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Abstract A Fe–9Cr steel containing second-phase particles was processed by ten rotations of high-pressure torsion (HPT) to produce a microstructure consisting of pancake-shaped nanoscaled grains with dominantly high-angle boundaries. Annealing was carried out on the HPT-processed Fe–9Cr steel from 500 to 700 °C up to 48 h. During the annealing, grains grew in a continuous manner. During high-temperature

Abstract Intragranular embrittlement is key to the weakening of properties of ultra-supercritical applied materials as HR3C heat-resistant steel in service and is considered to be related to the structure of grain boundary and the precipitation of carbides. In this work, the structural unit model was applied to study the structure of grain boundary and carbide formation with molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract Blocky woodceramic electrode materials are prepared by Ni(NO3)2 catalysis and K2CO3 activation with waste poplar wood which is self-assembled with pulping black liquor lignin. The results show that the natural hierarchical pore structure of wood can be well preserved, and the activation, catalytic graphitisation, and Ni2+ doping are accomplished simultaneously in the sintering process. Meanwhile

Abstract Over recent decades, considerable breakthroughs for supercapacitors have been reported particularly related to electrode material synthesis. In this study, spherical nanoshaped MoO3/ZnMoO4 electrode material was synthesized and functionalized by greener organic–inorganic framework. Here, we used E. cognata as a source of organic compounds. According to synthesis approach, Zn(O2CCH3)2 (H2O)2

Abstract When it comes to bonding in an aqueous environment, intertidal marine organisms such as mussels, sandcastle worms, barnacles and polychaetes are providing inspiration for the assembly of synthetic molecules into the polymeric adhesives. Although intense demands in various life or industrial applications and many mussel-inspired systems have been shown to develop coatings and hydrogels, exploring

Abstract Temperature dependence of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequency fFMR was revealed in Z-type hexaferrite (BaxSr1−x)3Co2Fe24O41 using microwave spectroscopy in zero external magnetic field. A linear decrease in fFMR toward magnetic phase transition temperature Tc2 = 500 K was observed, implicating magnetic anisotropy decrease. Ferromagnetic resonance studies performed near 9 GHz with the magnetic

Abstract Nuclear graphite has been used in nuclear reactors for almost 80 years, its material behavior after oxidation and irradiation is still not fully understood. In this paper, an old question of why the oxidation has a considerable effect on Young’s modulus but not on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is tried to be answered. The multi-scale finite-element method was used to analyze CTE

Abstract The sliding electrical contact behavior on the perpendicular surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite has been systematically studied under various electric current densities and environmental atmospheres. The results indicated that the friction coefficient decreased from 0.30 to 0.23 in wet air, and it increased from 0.32 to 0.39 in dry N2 with increasing electric current density from

Abstract The properties of manganese oxide nanomaterials are dictated by the structure and morphology of the particular phases they can adopt. In this work, the effects of post-synthesis heat treatments on amorphous monodisperse manganese oxide nanoparticles at temperatures of up to 1300 °C under laboratory air and argon atmospheres have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis,

Abstract The solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical conversion devices and have been studied for several decades. While numerous achievements have been obtained in different types of electrolyte materials, respectively, systematic reviews based on cell performance have been notably rare. In this review, the overall research progress and highlights of the performance of solid oxide

Abstract Lead-free 0.94Bi0.50Na0.50TiO3–0.06Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3–xmol%Bi2FeCrO6 ceramics, with x = 0–0.021 (BNT–BCTZ–xBFCO), were calcined at 650 °C for 2 h and sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h using the solid-state combustion technique. The effect of BFCO content (x) on the phase formation, microstructure, electrical and magnetic properties was studied. The sintered pellets exhibited a pure perovskite

Abstract The magnetic and optical properties of Ce-doped ZnO systems have been widely studied; the effects of different strains on Ce-doped ZnO systems with O or Zn vacancies remain unclear. This study identified the effects of biaxial strain on the magnetic and optical properties of Ce-doped ZnO systems with O or Zn vacancies through a generalized gradient approximation + U method. Zn15CeO15 showed

