{"title":"Enhanced antibacterial performance of gold nanostars under NIR irradiation: A combined photothermal and photodynamic therapy approach","authors":"Xinrui Yao, Yanyan Wang, Xinran Sheng, Xiaoli He, Hongwei Wang, Lin Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138402","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138402","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has emerged as a critical global health issue, significantly undermining the efficacy of conventional antimicrobial therapies. In response to this challenge, a novel synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT) nanosystem, which is designed to generate indocyanine green (ICG)-functionalized gold nanostars (Aunst) through the incorporation of ICG onto a polydopamine (PDA)-coated Aunst framework, is introduced. This composite, referred to as Aunst@PDA-ICG, demonstrates an ability to elevate the temperature from 25.0 °C to 53.2 °C and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) at a concentration of 0.40 mM under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation at 0.75 W/cm<sup>2</sup> within a 6-minute exposure. The antibacterial activity of Aunst@PDA-ICG was assessed against Gram-positive Methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (MRSA) and Gram-negative <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> (<em>P. aeruginosa</em>). Under NIR irradiation, the antibacterial efficacy of Aunst@PDA-ICG reached nearly 100 % at a concentration of 100 μg/mL for both bacterial strains. Furthermore, the nanocomposite exhibited excellent biocompatibility, suggesting its potential as a promising candidate for PTT/PDT-based antibacterial therapy in biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138402"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643510","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 : 2025-03-15DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138405
Zhongtang Gao , Yilin Yuan , Teng Cao , Jiahao Yang , Zhiming Gao , Yuan Yu
{"title":"Melt structure of NiCrW superalloy near liquidus studied by experiment and molecular dynamics simulation","authors":"Zhongtang Gao , Yilin Yuan , Teng Cao , Jiahao Yang , Zhiming Gao , Yuan Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effects of different isothermal temperature treatments near the liquidus on the solidification structure and melt structure of NiCrW superalloy were studied by high temperature X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics. The results of X-ray diffraction experiments show that there is a pre-peak exists prior to the main peak at 1400 °C, which indicates that the melt is composed of clusters with medium-range order (MRO) structure. The simulation results show that the number of clusters increases as the temperature decreases, and the dominant clusters are <0 3 6 4>, <0 2 8 4>, and <0 1 10 2>. Finally, the experimental results show that the grain size distribution is relatively uniform and the degree of grain spheroidization is better at the temperature near the liquidus, which attribute to the exists of pre-peak and medium-range order in the melt.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138405"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643519","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 : 2025-03-15DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138401
Yepeng Zhang, Yunxiang Fan , Wei Kuang, Huilin Tian, Xin Wang
{"title":"Bio-based hydrogel sensor based on Curdlan/carboxymethyl chitosan for monitoring human physiological activities","authors":"Yepeng Zhang, Yunxiang Fan , Wei Kuang, Huilin Tian, Xin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bio-based hydrogels are ideal for flexible sensors due to their biocompatibility and adjustable physicochemical properties. This study presents a bio-based hydrogel composite exhibiting low-temperature resistance and antibacterial properties. The composite utilizes curdlan and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) as substrates, with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) incorporated to form a dual-network hydrogel through hydrogen and ionic bonds. This hydrogel achieves a tensile strength of up to 1.5 MPa and demonstrates growth inhibition rates of 98.57 % for E. coli and 97.60 % for S. aureus. The conductive sensitivity (GF) reaches 3.37, and the response time is 0.21 s. This sensor is applicable for monitoring physiological activities, such as limb movements and facial expressions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138401"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643513","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":"Laser powder bed fusion of mixed aluminum powders: Microstructure features and mechanical properties","authors":"S.O. Rogachev, L.V. Fedorenko, E.A. Naumova, N.Yu. Tabachkova, V.E. Bazhenov, S.V. Chernyshikhin","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aluminum alloy was synthesized by the LBBF method from a mixture of different secondary aluminum powders containing Mg, Zn, Fe, Ce, Si, Co and Ni alloying elements with their total amount of about 6 wt%. The annealing treatment of the alloy at 200 °C relieved high internal stress, which allowed to achieve an excellent combination of strength and plasticity. Depending on the scanning speed, the tensile strength and relative elongation varied from 266 to 324 MPa and from 16 to 19 %, respectively. Such properties were the result of the ultra-fine cellular microstructure formation, with the cell boundaries formed by chains of nanosized aluminide particles. Detailed studies of the heterogeneity of the microstructure and its morphology were carried out. High thermal stability of the synthesized material was established.