Materials LettersPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-11DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140247
Hua Gao , Weinan Cao , Zhenfeng Jiang , Zhongchuang Liu , Jiangxiong Deng , Yi Zeng , Xianyi Wu , Dongxing Fu , Shu-Juan Bao
{"title":"Borate-enhanced CMC binder for silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries","authors":"Hua Gao , Weinan Cao , Zhenfeng Jiang , Zhongchuang Liu , Jiangxiong Deng , Yi Zeng , Xianyi Wu , Dongxing Fu , Shu-Juan Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silicon is recognized as the most promising anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity (4200 mAh g<sup>−1</sup>). However, the significant volume expansion of Si during cycling restricts its practical application in LIBs. The binder is critical in mitigating the volume expansion stress of Si. This study discusses a new binder, CMC-SB, synthesized by linking sodium tetraborate (SB) with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) via borate ester bonds, which enhances the flexibility of the binder. After being folded and subjected to a 200-g load, the CMC-SB film remains intact without breakage, indicating superior flexibility compared to CMC. When used as a binder for Si anodes, CMC-SB significantly improves battery stability during long-term cycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"410 ","pages":"Article 140247"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187173","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140184
Haotang Wang, Xuan Wang, Xinyuan Wang, Juan Yu, Pei Huang, Xiaodong Wang
{"title":"Preparation of double-crosslinked polyimide carbon aerogels and application in high-performance supercapacitors","authors":"Haotang Wang, Xuan Wang, Xinyuan Wang, Juan Yu, Pei Huang, Xiaodong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing high-performance carbon electrodes requires precise control over pore architecture and heteroatom doping. Here, we report a water-processable polyimide precursor approach to address this challenge. Polyimide is converted to a water-soluble polyamide acid salt and homogeneously blended with biomass-derived sodium alginate, followed by Zn<sup>2+</sup>-mediated ionic crosslinking to form a robust three-dimensional aerogel network. Subsequent freeze-drying, carbonization, and KOH activation produce a hierarchical porous carbon structure with abundant N/O functionalities. The optimized C-PI/SA/Zn-0.15 exhibits a high specific surface area (1437 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>), excellent capacitance (263.8 F g<sup>−1</sup> at 1 A g<sup>−1</sup>), and outstanding cycling stability (95.1% retention over 5000 cycles). This work provides an effective aqueous-based strategy for engineering advanced carbon electrodes with tunable structure and superior electrochemical performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140184"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171493","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140216
Weihao Luo , Yanjun Yin , Juan Li , Yan Chen , Zhiyong Bao , Zili Ma
{"title":"Rapid surface reconstruction of In2S3 photoanode via hybrid microwave annealing toward photoelectrochemical water splitting","authors":"Weihao Luo , Yanjun Yin , Juan Li , Yan Chen , Zhiyong Bao , Zili Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140216","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140216","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-based photoanodes have emerged as promising materials for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting due to their favorable bandgap. However, challenges such as low conductivity have limited their practical application. Herein, we introduced a rapid and energy-efficient hybrid microwave annealing (HMA) method to treat hydrothermally grown In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> photoanode. Physical characterizations revealed that the surface of In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> photoanode was reconstructed within 15 s upon HMA treatment. After treated by HMA for 15 s, its PEC water oxidation performance improved from 1.82 to 2.43 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> at 0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl comparing with the pristine In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> photoanode because of higher carrier concentration and reduced charge transport resistance. Our results highlight the application of HMA for the rapid surface reconstruction of sulfide-based semiconducting photoelectrodes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140216"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171500","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140233
Georgy Lazorenko , Alexander Kruglikov , Vladimir Mokichev , Anton Kasprzhitskii
{"title":"Dry-ball-milling-assisted activation of tungsten‑molybdenum tailings and coal bottom ash: Enhancing the co-utilization into sustainable alkaline aluminosilicate binders","authors":"Georgy Lazorenko , Alexander Kruglikov , Vladimir Mokichev , Anton Kasprzhitskii","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the dry ball milling activation of tungsten‑molybdenum tailings (TMT) and coal bottom ash (CBA) to enhance their reactivity for use in alkali-activated aluminosilicate binders. CBA-TMT mixture was activated at varying rotational speeds and durations to assess the effects on microstructure, phase composition, and the mechanical performance of the resulting binders. The optimal regime (450 rpm, 30 min) yielded a binder with a compressive strength of 52 MPa. This enhancement is attributed to significant particle size reduction, increased defect density, and surface amorphization, which synergistically enhanced the dissolution of aluminosilicate and Ca-bearing phases. The findings demonstrate that dry co-milling is an efficient, low-energy approach for activating industrial by-products, facilitating the production of sustainable high-performance cementitious materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171596","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-08DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140223
X.J. Sun , G.Y. Liu , Z.J. Xie , S. Feng , X.L. Wang , C.J. Shang