Abstract To buffer the unavoidable volume expansion and structure collapse problems of transitional metal sulfides during lithiation process, herein, nanosized α-MnS homogenously embedded in axial multichannel carbon nanofibers was well designed and directly used as freestanding anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The obtained carbon nanofibers were interwoven into a flexible and cross-linked

Abstract Silicon is widely used within energy, electro-mechanical, environmental devices by nanostructural control. As silicon parts constitute structural components whose size is ever decreasing, it is critical to understand the mechanical properties of single crystal silicon from precise measurements of load and displacement using microscopic sample in sub-micron and macroscopic scales. Here, the

Abstract Efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) have been actively pursued in recent years to promote the application of fuel cells and metal–air batteries. In this work, hierarchically porous nitrogen and sulfur dual-doped carbon nanosheet networks (N,S-HPC) were facilely synthesized by pyrolysis of Allium cepa chips impregnated with thiourea and KOH. The as-prepared

Abstract Graphene-based materials receive attention in the field of energy and environmental application. The unique physiochemical assets such as the high surface area, high thermal stability, chemical flexibility, high electron mobility and mechanical solidity make it a highly versatile material for different applications. In this critical review, the application of graphene-based material in energy

In the original article, there were errors in the Acknowledgements section.

Abstract Herein, an eco-friendly and straightforward method was provided for the fabrication of superhydrophobic paper from native wood cellulose fibers via in situ hydrolysis of tetraethyl titanate(IV) without any chemical pretreatment. By simply adjusting the amount of acetic acid (HAc), the surface micro/nanomorphology could be well controlled. After papermaking and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane modification

Abstract Recently, all-inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskites have become one of the most promising candidates for photoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Herein, we report the controllable synthesis of CsxPbyBrz-based perovskites by a simple polar solvent-triggered (H2O, CH3OH) chemical transformation method. The phase of CsxPbyBrz-based perovskites can be successfully converted from

Abstract A class of high-entropy perovskite oxide (HEPO) [(Bi,Na)1/5(La,Li)1/5(Ce,K)1/5Ca1/5Sr1/5]TiO3 has been synthesized by conventional solid-state method and explored as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The half-battery provides a high initial discharge capacity of about 125.9 mAh g−1 and exhibits excellent cycle stability. An outstanding reversible capacity of 120.4 mAh g−1 and superior

Abstract Nitrogen-doped three-dimensional (3D) graphene foam (GF) has aroused tremendous interest for the supercapacitors (SCs) applications because of its unique properties. However, it is still confronting the challenges of facile preparation and the high N-doping level. Here, by rolling a part of graphene planes into the fiber-like scaffold to support other graphene sheets, we obtain high-quality

Abstract This paper proposed a method for preparing subtle and complex lattice structure Al2O3 ceramic via digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology. The solid-phase mass fraction of Al2O3 ceramic slurry and the porosity of the green body reached 52% and 83%, respectively. According to the TG-DSC curve and two-way analysis of variance, the optimum technological parameters for debinding

Abstract In situ integration of highly conductive metals into transitional metal oxide electrodes with enabling fast electron transfer kinetics is a plausible technique for improving electrochemical performances of electrode materials. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate a rational configuration of conductive Ag flakes (FAg) that directly grown on CuO nanorods by in situ chemical approach. The

Abstract Geogenic contamination of arsenic in the groundwater of the Indian subcontinent and other parts of the world has been reported. Many methods have been developed to remove arsenic species from water. The most promising technology is adsorption for its merits such as simple in operation, low cost, and considerably insignificant by-product formation. In this study, a new polymer-based nano-adsorbent

