Abbreviation (ISO4): Prog Chem
Editor in chief: Jincai ZHAO
Confined synthesis is a template-based method that precisely guides and controls the directional assembly or reaction of precursor molecules within the template cavities by virtue of the specific structures and physicochemical properties of hard templates. This approach enables accurate structural regulation of target products， expands the structural boundaries of synthesizable materials， and holds significant research value and application prospects in the field of one-dimensional carbon material synthesis. This review focuses on three typical hard templates including carbon nanotubes， boron nitride nanotubes and metal-organic frameworks， and systematically elaborates the technical routes and research progress of confined synthesis of one-dimensional carbon materials such as graphene nanoribbons， carbon chains， carbon nanotubes and polythiophene using these templates. In addition， the similarities and differences between confined synthesis and on-surface synthesis in the preparation of one-dimensional carbon materials are compared and analyzed， and the potential of molecular sieves as new templates for the confined synthesis of one-dimensional carbon materials is discussed. Finally， the advantages and existing problems of confined synthesis technology in the preparation of one-dimensional carbon materials are summarized， and the future research directions of this field are prospected， aiming to provide references for relevant research.
1 Introduction
2 Confined synthesis using carbon nanotubes
2.1 Carbon nanotube-confined synthesis of graphene nanoribbons
2.2 Confined synthesis of small-diameter carbon nanotubes in carbon nanotubes
2.3 Carbon nanotube-confined synthesis of carbon chains
2.4 Carbon nanotube-confined synthesis of carbides
3 Confined synthesis using boron nitride nanotubes
4 Confined synthesis using metal-organic frameworks
4.1 Metal-organic framework-confined synthesis of graphene nanoribbons
4.2 Metal-organic framework-confined synthesis of polyacene
4.3 Metal-organic framework-confined synthesis of one-dimensional polymers
5 Confined synthesis using molecular sieves
6 Conclusion and outlook
The microphthalmia/transcription factor E（MiT/TFE）and upstream stimulating factors（USFs）subfamilies be-long to the basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine zipper（bHLH-LZ）transcription factor superfamily，serving as key hubs regulating cellular physiological homeostasis and disease progression. The MiT/TFE family comprises four members，namely MITF，TFE3，TFEB，and TFEC，with a signature structural feature of three amino acid insertions in the Leucine zipper（LZ）domain，enabling the formation of dynamic dimers. This family regulates cellular metabolic stress and tissue-specific functions through the autophagy-lysosome pathway. The USFs family includes two members，USF1 and USF2，which rely on stable tetrameric conformations mediated by the LZ-Ext module to enhance transcriptional efficiency via DNA looping，thereby participating in basic transcriptional regulation and maintenance of multi-system homeostasis. Dysfunction of both families is closely associated with cancer，metabolic diseases，immune disorders，and other conditions，and their unique structural domains provide important targets for targeted therapy. This review systematically summarizes the discovery history，member characteristics，structure-function relationships，and pathological significance of the MiT/TFE and USFs families，focuses on the development strategies and progress of small-molecule inhibitors，and finally prospects the future research directions and clinical transformation potential of this field，aiming to provide a theoretical basis and innovative ideas for the precision medicine practice of related diseases.
1 Introduction
1.1 Discovery and member overview
1.2 Overview of physiological functions and pathological significance
2 Structure and function
2.1 Structure and spatial conformation of MiT/TFE family proteins
2.2 Structure and spatial conformation of USFs family proteins
2.3 The regulatory significance of structural features on functions
3 Development strategies and progress of small molecule inhibitors
3.1 Direct targeting strategy
3.2 Indirect regulation strategy
3.3 Combined treatment strategy
3.4 Emerging targeted protein degradation strategies
4 Conclusion and outlook
Prussian blue and its analogues represent a class of open porous framework transition metal coordination compounds with a long history. They possess distinctive structural features，including a unique three-dimensional metal framework and electronic structure，tunable chemical composition，as well as diverse properties such as excellent photothermal and catalytic performance，good biocompatibility，and multimetal synergistic effects. In recent years，researchers have developed various synthesis methods based on their structure and properties，and have achieved a series of applications across different fields. This has gradually expanded the role of Prussian blue and its analogues from traditional pigments and dyes to versatile functional materials with significant potential in modern domains like catalysis，energy storage，and device fabrication. This review summarizes the brief discovery history and structure of Prussian blue and its analogues，introduces common preparation methods，and highlights their recent applications in diverse fields such as catalysis，energy storage，electrochromics，biomedicine，and environmental remediation. Finally，the challenges and future research prospects for the practical application of them are summarized and prospected.
