With its distinctive ability to emit red light with a wavelength surpassing 600 nm, Mg2+-Si4+ co-doped Y3Al5O12: Ce (YMASG: Ce) ceramics emerge as superior candidates for achieving high color rendering and high power white light illumination compared to YAG ceramics. However, due to its higher Stokes energy loss, the orange-red phosphor ceramic YMASG: Ce encounters more pronounced thermal accumulation issues when excited by high-power blue light LEDs/LDs. In response to this challenge, we employed vacuum solid-state sintering technology to fabricate MgO-YMASG: Ce composite phosphor ceramics. As the MgO content increased from 0 to 30 wt%, the thermal conductivity of the samples rose from 5.13 W/(m∙K) to 8.96 W/(m∙K). Additionally, the lower refractive index of MgO effectively enhanced the light extraction efficiency of the ceramics. Consequently, even at a 30 wt% MgO content, the luminescent efficiency of the sample remained comparable to that of YMASG: Ce phosphor ceramics. This suggests that MgO-YMASG: Ce composite phosphor ceramics can serve as high thermal robust orange-red phosphor materials for white light LED/LD illumination.

Sinnerite Cu6As4S9 has been identified as a promising material for optoelectronic applications, with potential for other energy-related applications; however, knowledge of the electrical and thermal properties as well as the mechanisms underlying transport in sinnerite is lacking. We present an investigation of the synthesis, structural, thermal and electrical transport properties of stoichiometric and Sn-doped Cu6As4S9. Sinnerite has a triclinic lattice structure, with highly distorted local atomic coordination environments that, in part, results in its complex structure and bonding. Our results and analyses indicate As 4s2 lone pair-induced distortions and strong lattice anharmonicity that leads to a relatively short phonon mean free path, resulting in intrinsically very low thermal conductivity. The electrical resistivity for both compositions, Cu6As4-xSnxS9 (x = 0, 0.2), are relatively high and varies little with temperature, typical of degenerate semiconductors. An increase in mobility and electrical conductivity was obtained by Sn doping in Cu6As3.8Sn0.2S9. This work demonstrates an effective route to synthesize bulk sinnerite as well as advances the knowledge of the properties of sinnerite, as this and other ternary chalcogenides continue to be of interest for potential technologically significant applications.

In this study, we have successfully grown a high-quality single crystal of perovskite TbMnO3 utilizing an optical floating zone furnace under an air atmosphere. To ensure the crystal purity and orientation, we probed X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray Laue photographic analysis, respectively. The XRD analysis confirmed that TbMnO3 ceramics possess a distorted orthorhombic perovskite structure (Pbnm). By analyzing the X-ray absorption and vibrational modes via Raman spectroscopy, we not only confirmed the pure phase of the TbMnO3 sample but also gained valuable insights. In terms of magnetic properties, we conducted measurements in two different orientations: H||a and H||c. Notably, there were no successive transitions observed along the H||a direction, but along H||c, we observed three successive transitions with decreasing temperature at TN = 41 K, TS = 28 K, and TNTb = 7 K. Below TN (41 K), there is an unusual softening observed in one of the first order phonon modes, indicating a robust connection between spin and phonon interactions. The magnetic phase transition along both axes validates the presence of magnetic anisotropy in the prepared single crystal, as indicated by magnetic susceptibility. The negative θcw value along the a-axis and the positive θcw value along the c-axis suggest a competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions in the ac-plane.

The nacre-like (NL) structure exhibits unique performance in preventing the catastrophic crack growth and improving the strengthening/toughening of the overall structure. In this study, the In718/316LSS bimetallic NL structures were first fabricated by a powder laying-absorption multiple-material additive manufacturing technology based on laser powder-bed fusion, and the stress release mechanism was revealed. The NL structures with optimal geometric parameters was obtained by calculation and simulation: the hard-phase inclination angle of 15 °, the hard-phase volume fraction of 70%, and the lamellar length-width ratio of 2. Due to the remelting effect, the same-layer bimetallic interfaces in NL structures showed strong metallurgical bonding with significantly grain refinement. The interlocking NL structure exhibited superior mechanical properties of 751.82 MPa in tensile strength and 25.14% in elongation, compared with the base alloys and the non-interlocking NL structure. Moreover, abnormal variation of work hardening rate in NL structures attributed to the stress concentration and release behavior, caused by the multi-cracks initiation and cracks deflection during deformation of the interlocking structure. By the stress concentration-release effect, the NL structure not only achieved the strengthening and toughening, but also improved the crack tolerance to avoid the sudden fracture failure.

The refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) with a body-centered-cubic (BCC) solid-solution structure has excellent high-temperature softening resistance, which has attracted wide interest in the field of high-temperature alloys. However, its limited room-temperature plasticity has greatly hindered its engineering application. To obtain an excellent strength-plasticity matching relationship, in this reported study, the Ta content in the high-entropy alloy (HEA) was adjusted to rectify this shortcoming. A series of TiZrTaxNbMo (x = 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.6 at. percent, at%) RHEAs were prepared using the vacuum arc-melting technique, and the microstructure and mechanical properties of these RHEA alloys were systematically investigated. The experimental results show that the TiZrTaxNbMo RHEAs are composed of main BCC1 and minor BCC2 phases, which exhibit a dendritic structure. By reducing the Ta content, the elemental segregation caused by the non-equilibrium solidification is reduced. In terms of mechanical properties, with the decrease of Ta content, the hardness and room-temperature yield strength of the alloy decreases slightly, but the room-temperature plasticity increases significantly. The Ta0.7 alloy has the highest plasticity (34.8 %), which is about twice that of the equimolar Ta 1.0 alloy, while the yield strength remained at 1297 MPa. The excellent mechanical properties of the alloys can be attributed to solid-solution strengthening and the formation of moderate amounts of interdendritic regions. The interaction between slip bands and dislocations formed during compression of the Ta0.7 alloy decreased its work hardening. Moreover, the theoretical model of solid-solution strengthening elucidates that the calculated values of the alloy’s yield strength are consistent with that obtained experimentally.

