Materials LettersPub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140217
Song Liu , Zhenhai Yu , Siyu Yang , Zhengfei Zhang
{"title":"Dual-ion Cu, Ni-doped V₂O₅ as a high-performance cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries","authors":"Song Liu , Zhenhai Yu , Siyu Yang , Zhengfei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Layered vanadium pentoxide (<em>V</em>₂O₅) is considered a highly promising cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). However, its practical application is hindered by poor cycling stability and sluggish Zn<sup>2+</sup> diffusion kinetics. In this study, a dual-ion Cu, Ni-doped <em>V</em>₂O₅ cathode material, denoted as CNVO 6–1, was successfully synthesized via a convenient one-step hydrothermal method. The incorporation of Cu<sup>2+</sup> slightly expands the interlayer spacing, facilitating rapid Zn<sup>2+</sup> insertion/extraction. Furthermore, the combined effect of Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup> ions stabilizes the layered structure. The CNVO 6–1 electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 384.49 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 1 A g<sup>−1</sup>, superior rate capability (119.47 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> at 20 A g<sup>−1</sup>), and outstanding long-term cycling stability with 85.02% capacity retention after 5000 cycles at 15 A g<sup>−1</sup>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140217"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171580","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.2026.140163
Chengwei Yang , Yuqin Guo , Xu Jia , Xiao Li
{"title":"Aptamer-functionalized Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles for ultrasensitive fluorescence detection of chloramphenicol in food samples","authors":"Chengwei Yang , Yuqin Guo , Xu Jia , Xiao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel fluorescence sensing platform was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of chloramphenicol (CAP) using aptamer-functionalized Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@Au nanoparticles. Under optimized conditions, the assay demonstrated a wide linear range from 1 pM to 1 μM with an exceptionally low detection limit of 0.3 pM, high specificity against structural analogs, and remarkable reproducibility. The method was successfully applied to milk, honey, and fish samples, achieving recoveries of 91.4–109.0% with RSDs ≤6.8%, highlighting its strong anti-interference capacity and practicality. This work offers a robust, reliable, and highly sensitive approach for monitoring trace CAP in food safety applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140163"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076729","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":"Texture transition mechanisms in Monel 400 during cold metal transfer cladding","authors":"Lalit Kumar Yadav , Joy Prakash Misra , Rajnesh Tyagi , Shubham Verma","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140171","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the crystallographic texture evolution of the Monel-400 clad surface produced by cold metal transfer (CMT) wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Microscopic analysis revealed distinct dendrites oriented along the building direction and interface, including equiaxed, cellular, and elongated columnar structures. The maximum ultimate strength of 815 ± 7.8 MPa was observed for the clad surface. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) indicated high-strain texture, i.e., C <span><math><mfenced><mn>110</mn></mfenced><mo><</mo><mfenced><mn>11</mn></mfenced><mfenced><mover><mn>0</mn><mo>¯</mo></mover></mfenced></math></span> and B <span><math><mfenced><mn>111</mn></mfenced><mo><</mo><mfenced><mn>1</mn></mfenced><mfenced><mrow><mover><mn>1</mn><mo>¯</mo></mover><mn>0</mn></mrow></mfenced></math></span>, for Monel-400. The orientation distribution function map (ODF) showed the combined texture formation of recrystallization (Goss<span><math><mspace></mspace><mfenced><mn>110</mn></mfenced><mspace></mspace><mfenced><mn>0</mn></mfenced><mfenced><mn>01</mn></mfenced></math></span>) and deformation texture (S <span><math><mfenced><mn>123</mn></mfenced><mspace></mspace><mfenced><mn>6</mn></mfenced><mfenced><mn>34</mn></mfenced><mo>)</mo></math></span> for a clad surface. Pole-figure and ODF maps indicate directional solidification during the CMT clad process. These texture-microstructure mechanisms contribute to a better understanding of the solidification process of CMT cladding, making Monel-400 well-suited for application in the marine and agriculture industries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140171"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076730","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: 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140155
