Incorporation Of Cu Research Articles

A novel dissimilar resistance spot welding of Ti6Al4V alloy and 316L stainless steel via copper as interlayer by using optimal electrodes

A novel dissimilar resistance spot welding of Ti6Al4V alloy and 316L stainless steel was performed via copper as interlayer by using optimal electrodes. A significant improvement in nugget morphology being of less defects was achieved with increasing the copper interlayer thickness from 50 μm to 400 μm. Thinner interfacial reaction layers at both the nugget/titanium interface and the nugget/stainless steel interface and finer equiaxed dendritic grained structure at the inner nugget were formed with copper interlayer thickness of 300 μm compared with those without interlayer. The formation of TiCu and Ti2Cu was facilitated with the incorporation of Cu into the nugget, which effectively inhibited the formation of the brittle Ti–Fe intermetallic compounds including Fe2Ti. The nugget in the welded joint with copper interlayer in 300 μm thickness exhibited a far lower microhardness than that of the interlayer-free welded joint, and the average microhardness reduced to 604 HV in the inner nugget, which was about 36% lower than that of the interlayer-free welded joint. The tensile shear load of the welded joint exhibited an increased tendency with increasing interlayer thicknesses from 50 μm to 300 μm, and the maximum tensile shear load of 6.3 kN was obtained with the interlayer thickness of 300 μm, which was ∼97% higher than that of the interlayer-free welded joint. The welded joint with copper interlayer exhibited hybrid ductile and fragile fractured characteristics. The work would provide a facile and cost-effective method to achieve a reliable welded joint of Ti alloy and stainless steel.

Investigation of the Electrical Properties of Cu-doped CoOx/n-Si Structures Fabricated by the Sol-Gel Method

The sol-gel spin coating technique was employed for the deposition of thin films comprising CoOx, Cu-doped CoOx, and CuOx onto n-Si substrates. Subsequently, an exhaustive examination of the electrical properties of the resultant heterojunction structures was conducted. The outcomes unequivocally indicate that the incorporation of Cu through doping exerts a pronounced influence on the electrical attributes of the CoOx/n-Si diode. Notably, all diodes exhibit rectifying behavior, a discernible feature in their dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. The I-V data was further utilized to ascertain pivotal junction parameters, encompassing series resistance (Rs), rectification ratio (RR), ideality factor (n), and barrier height (ΦB). The values of the ideality factor for CoOx/n-Si, Cu doped CoOx/n-Si and CuOx/n-Si are obtained to be 3.19, 1.99 and 2.19 eV, respectively. Furthermore, the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of diodes were performed within the frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz. These findings underscore that judicious manipulation of the copper doping concentration can serve as an effective means to modulate the electrical properties of CoOx/n-Si diodes.

Improving ammonia oxidation to nitrogen across wide potential range via synergistic effect over Cu and Ni anchored Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Ammonia is a safe and efficient hydrogen carrier, and electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) is a pivotal anodic process for ammonia decomposition to produce hydrogen. Although previous works have devoted to reducing the reaction potential, concurrently achieving a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) for nitrogen (N2) remains a substantial challenge, particularly across a broad potential range. Here, Ni and Cu nanoparticles anchored nickel metal–organic framework (Ni-NDC) electrocatalyst is successfully synthetized. During the AOR process, the surface catalyst could be evolved into stable NiOOH. The well-dispersed Ni and Cu nanoparticles on the Ni-NDC facilitate a unique interaction between Cu and both the Ni nanoparticles and the Ni-NDC framework. With the incorporation of Cu, the adsorption of hydroxyl (*OH) is impaired to suppress the formation of oxygen-containing by-products (such as NO3– and NO2–) across a wide potential range. Consequently, the FE(N2) is markedly high (approximately 90%). Additionally, the reaction kinetic is also improved, resulting in a lower reaction potential for AOR. This work provides an effective method for synthesizing high-performance AOR electrocatalysts.

