Concerns Report: Flexible Organic Radical Cocrystal With 94% Photothermal Conversion Efficiency

Academic fraud report · Geng Detector

Summary

This report raises concerns about a 2026 Angewandte Chemie International Edition paper (DOI: 10.1002/anie.1702104) reporting a flexible organic radical cocrystal with 94% photothermal conversion efficiency. The overall verdict is 'Questionable' (yellow/suspicious). Three main concerns are identified: (1) load-displacement nanoindentation curves in Figure 2i appear unnaturally perfect, with multiple cycles overlapping almost exactly in shape, slope, peak load, and hysteresis area, lacking the natural variability expected in real nanoindentation data; (2) the photothermal cycling curves in Figure 4c under 685 nm laser irradiation show five cycles with no discernible noise or fluctuation, which is atypical for real thermal cycling measurements; (3) although the paper reports Young's modulus (3.991 ± 0.246 GPa) and hardness (0.152 ± 0.009 GPa) with standard deviations, the number of independent replicates (n) is not specified. All three concerns are marked as 'insufficient evidence' for definitive fraud claims, and no data fabrication is proven. Further investigation with access to raw data is recommended.

Verdict

Questionable (yellow) — The reported findings contain visual anomalies in key data figures that warrant follow-up, but no conclusive evidence of fraud has been established.

Key findings

Figure 2i nanoindentation curves appear unnaturally consistent: Multiple load-displacement cycles overlap almost perfectly in shape, slope, maximum load, and hysteresis area, lacking the natural scatter expected from surface heterogeneity, probe contact variation, and instrument noise.
Figure 4c photothermal cycling curves lack experimental noise: Five heating-cooling cycles under 685 nm laser irradiation show essentially identical rising/falling slopes and no measurable fluctuation, which is atypical for real thermal measurements involving environmental drift, source power variation, and detector noise.
Missing statistical reporting: The mechanical properties section (Page 3) reports Young's modulus E = 3.991 ± 0.246 GPa and hardness H = 0.152 ± 0.009 GPa with standard deviations, but does not specify the number of independent repeat measurements (n value), undermining the reliability of the statistical descriptors.
All concerns are flagged with severity 'yellow' and review status 'insufficient evidence'.

Evidence highlights

DOI: 10.1002/anie.1702104
Journal: Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2026)
Reported values preserved exactly: E = 3.991 ± 0.246 GPa; H = 0.152 ± 0.009 GPa; 685 nm laser irradiation; five photothermal cycles; 94% photothermal conversion efficiency
Anomalies are based on visual analysis summaries of Figures 2i and 4c; no raw data has been independently examined.

Notes

The report explicitly states that 'too perfect' does not equal fabrication; the findings remain at the level of suspicion requiring verification.
Suggested follow-up actions include requesting raw unprocessed nanoindentation and photothermal cycling data from the authors, posting a query on PubPeer, and reporting to the journal editorial office for data authenticity review.
The original report was AI-assisted and intended for academic discussion only; final determination of academic misconduct requires investigation by a qualified institution.
Limitations: no access to raw experimental files; conclusions are based on visual summaries of figure appearances only.