Materials Science and Engineering: B最新文献

{"title":"Assessing the supercapacitors performance of porous Co-MOF/Co3O4/rGO heterostructure composite","authors":"Muthu Devaraj ,&nbsp;Eniya Palaniyasan ,&nbsp;Zhaoqi Gao ,&nbsp;Chang Ruiqing ,&nbsp;Junhui Liu ,&nbsp;Xuehua Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119261","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Researchers are concentrating on developing highly efficient electrode materials in response to the growing demand for reliable and affordable energy storage systems. In this context, supercapacitors have emerged as a promising energy storage technology due to their distinguishing features. This study aimed to fabricate a porous Co-MOF/Co₃O₄/rGO heterostructure composite by combining pre-synthesized Co-MOF with graphene oxide (GO), followed by annealing in an argon (Ar) atmosphere. A series of characterization techniques were used to analyse the prepared samples in terms of phase composition, functional groups, chemical composition, morphology, surface area and electrochemical activity. The electrochemical performance was evaluated in a three-electrode system using 3 M KOH electrolyte. The optimized CR-2 heterostructure composite exhibited a high specific capacitance of 1554.7 F/g (699.6 C/g) at 2 A/g. This enhanced performance is attributed to its porous structure with high surface area and the strong interfacial contact between Co-MOF/Co₃O₄ and rGO, which improves conductivity and ion transfer kinetics. Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor device (CR-2//AC) delivered an energy density of 26.17 Wh/kg at a power density of 700 W/kg and retained 85.3% capacitance after 5000 cycles. The Co-MOF/Co₃O₄/rGO heterostructure composite is identified as promising candidate for supercapacitors and advanced energy storage applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119261"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic effects of additive and current density on the 3D porous architecture of electrodeposited NiP electrode for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction","authors":"Nada Boumazza ,&nbsp;Yazid Messaoudi ,&nbsp;Wissem Boughouiche ,&nbsp;Hamza Belhadj ,&nbsp;Pauline Haraux ,&nbsp;Abdelkrim Redjaimia ,&nbsp;Mohamed R. Khelladi ,&nbsp;Amor Azizi","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tailoring porosity in electrocatalysts is an effective strategy for enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by increasing the active surface area and improving charge transport. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) porous Ni<img>P electrodes were fabricated via a simple electrodeposition process using varying concentrations of the (NH₄)₂SO₄ additive and different deposition current densities to control surface morphology and porosity. The results demonstrate that the (NH₄)₂SO₄ plays a crucial role in regulating the porous architecture of Ni<img>P deposits. An optimal additive concentration of 0.5 M yields a high-density porous network that expose abundant active sites and facilitates charge transfer kinetics. The optimized Ni-P_A0.50-j400 electrode exhibits excellent HER activity in 1 M KOH, requiring an overpotential of only −105 mV to achieve a current density of −10 mA.cm⁻², with a Tafel slope of 79 mV.dec⁻¹. Moreover, increasing the deposition current density further enhances catalytic performance by reducing pore sizes and enlarging the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). The Ni-P_A0.50-j600 electrode, characterized by an average pore size of 16.85 μm, achieves −10 mA.cm⁻² at an overpotential of −71 mV and demonstrates excellent long-term stability over 30 h. This work provides clear insight into the synergistic effects of additive concentration and current density in tailoring Ni<img>P porosity, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between pore architecture and catalytic efficiency for high-performance HER electrocatalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119234"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiferroic properties of 0.7BiFeO3 - (0.3-х)BaTiO3 - хPbTiO3 solid solutions","authors":"Inna V. Lisnevskaya,&nbsp;Ivan G. Sheptun,&nbsp;Olga Yu. Grapenko,&nbsp;Dmitry V. Shaforost,&nbsp;Inga A. Aleksandrova,&nbsp;Anait A. Manukyan,&nbsp;Vsevolod A. Burumov,&nbsp;Anton A. Zabolotnyi,&nbsp;Oleg E. Polozhentsev,&nbsp;Svetlana I. Raevskaya","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solid solutions of 0.7BiFeO₃ – (0.3-<em>х</em>)BaTiO₃ - <em>х</em>PbTiO₃ (<em>x</em> = 0–0.3) were synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. It was shown that in the range of <em>x</em> = 0–0.15, they possess a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure. Further, at <em>x</em> = 0.2–0.3, phase separation is observed, i.e., a PbTiO₃-based perovskite phase with an extremely large tetragonal distortion appears; at <em>x</em> = 0.3, the <em>c</em>/<em>a</em> ratio reaches 1.18. For the phase with rhombohedral distortion, the