{"title":"Rapid screening of the stability of polyacrylamide-based hydrogel coatings via droplet microarray analysis and interpretable machine learning","authors":"Jingzhi Yang, Yami Ran, Yuting Jin, Annan Kong, Mingyue Zhang, Lingwei Ma, Dawei Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41529-025-00706-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-025-00706-3","url":null,"abstract":"The unsatisfactory stability of hydrogel coatings hinders their functional and service performance. Until now, the development of high-performance hydrogel coatings largely relies on the intuition and prior experience of researchers. Machine learning, as a powerful engine for material design, was demonstrated to accelerate the development of hydrogels with desired properties. However, the scarcity of labeled data of the target property is a fundamental challenge. Herein, we develop a miniaturized high-throughput evaluation method of hydrogel coatings. This method achieved a rapid and parallel investigation of the stability of a large number of unique acrylamide-based hydrogel coatings. Moreover, a list of main feature descriptors was screened and their quantitative contributions to coating stability were analyzed via interpretable machine learning technology. A new ternary hydrogel coating was prepared to validate the accuracy of the machine learning strategy. This advanced methodology facilitated the rational design of high-performance hydrogel coatings.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41529-025-00706-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147332076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yihang Zhou, Jing Du, Xueqi Wang, W. Zhang, Kai Wang, Xiangna Han, Naisheng Li
{"title":"Cocktail therapy for waterlogged archaeological wood: improving the effectiveness of PEG on air-drying by adding APTES and trifluoromethyl phenylboronic acid","authors":"Yihang Zhou, Jing Du, Xueqi Wang, W. Zhang, Kai Wang, Xiangna Han, Naisheng Li","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-02221-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02221-9","url":null,"abstract":"Consolidation before dehydration is the major procedure to conserve waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been widely used since 1960s. However, if not combined with freeze-drying technique, PEG alone sometimes fails to provide adequate dimensional stability for heavily degraded WAW. A water-solution based ternary formula PAT, standing for PEG, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 4-trifluoromethyl phenylboronic acid (TFMPBA) is studied using WAW of Sapium sp. and Pinus massoniana from the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck. Compared to 20% PEG treatment, the optimized 20% PAT treatment reduces shrinkage from 71.8% to 51.0% for sapium WAW and from 14.1% to 5.6% for pine WAW after air-drying. Scanning electron microscope and low field nuclear magnetic resonance shows the PAT consolidant preferentially fills the micro cavities in cell walls and changes the drying behavior of PEG treated WAW. Finally, PAT treated samples exhibit lower hygroscopicity than PEG treated one, presumably improving their long-term stability.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-02221-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Ortiz, María Auxiliadora Gómez‐Morón, Miguel Soto Garrido, Andrea Gil-Torrano, L. Toro-Murillo, D. Abreu, Jairo Axel Bracho Palma
{"title":"Interdisciplinary study of 16th-century Spanish court woman fashion, gemstones, and Virgen del Rosario dress","authors":"P. Ortiz, María Auxiliadora Gómez‐Morón, Miguel Soto Garrido, Andrea Gil-Torrano, L. Toro-Murillo, D. Abreu, Jairo Axel Bracho Palma","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-02192-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02192-x","url":null,"abstract":"Woman clothing and gemstones of the Spanish court of 16th and 17th-century symbolized the power through the fashion. The Virgen del Rosario’s dress, compared with portraits of queens and infantas of this period, provides a crucial visual record of period attire and adornment and serves as a basis for investigating the originality and later interventions. This study applies an integrated historical, artistic and material approach, combining non-invasive techniques such as Raman, FTIR, XRF and SEM-EDS analysis. Comparative analysis links the observation of clothing and jewelry in portraits with the morphological and chemical examination of the gemstones set in the 17th-century metallic Virgin’s dress. Results indicate at least three historical phases of interventions on the dress: gemstones contemporary with the original manufacture featuring mounted on their crowns and modified dutch cuts; doublet or triplet stones with brilliant cuts; and more recent, emerald-cut glass, providing insights into the dress’s restorations and modifications.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-02192-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147904321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shuaijun Guo, Shilei Zhu, Zhe Wang, Shanhao Feng, Wenwen Yu, Ya Nan Ye, Qiang Zheng
