BMEMat 2026, e70105.

Periodontitis causes progressive destruction of both periodontal soft and hard tissues, leading to tooth loss and functional impairment. Conventional treatments, such as mechanical debridement and antibiotic therapy, are often insufficient for effective regeneration due to persistent local inflammation and the complex architecture of gingival and alveolar bone defects. In this study, we developed a thermo-responsive, injectable hydrogel composed of hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC) and selenium-containing polyurethane (SePU), which undergoes rapid sol-gel transition at physiological temperature. SePU/HBC not only facilitated the adhesion and migration of human gingival fibroblasts but also effectively inhibited osteoclast formation and resorptive activity. Mechanistically, it efficiently scavenged intracellular reactive oxygen species and activated an ATF6-mediated protective unfolded protein response, thereby re-establishing endoplasmic reticulum function and preventing apoptosis. By integrating targeted stress modulation with bifunctional cellular regulation, SePU/HBC offers an innovative strategy for coordinated periodontal tissue regeneration, offering potential benefits in both early inflammation control and late-stage defect repair.

Polym. Chem. 2026; 17 (28): 3098

The fusion and fission of cellular membranes are fundamental dynamic processes in living systems, the precise regulation of which largely depends on the redox microenvironment. Constructing biomimetic model systems capable of reversible regulation under mild conditions is of great significance for understanding membrane dynamics. In this work, a class of amphiphilic block copolymers containing selenium/tellurium (Se/Te) motifs was designed and synthesized, which can self-assemble in aqueous solution into stable nanostructures. Under oxidative conditions, tellurium sites form Te–O–Te covalent crosslinks, driving inter-assembly connections and hierarchical structural evolution; in contrast, under reductive conditions, these crosslinks can be cleaved, allowing the system to revert to its initial dispersed state and exhibiting excellent reversibility. Furthermore, a fluorescence “turn-on” compartmentalized reaction model demonstrates that oxidative stimuli enable inter-compartmental substrate mixing and trigger the reaction. This work establishes a redox-controllable dynamic assembly system that recapitulates key features of redox-regulated membrane fusion and fission, providing a biomimetic platform for understanding membrane dynamics and a molecular design strategy for constructing adaptive compartmentalized reaction systems.

Professor Mohammed is a Professor at KAUST. His research focuses on advanced optoelectronic materials and devices, including solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and X-ray imaging scintillators, supported by ultrafast laser spectroscopy, 4D electron imaging, and computational materials science.

In his lecture, Professor Mohammed introduced recent advances in glassy scintillator materials for X-ray imaging. Conventional crystalline scintillators have long dominated the field owing to their high efficiency. However, their high-temperature fabrication, limited formability, challenges in large-area processing, and relatively high cost have restricted their broader application in next-generation imaging screens.To address these limitations, Professor Mohammed presented a new class of high-performance copper iodide cluster glass scintillators, including mixed-metal Mn–Cu halide glasses. He discussed their scalable fabrication strategies, optical and imaging performance, and the potential advantages of glassy materials in large-area device preparation. The lecture also highlighted ongoing efforts to scale up fabrication and promote industry collaboration, aiming to benchmark material performance and advance these scintillators toward commercial validation.

Professor Lehn reviewed the evolution of chemistry from molecular chemistry to supramolecular and adaptive chemistry. He first highlighted how molecular chemistry enables the construction of increasingly complex molecules through precise control of covalent bonds. He then introduced supramolecular chemistry, in which molecular components are organized through non-covalent interactions to achieve functions such as molecular recognition, catalysis, transport and self-assembly.

A central theme of the lecture was the role of molecular information. Professor Lehn explained that chemical information can be encoded in molecular structures and expressed at the supramolecular level through specific interaction patterns. This perspective allows chemistry to be viewed as a science of informed matter.

He further discussed constitutional dynamic chemistry, which involves reversible molecular and supramolecular systems capable of exchanging components and reorganizing their structures. Such dynamic diversity enables chemical systems to respond to internal or external stimuli, undergo selection, and display adaptive behavior.

The lecture provided a broad and forward-looking perspective on the development of modern chemistry. By connecting molecular construction, supramolecular organization and dynamic adaptation, Professor Lehn offered valuable insights into the design of increasingly complex, responsive and potentially evolutive chemical systems.

