Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youngkyu Hwang, Anupam Sadhu, Sangho Shin, Shin Woei Leow, Ze Zhao, Jingyu Deng, Joshua A. Jackman, Munho Kim, Lydia H. Wong, Nam-Joon Cho
Summary: This study reports the fabrication of a flexible substrate made from pollen, which exhibits high transparency (>92%) and high haze (>84%), with optical properties that are tunable and arise from light-matter interactions with the spiky surface of pollen particles. The pollen substrate, readily obtained from nature and requiring minimal extraction or processing, can be incorporated into optoelectronic applications such as functional perovskite solar cells.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wu Zhang, Haizeng Li, Eric Hopmann, Abdulhakem Y. Elezzabi
Summary: Electrochromism, an emerging energy conversion technology, is facing the major challenge of slow switching speed, especially in inorganic materials. Efficient design of nanostructured electrochromic materials is essential to achieve rapid switching speed and enhance their performance in real-world applications.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wu Zhang, Haizeng Li, Eric Hopmann, Abdulhalcem Y. Elezzabi
Summary: Electrochromism is a promising energy conversion technology with diverse applications, but the major challenge lies in the slow switching speed in inorganic materials. Efficient design of nanostructured electrochromic materials is crucial for achieving rapid switching speeds. Various classification and synthesis methods for electrochromic materials were discussed in the review, along with outlining challenges and prospects for high-performance nanostructured electrochromic materials.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wojciech Drozdz, Artur Ciesielski, Artur R. Stefankiewicz
Summary: Interest in capsular assemblies, such as dynamic organic and coordination cages, has grown significantly over the past decade. These systems have found applications in various research fields and are increasingly being used in the formation of complex systems and smart materials. This Review discusses promising pathways to overcome common drawbacks of cage systems and strategies for their hybridization with systems of different dimensionalities. The structure-dependent relationship between the employed cages and the properties of the materials is also highlighted.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shuozhi Xu, Justin Y. Cheng, Nathan A. Mara, Irene J. Beyerlein
Summary: Crystalline materials can be strengthened by introducing dissimilar phases as dislocation barriers, but this often decreases their ductility. Heterogeneous nanostructured materials (HNMs) have emerged as a potential solution to the strength-ductility dilemma, due to their unique mechanical properties. However, characterizing dislocation dynamics in HNMs has been challenging using classical continuum models. In this study, a phase-field dislocation dynamics (PFDD) model was developed to analyze multi-phase materials and investigate the interactions between dislocations and obstacles as well as dislocations and interfaces. The results reveal that the interactions between dislocations and heterogeneous obstacles cannot be simply interpolated from individual interactions, and materials with interfaces of nanoscale thickness and compositional gradients exhibit higher dislocation bypass stress. This explains the high strength and toughness observed in thick interface-containing nanolaminates.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF SOLIDS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Battulga Munkhbat, Betul Kucukoz, Denis G. Baranov, Tomasz J. Antosiewicz, Timur O. Shegai
Summary: Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), including semiconducting WS2, in-plane anisotropic ReS2, and metallic TaSe2, TaS2, and NbSe2, have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional optical, excitonic, mechanical, and electronic properties. Nanostructured multilayer TMDs, with their high refractive indices and optical anisotropy, show promise for nanophotonic applications. Advanced nanofabrication strategies, including careful selection of resists for electron beam lithography and etching methods, are discussed, with a specific focus on non-conductive substrates such as SiO2. These TMD-based nanostructures have the potential to impact high-index nanophotonics, plasmonics, and on-chip optical circuits.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Huan Yang, Huilin Hu, Chenfeng Xia, Feng You, Junlong Yao, Xueliang Jiang, Bao Yu Xia
Summary: This article summarizes the applications of gel materials in oxygen electrocatalysis and introduces the synthesis methods of gel materials. The author proposes the outlook for further developing advanced gel oxygen electrocatalysts.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonio Grisolia, Gianluca Dell'Olio, Angelica Spadafora, Marzia De Santo, Catia Morelli, Antonella Leggio, Luigi Pasqua
Summary: In order to minimize the impact of human activities on the environment, highly effective processes need to be developed to remove toxic pollutants. The use of silica-based nanostructured materials shows promise in efficiently capturing various pollutants. This review focuses on polymer-silica nanostructured materials and discusses their synthesis, functionalization techniques, and applications in capturing heavy metals, dyes, hydrocarbons, drugs, and other organic compounds. Recommendations for future research to improve the efficiency of pollutant uptake are also provided.
