Ceramics International最新文献

{"title":"Boosting NO sensing performance of CuO by Li-Doping: Synergistic regulation of oxygen vacancies and microstructure","authors":"Xukang Deng ,&nbsp;Shulin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yifan Liu ,&nbsp;Yinzuo Wu ,&nbsp;Ziyue Fu ,&nbsp;Guodan Zhan ,&nbsp;Ying Wei ,&nbsp;Haijiao Xu ,&nbsp;Cuiyun Li ,&nbsp;Shijin Yu ,&nbsp;Hua Zhu ,&nbsp;Qiuyun Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper oxide (CuO), with its narrow band gap and high work function, is considered an ideal material for NO gas detection. However, practical applications of CuO-based sensors have been hindered by their low sensitivity, high detection limit, and prolonged recovery time. In this work, Li-doped CuO nanospheres were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Adjusting the Li doping concentration can regulate the oxygen vacancy content and morphology, thereby optimizing the gas adsorption behavior. The sample with a Li doping concentration of 0.375% exhibits exceptional sensing performance toward NO gas. The optimal operating temperature is 85 °C. The sensor demonstrates a remarkably high response of 145 to the concentration of 100 ppm NO gas, with a low detection limit (LOD) of 472 ppb, an ultrafast response time of only 9 s, and a significantly reduced recovery time to 400 s under elevated operating temperature. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates excellent selectivity and long-term stability over 60 days. This work reveals that the lattice distortion caused by Li doping and the charge compensation effect work together to drive the formation of oxygen vacancies, enhancing the sensitivity of the NO gas sensor and reducing its detection limit. This work proposes an effective strategy for developing NO gas sensors with high sensitivity and a low detection limit, broadening the application prospects of metal oxide sensors in on-board diagnostics and environmental monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14192-14203"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of Na+ in tuning the phase stability and functional properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3: A first-principles study","authors":"Xiaolong Sun ,&nbsp;Peng Yang ,&nbsp;Xumei Zhao ,&nbsp;Qinglong Fang ,&nbsp;Xiaobin Zhou ,&nbsp;Qizhen Chai ,&nbsp;Zhanhui Peng ,&nbsp;Xiaolian Chao ,&nbsp;Caijuan Xia ,&nbsp;Zupei Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a leading candidate for lead-free piezoelectrics, KNN-based ceramics require fundamental understanding of their structure-property relationships. Herein, we systematically investigate the structural, electronic, elastic and polarization properties of KNbO₃ and K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) spanning their cubic tetragonal, orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases using first-principles calculations. Our calculations confirm the orthorhombic phase as the ground-state structure. Notably, the orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases in KNbO₃ are found to be nearly degenerate (Δ<em>E</em> ∼ 0.001 eV), providing a direct theoretical explanation for their experimental interconversion. The phase progression from cubic to rhombohedral is accompanied by a widening band gap and an increasing elastic constant <em>C</em>₃₃, indicating enhanced stiffness along the polar axis. The key finding is that Na⁺ incorporation softens the <em>C</em>₃₃ values while enhancing spontaneous polarization—a synergistic combination that underpins superior piezoelectric performance. The findings establish concrete design principles for optimizing KNN-based materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14517-14527"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of surface and subsurface microstructures in single pulse discharge machining of reaction-bonded silicon carbide","authors":"Xiaoshuang Rao ,&nbsp;Yingyan Su ,&nbsp;Wei Wen ,&nbsp;Shihao Liu ,&nbsp;Haojun Huang ,&nbsp;Zhengyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is considered as an effective alternative for machining reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) ceramics which exhibits extreme mechanical hardness. However, the phase components of Si and SiC in RB-SiC may produce different responses to the discharge sparks due to their distinct electrical and thermal properties, which will affect the material removal and subsequent surface integrity. To understand the material removal mechanism and its action on the surface integrity, microstructural characteristics of the surface and subsurface formed in EDM of RB-SiC were investigated through single pulse discharge in EDM oil. The influence of open voltage and pulse duration on crater topography and subsurface microstructure was also considered in this paper. The results reveal that the crater topography is influenced by the removal of phase component in RB-SiC at different open voltages and pulse durations. A regular shape of crater with the lowest length-width ratio of 1.3 was obtained at 120 V and 30 us due to the increase in the removal of SiC phase, indicating that a higher open voltage with short pulse duration is benefit for improvement of machined quality by forming uniform surface. The crater subsurface exhibited multiphase nanostructures of C, Si and 6H-SiC at 90 V and only nanostructure of SiC phase at 120 V. Simultaneously, the microcracks of the crater subsurface was parallel to the machined surface at 90 V while penetrated into the matrix grain at 120 V.