Manganese sulfides (MnS) with a diversity of well-defined morphologies and phases have been successfully synthesized by the solvothermal approach. The phase structure and morphology of MnS could readily be tuned by adjusting the sulfur sources and solvents. Hollow γ-MnS spheres were obtained by treating L-cysteine and manganese source in ethylene glycol (EG) at 200 °C for 2 h, whereas a replacement of the mixture solvent by EG and deionized water yields the hierarchical flower-like γ-MnS. γ-MnS tubes were also produced under the same condition by using diethylene glycol and deionized water as solvents. When thioacetamide used as the sulfur source and oleylamine used as the solvent, monodisperse α-MnS nanoparticles with the mean diameter of 17 nm could be synthesized successfully. The phase structures, sizes, and morphologies of samples were investigated in detail by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The UV-vis absorption peak and the width of band gap with different morphologies of the as-prepared MnS were measured. The samples described in this paper are promising to be utilized in solar cells, biomedicine, short wavelength electronic devices, photocatalysis, and other fields.

Cobalt-doped ZnO (CZO) film nanocomposites have been deposited on Si(100) substrates by pulsed electron beam ablation from a single Co0.2Zn0.8O target. The films have been deposited at various electron beam repetition rates (1, 2, 4, and 8 Hz), under a background argon (Ar) pressure of ∼3 mtorr, an accelerating voltage of 16 kV, and a deposition temperature of 450 °C. The effect of beam frequency on the structural, chemical, and morphological properties of the films has been assessed. The findings reveal that film thickness, film roughness, and degree of crystallinity of the ZnO wurtzite structure increase with beam frequency, while globule size and density reach maximum and minimum values, respectively, as the beam frequency is increased. The pulse frequency does not appear to affect the average nanoparticulate size. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data support the co-existence of metallic cobalt (Co0), CoO, and Co2O3 in CZO films near the surface. Phase analysis by X-ray diffraction also confirms the presence of hexagonal close-packed metallic cobalt whose content in the films is practically unaffected by beam frequency.

A comparison of microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture behavior of Mg–9Gd–3Y–xZn–0.5Zr (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) (wt%) alloys under different thermal treatment conditions was investigated in this study. The results showed that the as-cast alloys were comprised of Mg matrix, eutectic compounds and cuboid-shaped phases. The eutectics were Mg24(Gd, Y)5 in the alloys of Zn content ≤0.2 wt%, while (Mg, Zn)3RE in the other three alloys. Fine lamellar long period stacking ordered structure formed inside of matrix of the as-cast Zn-containing alloys and its quantity increases with raising Zn content. Mg12(Gd, Y)Zn was observed at grain boundary of Mg matrix after solution treatment in the alloys of Zn content ≥0.5 wt%. Peak-aged Mg–9Gd–3Y–0.5Zn–0.5Zr alloy exhibited a desirable combination of strength and elongation with 244 MPa in yield strength, 371 MPa in ultimate tensile strength and 3.8% in EL. Meanwhile, the fracture behavior of the studied alloys was also investigated.

Despite the potential as a promising alternative to CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2, the kesterite compound Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) presents a critical challenge mainly from its high open-circuit voltage (Voc) deficit. Indeed, the Voc of the record CZTSSe solar cell to date has accounted for only 61% of that calculated by the Shockley–Queisser limit, whose origin can be ascribed to nonradiative recombination from a high density of defects and secondary phases. Therefore, an atomistic understanding and characterization of CZTSSe is highly essential to overcoming the current shortcomings in kesterite. This review discusses the advanced characterization techniques for studying the intrinsic properties of kesterite at a nanometer scale. Moreover, a cation substitution with an ionic mismatch around constituents is recognized as an effective route to address the fundamental limit (i.e., the cationic disorder) in CZTSSe. Here, we review recent studies on a novel chalcogenide Cu2BaSn(S,Se)4 that substitutes Zn with Ba and results in less cationic disordering.

The elastic properties and solid-solution strengthening (SSS) of the binary Ni–Co and Ni–Cr, and ternary Ni–Co–Cr alloys were investigated by the first-principles method. The results show that both Co and Cr increase lattice parameters of the binary alloys linearly. However, nonlinearity is found in compositional dependence of lattice parameters in the ternary Ni–Co–Cr alloys, that is, Co increases but decreases the lattice parameter at low and high Cr concentrations, respectively. Co increases the bulk, shear, and Young’s moduli (B, G, and E), while Cr increases B but decreases G and E in the binary alloys. In the ternary Ni–Co–Cr alloys, G and E have a similar compositional dependence to those in the binary alloys, except for B. Based on the Labusch model, the SSS parameter of Ni–Cr is larger than that of Ni–Co. The SSS effect increases significantly with Cr addition, especially at low Co concentrations in the ternary Ni–Co–Cr alloys. Meanwhile, it increases mildly with Co addition at low Cr concentrations but decreases with Co addition at high Cr concentrations.