1 Introduction
2 Discovery and structure of Prussian blue and its analogs
2.1 Discovery and structural analysis of Prussian blue
2.2 Prussian blue analogues
2.3 Preparation method
3 Progress in the application of Prussian blue and its analogues
3.1 Applications of catalysis
3.2 Applications of energy storage
3.3 Applications of electrochromic materials
3.4 Applications of biomedicine
3.5 Applications of environmental remediation
3.6 Applications of other fields
4 Conclusion and outlook
Sodium-ion batteries（SIBs）have attracted increasing attention as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries owing to their abundant resources，low cost，and improved safety. Among various cathode systems for SIBs，P2-type layered transition metal oxides stand out due to their relatively simple crystal structures，mature synthesis processes，and fast Na+ diffusion kinetics，rendering them highly attractive for practical applications. Nevertheless，their commercialization is still hindered by several intrinsic challenges，including frequent structural phase transitions during cycling，insufficient air stability，and limited reversible capacity. To address these issues，extensive efforts have been devoted to performance optimization strategies such as ionic doping，composite structure design，surface coating，and morphology regulation，among which ionic doping has emerged as an effective and versatile approach. Despite numerous reports，existing studies are predominantly organized according to dopant species or material systems，while a systematic understanding from the perspective of coordination environment regulation remains lacking. In this review，recent advances in ionic doping strategies for P2-type layered oxide cathodes are comprehensively summarized with an emphasis on coordination environments，and the roles of dopant ions located in the alkali metal layers，transition metal layers，and anionic frameworks are systematically discussed，with particular attention to their mechanisms in stabilizing crystal structures，suppressing unfavorable phase transitions，and enhancing electrochemical performance. Furthermore，the key challenges and limitations associated with ionic doping strategies are critically analyzed，their practical applicability is evaluated，and perspectives on future research directions and development opportunities for P2-type layered cathode materials are provided.
1 Introduction
2 The challenges of P2-type cathode materials
2.1 Irreversible transition
2.2 Low air stability
2.3 Low reversible capacity
3 Alkali metal layer doping modification
4 Transition metal layer doping modification
4.1 Single metal P2 cathode material
4.2 Binary metal P2 cathode material
4.3 Ternary and polymetallic P2 cathode materials
5 Anion oxygen layer doping modification
6 Conclusion and outlook
Triboelectric nanogenerators（TENGs）convert mechanical energy from daily human activities（such as body movements，breathing，and heartbeats）into electrical energy，enabling real-time，continuous，non-invasive and convenient monitoring of physiological signals and motion states. Herein，this review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in hydrogel-based TENGs for human health monitoring. Initially，the fundamental working principles of hydrogel-based TENGs are introduced to clarify the conversion of human mechanical energy into electricity. Secondly，the roles of hydrogels in TENGs are analyzed from both triboelectric and electrode layers. Subsequently，the strategies to enhance the performance of hydrogels in terms of surface characteristics，mechanical properties，electrical conductivity and environmental stability are discussed，with the aim of improving overall device performance and expanding applicability. Next，the applications of hydrogel-based TENGs in monitoring human physiological signals（such as electrocardiogram，respiration）and motion states（such as joint movement，gait analysis，cervical exercises）are also summarized，demonstrating their broad potential in health monitoring. Finally，the future challenges and development directions are outlined，providing valuable insights for further research. In summary，this review aims to promote the development of hydrogel-based TENGs toward higher performance and wider application in human health monitoring.
1 Introduction
2 Working principle of hydrogel-based TENGs
3 Performance optimization of hydrogel-based TENGs
3.1 Surface characteristics
3.2 Mechanical properties
3.3 Electrical conductivity
3.4 Environmental stability
3.5 Collaborative optimization strategy
4 The application of hydrogel-based TENGs in human health monitoring
4.1 Human physiological signal monitoring
4.2 Human motion state monitoring
5 Conclusion and outlook
Cage-like carboranes，with their unique polyhedral spatial architecture and three-dimensional（3D）delocalized electron system，are regarded as 3D analogs of benzene rings and exhibit 3D aromaticity that is not found in classical two-dimensional（2D）aromatic systems. These compounds generally possess high chemical stability，high thermal stability，and excellent biocompatibility，endowing them with broad application prospects in the fields such as organic optoelectronic materials and biomedicine. This article systematically reviews the significant research progress achieved in recent years regarding carborane-based luminescent materials，focusing on aspects such as molecular design strategies and application field. In terms of molecular design，researchers have effectively regulated the aggregated structure，charge transfer properties，and excited-state characteristics of molecules by means of embedding carborane cages into conjugated backbones，using them as pendant groups，or employing them to construct donor-acceptor（D-A）systems. This regulation，in turn，enables the enhancement of luminescent quantum yield and the tuning of emission wavelength ranges. In the field of applications，this class of materials not only demonstrates great potential in high-performance optoelectronic materials but also exhibits prominent application value in fields such as circularly polarized luminescence（CPL），stimuli-responsive materials，and bioimaging. Finally，the article provides an outlook on the challenges and development prospects for the future development of this category of materials.
