Lattice Distortion Research Articles

Interface induced photoluminescence enhancement from heterojunction BaMoO4/HEAs phosphors: Experiment, theory and anti-counterfeiting application

The BaMoO4/FeCoNiCrMo (BMO/HEA(Mo)), BMO/FeCoNiCrTi (HEA(Ti)) and BMO/FeCoNiCrTiAl (HEA(Al)) phosphors were synthesized by an integrated technology. The structural characterization showed that except the main lattice phase, only the characteristic peak of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) appeared in BMO/HEAs phosphors and the existence of lattice distortion for [MoO4]2- in BMO. The microstructure analysis confirmed that there is a special interface contact between BMO and HEAs, which makes the metal in HEAs easy to have a certain connection with BMO, which causes the lattice distortion of [MoO4]2- to intensify, thus accelerating the recombination rate of charge carriers in BMO/HEAs phosphors. The BMO/HEAs phosphors have a strong emission peak at 445 nm under the excitation wavelength of 285 nm. Theoretical calculations and experiments confirmed that the luminescence of BMO/HEAs phosphor is caused by the lattice distortion of [MoO4]2-, the interface defect of BMO/HEAs and the recombination of charge carriers. The Mo in HEA(Mo) can accelerate the recombination rate of charge carriers between BMO and HEAs, thus enhancing the luminescence performance of BMO/HEA(Mo) phosphor and exhibit dynamic fluorescence anti-counterfeiting applications. However, the Ti in HEA(Ti) and Al in HEA(Al) can easily separate the charge carriers between BMO and HEAs, thus reducing the luminescence of BMO/HEA(Ti) and BMO/HEA(Al) phosphors.

Multimode Luminescence Tailoring in PMA4Na(In,Sb)Cl8 Organic–inorganic Hybrid Metal Halide via Rigid Benzene Ring Induced Local Lattice Distortion

AbstractLow dimensional organic‐inorganic hybrid metal halide materials have attracted extensive attention due to their superior optoelectronic properties. However, low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) caused by parity‐forbidden transition hinder their further application in optoelectronic devices. Herein, a novel yellow‐emitting PMA4Na(In,Sb)Cl8 (C7H10N+, PMA+) low‐dimensional OIMHs single crystal with a PLQY as high as 88 % was successfully designed and synthesized, originating from the fact that the doping of Sb3+ effectively relaxes the parity‐forbidden transition by strong spin‐orbit (SO) coupling and Jahn‐Teller (JT) interaction. The as‐prepared crystal shows an efficient dual emission peaking 495 and 560 nm at low temperature, which are ascribed to different levels of 3P1→1S0 transitions of Sb3+ in [SbCl6]3− octahedral caused by JT deformation. Moreover, wide‐range luminescence tailoring from cyan to orange can be achieved through adjusting excitation energy and temperature because of flexible [SbCl6]3− octahedral in the PNIC lattice. Based on a relative stiff lattice environment, the 560 nm yellow emission under 350 nm light excitation exhibits abnormal anti‐thermal quenching from 8 to 400 K owing to the suppression of non‐radiative transition. The multimode luminescence regulation enriches PMA4Na(In,Sb)Cl8 great potential in the field of optoelectronics such as temperature sensing, low temperature anti‐counterfeiting and WLED applications.

Observation of Temperature Hysteresis in Electrical Conductivity and Local Lattice Distortion Induced by Current in Iridate Ca5Ir3O12

Observation of Temperature Hysteresis in Electrical Conductivity and Local Lattice Distortion Induced by Current in Iridate Ca₅Ir₃O₁₂

Theoretical study of point defects on transport properties in metallic interconnections

