In recent years, light-emitting Mn2+-doped nanocrystals (NCs) have been widely studied because of their strong and stable Mn2+ d–d emission. Herein, highly efficient colloidal Mn2+-doped Cd–In–S NCs were prepared by a hot injection strategy. The as-prepared NCs have a cubic crystal structure of CdS host and exhibit strong Mn2+ emission. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity, PL position, and PL lifetime

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) materials have aroused growing attention in the domain of photocatalysis owing to their unique properties, especially in the removal of contaminants. Herein, a novel carbon quantum dots (CQDs)-decorated MOF (ZIF-8) composite with excellent photocatalytic activity was prepared by a facile impregnation approach. The well-designed core–shell structure endows the composite

We successfully prepared multiple gas sensing devices comprising of a thin-film sensor made with mesoporous silica combined In2O3-graphene semiconductor nanocomposite for sensing CO2, O2, and NH3. We demonstrated that our sensor had high selectivity for CO2 by recognizing O2 and NH3 in the vapor stage with accurate transformation into electrical signals in devices. The mesoporous semiconducting In2O3–GO–SiO2-10%

Solid-state stimuli-responsive materials are attracting increasing attention due to their broad prospects in the field of functional materials, but there are still some challenges. We design and synthesize two efficient solid-state stimuli-responsive materials SP-TPEm (m = 4, 6) based on TPE covalent connection with N-position of spiropyran through different lengths of alkyl spacers. Both of them show

Applying atmospherically plasma-sprayed (APS) Mn1.0Co1.9Fe0.1O4 (MCF) protective coatings on interconnector steels minimized the chromium-related degradation within solid oxide fuel cell stack-tests successfully. Post-test characterization of the coatings disclosed a severe microstructural and phase evolution. A self-healing of micro-cracks, the formation and agglomeration of small pores, the occurrence

Abstract In order to improve the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of epoxy resin (EP) simultaneously, we synthesized a melamine phenylhypophosphonate named as MABP via a simple one-step method and used it to modify EP materials. As expected, the addition of MABP not only largely improved the flame retardancy but also restrained the smoke release of EP. For details, when the content of MABP was

Microwave radiation (MWR), a type of electromagnetic excitation source, reduces the synthesis temperature and processing time for chemical reactions compared to traditional synthesis methods. Recently, we demonstrated that MWR can engineer ceramics with different crystal phases compared to traditional methods [Journal of Materials Chemistry A5, 35 (2017)]. In this study, we further apply the MWR-assisted

Using a combination of extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, stochastic quenching (SQ) calculations and Voronoi tessellation analysis, the local atomic environments in thin films of amorphous Sm\(_{x}\)Co\(_{1-x}\) (\(x =\) 0.10, 0.22 and 0.35) are investigated and also compared with crystalline stoichiometric Sm–Co alloys of similar compositions. It is found that the variations in

Based on the calculation using first-principles, we discussed adjustment for electronic properties of the GaN/graphene/WS2 trilayer vdW heterostructure by doping and biaxial strain. Mg or Se doping can regulate the band gap of the GaN/graphene/WS2 trilayer vdW heterostructure and achieve p-type or n-type dopant in graphene and the trilayer heterostructure system. Band gap decreases with the increase

Nonpolar Si-doped AlGaN with high electron concentration (EC) and superior surface morphology (SM) layers were successfully grown on r-plane sapphire substrates for the first time with metal organic chemical vapor deposition technology. X-ray diffraction, cross-sectional scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Hall measurements were used

In this work, we report on the fabrication of a GaN/AlGaN waveguiding structure dedicated to modal phase matching, where GaN waveguide has planar polarity inversion. First, we optimized the growth conditions for the AlGaN epilayer. Second, on top of the AlGaN epilayer, we fabricated the waveguiding structure starting with the growth of the Ga-polar GaN epilayer followed by atomic layer deposition (ALD)

Alkali treatment is a widely used strategy to create mesopores for microporous zeolites to decrease the diffusion limitation in micropores. However, many of the micropore losses existed due to the uncontrollable destruction of framework. In this paper, a series of mesoporous ZSM-5 with well-maintained micropores was synthesized through induced desilication strategy. To induce the diffusion of alkali

Abstract The oxidation mechanism for the molten surface of Al–5Mg–2Si–Mn alloy was studied. The results show that the oxide layer contains MgO, Al2O3, MgAl2O4, BeO and SiO2, and it is composed of a composite inner layer (MgO/Al2O3/MgAl2O4/BeO/SiO2) and an outer layer of MgO. An oxidation mechanism was proposed to describe the four oxidation stages which included oxidation adsorption, accelerated oxidation

Perovskite oxide is widely used in many important technological fields due to the excellent characteristics. In this work, the performances of the LaFeO3 as oxygen carrier in biomass chemical looping gasification were investigated. It is found that there is no significant decrease in CO and H2 yield with the increase in oxygen carrier cycle number. No obvious change of syngas yield with the increase

After the manuscript was revised following peer review, an error was introduced in the conductivity data reported in Table 3. Adding the standard values (SD) of the original values, which were correct, we made an error about the unit used for the membrane thickness.

The heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the low-alloy steel in dissimilar metal welds has been investigated by electron backscatter diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. The welding process generates a temperature gradient, creating two zones in the HAZ: a carbon depleted zone and a carbon non-depleted zone (NDZ). The evolution of the microstructure in the NDZ and the atomic

In the original article Fig. 3

Abstract In this work, fluorescent carbon dots were synthesized from polyethylene glycol. The carbon dots are of sizes below 10 nm as confirmed through dynamic light scattering studies and transmission electron microscope images. Carbon dot was further conjugated with Ca2+ to form metal-ion-conjugated polyethylene glycol carbon dot. The metal-ion-conjugated polyethylene glycol carbon dot exhibits enhanced

Herein, SiO2-photonic crystal/TiO2 composite film (STF) with multilayer structure was designed and fabricated via self-assembly method and spin coating method. The micro-morphology and optical properties of the STF were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the STF was tested via the degradation rate of rhodamine

Efficacy of the sol–gel derived Ni-doped Mg-ferrites for an enhanced CO2 splitting activity is investigated. The results allied with the characterization indicate the formation of nominally phase pure Ni-doped Mg-ferrites with a coarser particle morphology. Ni-doped Mg-ferrites are further tested for multiple thermal reduction as well as CO2 splitting steps by using a thermogravimetric analyzer. The

A series of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (N-CNFs) have been successfully synthesized via electrospinning N,N-dimethylformamide/polyacrylonitrile followed by KOH activation heat treatment. The electrocatalysts are thoroughly studied with X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron

The thermophysical properties of Ni–Al. Ni–Ti, and Al–Ti alloys, i.e., viscosity and surface tension, have been investigated using the evaluated thermodynamic properties, i.e., enthalpy of mixing \( \Delta H_{\text{mix}} \), Gibbs free energy of mixing \( \Delta G_{\text{mix}} \), and excess Gibbs free energy \( \Delta G_{{}}^{\text{E}} \), by the atom and molecular coexistence theory. Then, the third-degree

Hydrogen (H2) is a green clean fuel and chemical feedstock. Its separation and purification from H2-containing mixtures is the key step in the production of H2 with high purity (> 99.99%). Carbon membranes emerged in the 70 s and have provided promising results for applications in processes involving gas separation due to their sieving effects. Particularly, in this review, a general concept route

In this study, a rapid and effective strategy was developed to facilitate the preparation of dual-modified carbon black (CB) support for the deposition of Pt3Ni catalysts. The H2O2 and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were taken as the modifying agents. The surface chemical and structural properties of CBs were characterized by a combination of BET, XRD, Raman, HRTEM and zeta potential. As revealed by

There is an urgent need for an eco-friendly and efficient route to treat the organic pollutants in wastewater. Therefore, we report a facile synthesis of carbon nanotube–magnesium oxide composite (CNTs/MgO) which can efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB). Fabricated CNTs/MgO was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET, XPS, and Raman. The results showed that the

Creating buckling-induced wavy or coiled architecture is a successful route to realize high performance of stretchable piezoelectric devices. However, a systematic analysis of the relationship between piezoelectric potential output, mechanical stress and buckling parameters is still lacking. Here, we quantitatively analyze the piezoelectric and mechanical performance of buckled poly(vinylidene fluoride)

This study combines bulk structural and spectroscopic investigations of Eu3+- or Y3+/Eu3+ co-doped tetragonal and cubic zirconia polymorphs to gain an in-depth understanding of the solid solution formation process. Our bulk structural characterizations show that the dopant is homogenously distributed in the ZrO2 host structure resulting in an increase of the bulk symmetry with increasing dopant substitution

A diffusion-barrier-contained Hf-doped (Ni,Pt)Al coating was prepared by firstly composite electroplating and then aluminising. The TEM study of the microstructure showed that Hf serves as a solid solution in (Ni,Pt)Al lattice and forms HfO2 in the Hf-rich zone. This HfO2 is formed in situ during aluminisation under low oxygen pressure. It acts as a diffusion barrier to prevent the inter-diffusion