Insight into the Structural and Performance Correlation of Photocatalytic TiO2/Cu Composite Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering Method

Photocatalysis technology, as an efficient and safe environmentally friendly purification technique, has garnered significant attention and interest. Traditional TiO2 photocatalytic materials still face limitations in practical applications, hindering their widespread adoption. The research prepared TiO2/Cu films with different Cu contents using a magnetron sputtering multi-target co-deposition technique. The incorporation of Cu significantly enhances the antibacterial properties and visible light response of the films. The effects of different Cu contents on the microstructure, surface morphology, wettability, antibacterial properties, and visible light response of the films were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscope, confocal laser scanning microscope, Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, and contact angle goniometer. The results showed that the prepared TiO2/Cu films were mainly composed of the rutile TiO2 phase and face-center cubic Cu phase. The introduction of Cu affected the crystal orientation of TiO2 and refined the grain size of the films. With the increase in Cu content, the surface roughness of the films first decreased and then increased. The water contact angle of the films first increased and then decreased, and the film exhibited optimal hydrophobicity when the Cu target power was 10 W. The TiO2/Cu films showed good antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The introduction of Cu shifted the absorption edge of the films to the red region, significantly narrowed the band gap width to 2.5 eV, and broadened the light response range of the films to the visible light region.

Boosting oxygen reduction performance by copper-iron co-doped on ZIF-derived N-doped carbon nanotubes

Developing high-efficiency non-noble metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is paramount for sustainable energy conversion. In this study, we proposed a Cu, Fe co-doped zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF)-derived nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes catalyst (Cu–Fe@CNTs/NC) obtained by hydrothermal method and pyrolysis. The electrochemical results showed that Cu–Fe@CNTs/NC exhibited favorable oxygen reduction performance and good stability under alkaline electrolyte. The incorporation of Cu and Fe bimetallic dopants promoted the carbon nanotubes growth on ZIF nanosheets, and the collaborative action of Cu and Fe enhanced its ORR catalytic activity. These findings provide an innovative way to prepare high active non-platinum ORR catalysts.

Efficient broadband near-infrared emission based on copper-alloyed metal halides

Recently, metal halides have shown broad application prospects due to excellent electronic and optical properties. Although significant developments have been realized, the spectra range of their photoluminescence (PL) emission is mainly limited to the visible region. Near-infrared (NIR) emitting materials are widely used in the fields of night vision, biomedical imaging, non-destructive food inspection, etc. On this occasion, extending the luminescence scope of metal halides to NIR region is of great significance. Generally, NIR-emitted metal halides are realized through rare earth (RE) ions doping. However, RE luminescence usually have narrow-band characteristics, which makes it difficult to realize broadband NIR emission. In this study, we present an efficient broadband NIR-emitted metal halide CsAgBr2 through copper ions alloying, its emission locates at 830 nm with a large FWHM (full width at half maximum) of 332 nm. Theoretical calculations suggest that the incorporation of Cu+ could effectively modulate the density of states and enhance the localized characterization, which is beneficial to boost the PL efficiency. Furthermore, this material displays favorable structure stability under ambient conditions. This study demonstrates the great application potential of Cu+-alloyed CsAgBr2 in the field of NIR optical electronics.

