Mousumi Garai, Jayaraman Balamurugan, Zakir Ullah, Manmatha Mahato, Geetha Valurouthu, Jawon Ha, Sujin Cha, Habib Ullah, Hyunjoon Yoo, Akash Deo, Yury Gogotsi, Sang Ouk Kim, Il-Kwon Oh
Durable, cost-effective hydrogen evolution in acidic media requires electrocatalysts that can rival platinum in catalytic activity and stability. We report atomically engineered Ti3C2Tx@C2N heterostructure exploiting robust Ti–N interfacial bonding and electronic coupling to deliver platinum-like performance without noble metals. The hybrid catalyst exhibits ultralow overpotential of 42 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 36 mV dec−1, approaching commercial Pt/C benchmarks. More importantly, it maintains stable operation over 550 h at 100 mA cm−2 in corrosive acidic medium, far surpassing Pt/C. Structural analyses and density functional theory reveal that Ti─N interface optimizes hydrogen adsorption free energy and lowers the kinetic barrier for O─H bond cleavage, while the porous C2N scaffold enhances charge transport and active site accessibility. This synergistic structural and electronic design establishes a generalizable strategy for robust heterostructures, advancing scalable platinum-free electrocatalysts for next-generation proton exchange membrane electrolyzers and other energy conversion technologies.
在酸性介质中持久、经济高效的析氢需要在催化活性和稳定性上能与铂相媲美的电催化剂。我们报告了原子工程Ti3C2Tx@C2N异质结构,利用强大的Ti-N界面键合和电子耦合来提供类似铂的性能,而不需要贵金属。该杂化催化剂在10 mA cm−2下的过电位为42 mV, Tafel斜率为36 mV dec−1,接近商业Pt/C基准。更重要的是,在腐蚀性酸性介质中,在100 mA cm−2下,它可以稳定运行550小时以上,远远超过Pt/C。结构分析和密度功能理论表明,Ti─N界面优化了氢吸附自由能,降低了O─H键断裂的动力学势垒,而多孔C2N支架增强了电荷传输和活性位点的可及性。这种协同结构和电子设计为坚固的异质结构建立了一种通用策略,为下一代质子交换膜电解槽和其他能量转换技术推进了可扩展的无铂电催化剂。
{"title":"Robust Ti─N Interface in MXene-C2N Heterostructures for Ultra-Durable Acidic Hydrogen Evolution","authors":"Mousumi Garai, Jayaraman Balamurugan, Zakir Ullah, Manmatha Mahato, Geetha Valurouthu, Jawon Ha, Sujin Cha, Habib Ullah, Hyunjoon Yoo, Akash Deo, Yury Gogotsi, Sang Ouk Kim, Il-Kwon Oh","doi":"10.1002/adfm.202530090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202530090","url":null,"abstract":"Durable, cost-effective hydrogen evolution in acidic media requires electrocatalysts that can rival platinum in catalytic activity and stability. We report atomically engineered Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<i><sub>x</sub></i>@C<sub>2</sub>N heterostructure exploiting robust Ti–N interfacial bonding and electronic coupling to deliver platinum-like performance without noble metals. The hybrid catalyst exhibits ultralow overpotential of 42 mV at 10 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> and Tafel slope of 36 mV dec<sup>−1</sup>, approaching commercial Pt/C benchmarks. More importantly, it maintains stable operation over 550 h at 100 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> in corrosive acidic medium, far surpassing Pt/C. Structural analyses and density functional theory reveal that Ti─N interface optimizes hydrogen adsorption free energy and lowers the kinetic barrier for O─H bond cleavage, while the porous C<sub>2</sub>N scaffold enhances charge transport and active site accessibility. This synergistic structural and electronic design establishes a generalizable strategy for robust heterostructures, advancing scalable platinum-free electrocatalysts for next-generation proton exchange membrane electrolyzers and other energy conversion technologies.","PeriodicalId":112,"journal":{"name":"Advanced Functional Materials","volume":"207 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186789
Prabhakar Kr. Singh, Probir Saha, Dhiraj Kumar, Surjya K. Pal
{"title":"Developing and investigating the through-thickness attributes of AZ31B deposit fabricated via powder bed friction stir (PBFS) additive manufacturing process: a correlation with multi-stage thermal cycles","authors":"Prabhakar Kr. Singh, Probir Saha, Dhiraj Kumar, Surjya K. Pal","doi":"10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186789","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186789","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":344,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Alloys and Compounds","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186798
Katarzyna Arkusz, Kamila Pasik, Marek Nowak, Mieczyslaw Jurczyk, Ewa Paradowska, Kamil Kowalski, Adam Patalas, Mieczyslawa U. Jurczyk
