Zhang Yukun, Ke Fang, Zheng Zijing, Zhang Shuai, Duan Qingyong, Lu Hepeng, Xiong Shanxin, Wang Xiaoqin, Li Jinhang
{"title":"Scalable synthesis and performance optimization of silicon/ flake Graphite@Hard carbon composite anodes for lithium-ion batteries by wet ball milling","authors":"Zhang Yukun, Ke Fang, Zheng Zijing, Zhang Shuai, Duan Qingyong, Lu Hepeng, Xiong Shanxin, Wang Xiaoqin, Li Jinhang","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11506-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11506-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the saturation of lithium-ion battery cathode materials research, anode materials have gained increasing attention for their potential advancements. Among them, silicon electrodes, with a theoretical capacity nearly ten times that of graphite, face challenges from significant volume expansion during the charge–discharge cycle, leading to capacity fading and reduced cycle life. Therefore, this study shows a scalable and economical approach. Firstly, silicon anodes were improved through the preparation of silicon/graphite composites via wet ball milling. Subsequently, the phenolic resin was used as a coating and sintered to create a robust carbon layer, which serves to strengthen the composite structure and reduce the volume expansion of silicon. The composite was prepared with 800 mesh flake graphite, silicon-carbon ratio 1:2, ball milling for 5 h and coated with hard carbon (Si/FG@HC-800-125) shows remarkable electrochemical performance, reaching an initial discharge specific capacity of 1024.5 mAh/g and an initial Coulombic efficiency of 86.9%, with a capacity retention rate of 62.92% after 200 cycles. The findings show that the combination of wet ball milling and hard carbon coating effectively enhances the conductivity and structural stability of silicon-based anodes, providing a viable route for large-scale production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 38","pages":"17796 - 17810"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145143249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liang Yan, Hui Zhou, Run Hong, Wenlong Dong, Huaqiang Chu
{"title":"Catalyst-substrate interaction governs SWCNT nucleation and cap lift-off: insights from molecular dynamics simulation","authors":"Liang Yan, Hui Zhou, Run Hong, Wenlong Dong, Huaqiang Chu","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11492-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11492-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Nucleation is a pivotal stage in dictating the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and has historically been a central focus in studies of their synthesis mechanisms. Particularly after the formation of a graphene cap, the atomic-scale competition between catalyst encapsulation and cap lift-off directly determines whether single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can successfully grow. However, systematically elucidating and precisely controlling the dynamic mechanism of this competition remains challenging. This study selects nickel (Ni) nanoparticles as the catalyst system and employs reactive force field molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulations to systematically and deeply investigate the growth dynamics of SWCNTs and the cap lift-off mechanism. This study reveals the significant influence of catalyst/substrate interaction strength on the structural evolution of the carbon cap and its lift-off. Based on these findings and the principle of system energy minimization, a dynamic theoretical model is proposed to describe catalyst periodic dynamic restructuring and cap/catalyst interactions during the nucleation process, which provides the new theoretical guidance for the future precise control of SWCNT synthesis and their structural integrity.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16181 - 16198"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janet Obaemo, Eric Dong, Michael Mastalish, Evans Addo-Mensah, Hugh Churchill, Uche Wejinya
{"title":"Dielectric performance and cryogenic stability of CdPS3 for quantum device applications","authors":"Janet Obaemo, Eric Dong, Michael Mastalish, Evans Addo-Mensah, Hugh Churchill, Uche Wejinya","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11415-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11415-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>One of the critical challenges in advancing quantum computing is mitigating material defects, particularly at the interfaces of superconducting layers and circuits. High dielectric losses further limit performance, necessitating stable high-κ materials. In this work, we introduce Cadmium Trithiophosphate (CdPS<sub>3</sub>) as a promising high-κ material at the nanoscale with a dielectric constant up to 10 at 44.07 nm thickness and a breakdown voltage surpassing traditional SiO<sub>2</sub>. Capacitance measurements in a Metal–Insulator–Metal (MIM) structure across 50–150 kHz reveal stable dielectric behavior, particularly in thinner flakes. Dielectric constants averaged 9.8 for 40–44 nm thick CdPS<sub>3</sub> and 8.5 for 115–119 nm thick CdPS<sub>3</sub>, respectively. The breakdown voltage analysis was conducted up to 200 V, and cryogenic testing at 4 K confirms its robustness under extreme conditions. These findings position CdPS<sub>3</sub> as a stable high-κ dielectric material suitable for energy storage, sensors, and quantum devices, where minimizing dielectric loss is crucial for maintaining coherence and device efficiency.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16212 - 16225"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10853-025-11415-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renzhong Xue, Yilong Duan, Zijiong Li, Haiyan Wang
