysts. Our primary objective is to provide a clearer perspective on the current status of MOF-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts and encourage the development of more efficient materials.
New Carbon Materials (新型炭材料)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(NCM2025-40-01-04)
The ever-increasing integration of electronic devices has inevitably caused electromagnetic interference and heat accumulation problems, and dual-function materials with both a high thermal conductivity and high electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) are regarded as an effective strategy for solving these problems. Carbon materials are widely used as thermal and EWA fillers due to their excellent conductivity and outstanding thermal conduction properties, and have become a research hotspot in the field of high thermal conductivity, microwave absorbing materials in recent years. The status of current research progress on carbon-based high thermal-conduction microwave absorption materials, including carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene and amorphous carbon, is reviewed, and the influence of the structure of the materials on their absorption and thermal conductivity properties, such as core-shell structure, three-dimensional network structure, and heteroatom doping, is also elaborated. Feasible solutions for the current problems with these materials are proposed, with the aim of providing valuable guidance for the future design of carbon-based high thermal conduction microwave absorbing materials.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2025•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25060033
The escalating need for high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) computing intensifies the "memory bottleneck" of the von Neumann architecture, prompting extensive exploration of computation-in-memory (CIM) solutions. This study is centered on the optimization of a high-efficiency, low-power "L"-shaped split-gate floating-gate (FG) memory for CIM applications. Fabricated on a 55 nm CMOS platform, the memory devices were systematically investigated through wafer acceptance test (WAT), Sentaurus™ simulations and comprehensive evaluations with the DNN + NeuroSim Framework V2.0. Among devices with diverse FG lengths, the 95-nm FG variant exhibits outstanding performance: it achieves a 5.35 V memory window, reaches a maximum conductance of 16.7 μS with excellent linearity under the varying voltage and width pulse scheme (VWPS), realizes 32-state multi-level storage, and attains a 92% training accuracy on the CIFAR-10 dataset using the VGG8 neural network. These results highlight the potential of the proposed memory innovation for advancing high-performance CIM systems, offering significant theoretical and practical value.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.08.003
This study proposes and systematically evaluates an optimized integration of warm surface seawater injection with depressurization for the long-term exploitation of marine natural gas hydrates. By employing comprehensive multiphysics simulations guided by field data from hydrate production tests in the South China Sea, we pinpoint key operational parameters—such as injection rates, depths, and timings—that notably enhance production efficiency. The results indicate that a 3-phase hydrate reservoir transitions from a free-gas-dominated production stage to a hydrate-decomposition-dominated stage. Moderate warm seawater injection supplies additional heat during the hydrate decomposition phase, thereby enhancing stable production; however, excessively high injection rates can impede the depressurization process. Only injection at an appropriate depth simultaneously balances thermal supplementation and the pressure gradient, leading to higher overall productivity. A “depressurization-driven sensible-heat supply window” is introduced, highlighting that timely seawater injection following initial depressurization prolongs reservoir dissociation dynamics. In this study area, commencing seawater injection at 170 d of depressurization proved optimal. This optimized integration leverages clean and renewable thermal energy, providing essential insights into thermal supplementation strategies with significant implications for sustainable, economically feasible, and efficient commercial-scale hydrate production.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.10.003
Salt deposits in China predominantly originate from lake deposits, characterized by thin salt beds interspersed with numerous interlayers, collectively termed bedded salt formations. Historically, the solution mining practices have adopted the layered solution mining approach, inspired by coal mining techniques. However, this approach fails to account for the unique challenges of salt solution mining. Practical implementation is inefficient, costs escalate post-construction, and cavern geometry is constrained by salt beds thickness. Additionally, resource loss in abandoned beds and stability risks in adjacent mining zones remain unresolved. This study investigates mining scheme selection for low-grade salt deposits in Huai’an Salt Basin, introducing a continuous solution mining method that traverses multiple interlayers. Through comprehensive analysis of plastic deformation in caverns and surrounding rock, volume shrinkage rates, and economic costs comparing continuous and layered solution mining approaches, the results demonstrate that: (1) In the layered solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme, plastic deformation zones propagate unevenly, posing interlayer connectivity risks. Concurrently, roof subsidence and floor heave destabilize the structure; (2) the continuous solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme reduces plastic deformation zones to 3.4% of cavern volume, with volumetric shrinkage below 17%, markedly improving stability; (3) Economically, the continuous solution mining scheme generates caverns 2.43 times larger than the layered solution mining, slashing unit volume costs to 41.1% while enhancing resource recovery and long-term viability. The continuous method demonstrates distinct economic advantages and achieves higher resource utilization efficiency in solution mining compared to layered mining. Furthermore, its superior cavern stability presents strong potential for large-scale implementation.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2025•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25120042
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) offer numerous advantages, including the ability to form two-dimensional arrays, low power consumption, and easy coupling, making them promising for visible-light communication, sensing, and micro-display applications. In GaAs-based VCSELs, conductive epitaxial semiconductor distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) enable straightforward vertical current injection. However, in GaN-based VCSELs, the lack of p-type conductive epitaxial DBRs has necessitated complex fabrication processes, such as flip-chip bonding and substrate thinning, which increase thermal resistance and reduce yield. In this work, we demonstrate a room-temperature electrically injected GaN-based VCSEL employing a conductive nanoporous (NP) GaN DBR. The NP-GaN DBR, fabricated by electrochemical etching of highly Si-doped n+-GaN layers, exhibits a high reflectivity of 99.9% with a stopband width of about 35 nm, while retaining excellent electrical conductivity. The device structure incorporates a 10λ cavity for enhanced lateral heat dissipation, a 10-μm-diameter current aperture, and a top dielectric DBR with reduced reflectivity (99.2%) to facilitate top emission. The vertical series resistance through the NP-GaN DBR is approximately 4.5 Ω, significantly lower than that of AlInN/GaN DBRs (>60 Ω), demonstrating the superior electrical performance of the NP-GaN DBR. This work presents a promising approach for achieving high-performance GaN-based VCSELs with simplified fabrication and improved thermal management, paving the way for their integration into high-density display and communication systems.
Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s12613-025-3268-6
Despite their attractive features of high energy density, low cost, and safety, polysulfide/iodide flow batteries (SIFBs) are hampered by the sluggish kinetics of the iodide redox couple, which restricts overall performance. Multicomponent sulfides are demonstrated as promising catalysts for accelerating redox reactions. Concurrently, the enhanced configurational entropy arising from multinary compositions drives synergistic effects among constituent elements, establishing a viable pathway to optimize catalytic performance. Building on these foundations, this work introduces a targeted orbital hybridization-optimized electron density strategy to enhance the catalytic activity. Implementing this concept, we developed an in-situ solvothermal synthesis process for an entropy-enhanced AgCuZnSnS4 loaded graphite felt (ACZTS/GF) electrode. The engineered electrode demonstrates exceptional electrocatalytic performance with improved bulk conductivity and interfacial charge transfer kinetics within a SIFB. The cell achieves a high energy efficiency of 88.5% at 20 mA·cm−2 with 10% state-of-charge. Furthermore, the battery delivers a maximum power density of 119.8 mW·cm−2 and exhibits excellent long-term cycling stability. These significant results stem from orbital hybridization-driven electronic state optimization and entropy effect-induced synergistic catalysis.