{"title":"Electrochemical characterization and corrosion resistance of Cu- and Ag-containing Ti alloys produced by mechanical alloying","authors":"Katarzyna Arkusz, Kamila Pasik, Marek Nowak, Mieczyslaw Jurczyk, Ewa Paradowska, Kamil Kowalski, Adam Patalas, Mieczyslawa U. Jurczyk","doi":"10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186798","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.186798","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":344,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Alloys and Compounds","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christoph Putz, Lukas E. Lehner, Stepan Demchyshyn, Bekele Hailegnaw, Phillip Jahelka, Magdalena Breitwieser, Sercan Özen, Andrea Denker, Jürgen Bundesmann, Alina Hanna Dittwald, Dilara Karabulut, Philipp Tockhorn, Steve Albrecht, Felix Lang, Markus C. Scharber, Michael D. Kelzenberg, Harry A. Atwater, Martin Kaltenbrunner
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer unique advantages for space-based energy harvesting, combining cost-effective manufacturing with flexible, high power-to-weight devices that can reduce payload mass in deployable structures. Despite this promise, few reports have demonstrated the viability of this technology in realistic, space-based scenarios, where they are subjected to large temperature variations and hard radiation. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of PSC performance in low Earth orbit (LEO). The champion rigid cell exhibited relatively stable in-orbit performance at ∼80% of initial efficiency over a 44-day measurement interval that concluded nearly 100 days after launch, corresponding to ∼1600 orbital eclipse cycles and temperature ranges from −25 to 35°C. Mission data was systematically compared with laboratory measurements of rigid and ultrathin flexible PSCs across temperatures from −80 to +80°C and upon exposure to high-energy proton radiation. Flexible devices retained over 92% efficiency after a proton dose equivalent to 50 years in orbit. Despite this radiation tolerance, mitigating pre-flight environmental degradation remains a challenge for ultrathin substrates. Combined, this study bridges the gap between short suborbital demonstrations and long-term orbital performance, highlighting the potential of PSCs as a low-cost, resilient alternative for light harvesting, even in harsh space environments.
{"title":"Beyond Earth: Resilience of Quasi-2D Perovskite Solar Cells in Space","authors":"Christoph Putz, Lukas E. Lehner, Stepan Demchyshyn, Bekele Hailegnaw, Phillip Jahelka, Magdalena Breitwieser, Sercan Özen, Andrea Denker, Jürgen Bundesmann, Alina Hanna Dittwald, Dilara Karabulut, Philipp Tockhorn, Steve Albrecht, Felix Lang, Markus C. Scharber, Michael D. Kelzenberg, Harry A. Atwater, Martin Kaltenbrunner","doi":"10.1002/adma.202520433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202520433","url":null,"abstract":"Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer unique advantages for space-based energy harvesting, combining cost-effective manufacturing with flexible, high power-to-weight devices that can reduce payload mass in deployable structures. Despite this promise, few reports have demonstrated the viability of this technology in realistic, space-based scenarios, where they are subjected to large temperature variations and hard radiation. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of PSC performance in low Earth orbit (LEO). The champion rigid cell exhibited relatively stable in-orbit performance at ∼80% of initial efficiency over a 44-day measurement interval that concluded nearly 100 days after launch, corresponding to ∼1600 orbital eclipse cycles and temperature ranges from −25 to 35°C. Mission data was systematically compared with laboratory measurements of rigid and ultrathin flexible PSCs across temperatures from −80 to +80°C and upon exposure to high-energy proton radiation. Flexible devices retained over 92% efficiency after a proton dose equivalent to 50 years in orbit. Despite this radiation tolerance, mitigating pre-flight environmental degradation remains a challenge for ultrathin substrates. Combined, this study bridges the gap between short suborbital demonstrations and long-term orbital performance, highlighting the potential of PSCs as a low-cost, resilient alternative for light harvesting, even in harsh space environments.","PeriodicalId":114,"journal":{"name":"Advanced Materials","volume":"246 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":29.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c02171