A novel luminogen-functionalized SBA-15, denoted as SNT, was developed by incorporating tris(4-bromophenyl)amine (TBPA) into SBA-15 via a “fixation-induced emission” strategy. The emission of TBPA on the matrix of SBA-15 was greatly enhanced, making the SNT possible as a fluorescence sensor. Cefalexin, a typical antibiotic, was chosen as the model analyte to be assayed and sensitive detection performance was achieved. This is the first time for cefalexin to be detected by a fluorescent method. Moreover, the SNT can be recycled by simply washing with proper solvents then used for next detection. This work provides a strategy to greatly improve the emission characteristics of fluorophores, even if a mediocre small fluorophore. It can be extended to design practical fluorescent sensors with high performance and recyclability by this strategy.

To study the effects of the support morphology on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity of NiMoS catalysts, ordered mesoporous SiO2 (KIT-6) and nonporous nanospheres of SiO2 were used as supports. Metal species (Ni and Mo) were incorporated through a sequential impregnation technique. The aqueous solution of nickel nitrate was introduced first on the supports, followed by the solution of ammonium molybdate. Subsequently, a sulfidation treatment was carried out in gaseous H2S/H2 atmosphere. The NiMo/Al2O3 commercial catalyst was used as reference. The materials obtained were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and evaluated in the HDS catalytic reaction of dibenzothiophene in a batch reactor. The results indicate that the textural properties of KIT-6 were the key factors to obtain disperse NiMoS stacks, and a better metal sulfidation, which lead to a higher catalytic activity of the NiMo/KIT-6 catalyst (twice as active) compared to the NiMo/Nanosilica catalyst. In addition, the activity of the NiMo/KIT-6 catalyst was also superior to that obtained for the commercial catalyst.

U–Mo metallic alloy is considered as an advanced fast reactor and research reactor fuel material. U–33 at.% Mo has a higher melting point than that of pure uranium metal. This provides a higher safety margin against fuel melting and diminishes fuel and clad interaction. The metallic fuels are fabricated through a melting-casting route, and the cast microstructure of U–33 at.% Mo has been characterized using optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy—energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Electron back scattered diffraction. These microstructures show dendrites of two different morphologies: (i) the γ-(U) dendrite with secondary branches and (ii) the equiaxed (Mo) dendrite without secondary branches and surrounded by a peritectic reaction product. In this article, for the first time, a phase field model has been developed for U–Mo alloys to understand the morphological evolution and the associated microsegregation of γ-(U) dendrites in the U–33 at.% Mo alloy. The evolution of the concentration and temperature field with the time and the effect of undercooling on the growth velocity of γ-(U) and (Mo) dendrites has been studied.

In this paper, corrosion behaviors of Mg–10Gd–5Y–2Zn–0.5Zr (wt%) alloy (GWZ1052K) in different aging stages are investigated using immersion tests and electrochemical measurements in 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution. The corrosion resistance is found to increase from the solution-anneal to peak-aged condition, which is attributed to microstructure evolutions of β′ precipitates and nearly unchanged long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structures. The broken network LPSO structures no more act as corrosion barriers, thus inversely worsening the galvanic corrosion. β′ precipitates uniformly surround the LPSO lamellas, those partly enhancing corrosion resistance. The potentiodynamic polarization curves also show the best corrosion resistance in the peak-aged stage, suggesting the similar tendency of corrosion behaviors. And the results of electrochemical impedance spectrum are consistent with the morphology of the corrosion surface. Further equivalent circuit is established to investigate the corrosion mechanism.

We designed a resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) sol–gel ink for direct ink writing of the microlattices. To improve the formability, the fresh microlattices were strengthened by surface catalysis with HCl atmosphere. After supercritical drying and carbonization, the sample’s specific surface area was 631 m2/g and the average pore size was 3.81 nm. Both RF aerogel and carbonized RF aerogel samples had millimeter-scale pore, micron-scale pore, and nanoscale skeleton. The pore and skeleton could provide high surface area and diffusion channels, which were beneficial to the adsorption performances. The carbonized RF aerogel sample fully adsorbed Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium in 250 min, which exhibited a good capacity of quick adsorption and indicated the potential application for cell supports.

As a new functional composite material, functionally graded shape memory alloy (FG-SMA) holds particular properties of both functionally graded materials and shape memory alloys. By bringing in a new concept of conical surface assumption, considering the axial deformation, a macroconstitutive model which can describe the thermal mechanical properties of a FG-SMA cylinder subjected to pressure and graded temperature loads is established in this work. Furthermore, a new layered finite element model (FEM) which can avoid the direct assumption of the macroproperties of the FG-SMA cylinder is provided. The theoretical results display a good agreement with the FEM results, which indicates that both the macroconstitutive model and the FEM provided here are valid. The obtained results show that the stress in the cylinder distributes complexly, and it decreases remarkably as a result of the martensite transformation. This research can provide a base for the design and in-depth investigation of FG-SMA materials.