Jiada Xu, Yuanke Fu, Changliang Wang, Yicheng Feng, Hang Su
{"title":"Cooling curve thermal analysis, microstructure, and solidification characteristics of Mg-5Y-2Gd-2Nd-(0,2)Zn-0.5Zr alloys","authors":"Jiada Xu, Yuanke Fu, Changliang Wang, Yicheng Feng, Hang Su","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, a comparative study was conducted on the solidification behavior and microstructure of Mg-5Y-2Gd-2Nd-0.5Zr alloy before and after adding Zn. The results showed that adding Zn significantly reduced eutectic temperature and solidus temperature. The addition of Zn shortened the time of quasi-solid stage effectively, which reduced hot tearing tendency. HTS reduced from 0.41 to 0.22. Compared with Mg-5Y-2Gd-2Nd-0.5Zr alloy, Zn had an efficient grain refinement effect, reducing the grain size by 22.0%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076731","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.2026.140226
Nejc Suban , Silvo Drnovšek , Hana Uršič
{"title":"Investigation of ceramic powders using piezoresponse force microscopy","authors":"Nejc Suban , Silvo Drnovšek , Hana Uršič","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is a widely used technique for probing the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of ceramic materials at the nanoscale. However, its application to ceramic powders remains challenging due to the irregular non-flat shape of the powders. In this study, an approach for PFM analysis of ceramic powders is presented, where ceramic powders are embedded in polymer resin and polished to achieve flat surface for PFM imaging. The approach is demonstrated on ferroelectric PbZr<sub>0.53</sub>Ti<sub>0.47</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (PZT) and 0.65Pb(Mg<sub>1/3</sub>Nb<sub>2/3</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>–0.35PbTiO<sub>3</sub> (PMN-35PT) powders. PFM imaging reveals the piezoelectricity within the powder particles and localises the ferroelectric domains within them, while the PFM switching spectroscopy experiment is used to observe the domain switching behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171585","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: 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140178
Mehdi Mosayebi , Daniel Paquet , Pierre-Antony Deschênes , Laurent Tôn-Thât , Nabil Bassim
{"title":"Resolving solidification-derived heterogeneities in a martensitic stainless steel by large-volume PFIB tomography","authors":"Mehdi Mosayebi , Daniel Paquet , Pierre-Antony Deschênes , Laurent Tôn-Thât , Nabil Bassim","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large-volume PFIB-based 3D-EBSD/SEM tomography was used to resolve solidification-derived heterogeneities in a CA6NM martensitic steel. δ-ferrite particles, inclusions, and micropores were reconstructed in 3D, revealing distinct morphologies and spatial distributions. δ-ferrite morphology depends on proximity to prior-austenite grain boundaries, with boundary-attached particles remaining elongated and faceted, whereas particles within grain interiors evolve into small, spheroidal remnants. Micropores were classified into gas, gas-shrinkage, and shrinkage pores, while inclusions were uniformly small and near-spherical. Spatial analysis shows strong clustering of micropores relative to the more uniform distribution of δ-ferrite, highlighting the capability of PFIB-based 3D characterization to quantify solidification-derived heterogeneities in martensitic steels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"409 ","pages":"Article 140178"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171372","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140156
Lina Zhang , Ping Huang , Pei Luo , Jue Wang , Xiying Wang , Shunjian Xu
{"title":"Bioengineered cucumber pulp piezoelectric membranes: Bilayer-architected self-powered sensors for multimodal monitoring and eco-energy harvesting","authors":"Lina Zhang , Ping Huang , Pei Luo , Jue Wang , Xiying Wang , Shunjian Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the environmental issues of non-biodegradable fossil fuels, we present a flexible bio-piezoelectric membrane directly fabricated from natural cucumber pulp without complex chemical modification. Chosen for its abundant supply, easy processing into uniform films, and intrinsic cellulose microfibril alignment that promotes dipole ordering, cucumber pulp stands out among biomass materials. Utilizing the non-centrosymmetric cellulose I<sub>β</sub> structure and aligned hydroxyl dipoles, the bilayer membrane delivers a high sensitivity of 38 mV·N<sup>−1</sup> with strong linearity (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.964). Flexible, biocompatible, and biodegradable, the device effectively senses human motion, monitors vibrations, harvests wind energy, and operates in a real-time alarm microsystem for safety alerts. This work offers a practical route to convert abundant natural biomass into high-performance piezoelectric devices, advancing green energy conversion and circular economy goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"408 ","pages":"Article 140156"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075374","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140112