1 Introduction
2 o-Carborane based luminescent materials
2.1 o-Carborane C2B10H12 based organic luminescent materials
2.2 o-Carborane C2B10H12 based metal complex luminescent materials
3 Carborane anion luminescent materials
3.1 nido-Carborane anion [nido-C2B9H12]⁻ based luminescent materials
3.2 Monocarba-closo-dodecaborate anion [CB11H12]⁻ luminescent materials
4 Conclusion and outlook
Polyurethane（PU）is an indispensable polymer material widely used in daily life. However，its flammability（limiting oxygen index LOI < 20%）and release of toxic smoke during combustion restrict its application in emerging fields such as smart wearables and robotic skins. Therefore，overcoming the limitations of traditional flame-retardant strategies has become an urgent issue in materials science. This review systematically summarizes key advances from 2021 to 2025，focusing on new flame-retardant paradigms based on biomimetic structural design and intelligent response mechanisms. Multiscale biomimicry includes macro-shape mimicry，such as sunflowers and cacti，and micro-structural mimicry，such as nacre-like layering and lotus-leaf superhydrophobic surfaces. This approach effectively balances flame retardancy with mechanical properties and introduces additional functions like oil-water separation，solar ice melting，and underwater antibacterial performance. Furthermore，this paper presents the concept of intelligent active protection. Integrating self-healing，fire early warning，and shape memory creates a synergistic system that forms a closed-loop protection mechanism covering sensing，alerting，and action. This advances flame-retardant technology from static，passive defense toward dynamic，adaptive response. Nevertheless，this field still faces three major challenges. First，environmental adaptability is limited，as most self-healing and shape memory behaviors require specific activation conditions. Second，complex biomimetic nanostructures are difficult to fabricate on a large scale at low cost. Third，the long-term cyclic stability and durability of coatings and composites need improvement. To address these challenges，future work should integrate artificial intelligence for material pre-design，combine animal and plant features to build multi-level defense systems，and develop biomass-based green closed-loop solutions across the material life cycle. These efforts will promote the development of biomimetic intelligent flame-retardant polyurethanes that can coexist sustainably with the environment.
1 Introduction
2 Bionic flame retardant
2.1 Shape bionics
2.2 Structural bionics
2.3 Surface coating
3 Intelligent flame retardant
3.1 Self-healing
3.2 Fire warning
3.3 Shape memory
4 Conclusion and outlook
When spacecraft operate in extreme space environments over extended periods—subjected to atomic oxygen erosion， high and low temperature cycling， micrometeorite impacts， and other hazards—their surface materials are prone to microcracking and structural damage， which can compromise mission safety and lifespan. Self-healing materials offer innovative solutions for spacecraft surface protection by mimicking the healing mechanisms found in living organisms. This review systematically summarizes recent research progress in self-healing materials for spacecraft surfaces， focusing on intrinsic and external photothermal self-healing systems， as well as electromagnetic-induced healing technologies. Intrinsic self-healing materials achieve repair through reversible breaking and reformation of dynamic covalent bonds—such as disulfide bonds， borate ester bonds， and imine bonds—as well as non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds. Among these， materials such as epoxy vitrimers and dynamic polyurethanes demonstrate excellent recyclability and healing efficiency via topological rearrangement networks. Externally assisted self-healing systems typically rely on microcapsules that encapsulate healing agents or on nanofillers such as POSS and carbon nanotubes. These materials achieve healing efficiency through crack-triggered release of healing agents or via synergistic effects enabled by nanoparticles. Electromagnetic-induced self-healing materials， on the other hand， utilize Joule heating or magnetic response mechanisms to remotely activate the healing process. When combined with conductive or magnetic nanofillers—such as graphene or Fe3O4—they enable precise and localized repair. Studies indicate that advances in photothermal conversion， optimization of dynamic bonds， and multifunctional integrated designs have significantly improved the environmental adaptability of such materials. For example， silicon-based nanocomposites achieve both anti-atomic oxygen properties and self-healing capability through surface passivation layers， while magnetic microcapsules enable targeted repair under magnetic guidance. Although the feasibility of existing self-healing materials has been validated in laboratory and simulated environments， several challenges remain for practical aerospace applications. These include ensuring the stability of dynamic bonds， maintaining durability under extreme conditions， and balancing healing efficiency with mechanical performance.