During the line width reduction, electron scattering caused by various defects in metal interconnects increases dramatically, which causes leakage or short circuit problems in the device, reducing device performance and reliability. Point defects are one of the important factors. Here, using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function methods, we systematically study the effects of point defects on the transport properties of metals Al, Cu, Ag, Ir, Rh, and Ru, namely vacancy defects and interstitial doping of C atom. The results show that the conductivity of all systems decreases compared to perfect systems, because defects cause unnecessary electron scattering. Since the orbital hybridization of the C atom with the Al, Cu and Ag atoms is stronger than that metals Ir, Rh and Ru, the doping of C atom significantly reduces the conductivity of metals Al, Cu and Ag compared to vacancy defects. In contrast, vacancy defects have a greater impact than doping on the transport properties of metals Ir, Rh and Ru, which is mainly attributed to the larger charge transfer of the host atoms around the vacancies caused by lattice distortion. In addition, metal Rh exhibits excellent conductivity in all systems. Therefore, in order to optimize the transport properties of interconnect metals, our work points out that the doping of impurity atoms should be avoided for metals Al, Cu and Ag, while the presence of vacancy defects should be avoided for metals Ir, Rh and Ru, and Rh may be an excellent candidate material for future metal interconnects.

High-Entropy Selenides with Tunable Lattice Distortion as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Developing stable and active electrocatalysts is crucial for enhancing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) efficiency, which sluggish kinetics hinders sustainable hydrogen production. High entropy selenides (HESes) features with random distribution of multiple metals cations and unique electronic and size effect of Se anion, allowing for precious regulation of their catalytic properties towards high OER activity. In this work, we report a series of high-entropy selenides catalysts with tunable lattice strain for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. Electrochemical measurements show that the quinary (NiCoMnMoFe)Sex requires only 291 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2 and exhibits a superior stability with negligible current decay during 100 h's continuous operation. By combining experimental measurements and theoretical calculation, the study reveals that the lattice distortion, reflected by the local microstrain near the active site, plays a vital role in boosting the OER activity of HESes.

Comparative S/TEM study of superconducting Ta quantum resonators by wet and dry etching types

Superconducting resonators play a pivotal role in various quantum technology applications, such as quantum computing and high-frequency communication systems. The performance of these resonators is closely tied to the properties of the superconducting films used in their fabrication. In this study, we investigated the impact of wet and dry etching on tantalum (Ta) films leveraging advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy-based characterization methods and examined the morphological, chemical, and strain changes caused by the etching processes. Consequently, we report the significant differences between the two etching methods, with dry etching resulting in straight slanted sidewalls and a thinner oxidized layer, while wet etching produced curved sidewalls and undercuts. Both methods led to the formation of a residual Ta wedge at the lower part of the sidewall, causing lattice deformation, which could adversely influence the homogeneous operations of superconducting devices. These insights enhance our understanding of how etching influences superconducting films, offering valuable guidance for optimizing resonators and related devices. Our findings mark a significant stride in advancing quantum technologies and high-frequency communication by enhancing our practical understanding of superconducting material fabrication.

Successively Controlling Nanoscale Wrinkles of Ultrathin 2D Metal-Organic Frameworks Nanosheets.

The wrinkles are pervasive in ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) materials, but the regulation of wrinkles is rarely explored systematically. Here, we employed a series of carboxylic acids (from formic acid to octanoic acid) to control the wrinkles of Zr-BTB (BTB=1, 3, 5-(4-carboxylphenyl)-benzene) metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheet. The wrinkles at the micrometer scale were observed with transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images showed lattice distortion in many nanoscale regions, which was precisely matched to the nano-wrinkles. With the changes of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, MOF-MOF and MOF-solvent interactions were possibly synergistically regulated and wrinkles with different sizes were obtained, which was supported by HAADF, molecular dynamics, and density functional theory calculation. Different wrinkle sizes resulted in different pore sizes between the Zr-BTB nanosheet interlayers, providing highly-oriented thin films and the successive optimization of kinetic diffusion pathways, proved by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption. The most suitable wrinkle pore from Zr-BTB-C4 exhibited highly efficient chromatographic separation of the substituted benzene isomers. Our work provides a rational route for the modulation of nanoscale wrinkles and their stacked pores of MOF nanosheets and improves the separation abilities of MOFs.

Defect-Rich Regulatory Activity Strategy: Disordered Structure for Enhanced Catalytic Interfacial Reaction of Chlorobenzene.