(Invited) Efficient Ternary Nicuw Hydrogen Oxidation Catalysts for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) offer prospective approaches to replace proton exchange membrane fuel cells via cost-effective catalysts and membranes. While significant progress has been made in efficient nonnoble electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media, the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the alkaline condition still relies on high platinum loadings to compensate for its sluggish kinetics. Therefore, developing efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts with Pt-like HOR performances in alkaline electrolytes is highly desired but a great challenge.The hydrogen binding energy (HBE) has been identified as the primary descriptor for the HOR. Additionally, an unfavorable hydroxide binding energy (OHBE) is considered the rate-determining step in the Volmer reaction to generate water. Therefore, an ideal catalyst for HOR should achieve a balance between HBE and OHBE. However, despite being a promising non-noble metal, nickel exhibits excessively high HBE and lacks active sites for hydroxide adsorption, which hinders its further application in the real fuel cell.In this work, NiW was successfully deposited onto Cu to form a ternary Ni-Cu-W alloy catalyst by a chemical reduction method. Through XPS spectra, we found the charge transfer from Ni to W to give Ni a higher valence state, contributing to a weakened hydrogen binding energy. Electrochemical measurements observed Ni-Cu-W exhibit an kinetic activity with 117.9 mA/mgNi at η= 50 mV, which is the highest among the reported platinum group metal-free catalysts. Ni-Cu-W alloy showcased robust stability, with no activity degradation during an accelerated long-term durability test between a low overpotential (-0.1 ~ 0.1 V, vs RHE) with 10,000 cyclic voltammetry scans and only a 5.7% activity loss at η= 50 mV when applying more larger overpotential (-0.1 ~ 0.2 V) with the same cycles. When assembled with this catalyst as anode and Pt/C as cathode, it delivered a peak power density of 289 mW/cm2. Both experimental and theoretical studies were conducted to gain insights into the catalyst's enhanced performance. Our findings revealed that the incorporation of Cu into the catalyst significantly weakened the adsorption of hydrogen species, while simultaneously lowering the energy barrier required for the absorption of hydroxide ions. These key observations might shed light on the underlying mechanisms responsible for the catalyst's improved activity and stability.

Na+ doped CuO: A new paradigm electrode material for high performance supercapacitors

This study investigates the influence of sodium doping on the properties of cupric oxide (CuO) thin films synthesized via spray pyrolysis. Comprehensive characterization was conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, Hall effect measurements, and electrochemical studies. All films exhibited p-type conductivity, with an optical band gap variation from 1.53 to 1.73 eV. XRD analysis confirmed the dominance of monoclinic CuO, with minor phases of Cu2O and Cu4O3. EDAX and XPS verified the incorporation of Cu, O, and Na elements. FESEM revealed a densely packed morphology with uniform particle distribution and rough surfaces in the electrically optimized film. The Raman spectra of doped samples showed increased intensity and sharpness, attributed to Na + ion-induced polarizability enhancement. Hall effect measurements indicated a tenfold decrease in carrier concentration and a more than tenfold increase in mobility upon sodium doping. Films doped with 4 at.% sodium exhibited the lowest resistivity. Additionally, Na doping enhanced the electrochemical performance of CuO. These findings demonstrate that sodium doping significantly enhances the electrical, optical and electrochemical properties of CuO thin films, making them suitable for applications in optoelectronic devices and supercapacitors.

Regulating cobalt-nitrogen function centers via Cu incorporation enhances ciprofloxacin destruction through peroxymonosulfate activation

Metal-nitrogen (M-N) coupling has shown promise as a catalytic active component for various reactions. However, the regulation of heterogeneous catalytic materials with M-N coupling for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to enhance the degradation efficiency and reusability of antibiotics remains a challenge. In this study, an efficient modulation of M-N coupling was achieved through the incorporation of Cu into Co4N to form a Cu-Co4N composite with sea urchin-like morphology assembled by numerous nano-needles using hydrothermal and nitriding processes. This modulation led to enhanced PMS activation for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation. The Cu-Co4N/PMS system demonstrated exceptional removal efficiency with a degradation rate of 95.85% within 30 min and can be reused for five time without obvious loss of its initial activity. Additionally, the catalyst displayed a high capacity for degrading various challenging organic pollutants, as well as remarkable stability, resistance to interferences, and adaptability to pH changes. The synergistic effect between Co and Cu facilitated multiple redox cycles, resulting in the generation of reactive oxidized species. The primary active species involved in the catalytic degradation process included 1O2, SO4•-, O2•-, •OH, and e−, with 1O2 and SO4•- playing the most significant roles. The degradation pathways and toxicity of the intermediates for CIP were unveiled. This study offers valuable insights into the regulation of M-N centers for degrading antibiotics through PMS activation.

