Recently, the research team led by Xiang Ma and Fan Gu from East China University of Science and Technology developed a luminescent soft material by doping coronene into an epoxy-based shape memory polymer, demonstrating both actuation capability and tunable ultralong afterglow property at high temperature. This strategy enabled real-time visual monitoring of dynamic material deformation at temperatures up to 200 °C, opening up new avenues for intelligent equipment monitoring, information encryption and circuit protection in extreme environments.

The release of marine isoprene is an important component of material exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, and its long-term variability and climatic drivers have attracted widespread attention. A research team led by Professor Jialei Zhu at Tianjin University constructed a global marine isoprene emission flux dataset spanning 1950–2020 using machine learning and an improved parameterization scheme. Basing on this dataset, they have revealed mechanisms through which the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modulates the interannual variability of marine isoprene emissions by influencing sea surface temperature, solar radiation, surface winds, phytoplankton activity, and other environmental factors. This study has been published in 2026 Chinese and English editions of SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences.

A multi-institutional research team reviews progress in CO₂-involved organic synthesis over the past five years. By organizing reactions according to C-C, C-N, and C-O bond formation, the review highlights the growing role of photochemistry and electrochemistry in converting CO₂ into value-added organic products.

The researchers demonstrate ultra-effective growths of archetypal metastable correlated-perovskites, e.g. nickelates (RENiO₃), via liquid phase epitaxy within alkali-chlorides molten-salts, realizing micrometer-thickness and scalability. This bridges technological-discontinuities in micrometer-thick film-growths of RENiO₃, achieving record-competing electronic phase transitions at analog-compatible resistances enabling more effective and energy-efficient analog cryogenic alarming applications. Wafer-scale RENiO₃ with high-uniformity was firstly successfully grown within low melting-point eutectic alkali-chlorides, eliminating previous reliance on MPa-high oxygen-pressures. This strategy was extendable to multiple functional oxide-systems.

This collection features articles on Nanomaterials published in Smart Materials in Manufacturing. All articles are free to read and download.

This collection features articles on Functional Materials published in Smart Materials in Manufacturing. All articles are free to read and download.