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14753-14765"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coaxial direct ink writing of multiple continuous carbon fiber bundles-reinforced Al2O3–SiC–C castables with enhanced mechanical properties","authors":"Jin Xia ,&nbsp;Yi Cheng ,&nbsp;Yaozu Yang ,&nbsp;Hanxue Qiang","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To enhance the strength and fracture toughness of Al₂O₃–SiC–C (ASC) castables, additive manufacturing based on a coaxial nozzle direct ink writing (DIW) process was employed to fabricate ASC castables reinforced with multiple groups of continuous carbon fiber bundles. The influence of bentonite addition (0–2 wt.%) as a rheological modifier on the viscosity, thixotropy, and viscoelastic behavior of the slurry was systematically investigated. A flow field model was established to analyze the effects of printing parameters and the number of introduced fiber bundles on the extrusion behavior of the slurry. Results revealed that increasing the thickener content improved the structural stability and shear-thinning behavior of the castable, while its thixotropy first increased and then decreased. The optimal structural recovery and flowability were achieved at a bentonite content of 1.5 wt%. During extrusion, continuous carbon fiber bundles (0, 1, 2, and 3 bundles) were introduced, corresponding to optimal air pressures of 0.25, 0.25, 0.40, and 0.40 MPa, respectively. The castable effectively encapsulated the fibers, forming printed structures with high dimensional accuracy. After sintering at 1500 °C, SiC whiskers were generated on the fiber surfaces due to reactions between SiO/Si and carbon sources. Consequently, the flexural strength of the ASC castable increased from 4.3 MPa (without fibers) to 7.6 MPa (with three fiber bundles), while the fracture toughness rose from 573 J to 1093 J. Therefore, the introduction of continuous fiber bundles markedly improves the mechanical reliability of the DIW-fabricated ASC castables.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14649-14659"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Silver-modified KNN perovskite: A lead-free route to high-performance energy storage and piezoelectric energy harvesting","authors":"Anamitra Sikdar ,&nbsp;Sajal Nandi ,&nbsp;Abhijit Pingal Sanga ,&nbsp;Sunanda Roy ,&nbsp;Barnali Dasgupta Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing demand for environment-friendly and high-performance materials has driven significant research into lead-free perovskite systems for energy storage and harvesting applications. Among these, silver-doped Potassium Sodium Niobate (K, Na)NbO₃ (KNN) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its excellent piezoelectric, dielectric, and energy storage properties. This study explores the structural, electrical, and functional characteristics of Ag-doped KNN ceramics, synthesized via hydrothermal route, emphasizing their potential in energy storage and piezoelectric energy harvesting. The structural analysis showed the successful formation of KNN and Ag-doped KNN filler. The structural study also showed that 3 wt% Ag-doped KNN has the highest crystallite size among the synthesized composites. Further, the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of all the samples were analyzed. The study also highlights the material's ability to efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, making it ideal for piezoelectric energy harvesting. In this case, 3 wt% Ag-doped KNN showed the highest dielectric constant of 2373 with low dielectric loss properties, indicating its high energy storage capacity. It also showed the highest piezoelectric output voltage of 28.4 V, and power density of 12.9 μWcm⁻². The output voltage reaching up to 32.14 V when used as a flexible nanogenerator. These energy harvesting properties, along with already established strong structural properties and high Curie temperature, make 3 wt% Ag-doped KNN an ideal sustainable alternative for powering Internet of Things devices, wearable and implantable electronics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 13985-13995"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Schorl tourmaline thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation and RF magnetron sputtering: Structural, chemical and photoconductive properties","authors":"Henrique C. Gulino ,&nbsp;Ronaldo D. Mansano ,&nbsp;Luis da Silva Zambom ,&nbsp;Nelson Ordonez ,&nbsp;Antonio C.S. de Arruda ,&nbsp;Marina S. de Medeiros ,&nbsp;Vinicius S. Guimarães","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thin films of schorl tourmaline, a complex iron-rich borosilicate