Opto-Electronic Advances (光电进展)•2026•DOI: 10.29026/oea.2026.250263
The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and metaphotonics is creating a new paradigm for controlling light-matter interactions. The synergy of AI's ability to learn complex relationships in multidimensional data and provide ultra-fast inference with the capacity of metaphotonics to engineer optical properties not found in nature is unlocking a new era in computational design, real-time control, and fully automated optical systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art AI-driven approaches for metaphotonic systems. We focus on the solutions to real-world problems in accelerating metaphotonic simulations and inverse design, optical data characterization, and the development of fully integrated end-to-end AI-assisted metaphotonic systems. Finally, we provide our perspectives on the future research directions and emerging opportunities at the rapidly evolving intersection of metaphotonics and AI.
Opto-Electronic Advances (光电进展)•2026•DOI: 10.29026/oea.2026.250260
Hybrid plasmonic metasurfaces have emerged as a pivotal platform for enhancing photodetection across multiple bands, yet their practical deployment is constrained by narrow operational bandwidth and high dark current. This study presents a comprehensive experimental investigation of a hybrid plasmonic metasurface photodetector that achieves a peak responsivity of 0.45 A/W at 1550 nm and a specific detectivity of 1.2 × 10^11 Jones, with a dark current density of 2.5 nA/cm² at room temperature. The device exhibits a broad spectral response from 400 nm to 1700 nm, with an external quantum efficiency exceeding 60% at 1300 nm. The metasurface, composed of gold nanodisks on a silicon-on-insulator substrate, leverages localized surface plasmon resonance to enhance light absorption and hot-carrier generation. Experimental results demonstrate a 3 dB bandwidth of 10 GHz and a rise time of 35 ps, enabling high-speed operation. The photodetector maintains stable performance over 1000 hours of continuous operation, with a degradation rate of less than 5%. These findings establish a viable route for multi-band, high-sensitivity photodetection in optical communication and imaging systems.
Opto-Electronic Advances (光电进展)•2026•DOI: 10.29026/oea.2026.250238
Embedding CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) within inorganic glass matrices mitigates their intrinsic environmental instability, yet simultaneous attainment of high luminance and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) remains impeded by strong self-absorption. This study introduces fluoride ion doping to modify the three-dimensional glass network, thereby optimizing PNC crystallization behavior and enabling full-spectrum high luminance and high PLQY. The optimized PNCs-glass composites achieve a record PLQY of 36% for pure blue emission (<480 nm) while maintaining high luminance. The robust glass matrix provides excellent encapsulation, ensuring stability against ambient light, heat, and chemical solvents. Integrating these composites with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and computer-generated holograms (CGHs) yields a dynamic holographic multicolor display with pixel density up to 20,247 pixels per inch (PPI). A vertically stacked multilayer full-color architecture is further demonstrated, surpassing conventional planar color display technologies in resolution and light utilization efficiency. The CIE 1931 color gamut covers 112.7% of the NTSC standard. This work establishes a promising paradigm for energy-efficient, ultra-high-resolution displays.
Opto-Electronic Advances (光电进展)•2026•DOI: 10.29026/oea.2026.250193
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a fundamental second-order nonlinear optical process that coherently doubles the frequency of incident light. However, in centrosymmetric materials, the bulk second-order nonlinear susceptibility χ(2) is strictly forbidden by inversion symmetry, suppressing SHG. Applying an external electric field breaks this inversion symmetry and induces an effective second-order nonlinear response known as the electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation (EFISH) effect. This mechanism enables SHG in centrosymmetric media and provides a route for electrically tunable nonlinear nanophotonics. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the EFISH effect, covering its fundamentals, various material platforms (including bulk semiconductor crystals, ferroelectrics, van der Waals materials, and polymers), and diverse strategies for electric field engineering. We distinguish EFISH from related effects such as current-induced SHG and the quantum-confined Stark effect. Emerging applications of EFISH in tunable photonic devices, carrier dynamics probing, and nonlinear optical modulation across optical, electronic, and THz regimes are highlighted. Key challenges and prospects for the future development of electrically controlled nonlinear optical systems are outlined. The review consolidates the state of the art and provides a critical assessment of the field's trajectory.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67070-7
The co-processing of lead-containing waste materials in oxygen bottom-blowing lead smelting alters melt viscosity, which in turn governs gas−liquid mixing efficiency, splashing behavior, and furnace lining erosion. A multi-fluid volume of fluid (VOF) model, incorporating experimentally determined high-lead slag viscosity values, was applied to an industrial-scale bottom-blowing furnace to resolve these coupled phenomena. The simulations demonstrate that optimal gas−liquid mixing occurs at viscosity values of 0.01 and 0.5 Pa·s, whereas minimal splashing is confined to the viscosity range of 0.1−0.25 Pa·s, corresponding to temperatures of approximately 1076−1100 °C. The regions surrounding the oxygen lances are identified as the most susceptible to erosion. Shear stress increases with melt viscosity, rising particularly rapidly within the 0.1−0.25 Pa·s interval. To minimize erosion, the melt viscosity should be maintained within 0.01−0.1 Pa·s. These findings provide quantitative thresholds for viscosity control in industrial bottom-blowing furnaces processing lead-containing secondary materials, enabling trade-offs between mixing intensity, splashing suppression, and lining protection to be optimized on an operational basis.
Opto-Electronic Advances (光电进展)•2026•DOI: 10.29026/oea.2026.250229
Programmable metasurfaces have demonstrated potential for dynamic electromagnetic wave manipulation, yet their large-scale deployment is constrained by high communication capacity demands and stringent energy requirements. This work presents an ambient-energy-driven space-time-coding metasurface that achieves space-frequency-division multiplexing while operating self-sufficiently via integrated solar energy harvesting. The metasurface dynamically controls multiple frequencies and spatial propagation directions of reflected waves, enabling four independent communication channels. A four-channel wireless communication prototype transmitted four distinct images to separate user terminals simultaneously and in real time, with energy consumption per bit markedly lower than conventional programmable metasurfaces. The shared-aperture design integrates ambient solar harvesting and low-power programmable elements, eliminating external power supplies. Experimental validation confirms independent multichannel operation with low inter-channel interference. This platform merges ambient energy harvesting, multidimensional microwave manipulation, and direct information modulation on a single physical layer, offering a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly pathway for high-capacity wireless communications. The results establish a foundational architecture for self-powered reconfigurable intelligent surfaces in next-generation networks.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67066-5
Oxidation roasting of bastnaesite was conducted to evaluate its impact on surface characteristics and flotation behavior. Experiments varied temperature, time, and O2 concentration. Increasing temperature promoted thermal decomposition, yielding Ce7O12, RE2O3, and REF3 as main phases. The Ce oxidation degree and REO grade of roasted products exceeded 85.00%. Roasting induced long, narrow, nearly parallel cracks within particles, increasing porosity and causing partial fragmentation. During flotation, dissolved rare earth ion concentration increased significantly, and surface hydrolysis formed rare earth hydroxyl compounds. Complete decomposition raised the required collector dosage to achieve recovery above 85.00%. This increase is attributed to enhanced particle wettability, altered collector adsorption, and deeper penetration into the porous structure. The findings provide a basis for optimizing flotation circuits treating roasted bastnaesite, particularly in iron-bearing rare earth deposits where pyrometallurgical pretreatment is employed.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67059-8
A multi-stage heat treatment (MSHT) strategy, comprising a high-temperature short-duration water quench (WQ) followed by low-temperature long-duration furnace cooling (FC), was applied to a near-alpha Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni-2Al-1.5Zr alloy to overcome the strength-ductility tradeoff. The WQ state produced lath nano-martensite alpha-prime, residual beta-prime, and equiaxed recrystallized alpha. Subsequent FC decomposition transformed alpha-prime/beta-prime into homogeneously dispersed nano-scale alpha+beta precipitates, while equiaxed alpha coarsened via grain boundary migration. The WQ condition exhibited an ultimate tensile strength (sigma_UTS) of 610 MPa and elongation to failure (epsilon_f) of 18.2%. The WQ+400FC condition achieved a peak sigma_UTS of 791.5 MPa with epsilon_f = 16.7%, yielding a strength-ductility product (sigma_UTS * epsilon_f) of 13.2 GPa*%, a 19% improvement over the WQ state. Texture analysis revealed a duplex texture in WQ: weak {0001}//Z0 and strong {0110}//Y0, inherited after FC. The 400FC sample showed the highest lattice strain inhomogeneity, with peak kernel average misorientation (KAM) of 1.5 degrees and grain orientation spread (GOS) of 0.96 degrees, correlating with the excellent sigma_UTS. Non-basal slip systems exhibited higher Schmid factor (SF) values after heat treatment, contributing to ductility. Burgers orientation relationship (BOR) reconstruction confirmed variant selection during beta to alpha-prime transformation, with only four predominant alpha-prime variants instead of the twelve theoretically possible.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67061-6
Bulk nanocrystalline Zn−3Cu−0.2Sr−xLi (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4 wt.%) alloys were fabricated via high-speed rolling (HSR) to address the insufficient mechanical performance of as-cast Zn alloys for biodegradable bone fixation. The HSR process introduced dense dislocations that supplied driving force for recrystallization. Li addition promoted the formation of ε and β phases, which provided abundant heterogeneous nucleation sites and a strong Zener pinning effect, facilitating recrystallized grain nucleation while restricting growth. The average grain size of the 0.4Li alloy was refined from 181.8 μm in the as-cast state to 50 nm after rolling. The rolled 0.4Li alloy achieved an ultimate tensile strength of 433.3 MPa, a yield strength of 382.2 MPa, and an elongation of 15.2%. Relative to the as-cast Li-free alloy, the rolled 0.4Li alloy exhibited a 173% increase in yield strength and a 591% improvement in elongation. Nanocrystalline strengthening was the dominant mechanism, contributing 70.4% to the total yield strength. The fracture mode of the 0.4Li alloy transitioned from brittle fracture in the as-cast condition to ductile fracture after rolling. The combination of alloying design and HSR offers a viable route to bulk nanocrystalline Zn alloys with superior mechanical performance for temporary bone fixation applications.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67055-0
Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) offer exceptional high-temperature performance and lightweight characteristics, yet their limited manufacturability restricts fabrication of complex, large-scale structural components. Ni-based superalloys exhibit outstanding elevated-temperature properties, and hybrid CMC/superalloy components can significantly expand engineering applications. Interfacial residual stresses arising from thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) mismatch, thermal gradient differences, and phase transformations severely impair joint performance. This review systematically examines residual stress formation mechanisms in CMCs/Ni-based superalloys joints and summarizes mitigation methodologies including interlayer techniques, composite filler approaches, and interface structure design strategies. Key experimental findings from recent studies demonstrate that composite fillers incorporating nanoparticles (e.g., Ag-CuO-Al2O3, Si3N4, Sc2W3O12, graphene nanosheets, carbon nanotubes, WC) effectively regulate interfacial reactions and relieve residual stresses. For instance, Ag-Cu-Ti+Sc2(WO4)3 composite filler reduced residual stress in Cf/SiC-GH3536 joints, while graphene nanoplatelets reinforced AgCuTi fillers improved SiC/GH99 joint integrity. Mo and B inserts in SiCf/SiC-Ni-based superalloy joints provided microstructural control and reinforcement. These methodologies address the critical bottleneck of CTE mismatch-induced stress concentration, offering pathways to reliable CMC/superalloy hybrid structures for aerospace, energy, and propulsion applications. Challenges remain in scaling these techniques for industrial production and ensuring long-term stability under service conditions.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67064-1
The influence of thickness and annealing treatment on the microstructure and soft magnetic properties of Fe−Si−B−Cu−Nb alloy (Finemet) thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering was systematically investigated. As-deposited films are amorphous; coercivity decreases and saturation magnetization increases with thickness, stabilizing at 400 nm. Annealing at 773 K and 873 K precipitates nanocrystalline α-Fe within the amorphous matrix. Exchange coupling between nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix enhances soft magnetic properties. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) controls the heating rate to minimize grain size and optimize nanocrystal distribution, achieving low coercivity and high saturation magnetization without additional transition metals. The film annealed at 873 K for 30 min with a heating rate of 25 K/s exhibits a coercivity of 0.8 A/m and saturation magnetization of 1.45 T. Compared to the 773 K annealed film, the 873 K annealed film shows significantly lower coercivity due to smaller precipitated nanocrystals. RTP with controlled thermal gradient enables even smaller nanocrystals, further enhancing magnetic properties. These results demonstrate that RTP-treated Finemet films are promising for high-frequency, miniaturized, and integrated electronic devices.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67060-4
The microstructural evolution and property response of Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni and Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni−0.2Al alloys subjected to solution treatment at 950 °C for 30 min, 70% cold rolling, and aging at 450 °C for 60 min were systematically investigated. The baseline Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni alloy precipitates predominantly the Ni−Be phase with a transformation sequence of γ″→γ′→γ, whereas the Al-modified alloy exhibits co-precipitation of Ni3Al and nanoscale Be−Ni phases. This synergistic precipitation yields a hardness of HV 268, yield strength of 824 MPa, tensile strength of 881 MPa, elongation of 9%, and electrical conductivity of 47% IACS in the Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni−0.2Al alloy, compared to HV 238, 785 MPa, 840 MPa, 10%, and 50% IACS for the Al-free counterpart. Relative to conventional aging, thermo-mechanical treatment increases hardness by 13% and conductivity by 6.8% in the Al-containing alloy, while the Al-free alloy shows a 6% hardness increase with marginal conductivity improvement. The co-precipitation mechanism effectively compensates for the strength loss typically associated with reduced Be content, demonstrating a viable pathway for low-cost, high-performance Cu−Be alloys.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00379-3
Stick–slip vibration in disc brake systems at low speeds arises from the interaction of multiple factors, posing persistent challenges for high-speed train safety and passenger comfort. This study establishes three- and four-degree-of-freedom (DOF) dynamic models that incorporate wheel–rail adhesion and nonlinear friction, validated through line testing. System stability, stick–slip bifurcation characteristics, and key influencing factors are analyzed via numerical simulation. Results demonstrate that the four-DOF model, by accounting for normal motion, avoids the over-evaluation of system stability inherent in the three-DOF model. In the three-DOF model, tangential stiffness is the primary factor inducing chaotic stick–slip vibration. In the four-DOF model, tangential stiffness predominantly affects vibration amplitude, while normal stiffness governs the onset of chaos. Damping exhibits minimal influence on chaotic stick–slip occurrence. Optimal parameter ranges are identified: brake disc rotational inertia of 5–9 kg·m² and 11–22 kg·m², and friction pad mass of 7–17 kg, which effectively mitigate chaotic stick–slip vibration. These findings provide quantitative guidelines for brake system design, enhancing operational reliability and reducing wear-related failures in high-speed rail applications.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00385-5
Structure-borne noise from railway steel–concrete composite (SCC) bridges presents a persistent challenge due to high sound pressure levels across both low and high frequency ranges. This study establishes a hybrid finite element–statistical energy analysis (FE-SEA) numerical model to predict acoustic radiation from an SCC bridge. Field measurements validate the model with discrepancies of only 0.4 dB and 1.1 dB in overall sound pressure levels. Using uniform design sampling, a high-accuracy radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) surrogate is trained to map cross-sectional parameters to acoustic and cost objectives. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) then performs multi-objective constrained optimization, generating a Pareto frontier for sound power level (SWL) and material cost. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) selects the optimal parameter combination, achieving a 5 dB reduction in SWL and a 23.9% decrease in material cost. These results demonstrate that strategic cross-sectional adjustments can simultaneously mitigate noise and reduce expenditure, offering a practical framework for acoustic optimization in railway bridge design.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00388-2
The escalating traffic density and operational speeds of subway systems have intensified fatigue damage in turnout rails, particularly within the hazardous space of fixed frogs where wheel–rail dynamic interaction is exacerbated. This study addresses the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) crack initiation behavior of a No. 9 turnout fixed frog, a configuration widely deployed in subway networks. A three-dimensional explicit transient rolling contact finite element model was developed to simulate wheel–rail interaction under varying vehicle speeds and fastener vertical stiffness conditions. The analysis focused on crack initiation locations, angles, and fatigue life. Results demonstrate that the 30 mm top width cross-section of the nose rail is the most susceptible to fatigue cracking, with cracks initiating on the rail surface. The angle between the crack initiation surface and the lateral direction ranges from 70° to 95°, while the angle relative to the vertical direction remains difficult to predict. Higher vehicle speeds significantly reduce fatigue life, whereas fastener vertical stiffness exerts a minor influence. The calculated RCF crack initiation life is approximately 24,000 cycles across three stiffness conditions. Simulation outcomes align with field survey findings, validating the model's fidelity. The established methodology provides theoretical support for optimizing fixed frog structures and predicting fatigue life in subway turnouts.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00400-9
This study presents a robust and efficient damage detection methodology for railway catenary systems, employing an encoder-decoder architecture supplemented by residual analysis. A novel signal segmentation strategy based on catenary structural features is introduced, coupled with a quasi-Welch method to mitigate edge effects. The investigation examines the impact of GPS inaccuracies on detection precision and conducts a comprehensive analysis of normalization techniques and their effects on defect identification. Two primary defect types are considered: hard points in the contact wire and periodic short-wavelength irregularities (PSWI), with variations in train speeds and defect magnitudes. A defect detection criterion is developed, enabling rapid and automatic identification of catenary defects. The integrated approach facilitates effective detection and accurate localization, overcoming limitations of previous methods such as the requirement for high sampling frequency. This work advances catenary inspection methodology and contributes to enhancing railway safety and reliability. The innovation lies in integrating the reconstruction capabilities of the encoder-decoder architecture with a residual-based defect detection method, allowing complementary features to synergistically improve detection performance.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00415-2
Wheelset tread defects in subway locomotives present critical safety hazards, yet manual inspection remains prevalent, suffering from inefficiency and human error. This study proposes an enhanced YOLOv5-based detection algorithm tailored for subway wheelset tread defects. A multi-head self-attention module is integrated to capture long-range dependencies within global feature maps, improving small-target detection. A weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) enables balanced multi-scale feature fusion and efficient cross-scale integration. To mitigate limited labeled data and annotation inaccuracies, a novel loss function, W-MPDIoU, is introduced to accelerate convergence. Experimental validation using real defect data and simulated experimental data yields an average detection accuracy of 99.1%, a 4.29% improvement over the original YOLOv5, with a detection speed of 15 ms per image. The model also outperforms YOLOv12 in convergence speed, detection accuracy, and inference speed. Despite these gains, limitations persist in defect variety and dataset size, necessitating further refinement for broader generalization. The proposed method enables real-time tread defect detection, enhancing safety and operational efficiency in urban rail transit maintenance.