Following the lecture, Professor Xi Zhang presented Professor Lehn with the Centennial Celebration Academic Forum Invited Lectureship certificate.

Prof. Jonathan Nitschke received his bachelor’s degree from Williams College (USA) in 1995 and his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001 under the supervision of T. DonTilley. He then undertook postdoctoral studies with Jean-MarieLehn in Strasbourg under the auspices of a US NSF fellowship, and in 2003 he started his independent research career as a Maitre-assistant (fixed-term independent PI) in the Organic Chemistry Department of the University of Geneva. In 2007 he was appointed University Lecturer at Cambridge, where he now holds a Professorship. His research program investigates the self-assembly of complex, functional structures from simple organic precursorsand metal ions.

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2026, 18, 19, 27128

Shape morphing materials possess an enhanced adaptability to diverse environments while minimizing material usage and energy consumption. The main challenge in this area lies in applying the driving force and stimuli in a rapid, precise, and cost-effective manner to enhance the efficiency of mass production with more variety, lower cost, and better sustainability. This perspective summarizes methods and strategies developed recently for polymer shape morphing via dynamic chemistries, from the traditional method using externally applied force to unconventional preloaded force or force mismatch. We further highlight representative efforts and contributions from our research group in this area. These newly developed strategies strive to balance the competing demands of scalability, transformation efficiency, and structural fidelity and complexity of the resulting architectures, thereby extending shape morphing into previously inaccessible regimes.

Fellow is the highest membership grade of the Chinese Chemical Society, awarded to distinguished members who have made systematic and creative achievements as well as significant contributions to chemistry and related fields. Since the establishment of the Fellow system in 2019, no more than 50 Fellows have been elected each year, and there are 346 Fellows to date.

Warm congratulations to Prof. Xu!

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.; 2026: e7355159.

Dynamic covalent chemistry has enabled adaptive behavior in organic polymer networks and molecular crystals, yet analogous control in inorganic crystalline solids remains largely unexplored. Here we show that elemental selenium can operate as a dynamic covalent inorganic crystal, whose architectural and functional adaptability arises from dynamic covalent Se─Se bonds within the trigonal selenium backbone. External mechanical (or optical) stimuli drive Se─Se bond cleavage and reformation, mediating structural reconfiguration of the crystalline framework. Embedding selenium in a crosslinked polymer matrix creates a mechanically programmable environment that exerts real-time and persistent mechanical signals in situ. Under this chemo‑mechanical coupling, crystal branching frequency and three-dimensional architecture respond to matrix stiffness and external light, and these translate directly into tunable dielectric behavior in polymer-selenium composites. This work expands dynamic covalent chemistry from organic to inorganic crystalline materials, and reveals dynamic covalent inorganic crystals as a new class of adaptive materials.

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 over selenium in both enzyme mimics and microbial systems, we hypothesized that tellurium-containing amino acid polymers could demonstrate enhanced photon interaction and radical scavenging. The exceptional nucleophilic substitution capability of tellurocysteine, which arises from its soft polarizable character, drives its bisubstitution with o-benzoquinone. The heteroatom enrichment and high-Z effect make the novel materials far exceed natural amino acid polymers in radiation shielding. The melanin-mimetic polymeric structure demonstrates enhanced radiation stability and broad-spectrum free radical scavenging ability. Following oral administration, the tellurocysteine-based polymers achieve prolonged intestinal retention, mitigating radiation-induced intestinal injury. Our work establishes a new paradigm in amino acid engineering, demonstrating how strategic non-metallic heavy atom incorporation can transform biological molecules into advanced radioprotective materials. This approach opens possibilities for developing next-generation, amino acid-derived agents with tailored pharmacokinetics and multifunctional activity.

Nat Commun 2026, 17, 5645

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-molecular-weight, transparent elastomers with precise control over backbone composition and side-chain architecture. Main-chain engineering via redox-labile Te–O motifs enables chemoselective backbone scission under mild reductive conditions, affording on-demand polymerization–depolymerization cycles with efficient monomer recovery. The semi-flexible backbones and chain entanglement impart elasticity, thermoplastic processability, and side-chain-dependent mechanical performance. This work establishes a modular and general chemical strategy for creating non-carbon heteroatomic backbones as a design principle for sustainable and recyclable silicone materials.

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