{"title":"Review: recent progress in the inhibition of metal dendrites in sodium/potassium ion batteries","authors":"Renzhong Xue, Yilong Duan, Zijiong Li, Haiyan Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11417-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11417-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to the abundance and cost-effectiveness of sodium and potassium resources. However, the growth of metal dendrites on sodium/potassium anodes poses significant safety and performance challenges. This review systematically summarizes recent advancements in suppressing dendrite formation through electrolyte optimization, artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) engineering, and nanostructured electrode design. For sodium metal anodes, strategies such as high-concentration electrolytes (e.g., NaFSI-DME), fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additives, and 3D porous frameworks (e.g., carbonized wood or MXene hybrids) have demonstrated enhanced Coulombic efficiency (> 99%) and dendrite-free cycling stability. Similarly, potassium metal anodes benefit from surface modifications (e.g., graphene-coated collectors), alloy-based protective layers (e.g., K-Hg), and optimized ionic liquid electrolytes, achieving stable operation at high current densities (20 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>). The review also highlights the role of solid-state and polymer electrolytes in improving interfacial stability and mechanical robustness. Despite progress, challenges remain in balancing ionic conductivity, interfacial compatibility, and scalability. Future directions emphasize co-optimizing SEI/cathode-electrolyte interphases, leveraging advanced materials (e.g., biomass-derived carbons, MXenes), and integrating computational modeling to accelerate the development of high-energy–density, safe SIBs/PIBs for grid storage and electric vehicles.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 37","pages":"16602 - 16624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145128752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unravelling the effect of diverse microstructural features on nano-mechanical properties and multiple pop-in behaviours in a multiphase lightweight steel","authors":"Debarpan Ghosh, Suman Kumar, Bhagyaraj Jayabalan, Subrata Mukherjee, Sumantra Mandal","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11464-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11464-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the current investigation, nano-indentation tests have been performed in Ni-containing Fe–Al–Mn–C steel in homogenized (undeformed) and forged (deformed) conditions in order to comprehend the nanoscale mechanical properties and multiple pop-in behaviours. The nano-hardness is observed to be higher in both BCC (~ 10.3 ± 0.9 GPa) and FCC (~ 9.9 ± 0.9 GPa) phases of undeformed specimen in comparison with the deformed one, which predominantly indicates the influence of nano-sized precipitates on the nano-hardness. Conversely, the grain boundary (GB) and the interphase region in deformed specimen show a higher nano-hardness of ~ 13 ± 0.8 GPa and ~ 10 ± 1.3 GPa in BCC and FCC, respectively, than the undeformed specimen due to the presence of coarse precipitates along GB and interphase. Further, the elastic modulus (<span>({E}_{s})</span>) of the individual phases is calculated for both the specimens, and its dependency on the microstructural features is explored. In addition, the differences in multiple pop-in behaviours (i.e. the variation in pop-in length) in the <i>P–h</i> curve is explored and correlated with various underlying mechanisms. The multiple pop-in behaviour is observed to be associated with the factors such as the precipitate–dislocation interactions, the presence of pre-existing dislocations and the strain field generated due to dislocations.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16364 - 16392"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nuray Beköz Üllen, Gizem Karabulut Şevk, Ali Can Özarslan, Mine Kuçak
{"title":"Surface integrity-dependent nanoparticle coating efficiency: exploring sonochemically synthesized Zingiber officinale extract-based ZnO nanoparticles on Ti6Al4V","authors":"Nuray Beköz Üllen, Gizem Karabulut Şevk, Ali Can Özarslan, Mine Kuçak","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11447-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11447-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Techniques are being developed to modify and functionalize metallic biomaterials by altering their surface morphology and structure without compromising their mechanical integrity. A unique combination of properties can be imparted with surface machining and biocompatible nanocoatings, which are the main themes of this study. For this purpose, surface machining and biocompatible nanocoatings were developed to modify the morphology and structure of metallic biomaterials. Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces with three different levels of roughness were coated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized via a plant-mediated, ultrasound-assisted green synthesis method using ginger extract (GE) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a biopolymer stabilizing agent. The morphology of the synthesized organic–inorganic matrix-based ZnO NPs was characterized. Contact angles of uncoated and coated surfaces were measured to assess the effects of roughness and coatings on wettability. A detailed investigation was conducted to understand the surface characteristics of coated Ti6Al4V substrates. In vitro cell viability assays evaluated the biological response to the coatings. Results showed that spherical ZnO NPs were successfully synthesized. Increased feed rate during machining raised substrate roughness, but nanocoating reduced final roughness. Higher roughness affected the coating morphology, and contact angles increased with both roughness and coating. Contact angles were ranged from 59° to 63° for uncoated surfaces and 60° to 67° for coated samples. All samples showed cell viability above 70%, indicating no cytotoxicity. Overall, optimizing surface roughness and applying ZnO NPs coatings enabled the creation of multifunctional surfaces on Ti6Al4V alloy, making them promising for biomedical applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16328 - 16350"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bo Li, Gang Lu, Xutao Huang, Wenxin Wang, Xi Wang, Yujie Liu, Sixin Zhao, Jianjun Wang