Abstract One-dimensional inorganic high-k nanowires (NWs) show a potential of achieving high energy densities in polymer-matrix nanocomposite capacitors. In this study, we investigate a hydrothermal synthesis of BT NWs, by which BT NWs with high aspect ratios of pure phase, [110]-oriented structures were obtained. The BT NWs are filled in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix to prepare nanocomposites

Abstract MoS2/RGO heterojunction composite was fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method. Ultra-thin MoS2 nanosheets were vertically grown on RGO in situ with C–O– functional group at the edges and plane of RGO as nucleation sites. This strong interfacial interaction between MoS2 and RGO not only can increase the active sites of MoS2 but also can alleviate the contact resistance between MoS2 and RGO

Abstract A comprehensive understanding of solidification behavior of Mg–Al–Zn–Bi alloys is necessary for designing novel casting Bi-modified AZ alloys. In this paper, 21 Mg–Al–Zn–Bi alloys were prepared to investigate the phase constituents, morphologies, grain sizes and area fractions of precipitates in as-cast microstructures, as well as their phase transition temperatures and solidification paths

Abstract Electrocaloric effect (ECE) as well as field induced pyroelectric and piezoelectric effects were investigated in relaxor ceramics 0.84 PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3–0.14 PbTiO3–0.02 SrTiO3. Dielectric and elastic properties of the solid solution were also studied. To improve the accuracy and reliability of the results obtained, the electrocaloric temperature change δT was measured both by the well-known

Abstract High-entropy carbides (HECs) are novel advanced materials composed of covalently bonded multicomponent transition metals and carbon. The transition metal atoms of all the precursor components are randomly distributed at the cation sublattice. Recently, a series of HECs with a non-stoichiometric compound (NSC) as one of the precursors have been synthesized. However, the effect of vacancies

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a highly toxic persistent organic pollutant (POP) that can remain present in the environment for a long time. Prolonged exposure to TCDD may bring about a wide variety of deleterious health effects to humans. Based on these circumstances, a rapid and facile surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method with gold nanoparticle-modified silver nanorod

Abstract In this paper, we reported a rapid and simple approach to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) materials for sensing of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) residues in environmental water and mixed juice. Initially, MIPs materials were prepared via visible light-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization at ambient temperature using

Abstract The use of nanomaterials in photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising alternative to enhance the efficacy and overcome the limitations of conventional photosensitizers. A major challenge in this regard is the development of novel cheap, synthetically convenient and biocompatible photoresponsive nanomaterials for visible-light-driven PDT applications. In this work, folate-conjugated

Abstract Co-delivery systems with programmed release of combined drugs are of great value for combination cancer therapy. However, design of such co-delivery systems for potent synergistic cancer therapy is still a great challenge. In the present work, dimethylcurcumin (DMC) and docetaxel (DTX) co-loaded branched worm-like nanoparticles (NPs) with programmed release of DMC and DTX were developed for

Abstract Hydroxypropyl-modified lignin (TcC) and organosolv lignin (TcA) were melt blended with two types of bio-based polyamides (PA) (PA1010 and PA1012) before being melt spun into filaments. With a lignin/bio-PA ratio 50/50 wt%, the filaments could be continuously produced and spooled having tensile strengths ≥ 20 MPa and moduli ≥ 500 MPa. The influence of each polyamide blended with each lignin

Abstract In the context of the development of materials, morphology control represents an important tool for tuning their properties, thus enabling their application on photocatalysis, energy conversion and other areas. In this work, DFT/B3LYP methodology was carried out to investigate the surface structure and the electronic, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of low index surfaces of the multiferroic

Abstract In this study, we successfully synthesized ZnO/CeO2 composite nanoparticles for efficient ultraviolet (UV) filtering applications using a simple precipitation route. Various ratios of Ce/Ti, 2.5 at.%, 5 at.%, and 10 at.% were used to precipitate ceria onto commercial ZnO nanopowder at pH 9. The calculated mean crystallite sizes of the resultant nanocomposites were ~ 90 nm, ~ 79 nm, and ~ 41 nm