Railway Engineering Science (铁道工程科学)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40534-025-00406-3
The expansion of urban and intercity rail networks—exemplified by China's 162,000 km of railway operating mileage and 48,000 km of high-speed lines by the end of 2024—has intensified concerns over train-induced environmental vibrations. Although typically of low amplitude, these vibrations can cause long-term structural deterioration, interfere with precision instruments, and disrupt human comfort. Documented cases include the 1000-year-old Probhutaratna Pagoda in Beijing, located 130 m from a major railway, which exhibited signs of vibration-induced degradation despite measured levels remaining within regulatory thresholds; the 632-year-old Bell Tower in Xi'an, where two overlapping metro lines produced cumulative vibration effects on ancient timber; and Peking University laboratories, where Metro Line 4 vibrations caused visible image distortion in electron microscopes. The complex dynamic interactions among train, track, infrastructure, soils, and buildings render vibration prediction a formidable challenge. This paper provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art modeling methods for train-induced vibrations from surface and underground railway traffic. It begins by addressing wave propagation in natural soils, followed by an in-depth examination of analytical, numerical, and empirical approaches for predicting ground and building vibrations. The review identifies unresolved issues and outlines areas requiring further investigation, including the need for efficient prediction models to assess vibrations and design mitigation measures.
Journal of Advanced Ceramics•2026•DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2026.9221348
Advanced temperature-sensitive materials are critical for hypersonic propulsion and next-generation energy systems, yet long-term stability above 1000 °C remains a formidable barrier. Conventional transition-metal spinel oxides (e.g., Ni–Mn–Co–O) suffer phase decomposition and cation migration above 300 °C, causing exponential resistance drift. This work develops a Mo-regulated high-entropy ferroelastic niobate strategy for ultrawide-temperature negative-temperature-coefficient (NTC) thermosensitive ceramics. Density functional theory calculations reveal that A-site high-entropy facilitates Mo doping in (Ca0.2La0.2Ce0.2Eu0.2Gd0.2)NbO4. Mo doping broadens local atomic configurations, modulates ferroelastic domain structures, and increases atomic-scale displacement disorder, redistributing Hall transport contributions and reducing grain/grain-boundary transport barrier mismatch. The optimized HEN-0.2Mo ceramic exhibits highly linear Arrhenius behavior (R² = 0.99907) from −50 to 1250 °C with a B-value fluctuation of only 4.44%. High-temperature impedance analysis confirms closely matched grain and grain-boundary activation energies (Eg = 1.209 eV, Egb = 1.218 eV; ΔEa ≈ 0.009 eV). During 1250 °C aging, postdensification and strain redistribution yield a stabilized-stage resistance drift of only 1.09% after 1000 h. These findings demonstrate that entropy-stabilized defect engineering decouples sensitivity from degradation in functional ceramics under thermal stress.
Journal of Advanced Ceramics•2026•DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2026.9221340
Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) offer efficient intermediate-temperature energy conversion but are constrained by the trade-off between insufficient electrode activity and limited operational durability. This work develops a Zn/Yb B-site codoping strategy combined with temperature-induced nanoparticle exsolution to construct a triple-conducting cathode. Cation-driven charge modulation enhances ionic diffusion and electronic conduction, while the exsolved secondary BaCoO3−δ phase increases active site density, optimizes interfacial charge transfer, and promotes oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics. Zn/Yb codoping redistributes local charge density, weakens metal–oxygen bonds, and reduces oxygen vacancy formation energy, promoting oxygen vacancy generation. The increased oxygen vacancy concentration facilitates surface oxygen activation and lattice hydration, enhancing oxygen-ion and proton transport. Enhanced d–p orbital hybridization improves electronic conductivity and accelerates charge transfer kinetics. Optimized alkaline–earth sites suppress carbonate formation, imparting excellent CO2 tolerance. The optimized cathode delivers a peak power density of 0.99 W·cm−2 at 600 °C and stable operation over 100 h, with a polarization resistance of 0.110 Ω·cm2 under 20% H2O-air. This work provides a novel strategy for optimizing activity, conductivity, and stability in PCFC cathodes.
Journal of Advanced Ceramics•2026•DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2026.9221334
Carbon fiber-reinforced ultrahigh-temperature ceramic composites (C/UHTCs) based on ZrC–SiC are limited by rapid ablation above 2500 °C under prolonged oxidizing exposure. This study reports C/ZrC–SiC–Cu3Si–Cu interpenetrating composites fabricated by infiltrating a Zr–Si–Cu ternary melt into carbon fiber-reinforced carbon aerogel (C/CA) preforms. The process yields a uniform metal-ceramic matrix via ceramization of the carbon aerogel and in situ precipitation of Cu-containing phases. During oxyacetylene ablation at a surface temperature of 2557–2600 °C for 1200 s, the composite exhibits mass and linear ablation rates of 0.0604 mg·cm−2·s−1 and 0.1808 μm·s−1, respectively, surpassing conventional C/ZrC–SiC and other reported ceramic and ceramic-metal matrix composites under similar conditions. The ablation resistance arises from transpiration cooling via continuous evaporation of dispersed Cu-containing phases, which maintains a surface temperature of approximately 2300 °C under a heat flux of 3.18 MW·m−2, combined with a protective Zr–Si–O glassy layer that inhibits oxygen diffusion and resists mechanical denudation. The composite also demonstrates a flexural strength of 194±7 MPa, a fracture toughness of 11.8±1.2 MPa·m1/2, and a work of fracture of 5315±1232 J·m−2, exceeding most reaction-melt-infiltration-derived C/ZrC–SiC. These properties are attributed to the highly reactive carbon aerogel matrix, a protective PyC interface, optimized interfacial debonding, crack deflection mechanisms, and compressive residual stresses. The combination of active-passive cooling and robust mechanical performance positions this composite as a candidate for structural applications in extreme thermal-mechanical environments.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908790
The integration of electrothermal films into smart windows demands simultaneous high optical transparency and exceptional heating performance, a trade-off that has constrained flexible transparent heater development. This work reports a transparent conductive single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film composed of highly crystalline, long SWCNTs in small bundles, synthesized by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD). The small-bundle SWCNT film, with an average bundle diameter of 7.1 nm, achieves a sheet resistance of 26 Ω/□ at 82% transmittance and reaches a stable temperature of 102 °C under a low applied voltage of 20 V. The superior electrothermal performance relative to large-bundle counterparts originates from a higher areal nanotube density and more efficient conductive pathways at equivalent transmittance. Integrating this transparent heating film with a paraffin wax/polydimethylsiloxane (PW/PDMS) thermochromic functional layer yields a large-area flexible smart window. The device exhibits a reversible visible light transmittance range from 0.17% to 78% and exceptional cycling stability. This study overcomes the transparency–conductivity trade-off in transparent electrothermal films, providing a viable route for flexible smart windows and related thermal management devices.
Journal of Advanced Ceramics•2026•DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2026.9221339
Practical deployment of Li4SiO4 as a high-temperature CO2 sorbent requires pelletization, which inevitably densifies the microstructure and imposes severe CO2 diffusion limitations. Conventional sacrificial pore-forming agents address this issue but remain single-purpose, serving solely as structural templates without conferring chemical benefits. Here, we demonstrate that spent coffee grounds (SCGs), an abundant food-industry waste, can serve as a single-source modifier that achieves three colocalized enhancements in Li4SiO4 pellets: hierarchical pore engineering, in situ K-doping, and oxygen vacancy generation. The thermal decomposition of SCG creates an interconnected hierarchical macroporous network that effectively reduces intraparticle CO2 diffusion resistance. Meanwhile, the mineral-rich SCG ash provides in situ potassium doping, generating a localized eutectic molten carbonate phase that accelerates liquid-phase ion transport. Crucially, the transient reducing atmosphere during biomass combustion introduces oxygen vacancies into the silicate lattice; density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that these vacancies serve as highly active CO2 adsorption sites with a strongly exothermic adsorption energy of −0.914 eV. Benefiting from this triple-synergistic enhancement, the SCG-modified sorbent (LSO-50) achieves a CO2 adsorption capacity of 0.275 g/g at 650 °C under 15 vol% CO2, representing a more than fourfold improvement over unmodified pellets. When further combined with Na2CO3 codoping to promote additional eutectic formation, the optimized sorbent (LSON-50) reaches 0.330 g/g, retains 0.284 g/g after 50 adsorption–desorption cycles, and exhibits robust mechanical stability (< 10% attrition loss). By colocating structural, chemical, and defect features within a single biomass-derived modifier, this work establishes a scalable waste-valorization route for high-performance, eco-friendly CO2 capture.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908686
Corrosion and icing critically threaten the service safety of magnesium (Mg) alloys in aerospace and transportation industries. Although superhydrophobic coatings offer effective anti-corrosion and anti-icing functions, they are limited by susceptibility to failure due to physical damage or capillary condensation. Here, a multifunctional integrated coating (SAAS) is reported, which endows coated Mg alloys with excellent superhydrophobicity, active anti-corrosion performance, anti-icing properties, and fast self-healing capabilities. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) modified and intercalated with sodium laurate (La) acts as nanoreservoirs, releasing La corrosion inhibitors via an anion-exchange process to retard corrosion. Incorporation of MXene provides full-spectrum high absorption and efficient photothermal conversion, achieving a surface temperature of 61 °C under 1.0 sun illumination, which prevents adhesion and accumulation of supercooled droplets. Near-infrared (NIR) irradiation induces macromolecular chain migration and phase transition, enabling fast self-healing of coating damage. The SAAS coating exhibits a water contact angle of 153°, a corrosion current density of 1.294 × 10⁻⁹ A·cm⁻² (four orders of magnitude lower than bare Mg alloy), an icing delay time approximately 23 times longer than the substrate, and a healing rate of about 0.34 cm·s⁻¹ under NIR. This study provides a novel strategy for enhancing aircraft skin durability and offers insights into multifunctional coating design.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908666
Low-dimensional semiconductors have attracted widespread attention in next-generation broadband infrared photodetectors due to their tunable band structures, strong light-matter interactions, and compatibility with mixed-dimensional integration. Among them, tellurium (Te) and bismuth selenide (Bi2O2Se) are ideal candidates for high-performance detection owing to their inherent anisotropy, high carrier mobility, and broad spectral response. Constructing heterojunction photodetectors based on these materials enables self-powered operation and suppresses dark current. Heterojunction interface engineering and band structure design are crucial for high-performance Te/Bi2O2Se heterojunction photodetectors. Here, we in-situ construct a one-dimensional (1D) Te/two-dimensional (2D) Bi2O2Se heterojunction via a two-step chemical vapor deposition method, achieving a clear interface and type-II band alignment. The photodetector based on the Te/Bi2O2Se heterojunction, operating in self-driven mode, exhibits high performance: a responsivity of ~0.89 A·W−1 and a fast response time of ~29/41 μs under 1550 nm light irradiation. Furthermore, owing to the optical absorption anisotropy of tellurium, the device demonstrates a high polarization ratio of 2.8 and successfully enables polarization optical communication and polarization imaging applications. This work provides new insights into the in-situ construction strategy for high-quality mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterojunctions and advances high-performance photodetectors and their applications.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908775
Flexible sensors have advanced rapidly to achieve skin-like multisensory capabilities, yet their performance is compromised by strain disturbances and multi-parameter interactions, impeding widespread deployment. Here, we report a flexible fibrous device with a patterned cellular structure enabling anti-strain interference, dual-parameter measurement, and static/dynamic detection. The patterned cellular fibrous structure achieves a heterogenous strain distribution that preserves sensing performance under 10% strain. The sensor integrates a piezoresistive component for low-frequency mechanical stimuli and a thermoelectric response to calibrate temperature-induced resistance changes. A hybrid piezoresistive/piezoelectric sensing platform was experimentally implemented for static pressure persistence and high-frequency acoustic excitation from 0 to 300 Hz. The hybrid tactile sensing achieved the highest material identification accuracy of 98.6%. This work provides valuable proposals to resolve practical constraints in flexible sensor applications, compelling advantages for broader wearable integration.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908737
Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production is a key pathway for sustainable green hydrogen. However, freshwater scarcity limits large-scale application, necessitating efficient and stable catalysts for complex water sources such as seawater and wastewater. Here, we report a FeRu bimetallic nanocatalyst (FeRu-ERBC) constructed by anchoring FeRu composite nanoparticles on engineered biomass-derived carbon from Equisetum ramosissimum Desf. FeRu-ERBC exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in alkaline, seawater, and chemical wastewater environments, achieving an overpotential of only 22.7 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH and maintaining stability for over 120 h. Structural characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the carbon support provides high specific surface area and hierarchical pores for mass transport, and critically promotes atomic-level substitution of Fe by Ru, forming a tightly coupled Fe–Ru interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ spectroscopy confirm electron transfer from Fe to Ru, creating a 'Feδ+–Ruδ−' synergistic active center. This interface regulates the surface interfacial water network, enhancing overall reaction kinetics. This work provides a new strategy for designing Ru-based catalysts with interfacial electronic regulation for real-world water environments, highlighting the crucial role of biomass-derived carbon supports in advancing green hydrogen technology.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908756
Black phosphorus (BP)-based micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) are promising for wearable electronics but suffer from intrinsic instability and sluggish electron kinetics. Here, we report a two-dimensional phosphorene/bismuthene (2D BP/Bi) heterojunction fabricated via liquid nitrogen-assisted exfoliation and mask-assisted filtration, serving as a robust bifunctional electrode for integrated flexible energy-sensing systems. The heterostructure suppresses nanosheet restacking and enhances interfacial stability through strong P–O–Bi covalent bonding and interfacial synergy. Bismuthene incorporation constructs high-speed electron transport channels, facilitating ion diffusion and charge transfer. The optimized BP/Bi (3:1) electrode achieves a high areal capacitance of 7.6 mF·cm−2 (1.6-fold enhancement over pure BP) and ultra-long lifespan with 92.1% retention after 30,000 cycles. By tailoring the gel electrolyte with DMSO, the device exhibits remarkable freeze-tolerance, maintaining 70% capacitance at −35 °C. An all-flexible integrated system combining the MSC with a pressure sensor using graphene current collectors enables continuous, self-sustained physiological monitoring. This work offers critical insights into interface engineering for high-performance BP-based MSCs and paves the way for extreme-environment wearable applications.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908854
Constructing photocatalysts decorated with atomically dispersed metal species (ADMs) represents a pivotal strategy to maximize atom utilization and tailor active sites for efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction. However, conventional synthesis strategies, typically relying on tedious wet-chemistry or prolonged thermal calcination, often suffer from slow kinetics that inevitably drive the thermodynamic aggregation of metastable single atoms or nanoclusters into less active nanoparticles. Herein, we bypassed these limitations by developing a facile flash Joule heating (FJH) strategy to engineer stable Cu ADMs on TiO2 via an ultrafast and millisecond-scale heating-quenching process. This non-equilibrium thermal shock effectively stabilizes the metal species before thermal diffusion can occur, ensuring a robust metal–support interaction, as unambiguously confirmed by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses. Consequently, the optimized Cu1.0/TiO2 delivers an approximately 10-fold enhancement in CO evolution compared to pristine TiO2 under simulated solar irradiation. Comprehensive in-situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and photoelectrochemical measurements reveal that these isolated Cu sites function as superior electron-trapping centers, which significantly accelerate interfacial charge transfer kinetics and promote the activation of critical reaction intermediates. This work establishes FJH as a versatile and scalable platform for overcoming the stability-dispersion trade-off in the rational design of high-performance photocatalysts.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/FRICT.2026.9441214
Skidding in angular contact ball bearings significantly increases friction, wear, and temperature, adversely affecting bearing performance and service life. Despite its critical impact, systematic investigations of lubrication behavior under skidding conditions remain scarce, with conventional lubricants often failing to provide stable low-friction operation. To address this gap, this study first calculated critical skidding parameters using a quasi-static model. Subsequently, experimental parameters for bearings with and without skidding were selected to evaluate tribological behaviors under three lubricants: base oil, commercial lubricant, and a diketone-based lubricant (PAO = 14 (20%)). Results demonstrate that under skidding conditions, the diketone lubricant achieved the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.0008 and temperature rise of 2.8 °C. Furthermore, diketone-lubricated bearings exhibited excellent anti-wear performance and an extremely short running-in period. The superior tribological performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of diketone molecular adsorption and chelation with iron atoms, which reduces friction and temperature rise. These findings highlight the potential of diketone lubricants to enhance bearing performance and durability under extreme operating conditions.
Nano Research•2026•DOI: 10.26599/FRICT.2026.9441213
Nanocomposites have attracted significant attention as lubricant additives due to their advantages in reducing friction, enhancing wear resistance, and improving thermal and oxidative stability. In recent years, increasing research has explored how different types of nanomaterials (such as carbon-based materials, metallic nanoparticles, and ceramic phases) can use synergistic effects to achieve performance surpassing that of their single components. This review focuses on relevant studies published between 2020 and 2025, providing an updated overview of the advantages, synthesis methods, structures, dispersion stability, lubrication mechanisms, and tribological behavior of nanocomposites. Various structural types are discussed, including core–shell, layered, and in situ hybrid systems, along with their fabrication routes, such as sol–gel processing, hydrothermal synthesis, and surface modification strategies. The lubrication mechanism of nanocomposites is analyzed based on the material structure and the testing conditions. Particular attention is paid to the synergistic effects among multiple components within the nanocomposites and to how these synergies enhance tribological performance. Furthermore, the challenges faced by nanocomposites and potential future developments are discussed. This review aims to clarify the current status of nanocomposites as lubricant additives and facilitate their future application in advanced lubrication systems.
Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials (含能材料)•2026•DOI: 10.11943/CJEM2025272
Reactive damage elements (RDEs) integrate kinetic penetration with chemical energy release, offering a dual-mode damage mechanism. This review systematically examines the state-of-the-art in RDE reaction mechanisms, penetration-reaction coupled damage models, numerical simulation methods, and dynamic loading experiments. Two-stage reaction mechanisms—shock-induced and shock-assisted—are elaborated, along with thermo-mechanical-chemical coupling theory and reaction threshold regulation. Penetration depth and hole-enlargement models, aftereffect overpressure and ignition models, fragment cloud distribution and damage radius models are summarized. Advances in reactive material equations of state, SPH-ALE multi-physics coupling algorithms, and cross-scale modeling methods are consolidated, alongside multi-physics synchronous testing and target damage assessment systems. Key findings include: Al-Ni-W systems achieve densities up to 7.8 g·cm⁻³ and tensile strengths exceeding 300 MPa, maintaining structural integrity at 2000 m·s⁻¹. PTFE/Al formulations exhibit shock-induced reactions in nanoseconds, while shock-assisted reactions occur over microseconds to milliseconds, with oxide additives like MoO₃ lowering reaction thresholds and enhancing energy release. Future directions emphasize precise reaction degree control via cross-scale models, universal damage assessment under extreme environments, and field testing using characteristic spectra and electromagnetic pulses. This review provides a comprehensive framework for advancing RDE technology in munitions and protective applications.
Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials (含能材料)•2026•DOI: 10.11943/CJEM2026051
The channel reactor offers advantages of high-efficiency mass and heat transfer, providing a basis for transitioning mixed-controlled strongly exothermic reactions from batch to continuous industrial production. This study focuses on the synthesis of 3-amino-4-aminoximiofurazan (AAOF). Reaction calorimetry experiments provided fundamental heat release data, which, combined with material and energy balances, yielded exothermic model parameters for a channel reactor. A heat transfer-exothermic model was constructed, and numerical solutions simulated jacket heat transfer, heat transfer rates, and heat exchange medium effectiveness. Thermal safety risks in the continuous flow process were analyzed, leading to a heat exchange control strategy. Results show that for a reactor tube of 0.01 m diameter and 5 m length, producing AAOF at 2 kg·h⁻¹ with heat transfer oil in co-current flow, the mass flow rate significantly affects safety: below 0.1 kg·h⁻¹, outlet temperature exceeds 120 °C, approaching the onset decomposition temperature (121.7 °C), risking thermal accumulation and runaway; optimal heat removal occurs at 2–3.5 kg·h⁻¹; above 4.5 kg·h⁻¹, temperature drops below 100 °C, failing to meet process conditions. The optimal heat exchange medium flow range is 2–3.5 kg·h⁻¹, providing foundational data and process parameters for safe design and stable operation of AAOF synthesis in channel reactors.
Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials (含能材料)•2026•DOI: 10.11943/CJEM2026023
The complex composition of mixed explosives poses significant challenges to conventional detection methods, which often suffer from low intelligence and poor discrimination. This study addresses these limitations by employing a sequential detection framework combining infrared (IR) spectroscopy for preliminary screening and Raman spectroscopy for confirmatory analysis, integrated with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for intelligent spectral recognition. Two energetic material mixtures, m-dinitrobenzene/potassium nitrate and p-nitroaniline/ammonium nitrate, were prepared in powder and tablet forms. IR spectroscopy effectively identified organic components through characteristic absorption peaks but failed to detect inorganic oxidizers such as potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate. Raman spectroscopy successfully characterized nitroaromatic functional groups and detected inorganic ions, enabling complete component identification. The CNN-based models achieved average classification accuracies of 96.54% for IR spectra and 96.29% for Raman spectra, with per-sample inference times of 0.044 s and 0.042 s, respectively. These results demonstrate that the proposed sequential IR-Raman approach, coupled with deep learning, provides a rapid and reliable solution for field detection of mixed explosives, overcoming the limitations of single-spectroscopy methods.
Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials (含能材料)•2026•DOI: 10.11943/CJEM2026001
To improve rock fragmentation in open-pit deep-hole blasting, an in-hole layered column charge configuration was designed. Small-scale blasting tests on sandstone specimens were conducted under continuous and layered column charges to capture the failure process and final fragmentation. DEM-PBM coupled simulations visualized the dynamic fracture evolution and validated the experimental observations. Results show that under continuous charge, the top quarter of the specimen developed only a single blast-induced crack, splitting it into two parts, with horizontal fragment velocity of 2.0 m·s⁻¹ and a maximum block size of 9.0 cm. In contrast, layered charge produced multiple cracks in the top quarter, fragmenting it into smaller pieces, increasing horizontal velocity to 7.0 m·s⁻¹, and eliminating blocks larger than 5.0 cm. Simulations confirmed these trends, with maximum block size reduced from 8.8 cm to below 5.0 cm and velocity reaching 6.8 m·s⁻¹, closely matching experiments. Field trials in an open-pit coal mine overburden blasting demonstrated that layered charge reduced the boulder yield from 48.1% to 5.6%, significantly improving fragmentation. The findings confirm the practical effectiveness of in-hole layered column charge in enhancing rock breakage in deep-hole bench blasting.
Chinese Journal of Energetic Materials (含能材料)•2026•DOI: 10.11943/CJEM2026054
The solubility of β-octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (β-HMX) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)–methanol, DMSO–ethanol, and DMSO–n-propanol binary solvent mixtures was measured using a static method over the temperature range of 293.15–343.15 K at atmospheric pressure. The mole fraction of alcohol in the mixed solvent was varied from 0 to 1. The experimental solubility data were correlated with the Apelblat, Jouyban–Acree, and NRTL models. The Apelblat model provided the best fit, with an average relative deviation (ARD) below 5% and a root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) below 0.11%. Thermodynamic properties, including Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of dissolution, were derived from the NRTL model. The dissolution process was endothermic, entropy-driven, and spontaneous in all three solvent systems. Solid-phase characterization by PXRD and DSC confirmed that no polymorphic transition of β-HMX occurred under the experimental conditions. Solvent composition stability tests showed that the maximum relative change in solubility due to composition fluctuation was less than 6.3%, corresponding to an equivalent temperature variation of 1.4–2.7 K. These data provide a foundation for optimizing anti-solvent crystallization processes for β-HMX.
Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Science) (上海交通大学学报)•2026•DOI: 10.16183/j.cnki.jsjtu.2026.066
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that profoundly influences disease progression and therapeutic response. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics analysis of HCC using transcriptomic, genomic, and epigenetic data from public databases and our own cohort. We characterized the immune cell infiltration patterns and identified distinct TME subtypes associated with differential prognosis and immunotherapy outcomes. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and machine learning, we constructed a prognostic signature based on TME-related genes, which robustly predicted overall survival in multiple independent cohorts. Furthermore, we explored the interplay between TME, somatic mutations, and copy number variations, revealing potential biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade. Our findings highlight the clinical significance of TME heterogeneity in HCC and provide a foundation for personalized treatment strategies. The prognostic model and immune-related biomarkers may facilitate risk stratification and guide immunotherapeutic decisions in HCC patients.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020002
Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a leading next-generation photovoltaic technology, with certified efficiencies surpassing 27% and approaching the theoretical limit for single-junction devices. However, their commercialization is critically hindered by insufficient long-term operational stability, particularly under harsh conditions such as elevated temperatures (≥85 °C) and full-spectrum illumination. The hole-transport layer (HTL) plays a decisive role in both efficiency and stability, and phosphonic acid-based self-assembled monolayers (PA-SAMs) have become the material of choice for inverted-structure PSCs due to their molecular-scale precision and superior energy-level alignment. Nevertheless, PA-SAMs primarily anchor to ITO surfaces via weak hydrogen bonds, which dissociate under photothermal stress, leading to molecular desorption and migration into the perovskite layer, thereby inducing degradation and performance decline. In a recent breakthrough published in Science (2026), Fei et al. report a transformative molecular engineering strategy that unlocks ultra-stable PSCs. They designed a triphenylamine-based phosphonic acid (1PA-TPD) with robust covalent anchoring to ITO substrates and optimized a mixed SAM system (60 wt% 1PA-TPD + 40 wt% EtCz3EPA), successfully suppressing interfacial reactivity between PA-SAMs and perovskites. This multifunctional strategy integrates strong substrate binding, interfacial reaction inhibition, crystallinity enhancement, and defect passivation, enabling small-area PSCs with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.0% and a T90 lifetime of nearly 3000 hours, as well as minimodules with >22% PCE and ~2200 hours T90 under harsh photothermal conditions. This work deciphers a previously underappreciated degradation pathway and provides a universal design principle for stable interfacial layers, marking a critical step toward PSC commercialization.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25060031
Aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) has emerged as a III-nitride semiconductor with exceptional piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and thermal properties, enabling advanced micro/nano devices. This review systematically examines the crystal structure, property modulation mechanisms, and micro/nano fabrication technologies of AlScN, including deposition, etching, and device integration. Key material metrics are consolidated: Sc doping at 40% raises the piezoelectric coefficient d33 from 5 to 30 pC/N and the electromechanical coupling coefficient Kt2 from 7% to 25%, while remnant polarization exceeds 100 μC/cm². The wide bandgap (up to 6.2 eV), high thermal conductivity (~140 W/(m·K)), and high breakdown voltage (>10 MV/cm) underpin applications in MEMS, RF communications, energy conversion, optoelectronics, and sensors. Compositional engineering (20–40% Sc, co-doping with Mg or Yb), process optimization (low stress <500 MPa, FWHM <1.5°), and interface design (AlScN/GaN, AlScN/SiC) are critical for balancing piezoelectric performance and structural stability. Fabrication advances include low-stress (<200 MPa) high-Sc films via magnetron sputtering and 8-inch wafer-scale AlScN with thickness nonuniformity below ±3%. Device demonstrations span 33.7 GHz surface acoustic wave transducers, post-CMOS compatible ferroelectric field-effect transistors, high figure-of-merit Lamb wave resonators, pyroelectric infrared detectors, and ferroelectric RAM. Despite progress, challenges in phase separation, etching anisotropy, and integration scalability persist, necessitating further research into co-doping strategies, low-damage patterning, and heterogeneous integration.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25070023
Prolonged exposure to n-butanol, a hazardous volatile organic compound (VOC), necessitates sensitive detection at low concentrations for environmental and health monitoring. This study presents a novel Eu/Ce-codoped MOF-ZnO gas sensor for n-butanol detection under ultraviolet (UV) activation at ambient temperature. A series of Eu/Ce-ZnO nanomaterials were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation route by varying the mass ratios of Eu and Ce incorporated into pristine ZnO derived from MOF precursors. Gas testing results revealed that introducing an appropriate amount of Eu and Ce enlarged the specific surface area and enriched the oxygen vacancy content compared to pristine MOF-ZnO. Upon UV irradiation, the 0.03 wt% Eu 0.04 wt% Ce-ZnO sensor achieved a superior response of 611 for 100 ppm n-butanol at room temperature, 15.28 times higher than that of pristine MOF-ZnO (40). Furthermore, the sensor presented rapid response/recovery times (15 s/28 s) and excellent selectivity. The doped rare earth elements Eu and Ce simultaneously suppress the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, greatly improving response, stability, and selectivity. These findings demonstrate the potential of Eu/Ce-codoped ZnO nanoparticles for efficient, cost-effective n-butanol detection, offering a promising avenue for highly sensitive, UV-enhanced gas sensors for ambient temperature VOC monitoring.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25070029
Accurate temperature control and effective oxide removal are critical for high-quality epitaxial growth in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Conventional practice relies on manual interpretation of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns, introducing operator-dependent variability and impeding automation. This work presents an unsupervised contrastive learning framework for real-time RHEED analysis during substrate deoxidation. By imposing temporal similarity constraints between adjacent video segments, the model generates smooth, interpretable feature trajectories that delineate deoxidation state transitions without manual labels. Pre-training with a grouped contrastive loss significantly improves boundary discrimination and localization of critical regions. Generalizability is assessed via two transfer strategies: calibration-free clustering and few-shot fine-tuning. The pre-trained model achieves 88.1% clustering accuracy on GaAs deoxidation samples without additional labels, and 94.3–95.5% accuracy after fine-tuning with only five sample pairs across GaAs, Ge, and InAs substrates. Optimized for resource-constrained edge devices, the framework enables real-time, plug-and-play integration with existing MBE systems and rapid adaptation across materials and equipment. This approach advances automation and reproducibility in semiconductor manufacturing.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25100021
This study addresses the integration bottlenecks of display driver integrated circuits (DDICs) arising from external NOR Flash and SRAM by developing an embedded resistive random-access memory (RRAM) on a 40 nm high-voltage CMOS logic platform. Systematic process optimizations in film sputtering and pre-deposition treatment reduce within-wafer resistance uniformity (RSU) of the oxygen-deficient layer (ODL) from 11% to 8% and inter-wafer process stability variation from 23% to below 6%. These improvements elevate the yield of 8 Mb RRAM embedded mass production products from 87% to 98.5%. The RRAM cell achieves a compact area of ~0.0625 mm²/Mb, a 4.8 ns read speed, read disturb immunity of 3 × 10⁸ cycles at 95 °C, 10³ write/erase endurance cycles for 1 Mb cells, and 12.5-year data retention at 125 °C. Post high-temperature operating life (HTOL) testing confirms a stable high/low resistance window. The work provides a reliability assurance framework for mass production of highly integrated, low-power embedded RRAM in display driver ICs.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.01.004
Initial damage from engineering disturbances in deep coal mining degrades mechanical properties and heightens dynamic-hazard risks, challenging conventional monitoring. This study probes the coupled acoustic-electrical responses of initially damaged coal under reloading and develops a multi-parameter, multi-level dynamic integrated early-warning model. Using a true-triaxial Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) system, we prepared specimens with graded damage by varying static deviatoric stresses and dynamic impacts. Uniaxial compression reloading was conducted with synchronous acoustic emission (AE) and resistivity monitoring. Joint time-domain responses of force, acoustics, and electricity delineated distinct loading stages. Time-frequency features were extracted via Fourier and wavelet transforms; crack architecture was quantified by 3D AE localization and fractal-dimension analysis. Initial damage markedly reduced load-bearing capacity. Resistivity decreased sharply with increasing deviatoric stress, while cumulative AE counts increased strongly. The AE spectrum evolved from bimodal to broadband with low- and high-frequency enhancement. The resistivity spectrum showed progressive bandwidth broadening, energy amplification, and high-frequency advancement. The AE spatial fractal dimension rose significantly during compaction. An integrated warning system combining multiscale entropy fusion, Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN)-Transformer forecasting, recurrence-network analysis, and a Bayesian framework yielded a 28.4 s lead time, offering a theoretical basis and technical pathway for intelligent prevention of dynamic hazards.
Journal of Infrared and Millimeter Waves (红外与毫米波学报)•2026•DOI: 10.11972/j.issn.1001-9014.2026.03.2026043
Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) imaging technology plays a crucial role in aerospace, medical diagnostics, and autonomous driving. Van der Waals material black phosphorus (BP) exhibits exceptionally high carrier mobility and an ideal direct bandgap, making it a proven candidate for high-performance room-temperature MWIR sensing. However, the stringent growth conditions and anisotropic growth characteristics restrict the development of BP optoelectronic devices to small-scale laboratory demonstrations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop large-scale, uniform, and high-performance BP photodetector arrays. This study employed a room temperature preparation technique to deposit a large-area, uniform, low-oxidation BP ink film onto thin-film transistors, resulting in the development of a 64 × 64 high-performance MWIR snapshot photodetector array. The room temperature ink preparation process effectively prevents the oxidation of BP during fabrication, achieving an oxidation loss as low as 1.12%. In addition, a gradient centrifugation strategy was employed to optimize the lateral size and thickness distribution of the nanosheets in the BP ink, thereby facilitating the transport of charge carriers. The BP ink film array demonstrated a high photoresponsivity of 4.52 mA/W in the MWIR range, with pixel light response non-uniformity as low as 10.1%. This study presents a new approach for advancing large-scale MWIR imaging technology.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020050
Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer mechanical flexibility, low density, and solution processability, enabling wearable electronics, portable energy systems, and building-integrated photovoltaics. Despite laboratory power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20%, scaling to large-area modules remains impeded by the thickness constraint of the photoactive layer. High-performance bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices typically require active layers of 80–120 nm to ensure efficient exciton dissociation and charge extraction. Such thin films are incompatible with industrially relevant coating methods (blade coating, slot-die coating, printing) because minor thickness variations generate pinholes, shunts, and nonuniform electric fields, reducing manufacturing yield and operational reliability. Increasing thickness enhances light harvesting and processing tolerance but conventionally causes sharp PCE losses due to limited carrier mobility, trap-assisted recombination, and uncontrolled phase separation that disrupts percolation networks and vertical composition profiles. This fundamental contradiction between scalable fabrication and efficient operation demands kinetic control over film formation. The final BHJ morphology is governed not only by thermodynamics but also by the kinetic pathway during solvent removal. In conventional blends, donor and acceptor solidify simultaneously, freezing suboptimal morphologies, especially in thick films. Crystallization-sequence engineering—manipulating the temporal order of crystallization and phase separation—offers a route to reshape the internal structure. The referenced study (Chen et al., Nat. Mater. 2025, 24(3): 444) demonstrates that such manipulation yields OSCs with 20.82% efficiency and high tolerance to active layer thickness, and the present work extends this strategy to modules exceeding 18% efficiency, bridging the gap between laboratory performance and industrial-scale manufacturing.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020027
Multi-phase clock generation is a critical enabler for high-speed wireline transceivers and millimeter-wave phased-array systems, where phase accuracy, RMS jitter, and PVT robustness directly govern link performance and beam-pointing precision. As data rates exceed 200 Gb/s and carrier frequencies scale toward transistor fT limits, conventional architectures face fundamental bottlenecks. PLL-based divider chains suffer from limited speed, power efficiency, and phase-count scalability, while multi-phase LC oscillators incur substantial area overhead and heightened mismatch sensitivity. Passive phase-shifting networks—coupled-resonator quadrature hybrids and polyphase filters—offer low active power but remain inherently narrowband with insertion loss and process sensitivity. This review examines emerging solutions that decouple frequency generation from phase alignment. DLL-assisted injection-locked ring oscillators provide phase calibration without accumulating phase noise, achieving improved phase uniformity and wider operational bandwidth. DLL architectures with separate quadrature paths relax individual delay-element speed requirements through background calibration, trading system complexity for reduced power. Feedforward-coupled ring oscillators introduce negatively skewed auxiliary delays to accelerate main-inverter switching, demonstrating operation up to 16 GHz in 7-nm FinFET. Cross-coupled ring oscillators using passive networks achieve 20 GHz in 16-nm FinFET, though signal loss along passive paths degrades voltage swing and phase noise. The analysis establishes that explicit decoupling of frequency generation from phase alignment is essential for scaling phase count and operating frequency beyond fT constraints.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25120027
Battery-free neural implants leveraging wireless power transfer (WPT) enable miniaturization but face a fundamental bottleneck: transmitting massive parallel neural data over a power-constrained backscatter link. Active radios achieve high data rates (e.g., 20.48 Mbps for 4 channels) but consume excessive power (655 µW) and require separate antennas, enlarging implant volume (3.4 cm³). Passive backscatter radios using a single power coil eliminate active transmitters but are limited to ~2 Mbps due to the trade-off between WPT efficiency and coil Q-factor. This work introduces dual overlapped on-chip antennas that decouple power harvesting from high-rate backscatter communication, enabling simultaneous 72-channel recording within a 2 mm × 2 mm die. An orthogonal coding and sampling technique reduces per-channel power and area. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, the chip achieves an 18 Mbps backscatter data rate, with measured per-channel area and power of 0.06 mm² and 10.32 µW, respectively. The dual-antenna topology mitigates backscatter-induced WPT degradation, demonstrating a viable path for high-density, battery-free neural interfaces.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25120050
The pursuit of retinal-level display fidelity has driven pixel dimensions into the sub-micrometer regime, where conventional emissive technologies such as OLEDs and micro-LEDs encounter fundamental physical barriers: diminished emission intensity, severe color cross-talk, and escalating fabrication complexity. Reflective electronic paper (E-paper) circumvents these luminosity constraints because its optical contrast is governed by nanoscale material properties and remains theoretically unaffected by pixel size reduction. Nevertheless, established electrophoretic displays are limited by slow refresh rates (seconds), narrow color gamuts, and resolutions below 1000 PPI, while static optical metasurfaces exceeding 10,000 PPI lack dynamic tunability. Santosa et al. now demonstrate a retina E-paper based on electrochromic tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanodisks that achieves electrically tunable pixels down to ~560 nm (>25,000 PPI), full-color video capability (>25 Hz), high reflectance (~80%), and low energy consumption (0.5–1.7 mW·cm–2). This system operates via a reversible insulator-to-metal transition in WO3, dynamically modulating reflectance through Mie resonance. However, the color gamut remains narrower than that of emissive technologies due to the low and weakly dispersive extinction coefficient of WO3 in the 'on' state, reduced refractive index contrast in acetonitrile-based electrolytes, and the speed–color purity trade-off inherent to ultra-thin nanostructures. Operational stability is also constrained by cyclic strain from Li+ insertion/extraction, high electric field gradients across the 500 nm electrode gap, and interfacial charge traps in the heterogeneous glass/Al/Pt/WO3/electrolyte stack. These factors collectively define the current performance envelope and the materials-centric pathways required for commercial viability.
Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Science) (上海交通大学学报)•2026•DOI: 10.16183/j.cnki.jsjtu.2026.066
Background: Digital twin technology has emerged as a promising tool in precision oncology, yet its clinical utility remains underexplored. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study integrating multi-omics data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) from 1,200 cancer patients to construct digital twin models. Results: The digital twin models accurately predicted treatment responses (AUC=0.89) and identified novel biomarkers for early detection. Integration of multi-omics improved prognostic accuracy by 23% compared to single-omics approaches. Conclusions: Digital twin technology, when integrated with multi-omics data, significantly enhances precision oncology by enabling personalized treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.01.002
To address the deviation between rigid confining pressure experiments and actual engineering conditions of deep backfill mining, where backfill near the working face has less confining pressure, while that in deep goaf areas is under high confining pressure, this study investigates the load-bearing characteristics of rock granular materials under flexible passive confining pressure. Customized PC molds with varying wall thicknesses and rigid steel molds were used to construct a gradient confining pressure environment. Compression tests were conducted, combined with the characterization of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, strain measurement, particle sieving, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. The results show that flexible passive confining pressure divides the particle compression process into three stages that are different from those under traditional rigid constraints, namely the initial compaction stage, the crushing failure stage, and the lateral confinement-dominated stage. AE signals exhibit a bimodal energy distribution, and the time interval between the two can vary by more than 4 times with changes. The failure modes transition from shear to tension. Compared with intact materials, granular materials under lateral confinement maintain continuous volume contraction, and can even maintain a continuous volume contraction trend at least when the strain reaches 8%. And lateral confinement stiffness significantly enhances axial bearing capacity: when the axial strain reaches 30%, the axial stress in the rigid confinement group is nearly 5 times that in the flexible confinement group. Fractal dimension increases from 1.94 to 2.39 as the confinement stiffness rises. This study clarifies the influence mechanism of lateral confinement stiffness on granular mechanics, providing fundamental support for optimizing backfill design based on goaf locations and improving surrounding rock control in deep green mining.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010050
Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer exceptional carrier mobility, strong light-matter interactions, and mechanical flexibility, yet their industrial deployment is fundamentally constrained by van der Waals (vdW) contacts. These contacts exhibit weak interfacial band coupling and low bonding strength, yielding unacceptably high contact resistance (RC) and poor thermomechanical stability, incompatible with back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes requiring thermal robustness up to 400 °C. Existing strategies—edge contacts, low-work-function metals, semimetal electrodes—have not simultaneously achieved ultra-low contact resistance and high-temperature stability comparable to covalent bonding. Zhang and co-workers recently reported an atomic layer bonding (ALB) contact technology that overcomes these limitations through precise atomic-layer trimming and heterogeneous epitaxy. The ALB contact is formed by selectively removing the top sulfur atomic layer of MoS2, allowing exposed molybdenum atoms to establish direct chemical bonding with Au. This yields a zero tunneling barrier (φt = 0), corresponding to 100% carrier tunneling probability, and a bonding energy of 0.281 eV/Å2, 5.4 times higher than the vdW interface (0.052 eV/Å2). HAADF-STEM confirms coherent bonds with Mo–Mo lattice spacing of 2.592 Å, closely matching Au–Au spacing (2.601 Å) and 7.49% smaller than non-bonded MoS2 (2.802 Å). The interlayer spacing between Au and Mo layers is 2.332 Å, far below typical vdW distances. These atomic-scale observations validate the theoretical design and provide a fundamentally new route toward near-ideal contacts in 2D semiconductors.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.01.001
In igneous-intruded coal seams, coal undergoes significant metamorphism, which critically alters its pore structure and oxygen consumption dynamics, thereby elevating its spontaneous combustion tendency. This study investigates the specific surface area, pore volume, structure complexity/connectivity, heterogeneity/local features of pore size distribution, and oxygen consumption dynamics of igneous metamorphic coal through N2/CO2 isothermal adsorption tests and low-temperature oxidation experiments, and elucidates the influence mechanisms of pore structure evolution on oxygen consumption dynamics during low-temperature oxidation. With increasing metamorphic degree, igneous metamorphic coal exhibits a more pronounced reduction in specific surface area during oxidation, while the increase in structure complexity due to coal-oxygen reactions is suppressed. Thermally metamorphic coal demonstrates accelerated oxygen consumption, with oxidation amplifying the difference in reaction rates compared to raw coal. Key mechanisms include oxidation-induced reduction in mesopore complexity and micropore volume, decreased dominance of small-pore-volume apertures, and increased heterogeneity, collectively leading to a lower half-oxygen-consuming temperature and steeper oxygen consumption curves. Simultaneously, increased pore volume/complexity and reduced uniformity/connectivity act synergistically to enhance oxygen consumption capacity, highlighting the coupling between pore structure evolution and oxidation behavior in igneous metamorphic coal. This study provides theoretical insights into the pore-oxygen coupling mechanisms governing coal spontaneous combustion in igneous intrusion areas.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020013
Polarization is a defining lever of wurtzite (WZ) III-nitrides, enabling two-dimensional electron and hole gases, polarization doping, and electrostatic control in GaN-based power, RF, and optoelectronic devices. Recent advances, especially ferroelectric nitrides, have pushed polarization to unprecedented magnitudes, elevating it from a static constant to an engineering knob. However, the field has long suffered from ambiguity in polarization magnitude, orientation, and mapping to crystal polarity due to inconsistent sign conventions and reference choices. This mini-review highlights recent progress that rethinks and unifies polarization in wurtzite III-nitrides. It discusses how experimental re-benchmarking of giant polarization is reshaping understanding and enabling predictive polarization engineering. Key issues include the dependence of polarization sign on coordinate choice and magnitude on reference structure, as exemplified by Bernardini et al.'s 1997 predictions (values below 0.1 C/m², downward orientation for metal-polar) and Dreyer et al.'s 2016 refinements. The review emphasizes that consistent benchmarking under a unified convention makes interface bound charge density a quantitative design knob rather than an adjustable fitting parameter, benefiting classical HEMTs, N-polar stacks, polarization-doped structures, and ferroelectric nitride integration. A pragmatic roadmap is proposed: reports should state polarity, sign convention, and reference explicitly to ensure portability and falsifiability.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.02.008
In deep hard rock mining, high confining pressure inhibits tensile failure, leading to low efficiency and severe tool wear in conventional mechanical rock breaking methods. To solve this problem, we propose a Controllable Free Surface Induced Tensile-Shear Collaborative Fracturing (CFS-TSCF) method. The method pre-forms an engineered controllable free surface (CFS) to reconfigure the local stress field, enabling a specialized device (FIPFD) to apply directional tensile-shear loads for low-energy breaking. A multi-scale approach integrating lab AE tests, DEM simulations, and field verification investigated the fracture mechanism and performance. Results revealed a predominantly tensile-driven (>50%) process. The CFS transforms the rock's triaxial compression into a specific stress path. This path, dominated by directional tension and constrained by lateral compression, guides the fracture along a low-energy channel. This also dictates the micro-mechanism's evolution from central quasi-tensile to peripheral tensile-shear failure. Field trials in hard rock (>200 MPa UCS) validated the method, demonstrating controllable, blocky spalling and achieving an average mining efficiency of 52.03 t/h. This research validates the CFS-TSCF method, offering a new technical paradigm for safe, efficient, continuous hard rock mining.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.02.006
The development of efficient CO2 adsorbents is critical for achieving net-zero targets. MgO represents a promising solid adsorbent for CO2 capture, yet its limited specific surface area and insufficient active sites restrict its adsorption capacity under moderate temperature conditions. A rod-like anhydrous MgCO3 precursor was hydrothermally synthesized and calcined at 500 °C for 3 h to obtain porous MgO (184.9 m2 g−1, 0.38 cm3/g), which was then modified with 20% NaNO2 (by mole) via impregnation. This adsorbent achieved an adsorption capacity of 12.6 mmol g−1 after 120 min under a pure CO2 atmosphere at 325 °C. Comprehensive characterization reveals that NaNO2 modification leads to the NaNO3 and Na2CO3 formation on the MgO surface during calcination. The introduced NaNO3 effectively promotes oxygen vacancy formation, while the generated Na2CO3 serves as heterogeneous nucleation sites, collectively reducing the reaction energy barrier and enhancing interfacial mass transfer. This synergistic effect facilitates the MgCO3 formation followed by its conversion to the thermodynamically more stable Na2Mg(CO3)2. Kinetic studies elucidate that adsorption is dominated by surface chemical reactions and diffusion mechanisms at different stages. These fundamental insights into the adsorption mechanisms of nitrite-modified MgO provide valuable guidance for the rational design of advanced MgO-based CO2 adsorbents with enhanced performance.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.03.004
The energy-driven progressive brittle shear failure of rock joints is a key mechanism behind deep engineering disasters such as joint-induced rockbursts and engineering earthquakes. To investigate the energy evolution mechanisms and disaster proneness, monotonic and stepwise loading-unloading tests were performed on regular dentate joints under constant normal stiffness boundary conditions. Results indicate a transition in damage mechanism from climbing wear of low-inclination asperities to brittle rupture of high-inclination ones, accompanied by a marked decrease in irreversible displacement. Energy analysis reveals a strong linear relationship between pre-peak elastic energy density and both input energy density and shear stress squared. The post-peak elastic energy release rate (g) and the self-sustaining instability coefficient (l) increase with joint undulation. A dimensionless brittleness index (BI) integrating the complete energy conversion and release process was proposed to quantify the energy balanced budget. The highly undulated joint R4 showed the most pronounced brittleness and instability intensity with the highest BI value of 0.697, along with g = 0.774 and l = 0.611. This study provides deeper insight into the understanding of the disaster-inducing proneness and stability assessment in jointed rock mass.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.02.003
Efficient flocculation and sedimentation of ultrafine hematite remain a key challenge in mineral processing. This study elucidates the pH-dependent flocculation behaviour of hematite with anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) using a multi-scale correlation framework integrating interfacial analysis, structural characterization, and sedimentation evaluation. Increasing pH induces progressive surface deprotonation, yielding a more negative hematite surface and enhanced APAM adsorption from 0.106 to 0.186 mg/m2. FTIR, XPS, and molecular dynamics simulations consistently reveal strengthened Fe–OOC coordination, intensified hydrogen bonding, and more stabilised polymer conformations under alkaline conditions. Microscopy, SEM, and FBRM show that alkaline conditions facilitate the formation of larger and denser flocs, with size increasing from 56 to 982 μm and fractal dimension from 1.44 to 1.87. These structural changes markedly improve sedimentation performance, reducing turbidity from 436.8 to 76.7 NTU and increasing settled solids from 35.94 to 52.43 percent. The proposed multi-scale correlation model quantitatively links interfacial chemistry, floc structural evolution, and settling behaviour, providing a unified mechanistic basis for pH-regulated hematite flocculation. This framework not only advances understanding of polymer–mineral interactions but also offers practical guidance for optimising solid–liquid separation and tailings-water recycling in fine mineral beneficiation.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020026
Ferroelectric domain walls are conventionally treated as two-dimensional (2D) interfaces separating regions of differing polarization. Charged domain walls (CDWs), which form head-to-head (H–H) or tail-to-tail (T–T) polarization configurations, carry bound polarization charge and are generally energetically unfavorable, stabilized only through electronic screening, defect accumulation, and lattice relaxation. Recent work by Zhong et al. (Science, 2026) demonstrates that in fluorite ferroelectrics such as ZrO2 and HfO2, CDWs can be confined to one-dimensional (1D) atomic-scale line defects within individual polar layers, enabled by the quasi-layered crystal architecture of weakly coupled polar and nonpolar subcells. Atomic-resolution electron microscopy combined with in situ electric-field manipulation reveals that both H–H and T–T walls exist as self-balancing oxygen-compensated line defects. These 1D CDWs exhibit remarkable dynamic behavior: H–H walls propagate along their 1D trajectories while remaining confined within a single polar layer, with motion coupled to coordinated oxygen-ion shifts rather than cation sublattice deformation. This discovery represents an extreme limit of ferroelectric domain-wall confinement, introducing a new class of polar topological objects intermediate between conventional domain walls and line defects. The findings have profound implications for domain-wall nanoelectronics, where the wall itself acts as an active functional element, and suggest that the density of domain-wall-based devices could far exceed that achievable with 2D walls. The intimate coupling between oxygen chemistry and polarization topology positions 1D CDWs as powerful probes of defect–polarization interactions at the atomic scale.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.02.001
Characteristic stresses are critical indicators for microcrack initiation and propagation in rock, a process intrinsically linked to fracture mode. To investigate fracture mode evolution and its feasibility for estimating characteristic stresses, this study conducted uniaxial compression and cyclic loading-unloading tests on fine- and coarse-grained granite with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. Cyclic target stresses were set within intervals determined by characteristic stresses. Analysis using the AE parameters AF-RA revealed that fracture mode evolution correlates with damage level, and shear microcrack propagation primarily governs macroscopic failure. A characteristic stress estimation method was developed by mapping key points on the shear crack proportion curve: crack closure stress (transition between fluctuating and stable segments), crack initiation stress (inflection point of curve rise), and crack damage stress (slope change point in ascending segment). Comparative analysis with the crack volumetric strain method validated the proposed method. The influences of fracture mode dividing line and statistical interval were discussed, with practical recommendations provided. Compared to conventional AE parameters, the fracture mode proportion exhibits lower sensitivity to AE parameter variations, enabling more reliable identification of characteristic stress points. Furthermore, it directly reflects microcrack evolution behavior, enhancing interpretability and providing a novel perspective for AE-based characteristic stress determination.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020002
Phosphonic acid-based self-assembled monolayers (PA-SAMs) are the hole-transport layer of choice for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs), yet their weak hydrogen-bond anchoring to ITO permits molecular desorption and migration under photothermal stress, triggering iodide oxidation, formamidinium decomposition, and device failure. Fei et al. report a molecular engineering strategy that replaces weak physisorption with robust covalent anchoring. A triphenylamine-based phosphonic acid (1PA-TPD) binds to ITO with a binding energy of −4.48 eV, 1.55 eV more stable than the reference EtCz3EPA (−2.93 eV), via stronger In–O bonds and enhanced van der Waals contacts. A mixed SAM comprising 60 wt% 1PA-TPD and 40 wt% EtCz3EPA balances substrate anchoring with perovskite compatibility. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction shows a ~50% increase in perovskite crystallinity near the HTL and a 0.02° narrower full width at half maximum. Time-resolved photoluminescence yields a carrier lifetime of 1.2 μs, 2.6 times longer than the control, confirming suppressed non-radiative recombination. Unencapsulated small-area PSCs (0.08 cm2) retain 90% of their initial 25.0% power conversion efficiency for nearly 3000 h under 85 °C and 1.0% UV illumination, versus T90 ~1860 h for controls. Under 4.5% UV, T90 remains 1430 h. Encapsulated minimodules (~23.1 cm2) achieve >22% PCE and T90 ~2200 h, surpassing all reported SAM-based modules. This work identifies a previously underappreciated degradation pathway and establishes a universal design principle for stable interfacial layers.
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020030
Ambient-air fabrication of perovskite films remains a critical barrier to scalable manufacturing of perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells. Moisture interferes with crystallization, causing disordered growth, surface degradation, and secondary-phase accumulation; thermal annealing in humid air accelerates irreversible degradation. Existing strategies—solvent engineering, longitudinal homogeneous intermediates in hybrid sequential deposition, and the P1.5 diffusion-barrier process—improve uniformity and reduce moisture/oxygen intrusion but fail to match the performance of films fabricated in controlled environments. Compositional and additive engineering approaches also struggle to integrate with deposition techniques and fully mitigate moisture effects. Tan et al. (Joule) introduce n-butylammonium thiocyanate (nBASCN) as a wet-film additive within a hybrid sequential deposition process. The SCN− anion binds Pb2+ in the precursor, stabilizing the drying film, while the bulky nBA+ cation segregates to the surface, forming a barrier that suppresses premature nucleation. This decouples diffusion from crystallization, enabling uniform crystallization and improved film quality under ambient conditions. The work demonstrates a viable pathway to stabilize perovskite film formation without tightly controlled environments, addressing a key gap for scalable, high-performance perovskite photovoltaics. Funding: Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LZ26F040003), Delta Power Electronics Science and Technology Educational Development Program (DREK2025001), and Central Guidance Funds for Local Science and Technology Development Projects (2025ZY01012).
Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所)•2026•DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020044
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer high power conversion efficiencies (PCE) with low-cost raw materials and versatile fabrication routes, yet commercialization is impeded by reliance on toxic high-boiling-point aprotic polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). These solvents pose environmental and health hazards and exhibit slow evaporation kinetics that degrade film quality in high-throughput roll-to-roll slot-die coating. Residual solvent and heterogeneous crystallization introduce high defect densities, undermining long-term stability and compliance with commercial standards. Wang et al. (Science, 2025, 390, 1021–1028) devised an eco-friendly ink formulation using gamma-valerolactone (GVL), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), integrated with a solvent-constrained edge-protection (SCEP) strategy. 2-MeTHF, with high vapor pressure and weak coordination to Pb2+, diminishes perovskite–GVL interaction, facilitates GVL evaporation, and enhances interfacial adhesion. Trimethyl-tetradecylammonium chloride (TAC) introduced into the ink broadens the deposition window, suppresses edge defects, and improves film uniformity via a Marangoni effect that balances fluid flow and mitigates rapid solvent evaporation. The approach yielded a 7200 cm2 perovskite photovoltaic module (PPM) with a certified stabilized efficiency of 17.2% by NREL, passing all IEC 61215 reliability standards as certified by TÜV Rheinland. A commercial-scale PPM measuring 120 cm × 60 cm was fabricated, demonstrating the viability of green solvent systems for scalable, high-performance perovskite module production.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5156-8
The 7xxx series aluminum alloys have emerged as a particularly promising class of lightweight structural materials. However, the inherent strength of these materials is primarily influenced by the content and type of alloying elements added during the manufacturing process, as well as casting defects. The present study investigated the effects of eutectics formed by solute atoms (Zn, Mg, and Cu), with equal mass ratios (Zn/Mg=2, Mg/Cu=3) but varying overall contents, on the liquid film thickness, crack propagation depth, and the mechanical properties of the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy after heat treatment. The results from gravity casting indicate that the intergranular liquid film thickness increases with the increase of eutectic content. A thick intergranular liquid film in the casting can accommodate greater strain during grain contraction, thereby preventing liquid film rupture and subsequent hot tearing. Concurrently, during the solution treatment at 475 °C, the residual eutectic fraction in the Al-7Zn-3.5Mg-1.18Cu alloy diminishes from 9.1% at 10 h to 0.35% at 40 h. At 165 °C, the Al-6Zn-3.0Mg-1.0Cu alloy exhibits the optimal mechanical properties, with a peak aging tensile strength of 510 MPa and an elongation of 6.4%. The incorporation of lower concentrations of solute atoms (Zn, Mg, and Cu) serves to reduce the barrier to dislocation precipitation, thereby enhancing alloy plasticity. However, when the proportion of alloying elements exceeds the solubility limit of the α-Al matrix at specific heat treatment temperatures, coarse residual phases remain intergranular, thereby significantly impairing the mechanical properties of the alloy. This study provides a reference for the optimal addition level of the main strengthening elements in Al‑Zn‑Mg‑Cu alloys.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5183-5
The Al-2.3Fe eutectic alloy is regarded as a promising substitute for Cu conductors in automotive motors owing to its excellent castability and low resistivity. However, its application is restricted by the mutually exclusive relationship between electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. The microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-2.3Fe alloy were modified through Mg/Si alloying combined with T6 heat treatment in this work, leading to the development of a high-performance cast Al-2.3Fe-Mg-Si alloy. In the Al-2.3Fe-0.40Mg-0.72Si (Mg/Si=0.56) alloy subjected to T6 treatment, an electrical conductivity of (52.5±0.6)% IACS is achieved, while the ultimate tensile strength is significantly enhanced to 309.5±5.6 MPa. The addition of Mg and Si brings about marked changes in the solidification process of the Al-2.3Fe alloy, resulting in considerable variations in both the morphology of the second phase and its phase constitution. The aging behavior of the alloy is governed by second phase and solid solubility. Through optimization of the Mg/Si ratio, the aging response can be effectively enhanced. At the ratio of Mg/Si=0.56, a balance is achieved between solid solubility and precipitation, while simultaneously minimizing the detrimental impact on electrical conductivity and reaching the best mechanical properties and electrical conductivity in peak-aged Al-2.3Fe-xMg-ySi alloy. This work providing valuable insights for developing advanced conductor materials.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5150-1
Optimizing the mechanical properties and fluidity of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys in high-pressure die casting (HPDC) is critical for manufacturing thin-walled components with large sizes. The performance and fluidity of castings over long flow distances depend on the precise control of solidification behavior during the complex HPDC process. In this study, an AlSi10MnMg alloy was fabricated using a fluidity test mold with three channels of different thicknesses to investigate the influence of varying TiB2 content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and fluidity of the alloy during long-distance filling in HPDC. Results indicate that the addition of 0.018wt.% TiB2 significantly reduces externally solidified crystals (ESCs) and porosity contents, improving the filling distance from 1,700 mm to 1,833 mm. The reduction in ESCs in the castings by TiB2 is attributed to its ability to promote the migration of ESCs from the shot sleeve toward the melt center, where temperature and flow velocity are higher. At a filling distance of 1,300 mm, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and elongation increase notably with addition of 0.018wt.% TiB2. When the addition of TiB2 increases to 0.036wt.%, the area fraction of ESCs in the channel increases compared to that with 0.018wt.%, and the filling distance slightly decreases to 1,796.9 mm. The mechanical properties of the alloy with 0.036wt.% TiB2 are better than those of the alloy with 0.018wt.% TiB2 over short distances, but become inferior beyond 1,000 mm. This work reveals the role of TiB2 in regulating solidification and flow during long-range filling, offering new insights into the processability of HPDC Al-Si alloys.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5185-3
The synergistic mechanism of multiple process parameters on the solidification structure of niobium containing austenitic stainless steel during continuous casting is complex, which seriously affects the quality of continuous casting billets and seamless pipes. In order to optimize the quality of continuous casting billet, a finite element model of solidification and heat transfer in continuous casting process was established for the secondary cooling process of continuous casting billet. The control variable method was used to explore the influence of casting speed and superheat on the solidification process. At the same time, an orthogonal scheme was designed to study the coupling effect of multiple process parameters on the heat transfer and solidification state of continuous casting billets, and optimized process parameters were selected. The optimization results of process parameters were verified through production experiments, and it is found that the enrichment of coarse niobium compounds directly causes the initiation and propagation of inner wall cracks during the large deformation hot piercing of S30432 seamless tubes. Process parameter optimization, especially the synergistic effect of the decrease of superheat and increase of specific water flow promotes the grain refinement and expension of equiaxed crystal zone, thereby mitigating the segregation of Nb elements and improving the distribution of niobium compounds.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5182-6
Abstract: In recent years, Al-Ti-Nb-B grain refiners have attracted increasing attention due to their grain refinement performance and anti-Si poisoning ability. This study investigates the influence of the introduction sequence of Ti and Nb during the synthesis of Al-4Ti-1Nb-1B refiners on their refinement performance on CP-Al and a series of Al-Si alloys (Al-3.5Si, Al-7Si, and Al-10.5Si). It is found that Al-4Ti-1Nb-1B prepared by introducing Ti prior to Nb exhibits the best grain refinement and anti-Si poisoning compared to samples where Nb is introduced before Ti or where both are added simultaneously. This Ti-first approach demonstrates superior grain refinement performance across CP-Al, Al-3.5S1, Ai-7Si, and Al-10.5Si alloys, especially at higher Si contents. It refines the grain size of Al-7Si to 150.1±27.5 μm from over 1,500 μm for the unrefined alloy. This superior performance is attributed to the variation in ground-state energy ΔE for the Ti prior to Nb sequence is lower than that of other sequences, thereby facilitating Nb adsorption on the TiB2 surface. TEM observations corroborate these findings, showing that TiB2 prepared by this sequence has the highest average Nb content of 3.80at.%. First-principles calculations reveal that this unique Nb adsorption enhances the TiB2/Al interfacial adhesion energy Wad and suppresses the segregation tendency of Si atoms at the interface, κSi(cSi). The higher the Nb adsorption at the TiB2/Al interface, the stronger the resistance to Si poisoning. These findings underscore the pivotal role of Nb-modified TiB2 in improving grain refinement and offer a novel strategy for advancing grain refiner technologies in Al-Si alloys.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5274-3
With the growing demand for lightweight and high-performance components in automotive and aerospace industries, aluminum alloy die-castings are evolving toward larger dimensions and thinner walls, posing significant challenges to thermal management during solidification. Traditional cooling channel designs often fail to ensure uniform temperature distribution, leading to defects such as shrinkage porosity and deformation. This study proposes an automated design framework integrating the moving morphable components (MMC) topology optimization method with particle swarm optimization (PSO) to generate efficient and manufacturable cooling channel layouts for A380 aluminum alloys. Firstly, a systematic initialization strategy was developed with component dimensions of 4-10 mm in width and 15-40 mm in length, along with discrete orientation angles. The optimization process effectively guided components toward high-temperature regions identified through numerical simulation, followed by post-processing operations including temperature-based sorting, overlap removal, and component interconnection. The final design with 20 retained components was selected. Then, castings with a conventional cooling system and without any cooling system were employed as benchmark cases for comparison with the current optimized design. Compared with the conventional and no-cooling cases, the current cooling system exhibits a consistently lower temperature standard deviation after 30 s, maintains superior thermal uniformity throughout solidification, and achieves this improvement without comprising the average temperature.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5263-6
To meet the aerospace industry’s demand for aircraft featuring high thrust-to-weight ratios and lightweight structures capable of operating in complex service environments, β titanium alloys with high specific strength and good plasticity have become a current research hotspot in the development of domestic fasteners. Based on the calculated Mo equivalent, the alloy composition Ti-4Al-6Cr-5Mo-5Nb is classified as a near-β titanium alloy within the titanium alloy design space. The microstructure is further controlled by adding alloy element Ta with a mass fraction of 0.4wt.%-2.0wt.%. Research results indicate that Ta dissolves completely in the matrix without forming new phases within the investigated range. As the Ta content increases, the proportion of the β phase increases significantly, the β grain diameter decreases markedly from 2.4 mm to 0.4 mm, and the α phase gradually coarsens. When adding 1.6wt.% Ta, the tensile strength and fracture toughness of the alloy reach the peak values of 735 MPa and 55 MPa·m1/2, respectively.
China Foundry (中国铸造 - 英文版)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-025-4248-1
Ti-5Al-5Mo-5Cr-2Zr-xNb with different Nb (abbreviated as Ti-5552-xNb, x=3, 6, 9, 12, wt.%) contents were stretched at 923 K to study their superplastic behavior and mechanical properties below recrystallization temperature. The microstructure of as-cast Ti-5552-xNb alloy is consisted of a single β phase, and the β grain size increases slightly with the increase of Nb content. The thermal effect in the process of high temperature drawing leads to the precipitation of α phase. The addition of Nb in Ti-5552 titanium alloys reduces the α/β phase transformation temperature, which causes a decrease in the volume fraction of α phase. Reducing the α phase content reduces incompatibility, but too low a proportion of α phase will lead to premature fracture, so tensile strength and plasticity firstly increase and then decrease. The results show that Ti-5552-9Nb titanium alloy shows the best tensile strength (307.2 MPa) and superplasticity (106%). The superplastic mechanism of Ti-5552-9Nb alloy is mainly caused by relative sliding of β grain boundaries and dislocation movement.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-025-4083-4
The high-alloyed wrought superalloy GH4975 tends to form coarse MC carbides and eutectic (γ+γ′) phases, which adversely affect the cogging and homogenization process. To provide theoretical guidance for control of MC carbides and eutectic (γ+γ′) formation, differential thermal analysis (DTA) was utilized to investigate the effect of cooing rate (10-90 °C·min-1) on solidification behavior and micro-segregation of GH4975 alloy. According to the thermodynamic calculation and distribution characteristics of precipitates, the MC carbides can act as nucleation sites for γ dendrites, but the nucleation of γ dendrites becomes less dependent on the MC carbide primers at higher cooling rates. As the γ dendrites grow, the elements including Ti and Nb gradually accumulate in the residual liquid and leads to the formation of more MC carbides near the interdendritic region. Finally, the solidification is terminated with the formation of eutectic (γ+γ′). With an increase in cooling rate, the liquidus temperature rises, but the solidus temperature decreases, and thus the solidification range is obviously enlarged. The dendritic structure is significantly refined by the increase of cooling rate. The secondary dendrite arm spacing, λ2, as a function of cooling rate, , can be expressed as λ2=216.78 -0.42. Moreover, the increasing cooling rate weakens the back diffusion of Al, Ti, and Nb, increases the undercooling, and limits the growth of precipitates. Consequently, the sizes of MC carbides, eutectic (γ+γ′), and primary γ′ significantly decrease, but the area fraction of eutectic (γ+γ′) linerly increases as the cooling rate rises. Thus moderate cooling rate (such as 30 °C·min-1) should be selected during the solidification process of GH4975 alloy.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5085-6
Electroslag remelting (ESR) is an important metallurgical process for producing high-purity materials with homogeneous compositions and sound microstructures, and its typical products are ingots or simple castings. The core principle involves the resistive melting of a consumable electrode within a slag pool, followed by the refining of molten metal droplets as they traverse the slag, and subsequent sequential solidification in a water-cooled mold. However, conventional ESR processes face limitations in producing large or complex-shaped components, enhancing production efficiency, achieving highly specialized microstructures, and meeting ultra-high purity demands for advanced applications. Advanced composite ESR technologies have been developed to overcome these limitations by innovatively modifying key process aspects. For instance, electrode systems are improved using vibration, rotation, or multiple electrodes. Enhanced mold design and solidification control are achieved through techniques including conductive molds, mold rotation, and ingot withdrawal. Precise control of the process is realized through the use of protective gas, vacuum, or elevated pressure, as well as the application of external fields such as magnetic fields or ultrasonic vibration. This review comprehensively summarizes these advanced techniques, examining their principles and characteristics, and discussing their specific advantages and challenges.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5016-6
The traditional "trial and error" microstructural control method, with high cost and low efficiency, has become a key issue restricting the development of ultra-high strength and toughness titanium alloys. This study adopts the molybdenum equivalent (Mo[eq]) method to rapidly design Ti-xMo-4Al-4Zr-3Nb-2Cr-1Fe alloys (x=5-9). The as-cast alloys with different Mo[eq] exhibit a single peak of the β phase in XRD. The β grains of 5Mo alloy (the lowest Mo[eq]) exhibit elongated columnar grain characteristics. As the Mo[eq] increases, the β grains transition towards a more equiaxed form, resulting in a decrease in aspect ratio and a reduction in grain size. As the Mo[eq] increases, the α phase content gradually decreases and the α phase is almost unobservable in 9Mo alloy (the highest Mo[eq]). The α phase in 5Mo alloy exhibits short rod-shaped shapes with an average length of about 2.4 μm, while the α phase in 6Mo alloy shows an equiaxed and short rod shapes with the smallest size. The strength, plasticity, and toughness are the lowest in 5Mo alloy, with values of 867 MPa, 7.3%, and 56 MPa·m1/2, respectively. However, it reaches its maximum in 6Mo alloy, where the strength, plasticity, and toughness increase to 984 MPa, 12.8%, and 74 MPa·m1/2, respectively. The mechanical properties of Ti-xMo-4Al-4Zr-3Nb-2Cr-1Fe alloys are affected mainly by solid-solution strengthening of Mo element, refinement of β grain, and changes in α/β phase content. This study lays a certain theoretical foundation for the theoretical research and composition development of new ultra-high strength and toughness titanium alloys.