Hierachical Aerogel-Supported Cu-Sn-Ox Solid Solutions for Highly Selective CO2 Electroreduction and Zn-CO2 Batteries.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) into high-value carbon compounds such as CO and HCOOH is a promising strategy for the utilization and conversion of emitted CO2. However, the selectivity of the CO2RR for HCOOH is typically less than 90% and operates within a narrow voltage range, which limits its practical application. Herein, we propose a novel heterostructural aerogel as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for CO2RR to HCOOH. This catalyst consists of Cu-Sn-Ox solid solutions embedded in a reduced graphene oxide matrix (Cu-Sn-Ox/rGO). The incorporation of Cu2+ into the SnO2 matrix enhances HCOOH production by improving the adsorption of the *OCHO intermediate and inhibiting H2 evolution, as confirmed by in situ measurements and computational studies. As a result, Cu-Sn-Ox/rGO achieves a remarkable Faradaic efficiency (FE) of up to 91.4% for HCOOH and maintains high selectivity over a broad operating voltage range (-0.8 to -1.1 V). Additionally, the assembled Zn-CO2 batteries demonstrated an excellent power density of 1.14 mW/cm2 and exceptional stability for over 25 h.

Investigation of structural, morphological, optical and electronic properties of Cu-doped PbS thin films: a comparative experimental and theoretical study

Thin film technology has emerged as a cornerstone in optoelectronics, enabling the fabrication of compact, lightweight devices with enhanced performance and efficiency through precise control of the nanoscale thicknesses of functional materials. The current study explores the impact of copper (Cu) doping (3.125%, 6.25%, and 12.5%) on lead (Pb) sites in PbS to examine the structural, morphological, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics, employing both experimental and theoretical approaches. Polycrystalline thin films of PbS are deposited by spin coating technique on glass substrates. The XRD study discloses the cubic crystal structure of pristine and Cu-doped PbS with nominal variation in d-spacing. Surface morphological investigations reveal that Cu-doping transforms the coffee beans like grains to nanoplates that significantly affect the surface homogeneity and porosity. The tuning of band structure in the visible range, 1.64–2.21 eV is witnessed in the band structure analysis. Moreover, the experimental results are complemented by a theoretical study using WIEN2k software. Theoretical study exhibits the direct bandgap nature and with the incorporation of Cu, it increases from 0.89 to 2.11 eV. The density of states spectra for Cu-doped PbS exhibits strong hybridization between p-states of Pb and S, and d-states of Cu. Optical findings demonstrate significant variations in the absorption spectrum, which result in modifications in the optical energy band gap and peculiar optical parameters of doped samples. At room temperature, the increase in electrical conductivity (σ/τ) from 0.2 × 1020 (Ω.m.s)−1 for PbS to 0.3 × 1020, 3.1 × 1020 and 7.8 × 1020 (Ω.m.s)−1, thermal conductivity from 0.25 × 1014 W m.K.s−1 to 0.30 × 1014, 2.4 × 1014 and 5.2 × 1014 W m.K.s−1 and decrease in Seebeck coefficient from 72 to 35, 13 and 8 μV/K with the inclusion of Cu up to 3.125, 6.25 and 12.5% offer the potential for advancing thermoelectric technology. This could lead to improved efficiency and practical utilization in energy harvesting and waste heat recovery.

A Cu doped RuO2 catalyst for efficient and durable acidic water oxidation

AbstractProducing hydrogen by water electrolysis in acidic system is essential for advancing the proton‐exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) and maintaining the global sustainability. However, excavating highly active and durable catalysts for anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid medium remains a great challenge due to the sluggish kinetics of OER and the severe catalyst dissolution. In this work, we developed a Cu doped RuO2 catalyst (Cu‐RuO2@CP) through simple drop casting and low temperature pyrolysis procedures. The incorporation of Cu into RuO2 executes complicated responsibilities: improving OER activity by raising more oxygen vacancies and accelerating the charge transfer between solid‐liquid interface; strengthening the long‐term durability via suppressing the over‐oxidation of RuO2 into soluble RuO4; lowering the catalyst cost by replacing with less expensive Cu. Hence, the Cu‐RuO2@CP exhibits excellent activity and stability in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte, requiring a low overpotential of 200 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2 and preserving stability for almost 500 h. Moreover, the overpotential is as low as 397 mV even when operating under an industrial‐level current density of 1000 mA cm−2, paving a new way to develop high performance OER electrocatalyst in acidic environment to promote the large‐scale utilization of PEMWE.