Siqi Wang , Zijian Chen , Ting Li, Haowen Liu, Zhengze Zhang, Qi Yang, Chunxiang Wei, Wei Yang, Hongdian Lu
{"title":"Glycerol-LDH co-engineered P(NIPAm-AETC) hydrogels with high stretchability and thermoresistive strain sensing for wearable early warning","authors":"Siqi Wang , Zijian Chen , Ting Li, Haowen Liu, Zhengze Zhang, Qi Yang, Chunxiang Wei, Wei Yang, Hongdian Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogels are attractive for wearable sensing but often lack mechanical robustness and multifunctionality. Here, a composite hydrogel (ANGL) is prepared by copolymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide with (2-acryloyloxyethyl)trimethylammonium chloride and incorporating glycerol and NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide nanosheets. ANGL delivers >6 MPa tensile strength and ∼600% elongation but endures only ∼14 loading-unloading cycles at 100% strain. The equilibrium-swollen hydrogel (ANGL<sub>eq</sub>) retains 1.16 MPa strength and 898% elongation with 2000-cycle durability. ANGL<sub>eq</sub> further enables 0–800% strain sensing, real-time motion monitoring and gesture control, and exhibits low-hysteresis thermoresistive response (20–60 °C) and rapid flame-triggered signals for early fire-warning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"408 ","pages":"Article 140112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025061","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":"Al3+ doping during coprecipitation as effective route for improving the electrochemical performance of Ni-rich layered-type cathodes","authors":"M.A. Kamenskii , I.N. Kosykh , A.A. Korzhakov , V.V. Pakalnis , L.V. Mashyanova","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nickel-rich layered-type cathode materials are promising ones due to their high energy density and capacity. To overcome the structural instability of these materials during extended cycling, Al<sup>3+</sup> ions were introduced during the precursor synthesis to achieve a stable and uniform elemental distribution in the final active material. The obtained material LiNi<sub>0.86</sub>Co<sub>0.08</sub>Mn<sub>0.05</sub>Al<sub>0.009</sub>O<sub>2</sub> demonstrated remarkable performance (205 and 151 mA∙h∙g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.1C and 2C) and excellent cyclic stability, retaining 83% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles at 1C. The enhanced performance is associated with the effective enhancement of lithium-ion intercalation/deintercalation kinetics, facilitated by the expansion of interlayer distances induced by Al<sup>3+</sup> doping. Thus, precursor doping is simple and effective route to enhance the functional properties of the cathode materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"408 ","pages":"Article 140136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025241","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140164
Maurilio Galletta , Francesco Nastasi , Francesco Priolo , Antonio A. Leonardi , Alessia Irrera
{"title":"Photoenhanced supercapacitance in fractal silicon nanowire-based arrays","authors":"Maurilio Galletta , Francesco Nastasi , Francesco Priolo , Antonio A. Leonardi , Alessia Irrera","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matlet.2026.140164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable energy technologies necessitate efficient and reliable energy-storage systems complementing renewable energy generation. Supercapacitors offer superior power density and cycling stability, making them indispensable for high-power applications. Silicon, the cornerstone of microelectronics, is an earth-abundant material whose nanostructured forms, particularly silicon nanowires (SiNWs), exhibit promising electrochemical and optoelectronic properties. Here we report the fabrication and characterization of fractal and quantum confined SiNW-based supercapacitors exhibiting a fourfold enhancement in specific capacitance under simulated solar illumination. Electrochemical measurements reveal typical non-faradic behavior, with specific capacitance increasing from ≈300 μF/cm<sup>2</sup> in the dark to ≈1.2 mF/cm<sup>2</sup> under illumination. The results highlight the potential of SiNWs as photocapacitors for next-generation electrochemical energy-storage devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":384,"journal":{"name":"Materials Letters","volume":"408 ","pages":"Article 140164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075375","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}