Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-28DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139581
Jeong Hyeon Park , Jenam Kim , Hansol Oh , Yongjoo Park , Woojin Jeon
{"title":"Combined experimental and DFT analysis of initial adsorption behavior in HfZrO2 thin films on TiN surface","authors":"Jeong Hyeon Park , Jenam Kim , Hansol Oh , Yongjoo Park , Woojin Jeon","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zirconium-rich composition in HfZrO<sub>2</sub> thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using cocktail precursors is frequently observed, despite equimolar precursor delivery. This study identifies the origin of this deviation through experimental analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. While CpZr and CpHf exhibit similar reactivity with ozone, supercycle ALD experiments and DFT results reveal stronger adsorption of CpZr on TiN substrates due to lower physisorption, bond dissociation, and chemisorption energies. These findings demonstrate that preferential surface adsorption, not gas-phase reactivity, governs initial composition, emphasizing the importance of substrate–precursor interactions in composition control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139581"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electrical-optical dual-modulated synaptic memristor based on thermal evaporated Sb2S3 thin film","authors":"Junjie Zeng, Qinglian Liu, Hao Sun, Xiangdong Meng, Ruijin Hu, Shaobo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The optoelectronic memristors (OMs), capable of simultaneous response to electrical and optical stimuli, have emerged as promising components for constructing neuromorphic computing and artificial visual systems. To pursue such devices, novel materials with stable electrical properties and a suitable bandgap responsive to the visible light spectrum are in urgent demand. Antimony sulfide (Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>) shows great potential considering its excellent stability, earth-abundance, high light absorption coefficients, and optimal bandgap of ∼1.7 eV. Here, we report OMs based on the Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> thin film deposited via the industrially compatible thermal evaporation technique. With an FTO/ Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>/Ag structure, the devices demonstrate reliable resistive switching and robust endurance. Typical synaptic functions, such as the excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) and paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) characteristics, are successfully mimicked. These results highlight the significant potential of integrating Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> OMs into artificial intelligence hardware.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139582"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tailoring the corrosion behavior of hot-pressed aluminium-CeO2 composites","authors":"Burçin Özbay Kısasöz , Mahmut Erol , Yahya Bayrak , Alptekin Kısasöz","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to reveal the corrosion behavior of Al-CeO<sub>2</sub> composites. Samples were fabricated with 1 and 10 wt% reinforcement ratios, respectively. In-situ phases like complex oxide and intermetallic were observed at higher CeO<sub>2</sub> content. The corrosion behavior of samples was significantly developed with CeO<sub>2</sub> and in-situ oxides. Particularly, the corrosion rate was reduced by CeO<sub>2</sub> particles. Furthermore, usage of 10 wt% CeO<sub>2</sub> increased the charge transfer resistance to 1467.02 Ω. It can be stated that CeO<sub>2</sub> particles and in-situ oxides were favorable for enhanced corrosion behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Sn concentration on antimony oxide thin films via using spin coating method: Analysis of structural and optical properties","authors":"Patsorn Boon-on , Phathaitep Raksa , Witawat Ponhan , Panupat Chaiworn , Auttasit Tubtimtae","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The synthesis of Sn-doped Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> thin films using the spin coating method aims to investigate the effect of various Sn concentrations on the optical and structural properties, which has not been previously reported. FESEM revealed some hexagonal and cubic-shaped structures on the surfaces with thicknesses ranging from 6 to 13 μm. EDS confirmed successful Sn doping in the Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> lattice, and XRD patterns identified a cubic Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> phase for 0.1 M Sn and became to an amorphous nature for 0.2 M Sn. The structure transformed to orthorhombic from 0.3 to 0.5 M Sn. The structural properties show that the 0.3 M Sn doping exhibits minimal structural defects and disorder. In addition, the films exhibited almost 90 % transmittance in the visible region and dramatical reduction in the ultraviolet region. The 0.3 M Sn doping exhibited high absorption coefficients with the lowest Urbach energy and optimal bandgap. These findings highlight the need for high-quality optical thin films fabricated using the spin-coating method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139579"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139562