{"title":"Formation mechanisms of the mixed-grain structures in 20CrNiMo steel during warm forging and subsequent heat treatment","authors":"Bo Li, Gang Lu, Xutao Huang, Wenxin Wang, Xi Wang, Yujie Liu, Sixin Zhao, Jianjun Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11194-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11194-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gears are essential components in mechanical systems, which are critical for motion transmission in industrial equipment. However, localized mixed-grain structures form in 20CrNiMo steel during warm forging at 800–900 °C, reducing gear service life. This study integrated finite element simulations and isothermal compression experiments to explore the formation mechanism of mixed-grain structures in steel during warm forging and subsequent heat treatment. Results showed that mixed-grain structure formation was collectively governed by strain-rate-dominated deformation-induced thermal effects, dynamic recrystallization mechanisms, and stored energy heterogeneity. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization dominated at low strain rates due to relatively weak deformation-induced thermal effects. The recrystallization volume fraction remained low, with stored strain energy distributed uniformly. During subsequent heat treatment, nucleation preferentially initiated in unrecrystallized regions, promoting uniform grain growth. In contrast, at high strain rates, thermomechanical coupling induced dominant continuous dynamic recrystallization. Significant local kernel average misorientation differences generated stored energy gradients, driving grain boundary migration during heat treatment. Without precipitate phases to suppress this, abnormal grains grew via boundary migration, leading to mixed-grain structures. These findings establish theoretical foundations for suppressing mixed-grain defects in 20CrNiMo steel during warm forging and subsequent heat treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16393 - 16412"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research on closed-loop recycling and regeneration technology of lithium-depleted LiFePO4 cathode waste","authors":"Qihai Yang, Lixia Chen, Youtao Xiang, Tingting Zhao, Jing Luo, Zhongliang Xiao, Qunxuan Yan, Liubin Song","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11413-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11413-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Efficient recycling and regeneration of LiFePO<sub>4</sub> cathode waste from spent lithium-ion batteries is crucial for achieving resource recovery and promoting sustainable development. In light of the challenges associated with regenerating delithiated LiFePO<sub>4</sub> waste (delithiated slag) due to its elevated impurity levels, this study presents a closed-loop recovery and regeneration technology that leverages a coupled process involving sulfuric acid leaching followed by hydrothermal precipitation. By optimizing the sulfuric acid leaching conditions (concentration 2.5 mol/L, temperature 60 ℃, time 2.5 h, and solid–liquid ratio 1:10), the leaching rates of iron and phosphorus reached 94.95% and 95.68%, respectively. The leachate was treated with ammonia water (pH = 2, 60 ℃, aged for 2 h) to precipitate high-purity FePO<sub>4</sub> precursors. These precursors were subsequently utilized to synthesize regenerated LiFePO<sub>4</sub>/C (LFP-B) cathode materials. The results indicated that the regenerated material exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 150.17 mAh/g at a rate of 1 C, along with a capacity retention rate of up to 90.67% after 500 cycles. Furthermore, its electrochemical performance was found to be comparable to that of commercial lithium iron phosphate materials. This study provides an economical and environmentally friendly technical solution to the problem of impurity interference in used LiFePO<sub>4</sub> batteries by constructing a closed-loop path of “delithiated slag → regenerated precursor → high-performance cathode material”, which is of great significance for promoting the recycling of lithium battery materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16292 - 16308"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Publisher Correction: Solubility of vanadium in barium titanate ceramics","authors":"Andrew Aumen, Seonghwan Hong, E. C. Dickey","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11251-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11251-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 36","pages":"16576 - 16576"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10853-025-11251-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Minglei Zhang, Xiaoya Chen, Quanan Li, Zheng Wu, Shuhao An
{"title":"Quantitative analysis of the microstructure of Mg-RE alloys based on deep learning models","authors":"Minglei Zhang, Xiaoya Chen, Quanan Li, Zheng Wu, Shuhao An","doi":"10.1007/s10853-025-11467-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10853-025-11467-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microstructure is a key factor affecting the mechanical properties of materials, especially the morphology, distribution, and size characteristics of the second phase. Traditional conventional characterization methods do not yet have quantitative analysis tools. In recent years, the rise of deep learning technology, particularly breakthroughs in image segmentation and feature extraction, has provided new solutions for the automated analysis of alloy Microstructures. This study proposes a deep learning-based method for automatic identification and quantitative analysis of the second phase in Mg-RE alloys. By constructing a semantic segmentation model combining the U-Net structure with the CABM mechanism, we successfully achieved accurate identification of the second phase regions in the Microstructure of alloys. Not only did the Dice coefficient increase from 0.79 to 0.84, but the training time for each batch was reduced from 3000 to 480 ms. Using this model, we performed image segmentation and feature extraction on alloy samples under different heat treatment conditions, revealing the influence of solid solution treatment on second phase particles. In particular, the effect of solid solution treatment time on the size and distribution of the second phase was investigated, and the optimal solid solution time was determined through characteristic quantitative analysis. This study not only provides a new tool for the efficient analysis of alloy microstructure but also provides strong data support for optimizing alloy heat treatment processes, demonstrating significant academic value and application potential.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":645,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Science","volume":"60 38","pages":"18017 - 18032"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}