Abstract Interest in nanocomposite materials has grown rapidly over the past decade. In this time, graphene, graphene analogs, and polymers have increasingly found use as components in nanocomposite materials. Combining multiple materials at the nanoscale provides an opportunity to produce nanocomposites with unique and in many cases enhanced properties. Conductivity is one such property, which can

Abstract The aim of this research is to present a method to evaluate the X-ray attenuation coefficient of (nano)particles by uniformly dispersing them in a host polymer, polydimethylsiloxane. The method is described and applied to the case of a material of interest for medical application in X-ray shielding and imaging, namely bismuth oxychloride nanoplates (BiOCl NP). A diagnostic X-ray machine was

Abstract Ethylene-vinyl acetate–glycidyl methacrylate random terpolymer (EVM–GMA, VA = 60 wt%, GMA = 2.9%) was used as a polymeric plasticizer replacing the traditional dioctyl phthalate (DOP) to prepare a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) masterbatch. Polylactic acid (PLA) was applied to blend with the PVC masterbatch in melt to examine the epoxy ring-opening reactions between epoxy groups in EVM–GMA and end

Abstract Last decade has witnessed the unique ability of localized surface plasmon resonance nanostructure to significantly enhance upconversion luminescence efficiency of lanthanide ions, which has been demonstrated in terms of either increased absorption cross section or accelerated radiative decay rate (Purcell effect) induced by the concentrated electromagnetic field. Herein, we report the upconversion

Abstract Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films were experimentally prepared on Si (100) substrate by alternating evaporation method with post-annealing process. The samples have a cubic structure with a space group of Pm3n (223), and the crystallinity is dependent on the Fe (Mn) contents. The exchange bias effect in the bilayer samples confirmed the AFM state of the CrMn1.95Si and Cr1.92FeSi.

Abstract Monovalent silver-doped Pr0.6Sr0.4−xAgxMnO3 manganite has been chosen for the electrical and thermal transport studies. The electrical measurements confirmed a metal–insulator transition around room temperature. For the analysis of the resistivity data, in the high-temperature paramagnetic region, the adiabatic small polaron hopping model was operative. The magnetoresistance studies, under

Abstract A new carbon precursor, soybean oil, was applied to the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon (SOMC) using an inverse replication method in conjunction with ordered mesoporous SiO2 molecular sieves (SBA-15) as a hard template. The effects of different carbonization temperatures (600, 700, and 800 °C) on the microstructure, degree of order of the pore structure, specific surface area, and

Abstract Cu–carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrids combine the advantages of the high electrical conductivity of Cu with the low temperature coefficient of resistance for CNTs, but require enhanced interfacing to improve the electrical performance when exposed to elevated temperatures. Herein, Ti and Ni were investigated as adhesion metals by thermally evaporating 10 nm layers onto a CNT conductor. SEM analysis

Abstract The modulation and characterization of the acidity of a vermiculite were carried out, which was modified by delamination by means of hydrothermal and acid treatments with the subsequent incorporation of AlZr and AlCe species to modulate the acidity. The effect of these species was evaluated regarding the structural (XRD, XPS and IR), textural (N2 sortometry) and acidity properties (NH3-TPD

Abstract Honeycomb woven fabric is a single-layer fabric with three-dimensional effect. The effect is attributed to the increased length of warp and weft floats from the center to the sides of a weave unit, resulting in an inverted pyramid space on surface and an internal closed space in fabric. In order to study the practical application of such fabrics, 12 honeycomb woven fabrics were fabricated

Abstract Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with high performance and low density are urgently needed with the rapid development of electronic communications. In this work, tuning solid–air interface of graphene paper was carried out to enhance multiple reflections of incident electromagnetic waves for high-performance EMI shielding. The large amount solid–air interface (57.8 m2 g−1)