mineral, were deposited using electron beam evaporation (E-Beam) and RF magnetron sputtering in order to evaluate their structural, morphological, chemical, and electrical characteristics. SEM and XRD analyses revealed that E-Beam deposition produced highly discontinuous amorphous films composed of isolated nanoparticles, whereas sputtering resulted in dense and continuous amorphous coatings. EDS measurements showed partial congruent evaporation of Fe-, Mg-, Mn-, Al-, Na-, and B-containing species in E-Beam films, while sputtered samples exhibited strong Cu incorporation originating from erosion of the backing plate due to non-conformal target coverage. Electrical characterization demonstrated that E-Beam films exhibited low dark currents and modest photoconductive response, consistent with their island-like microstructure and limited charge percolation. In contrast, sputtered films showed dark currents up to three orders of magnitude higher and a pronounced photocurrent enhancement under halogen illumination, indicating bulk-limited transport and efficient photon-driven carrier generation. The results demonstrate that microstructural continuity more than chemical congruence is the dominant factor governing the functional behavior of schorl thin films. Overall, RF magnetron sputtering proved to be the most effective method for producing electrically active schorl-based coatings, revealing the technological potential of natural tourmaline as a low-cost precursor for optoelectronic and sensing applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 15253-15263"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydroxyapatite–iron oxide hybrid nanomaterials: influence of synthesis route on structural and magnetic behavior","authors":"Mateus de Oliveira da Cruz ,&nbsp;Wesley Brito Jalil da Fonseca ,&nbsp;Marcel Guimarães Martins ,&nbsp;Marla Karolyne dos Santos Horta ,&nbsp;Francisco José Moura","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates different synthesis strategies for hydroxyapatite (HAp)-iron oxide hybrid nanomaterials via chemical precipitation. Four approaches were compared: one-step synthesis (NC-OS), nucleation using HAp (NC-NHAp) or IONP (NC-NMag) as sites, and a physical mixture (NC-PM). XRD and FTIR confirmed the predominant HAp phase, while TEM imaging evidenced the morphological coexistence of rod-like and spherical nanoparticles across the hybrids. Key findings revealed that NC-NMag stood out for its high porosity, with the largest pore volume (0.58 cm³/g) and diameter (24.61 nm). The NC-NHAp sample exhibited the highest specific surface area (131.82 m²/g). Regarding magnetic properties, NC-OS and NC-NHAp showed negligible magnetization, whereas NC-NMag and NC-PM displayed superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization values of 14.1 and 15.3 emu/g, respectively. This work provides a comparative assessment of nucleation strategies, demonstrating that the sequence of phase formation is a critical factor for tuning the textural and magnetic properties in multifunctional HAp-iron oxide hybrids. These results highlight the effectiveness of the synthesis in tailoring the textural and magnetic properties of the hybrid nanomaterials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14014-14022"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Densification and properties of SiC ceramic composites fabricated by improved SLS-CIP-RMI process","authors":"Kun Wang ,&nbsp;Zaiqin Shu ,&nbsp;Renmin Wang ,&nbsp;Junjie Chen ,&nbsp;Jinyong Zhang ,&nbsp;Liwen Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the fabrication of high-performance SiC ceramic components featuring complex architectures through the integration of selective laser sintering (SLS), an improved cold isostatic pressing (CIP) approach, and reaction melt infiltration (RMI). Specifically, a flexible sealing membrane was deposited on the surface of the SLS-built components via dip coating using a polyurethane/natural-latex composite film-forming system. This membrane enabled preservation of the complex structural integrity of the green bodies under high CIP pressure without damage. The results show that CIP treatment at 200 MPa increased the relative density of the SLS-fabricated green bodies from 43.08% to 63.10% and decreased the maximum pore size from 233.9 to 157.7 μm. Additionally, particle rearrangement during CIP mitigated the development of the layered structure initially generated during SLS printing. Since the RMI process often leads to high residual Si content that markedly impedes performance, increasing the CIP pressure reduced the free Si content in the final sintered body from 56.67% to 19.92%. Under identical sintering conditions, all the products fabricated via the developed approach achieved a relative density of 99% and a flexural strength increased from 201.3 ± 5.6 to 308.1 ± 6.7 MPa, —reflecting a 52.3% improvement. Such enhanced properties are primarily attributed to the reduced porosity and smaller pore sizes, which decreased the residual Si fraction in the reaction-sintered bodies and eliminated the layered structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14250-14259"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lattice site engineering and photoluminescence tuning in Yb3+ and Ho3+ codoped NaY(MoO4)2 single crystal via alkali-ion substitution","authors":"Shoujun Ding ,&nbsp;Kaiming Kan ,&nbsp;Shujing Pan ,&nbsp;Wenzhi Su ,&nbsp;Yong Zou ,&nbsp;Qingli Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yb³⁺ and Ho³⁺ co-doped AB(MoO₄)₂ (A = Na, Li, K; B = Y or Bi) single crystals were successfully grown by the Czochralski method, and the effects of Li⁺ and K⁺ doping on the structural and optical properties of NaY(MoO₄)₂ (NYM) crystals were systematically investigated. The crystals confirmed with zircon-type tetragonal structure (space group <span><math><mrow><mover><mi>I</mi><mo>‾</mo></mover></mrow></math></span> 4). First-principle calculations revealed the band structure features of NYM crystals and elucidated the differences in bandgap and oxygen defect formation compared with NaBi(MoO₄)₂ (NBM). Judd-Ofelt calculations were conducted and the spectral transition properties of Ho³⁺ were revealed. Photoluminescence studies demonstrated that the crystals exhibited high-purity red down-conversion emission under 450 nm excitation and typical two-photon up-conversion green emission under 980 nm excitation. Li⁺/K⁺ doping effectively suppressed the green emission and enhanced the red component, with a more pronounced effect for K⁺. Temperature-dependent spectra (300-540 K) indicated good repeatability and thermal stability, with the K⁺-doped crystal retaining 55% of its room-temperature emission intensity at 540 K. The activation energies derived from temperature-dependent spectra suggest that Li⁺ and K⁺ incorporation significantly improved thermal stability. Furthermore, optical thermometry analysis revealed that Li⁺ and K⁺ doping significantly enhanced the optical sensing sensitivity. Fluorescence decay curves suggested that Li⁺ and K⁺ doping increased lattice disorder, suppressed Ho³⁺-Ho³⁺ cross-relaxation, and consequently modified the red-to-green emission ratio. These results indicate that Yb,Ho:NYM crystals and their Li⁺/K⁺-doped counterparts exhibit outstanding performance in optical anti-counterfeiting, near-infrared solid-state lasers and optical thermometry applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14307-14315"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Al-Si-N hard coatings with tunable structural and optical properties via silicon content modulation","authors":"Fengji Li ,&nbsp;Deen Sun ,&nbsp;Yuehua Huang ,&nbsp;Hongji Du ,&nbsp;Jason Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.02.076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to develop advanced optical coatings with exceptional mechanical durability and tunable chromatic properties for next-generation photonic applications. Al-Si-N coatings were synthesized via reactive magnetron co-sputtering of Al and Si targets onto Si wafers and glass substrates in an argon/nitrogen environment, producing compositional series AlN, AlNSi30, AlNSi90, and AlNSi150 by adjusting the Si target power to 0, 30, 90, and 150 W, respectively. The chemical state, morphology, structure, optical and mechanical properties were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XPS), grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, chromatic coordinate analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and nanoindentation, respectively. XPS compositional analysis confirmed Si concentrations of 0, 6.8, 10.7, and 16.7 at.% in the respective coatings. The undoped AlN exhibited a stoichiometric Al_0.92N hexagonal wurtzite structure with columnar grains (21.3 ± 0.8 nm in grain size) and inherent purple structural coloration. Silicon incorporation induced microstructural evolution: AlNSi30 (19.2 ± 2.2 nm in grain size) retained columnar crystallinity with enhanced oxidation resistance, while AlNSi90 formed a transparent nanocomposite with amorphous silicon-nitride phases (12.2 ± 1.2 nm in grain size), enabling broadband structural coloration. Critically, AlNSi90 coatings of varying thicknesses, i.e., 300.2 nm (A1), 241.4 nm (A2), 208.5 nm (A3), 200.4 nm (A4), and 186.6 nm (A5), were synthesized by adjusting deposition durations, directly correlating thickness with distinct structural colors. The AlNSi150 coating transitioned to an amorphous solid solution with detectable unreacted silicon and appreciable light absorption (extinction coefficient 0.05–0.16). AlNSi90 achieved the highest hardness (27.1 ± 2.3 GPa) and chromatic adaptability, while AlNSi30 demonstrated optimal blue-light attenuation (70.2–77.8% reduction at 415–455 nm) alongside high visible transmittance (84.8–91.7% at 500–650 nm). A structural evolution model was established to correlate silicon content with property transitions, elucidating mechanisms governing hardness enhancement, wavelength-selective color tuning, and light-filtering capabilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":"52 10","pages":"Pages 14396-14420"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}