S.J. Meza-Gómez , R.V. Silva , H. Colmenares-Cano , J. Ortiz-Palacios , T.E. González-Robles , D.E. Ramírez-Arreola
{"title":"CO2 curing influence in alkali-activated Metakaolin/waste glass rejects systems","authors":"S.J. Meza-Gómez , R.V. Silva , H. Colmenares-Cano , J. Ortiz-Palacios , T.E. González-Robles , D.E. Ramírez-Arreola","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study analyses the performance of alkali-activated metakaolin/waste glass rejects at mass ratios of 100:0, 90:10, and 80:20, to increase internal Si/Al ratios of the precursor, using NaOH and Na<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>3</sub>∙5H<sub>2</sub>O-based alkaline solutions. The specimens underwent a performance-enhancing accelerated carbonation-based curing regimen and were compared to specimens left uncarbonated. X-ray diffraction results showed that metakaolin and waste glass were highly amorphous, which led to essentially non-crystalline aluminosilicate gels. Exposure to CO<sub>2</sub> enhanced compressive strength by ∼40 % partly due to densification from additional CaCO<sub>3</sub> precipitation. The materials' mechanical performance was negatively affected by glass addition, whereas minimal changes were observed from the use of Na<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>3</sub>∙5H<sub>2</sub>O-containing activators. Low dimensional stability was observed due to extremely high water demand of metakaolin, leading to high shrinkage strains and mitigated by glass addition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139562"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139536
Yu Fu , Renhong Song , Kun Zhang , Yujun Chen , Lijun Chen , Qianqiu Tian , Wenbin Hu
{"title":"Synergistic effects of confinement structure and expanded interlayer spacing on MoS2/C towards high-efficient rate and cycle performance","authors":"Yu Fu , Renhong Song , Kun Zhang , Yujun Chen , Lijun Chen , Qianqiu Tian , Wenbin Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transition-metal sulfides (TMSs) are promising cathode materials for all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) but suffer from poor electronic conductivity and severe volume expansion. We developed MoS<sub>2</sub>/C nanospheres featuring expanded interlayer spacing (0.71 nm) through facile hydrothermal synthesis. The radially arranged nanosheet architecture maximizes electrochemically active edge sites, while the expanded interlayers enhance Li<sup>+</sup> diffusion kinetics. The in-situ formed carbon layer provides dual benefits: structural confinement to suppress volume changes and improved electronic conductivity. The MoS<sub>2</sub>/C nanospheres deliver exceptional capacity of 385.1 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> after 250 cycles at 1C, substantially outperforming bulk MoS<sub>2</sub> and MoS<sub>2</sub> nanosheets. This synergistic design combining interlayer expansion, hierarchical morphology, and carbon confinement establishes an effective strategy for high-performance ASSLBs cathodes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139536"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139540
Dohun Kim , Jimin Kwon , Wonjun Ahn , Jae-Seong Yeo , Yusong Choi , Sangbaek Park
{"title":"Encapsulating sulfur with a turbostatic carbon matrix and carbon nanotubes for enhanced capacity and operating voltage in thermal batteries","authors":"Dohun Kim , Jimin Kwon , Wonjun Ahn , Jae-Seong Yeo , Yusong Choi , Sangbaek Park","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The demand for higher energy and power densities in thermal batteries necessitates the development of advanced cathode materials. Although sulfur offers a high theoretical capacity, its low electrical conductivity and thermal instability limit its practical use. Herein, we present a SPAN-CNT composite cathode, comprising sulfur embedded in a turbostratic carbon matrix derived from polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) and uniformly wrapped with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The composite achieves high conductivity (0.39 S cm<sup>−1</sup>) through a percolating CNT network and exhibits thermal stability up to 500 °C due to strong covalent S<img>C bonding. In thermal battery tests, SPAN-CNT cathode exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 2.0 V, higher than that of conventional FeS<sub>2</sub> (1.9 V). It delivers a high capacity of 5972 As g<sup>−1</sup>, significantly surpassing FeS<sub>2</sub> (2006 As g<sup>−1</sup>). These results underscore the potential of SPAN-CNT as a next-generation cathode for high-performance thermal batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139540"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-22DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139557