In contrast to previous defect engineering methods, the preparation of amorphous materials can obtain abundant defect sites through a simple way, which is expected to effectively degrade Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) under milder conditions. However, in-depth and systematic studies in this area are still lacking. Novel types of amorphous CeMnx catalysts with abundant defects were prepared through simple hydrothermal synthesis and used for Cl-VOCs catalysis for the first time. Experimental characterizations and DFT calculations proved that Ce doping induced MnO2 lattice distortion, which led to the transformation of CeMnx into an amorphous structure and the formation of abundant defect sites. It was observed that CeMn0.16 was able to eliminate chlorobenzene (CB) at 200 °C, and the CO2 yields and the selectivity of inorganic chlorine was significantly higher than that of MnO2. The 18O isotope kinetic experiments revealed that the interfacial reaction process followed the MVK mechanism. The large number of oxygen vacancies accelerated the migration of lattice oxygen from the interior to the exterior, enhancing the ability to trap gas-phase oxygen. Mn4+ acted as the main active center to participate in CB catalysis, and the resulting reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Mn3+-[O2-]-Ce4+ further accelerated the entire oxidation cycle.

High thermoelectric performance in Ag-doped Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites synthesized via low-temperature liquid phase sintering

In recent years, low-temperature liquid phase sintering (LPS) has emerged as a cost-effectiveness method for designing thermoelectric nanocomposites with reduced lattice thermal conductivity. However, their electrical conductivity often remains suboptimal, limiting the overall figure of merit (ZT). In this study, xwt% Ag/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (x = 0,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4) nanocomposites are prepared through low-temperature LPS method followed by subsequent annealing. Remarkably, a small amount of silver atoms was doped into the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix post-annealing, significantly increasing carrier concentration and improving electrical conductivity. Additionally, residual Ag atoms formed Ag₂Te nanoprecipitates, and lattice defects (including grain boundaries, twin boundaries, dislocations, and lattice distortions) effectively reduced lattice thermal conductivity. The 0.3 wt% Ag/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 sample achieved a maximum ZT value of 1.36 at 400 K, double that of the pure Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 sample, with an average ZT value of 1.17, among the highest reported. This work demonstrates significant potential for synthesizing high-performance thermoelectric materials via low-temperature LPS methods.

Influence of NH3 flow rate on the photoelectric properties of high Al content p-AlGaN.

High Al content (60%) p-AlGaN with different NH3 flow rates was grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and changes in its photoelectric properties were studied using the Hall effect tester (Hall) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrometer. The results show that the film resistivity increases from 3.8 Ω·cm to 46.5 Ω·cm with increasing NH3 flow rate. The impurity peak intensity of p-AlGaN grown under high NH3 flow conditions is particularly high, indicating numerous point defects. The results of high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) show a large number of Ga interstitial atoms (Gai) at the interface. As Gai acts as a donor, this may be the main reason for the increase in resistivity. And under high NH3 flow conditions, a lattice distortion and a high density of dislocation occur between p-AlGaN and p-GaN, which can lead to enhanced carrier scattering and decreased mobility. Additional validation via LED growth experiments indicates that the luminescence intensity of samples with low ammonia concentration increased by more than 13000 times.

Evaluation of a novel non-ionic graft starch-based antiscalant in reduction of CaSO4 scaling by static and reverse osmosis test

A novel nonionic starch-based antiscalant (St-g-GMA) was designed and obtained by graft copolymerization of starch and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). St-g-GMA not only achieved an obvious reduction of CaSO4 scaling in static test, but also effectively mitigated the flux decrease in dynamic reverse osmosis (RO) system. This improvement is ascribed to the grafted poly(GMA) chains on St-g-GMA. A suitable grafting ratio of this starch-based antiscalant achieve a high performance cost in control of CaSO4 scaling. Combination of the apparent antiscaling performance, observation under scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy unit, x-ray diffraction pattern, conductivity measurement, and dispersion experiment, the scale-inhibition mechanism of St-g-GMA was investigated and mainly attributed to chelation, dispersion and lattice distortion effects. The oxygen-containing groups on poly(GMA) chains such as epoxy groups can chelate with Ca2+, causing the induction time of crystallization prolonged; St-g-GMA with the distinct branched chain configuration can well disperse the formed microcrystal of CaSO4. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that the grafted poly(GMA) chains well bind to the crystal surfaces and the oxygen-containing groups could even enter the crystal lattice to inhibit the crystal growth and change the morphologies. St-g-GMA still mitigated the flux decrease notably in treatment of a synthetic seawater during a 24-h RO measurement. This study provided an efficient, environmentally-friendly and low-cost antiscalant with high application potentials.

