{"title":"Insight into balancing adsorption and photocatalysis in ternary covalent organic frameworks with site-specific capture for maximized photocatalytic uranium extraction","authors":"Jinghan Hao, Yayu Dong, Yanan Cheng, Yunxuan Wu, Chang Liu, Zhimin Dong, Xishi Tai, Zhibin Zhang, Yunhai Liu, Xiaohong Cao, Xiangke Wang","doi":"10.1007/s11426-026-3381-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-026-3381-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Rational molecular design of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) integrating site-specific capture capability and efficient charge transfer dynamics is pivotal for maximizing photocatalytic performance. However, there is a lack of systematic studies on the influence of the delicate balance between adsorption energy and photocatalytic activity. Herein, we designed a series of ternary COFs (TB-C, TTB-C, and TP-C) with precisely engineered site-specific chelating mechanical arm motifs to systematically explore how the coupling of adsorption energy and photocatalytic activity dictates uranium removal performance. Compared with TB-C and TP-C, extended benzene ring moieties in TTB-C fine-tune electron cloud distribution and elongate charge transport pathways simultaneously, endowing TTB-C with moderate uranyl adsorption energy yet achieving the optimal uranium removal performance. Consequently, TTB-C achieves an optimal U(VI) removal efficiency of 99% within 3 h, which is consistent with volcano plot predictions. Theoretical calculations and mechanisms analysis reveal a counterintuitive phenomenon that moderate and well-matched adsorption energy for uranyl ions favors efficient U(VI) desorption, in turn elevating the collision probability with <i>in-situ</i> generated H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> to form insoluble (UO<sub>2</sub>)O<sub>2</sub>·2H<sub>2</sub>O precipitates. This is the first case to elucidate the delicate balance between U(VI) adsorption energy and photocatalytic activity in governing uranium removal efficiency, providing a rational molecular design paradigm for advanced photocatalytic COFs in radionuclide remediation.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 9","pages":"5138 - 5147"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ouwei Sheng, Ersun Zhao, Xiang Li, Tao Yang, Qingyue Han, Chengbin Jin
{"title":"The formation and alleviation of inactive lithium in solid-state lithium metal batteries","authors":"Ouwei Sheng, Ersun Zhao, Xiang Li, Tao Yang, Qingyue Han, Chengbin Jin","doi":"10.1007/s11426-025-3376-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-025-3376-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Solid-state lithium (Li) metal batteries (SSLMBs), owning high energy density and superior safety, are regarded as promising future energy storage technologies. However, Li anodes in this system continuously degrade during battery storage and cycling. This process leads to the formation and accumulation of inactive Li (<i>i.e.</i>, “dead Li” that has lost its ion/electron contact), ultimately resulting in poor lifespans of SSLMBs. Though some progress has been made in liquid systems, there is still a lack of a systematic summary regarding the generation and alleviation of inactive Li in SSLMBs. In this review, we first analyze the formation of inactive Li in SSLMBs, which primarily stems from the thermodynamic instability of Li and slow Li-ion transport kinetics. Subsequently, strategies for migrating, inhibiting, or reutilizing inactive Li trapped within the electrolyte and at the Li/electrolyte interface are summarized and discussed. Finally, the advancement in diagnosing inactive Li has been reviewed, offering a valuable recognition for improving the longevity and safety of SSLMBs. By providing such key insights into inactive Li chemistry, this review paves the way for the practical implementation of SSLMBs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 9","pages":"4775 - 4791"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unlocking open metal sites in Zr-MOF/MOG for efficient and rapid Se(IV) adsorption","authors":"Qi Zhou, Guojian Ren, Xiaolong Gong, Nana Ma, Linglong Yi, Qinhe Pan","doi":"10.1007/s11426-026-3401-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-026-3401-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Selenium (Se, IV) poses a severe threat to human health and ecological security; hence, the exploration of high-performance adsorbents for the removal of Se(IV) remains essential. Aiming at Se(IV) adsorption, the open metal sites have shown the potential possibility, especially for the Zr-based MOFs (Zr-MOFs) with excellent stability. Nonetheless, how to effectively build the open metal sites still keep great challenge. In this work, by using the strategy of coordination competition with the competing ligand of HCOOH, a 4-connected Zr-MOF (<b>HNU-88</b>) has been synthesized by the assembling of the zwitterionic ligand 1,3-bis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-1H-imidazole-3-onium chloride (H<sub>4</sub>L<sup>+</sup>Cl<sup>−</sup>) and Zr<sup>4+</sup>. Different from