For decades, the speed of transistors has been approaching its physical limit. 

Researchers led by Professor Maochang Liu at Xi’an Jiaotong University have developed a photocatalytic system that simultaneously produces hydrogen gas and a valuable industrial chemical from ethanol with 100% selectivity. By anchoring Ru single atoms and creating S vacancies on ultrathin porous CdS nanosheets, the team achieved an 81.5-fold enhancement in hydrogen evolution compared to pristine CdS. The work, published in Science Bulletin, provides a new strategy for solar-driven coproduction of clean fuel and high-value chemicals.

A research team has produced two complete telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome assemblies for cowpea, giving scientists a fuller view of one of the world's important food, vegetable, and forage legumes. 

Driven by a new wave of technological revolution, materials science is transforming. To capture this momentum, the International Conference on Advanced Functional Materials and Technologies (ICAFMT) will be convened in Dongguan, China, from October 23-25, 2026.

ICAFMT26 is dedicated to bridge the gap between advanced materials and intelligent science. By providing a platform for in-depth discussion on new trends, it aims to promote international collaboration and drive global innovation.

Industrial oily wastewater discharges and marine oil spills pose a serious threat to ecosystems. A new strategy for efficient and controllable oil–water separation is provided by smart-responsive wettability materials, owing to their ability to dynamically switch surface wettability in response to external stimuli. Under this premise, we reviewed the research progress and applications of such materials. First, we described the theoretical basis of wettability and the mechanism of oil–water separation. Subsequently, we comparatively analyzed the structural characteristics and separation properties of four types of special wettable materials. We focused on eight categories of smart response wetting materials: temperature, pH, light, electricity, gas, ion, solvent, and multi-response. For each type, we analyzed the response mechanisms, advantages, and limitations in oil–water separation. In addition, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of key preparation techniques such as layer-by-layer self-assembly, electrostatic spinning, and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Finally, we summarized the current research status and challenges in the field of smart-responsive wetting materials and looked forward to future development directions.

Biochar is often described as a climate-smart soil amendment because it can improve soil quality while storing carbon for long periods. But once biochar is added to soil, it does not stay unchanged. Rain, drying, minerals, oxygen, and microorganisms gradually alter its surface, chemistry, and environmental functions. For saline soils, where salt stress already limits crop production across many agricultural regions, scientists have had limited information about how biochar changes over time.