{"title":"Recent progress and perspectives on electrode materials for zinc-based batteries","authors":"Adil Alshoaibi","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03724-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03724-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have recently attracted considerable attention as promising energy storage devices because of their low cost, inherent safety, and environmental friendliness. However, the development of high-performance anodes for ZIBs remains a significant challenge due to dendrite formation, zinc anode degradation, limited capacity, poor rechargeability, sluggish reaction kinetics, and inadequate structural stability. This review discusses recent advances in anode modification strategies aimed at addressing these limitations and enhancing the overall electrochemical performance of ZIBs. It begins by introducing the operating mechanism of ZIBs, followed by a comprehensive discussion of various anode modification approaches, including zinc alloy fabrication, surface modification, quantum confinement, electrolyte modification, and the development of zinc-based composite anodes. The review also summarizes the electrochemical performance of representative zinc-based anode materials for ZIBs and highlights their potential applications in energy storage systems. Finally, the review discusses the current challenges and future perspectives for the development of next-generation zinc-based anode materials and outlines emerging strategies to further improve the energy storage performance of ZIBs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751208","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}
Wei Li, Huifeng Tan, Jianzheng Wei, Rong Yang, Lisheng Zhou, Xuan Liu, Juan Du
{"title":"A study on the effect of temperature alternating environment on creep behavior of Vectran fiber","authors":"Wei Li, Huifeng Tan, Jianzheng Wei, Rong Yang, Lisheng Zhou, Xuan Liu, Juan Du","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03709-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03709-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Under tensile loading, Vectran fiber exhibits significant creep behavior. This paper combines theoretical analysis with systematic experimental investigations to comprehensively compare its creep characteristics under high- and low-temperature alternating environments with those under room-temperature conditions. The findings not only establish creep equations applicable to different operating conditions for Vectran fiber but also enable reliable prediction of its creep lifetime. Furthermore, drawing on extensive previous research into the creep behavior of synthetic fibers and ropes, this paper highlights the unique effects of high- and low-temperature alternating environments on the long-term mechanical performance of Vectran fiber. This study overcomes the limitations of existing experimental methods by employing a custom-designed, simple, and reliable apparatus to conduct creep tests under complex environmental conditions. By comparing the results with those obtained under room-temperature conditions, it reveals the critical role of environmental factors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751207","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":"Preparation of Ti6Al4V powder through molten salt electrolysis in a CaCl2 bath using modular cathode system","authors":"D K Kar, J Mohanty","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03663-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03663-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the preparation of titanium alloy with aluminium and vanadium (Ti6Al4V) alloy powder through an electrochemical route in a molten CaCl<sub>2</sub> bath. Reagent-grade metal oxide powders of titanium (Ti), aluminium (Al) and vanadium (V) were meticulously mixed and compacted into multiple pellets, connecting the resulting multiple pellets to a novel modular cathode system, serving as cathode during electrolysis. Electrolysis was conducted under a constant potential of 3.2 V at 900°C, taking the graphite crucible containing the molten electrolyte as anode to produce Ti6Al4V powder. Phase analysis via X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of the desired Ti alloy, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed its morphological characteristics. Compositional analysis using energy–dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) further validated the alloy composition. The reduction pattern with respect to the time period of electrolysis was analysed through the XRD pattern of reduced samples at different time intervals. The study explores the electrochemical reduction of a customized electrode system using a modular oxide cathode system for Ti6Al4V alloy powder extraction. The developed electrochemical synthesis route and electrode system offer a promising energy-efficient method for producing Ti6Al4V alloy powder.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751116","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}
Y E Gunanto, Y Yunasfi, W A Adi, H Sitompul, M Mashadi, M P Izaak, T Siregar, J Setiawan