Nanostructure and dislocation interactions in refractory complex concentrated alloy: From chemical short-range order to nanoscale B2 precipitates

Refractory complex concentrated alloys (RCCAs) have emerged as a promising class of structural materials, demonstrating exceptional mechanical performance in aggressive environments. However, the complex atomic environments, significant lattice distortion, and vast compositional space of RCCAs present challenges to understanding the mechanisms that govern structure-property relationships. In this study, we explore the dislocation mechanisms in three model quaternary RCCAs, namely Mo25Nb10Ta25W40 (at. %), Mo25Nb25Ta25W25, and Mo25Nb40Ta25W10 using large-scale atomistic simulations and machine learning based Spectral Neighbor Analysis Potential. Our atomistic simulations examine how the chemical composition and local ordering influence the mobility of both edge and screw dislocations, and how lattice distortion and diffuse anti-phase boundary energy (DAPBE) affect dislocation behaviors during nanostructural evolution. Notably, with the increase in Nb concentration in the model RCCAs, both DAPBE and lattice distortion are simultaneously enhanced as the chemical short-range order (CSRO) evolves into nanoscale B2 precipitates. This evolution results in high lattice distortion due to the lattice mismatch between B2 precipitates and the random matrix. Consequently, B2 nanoprecipitates provide a stronger pinning effect, hindering edge dislocation motion while promoting cross-slip of screw dislocations, leading to a reduced screw-to-edge ratio in slip resistance and mobility discrepancy. These findings offer valuable insights into dislocation behaviors and interactions with ordered precipitates, highlighting the importance of exploring non-equiatomic compositions and advancing beyond CSRO in RCCAs. This study has implications for optimizing alloy compositions and processing methods for superior performance in aggressive environments.

Self‐Encapsulated Ni Nanoparticles on Delignified Wood Carbon for Efficient Urea‐Assisted Hydrogen Production

AbstractDeveloping efficient, low‐cost electrocatalysts for industrial‐level hydrogen production remains a significant challenge. Here lattice‐distorted Ni nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated within a nitrogen‐doped carbon shell on delignified wood carbon (Ni‐NC@DWC) are constructed through a chitosan‐induced assembly and the pyrolysis process. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that the lattice distortion due to strong metal‐support interactions, boosts electron transfer and reaction intermediate adsorption/desorption, enhancing both the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Interestingly, the active center Ni3+‐O is dynamically cyclically generated during the UOR. When utilized as a self‐standing electrode in an alkaline electrolyte, the Ni‐NC@DWC exhibits low potentials of 24 mV and 1.244 V at 100 mA cm−2 for HER and UOR, respectively. Moreover, the Ni‐NC@DWC achieves an ultrasmall cell voltage of 1.13 V at 100 mA cm−2 for urea‐assisted water splitting and can operate stably over 1000 h. Furthermore, when it is self‐assembled as an anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer, it requires only 1.62 V at 2000 mA cm−2 for industrial urea‐assisted water splitting and operates stably for 150 h without degradation, confirming that it is highly attractive for economical, sustainable, and scalable hydrogen production.

Role of ZnO dopant in enhancing piezoelectric characteristics in KNN‐based piezoelectric ceramics

AbstractConsidering that lead‐based piezoelectric ceramics are not conducive to sustainable development, the research and preparation of environmentally friendly lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics has become a new trend. Among them, potassium‐sodium niobate based (KNN‐based) piezoelectric ceramics are considered as the most potential candidates because of their good piezoelectric properties. However, the strong sensitivity to temperature has hindered the further application of KNN‐based ceramics. In this work, the ZnO dopant was introduced in 0.96K0.48Na0.52Nb0.96Sb0.04O3–0.04Bi0.5Na0.5HfO3 ceramics to improve their piezoelectric characteristics. On the one hand, Zn2+ could occupy B‐site and thus enhance the lattice distortion of BO6 octahedra, resulting the enhanced piezoelectric properties including kp = 46%, d33 = 344 pC/N and TC = 282°C in the optimal component with x = 0.01. On the other hand, the defect dipole formed by the acceptor dopant Zn2+ pinned the motion of domain wall, and thus improved the temperature stability over a wide temperature range of 20°C to 180°C, where the descent in unipolar strain decreased from 35% (x = 0) to 23% (x = 0.01). This work provides a point of view about how ZnO dopants make an influence on the KNN‐based ceramics.