{"title":"Tailoring carbide precipitation to achieve strength-toughness balance of a low alloy ultra-high strength heavy-gauge hydropower steel","authors":"X.J. Sun , G.Y. Liu , Z.J. Xie , S. Feng , X.L. Wang , C.J. Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work elucidates the temperature-dependent carbide precipitation mechanisms governing the strength–toughness balance of a low alloy 950 MPa grade heavy-gauge hydropower steel. By systematically correlating tempering temperature with microstructural evolution and mechanical response, an unconventional strengthening–toughening synergy is revealed. Tempering at 550 °C provided an increase of ∼100 MPa in yield strength but caused a slight deterioration in toughness at −60 °C compared with the as-quenched condition. However, tempering at 620 °C simultaneously enhanced yield strength by ∼50 MPa and significantly improved toughness from ∼56 J to ∼143 J. Quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that these distinct mechanical responses originate from differences in carbide morphology and size-distribution. In 550-tempered sample, carbides predominantly exhibited an acicular morphology and an average length of ∼94.3 nm (maximum at ∼500 nm), aligning along three crystallographically directions. Tempering at 620 °C transformed the carbides into uniformly dispersed short rod-shaped precipitates with lengths of 30–50 nm. This transition suppressed brittle crack initiation while maintaining precipitation strengthening, providing synergistic improvement in strength and toughness. The findings offer new insights into carbide-controlled toughening strategies for ultra-high-strength heavy-gauge steels in hydropower applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140223"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171581","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140170
Yucheng Ji , Xiaoqian Fu , Poulumi Dey , Chaofang Dong
{"title":"Revealing hydrogen dynamics and embrittlement resistance in Cu-modified Al-Sc alloys using machine learning potential","authors":"Yucheng Ji , Xiaoqian Fu , Poulumi Dey , Chaofang Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140170","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Employing a machine learning potential tailored for the AlScCuH system, this study elucidates the dynamic behavior of atomic H in AlScCu alloys. Cu-doped Al<sub>3</sub>Sc precipitate exhibits a pronounced ability to trap H, thereby diminishing H concentration at critical regions, for instance in front of a crack tip. Such H localization at the crack tip was found to lower both critical stress and threshold strain, which results in significant degradation of the alloy's mechanical properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140170"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171371","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140176
Khaled Faisal Qasim , Zakaria Mohamed , Osama Ragab , Hassan M. Abdel-Khabeer , D.E. El Refaay , Manal Bin Zaima , M.M. El-Desoky , E. Sheha
{"title":"Modification of sulfur cathodes with Iron for enhanced metal-sulfur battery performance","authors":"Khaled Faisal Qasim , Zakaria Mohamed , Osama Ragab , Hassan M. Abdel-Khabeer , D.E. El Refaay , Manal Bin Zaima , M.M. El-Desoky , E. Sheha","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores iron-doped sulfur cathodes to enhance the electrochemical performance of sodium- and magnesium‑sulfur batteries. Fe-doped sulfur composites were synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and TGA, confirming successful Fe incorporation, lattice modification, and improved thermal stability. Electrochemical tests on Na/SFe and Mg/SFe cells showed higher initial capacities (about 1280 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> for Na and 830 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> for Mg). Despite these improvements, both systems exhibited gradual capacity fading due to polysulfide shuttling and interfacial degradation. Warburg analysis revealed reduced diffusion coefficients after cycling, indicating growing mass-transport limitations. Overall, further electrolyte and interface optimization is required for long-term durability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140176"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076737","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140208
Nanjie Wu , Kai Zhang , Hao Liu , Su Deng , Lanlan Wei , Shigui Peng , Qiao Fan , Tingting Luo , Chong Chen , Yucheng Yin , Xiang Zhang , Yufei Liu , Min He , Jie Yu
{"title":"Influence of PSS molecular weight on the structure and electrochemical properties of PEDOT:PSS","authors":"Nanjie Wu , Kai Zhang , Hao Liu , Su Deng , Lanlan Wei , Shigui Peng , Qiao Fan , Tingting Luo , Chong Chen , Yucheng Yin , Xiang Zhang , Yufei Liu , Min He , Jie Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) is a widely used conductive polymer, yet systematic studies on the influence of PSS molecular weight on its electrochemical properties remain scarce. This work systematically investigates the effects of PSS molecular weight on the structure and electrochemical performance of PEDOT:PSS. Results indicate that adjusting PSS molecular weight effectively promotes charge delocalization in PEDOT chains and enhances doping levels. At a PSS molecular weight of 30 kg/mol, PEDOT:PSS exhibits optimal comprehensive performance: its specific capacitance retention reaches 84% when current density increases from 1 A/g to 8 A/g; a capacity retention rate of 97.0% after 5000 cycles; and a maximum material conductivity of 436 S/cm. This study demonstrates that controlling the PSS molecular weight provides an effective strategy for optimizing the performance of PEDOT:PSS electrodes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140208"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171392","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140215
Huaiying Jiang , Bin Wang , Shang Wang
{"title":"A new type of PMMA-based fully dielectric tunable strongly coupled system in the mid-infrared region","authors":"Huaiying Jiang , Bin Wang , Shang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A hybrid system based on a fully dielectric metamaterial surface composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was investigated. When quasi-bound state coherently coupled with the resonance peak generated by the stretching vibration of the C<img>O bonds in PMMA molecules. This research opened new avenues for materials and science in the fields of polariton chemistry, hypersensitive sensing, nonlinear optical enhancement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140215"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171496","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140188
Meizi Tian , Ge Liu , Prince Nema Kollie , Xiaogang Guo
{"title":"Remarkably eco-friendly engineering of a promising sustainable metal mesh-based water/oil separator","authors":"Meizi Tian , Ge Liu , Prince Nema Kollie , Xiaogang Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Promising metal meshes with controlled porosity and tunable structures offer significant advantages in various water/oil (W/O) separation applications. However, current fabrication methods are not environmentally friendly and often generate serious pollution. Herein, inspired by lotus leaves and rose petals, we first designed a W/O separator based on stainless-steel mesh via an in-situ protocol involving chemical etching, environmentally friendly fatty-acid modification, and microwave curing under mild conditions. FESEM, EDX, FT-IR, and XRD analyses confirmed that the separator possesses a stable, relatively uniform rough surface with low surface energy. The product exhibits a water contact angle >150°, outstanding anti-wetting performance, W/O separation efficiency >98%, and long-term durability. This work sheds new light on the design of an eco-friendly and feasible technique for W/O separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140188"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171599","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}