1 Introduction
2 Intrinsic aerospace photothermal self-healing materials
2.1 Shape memory type self-healing
2.2 Reverisible bond type self-healing
2.3 matrix melting type self-healing
3 External aid type aerospace photothermal self-healing materials
3.1 Microencapsulated type self-healing
3.2 Nano-filler type self-healing
4 Electromagnetic induced aerospace self-healing materials
4.1 Electrically induced self-healing
4.2 Magnetically induced self-healing
5 Conclusions and outlook
Dry electrode technology has attracted increasing attention for its low cost and environmental friendliness. However， the widespread application of dry electrode technology still faces considerable challenges due to some issues. Therefore， this article aims at comprehensively exploring the current developing status and challenges， and summarizing effective solutions from recent research progress. First we introduce the types of dry electrode technology， including polymer fibrillation， spray deposition， vapor deposition， hot melt extrusion， powder pressing， and 3D printing. Then the challenges of dry electrode technology are divided into several types， such as uneven material distribution， low electrode conductivity， poor adhesion， poor wettability with electrolyte， and difficulty in scaling up. The existing problems are disadvantageous to the electrochemical performance of dry electrode. Therefore， it is great importance to solve these problems to further improve the dry electrode. Next， we reviewed the latest strategies in recent years from the aspects of materials and processes. As the key materials， binders， conductive agents， current collectors are important for the resistance of dry electrode. Among them， binder is an elastic network connecting the active material particle and conductive agent. Its types and proportion should be properly chosen to achieve the expected performances. The processing parameters such as stirring parameters， stirring sequence have been continuously optimized to improve the electrochemical performance and simplified the process technology. Besides， novel processing technologies are also proposed and signified the paradigm innovation in dry electrode field. This article will provide a certain research foundation for the future development of dry electrodes.
1 Introduction
2 Classification of dry electrode technologies
3 Challenges faced by dry electrode technology
3.1 Uneven distribution of materials
3.2 Low electrode conductivity
3.3 Poor electrode adhesion
3.4 Poor electrode wettability
3.5 Difficulties in scaling up
4 Solution strategy for dry electrode technology
4.1 Key materials
4.2 Processing technology
5 Conclusion and outlook
Hydrogel is a three-dimensional cross-linked network capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water. Furthermore， it exhibits good biocompatibility and excellent chemical and physical properties. Therefore， hydrogels became a representative of soft materials. However， traditional hydrogels have shortcomings such as easy damage and short lifespan， which limit their development. Recently， self-healing hydrogels have been developed rapidly due to they can restore the damage without destroying their own functions， thereby prolongingtheir service life. In this review， the research status of self-healing hydrogels with different driving forces are reviewed. The self-healing hydrogels constructed by single driving forces and multiple driving forces， respectively. Among them， single driving forces include reversible non-covalent bonds and dynamic covalent bonds. Reversible non-covalent bonds encompass hydrogen bonds， hydrophobic interactions， metal coordination interactions， host-guest interactions and electrostatic interactions. Dynamic covalent bonds include imine bonds， boronic ester bonds and hydrazone bonds. The application of self-healing hydrogels in wound dressings， drug delivery， tissue engineering， sensors， and 3D printing are also discussed. Finally， some problems in the performance optimization of self-healing hydrogels（such as cumbersome experimental procedures， poor mechanical properties， poor antifreeze performance， and scientific issues related to mechanism research and clinical transformation）and their development are prospected.
1 Introduction
2 Different drivers of self-healing hydrogels
2.1 Reversible non-covalent bonds
2.2 Dynamic covalent bond
2.3 Multiple driving force
3 Application of self-healing hydrogels
3.1 Wound dressing
3.2 Drug delivery
3.3 Tissue engineering
3.4 Sensor
3.5 3D printing
4 Conclusion and outlook
With the rapid development of communication and microelectronics technology， electromagnetic wave pollution has become an important issue affecting human health and the performance of microelectronic devices. Copper sulfide， as an important P-type semiconductor chalcogenide material， has become a research hotspot in the field of electromagnetic shielding materials in recent years due to its high carrier concentration， strong electronic polarization relaxation ability， excellent optoelectronic properties， and special nanostructure. This article will provide a tutorial review of the preparation of copper sulfide and copper sulfide based composite materials， as well as their latest application progress in the field of electromagnetic shielding materials.
1 Introduction
2 Synthesis and morphology control mechanisms of CuS nanomaterials
2.1 Hydrothermal method
2.2 Solvothermal method
2.3 Regulatory effects of surfactants and ligands
2.4 Fabrication of hollow-structured CuS nanomaterials
3 Electromagnetic absorption and shielding performance of pure-phase CuS nanomaterials
3.1 Principles of electromagnetic shielding
3.2 Electromagnetic absorption and shielding of pure-phase CuS nanomaterials
4 Preparation and electromagnetic shielding performance of CuS-based composite nanomaterials
4.1 Core-shell structured CuS composites
4.2 CuS/polymer composite films
4.3 CuS/polymer fiber-based fabrics
4.4 CuS-based binary composites
4.5 CuS-based multicomponent composites
4.6 CuS-based multifunctional composites
5 Conclusions and prospects
ISSN 1005-281X (Print)
Started from 1989
Published by: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