Editorial Material
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jikai Wang, Pengfei Zeng, Xilin Xiao, Cheng Zhou, Hua Wei, Cuiyun Yu
Summary: Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy is a surface sensitive technique that uses the electromagnetic properties of nanostructured substrates to amplify the vibrational signals of adsorbed molecules. It has high sensitivity and wide adaptability, making it suitable for qualitative and quantitative analyses of trace gases, biomolecules, and polymers. This review summarizes recent advances in nanostructured substrates, introduces SEIRA mechanisms, and discusses preparation methods of representative SEIRA-active substrates, as well as current deficiencies and prospects in the field.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lucas Kuhrts, Lukas Helmbrecht, Willem L. Noorduin, Darius Pohl, Xiaoxiao Sun, Alexander Palatnik, Cornelia Wetzker, Anne Jantschke, Michael Schlierf, Igor Zlotnikov
Summary: Using the cell wall of the dinoflagellate L. granifera as a model, biogenic calcite is successfully transformed into nano-structured perovskites. This approach allows for the mass production of nano-architectured perovskites with desired morphological, textural, and physical properties.
Article
Thermodynamics
Miguel Angel Olivares-Robles, Carlos Alberto Badillo-Ruiz, Pablo Eduardo Ruiz-Ortega
Summary: This study investigates the efficiency of segmented thermoelectric microgenerators (mu STEGs). The thermoelectric properties of nanostructured materials are determined from experimental data. The impact of internal resistance on the efficiency surfaces of the mu STEGs is studied. Results show that different mu STEGs can reach a common efficiency under different working conditions due to material segmentation and geometric shape factors.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Linda Abbassi, David Mesguich, Loic Coulomb, Geoffroy Chevallier, Romain Aries, Claude Estournes, Emmanuel Flahaut, Romain Viennois, Mickael Beaudhuin
Summary: In this paper, a simple route to synthesize nano-beta-FeSi2 material is reported. The impact of spark plasma sintering parameters on the material properties is studied. Experimental results show that high-density nano-beta-FeSi2 pellets can be obtained using this method in a short time.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bin Yang, Shuangming Li, Xin Li, Zhenpeng Liu, Hong Zhong, Xuguang Li, Songke Feng
Summary: The eutectic Te-SnTe composites show enhanced thermoelectric performance, with the addition of Sb element further improving the electrical transport behavior and achieving an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity. This provides a new strategy for exploring high-performance materials in the Te-SnTe eutectic system.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mayuresh Khot, Amirkianoosh Kiani
Summary: In this study, a NiO thin layer was synthesized directly on a Ni sheet using ultra-short, pulsed laser irradiation in air. The layer had 3D nanostructures with high porosity and enhanced surface area, making it suitable for fabricating pseudo capacitive electrodes. The effects of laser parameters, such as scan speed and frequency, were analyzed. The results showed that a lower scan speed resulted in a larger surface area and a broccoli-like structure. The oxide layer was formed through a series of events, including energy transfer, heating, melting, evaporation, ionization, plasma formation, rapid quenching, and oxide layer formation, which occurred in ambient conditions within an ultra-short duration. The obtained oxide layer consisted of self-standing 3D nanostructures, with the active material directly growing on the substrate without the need for a binder.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Ningning Liang, Yonghao Zhao
Summary: Nanostructured materials with nanometer-scale grain size and a high volume fraction of grain boundaries exhibit advanced mechanical properties, but suffer from low thermal and mechanical stabilities. This paper reviews the thermal stability of nanostructured materials and explores both kinetic and thermodynamic strategies for enhancing their stability, particularly the kinetic approach. It also discusses the microstructural architecture-induced thermal stability and provides an outlook on the thermal stability of nanostructured materials.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Zamora, T. Bautista, N. S. Portillo-Velez, A. Reyes-Montero, H. Pfeiffer, F. Sanchez-Ochoa, H. A. Lara-Garcia