China Foundry (中国铸造 - 英文版)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-025-4253-4
In the casting process of 1060 industrial pure aluminum, the inclusions in the aluminum melt significantly affect the product quality. In this study, the influence of refining temperature and the composition of salt fluxes on the purification effect and mechanical properties of aluminum melt was investigated. The results indicate that lower refining temperatures and modified salt fluxes can effectively enhance the cleanliness of the aluminum melt. As the refining temperature increases, the large inclusions gradually increase. The addition of 16wt.% Na3AlF6 can dissolve and break up Al2O3 inclusions, facilitating the separation of the aluminum melt and aluminum slag. The addition of 16wt.% Na3AlF6 and 2wt.% CaCO3 to the basic salt fluxes enables gas refinement, thereby further improving the cleanliness of the aluminum melt. Under the refining condition of 37wt.% NaCl-47wt.% KCl-16wt.% Na3AlF3-2wt.% CaCO3 at 740 °C, better cleanliness and mechanical properties were obtained. The cleanliness and yield strength are approximately 99.99928% and 71.46 MPa, respectively. This work can offer valuable reference and theoretical insights for future research.
China Foundry (中国铸造 - 英文版)•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5062-0
The laser-clad Fe45 alloy coating inherently comprises multiple crystalline phases, resulting in a heterogeneous microstructural distribution that influences its performance. In this study, the rare earth yttria (Y2O3) was employed to modify laser-clad Fe45 alloy coatings, and the effects of Y2O3 addition on their microstructure, microhardness, and tribological properties were investigated. As the Y2O3 content increases from 0% to 0.3wt.%, the dominant microstructure transforms from columnar crystals to fine cellular and equiaxed crystals. The modified coating with 0.3wt.% Y2O3 achieves a surface hardness of 568 HV0.3 and a wear volume of 1,735.41 μm3, representing a 14.06% increase in hardness and a 51.16% reduction in wear volume compared to the undoped coating. Further increasing the Y2O3 content from 0.3wt.% to 0.9wt.% gradually leads to the emergence of a coarser feather-like microstructure, characterized by a dendritic framework with inter-dendritic equiaxed crystals. Concurrently, both the hardness and wear resistance of the coating decrease. Nevertheless, all Y2O3-modified coatings surpass the undoped Fe45 coating in both hardness and wear resistance. Appropriate Y2O3 doping effectively refines the Fe45 alloy coating’s microstructure and induces lattice distortion, thereby enhancing its hardness and wear resistance.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6173-x
Zn's natural degradability and biocompatibility make it a promising candidate for implants, however, its mechanical properties remain insufficient for bone applications. In this study, the performance of Zn was enhanced by developing Zn-Cu alloys via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Optimal LPBF parameters for forming stable tracks were achieved by adjusting laser power and scanning speed. Under optimized conditions of 100 W and 100 mm/s, high-density (99.58%) Zn-Cu alloys with improved hardness (68.2HV) and yield strength (160 MPa) were achieved. These improvements are attributed to solid solution strengthening, segregation strengthening, and grain refinement. The Zn-Cu alloys also demonstrated favorable degradation behavior, with a rate of 0.16 mm/year. This degradation is primarily driven by micro-galvanic corrosion between the CuZn5 phase and Zn matrix, along with refined grains and increased grain boundary density. This work demonstrates a viable strategy for fabricating Zn-based implants with enhanced structural integrity and mechanical performance via LPBF.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01989-6
Two-dimensional materials for flexible energy storage commonly face huge challenges in limited active surface and hindered charge transport. Herein, we report an innovative asymmetric pseudocapacitor based on synergistic design of modified MXene and graphene, integrating gas-induced rapid expansion technology and precise surface chemical regulation methods. For graphene modification, rapid vaporization induces exfoliation and expansion of graphene oxide layers. Subsequently, pseudocapacitive oxygen-containing groups were selectively introduced through acid oxidation, yielding expanded-and-oxidized graphene (OEG) for positive porous-nanopaper electrode. For MXene modification, alkali-treated MXene underwent hydrazine assistance to facilitate gas expansion and –NH2 grafting, producing MXene-NH2 (NOM) for negative porous-nanopaper electrode. Density functional theory calculations show that –COOH more effectively modulate graphene’s electronic structure by inducing charge redistribution and creating active sites, thereby enhancing H+ adsorption and ion interactions compared to –OH. Meanwhile, –NH2 on MXene enable electron delocalization and dynamic Ti–N–H+ interactions, speeding up proton adsorption/desorption and boosting both pseudocapacitance and conductivity. Through collaborative optimized spatial architecture and surface properties, flexible OEGB and NOMB exhibited of 333.6 and 500.5 F g−1 at high mass loading, respectively. The assembled proton pseudocapacitor readily achieved energy and power densities of 58.9 Wh kg−1 and 3802 W kg−1, respectively, with excellent stability for potential applications.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01847-5
Developing biomass platform compounds into high value-added chemicals is a key step in renewable resource utilization. Herein, we report porous carbon-supported Ni-ZnO nanoparticles catalyst (Ni-ZnO/AC) synthesized via low-temperature coprecipitation, exhibiting excellent performance for the selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). A linear correlation is first observed between solvent polarity (ET(30)) and product selectivity within both polar aprotic and protic solvent classes, suggesting that solvent properties play a vital role in directing reaction pathways. Among these, 1,4-dioxane (aprotic) favors the formation of 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) with 97.5% selectivity, while isopropanol (iPrOH, protic) promotes 2,5-dimethylfuran production with up to 99.5% selectivity. Mechanistic investigations further reveal that beyond polarity, proton-donating ability is critical in facilitating hydrodeoxygenation. iPrOH enables a hydrogen shuttle mechanism where protons assist in hydroxyl group removal, lowering the activation barrier. In contrast, 1,4-dioxane, lacking hydrogen bond donors, stabilizes BHMF and hinders further conversion. Density functional theory calculations confirm a lower activation energy in iPrOH (0.60 eV) compared to 1,4-dioxane (1.07 eV). This work offers mechanistic insights and a practical strategy for solvent-mediated control of product selectivity in biomass hydrogenation, highlighting the decisive role of solvent-catalyst-substrate interactions.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01889-9
Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are promising candidates for renewable energy storage, yet their practical deployment in subzero environments remains challenging due to electrolyte freezing and dendritic growth. Although organic additives can enhance the antifreeze properties of electrolytes, their weak polarity diminishes ionic conductivity, and their flammability poses safety concerns, undermining the inherent advantages of aqueous systems. Herein, we present a cost-effective and highly stable Na2SO4 additive introduced into a Zn(ClO4)2-based electrolyte to create an organic-free antifreeze electrolyte. Through Raman spectroscopy, in situ optical microscopy, density functional theory computations, and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that Na+ ions improve low-temperature electrolyte performance and mitigate dendrite formation by regulating uniform Zn2+ deposition through preferential adsorption and electrostatic interactions. As a result, the Zn||Zn cells using this electrolyte achieve a remarkable cycling life of 360 h at −40 °C with 61% depth of discharge, and the Zn||PANI cells retained an ultrahigh capacity retention of 91% even after 8000 charge/discharge cycles at −40 °C. This work proposes a cost-effective and practical approach for enhancing the long-term operational stability of AZMBs in low-temperature environments.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01840-y
Flexible fiber sensors, with their excellent wearability and biocompatibility, are essential components of flexible electronics. However, traditional methods face challenges in fabricating low-cost, large-scale fiber sensors. In recent years, the thermal drawing process has rapidly advanced, offering a novel approach to flexible fiber sensors. Through the preform-to-fiber manufacturing technique, a variety of fiber sensors with complex functionalities spanning from the nanoscale to kilometer scale can be automated in a short time. Examples include temperature, acoustic, mechanical, chemical, biological, optoelectronic, and multifunctional sensors, which operate on diverse sensing principles such as resistance, capacitance, piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, photoelectricity, and thermoelectricity. This review outlines the principles of the thermal drawing process and provides a detailed overview of the latest advancements in various thermally drawn fiber sensors. Finally, the future developments of thermally drawn fiber sensors are discussed.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6289-z
This study establishes a nonlinear vehicle-track coupled dynamic model that explicitly accounts for the effects of substructure deformation. Based on the vehicle-track coupled dynamics framework, the track structure is modeled using an energy-based approach, in which displacement functions of track layers are expanded into modified Fourier series. The static rail geometry and interlayer contact relations are derived through the principle of stationary potential energy. Considering the dynamic excitation from moving trains, a cross-iterative algorithm is employed to obtain the system responses, thereby enabling unified analysis of static track deformation and dynamic vehicle–track interactions. The results demonstrate that the proposed model effectively reveals the coupling mechanism between substructure deformation parameters, rail surface geometry, and system dynamics. The critical conditions for avoiding void formation under cosine-type and angular-type subgrade settlements follow power-law and linear relations, respectively. For a cosine-type settlement with a wavelength of 15 m and amplitude exceeding 35 mm, vehicle ride quality deteriorates significantly. Moreover, interlayer separation induced by substructure deformation leads to repeated "contact-separation-recontact" impacts, which may degrade long-term structural performance. This study provides a unified theoretical and computational framework for quantitatively assessing the effects of substructure deformation on high-speed train safety and track structure durability.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6210-9
The accuracy of wheel-rail rolling contact force is of great significance for vehicle dynamics simulation. A wheel-rail rolling contact behavior model considering wheelset yaw is proposed. The NORM algorithm is adopted to solve the wheel-rail normal contact problem. The extended creep force model (ECF) is used for the tangential contact problem, which considers different interfacial conditions, temperature in the contact area, and the elastoplastic behavior of the third body. A fatigue life prediction framework based on the critical plane method is introduced to evaluate the contact fatigue damage under the coupled influence of yaw angle and interfacial conditions. The effects of wheel yaw angle on the contact pressure and wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue life under dry and wet conditions are investigated. The results show that under both dry and wet conditions, increasing yaw angle leads to an increase in creepage, expansion of the sliding area, enhancement of creep force, and a simultaneous increase in the contact area temperature, thereby causing an increase in the fatigue parameter (FP). The wheel-rail rolling contact life with yaw angle is shortened compared to that without yaw, and the life decay rate under wet condition is slower than that under dry condition.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6204-7
This study investigated the effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on hot isostatic pressed (HIP) beryllium for inertial devices, focusing on residual stress, microstructure, tensile properties, and dimensional stability. The findings revealed that during DCT, residual stress in beryllium increased gradually due to non-uniform volumetric contraction and mismatch stress, reaching a 59.9% increase from initial levels after 200 h of DCT. DCT led to significant grain refinement and an increase in dislocation density. In 200 h DCT-treated beryllium, geometric necessary dislocation (GND) density increased 17.9%, grain size decreased 12.3%, and therefore yield strength and tensile strength improved by 4.2% and 5.6%, respectively. The dimensional stability of HIP beryllium was significantly enhanced by DCT, and the improvement tended to increase with the duration of DCT. The cumulative size changes of beryllium after 200 h of DCT during both cold exposure and cold cycling decreased significantly by 86% and 50%, respectively, compared to those of HIP beryllium. Furthermore, the residual tensile strength and retention rate increased by 12.5% and 5.5%, respectively, after undergoing room-temperature creep at 100 MPa for 1000 h.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6238-x
In deep underground engineering, rock brittleness is closely associated with rockburst and feasibility of hydraulic fracturing. The loading rate plays a crucial role in determining the severity of rockburst and cuttability. By conducting uniaxial compression tests and single-cycle loading-unloading experiments, the brittle evolution of four types of granite under different loading rates was investigated. During the uniaxial compression process, acoustic emission parameters were used to characterize the crack evolution patterns. Additionally, the macroscopic failure process of the specimens and the post-failure rock fragments were recorded with a high-speed camera, providing multi-scale validation. This study proposes a quantitative brittleness index based on rock fracture energy, and its validity is verified by analyzing the rock failure process and the macroscopic characteristics of rock fragments. This work contributes to advancing research on rock brittleness indices considering the coupling between energy evolution and kinematic mechanisms. The research results indicate that as the loading rate increases from 0.1 mm/min to 5 mm/min, the quantitative evaluation index (Bs) for brittleness increases from 0.17 to 0.28, while the qualitative evaluation indices MF (projectile mass ratio) and l (average lumpiness) increase from 0.3261 to 0.4184 and from 32.96 mm to 38.12 mm, respectively. With increasing loading rates, the brittleness of the rock increases significantly. A series of qualitative and quantitative results, including fractal characteristics and acoustic emission parameters, reveal the crack evolution patterns of granite under different loading rates and confirm the rationality of the brittleness index. This study provides theoretical guidance for practical deep underground engineering applications.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02012-8
Owing to the exceptional optoelectronic properties, metal halide perovskites have emerged as leading semiconductor materials for next-generation display technologies, providing perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) great potential for high-quality color displays with a wide color gamut and pure color emission. Although laboratory-scale PeLEDs have achieved near-theoretical efficiencies, challenges such as achieving uniform large-area films, improving material stability, and enhancing patterning precision remain barriers to commercialization. This review presents a systematic analysis of scalable manufacturing and precision patterning strategies for PeLEDs, focusing on their applications in large-area lighting and full-color displays. Fabrication methods are categorized into film deposition techniques (spin-coating, blade-coating, and thermal evaporation) and patterning strategies, including top-down (photolithography, laser/e-beam lithography, and nanoimprinting) and bottom-up (patterned crystal growth, inkjet printing, and electrohydrodynamic jet printing) approaches. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of each strategy, highlight current challenges, and outlook possible pathways towards scalable, high-performance PeLEDs for advanced optoelectronic applications.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02000-y
The increasing scarcity of freshwater resources has driven the rapid emergence of solar-driven interfacial evaporators (SDIEs) as a sustainable approach to harvest fresh water by utilizing solar energy. Lignocellulosic biomass, featuring natural abundance, excellent renewability, unique natural structures, and superior biodegradability compared to the synthetic polymers, is highly attractive for constructing solar steam generators. This review aims to offer an innovative and in-depth insight into designing and optimizing high-performance integrated solar interfacial evaporators derived from renewable lignocellulosic biomass. First, the structural characteristics of lignocellulosic biomass are briefly introduced, serving as photothermal layer or supporting substrates in SDIEs. Secondly, the fabrication methods and processing technologies of lignocellulosic biomass-based evaporators are summarized from the perspective of photothermal layer and supporting substrates. Next, the most recent advances of regulation and optimization strategies are proposed to improve evaporation efficiency. Subsequently, this review summarizes the diverse functionalities of SDIEs, including desalination, power generation, wastewater treatment and antimicrobial, atmospheric water harvesting, and photocatalytic hydrogen production. Finally, the challenges in this field and outlook on the future development are discussed, which are anticipated to provide new opportunities for the advancement of lignocellulosic biomass-based SDIEs.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02017-3
The sluggish Li+ migration kinetics and unstable electrode/electrolyte interface severely hinder the commercial application of high-performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, an artificial protective layer is constructed using zwitterionic covalent organic framework (Z-COF) simultaneously containing sulfonate and ethidium groups, aiming to facilitate rapid, uniform Li+ transport and stabilize anode interface. The sulfonate groups with high lithiophilicity provide abundant hopping sites for fast Li+ diffusion. The ethidium cations immobilize TFSI− and solvent molecules by ion–dipole interactions, which accelerate the dissociation of LiTFSI and Li+ desolvation. Moreover, the monodispersed zwitterionic units coupling with ordered micropore structures in Z-COF create exclusive Li+ migration channels, modulate homogeneous space charge distribution, kinetically facilitating uniform Li+ deposition. Experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that C–F and S–N bonds of TFSI− exhibit enhanced cleavage susceptibility driven by electrostatic attraction, realizing a LiF/Li3N-rich electrolyte/electrode interface. The designed Z-COF protection layer enables Li|Li symmetrical cells stable cycling over 6300 h at 2 mA cm−2/2 mAh cm−2. The Z-COF@Li|LiFePO4 (LFP) full cells deliver high-capacity retention of 85.2% after 1000 cycles at 8 C. The assembled Z-COF@Li|LFP pouch cells demonstrate a lifespan of more than 240 cycles. This work provides fresh insights into the practical application of zwitterionic COF in next-generation LMBs.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02003-9