{"title":"Entanglement-controlled gels for versatile artifact cleaning","authors":"Shuaijun Guo, Shilei Zhu, Zhe Wang, Shanhao Feng, Wenwen Yu, Ya Nan Ye, Qiang Zheng","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-02108-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02108-9","url":null,"abstract":"In the process of cultural heritage conservation, the surface cleaning of artworks is an extremely delicate and challenging task. Due to the significant differences in cleaning requirements for various artifacts, the threshold for materials used in conservation is high, encompassing criteria such as chemical stability, reversibility, minimal invasiveness, and long-term compatibility with the artifact. In this work, we prepared a physically crosslinked and reusable gel through ultraviolet light-induced polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) monomers. By adjusting the monomer concentration, we were able to fine-tune the gel’s adhesion and bulk strength, allowing it to meet the cleaning needs of various artifacts. By comparing the model surfaces before and after cleaning, it observed that the gel caused no damage to the surface and left no residue. This gel demonstrates the potential to remove soiling residues from rough and irregular artistic surfaces, further broadening the application scenarios of gels in artifact restoration.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-02108-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147898305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heting Hong, Lijia Chen, Zheng Zhou, Chunguang Yang, Yange Yang, Lingrui Zha, Xinrui Zhang, Min Liu, Jinlong Zhao, Guijun Bi, Ke Yang
{"title":"Catalytic Cu-ion regulation in laser-directed energy deposited stainless steel coatings for sustainable surface biofouling mitigation","authors":"Heting Hong, Lijia Chen, Zheng Zhou, Chunguang Yang, Yange Yang, Lingrui Zha, Xinrui Zhang, Min Liu, Jinlong Zhao, Guijun Bi, Ke Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41529-025-00699-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-025-00699-z","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this study, the laser-directed energy deposition technology was adopted and combined with pre-alloyed Cu-bearing stainless steel (SS) powders to successfully fabricate advanced metal-based antifouling coatings suitable for marine engineering. The optimized 304L-5Cu SS and 304L-10Cu SS coatings exhibited dense microstructures with uniform Cu distribution, significantly reducing bacterial activity within 24 h and inhibiting biofilm adhesion by suppressing polysaccharide and protein secretion. In a novel dynamic antifouling evaluation system, the biofouling coverage on the Cu-bearing SS coatings decreased to 2.5% after 7 days, with fouling inhibition rates increasing from 58.3% to 82.1% as Cu content rose. In comparison to commercial copolymer coatings, the Cu-bearing SS coatings demonstrated reduced and more controlled Cu ion release rates, effectively minimizing environmental risks to marine ecosystems. The enhanced antifouling performance was attributed to the catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species induced by Cu ions, leading to cellular damage. Additionally, the 304L-10Cu SS coating showed superior uniform corrosion resistance, although its pitting potential decreased by approximately 41.1% compared to the 304L-5Cu SS coating due to CuO dissolution at high potentials. These findings highlight the potential of LDED-based surface modification for designing sustainable, high-performance antifouling coatings, offering a resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly solution for marine equipment applications.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147881765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shiyao Du, Chenhao Ren, Lingwei Ma, Dequan Wu, Kun Zhou, Zongbao Li, Jun Wang, Dawei Zhang
{"title":"High-throughput investigation and finite element modelling of atmospheric corrosion on carbon steel under varying droplets","authors":"Shiyao Du, Chenhao Ren, Lingwei Ma, Dequan Wu, Kun Zhou, Zongbao Li, Jun Wang, Dawei Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41529-025-00695-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-025-00695-3","url":null,"abstract":"A novel high-throughput platform enabling high-efficient preparation of droplet microarray and automatic characterization of corrosion morphologies was employed to investigate droplet corrosion on carbon steel. One hundred droplets with different compositions (NaCl and Na2SO4), concentrations (from 0.4 wt.% to 4 wt.%) and pH values (3, 7 and 10) were obtained within 2 h. The average height of accumulated corrosion products (H) in neutral NaCl droplets decreased as NaCl concentration exceeded 2.4 wt.