the saturated 12-connetion of the Zr<sub>6</sub> cluster, the remaining binding sites in the <b>HNU-88</b> crystal structure are coordinated by the formic acid and water molecules. Benefiting from the open metal sites in the 4-connected Zr<sub>6</sub> cluster, <b>HNU-88</b> showed good adsorption of Se(IV) with maximum adsorption amounts of 450.56 mg/g. Based on sufficient data of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), corroborated by electrostatic potential (ESP) surface and natural population analysis (NPA) calculations, the adsorption site of Se(IV) was confirmed to be on a Zr atom with open metal sites. Interestingly, a metal-organic gel (<b>HNU-G8</b>) with lots of Zr clusters was obtained during the formation of <b>HNU-88</b>, which strikingly reduces the adsorption equilibrium time while maintaining a high adsorption capacity of 284.92 mg/g for SeO<span>\u0000 <sup>2−</sup><sub>3</sub>\u0000 \u0000 </span>. The adsorption kinetics of <b>HNU-G8</b> showed that equilibrium was achieved within 3 h, and the trace Se(IV) can be reduced to less than 10 ppb in 30 min, which can be attributed to exposing the more open metal sites of Zr-based clusters. This work provides a new design strategy for the construction of low coordination Zr-MOFs and new materials for the treatment of Se(IV) pollution in the water environment.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 9","pages":"5112 - 5120"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhende Wu, Jing Xie, Jindou Hu, Zhenjiang Lu, Yali Cao
{"title":"Ultrahigh CO2 photoreduction efficiency over SrTiO3 enabled by graphene quantum dot-mediated proton/electron transfer","authors":"Zhende Wu, Jing Xie, Jindou Hu, Zhenjiang Lu, Yali Cao","doi":"10.1007/s11426-025-3366-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-025-3366-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The efficiency of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) critically governs the reaction pathway selectivity and catalytic performance in photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction. However, the slow PCET kinetics and high energy barriers of key intermediates hinder the achievement of high generation efficiency and selectivity of the product. Herein, the regulation of the surface oxygen vacancy (V<sub>o</sub>) concentration was achieved by introducing graphene quantum dots (GQDs) into the SrTiO<sub>3</sub> catalytic system (GQDs/STO). More importantly, the formation of Ti–O–C bonds between STO and GQDs further promoted the PCET process during CO<sub>2</sub> reduction, thereby significantly enhancing the reaction kinetics. Therefore, 3%GQDs/STO achieves remarkable CO production rates of 9500 µmol g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, which is 187 times higher than that of pure STO (51.2 µmol g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). Moreover, CO selectivity and electron utilization efficiency reach 99.8% and 99.2%, respectively, outperforming most previous photocatalysts. Experimental and theoretical investigations confirm that the synergistic effects of V<sub>o</sub> electron traps and Ti–O–C bonds not only modulate the speciation of critical intermediates but also significantly reduce the activation energy barrier of the rate-determining step (*COOH to *CO). This work offers novel insights and ideas for developing efficient catalysts with highly effective photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 8","pages":"4406 - 4415"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148695179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qian Li, Shengxu Wei, Xinyu Qin, Zhangbin Yang, Shaobang Pan, Houqiang Ji, Yanfei Zhang, Bin He, Mohsen Shakouri, Huan Pang
{"title":"Synergistically MXene-reinforced triple redox metal-organic coordination for constructing long-life aqueous zinc-ion batteries","authors":"Qian Li, Shengxu Wei, Xinyu Qin, Zhangbin Yang, Shaobang Pan, Houqiang Ji, Yanfei Zhang, Bin He, Mohsen Shakouri, Huan Pang","doi":"10.1007/s11426-026-3380-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-026-3380-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>MXene exhibits promising application prospects in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to its excellent electrical conductivity, layered ion transport channels, and hydrophilic surface chemistry. However, intrinsic limitations such as severe restacking and insufficient electrochemically active sites hinder further performance enhancement. High entropy (HE) nanomaterials, with multicomponent synergy, offer abundant redox-active sites and improved stability, providing an effective solution. In this work, we propose a composite strategy that integrates MXene with multiple active sites of HE nanomaterials. By precisely regulating the ultrasonic exfoliation degree of MXene, the coating morphology of the HE nanomaterials surface can be precisely controlled, enabling simultaneous optimization of charge transport of the electrode. Two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) is used as a reference material to demonstrate that MXene provides superior electrical conductivity, ion diffusion, and interfacial stability. <i>In situ</i> and <i>ex situ</i> characterization confirm the electrochemical reaction mechanism of the optimized HE/M-2 composite during the charge-discharge process. When applied as a cathode material in soft-pack batteries and semi-solid-state batteries, the HE/M-2 composite demonstrated excellent cycling stability, safety, and practical performance. These results underscore the strong potential of HE/MXene composites for flexible and wearable energy storage applications.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 9","pages":"5058 - 5064"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sui-Qian Wang, Li-Ying Sun, Le Zhang, Chen Zou, F. Ekkehardt Hahn, Ying-Feng Han
