The reliability of a ceramic structure or device is closely related to its faults, such as structural defects and cracks. Here, we show that cracking in piezoelectric semi-conductive ceramics (PSCs) can be restrained with the application of an electric current. Due to the crack-generated flexoelectricity, piezoelectric polarization charges that generate and gather on the front of a crack result in

Highly flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material with excellent shielding performance is of great significance to practical applications in next-generation flexible devices. However, most EMI materials suffer from insufficient flexibility and complicated preparation methods. In this study, we propose a new scheme to fabricate a magnetic Ni particle/Ag matrix composite ultrathin

A facile step-by-step synthetic route was developed to synthesize the three-dimensional (3D) BiOI/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst by loading BiOI nanosheets onto g-C3N4 microtubes. And adjusting the material ratio easily controlled the amount of BiOI nanosheets on BiOI/g-C3N4 photocatalyst (BiOI/CN-0.5, BiOI/CN-1, BiOI/CN-3 and BiOI/CN-7). The photocatalytic properties were investigated by degradations

The relationship between residual stresses and microstructure associated with a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) IN718 alloy has been investigated on specimens produced with three different scanning strategies (unidirectional Y-scan, 90° XY-scan, and 67° Rot-scan). Synchrotron X-ray energy-dispersive diffraction (EDXRD) combined with optical profilometry was used to study residual stress (RS) distribution

Recent experiments reported a substantial toughening of nanotwinned diamond (nt-diamond) composite with coherently interfaced diamond polytypes (different stacking sequences). This discovery emphasizes the diversity of graphite-like structures in carbon onion precursors for synthesizing nt-diamond composite. We designed five new graphitic polytypes to investigate structural diversity in graphitic systems

According to the DFT calculations in a previous report (Ref. [27]: Nat. Commun. 2013, 4(1): 2642), the localization length ξ, which was consistent with the distribution of electron wave function, is equal to 6 Å. Consequently, the ξ value is corrected from 10 Å to 6 Å, and Figure 4c with the corrected value is modified as follows.

In situ X-ray microtomography was used to characterize the changes in internal structure of an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU) bead foam used in footwear midsole during compression. Quantitative data on cell size and volume changes based on conventional segmentation were computed. Image correlation on the 4D datasets, i.e. a 3D tomogram collected at various points during deformation, was

The mechanism of negative linear thermal expansion (NLTE) of Ti-34Nb (wt.%) alloy after 90% cold rolling is investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermal expansion and transmission electron microscopy. From the results, it is observed that 90% cold-rolled Ti-34Nb alloy is composed of β and α″ (Martensite) phases with the existence of < 110 > β and < 010 > α″ textures along rolling direction (RD). The

The conditions were found and the patterns of formation of Ni and Cu composites based on MgO, obtained by the precipitation method and by the glycine–citrate–nitrate method. The obtained materials are of interest as sorbents for the purification of aqueous media from toxic impurities, as well as catalysts in organic synthesis, in particular for the production of methanol from carbon dioxide. The phase

Sanicro 25 is a candidate material for reheaters and superheaters used in 650–700 °C advanced ultra-supercritical power plants. A composition-matched weld filler metal has been developed to join Sanicro 25 tubes through tungsten inert gas welding. Creep tests of the Sanicro 25 welded joint were conducted at 973 K under a stress of 180–240 MPa. The creep lifetime decreased with an increase in applied

The local electrochemical measurement and corrosion mechanism of the multi-layer aluminium sheets (AA4343/AA3xxx/AA4343 and AA7072/AA3xxx/AA4343) after brazing are determined by a combination of mechanical polishing and work function calculation based on density functional theory. The work functions of (100), (110), and (111) crystal planes of Si and α-Al(Fe,Mn)Si particles which are common in multi-layer

In this paper, we reported the enhanced thermoelectric properties of Cd and Sn dual-doped Cu3SbSe4-based material prepared by the vacuum melting combined with spark plasma sintering process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed the presence of Cu+, Cd2+, Sb5+, Sn4+ and Se2− states of Cu, Cd, Sb, Sn and Se, respectively. All samples exhibited p-type conduction with carrier concentrations

Whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), confining the resonant photons in nanoscale volumes, have been known to exhibit high-quality factor and sensitivity for electromagnetic waves in the field of nanophotonics. Here, we numerically demonstrate that a metasurface, which consists of periodic arrays with concentrically hybrid rectangular-slot (RS) and circular-ring-aperture (CRA) unit cells, supports polarization-dependent

Concrete is often used in building, bridges, dams, roads and other infrastructures. However, the porosities and natural hydrophilicity of concrete often induce the damage of the concrete architecture or other disasters. Endowing the concrete with superhydrophobicity can effectively improve the antifreeze–thaw, anti-corrosion and anti-icing properties and expand the application prospect of concrete

Orientation relationships (ORs) play a crucial role in the phase transformation of face-centered cubic austenite (γ-fcc) to body-centered cubic martensite (α′-bcc) upon plastic deformation. So far, ORs between γ-fcc and α′-bcc are reported frequently; however, the correlation to the transformation sequences is not clear. Here, the gradient structured austenitic stainless 304 steel prepared by ultrasonic

In this study, a catalytic-type combustible gas sensor was fabricated by the screen-printing method. Pt supported catalysts (Pt-HZSM5) were prepared by a wet impregnation method using HZSM5 zeolite as support. It was found that Pt-HZSM5 catalysts have a highly catalytic activity to H2 and CO at low temperatures and a selectively and fully combustible was observed at only 150 °C. A good dispersion state

We present an ultrasonic study of relaxor-based solid solution (1−x) PbFe2/3W1/3O3–x PbTiO3 (0.25 ≤ x ≤ 0.35) located within the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). The longitudinal ultrasonic wave velocity and attenuation have been measured by the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique at a frequency of 10 MHz in a wide temperature range from 200 to 800 K. Attenuation peaks have been observed at characteristic

Development of the deformation monitoring techniques for the infrastructures so as to avoid catastrophic failure and resulting economic/human loss has remained a key interest of scientists and engineers. Among various deformation monitoring techniques utilized and explored by groups of researchers, electromagnetic radiation detection is one of the intriguing techniques which has remained popular in

Zinc is one of the most important micronutrients used in agriculture, especially in tropical soils that are Zn-deficient and thus adsorb Zn applied from fertilizer, making it less available to plants, a problem that causes plant deficiencies. Therefore, slow-release systems are an alternative to minimize the sorption process of micronutrients in soil and ensure their availability to plants. In this

Topological magnetic domains exhibit many fascinating features and great potential in information storage and spintronics owing to their unique spin textures. In order to investigate the topological properties of the domain structures, the spontaneous evolutions of magnetic moments are evaluated by using Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. The equilibrium phase diagrams of the system with randomly, radial

The macroscopic friction behavior of water-swollen cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol)-based polyurethane coatings (PEG-based PU coatings) with varying PEG precursor mass is measured against a glass counter surface. Experimental data such as the water uptake and the indentation modulus are used to calculate an accurate value for the molar mass between cross-links Mc, which, in turn, is used for the

The development of semiconductor-based photoelectrocatalysts with superior activity is of great importance for water purification. Here, we fabricated graphene oxide (GO)-wrapped Ti/PbO2 photoanodes by combination of electrochemical deposition and electrophoretic deposition process. The as-obtained composite electrodes showed better performance for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of reactive

In the original article, the name of author A. Khadka was misspelled. It is correct here.

Owing to its remarkable electrical, mechanical and thermal properties, graphene has been considered the most promising reinforcing filler for the development of rubber nanocomposites. In this work, a novel interfacial structure consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/N-tert-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulfonamide (NS)/natural rubber (NR) (NR/NS-rGO) with covalent bond connections was fabricated using

Rare-earth transition metal (RE-TM) TbFeCo alloy films with adjustable perpendicular switching field and anisotropy are desirable for the applications in high-density spintronic devices. A series of TbFeCo alloy films are fabricated by sputtering a composite target method. The perpendicular magnetic properties of the ferrimagnetic TbFeCo films are investigated by Extraordinary Hall effect (EHE) measurements

Graphene oxide (GO) prepared from graphite powder using a modified Hummers method and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) obtained from GO using different reductants, i.e., sodium borohydride, hydrazine, formaldehyde, sodium hydroxide and L-ascorbic acid, were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman, infrared and electron spectroscopic methods. The GO and rGOs’ stacking