lattice parameters <em>a</em> and α decrease with increasing <em>x</em>, which is consistent with the ionic radii of the Ba²⁺ and Pb²⁺ cations. Throughout the entire <em>x</em> range, the samples exhibit non-zero piezoelectric coefficients d₃₃, as well as typical ferromagnetic behavior. Furthermore, with an increase in lead content, a general deterioration of the piezoelectric and magnetic parameters is observed, which is presumably related to an increase in the ferroelectric hardness of the ceramics and the degree of rhombohedral distortion. This distortion leads to a disruption of the cooperative Fe-O-Fe exchange interactions. The most effective multiferroic properties are demonstrated by the solid solution with <em>x</em> = 0, for which the dielectric constant ε/ε₀ = 135, the dielectric loss tangent tan δ = 0.06, the piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ = 30 pC/N, the saturation magnetization M_S = 0.86 emu/g, the remanent magnetization M_R = 0.86 emu/g, and the coercive field H_C = 2.1 kOe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One step green synthesis and characterization of Na+ enriched t-ZrO2 QDs: Exploring the nano-structural, electronic, optical and photoluminescence characteristics","authors":"Vinod Kumar,&nbsp;Manisha,&nbsp;Sudeep Tiwari,&nbsp;Anisha Bano,&nbsp;Vivek K. Salvi,&nbsp;Anita Yadav,&nbsp;Himani Bhoi,&nbsp;Sudhish Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This investigation aims on the fabrication of Na⁺ enriched tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO₂) quantum dots (QDs) by a simple one step green solution based self- combustion synthesis route using fresh tomato juice as reducing, mineral stabilizing and capping agent. Successful fabrication of highly stable Na⁺ enriched t-ZrO₂ with a mean nano-crystallite size of ∼ 6 (±2) nm in the dominant tetragonal symmetry is affirmed by TGA, PXRD, Rietveld, SAED, HRTEM, EDX, XPS, DLS, Zeta potential, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analysis. The Na⁺ enriched t-ZrO₂ QDs significantly absorb light in the blue-UV region (below 400 nm) along with a swift rise in the optical absorption below 250 nm. The obtained indirect band gap (E_g = 3.4 (±0.1) eV) and Urbach energy (E_u = 0.48 eV) indicated that Na⁺ enrichment led to tightening and diminishing of the direct band gap in t-ZrO₂ QDs. Notably, these QDs strongly emit light in the green-yellow color region upon excitation with a 325 nm radiation, owing to formation of intermediate energy bands by surface and F-center defects. Magnetization study established perfect diamagnetic character of the Na⁺ enriched t-ZrO₂ QDs at 300 K with a pretty small negative susceptibility (χ_dia = − 8.97 × 10⁻⁷ emu. g⁻¹.Oe⁻¹). In nutshell, present study shed some light on a simple green synthesis strategy for the fabrication of phase-stabilized &amp; Na⁺ enriched t-ZrO₂ QDs in the dominant tetragonal symmetry at low temperatures. The Na⁺ enriched t-ZrO₂ QDs possess good potential for their utilization in the green-yellowish LEDs, Blue-UV light protection layer and other mechanical, opto-electronic &amp; biomedical applications, including dental and bone engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119228"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ordering of diphenylalanine micro/nanotubes prepared in PDMS microchannels with and without electric field","authors":"Giovana Bonano Carlos ,&nbsp;Carla Carolina Silva Bandeira ,&nbsp;André Mourão Batista ,&nbsp;Benjamin Osebi Elegbe ,&nbsp;Eduardo C. Lima ,&nbsp;Breno Marques ,&nbsp;Herculano Martinho","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diphenylalanine is a dipeptide known for its capacity to self-assemble into various nanostructures, including nanotubes and nanowires, particularly in aqueous environments. These nanostructures possess distinctive properties that render them suitable for a variety of applications, such as biosensors and optical devices. Here we report a method of growing unidirectional diphenylalanine micro/nanotubes inside a microchannel device. Characteristic and potential diagnostic applications are discussed. Micro/nanotubes were synthesized within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymeric microchannels, both with and without the application of an electric field. Morphological analyses revealed the potential for alignment of the microstructures within the microchannels. The findings indicate that micro/nanotubes can be effectively generated in PDMS microchannels under both experimental conditions, highlighting notable morphological differences and a pronounced degree of unidirectionality of the microstructures. In spite of being reported on literature, electric field application is not guarantee of unidirectional growing requiring special care due to field inhomogeneity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119285"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel high-entropy oxide Sr0.7Ba0.3(Nb0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2Zr0.2Ti0.2)2O6-δ: Achieving ultralow thermal conductivity through highly disordered B-site cations","authors":"Min Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhiping Wan ,&nbsp;Hongyu Cao ,&nbsp;Zheng Wang ,&nbsp;Jiacheng Cao ,&nbsp;Peiqing La","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As promising thermoelectric materials, high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have garnered considerable research interest. In this work, a novel tungsten bronze-type niobate ceramic, Sr_0.7Ba_0.3(Nb_0.2Hf_0.2Ta_0.2Zr_0.2Ti_0.2)₂O_6-δ, was successfully synthesized via a conventional solid-state reaction. Comprehensive characterization using XRD, SEM-EDS, and TEM confirmed the formation of a high-entropy material with multiple cations incorporated at the B-site, inducing pronounced local cationic disorder. This high-entropy design at the B-site introduces severe lattice distortion and mass/stress field fluctuations, which significantly enhance phonon scattering and lead to an ultra-low total thermal conductivity. After 20 h of reduction treatment, the sample achieved a remarkably low thermal conductivity of 0.59 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at 323 K and 1.29 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at 1073 K, ranking among the lowest values reported to date for strontium barium niobate-based thermoelectric materials. This study shows that B-site high-entropy engineering effectively suppresses lattice thermal conductivity in complex oxides, offering a promising route for next-generation high-temperature n-type thermoelectrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119272"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interfacial modulation in OPVA–ZnO–GO nanocomposites for enhanced proton transport and emission control","authors":"Ridha Elleuch ,&nbsp;Khaled Charradi ,&nbsp;Abdullah Y.A. Alzahrani ,&nbsp;Soad Z. Alsheheri ,&nbsp;Akram Alhussein ,&nbsp;Youssef O. Al-Ghamdi ,&nbsp;Sherif M.A.S. Keshk","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flexible electronic platforms require polymer nanocomposites that integrate high optical transparency, tunable photoluminescence (PL), and efficient proton transport. Conventional poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) systems often suffer from limited chain mobility and poor nanoparticle dispersion, leading to trade-offs among these properties. To address limitations in conventional PVA systems, namely poor nanoparticle dispersion, limited chain mobility, and suboptimal hydrogen bonding, we present a carbonyl-rich oxidized PVA (OPVA) matrix doped with ZnO nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO). The nanocomposites were fabricated <em>via in situ</em> ZnO synthesis and GO-mediated interfacial modulation. GO facilitates defect passivation and proton hopping, while ZnO contributes to crystallite refinement and emission control. At 1 wt% GO loading, the composite exhibits a three-fold increase in photoluminescence intensity, suppression of defect-related bands, and a two-order magnitude enhancement in proton conductivity (1.2 × 10⁻³ S/cm). Optical transparency exceeds 85% in the visible range, and mechanical strength improves by over 35%. These findings validate OPVA–ZnO–GO nanocomposites as scalable, multifunctional materials for transparent electronics, ionic membranes, and optoelectronic wearables.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119266"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic Cu and La Co-doping and g-C3N4 integration in CoCr2O4: high-efficiency visible-light photocatalyst for wastewater purification","authors":"Talib Hussain ,&nbsp;Ahmed Alafnan ,&nbsp;Kareem M. Younes ,&nbsp;Syed M. Danish Rizvi ,&nbsp;Afrasim Moin ,&nbsp;Sirajudheen Anwar ,&nbsp;Mohammad Khalid ,&nbsp;Devegowda V. Gowda ,&nbsp;Muhammad Farooq Warsi","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this research, a series of Cu and La-substituted cobalt chromite (CoCr₂O₄) photocatalysts and their composites with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) were successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation and ultrasonication routes. Controlled substitution and composite formation with Cu, La, and g-C₃N₄ narrowed the band gap and reduced electron-hole recombination, enhancing visible light-driven photocatalysis. Powder XRD results confirmed the formation of spinel oxide, and morphological investigations ensured the nanoscale particles with uniform dispersion. Elemental investigations verified the presence of Co, Cr, Cu, La, C, and O, confirming the successful synthesis of the designed materials. PL analysis was done to find the relation between recombination rate and the photocatalytic efficiency. The integrated intensities shows the quantitative analysis with the help of photiluminiscence spectroscopy. Band gap analysis and Mott-Schottky analysis revealed a significant band gap narrowing and a positive shift in the flat-band potential, indicating enhanced semiconductor