Photoluminescence enhancement for blue-green emission in copper-alloyed lead-free cesium halide single crystals.

Recently, metal halides have received extensive attention because of the superior photophysical characteristics. Regardless of the superiority, the limited stability against heat and moisture and the toxicity problem of heavy lead metal are obstacles to the realization of wide range applications. In this case, it is necessary to develop eco-friendly alternatives, which could simultaneously maintain the excellent optoelectronic properties of lead materials. In this paper, the synthesis of lead-free one-dimensional Cs2AgBr3 and Cu(I)-alloyed Cs2AgBr3 single crystals (SCs) has been successfully realized. Experimental results demonstrated that the addition of applicable copper ions could greatly improve their luminescence intensity. A bright blue-green photoluminescence peaking at 510 nm was observed after incorporating Cu+ ions into Cs2AgBr3 SCs under UV irradiation. Theoretical calculation further proved that the incorporation of Cu+ could effectively modulate the materials' electronic band structure; the electronic states limited to the CuBr4 tetrahedron presented a strong localized property, which was beneficial to increase the photoluminescence efficiency. In addition, the SCs displayed favorable structure stability proofing moisture and oxygen under ambient conditions, proving that this material has good prospects for the development of optoelectronic fields.

Laser cladding Ni60 @ WC/ Cu encapsulated rough MoS2 self-lubricating wear resistant composite coating and ultrasound-assisted optimization

This research aims to broaden the scope of self-lubricating wear-resistant coatings for applications in diverse industries such as automotive, metallurgy, power, and aerospace. Employing laser cladding technology, we successfully fabricated high-performance self-lubricating ceramic composite coatings. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to understand the inhibitory effect of Cu on the thermal decomposition of MoS2, and the study systematically explored the relationship between powder composition, coating structure, and organizational properties. The mechanisms behind friction reduction and wear resistance were unveiled, shedding light on the formation of the MoS2 self-lubricating protective film. Research findings reveal that during the laser cladding process, Cu and Ni undergo solid solution, resulting in the formation of the Cu–Ni alloy phase and crystal refinement. The MoS2 aggregation area exhibits a fine dendritic structure, while the dispersion area showcases coarse dendritic and cellular crystals. The addition of Cu and MoS2 influences the content of the MxCy phase and the thermal decomposition of MoS2. The incorporation of Cu increases the average coating hardness, whereas MoS2 addition decreases it; nevertheless, the Cu/MoS2 coating hardness is enhanced by at least 6.4 %. Cu significantly improves the coating's wear resistance, with a relatively smaller impact on friction reduction. MoS2 functions as a friction-reducing phase during wear, effectively preventing the peeling of hard phases and reducing the friction coefficient. Cu is uniformly distributed in the coating, experiencing solid solution strengthening, reducing adhesive region areas, and minimizing wear debris generation. MoS2, although unevenly distributed, forms intermittent lubricating films on the surface. The lubricating film of the Cu/MoS2 coating remains stable, preventing mutual contact of the friction surface and concurrently reducing the friction coefficient and wear amount. While the study successfully prepared a self-lubricating ceramic coating with excellent wear resistance, some surface quality defects persist. Further optimization of the preparation method was achieved through ultrasound-assisted technology.

Multifunctional assessment of copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via gliding arc discharge plasma technique: antioxidant, antibacterial, and photocatalytic performance.

