In the paper published in National Science Review, the authors report a general and completely new effect of polymeric insulators in organic semiconductors: the insulator-donor electron wavefunction coupling effect. Such insulators can couple with a series of donor polymers to reduce the energy barrier level and facilitate the intramolecular electron transport. This coupling effect offers a simple yet effective method for enhancing the performance of organic solar cells.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry, a step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction involving a donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymer and manganese cadmium sulfide (BTz@MCS) has been fabricated to achieve efficient photocatalytic H₂O₂ production in a non-sacrificial system. The high photocatalytic performance of the developed catalyst is attributed to well-designed S-scheme heterojunctions with improved charge separation and transfer.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry, an indium-involved modification strategy is employed to address the instability of sulfide electrolyte and Lithium metal. The optimized doping yields a high Li-ion conductivity of 7.5 mS cm⁻¹ for Li_5.54In_0.02PS_4.47O_0.03Cl_1.5 electrolyte, accompanied by enhanced endurance against air/moisture and bare Li metal. Additionally, a composite layer comprising Li–In alloy and LiF phases is generated on the surface of lithium metal anode via the reaction between InF₃ and molten Li. Consequently, the combination of the Li_5.54In_0.02PS_4.47O_0.03Cl_1.5 electrolyte and the InF₃@Li anode provides exceptional electrochemical performances in both symmetric cells and solid-state lithium metal batteries across different operating temperatures.

As global nitrogen pollution intensifies, scientists are seeking more effective and sustainable solutions. Recently, a review published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry explored the broad applications of electrocatalysis in the detection, removal, and resource recovery of nitrogen pollutants. The review emphasizes the critical role of electrocatalysis in addressing nitrogen pollution and discusses opportunities for future material innovations.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry, the strain and electronic structure of PtMnM intermetallics have been modulated by introducing another transition metal, and the optimized PtMnCo intermetallics exhibit excellent ORR activity and durability.

The study found that forest structures change significantly and DBH–height allometry varies between bamboo and trees in response to bamboo invasion across subtropical forests in China. These findings highlight that the inherent superiority of bamboo allometry contributes to its successful invasion of secondary forests.

Polarization photodetectors (pol-PDs) have widespread applications in geological remote sensing, machine vision, and biological medicine. However, commercial pol-PDs usually require bulky and complicated optical components and are difficult to miniaturize and integrate. Chinese researchers have recently made important progress in this area by developing an on-chip integrated polarization photodetector.