Abstract Nitrogen ions-implanted TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) were prepared by the methods of ion implantation and electrochemical anodic oxidation. The prepared samples were applied in photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) oxidation of methyl blue, rhodamine B and bisphenol A. Compared with pure TNTs, morphology, crystallinity, chemical structure, photoelectric and PEC ability of doped samples were greatly promoted

Abstract We hereby report a reduced graphene oxide–titanium dioxide (rGO–TiO2)-loaded polyurethane (PU) nanofibrous membrane having visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activity and antifouling property. The functionality is significantly augmented by the hybridization of rGO–TiO2 with nanofibrous membrane. This results in a synergistic combination of high surface area of nanofiber and unique photocatalytic

Abstract In terms of aluminum alloy matrix composites, the effect of reinforcement on precipitation is worth investigating. In this work, the silicon carbide nanoparticles-reinforced 7075Al (SiCnp/7075Al) composite was fabricated through a series of powder metallurgy procedures, shift-speed ball milling, hot pressing, and hot extrusion, and the precipitation behavior of SiCnp/7075Al composite was compared

Abstract Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have been studied in the field of biomedicine, such as drug delivery, bioimaging and theragnosis because of their superior biocompatibility and desirable optoelectronic properties. However, limited assessments on the biological effects of CNDs, particularly the effect on oxidative stress and toxicity in living cells, are not adequately addressed. In this work, a type

Abstract Graphene-based nanomaterials have attracted great attention for energy storage application in supercapacitors and batteries, along with challenges and perspectives in the exciting field; however, the Li ion batteries with long cycling stability remain a major impediment. In order to enhance the Li+ ion adsorption, we employ density functional theory to investigate the adsorption of Li+ ion

Abstract To enhance the cycling and rate performances of SiO as an anode material, a CNT fiber-reinforced multi-carbon resource-coated SiOx composite (SiOx@MC/CNTs) prepared via a two-step pyrolysis process is evaluated. The SiOx@MC/CNTs composite exhibits a high initial coulombic efficiency of 74.6%, an initial charge capacity of 1400.5 mAh/g, and an initial discharge capacity of 1878.6 mAh/g. After

Abstract Unlike the mechanisms behind their enhanced mechanical properties, application of artificial nacre-like materials has attracted very little attention from scholars. In this study, we designed a unique artificial nacre-like material that integrated outstanding mechanical properties and dielectric insulation properties by assembling MTM nanosheet and aramid nanofiber (ANF) through vacuum-assisted

Abstract In this study, a nitrogen and sulfur co-doped sodium titanium phosphate/hole graphene (N,S-NTP/rHGO) was synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method using thiourea as N/S source. The microstructure characterization confirms that N and S heteroatoms have been integrated into the graphene skeleton. The electrochemistry and electrosorption properties of the N,S-NTP/rHGO electrodes were investigated

Abstract Magnesium alloys are promising materials for biodegradable vascular stents because of their good biocompatibility and physical properties. The poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) coating with vascular endothelial growth factor and heparin was prepared on the surface of WE magnesium alloys by layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. In this study, the effects of magnesium alloys with bioactive drug

Abstract Synthesis of Mo-substituted CeVO4 systems by facile co-precipitation process is reported wherein an upper solubility limit of 40 mol% Mo was obtained retaining the tetragonal structure. Solid solution formation was investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy and XPS. Introduction of Mo into the anionic framework yielded hierarchical mesoporous structures with

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been recently studied for a variety of applications because of their huge surface area, large porosity, and tunable functionality. In this work, for the first time, the efficient immobilization of l-asparaginase (ASNase, EC 3.5.1.1) by using MOF as a simple and novel support is demonstrated. The functional groups, morphology, chemical composition, and crystal

Abstract Printed barcode lacks distributability as each barcode associated with sample cannot be divided when multiple copies of the same barcode are needed for forensic analysis. This article reports a metamorphic barcode with desired distributability to label objects (liquids or solids) in a covert and high-fidelity manner using polymer microdots containing a panel of phase change nanoparticles (low