In this paper, undoped and copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized using a gliding arc discharge (GAD) plasma technique, which is a sustainable, cost-effective, and scalable method. This method offers several advantages over traditional synthesis methods. The synthesized NPs were characterized by various techniques to understand their physicochemical properties. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic peaks of pure ZnO, while doped samples exhibited additional peaks corresponding to CuO crystal planes, indicating the successful incorporation of Cu into the lattice. As obvious, bare ZnO showed absorption peak at 378 nm corresponding to the band gap of 3.21 eV. The band gap of Cu-doped samples increased systematically, i.e., 3.35 eV for 2% Cu, 3.47 eV for 4% Cu, and 3.66 eV for 6% Cu. SEM images revealed aggregation and increase in particle size with the increasing in Cu concentration. EDAX analysis revealed a decrease in the weight percentage of oxygen and zinc with the increase in Cu concentration, suggesting structural changes within the lattice. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, antioxidant activity, and photocatalytic activity against three different organic dyes such as Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB), Methylene Blue (MB), and Congo Red (CR) was studied. It is found that the photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs varies with Cu concentration, leading to a decrease in its performance. The antibacterial activity of the NPs was also assessed, with undoped ZnO NPs showing dose-dependent effects against bacteria, while the Cu-doped ZnO NPs exhibited decreased efficacy. Interestingly, Cu doping significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of the NPs compared to the undoped ZnO.

Steering elementary steps towards advanced alkaline hydrogen evolution via a sweet marriage of O-defected NiO and Cu

Water adsorption/dissociation and hydrogen intermediates (H*) desorption are the two elementary steps for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics. This study builds on the promising concept of planning each step simultaneously to optimize in a whole. Theoretical and experimental approaches are combined to design and synthesize nickel oxide with moderate oxygen vacancy (VO) coating copper nanowires, namely m-VO NiO/Cu, for excellent HER in alkali. The construction of VO expedites H2O adsorption and dissociation on NiO, thereby significantly increases H* coverage on the surface. Subsequently, the incorporation of Cu creates accessible H* adsorption sites by limited hydrogen spillover from NiO to Cu, thereby facilitates the desorption of the next hydrogen directly on NiO continuously. The sweet marriage of VO NiO and Cu endows the most promising alkaline HER performance of a 20 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm–2 with a Tafel slope of 39.9 mV dec–1. This work presents a fresh perspective on upgrading multi-step reaction kinetics and encourages further research on advanced earth-abundant catalysts.

Copper doping effects on the superconducting properties of Sm‐based oxypnictides

AbstractA systematic investigation has been performed by synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a series of SmFe1−xCuxAsO0.8F0.2 bulks (x = 0–0.2). These samples are well characterized by structural, Raman spectroscopy, microstructural, transport, magnetic measurements, and supplementary calculations within density functional theory (DFT). The parent compound, SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 (Sm1111), exhibits a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of approximately 54 K. The lattice volume (V) is increased with Cu substitution (x) without observing any impurity phase related to copper, which confirms the successful incorporation of Cu at Fe sites in the superconducting FeAs layers. These analyses are also well in agreement with Raman spectroscopy measurements and relevant DFT results. The superconducting transition is decreased systematically with copper doping and completely suppressed for 7% Cu‐doped Sm1111 (x = 0.07). A large amount of Cu substitution (x ≥ 0.07) has demonstrated the metal to insulate transition in the low‐temperature range, and no impurity phase was observed even at high Cu doping levels (x = 0.2). The calculated critical current density of the parent sample is suppressed with copper substitution, suggesting the reduced pinning centers, sample density, and grain connections, as confirmed by the microstructural analysis. Our studies suggest that the substitution of Cu in the superconducting FeAs layer, resulting the enlargement of the lattice volume, is a source of strong disorder scattering, leading to the suppression of Tc and the emergence of metal‐to‐insulator, unlike the more successful carrier doping by nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), as previously reported.