%, while H value in neutral Na2SO4 droplets increased continuously with the increasing Na2SO4 concentration. Finite element modelling confirmed that the high surface coverage of corrosion products in high-concentration NaCl droplets prohibited corrosion products accumulation. The less aggressive SO42− resulted in a low surface coverage thereby enabling continuous corrosion products formation. For the influence of pH values, the corrosion rate in acidic environment (pH=3) was the largest due to the formation of non-protective γ-FeOOH and FeCl2, while the alkaline environment (pH=10) showed the least corrosion rate as more protective α-FeOOH was generated.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147887896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synergistic ATRP-IL approach for improving the mechanical properties of fragile palm leaf manuscripts","authors":"Yihang Zhou, Kai Wang, Liuyang Han","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-02075-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02075-1","url":null,"abstract":"This study proposes a novel conservation strategy combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ionic liquid (IL) treatments to modulate the mechanical properties of fragile palm leaf manuscripts. ATRP was employed to graft methacrylate polymers (PAAEM, PHMA, and their copolymers) onto lignin-rich regions of degraded samples, forming a reinforcement network within the cell walls. Concurrently, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was applied to enhance flexibility. ATRP consolidation significantly improved bending strength up to 37.9 MPa for highly degraded samples by thickening fiber cell walls. Ionic liquid treatment increased deflection to levels comparable to sound manuscripts. The synergistic application of ATRP (PAAEM) and IL achieved a toughness of 0.56 J/m³, 3.3 times as high as untreated samples. FTIR and histochemical staining demonstrated successful polymer grafting and reduced exposure of degraded polysaccharides. The study bridges advanced polymer chemistry and heritage conservation, offering a new pathway for preserving fragile cultural artifacts.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-02075-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A study on the manufacturing process of a coiled wood core lacquerware unearthed in Xuzhou","authors":"Zichen Zhao, Qingguang Wang, Zongmin Li, Yihua Sun, Haoran Lv, Yutong Chen, Xing Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-02045-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02045-7","url":null,"abstract":"The Xuzhou coiled wood core lacquerware is a rare northern Chinese example with no recorded manufacturing method. To reconstruct its techniques, we analyzed detached core and lacquer films using multiple advanced analytical tools. Results show that the lacquerware employs a coiled wood core: a base of joined narrow slats and walls of successively stacked Cunninghamia lanceolata strips, collectively known as the Quandie (圈叠) in Chinese. Brick or tile powder was used as part of the foundation layer, with a fabric layer applied above the wooden core. The lacquerware adopts the Suxiu (素髹) craft, with a black exterior and a red interior. The raw lacquer used in this lacquerware contains a mixture of urushiol and laccol, tung oil was also detected in the film. These findings clarify the manufacture of coiled wood core lacquerware and inform its scientific conservation and restoration.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-02045-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147905752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meenu Garg, Sonam Aggarwal, Ashok Kumar, Rajat Kapila
{"title":"Enhancing digital preservation of Indian art heritage through fusion based deep learning CBIR system","authors":"Meenu Garg, Sonam Aggarwal, Ashok Kumar, Rajat Kapila","doi":"10.1038/s40494-025-01918-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01918-1","url":null,"abstract":"In digital archives and cultural preservation, effective image retrieval from extensive datasets is critical. This study develops an efficient Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system for retrieving culturally significant Indian paintings, enhancing digital accessibility and preservation. It focuses on diverse styles like Gond, Pichwai, Madhubani, Mandla, and Warli. Traditional CBIR relies on handcrafted features, which are time-consuming and less effective. This study proposes a fusion approach using EfficientNetB0 and ResNet50, to enhance retrieval accuracy. Further, Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) optimizes dimensionality reduction. Various distance metrics, including Hamming, Minkowski, cosine similarity, Jaccard, Euclidean, and Manhattan, compute similarity scores. Performance is assessed using precision, recall, and F1-score. The mean average values of precision, recall, and F1-score of the proposed CBIR system on the TIAPD dataset come out to be 91.64%, 18.17%, and 29.54% respectively. This research not only enhances retrieval accuracy but also contributes to the digital preservation of India’s artistic heritage.","PeriodicalId":19270,"journal":{"name":"npj Materials Degradation","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-025-01918-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147890538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}