Summary: Experimental and DFT studies were conducted on the structural, magnetic, and optical properties of RFeO3 perovskites. The perovskites exhibited an orthorhombic crystal structure and weak ferromagnetic behavior. They were confirmed to be semiconductors with a bandgap of approximately 2.1 eV.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xianxiang Lv, Jing Jin, Weiguang Yang
Summary: By depositing TiN and TiO2 surface layers on AlSi films, the electrochemical performance of silicon-based anodes can be significantly improved, suppressing volume expansion and promoting the formation of a stable SEI layer.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sharafat Ali, Haider Ali, Syedul Hasnain Bakhtiar, Sajjad Ali, Muhammad Zahid, Ahmed Ismail, Pir Muhammad Ismail, Amir Zada, Imran Khan, Huahai Shen, Rizwan Ullah, Habib Khan, Mohamed Bououdina, Xiaoqiang Wu, Fazal Raziq, Liang Qiao
Summary: The construction and optimization of redox-heterojunctions using a bifunctional phosphate as an electron-bridge demonstrated significant improvements in photo catalytic activity, including enhanced dispersion, reduced interfacial migration resistance, and increased abundance of active-sites.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ren-Ni Luan, Na Xu, Chao-Ran Li, Zhi-Jie Zhang, Yu-Sheng Zhang, Jun Nan, Shu-Tao Wang, Yong-Ming Chai, Bin Dong
Summary: Extensive research has revealed that oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline conditions involves dynamic surface restructuring. The development and design of sulfide/oxide pre-catalysts can reasonably adjust the composition and structure after surface reconstruction, which is crucial for OER. This study utilized a simple two-step hydrothermal method to achieve in situ S leaching and doping, inducing the composition change and structure reconstruction of CoFe oxides. The transformed FeOOH and CoOOH exhibited excellent OER activity and could be easily mass-produced using low-cost iron based materials and simple methods.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jun'an Lai, Daofu Wu, Peng He, Kang An, Yijia Wang, Peng Feng, WeiWei Chen, Zixian Wang, Linfeng Guo, Xiaosheng Tang
Summary: Zero-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides (OMHs) are gaining attention in the fabrication of light-emitting diodes due to their broad emission band and high photoluminescence quantum yield. This work synthesized a zero-dimensional organic tetraphenylphosphonium bismuth chloride (TBC) that showed efficient blue light emission, with the emission mechanism attributed to the transition of Bi3+ ions. White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) were fabricated using TBC, along with green-emitting and red-emitting single crystals, achieving single-component white emissions. These findings demonstrate the different emission mechanism of ns2 ions-based OMHs and highlight the potential of bismuth-based OMHs in WLEDs applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xuewei Liang, Yunhai Su, Taisen Yang, Zhiyong Dai, Yingdi Wang, Xingping Yong
Summary: The revolutionary design concept of high-entropy alloys has brought new opportunities and challenges to the development of advanced metal materials. In this work, AlCrCuFe2NiTix high-entropy flux cored wires were prepared by combining the design idea of a high-entropy alloy with the characteristics of flux cored wire. AlCr-CuFe2NiTix high-entropy surfacing alloys were prepared using gas metal arc welding technology. The wear properties of the alloys were analyzed, and the phase composition, microstructure, strengthening mechanism, and wear mechanism were discussed. The results show that the alloys exhibit a dendritic microstructure with BCC/B2 + FCC phases. Increasing Ti content leads to the precipitation of Laves phase. The alloys show improved microhardness and wear resistance due to the precipitation of coherent B2 and Laves phases. However, excessive Ti addition results in the increase of Laves phase and reduced wear resistance of the alloys.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Vadivel, M. Senthil Pandian, P. Ramasamy, Qiang Jing, Bo Liu
Summary: This work presents the enhanced photocatalytic and electrochemical performance of g-C3N4 assisted PAA on CoFe2O4 ternary nanocomposites. The incorporation of PAA and g-C3N4 improves the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers, resulting in superior photocatalytic degradation and high specific capacitance values.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vibhu T. Sivanandan, Ramany Revathy, Arun S. Prasad