Min Xie , Lihua Zhan , Bolin Ma , Zheng Cao , Ruitong Yu
{"title":"Improved interfacial and electrochemical properties of CFRP via nano-Fe2O3 coated carbon fibers","authors":"Min Xie , Lihua Zhan , Bolin Ma , Zheng Cao , Ruitong Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study employed hydrothermal synthesis to deposit nano-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> particles on carbon fibers (CFs) by varying mass ratio of FeCl<sub>3</sub> to CF (0–1). The presence of γ-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was verified through XRD and XPS analyses. When the mass ratio is 0.75, surface energy of CFs increased by 57.5 %, leading to a 15.3 % enhancement in interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and a 153.1 % rise in electrical resistivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Moreover, the composite exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance, with a −58.2 mV shift in corrosion potential and a reduction in corrosion current density by2–3 orders of magnitude.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"404 ","pages":"Article 139557"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145227828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139494
Yanru Li , Dinan Yang , Lei Zheng , Haoqi Wang , Lin Ma , Jinzheng Yang , Yali Wang
{"title":"Synergistic CoNi alloy/N-doped carbon nanospheres as high-efficiency separator coatings for stable lithium-sulfur batteries","authors":"Yanru Li , Dinan Yang , Lei Zheng , Haoqi Wang , Lin Ma , Jinzheng Yang , Yali Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139494","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139494","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address polysulfide shuttling and sluggish kinetics in Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, we developed CoNi alloy-decorated N-doped carbon nanospheres (CoNi-CNSs) via in-situ pyrolysis as efficient separator coatings. The material synergistically integrates catalytic CoNi nanoparticles with conductive N-doped carbon, delivering 1200.2 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.1 C and outstanding stability with a capacity decay of 0.069 % per cycle over 500 cycles at 0.5 C. This approach demonstrates a practical strategy for separator modification to enhance the performance of Li-S batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"403 ","pages":"Article 139494"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Materials LettersPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139498
Kewei Zhang , Rui Hu , Hang Zou , Xiangyu Gao , Xian Luo , Zeyang Wu , Zilong Guo
{"title":"Ta site occupation in O-Ti2AlNb phase: A synergistic study combining first-principles calculations and transmission electron microscopy","authors":"Kewei Zhang , Rui Hu , Hang Zou , Xiangyu Gao , Xian Luo , Zeyang Wu , Zilong Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139498","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.139498","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The site occupancy behavior of Ta atoms in O-Ti<sub>2</sub>AlNb phase was investigated through integrated first-principles calculations and experimental validation. A distinct hierarchical site occupancy preference of Ta was revealed: Ta preferentially occupies Nb sites, secondarily substitutes Ti sites, while exhibiting complete absence from Al sites. Such a phenomenon can be attributed to the atomic size compatibility, electronegativity similarity, and equivalent valence electron configuration between Ta and Nb atoms, consistent with the Hume-Rothery solid solution criteria, which stabilize the structure of Ti<sub>2</sub>Al(Nb,Ta). Thermodynamically, the Ta-Nb substitution configuration exhibits enhanced stability over (Ti,Ta)<sub>2</sub>AlNb and Ti<sub>2</sub>(Al,Ta)Nb systems. This study provides critical theoretical guidance for designing advanced Ti<sub>2</sub>AlNb-Ta alloys with optimized microstructural stability and properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"403 ","pages":"Article 139498"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}