To eliminate the toxic effect of chemotherapy drug of lobaplatin (LBP) on body tissue in liver cancer therapy, this work prepared a nanodrug carrier based on polyethylene glycol-modified carbon nanotubes (PEG–CNTs) and then constructed a targeted drug delivery system (LBP–PEG–CNTs) by loading LBP on PEG–CNTs. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was used to label PEG–CNTs to observe the cellular uptake of PEG–CNTs. In addition, the inhibitions of LBP–PEG–CNTs on HepG2 cells were investigated. The results show that the FITC-labeled PEG–CNTs have good cell penetrability; meanwhile, LBP–PEG–CNTs have good stability, pH-controlled release property, and high inhibition rate on HepG2 cells. To be specific, 80% of LBP is released under physiological conditions of liver cancer cells at pH 5.0, and LBP–PEG–CNTs show a high inhibition rate of 77.86% on HepG2 cells, demonstrating that they have targeted, pH-controlled release and inhibition properties on HepG2 cells.

The present work aims to understand the effect of zinc and rare-earth element addition (i.e., 2 wt% Gd, 2 wt% Dy, and 2 wt% of Gd and Nd individually) on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion behavior, and cytotoxicity of Mg for biomedical application. The microstructure results indicate that the Mg–Zn–Gd alloy consists of the lamellar long period stacking ordered phase. The electrochemical and immersion corrosion behavior were studied in Hanks balanced salt solution. Enhanced corrosion resistance with reduced hydrogen evolution volume and magnesium (Mg2+) ion release were estimated for the Mg–Zn–Gd alloy as compared to the other two alloy systems. At the early stage of corrosion, formation of the oxide film inhibited the corrosion propagation. However, at the later stages, the breaking of the oxide film leads to shallow pitting mode of corrosion. The ultimate tensile strength of Mg–Zn–Gd–Nd is better than the other two alloys due to the uniform distribution of the Mg12Nd precipitate phase. The moderate strength in the Mg–Zn–Gd alloy is due to the low volume fraction of the secondary phase. The MTT (methylthiazoldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assay study was carried out to understand the cell cytotoxicity on the alloy surfaces. Studies revealed that all three alloys had significant cellular adherence and no adverse effect on cells.

In this work, corrosion-resistant fluoridated Ca–Mg–P composite coatings were prepared on magnesium alloys via a hydrothermal assisted sol–gel process. All these coatings derived from Coating Sols with different F− concentrations are composed of fluoridated hydroxyapatite, magnesium hydroxide, and dittmarite. When F− concentration of Coating Sol is 0.03 M, the coating exhibited uniform and dense surface, and its thickness reached 32 μm, thus possessing a high charge transfer resistance of 312 ± 12.69 kΩ cm2 in simulated body fluid (SBF). Immersion test in SBF showed that this coating could quickly induce the formation of the mineralized layer, implying relatively high bioactivity. After 49 days of immersion, the original composite coating and newly formed mineralized layer reached 60 μm in thickness, providing effective long-term protection for magnesium alloys. These attractive results indicate that this fluoridated Ca–Mg–P composite coating is a promising protective coating on biodegradable magnesium and magnesium alloy implants for orthopaedic applications.

Laser-assisted material extrusion was used in this study to realize high-performance 3D printing of semicrystalline polymers. A CO2 laser device was simply integrated into a traditional fused deposition modeling printer to supply the laser. The sample’s surface temperature was changed by controlling the laser power during printing, and thus the interlayer shear strength and crystallinity could both be effectively controlled. By implementing the laser-assisted process, the optimal interlayer shear strength of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) could be improved by more than 45%, and the degree of crystallinity of PEEK was simultaneously improved by up to 34.5%, which has approached to the typical crystallinity of 35%. Therefore, the process provides a very effective solution for additive manufacturing of semicrystalline materials and helps clearly to establish a controllable mapping relationship between the laser parameters and material properties.

3D microarchitected metamaterials exhibit unique, desirable properties influenced by their small length scales and architected layout, unachievable by their solid counterparts and random cellular configurations. However, few of them can be used in high-temperature applications, which could benefit significantly from their ultra-lightweight, ultrastiff properties. Existing high-temperature ceramic materials are often heavy and difficult to process into complex, microscale features. Inspired by this limitation, we fabricated polymer-derived ceramic metamaterials with controlled solid strut size varying from 10-µm scale to a few millimeters with relative densities ranging from as low as 1 to 22%. We found that these high-temperature architected ceramics of identical 3D topologies exhibit size-dependent strength influenced by both strut diameter and strut length. Weibull theory is utilized to map this dependency with varying single strut volumes. These observations demonstrate the structural benefits of increasing feature resolution in additive manufacturing of ceramic materials. Through capitalizing upon the reduction of unit strut volumes within the architecture, high-temperature ceramics could achieve high specific strength with only fraction of the weight of their solid counterparts.