In Situ Characterization of Thermal‐Induced Evolution of Structure/Optical Properties of Heterogeneous 3D Chiral Soft Photonic Crystal Polymer

AbstractPolymer stabilized blue phase (PSBP) liquid crystal has aroused wide attention due to its broad temperature range and potential applications in flexible display, multi‐mode monitor, and mirrorless laser based on its well‐compatible stability and multi‐responsiveness, such as electricity, humidity, and temperature. Temperature produces an important effect on the structure/optical properties of PSBP, but there lack of detailed investigation on thermal‐induced deformation and its influence on the optical performance of PSBP. Here, the thermal‐induced evolution of structure/optical properties of PSBP with different polymer content is in situ characterized by variable‐temperature ultra‐small‐angle X‐ray diffraction, Kossel diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. A restricted deformation of PSBP cubic lattice is revealed by the shift of reflective wavelength and evolution of Kossel diagrams, which is mainly attributed to the thermal‐induced phase transition/separation of non‐polymerized components. The thermal stability of PSBP is improved by increased polymer content based on the limited deformation ability. This work is significant for the design of novel functional material, which paves the way for the preparation of photonic crystal soft materials with high stability and optical quality.

Single-Atom Cobalt Catalyst with Boron and Nitrogen Codoped Graphene (Co-BN-G) Enables Adsorption and Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfides for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

In lithium-sulfur batteries, the shuttling effect and sluggish redox conversion of soluble polysulfides lead to unsatisfactory sulfur utilization and capacity retention. In this research, we used a one-pot hydrothermal method to prepare graphene with single-atom Co and B, N codoped as a sulfur host in Li-S batteries, thereby suppressing the shuttling effect and facilitating the redox conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). A series of characterizations demonstrated that dual doping of B and N introduces more lattice defects and structural deformations in graphene oxide, thus enhancing its adsorption of polysulfides. Simultaneously, single-atom cobalt can also polarize adsorption and accelerate the conversion reaction of LiPSs. The Li-S cell with the as-prepared Co-BN-G sulfur host materials exhibited an excellent capacity of 1034 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C and satisfactory cycle performance (retention of 69% over 500 cycles). Even at a rate of 2 C, a discharge capacity of 851 mAh g-1 is achieved. The results show that the Co-BN-G configuration efficiently captures LiPSs and enhances their rate conversion kinetics in redox reactions, demonstrating significant practical potential.

Effects of lattice instability on the thermoelectric behavior of kagome metal ScV6Sn6

Kagome metal ScV6Sn6 has been a subject of interest due to the emergence of a first-order structural phase transition with intriguing charge density wave behavior below the transition temperature Tc ∼ 92 K. To explore the thermoelectric properties and provide experimental insights into the nature of the phase transition, we have carried out a combined study by means of the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity measurements on single crystalline ScV6Sn6. Pronounced features near Tc have been characterized by all measured physical quantities. In particular, the Seebeck coefficient exhibits a marked reduction as lowering temperature across Tc, attributed to an imbalance of the contribution from different type of carriers induced by the structural phase transition. From the examination of the electronic and lattice thermal conductivities, we obtained a confirmation that the observed enhancement at Tc is essentially caused by the change of the lattice thermal conductivity, demonstrating the primary importance of lattice distortions for the heat transport of ScV6Sn6. In addition, the lattice thermal conductivity above Tc was found to increase monotonically with temperature. We associated the peculiar phenomenon with lattice fluctuations, highlighting the essence of structural instability in the kagome lattice ScV6Sn6. These results add to the knowledge about the thermal transport properties in kagome materials with a hexagonal HfFe6Ge6-type structure.