The influence of strain on the behaviors of gas molecules over surface is always limited by the relative weak gas adsorption, the small range of elastic strain of adsorbents and the uniform response of surface sites. However, the latter two factors may be overcome in two-dimensional (2D) materials with defects. In this work, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the behavior of a series

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is an organic environment-sensitive material, which can be combined with photocatalysts to control the photocatalytic process. Herein, rodlike environment-sensitive Bi2O3 (PNIPAM/Bi2O3) was prepared by a novel one-step continuous microwave method. This new method is efficient and convenient. The as-prepared PNIPAM/Bi2O3 was very sensitive to temperature and pH,

The objective of this study was to explore the role of enantiomers in the surface modification and adsorption process of polymers imprinted by chiral molecules. Here, R-, S- and R/S-1-aminoindanes (TR, TS and TR/S) were used as the model template molecules. Optimization of synthetic protocols facilitated preselection of the most efficient composition for a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)—methacrylic

New glass–ceramics of the xCo2O3(100 − x)[80TeO2–19Li2O–1ZrO2] system (where 0 ≤ x ≤ 20 mol%) were prepared by melt-quenching technique and investigated by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, UV–Vis and EPR spectroscopies. The nature of the samples and the structural changes that take place with increasing the cobalt oxide content were followed by X-ray diffraction. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the network structure

To develop high-activity heterogeneous Fenton catalysts used under mild conditions, the Fe2+ self-doped Fe2O3/C3N4 nanosheet has been successfully synthesized by a NaCl-assisted templating method. The FexO3/C3N4 nanosheet shows excellent photo-Fenton catalytic performance for phenol degradation. The degradation constant of the FexO3/C3N4 is 13.3 times, 26.1 times and 15.9 times that of Fe2O3/C3N4,

Mesoporous N-doped carbon (m-N-Carbon) nanofibers with controlled numerous surface nanocavities as efficient oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts have been fabricated through carbonization polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers decorated with different sizes of SiO2 nanoparticles. The prepared m-N-Carbon nanofibers possess tunable mesopores, high surface area and desired nitrogen moieties. Among these

We, herein, report the synthesis of umbrella-like CdS single crystal with exposed high-activity (002) facets first time by using a one-step hydrothermal method with cadmium acetate dihydrate (Cd(CH3COO)2·2H2O) and ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN), and its possible growth mechanism was discussed. As a contrast, CdS nanoparticles with different morphologies were also synthesized. The morphology, composition

In the original article, Fig. 15 is incorrect. The correct version of the figure is presented below.

The design of multi-materials requires the determination of several variables: morphology, components and geometric parameters. Previously developed methods help designer making these choices separately because they always lie on a reduction in the number of design variables, as some of them are fixed at the beginning of the study. This paper proposes a method to carry out the simultaneous definition

Electrophilic aromatic substitution produces edge-specific modifications to CVD graphene and graphene nanoplatelets that are suitable for specific attachment of biomolecules.

Herein, in a one-pot procedure, fluorescent silica submicrospheres (FSSMSs) with ordered composite structure were facilely fabricated by the approach of AIE-amphiphile-induced hierarchical order self-assembly. A key factor is the use of an AIE-active amphiphile as both light-emitting source and structure-directing agent. As expected, the fluorescent micelles formed by self-assembly of the AIE-active

Wide spectral responsive photocatalysts are of great importance for making full use of solar energy and broad application in highly efficient photocatalytic wastewater treatment, production of H2O2, etc. Thereinto, it is significative to open an appropriate way to extend the absorption to the NIR region, in which it accounts for ~ 49% in the solar spectrum. In this work, we synthesized successfully

High-specific-capacity materials are crucial for the high-energy-density lithium-ion secondary batteries as the automakers and customers are both eager to extend the cruising range of electric vehicles. The current commercial silicon/carbon composites are based on the mechanical mixture of silicon and graphite, but this weak combination is not suitable for the higher-capacity materials. Here, low-cost

The combination therapy by using two or more chemotherapeutic agents with different action mechanisms has shown to be an attractive strategy for cancer treatment with synergistic therapeutic effects, and also the side effects reduction by one agent replacing part of another one. In this work, an amphiphilic star copolymer with an H40 hyperbranched polyester as the core and poly(ε-caprolactone)-pol

Recently, the preparation of porous carbon using biomass materials as carbon precursor has received extensive interests due to their wide range of sources and low cost. Herein, ultrasonic-assisted fabrication of porous carbon materials derived from agricultural waste had been successfully synthesized and further applied in solid-state supercapacitor. It is found that the adoption of ultrasonic-assisted

A robust optical strain sensor, called fiber Bragg grating, is employed to measure the effective cure shrinkage—a part of cure shrinkage that is accumulated only after the gel point—of a dual cure adhesive during each stage of curing—(1) UV-curing stage and (2) thermal-curing stage. Unique experimental setups and procedures are developed and implemented to cope with the technical challenges associated