{"title":"Tuning absorption bandwidth of single-phase Co–Zn–Ti ferrite via Fe3+ doping for microwave absorption","authors":"Y E Gunanto, Y Yunasfi, W A Adi, H Sitompul, M Mashadi, M P Izaak, T Siregar, J Setiawan","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03685-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03685-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the optimization of electromagnetic-wave absorption in single-phase cobalt titanate-based spinel ferrites through Fe<sup>3+</sup> incorporation in Co<sub>1.9</sub>Zn<sub>0.1</sub>Ti<sub>1−γ</sub>Fe<sub>γ</sub>O<sub>4</sub> (<i>y</i> = 0.5 and 0.6). The materials were synthesized using a solid-state reaction method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and vector network analysis (VNA). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure with the <i>Fd-3m</i> space group. SEM–EDX observations revealed a homogeneous distribution of constituent elements, with average grain sizes ranging from 204 to 234 nm. Magnetic measurements showed that the saturation magnetization (<i>M</i><sub>s</sub>) increased with increasing Fe<sup>3+</sup> content. Electromagnetic characterization demonstrated broadband microwave absorption in the 2–8 GHz frequency range, with the Co<sub>1.9</sub>Zn<sub>0.1</sub>Ti<sub>0.4</sub>Fe<sub>0.6</sub>O<sub>4</sub> composition exhibiting the highest reflection loss (RL<sub>m</sub><sub>in</sub>) of −29.02 dB. These results indicate that Fe<sup>3+</sup> substitution significantly influences the magnetic and electromagnetic properties of Co–Zn–Ti ferrites, highlighting their potential as efficient microwave-absorbing materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750606","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":"Investigation of electrical properties for Ca-modified BaBiNb5O15 compound","authors":"Xinye Yun, Han Wang, Weiguo Wang","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03714-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03714-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>BaBiNb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15</sub>, a tungsten bronze-structured oxygen-ion conductor, shows great promise for medium-temperature solid oxide fuel cells because of its excellent electrical conductivity and thermal stability. The effects of Ca<sup>2+</sup> doping on the structural, microstructural, and electrical conductivity characteristics of BaBi<sub>1−x</sub>Ca<sub>x</sub>Nb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15−δ</sub> compounds were investigated. AC impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that, at 773 K, the grain conductivity of the BaBi<sub>0.95</sub>Ca<sub>0.05</sub>Nb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15−δ</sub> sample reached 3.79 × 10<sup>−4</sup> S cm<sup>−1</sup>, representing an approximately 5.1-fold increase compared with the undoped BBN compound. Dielectric modulus analysis identified an activation energy of 0.37 eV for oxygen-ion diffusion, and the relaxation parameters indicated that the dielectric loss peaks originated from vacancy-mediated oxygen-ion motion in the BaBi<sub>0.95</sub>Ca<sub>0.05</sub>Nb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15−δ</sub> sample. The enhanced ionic conductivity arises from the higher concentration and greater mobility of mobile oxygen vacancies, the lower activation energy, and the shorter relaxation time. These findings elucidate the mechanism of oxygen-vacancy diffusion and the origin of oxygen-ion relaxation behavior in the BaBiNb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15</sub> compound, advancing the fundamental understanding of oxygen-ion conduction while providing guidance for future investigations of the electrical properties of BaBiNb<sub>5</sub>O<sub>15</sub>-based materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750608","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}
K Alfaramawi, S Abboudy, L Abulnasr, A A Aboelanin
{"title":"Influence of donor concentration and temperature on the dielectric response of compound semiconductors in the vicinity of insulator–metal transition: Direct calculations and comparison","authors":"K Alfaramawi, S Abboudy, L Abulnasr, A A Aboelanin","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03670-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03670-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, direct calculations of the dielectric response of selected n-type III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors were carried out. The calculations involved three nominated approaches: the Dhar and Marshak, Abboudy and Poklonski, and Vyrko and Zabrodski (PVZ) models. The data were processed as a function of the donor concentration (<i>N</i>) and temperature (<i>T</i>). At a fixed temperature, when the donor concentration was low, the dielectric response was nearly constant and equal to that of the host semiconductor, whereas it sharply increased at high concentrations and tended to <span>(infty)</span> as <i>N</i> approached the critical concentration (<i>n</i><sub>c</sub>) defined the onset of the metal‒insulator transition (MIT). The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant was studied via a suggested approach. At very low temperatures, a reasonable stability in the dielectric constant was observed, which proved the ability of the temperature to polarize the material. By increasing the temperature, a significant increase in the polarizability was recorded; hence, the dielectric catastrophe was monitored at a critical temperature <span>({T}_{0})</span> in the vicinity of the insulator–metal transition regime.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750609","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":"Raman investigation of pretransition behaviour in potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals and study of coupling between the PO4 distortion and hydrogen atom disorder in these crystals","authors":"R R Choudhury, R Chitra, S Kesari, R Rao","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03687-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03687-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The mixed nature of the ferroelectric phase transition in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), involving both a displacive component associated with the distortion of PO<sub>4</sub> ions and an order–disorder component arising from H-atom disorder in O–H–O′ hydrogen bonds, was investigated using Raman scattering spectroscopy. By analyzing the subtle changes in the Raman frequencies of the crystal in the temperature range Tc < T < 173 K, it is argued that, prior to undergoing the ferroelectric phase transition at Tc, the crystal passes through a pretransitional phase within the temperature range Tc < T < 173 K. In this pretransitional phase, a large number of micropolar regions begin to form within the crystal owing to the dipolar distortion of PO<sub>4</sub> ions induced by the oscillating electric field generated by disordered H atoms. As the temperature approaches Tc, the size of these micropolar regions increases, and at Tc the crystal finally becomes polar.