Biomimetic Polymerization of Tellurocysteine: Breaking the Natural Amino Acid Radioprotection Limitation

Wei Chen, Hanjie Zhu, Yue Zhang, Yuqing Qiao, Ruotong Deng, Huaping Xu*, Wei Cao* Advanced Science 2026: e00010. Radioprotection remains a critical challenge in biomedicine and space exploration. As the fundamental building blocks of organisms, amino acids are gaining momentum in chemical design for in vivo radioprotection, yet their low atomic number (Z) and rapid metabolism restrict practical applications. This study addresses these limitations through the melanin-inspired polymerization of the higher Z-tellurocysteine. Motivated by the superior catalytic activity and higher Z of tellurium...
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Recyclable thermoplastic silicone elastomers from non-carbon heteroatomic polymer backbones

Yuanbo Zhang, Feiyang Li, Jia Tian, Shenghan Zhang, Muqing Cao, Ruihao Zhou, Lu Wang, PengFei Cao, Huaping Xu*. Nat Commun 2026 Silicone materials are indispensable across industrial and consumer domains, yet their robust Si–O–Si backbones resist depolymerization and typically require chemical crosslinking to attain elastomeric properties. Here we report a modular synthesis to access non-carbon heteroatomic backbone polymers (PTeSiO) featuring periodic Si–O–Te–O linkages. This copolymerization merges Si–O and Te–O as building blocks, enabling a one-pot, room-temperature aqueous route to high...
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Tsinghua – KU Leuven Bilateral Mini-Symposium on Frontiers of Chemistry

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The Tsinghua-KU Leuven Bilateral Mini-Symposium on Frontiers of Chemistry was held at Tsinghua University on March 25, 2026. Prof. Huaping Xu served as the chairman of the symposium. The event brought together distinguished researchers from both institutions. From KU Leuven, Prof. Johan Hofkens, Prof. Maarten Roeffaers, and Associate Prof. Elke Debroye delivered insightful talks. From Tsinghua University, Associate Prof. Hao Zhang and Associate Prof. Dongxin Ma also presented their latest research findings. The content of the symposium is as follows:   The symposium provided a valuable platf...
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Multifunctional Hydrophilic Selenium-Polyurea for Controlled Ion Release of Biodegradable Alloys and Immuno-osteogenic Synergistic Modulation

Yang Fu, Xiaoqiang Bai, Zhuoxin Ge, Zhuqing Wan, Mo Zhai, Mingchu Zhao, Dongdong Huang, Xiaodong Guo, Qian Ding, Huaping Xu*, Yongsheng Zhou*, Longwei Lv*. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2026: e74749. Early burst ion release of biodegradable alloys, such as Zn2+, often triggers inflammation and impairs bone formation, which affects the clinical application of biodegradable alloys. Here, a multifunctional hydrophilic selenium-containing polyurea (SePUA) is designed with a tunable ratio of selenium-containing groups to hydrophilic groups. The SePUA can form stable Se-metal coordination, achieving controll...
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Ultrafast Programming of Large Curvature Based on Selenium-Sulfur Dynamic Metathesis

Ruiyang Wen,  Chenglin Zhang,  Chaozheng Miao,  Wanting Huang,  Rui Quan,  Ruohan Huang,  Han Wu,  Zehuan Huang*,  Yizheng Tan*,  Huaping Xu* Adv.  Mater.; 2026: e23642. The construction and integration of curvature govern the structure and function of materials based on 2D sheets, yet achieving ultrafast and scalable curvature programming remains a major challenge. We rapidly generate large stress mismatches by combining an ultrafast stress-relaxing diselenide-containing polyurethane with an ultraslow stress-relaxing disulfide-containing polyurethane. Coupled with modular components and com...
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β-Selenoester-Crosslinked Nanocapsules Potentiate Immunotherapy by Imposing Divergent Fates in Cancer Cells and Macrophages

Banruo Xianyu, Zeyu Lu, Huaping Xu*, Tianyu Li* Biomaterials, 2026: p. 124099. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic target in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the indiscriminate cytotoxicity of chemotherapies and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment paradoxically impede this potential. To overcome these limitations, we engineered β-selenoester–crosslinked nanocapsules delivering Gefitinib, designed to induce opposite cell fates in cancer cells and macrophages. In cancer cells, the Se-C bond in β-selenoester is ultrasensitive un...
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Photo-responsive Intelligent Adaptive Material Systems: Light-controlled Topological Reconfiguration Polymers

Tiantian Yang, Huaping Xu*. Acta Polymerica Sinica, 2025, 56, 2302. Intelligent adaptive materials constitute a vital component of modern advanced material systems. Compared to other stimuli such as temperature and pH, light exhibit advantageous characters including cleanliness, renewability, and high spatiotemporal resolution. As a result, light-responsive intelligent adaptive materials have witnessed significant development in recent years, both in fundamental research and technological applications. They are now widely applied in frontier fields such as manufacturing, optoelectronics, and...
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Prof. Huaping Xu attended Annual National Polymer Congress as plenary speaker

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Prof. Huaping Xu delivered a plenary lecture titled "Selenium- and Tellurium-Containing Polymers" at the Annual National Polymer, held in Guangzhou from November 22nd to 26th, 2025. Ten members of his research group attended the conference. Four of them, Yuanbo Zhang, Muqing Cao, Chaowei He, and Ruihao Zhou, received the Outstanding Poster Award for their presentations.
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