{"title":"Self-assembly and guest-binding properties of face-capped (Au3)4L4 capsules","authors":"Sui-Qian Wang, Li-Ying Sun, Le Zhang, Chen Zou, F. Ekkehardt Hahn, Ying-Feng Han","doi":"10.1007/s11426-026-3463-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-026-3463-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A general method for constructing (Au<sub>3</sub>)<sub>4</sub><b>L</b><sub>4</sub> face-capped tetrahedral organometallic cages was established based on the combination of metal-metal-bonded Au<sub>3</sub> clusters and C<sub>3</sub>-symmetric tris-NHC ligands. Two of the formed cages were observed to have nearly identical cluster-cluster distances in the crystal state; however, they exhibited distinct guest properties. The intramolecular CH⋯<i>π</i> interactions were identified as key stabilizing factors for the formation of a tetrahedral architecture and affected the uptake of guest species by sufficiently modulating the cavity size and shape. Especially, a series of Group IVA tetramethyl compounds, such as Si(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>4</sub>, Ge(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>4</sub>, and Sn(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>4</sub>, were found to be encapsulated by the host and the inclusion complexes were unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 10","pages":"5666 - 5672"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149176393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jingyun Mou, Dandan Yu, Hongyu Huang, Jinpeng Ruan, Tiefang Wang, Yonghao Chen, Khatam Ashurov, Ilkhom Ashurov, Da Chen, Hua Wang
{"title":"Recent advances in aluminum anodes for aqueous aluminum ion batteries","authors":"Jingyun Mou, Dandan Yu, Hongyu Huang, Jinpeng Ruan, Tiefang Wang, Yonghao Chen, Khatam Ashurov, Ilkhom Ashurov, Da Chen, Hua Wang","doi":"10.1007/s11426-025-3360-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-025-3360-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) are attracting growing interest due to their intrinsic safety, low cost, natural abundance, high volumetric capacity, and multielectron redox chemistry of aluminum. Although Al<sup>3+</sup> participation allows theoretical three-electron transfer, aluminum anodes still suffer from hydrogen evolution, surface passivation, sluggish Al<sup>3+</sup> desolvation and transport, debatable aluminum plating/stripping behaviors, nonuniform deposition, and poor cycling stability. This review summarizes recent progress in aluminum anodes for AAIBs and provides a mechanistic understanding of key degradation pathways associated with the aluminum and electrolyte interface. Particular attention is given to the unique physicochemical characteristics of Al<sup>3+</sup>, including its high charge density, strong hydration, and complexation behavior, which strongly influence ion transport, interfacial reactions, and the reversibility of deposition and stripping processes. Advances in surface modification, alloying strategies, microstructural regulation, and electrolyte optimization are critically evaluated based on their ability to stabilize the aluminum surface and enhance the reversibility of aluminum electrochemistry. Finally, key opportunities and future research directions are outlined, including operando and quantitative characterization, the design of a compatible electrolyte and anode, and performance evaluation under practical conditions. This review aims to establish fundamental principles and design strategies for achieving high-performance and durable AAIBs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 9","pages":"4792 - 4809"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yichi Zhang, Min Hou, Guang-Yu Zhang, Tianjiao Bai, Jun Ma, Hui Cao, Jingqiang Wang, Zhen-Bo Wang, Yao Xiao
{"title":"Design principle for high safety and long cycle over 50 Ah sodium-ion batteries with wide operation temperature","authors":"Yichi Zhang, Min Hou, Guang-Yu Zhang, Tianjiao Bai, Jun Ma, Hui Cao, Jingqiang Wang, Zhen-Bo Wang, Yao Xiao","doi":"10.1007/s11426-025-3449-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11426-025-3449-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":772,"journal":{"name":"Science China Chemistry","volume":"69 8","pages":"4338 - 4342"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148695645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}