While silicon (Si) has garnered extensive research attention in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its high specific capacity (∼4200 mAh g−1), its application is hindered by its large volume expansion during cycling. Here, we present the fabrication of a low- expansion Si anode with an ultrathin structure on a Cu foil using a physical vapor deposition method. The uneven structure of the Cu foil effectively provided a suitable volume expansion space and further buffered the interface stress during the lithiation process. Moreover, the nanosized structure of Si can withstand its own volume-change stress during cycles. The high-strength Si thin film ensures the stability of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and provides a short ion transport distance, which further improves the electrochemical performance. The obtained Si anode exhibited an initial specific capacity of 2499 mAh g−1, an ultralong cycling stability (99.77% of capacity retention after 300 cycles at 0.5 C), and a rate capability of 1598 mAh g−1 at 5 C. These results suggest that the design of the ultrathin structure can provide an efficient strategy to address the stress rupture and continuous growth of the SEI in Si-based anode materials during the lithiation and delithiation processes.

Spent Li-ion batteries(LIBs) cathodes possess high recycling value. To improve subsequent recovery efficiency and product purity, separating the cathode materials from the aluminum foil is critical. However, traditional separation methods are characterized by high energy consumption, low recycling efficiency, and environmental pollution. This research presents a novel method that involves injecting Joule heat directly into the aluminum foil in the air, resulting in the melting and slight thermal decomposition of the PVDF binder, which reduces its adhesive properties. Owing to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the binder and aluminum foil, an instantaneous thermal stress was generated at the interface of the cathode materials and aluminum foil, resulting in a peeling force. This method enabled a rapid and efficient separation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and ternary Li-ion (NCM) battery cathode materials. The optimal separation conditions, separation mechanism, and properties of the recovered products were investigated thoroughly using high-speed camera imaging, temperature rise calculations, and microscopic characterization. This chemical-free method avoids the generation of wastewater and gas emissions. Under optimal experimental parameters, the separation efficiency and purity of cathode material reached 99 % and 99.7 %, respectively. Additionally, this method preserves both the structural integrity of the aluminum foil and the crystalline structure of the cathode materials, offering a new pathway for sustainable recycling of end-of-life LIBs.

Disordered spin systems typically exhibit glass-like characteristics below the glass transition temperature [1–4]. However, when the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings is balanced, the spin liquid state persists towards zero Kelvin rather than a glass state [5]. This unique state is known as the quantum spin liquid state. In this study, we examined a potential spin liquid state in the two-dimensional spin-frustrated Cr1-xFexPSe3 alloy by magnetic susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature and doping. Two end compounds, CrPSe3 and FePSe3, exhibit an antiferromagnetic order. With the Fe doping, the antiferromagnetic order of frustrated CrPSe3 gradually weakened and reached its minimum transition temperature at the critical concentration of x = 0.33. This weak order became indeterminate when a high magnetic field was applied, indicating the possibility of converting the magnetic order to the spin liquid state down to 2 K. With further doping, an antiferromagnetic order was observed in the Fe-dominated compound. Our results provide a new two-dimensional flat form for exploring quantum spin liquid states.

The development of flexible, thin, multifunctional materials represents a strategic advancement for the creation of next-generation wearables that offer both electromagnetic shielding and thermal management. This study introduces the fabrication of a multilayer MXene/polyimide (MXene/PI) composite film, demonstrating significant electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and photothermal conversion efficiency through a layer-by-layer casting technique. When the MXene content is 29.7 wt%, the alternating multilayer MXene/PI composite film can reach a high EMI SE of 23.3 dB at 0.26 mm thickness, and when the MXene content is 45.7 wt%, the EMI SE can reach a maximum of 40.7 dB, which has a significant advantage over other materials. This superior performance exceed that of alternative materials, owing to the multilayer MXene construction that magnifies electromagnetic wave reflection losses. Furthermore, the film displays a rapid and sensitive photothermal response under laser irradiation, achieving temperatures up to 93°C at a 0.5 W/cm2 density. Impressively, at 0.4 W/cm2, it maintains a stable long-term saturation temperature over 40 cycles, showing its potential in applications such as photothermal sensors, personal heating, and muscle protection.

Introducing defects into Pd-based metallene has been shown to significantly enhance its electrocatalytic performance. In this study, we embedded a new type of atomic-scale cavities into the basal plane of PdMo bimetallene (c-PdMo) through precise etching. These cavities introduced tensile strain and increased the generalized coordination number (CN̅), resulting in superior performance in formate oxidation reaction (FOR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), with mass activities of 5.01 mAμgNM−1 and 5.38 mAμgNM−1, respectively. Notably, a two-electrode system comprising commercial Pt/C and c-PdMo coated on carbon paper achieved cell voltages of only 0.517 V and 0.362 V at 10 mA cm−2 for FOR and MOR, respectively. Additionally, density functional theory calculations revealed that the deliberate lattice tensile strain and enhanced coordination numbers reduced the D-band center of defective PdMo, which improved OH adsorption and reduced CO adsorption, thus optimizing FOR and MOR catalysis on the surface of c-PdMo bimetallene.