behavior and improved charge separation efficiency. Co_0.80Cu_0.20La_0.20Cr_1.80O₄@g-C₃N₄ composite among the prepared samples, exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of 86% for ciprofloxacin and 87.5% for rhodamine B under the vibile light. Radical scavenging experiments showed that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and photogenerated holes (h⁺) were the main reactive species involved, with conduction-band electrons playing a smaller part, indicating the degradation process was primarily oxidative. The combination of Cu<img>La co-substitution and g-C₃N₄ enhances charge mobility and light absorption, leading to superior photocatalytic performance. This approach targets harmful pollutants under visible-spectrum light.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119265"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chitosan–Collagen/h-BN nanocomposites: A sustainable approach to thermoelectric material design","authors":"Bitopan Boro ,&nbsp;Bitupan Mohan ,&nbsp;Mridusmita Barman ,&nbsp;Punam Talukdar ,&nbsp;Asis Bala ,&nbsp;Devasish Chowdhury","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is an increasing need for sustainable thermoelectric materials to empower eco-friendly energy harvesting for low-power applications such as wearable electronics and biomedical devices. In the present work, Chitosan-Collagen/h-BN and hydroxyl functionalized h-BNf incorporated Chitosan-Collagen/h-BNf nanocomposite thin films were fabricated via solution casting method. Functionalization of h-BN significantly improved the mechanical properties, displaying a tensile strength of 20.1 MPa, surpassing that of the pristine h-BN composites. Surface analysis revealed a shift from the hydrophobicity in Chitosan-Collagen/h-BN (contact angle 93.4°) to a more hydrophilic nature in Chitosan-Collagen/h-BNf films (73.1°-85.3°). The functionalized thin films also showed improved thermal stability, UV-shielding capability and strong molecular-level interaction as confirmed by FTIR, SEM, and conformational analysis. Thermoelectric evaluation demonstrated that the fabricated Chitosan-Collagen/h-BN2 film exhibited superior performance, with a Seebeck coefficient of 22.38 mV/°C at 70 °C, electrical conductivity of 27.2 at 30 °C and a power factor of 949.82 mW/mK², all higher than those of the corresponding Chitosan-Collagen/h-BNf2 film. The thermal conductivity is found 0.26 and 0.28 Wm⁻¹ K⁻¹ for such thin film at room temperature. This improvement is attributed to the optimized charge transport and interfacial interactions within the polymer matrix. Biocompatibility studies further validated their suitability for biomedical applications. Overall, these findings establish the potential of Chitosan-Collagen/h-BN/h-BNf nanocomposite thin film as sustainable, multifunctional materials for next-generation wearable and bioelectronics devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119255"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inclusion of SCyclic, SLinear, and Na2S into chemically etched porous silicon matrix: Thermoelectric studies","authors":"Isam M. Arafa,&nbsp;Mazin Y. Shatnawi,&nbsp;Zaid M. Al-Arqan","doi":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mseb.2026.119262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The research discusses methods to enhance silicon's thermoelectric properties through embedding two allotropic forms of sulfur and sodium sulfide into chemically etched nanoporous silicon. The etching of technical-grade silicon powder (Si_Powder) was performed using an aqueous KOH/KF solution to yield hydrophilic/hydrophobic porous sites (p-Si). The porosity of p-Si was estimated by measuring the uptake of water and toluene at ambient conditions. These sites were extrinsically doped with linear and cyclic allotropes of elemental sulfur (S₈), and sodium sulfide to yield S_linear: p-Si, S_cyclic: p-Si, and Na₂S: p-Si, respectively. The composition of the incorporated composites was examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in air, and their structural characteristics were investigated using P-XRD, ATR-IR, and SEM. The thermal, electrical, and thermoelectric (TE) properties (Seebeck coefficient, figure of merit, power factor) of these semiconductors were assessed as cold-pressed circular discs in the temperature range of 305 ≤ <em>T</em> ≤ 525. These inclusion composites exhibit ohmic semiconducting behavior, with thermal energy propagation via phonon lattice vibrations rather than electronic processes. Our findings reveal that the Na₂S: p-Si and S_linear: p-Si composites exhibit significant ZT values of ≈ 0.24 and 0.16, respectively, rendering them highly promising for TE applications in small-scale waste heat recovery from sunshine and small domestic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18233,"journal":{"name":"Materials Science and Engineering: B","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 119262"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}