Microstructures

The development of high-performance self-recoverable near-infrared (NIR) mechanoluminescent materials is crucial for advancing applications. In this work, we presented a self-recoverable NIR mechanoluminescent material, platelike SrAl<sub>12</sub>O<sub>19</sub>, through singly doped with Cr<sup>3+</sup> and co-doped with lanthanide ions (Nd<sup>3+</sup…

Classical constitutive models explicitly couple macroscopic mechanical responses with underlying microstructural evolution, which is crucial for capturing complex deformation mechanisms across varying strain rates. However, current deep learning (DL) constitutive models predominantly focus on macroscopic stress-strain mapping, often neglecting these critical microstructural transitions. To bridge…

Single-phase optimization is increasingly insufficient to simultaneously satisfy the demands of rechargeable batteries for high energy density, fast rate capability, and long-term cycling stability. Growing evidence indicates that electrochemical performance is governed not only by chemical composition, but also by the spatial organization and dynamic evolution of multiple coexisting phases. Insp…

Developing sustainable and atom-economical hydrogen transfer routes for constructing pharmacologically valuable quinoline scaffolds from abundant alcohol feedstocks remains a significant challenge. Herein, a tailored pyridinic-nitrogen-coordinated cobalt (Co) single-atom catalyst (Co-N/C-U) is showcased, enabling the efficient synthesis of quinoline derivatives from inexpensive and readily availa…

Overcoming the strength-ductility trade-off remains a challenge for both traditional and emerging high-strength steels. The unique thermal history during additive manufacturing (AM) of metals and alloys includes cellular solute enrichment of alloying elements, enabling the formation of metastable austenite with a cellular morphology after intercritical (α + γ) annealing. Intercritical heat treatm…

Thin-film capacitors exhibit significant application potential owing to their rapid charge/discharge characteristics and high-power density. Individual engineering strategies can effectively enhance either breakdown strength (E<sub>bre</sub>) or polarization difference to improve energy storage performance. However, such enhancement typically leads to unilateral optimization of either…

This study introduces a novel multi-material design strategy termed spatial metastability control (SMC) for enhancing the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) behaviors in ferrous medium-entropy alloys (MEAs). The approach utilizes a compositional heterostructure by integrating pure Fe into a metastable MEA, establishing a gradual phase stability across the MEA/Fe interface. This gradient for…

Microstructure manipulation represents a fundamental strategy for enhancing material properties. Herein, a new-type flame-resistant material with core-shell architecture (APP@PEI@SiO2@MXene) is prepared by iterative deposition of self-assembled monolayers, enabling microstructural control of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) via sequential coating with polyethyleneimine (PEI), SiO2, and MXene. Then th…

The non-equilibrium dendrite growth of Mg-6wt.%Al alloy during quasi-rapid solidification is studied by combining phase-field simulations and comparative experiments (furnace/air/water cooling: 0.07/2.9/181 K/s). The kinetic behavior of the solid-liquid interface is characterized, and the solute trapping-drag competition is emphasized. The effects of undercooling (28-36 K), cooling rate, and orie…

The electrochemical and photochemical conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels presents a viable pathway toward carbon neutrality and sustainable energy solutions. Electrocatalysts and photocatalysts play a central role in this conversion by lowering activation barriers and steering reaction pathways toward desired products under ambient conditions. Among various types of catalytic …

Transition metal nitride coatings often face a trade-off between thermal stability and oxidation resistance at high temperatures. Here, we address this challenge using a mechanism-guided high-throughput combinatorial strategy, implemented through multi-target co-deposition, to rapidly probe the Al-Cr-Ti-Si-N compositional space. An optimal composition window was identified (Al 13.3-24.1 at.%, Cr …

Powder bed fusion-laser beam prepared Ti-6Al-4V/Ta bimetals can be well-suited for advanced biomedical applications. However, a few issues remain unsolved, including (a) understanding of residual stress distribution and its level in as-printed bimetal; and (b) wear and bio properties of the bimetal. This study aims to address these points through a series of investigations, including residual str…

Electrocaloric (EC) cooling represents a promising solid-state approach for next-generation thermal management. However, achieving substantial temperature modulation remains a challenge due to intrinsic material limitations and inefficient energy conversion. Herein, we focus on microstructure regulation to enhance thermal conductivity and EC performance. A hydroxyl-functionalized Ba<sub>0.6…

Nonlocal metasurfaces exhibit significant potential for advanced all-optical image processing by leveraging their exceptional capability to regulate spatial dispersion through precise tailoring of optical transfer functions (OTFs). However, the inverse design of specific OTFs remains challenging due to the inherently complex and highly nonlinear relationship between metasurface structural paramet…

With the ongoing miniaturization of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), there is an increasing demand for dielectric materials that simultaneously exhibit high dielectric constant, excellent DC-bias stability, and high reliability. To address this challenge, B-site Ca doping was employed to regulate the polar structure of BaTiO3-based ceramics. In this study, we systematically investigated the…

Non-antibiotic antibacterial agents can significantly reduce the risk of bacterial drug resistance, but they face limitations such as poor tissue penetration, insufficient in vivo stability, and significant side effects. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a novel class of porous functional materials, exhibit broad application prospects in the antibacterial field due to their highly tunable struc…

Silicon (Si) anodes have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries owing to their high theoretical capacity. However, their practical application is hindered by severe volume expansion and unstable electrode interfaces during cycling. Polymer binders play a critical role in mitigating these issues by maintaining electrode integrity and enhancing interfacial stabili…

Grain boundary segregation plays a critical role in determining the properties of polycrystalline materials, yet its influence on piezoelectric performance remains underexplored. In this work, bismuth layer-structured piezoceramic W<sup>6+</sup>-doped CaBi<sub>2</sub>Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>9</sub> (WCBN) was chosen to investigate the effect of grain bo…

In this study, we synthesized a novel heterostructure comprising two-dimensional tungsten sulfide nanoflowers and chiral silver nanoparticles. Leveraging the chiral-induced spin selection (CISS) effect, our WS2@L-His/Ag(chiral) system achieved a remarkable 77% enhancement in photocatalytic degradation efficiency over the WS2@Ag(achiral) counterpart. The chiral nanostructures selectively facilitat…

Microstructure evolution in service significantly influences the properties of advanced materials. Numerical simulation can effectively capture microstructure development and provide abundant high-fidelity data. However, effective 3D microstructure-informed property prediction methods are lacking due to the complexity and richness of 3D microstructural data. In this work, a novel approach combini…