Organic polyimides have received an ever-growing interest in lithium-ion batteries based on the reversible anion stabilization mechanism of redox-active carbonyl groups due to their high theoretical capacities, resource sustainability, and diverse chain structures. Herein, four linear polyimides with different chain structures were synthesized by a facile and green hydrothermal method. The chain s

In this study, we have examined the geometrical, electronic and optical properties of penta-PdX2 (X = As,P) using density functional calculation. The electronic structure calculations show that the penta-PdAs2 and PdP2 are semiconductors with direct band gaps of 0.34 eV and 0.30 eV, respectively. The dynamical stability of penta-PdX2 monolayer is proved by the absence of imaginary frequencies in the

We report a series of novel alkali rare-earth orthoborates K3RE3(BO3)4 (RE = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) prepared by high-temperature solid-state syntheses. Single crystals of K3Pr3(BO3)4, K3Er3(BO3)4, K3Tm3(BO3)4, K3Yb3(BO3)4 and K3Lu3(BO3)4 are obtained by spontaneous crystallization using a flux. Complementary single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction measurements followed

The Al–Cu binary system has been investigated intensively in the past as key binary system for many important industrial alloys. With respect to new experimental results about phase equilibria in Al–Cu system, it was found necessary to prepare new CALPHAD-type thermodynamic description of the Al–Cu system. In course of this work, the known crystallography of several intermetallic phases and the information

In this work, carbon cloth (CC) was employed as a substrate onto which α-MnO2 nanowires were grown hydrothermally as a secondary support structure. In NaBH4 aqueous solution, the surface of the MnO2 was reduced at room temperature to form α-MnO2/Mn3O4 hierarchical structure. At a current density of 2 A g−1, the specific capacitance of the α-MnO2/Mn3O4@CC was found to be 181 F g−1. The energy density

Improvement of the mechanical properties of advanced ceramics fabricated by additive manufacturing has been a prerequisite for their wide applications. In this work, zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) parts with a variety of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) content were fabricated by stereolithography (SL) technology, based on the appropriate self-holding ability of the viscoelastic paste and application

The safe application of H2 gas requires a high-performance H2 gas sensing system. An attractive H2 gas sensor for industrial application which has H2 gas selectivity, high sensitivity, high response, high durability, small size, and low cost has not been developed yet. Durability is one of the most important problems in H2 gas sensors using Pd. This study focused on electric resistivity changes in

The degradation of poly(\(\varepsilon\)-caprolactone)/poly(l-lactic acid) (PCL/PLLA) electrospun membrane was carried out in the phosphate buffer of esterase and water, respectively. A three-dimensional (3D) porous morphology was cultivated during esterase degradation, which was confirmed by scanning electronic microscope (SEM), while the structural evolution was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry

In this paper, we report a green and low-cost method to synthesize Si-based anode applying setaria and corn leaf as raw materials. After carbon coating process, the as-prepared composite shows good electrochemcial properties with high reversible capacity and robust stability for lithium ion battery. Furthermore, the N-doped carbon derived from the corn leaf shows a maximum faradaic efficiency of 82

The relationship between microstructure evolution and mechanical performance of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys with varying Cu/Mg ratios was discussed in detail under different two-step aging (T7X). The results showed that the undissolved second-phase particles including σ-Al7Cu2Fe and T-Al2Mg3Zn occurred in the quenched Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys. When the Cu/Mg ratio approaches 1.64, the S-Al2CuMg phase was also observed

Active brazing is a commonly used method for joining dissimilar materials with at least one non-metallic component. In the present study, joining of SiO2 glass to 316L stainless steel was performed utilizing Bi–Ag-based solders. Ti up to a concentration of 4 and Mg up to 1 wt.% were added as active elements. Microstructures of the solder alloys in the as-cast state and of cross sections of the joined

The accumulation of ice on structures can restrict the performance of equipment and cause other concerns in many industries such as aviation, automotive transportation, telecommunication, and defense. The removal of ice requires the use of some chemicals and various other techniques, which are expensive, time-consuming, and unsafe. Superhydrophobic (SH) coatings have been involved in many commercial