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750871","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":"Study of polymer and nanoparticle mixtures using dynamic light scattering method","authors":"Subrata Mahata, Mojammel H Mondal","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03705-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03705-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mixtures of polyacrylamide (PAM) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated by preparing polymer solutions of different concentrations containing AgNPs at various mixing ratios to understand the effect of AgNPs on the morphological characteristics of the polymer solutions using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. UV–Vis spectroscopy was employed to obtain the absorption spectra of the AgNPs, thereby confirming their formation. The correlation functions were analyzed using the standard theoretical approach, and the particle size distribution profiles obtained from the DLS measurements were evaluated as a function of hydrodynamic diameter. The results show that the morphological characteristics of the polymer solution in the dilute and unentangled semidilute regimes are strongly influenced by the AgNP mixing ratio, with the AgNPs dominating the morphological behavior of the polymer solution. In contrast, in the entangled semidilute regime, the morphological characteristics of the polymer dominate over those of the AgNPs, irrespective of the AgNP mixing ratio. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the effect of incorporating a small amount of AgNPs (12:1) across all concentration regimes. Interestingly, the polymeric characteristics remain dominant throughout the investigated concentration range, indicating that a small amount of AgNPs does not significantly influence the polymer morphology or suppress the slow relaxation mode of the polymer. This study establishes that the PAM–AgNP system is suitable for applications requiring the combined presence of both the polymer and AgNPs. Moreover, depending on the desired morphological characteristics, the AgNP concentration can be tailored so that either the polymer or the AgNPs dominate the overall morphological behavior.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750529","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":"Growth of gold nanoparticles inside lysozyme thin film with variation of chloroauric acid concentration","authors":"Suresh Kumar, Sanu Sarkar, Sarathi Kundu","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03698-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03698-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized within spin-coated lysozyme thin films by varying the concentration of chloroauric acid (HAuCl<sub>4</sub>) in the lysozyme solution. The out-of-plane structure and surface morphology of the AuNP-embedded lysozyme thin films were characterized using X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation of AuNPs within the protein matrix. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was employed to investigate the emission behavior of both lysozyme and the AuNPs, and time-dependent emission measurements were used to monitor nanoparticle growth at different HAuCl<sub>4</sub> concentrations. Combined XRR and TEM analyses indicate that the embedded AuNPs predominantly exhibit a disc-like morphology, whereas TEM further reveals the formation of relatively larger nanoparticles (diameter ≈ 90 nm) at the highest HAuCl<sub>4</sub> concentration (2 mM). The growth of AuNPs within the confined protein thin films follows an exponential (Langmuir-like) growth behavior.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148628565","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}
P Srinath, C Bhagyanathan, J Gottmyers Melwyn, G Sathiyaseelan
{"title":"Enhanced tribological and mechanical properties of A356 aluminium alloy reinforced with high-concentration synthesised titanium carbide","authors":"P Srinath, C Bhagyanathan, J Gottmyers Melwyn, G Sathiyaseelan","doi":"10.1007/s12034-026-03649-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12034-026-03649-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the enhancement of A356 aluminium alloy through the incorporation of synthesised nano-titanium carbide (n-TiC) particles (2.5–10 wt%) to improve mechanical, tribological, and corrosion performance for automotive applications. The composites were produced through stir casting and systematically evaluated. The 10 wt% TiC composite demonstrated the highest performance, with an ultimate tensile strength of 211.9 MPa, a yield strength of 186.4 MPa, and a hardness of 112.56 BHN. These improvements are attributed to grain refinement, uniform TiC dispersion, and the formation of Al–Ti intermetallic phases, which enhanced interfacial bonding. However, composites with higher TiC content exhibited increased wear rates (600 and 500 µm) due to particle agglomeration and porosity. The results highlight the potential of TiC-reinforced A356 composites for advanced structural applications requiring a balance of strength, wear resistance, and corrosion durability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":502,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Materials Science","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614105","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}