Enhanced energy storage performance of tungsten bronze structured BaNb2O6-modified (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 ceramics

The rapid development of the electronic devices and increasing attention to environmental problems have put forward a huge demand for high-performance lead-free dielectric energy storage ceramics. In this work, tungsten bronze structured BaNb2O6 (BN) modified perovskite structured (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 (BNT) ceramics, BNT-xBN (0 <x< 0.15), were prepared to optimize the energy storage performance of BNT. The results show that the lattice distortion and dielectric relaxation behavior of BNT ceramic can be induced by BN addition. Meanwhile, the introduction of tungsten bronze structured BN results in the grain refinement and the increasing of resistivity, thereby significantly enhancing the electrical breakdown strength (Eb). Accordingly, the BNT-0.1BN ceramic displays good energy storage performance with high recoverable energy density (Wrec ∼ 3.41 J/cm3) at an great Eb of 358 kV/cm, accompanied by the wide temperature stability at 30–150 °C (Wrec varies within ±12.8 %, efficiency (η) varies within ±6.7 %). The enhanced energy storage performance demonstrates that introducing tungsten bronze structure is a feasible method to prepare high-performance perovskite energy storage ceramics.

Chemical-bonding and lattice-deformation mechanisms unifying the stability and diffusion trends of hydrogen in TiN and AlN polymorphs

The continuous development of hydrogen-permeation barriers (HPB) based on metal nitrides highly desires a generic unification of the key thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms therein. This work employs first-principles calculations to study the stability and diffusion trends of H impurity in the rock-salt, wurtzite, and sphalerite phases of the prototypical TiN and AlN. The formation energies (Ef) of H at various interstitial and vacant sites in these nitrides are calculated, and the underlying chemical-bonding and lattice-deformation mechanisms are self-consistently revealed by the systematic structual, energetic, and electronic-structure analyses. This leads to the discovery of a generic volcanic trend of Ef in terms of the electron number on H (QH), which well portrays how the covalent-ionic H–N and H–metal bondings determine its stability in different atomistic environments. Then, the kinetic properties (e.g., potential barriers, diffusion coefficients, and isotope effects) of interstitial H in these nitrides are calculated, where the volcanic Ef–QH relationship is applied to better understand the joint contributions of chemical bonding and lattice deformation. Finally, the revealed mechanisms and volcanic Ef–QH relationship are generalized to successfully describe the behaviors of H in some important grain boundaries of c-TiN and c-AlN, including the Σ3{112}〈110〉 twin frequently observed in c-TiN and the Σ5{210}〈001〉 twin prototypical to many rock-salt materials. The widely varying hydrogen permeabilities measured in experiment on many nitride coatings are successfully explained, inspiring more useful chemical principles to guide the design of HPB coatings facing harsh environments with long-term reliability.

Enhancing mechanical properties in Ti-Containing FeMn40Co10Cr10C0.5 High-Entropy alloy through Chi (χ) phase dissolution and precipitation hardening

This research investigates the effects of adding 2 at.% Ti on the microstructure, phase transformation, and mechanical properties of FeMn40Co10Cr10C0.5 high-entropy alloy (HEA) in both as-cast and homogenized conditions. The incorporation of Ti increased the lattice parameter of the FCC matrix and caused greater lattice distortion (∼5.9 %) due to the larger atomic radius of Ti. The negative mixing enthalpy of Ti resulted in segregation at interdendritic regions, forming a Ti-rich Chi (χ) phase during solidification. The as-cast structure displayed a dendritic microstructure consisting of 77.9 % FCC, 20.6 % χ, and 1.5 % TiC phases. After homogenization at 1200 °C for 2 h, the χ phase was dissolved, increasing the volume fraction of TiC to 24 %. The homogenized sample exhibited a substantial improvement in tensile properties, i.e., with the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) rising from 631 MPa in the as-cast condition to 689 MPa, and yield strength (YS) increasing from 346 MPa to 419 MPa, while maintaining an elongation of ∼ 54 %. These enhancements are attributed to solid solution strengthening, increased carbide precipitation, and the dissolution of the χ phase into the FCC matrix.