Study of Cu-doped zirconia toughened alumina ceramics (Cu-ZTA) subject to lubrication behaviors for arthroplasty

Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) is widely applied in total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, problems with insufficient fracture toughness and lubrication remain, leading to wear, squeaking, and fracturing. In this study, the Cu doping of ZTA (Cu-ZTA) is proposed to solve these problems. To further promote the use of Cu-ZTA, the role of Cu doping on its tribological properties must be studied. In this study, the microstructure, mechanical properties, and stability capacity in a physiological environment, as well as the tribological behaviors of Cu-ZTA in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), were systematically studied with varying amounts of Cu. The results demonstrated that holes and soft Cu-rich phases appeared, and grains grew after Cu doping, causing a decrease in hardness. The fracture toughness increased after Cu doping because the Cu-rich particles formed “bridges” during crack propagation and release energy. The incorporation of Cu improved the stability of ZTA in physiological environments, which enhanced the long-term stability of Cu-ZTA. The protein adsorption results indicated that a higher hydrophobicity and roughness contributed to a greater protein adsorption on the Cu-ZTA surfaces after Cu incorporation. In the BSA solution, the 5.0 wt% Cu-ZTA ceramics achieved a lower coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate compared to ZTA, and a higher protein adsorption and formation of the denatured protein layer catalyzed by Cu ions in the wear track during friction, thus clearly improving the tribological properties of the Cu-ZTA.

Cu-optimized long-range interaction between Co nanoparticles and Co single atoms: Improved Fenton-like reaction activity

The interplay between multi-atom assembly configurations and single atoms (SAs) has been gaining attention in research. However, the effect of long-term range interactions between SAs and multi-atom assemblies on the orbital filling characteristics has yet to be investigated. In this context, we introduced copper (Cu) doping to strengthen the interaction between cobalt (Co) nanoparticles (NPs) and Co SAs by promoting the spontaneous formation of Co–Cu alloy NPs that tends toward aggregation owing to its negative cohesive energy (−0.06454), instead of forming Cu SAs. The incorporation of Cu within the Co–Cu alloy NPs, compared to the pure Co NPs, significantly expedites the kinetics of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) oxidation processes on Co SAs. Unlike Co NPs, Co–Cu NPs facilitate electron rearrangement in the d orbitals (especially dz2 and dxz) near the Fermi level in Co SAs, thereby optimizing the dz2–O (PMS) and dxz–O (SO5−) orbital interaction. Eventually, the Co–Cu alloy NPs embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon (CC@CNC) catalysts rapidly eliminated 80.67% of 20 mg L−1 carbamazepine (CBZ) within 5 min. This performance significantly surpasses that of catalysts consisting solely of Co NPs in a similar matrix (C@CNC), which achieved a 58.99% reduction in 5 min. The quasi in situ characterization suggested that PMS acts as an electron donor and will transfer electrons to Co SAs, generating 1O2 for contaminant abatement. This study offers valuable insights into the mechanisms by which composite active sites formed through multi-atom assembly interact at the atomic orbital level to achieve high-efficiency PMS-based advanced oxidation processes at the atomic orbital level.

Hybrid Bioactive Hydrogel Promotes Liver Regeneration through the Activation of Kupffer Cells and ECM Remodeling After Partial Hepatectomy.

Partial hepatectomy is an essential surgical technique used to treat advanced liver diseases such as liver tumors, as well as for performing liver transplants from living donors. However, postoperative complications such as bleeding, abdominal adhesions, wound infections, and inadequate liver regeneration pose significant challenges and increase morbidity and mortality rates. A self-repairing mixed hydrogel (O5H2/Cu2+/SCCK), containing stem cell derived cytokine (SCCK) derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) treated with the traditional Chinese remedy Tanshinone IIA (TSA), is developed. This SCCK, in conjunction with O5H2, demonstrates remarkable effects on Kupffer cell activation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. This leads to the secretion of critical growth factors promoting enhanced proliferation of hepatocytes and endothelial cells, thereby facilitating liver regeneration and repair after partial hepatectomy. Furthermore, the hydrogel, featuring macrophage-regulating properties, effectively mitigates inflammation and oxidative stress damage in the incision area, creating an optimal environment for postoperative liver regeneration. The injectability and strong adhesion of the hydrogel enables rapid hemostasis at the incision site, while its physical barrier function prevents postoperative abdominal adhesions. Furthermore, the hydrogel's incorporation of Cu2+ provides comprehensive antibacterial effects, protecting against a wide range of bacteria types and reducing the chances of infections after surgery.