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643514","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 : 2025-03-14DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138399
Xiaolong Wang, Xiaorui Zhao, Linlin Duan
{"title":"Correlation of pore structure, graphitization, and thermal conductivity on ordered mesoporous carbons","authors":"Xiaolong Wang, Xiaorui Zhao, Linlin Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Highly ordered mesoporous carbons (OMC) materials possess enormous potential for many high-tech applications, such as bioreactors, dielectrics, thermal insulation, sensors, and catalysts. This study explores the synthesis of two types of OMCs with distinct pore structures using the solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly method. We investigated the relationship between the degree of graphitization and the thermal conductivity of these ordered mesoporous carbon materials, which were prepared at different calcination temperatures. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results indicate that the graphitization of FDU-16, characterized by a body-centered cubic (<em>Im</em><span><math><mrow><mover><mi>3</mi><mn>–</mn></mover></mrow></math></span> <em>m</em>) pore structure, surpasses that of FDU-15, which features a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal (<em>p6mm</em>) pore structure. We first establish a correlation between pore structure, degree of graphitization, and thermal conductivity in ordered mesoporous carbon materials, offering a potential solution to challenges related to insufficient thermal conductivity and ineffective thermal management in porous materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 138399"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683721","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":"Construction of TiO2/crystalline RP heterojunction by interfacial Ti-O-P bond for enhanced charge migration in photocatalysis","authors":"Xiaowen Yang, Hexiang Zhao, Tianhao Li, Yingnan Duan, Zhurui Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The technology of converting solar energy into hydrogen through photocatalysis is considered as an effective way to alleviate energy shortage. Elemental red phosphorus (RP) has shown great application potential in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) due to its wide light absorption range, and inexpensive, but its high recombination rate of photogenerated carriers limits its wide application. In this paper, crystalline type Ⅱ red phosphorus (CRP) and titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) heterojunction (TiO<sub>2</sub>@RP) were constructed by a simple liquid phase method. The characterization results showed that an effective heterojunction interface was formed between CRP and TiO<sub>2</sub> by Ti-O-P bond. The construction of TiO<sub>2</sub>@RP heterojunction promoted the separation of photogenerated charge, which greatly enhanced the PHE performance. The PHE (λ > 420 nm) of as-constructed heterojunction reached 288.8 μmol·g<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, which enhanced 2.68 times that of CRP. This study will provide a new idea for the rational design of efficient heterojunction photocatalyst.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138400"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629217","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 : 2025-03-14DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138397
Haina Wang , Xiangnan Chen , Ruohao Li , Jingyi Fan , Xin Tian , Guowen Zhang
{"title":"Hierarchical N doped carbon foams with significantly enhanced electromagnetic absorptions","authors":"Haina Wang , Xiangnan Chen , Ruohao Li , Jingyi Fan , Xin Tian , Guowen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Melamine foams are commonly used as precursors for the carbon foams’ synthesis. In this paper, polypyrrole was chosen for the modification of melamine foams, realizing hierarchical N doped carbon foams through a one-step carbonization. Polypyrrole played multiple roles, such as stabilizing the foam structures, regulating the morphology and providing the doping N source, etc. The hierarchical N doped carbon foams showed significantly enhanced electromagnetic absorptions with the optimal reflection loss reached −44.58 dB at 8.23 GHz. This paper provides referencing pathway for the design of lightweight electromagnetic absorption materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644756","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 : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138395