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) generally possess superior properties than the monotonic matrix alloys, and thus, they have become excellent candidate materials in various applications. Also, the ability of property tailoring at an affordable cost is of particular importance to industries. Among the many manufacturing techniques for MMCs, laser-assisted additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have emerged

Using machine learning (ML) approach, we unearthed a new III–V semiconducting material having an optimal bandgap for high-efficient photovoltaics with the chemical composition of Gallium–Boron–Phosphide (\(\hbox {GaBP}_{2}\), space group: \(\hbox {Pna2}_{1}\)). ML predictions are further validated by state-of-the-art ab initio density functional theory simulations. The stoichiometric Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof

The twin–twin interaction phenomenon in Ti is studied by incorporating experimental observation and theoretical analysis. Secondary \( \{ {10\bar{1}2} \} \) twins are stimulated in primary \( \{ {11\bar{2}2} \} \) and \( \{ {11\bar{2}4} \} \) via twinning dislocation dissociation. Primary twin variants are found either share the same \( \langle {10\bar{1}0} \rangle \) zone axis or with different zone

The intergranular corrosion (IGC) behavior of an extruded 6005A alloy profile with the coexisting of peripheral coarse grain (PCG) structure and partial recrystallized grain (PRG) structure was investigated by using an accelerated corrosion test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a quasi in situ examination of IGC process. PCG structure was found to have a unique IGC behavior that pitting

Here, we suggest a facile and technologically available approach to synthesis of tungsten oxide-based materials implementing a liquid phase reductive precipitation followed by thermal dehydration of the obtained materials. Structure of the investigated sorbents refers to the type of tungsten bronze. Effects of annealing temperature on such properties as chemical and hydromechanical stability along

The study covers the fundamental relationships between the nature of aprotic polar solvents [N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)] used for casting solution preparation and the structure and performance of poly(amide-imide) (PAI) ultrafiltration membranes. It was found that the distinctive feature of the ternary systems

The demand of medical materials for rapid and efficient elimination of bacteria has seen a dramatic surge over the past few years. In this study, antibacterial nanofilms with reactive oxygen species were generated by photocatalysis. To prepare these nanofilms, Ag and amorphous TiO2 nanoparticles decorated on polydopamine (PDA) were coated on three-dimensional (3D) nanopore arrays, which was fabricated

Aluminum (Al) electrodes doped with metals, such as Sn, Ga, and Mg, were prepared by smelting to study the effects of Mg content on the properties of Al electrodes. After testing the corrosion resistance and electrochemical properties (in 4 M NaOH solution) of the Al–0.08Sn–0.08Ga–xMg alloy, the results were compared to virgin Al and an Al–Sn–Ga alloy. The battery performance was studied by constant

Based on hydrothermal synthesis and solid-phase thermal reaction, LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 hollow nanospheres (LNCA HNSs) were synthesized by using SiO2 hollow nanospheres as hard template. Firstly, the SiO2 HNSs were prepared. Then, (Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)CO3 nanosheets grew on the surface of SiO2 HNSs to form SiO2@(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)CO3 hollow nanospheres with double shells by hydrothermal method. Finally

Wearable contact lenses attract great interest as a minimally invasive diagnostic platform. With advances in biomaterials, electronics and microfabrication, contact lenses offer the potential to analyze the concentration of biomarkers of interest in tears. Emerging wearable contact lenses typically involve external electrodes and batteries, signal processing and wireless transmission, which is accompanied

Flexible films possessing stable superhydrophobicity under external loading have great application potential in the emerging flexible electronics field. The effects of stretching and cyclic bending on superhydrophobicity and conductivity of the flexible films with wrinkled micro-nano hierarchical structures (W-FF) were investigated. Wrinkled micro-nano hierarchical structures were fabricated on a flexible

In the original article, there is a typographical error in the in-line equation on page 1418 following Eq. (21). The sentence should read as follows.

In this work, an electrochemical transducing platform constructed from carbonaceous tubes modified with thiophene polymer and gold nanoparticles was described. The negatively charged carbon tubes attracted monomers on their surface, then migrated toward the electrode upon electrical driving force, and finally deposited on the electrode surface. Consequently, these carbon tubes were coiled and wrapped

As additive manufacturing (AM) increasingly gains commercial and academic interest, government agencies, such as NASA Johnson Space Center, seek to produce thermal protection systems using AM methods, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF). The purpose of this study is to develop a suitable polyetherimide (ULTEM™ 1010) nanocomposite with enhanced ablation and thermal properties while maintaining