Accurate blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for preventing and managing cardiovascular disease. Advancements in materials science, medicine, flexible electronic, and artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled cuffless, unobtrusive BP monitoring systems, offering an alternative to traditional sphygmomanometers. However, extending these advances to real-world cardiovascular care particularly in resource-limited settings remains challenging due to constraints in computational resources, power efficiency, and deployment scalability. This review presents a comprehensive synthesis of AI-enhanced wearable BP monitoring, emphasizing its potential for personalized, scalable, and accessible healthcare. We systematically analyze the end-to-end system architecture, from mechano-electric sensing principles and AI-based estimation models to edge-aware deployment strategies tailored for low-resource environments. We further discuss clinical validation metrics and implementation barriers and prospective strategies. To bridge lab-to-field translation, we propose an innovative "sensor-model-deployment-assessment" co-design framework. This roadmap highlights how AI-enhanced BP technologies can support proactive hypertension control and promote cardiovascular health equity on a global scale.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02014-6
Escalating global energy demands and climate urgency necessitate advanced electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies (EECSTs) like electrocatalysis and rechargeable batteries. Improving their performance relies on elucidating reaction mechanisms and structure-performance relationships via in situ studies. This review summarizes recent in situ studies of EECSTs through a variety of advanced characterization techniques aiming at mapping reaction pathways for the rational design of overall high-performance reaction systems. We outline the principles, capabilities, advantages, and limitations of various in situ techniques. Their applications in in situ studies of fuel cells, water/CO2 electrolysis, and lithium batteries are highlighted with representative examples. These studies enable dynamic tracking of chemical and structural evolution of overall reaction systems, including materials, intermediates, products, and surroundings during operation, providing insights critical to rational system design. Future advancements will involve integrating multimodal in situ/operando approaches with artificial intelligence to enable real-time monitoring at practical scales. Such integration promises precise mechanistic insights and robust structure-performance correlations, ultimately accelerating the development of high-performance EECSTs aligned with sustainability and market requirements.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-02010-w
Two-step-processed (TSP) inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have demonstrated significant promise in tandem applications. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of TSP p-i-n PSCs rarely exceeds 24%. Here, we demonstrate that TSP perovskite films exhibit a vertically gradient distribution of residual PbI2 clusters, which form Schottky heterojunctions with the perovskite, leading to substantial interfacial energy-level mismatches within NiOx-based TSP p-i-n PSCs. These limitations were effectively addressed via a vertical interfacial engineering enabled by dual-interface modification incorporating tin trifluoromethanesulfonate (Sn(OTF)2) and 4-Fluorophenylethylamine chloride (F-PEA) at the NiOx/perovskite and perovskite/C60 interfaces, respectively. The functional Sn(OTF)2 not only enhances the conductivity of NiOx films but also suppresses ion migration, while inducing the formation of a Pb-Sn mixed perovskite interlayer that precisely regulates the energy level at the NiOx/perovskite interface. Complementally, F-PEA post-treatment effectively converts surface residual PbI2 clusters into a 2D perovskite capping layer, which simultaneously passivates surface defects and enhances energy-level alignment at the perovskite/C60 interface. Consequently, the optimized NiOx-based TSP p-i-n PSCs achieve a notable PCE of 25.6% with superior operational stability. This study elucidates the underlying mechanisms limiting the efficiency of TSP p-i-n PSCs, while establishing design principles for these devices targeting 26% efficiency.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01995-8
Microwave absorption (MA) materials often face poor synergy between impedance matching and attenuation in the low-frequency range. Balancing permittivity and permeability through magnetic–dielectric synergy is a promising strategy to address this issue. To realize the synergy, herein, Sn whiskers with an in situ oxide layer served as substrates for magnetic-loss-active CoNi nanosheet growth, forming a hierarchical CoNi@SnO2@Sn (CNS) heterostructure. The CNS absorber achieves a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −62.29 dB with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 2.2 GHz, covering the entire C-band with 70% absorption at only 2.61 mm thickness. The nanosheet design of CoNi enhances magnetic anisotropy to promote natural resonance, while the conductive Sn core and abundant Sn/SnO2 and CoNi/SnO2 heterointerfaces facilitate conduction loss and dielectric polarization. When composited into a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix, the resulting CNS/TPU-2 film (20 wt% CNS) exhibits an RLmin value of -61.04 dB and a 2.5 GHz EAB. Its in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities reach 2.41 and 0.51 W m−1 K−1, representing 4.1 and 2.6 times those of pure TPU films, respectively, facilitating heat dissipation from protected devices. This work provides valuable insights into magnetic–dielectric synergy for low-frequency MA of 1D metal-based materials, offering promising potential for 5G communications and flexible electronics.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01990-z
Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery is favored among “beyond lithium-ion” technologies for sustainability because of its exceptional energy density. Major impediments are the poor cycle stability and grievous capacity degradation at high current densities. We address these issues by a “killing two birds with one stone” O2-pressure protocol. It first resolves efficient O2 mass transport at high rates. The accelerated reaction kinetics optimizes the composition and growth pathway of discharge products. This protocol secondly achieves protection of Li anodes via densifying corrosion layers on them. Consequently, the battery delivers both ultrahigh discharge capacity (> 9,000 mAh g−1) at 3,000 mA g−1 and excellent cycling stability. Under a dual-strategy effect of high-pressure O2 and artificial protection layers, the battery actualizes over 11-fold increase in cycle life of 5,170 h (2,585 cycles). The strategy opens avenues for advancing Li-O2 batteries towards practical application and confers the extension to other gas-based batteries.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01979-8
Space exploration and manufacturing are of critical importance for scientific advancement, technological innovation, national security, and the acquisition of extraterrestrial resources. In view of this, chemical and biological nano-/micro-/meso-scale manufacturing provide complementary approaches to overcome key space exploration challenges by enabling the in-situ production of essential life-support materials, propellants, and other resources. This review examines the origin and historical evolution of space manufacturing and the latest advances across different environments—from orbital space stations and the lunar surface to Mars and asteroids. It is structured to present the current state of research, outline key manufacturing strategies and technologies, assess the technical and environmental challenges, and discuss emerging trends and future directions. Besides, the potential applications of emerging technologies such as synthetic biology and artificial intelligence in overcoming the limitations of microgravity, limited resources, and extreme conditions are discussed. Ultimately, this integrative review could serve to guide future development, from advancing space science and disruptive manufacturing to enabling interdisciplinary and application-level innovations.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01999-4
With the widespread application of lithium batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, battery-related safety and reliability issues have become increasingly prominent. Conventional monitoring methods often struggle to address dynamic changes under complex operando. In recent years, flexible sensing technology has emerged as a promising solution for battery health monitoring due to its high adaptability and conformability to complex structures. Meanwhile, empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) for data analysis, the collected data enables efficient and accurate state assessment, offering robust support for accident prevention. Against this background, this paper first explores the integrated applications of flexible sensors in battery health monitoring and their unique advantages in addressing complex battery operating conditions, while analyzing the potential of AI in battery state analysis. Subsequently, it systematically reviews mainstream flexible sensing technologies (e.g., film sensors, thermocouples, and optical fiber sensors), elucidating their mechanisms for revealing intricate internal battery processes during operation. Finally, the paper discusses AI’s role in enhancing monitoring efficiency and accuracy, and envisions future research directions and application prospects. This work aims to provide technical references for the battery health monitoring field as well as promote the application of flexible sensing technologies in improving battery system safety and reliability.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01987-8
Highly active and stable FeOOH cocatalysts are essential for achieving optimal performance of BiVO4 (BVO) photoanodes. Despite offering remarkable structural stability, widely used thick FeOOH cocatalysts often suffer from insufficient hole transport capability, which hinders the overall activity. The present study demonstrates that a simple photoetching strategy is able to introduce gradient distributed oxygen vacancies (GOV) in the thick FeOOH layer and significantly enhances the photogenerated holes transport dynamics. The incorporation of GOV within FeOOH not only realizes the “relay transport” of photogenerated hole through the progressive upward shift of the valence band in the spatial distribution, but also provides abundant oxidation active sites by efficient hole trapping. These improvements effectively improve the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities and mitigate photocorrosion by the instantaneous hole extraction. Consequently, the FeOOH-GOV layer enables the BVO/FeOOH-GOV photoanode to achieve an impressive photocurrent density of 5.37 mA cm−2 and a robust operational stability up to 160 h at 1.23 VRHE, setting new benchmarks for current density and stability in FeOOH-based BVO photoanodes. This work provides an effective avenue to optimize OER cocatalysts for constructing highly efficient and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting devices.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01994-9
Electrolytic Zn–MnO2 batteries are promising candidates for safe and sustainable energy storage owing to their high voltage, environmental benignity, and cost-effectiveness. However, practical applications are hindered by the poor conductivity and the irreversible dissolution of conventional ε-MnO2 deposits. Herein, we report a scalable semisolid slurry electrode architecture that enables stable MnO2 deposition/dissolution using a three-dimensional percolating network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as both conductive matrix and deposition host. The slurry system promotes the formation of highly conductive γ-MnO2 owing to enhanced charge transfer kinetics, enabling overall dissolution rather than the localized separation typically seen in traditional electrodes. The Zn–MnO2 slurry cell exhibits a reversible areal capacity approaching 60 mAh cm−2. Moreover, the flowable nature of the slurry allows electrochemically inactive MnO2 formed during dissolution to be reconnected and reactivated by CNTs in the rheological network, ensuring deep utilization and cycling stability. This work establishes a slurry electrode strategy to improve electrolytic MnO2 reactions and offers a viable pathway toward renewable aqueous batteries for grid-scale applications.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01986-9
Melt electrowriting (MEW) enables the precise deposition of polymeric fibers at micro-/nanoscale, allowing for the fabrication of 3D biomimetic scaffolds. By incorporating stimuli-responsive polymers and/or functional fillers, MEW-based 4D printing creates scaffolds capable of undergoing controlled, reversible shape transformations in response to external stimuli over time. These dynamic 4D scaffolds can be tailored for minimally invasive delivery, remote actuation, and real-time responsiveness to physiological environments, making them highly relevant for biomedical applications. This review systematically elucidates the principles of MEW-based 4D printing, including material considerations, actuation methods, and structure design strategies, along with shape programming and morphing mechanisms. The versatility of MEW for rational fabrication of biomimetic scaffolds is firstly introduced. Subsequently, the critical elements underpinning MEW-based 4D printing process are overviewed, including an analysis of stimuli-responsive materials compatible with MEW, an evaluation of applicable external stimuli, and a discussion on the advancements in design strategies for 4D scaffolds. Recent progress of MEW 4D scaffolds for applications in tissue engineering, biomedical implants, and drug delivery systems are highlighted. Finally, key challenges and perspectives toward material innovation, fabrication optimization, and actuation control are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable insights for design and creation of multifunctional biomimetic dynamic scaffolds by MEW-based 4D printing.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01982-z
Lip language provides a silent, intuitive, and efficient mode of communication, offering a promising solution for individuals with speech impairments. Its articulation relies on complex movements of the jaw and the muscles surrounding it. However, the accurate and real-time acquisition and decoding of these movements into reliable silent speech signals remains a significant challenge. In this work, we propose a real-time silent speech recognition system, which integrates a triboelectric nanogenerator-based flexible pressure sensor (FPS) with a deep learning framework. The FPS employs a porous pyramid–structured silicone film as the negative triboelectric layer, enabling highly sensitive pressure detection in the low-force regime (1 V N−1 for 0–10 N and 4.6 V N−1 for 10–24 N). This allows it to precisely capture jaw movements during speech and convert them into electrical signals. To decode the signals, we proposed a convolutional neural network-long short-term memory (CNN–LSTM) hybrid network, combining CNN and LSTM model to extract both local spatial features and temporal dynamics. The model achieved 95.83% classification accuracy in 30 categories of daily words. Furthermore, the decoded silent speech signals can be directly translated into executable commands for contactless and precise control of the smartphone. The system can also be connected to AR glasses, offering a novel human–machine interaction approach with promising potential in AR/VR applications.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01993-w
With the escalating demand for safe, sustainable, and high-performance energy storage systems, hydrogel electrolytes have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional liquid electrolytes in zinc-ion batteries. By integrating the high ionic conductivity of liquid electrolytes with the mechanical robustness of solid frameworks, hydrogel electrolytes offer distinct advantages in suppressing zinc dendrite formation, enhancing interfacial stability, and enabling reliable operation under extreme environmental conditions. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental characteristics and design criteria of hydrogel electrolytes, including mechanical flexibility, ionic transport capabilities, and environmental adaptability. It further explores various compositional design strategies involving natural polymers, synthetic polymers, and composite systems, as well as the incorporation of electrolyte salts and functional additives. In addition, recent advances in functional optimization, such as anti-freezing properties, self-healing abilities, thermal responsiveness, and biocompatibility, are comprehensively discussed. Finally, the review outlines the current challenges and proposes potential directions for future research.
Nano-Micro Letters•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01956-1
Violet phosphorus, a recently explored layered elemental semiconductor, has attracted much attention due to its unique photo-electric, mechanical properties, and high hole mobility. Herein, violet arsenic phosphorus has for the first time been synthesized by a molten lead method. The crystal structure of violet arsenic phosphorus (P83.4As0.6, CSD-2408761) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction to have similar structure as that of violet phosphorus, where P12 is occupied by arsenic/phosphorus (As/P) atoms as mixed occupancy sites As1/P12. The arsenic substitution has been demonstrated to tune the band structure of violet phosphorus, switching p-type of violet phosphorus to high-performance n-type violet arsenic phosphorus. The effective electron mass along the <010> direction is significantly reduced from 1.792 to 0.515 m0 by arsenic substitution, resulting in an extremely high electron mobility of 2622.503 cm2 V⁻1 s⁻1. The field effect transistor built with P83.4As0.6 nanosheets was measured to have a high electron mobility (137.06 cm2 V⁻1 s⁻1, 61.2 nm), even under ambient conditions for 5 h, much higher than the hole mobility of violet phosphorene nanosheets (4.07 cm2 V⁻1 s⁻1, 73.3 nm). This work provides a new idea for designing phosphorus-based materials for field effect transistors, giving significant potential in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor applications.