Yan Luo, Manfang Chen, Yongqian He, Wanqi Zhang, Sisi Liu, Yongjie Ye, Mengqing Wang, Ying Chen, Xuxiong Zhang, Zhaohang Zuo, Xianyou Wang
{"title":"Tubular carbon nitride composite with Ni/MoO2 as an electrocatalyst to accelerate the conversion of lithium polysulfide in lithium-sulfur batteries","authors":"Yan Luo, Manfang Chen, Yongqian He, Wanqi Zhang, Sisi Liu, Yongjie Ye, Mengqing Wang, Ying Chen, Xuxiong Zhang, Zhaohang Zuo, Xianyou Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138395","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered to be one of the most promising candidates for next-generation rechargeable batteries, owing to their high specific theoretical capacity and ecological friendliness. Nevertheless, the dumb shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide (LiPSs) and their slow reaction kinetics hinder the practical application of LSBs. Herein, nickel composite with molybdenum dioxide particles based on tubular carbon nitride (Ni/MoO<sub>2</sub>/CN) is successfully constructed to achieve the adsorption of LiPSs and promote the kinetics of their conversion. The adsorption experiments and kinetic tests indicate that the composite material demonstrates significant confinement and catalytic capability for LiPSs, which effectively suppressing the shuttle effect. As a result, the battery with Ni/MoO<sub>2</sub>/CN modified separator exhibits a impressive rate performance (927 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 1C) and long cycle stability (1000 cycles, with a capacity decay rate of 0.05 % per cycle) was achieved at 3C. This study helps to further promote the development of electrocatalysts for high-performance LSBs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138395"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143632066","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 : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138391
Yifei Song, Shuang Yu, Fang Liu, Hongqiang Wang, Jiao Li
{"title":"Electrospun lithium-rich Li1.2Ni0.32Co0.04Mn0.44O2 porous nanofibers as high-performance cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries","authors":"Yifei Song, Shuang Yu, Fang Liu, Hongqiang Wang, Jiao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Porous Li<sub>1.2</sub>Ni<sub>0.32</sub>Co<sub>0.04</sub>Mn<sub>0.44</sub>O<sub>2</sub> nanofibers (LNCM-F) were prepared via electrospinning and subsequent annealing process, and then employed as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. This porous architecture with interconnected networks offers more electrochemical active sites and shortens electron/ion transfer distance, thus facilitating rapid electron/ion transport during the charge/discharge process. Furthermore, the excellent structural stability of the porous networks significantly contributes to the alleviation of volume change upon cycling. Consequently, LNCM-F cathode delivers a high discharge capacity of 146 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.5 C after 100 cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138391"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619625","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 : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138393
B. Amarendhar Rao , Manish Tak , R. Narasimha Rao , Ravi Bathe
{"title":"Investigations on the tribological performance of Inconel-625 and Tungsten carbide tribo-pairs in dry sliding wear at elevated temperatures","authors":"B. Amarendhar Rao , Manish Tak , R. Narasimha Rao , Ravi Bathe","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2025.138393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the tribological behavior of the IN625 superalloy at elevated temperatures. The wear and friction characteristics of IN625 disc samples paired with tungsten carbide (WC) balls were evaluated using a multi-function tribometer at room temperature (26 °C) and elevated temperatures 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and optical profilometry were employed to analyze the wear mechanisms and quantify the wear rate. The results revealed a significant reduction in friction and wear at elevated temperatures, attributed to IN625 alloy softening at 600 °C and above. At temperatures of 800 °C, the formation of a continuous oxide layer further mitigated wear by acting as a protective wear barrier. The wear mechanism transitioned from fatigue and abrasion at room temperature to oxidation and adhesion-dominated behavior at elevated temperatures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 138393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643512","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}