Summary: In this study, pure and doped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were prepared using the sol-gel auto-combustion method with the aid of lemon juice as eco-fuel. The crystal structure, lattice parameter, crystallite size, microstrain, optical parameters, and room temperature magnetic properties of the samples were analyzed. The effect of doping on the magnetic properties was also investigated.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qing Guo, Bowen Zhang, Benzhe Sun, Yang Qi
Summary: This study prepared ZnO films with various nonpolar preferred orientations using conventional chemical bath deposition method and characterized their growth process and mechanism. It was found that the type and concentration of nitrate could control the preferred orientation and surface roughness of ZnO films. Additionally, ZnO films with different preferred orientations exhibited different optical properties.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chong Zhang, Yan Liu, Zhaoyan Wang, Hang Yang
Summary: In this study, six bimetallic FeCo particles were synthesized via the hydrothermal method at different Fe:Co ratios. The Fe:Co ratio not only modulates the composition of the particles but also influences their structure and magnetic properties. The FeCo alloys showed a transformation from an Fe-based structure to a Co-based structure with increasing Co content. The Fe:Co ratio of 1:1 and 3:1 resulted in particles with the highest and lowest saturation magnetization, respectively.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jianning Zhang, Jing Li, Yiren Wang, Xiaodong Mao, Yong Jiang
Summary: We conducted a study on the formation of ultra-fine Y-Ti-Ta-O nano-oxides in Ta+B micro-alloyed 13CrWTi-ODS alloys using electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. The Y-Ti-Ta-O nano-oxides were found to be mainly Y2(Ti,Ta)2O7, with an average size of 7 nm and a number density of 6.8 x 1023 m-3. Excess boron was found to enhance the adhesion of some low-sigma grain boundaries but weaken the Fe/Y2Ti2O7 interface, while excess tantalum enhanced the Fe/Y2Ti2O7 interface but caused serious degradation of grain boundaries.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yirong Fang, Pei Cheng, Hang Yuan, Hao Zhao, Lishu Zhang
Summary: A new composite system of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide and black phosphorus quantum dots has been developed for tumor therapy, showing improved electrochemical properties and stability. The system generates hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical to effectively kill tumor cells.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiufang Qin, Yuanli Ma, Hui Zhang, Ting Zhang, Fang Wang, Xiaohong Xu
Summary: The structure and magnetism of cobalt ferrites after Mn2+-Tb3+ co-doping were studied. Co-doped samples exhibited cubic spinel structure and spherical shape of ferrite nanoparticles. The redistribution of Co2+ and Fe3+ ions between octahedral and tetrahedral sites was observed due to Mn2+-Tb3+ co-doping. The coercivity and magnetization saturation of co-doped samples were significantly improved, leading to a maximum energy product that is 190% higher than that of the un-doped sample.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ho Yeon Lee, Wonjong Yu, Yoon Ho Lee
Summary: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in developing ultra-fine nanostructured electrodes with extensive reaction areas to enhance the performance and low-temperature operation of solid oxide fuel cells. The use of a refined approach involving co-sputtering metal alloys and oxide targets has demonstrated the feasibility of nano-columnar structures in perovskite-based electrodes, expanding the temperature range of thin film electrodes. This study systematically examines the effects of chamber pressure control in the co-sputtering process and identifies the intricate relationship between sputtering pressure and film structure. By fine-tuning the columnar growth in the electrode, significant improvements in performance and thermo-mechanical properties were achieved, resulting in high-performance all-sputtered solid oxide fuel cells.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qianyun Bai, Xiaoxiao Yan, Da Liu, Kang Xiang, Xin Tu, Yanhui Guo, Renbing Wu
Summary: This study proposes a simple method to develop a non-precious transition metal-based electrocatalyst with high catalytic activity and robustness for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The as-synthesized electrode exhibits a low overpotential and high current density, indicating its potential in energy conversion.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2024)