M. J. Swamynadhan, Gwan Yeong Jung, Pravan Omprakash, Rohan Mishra
Hexagonal perovskites with face-sharing octahedral connectivity are an underexplored class of materials. We propose quantitative design principles for stabilizing face-sharing ABX3 hexagonal perovskites based on a comparative analysis of oxides and sulfides. By mapping structural preferences across a phase space defined by an electronegativity-corrected tolerance factor and the Shannon radius of the A-site cations, we identify distinct thresholds that separate hexagonal phases from competing cubic polymorphs having corner-sharing octahedral connectivity. Our analysis reveals that sulfides differ significantly from oxides due to the increased covalency of the transition metal–sulfur bonds, which enables broader compositional flexibility. Applying these principles, we predict a set of thermodynamically formable ABO3 and ABS3 compounds that are likely to adopt face-sharing octahedral connectivity. These findings establish a predictive framework for designing hexagonal perovskites, highlighting sulfides as promising candidates for obtaining quasi-one-dimensional materials having transition-metal cations for novel ferroic phenomena.
{"title":"Design Rules and Discovery of Face-Sharing Hexagonal Perovskites","authors":"M. J. Swamynadhan, Gwan Yeong Jung, Pravan Omprakash, Rohan Mishra","doi":"10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c02171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c02171","url":null,"abstract":"Hexagonal perovskites with face-sharing octahedral connectivity are an underexplored class of materials. We propose quantitative design principles for stabilizing face-sharing <i>ABX</i><sub>3</sub> hexagonal perovskites based on a comparative analysis of oxides and sulfides. By mapping structural preferences across a phase space defined by an electronegativity-corrected tolerance factor and the Shannon radius of the <i>A</i>-site cations, we identify distinct thresholds that separate hexagonal phases from competing cubic polymorphs having corner-sharing octahedral connectivity. Our analysis reveals that sulfides differ significantly from oxides due to the increased covalency of the transition metal–sulfur bonds, which enables broader compositional flexibility. Applying these principles, we predict a set of thermodynamically formable <i>AB</i>O<sub>3</sub> and <i>AB</i>S<sub>3</sub> compounds that are likely to adopt face-sharing octahedral connectivity. These findings establish a predictive framework for designing hexagonal perovskites, highlighting sulfides as promising candidates for obtaining quasi-one-dimensional materials having transition-metal cations for novel ferroic phenomena.","PeriodicalId":33,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry of Materials","volume":"120 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122017
Ian Geiger, Yuan Tian, Ying Han, Yutong Bi, Xiaoqing Pan, Penghui Cao, Timothy J. Rupert
Local chemical ordering strongly influences the behavior of complex concentrated alloys, yet its characterization remains challenging due to the nanoscale dimensions and scattered spatial distribution of the ordered domains. Here, we study chemical ordering near grain boundaries, demonstrating that interfaces can act as microstructural anchor points that amplify chemical order and promote near-boundary compositional modulation. Atomistic simulations reveal the development of composition waves with ordering vectors normal to the boundary plane in two distinct material systems, CrCoNi and NbMoTaW. These waves manifest as periodic enrichment-depletion patterns that reflect the underlying chemical ordering tendencies of each system, with amplified contrast that can extend several nanometers into the grain interior before gradually decaying. By examining multiple grain boundary orientations and alloys, we show that both the interfacial segregation profile and the crystallographic terminating plane govern the extent and character of this amplification. This interplay between boundary-dictated directional ordering and the diffuse, untemplated chemical domain evolution within the grain advances our understanding of interface-mediated ordering phenomena and suggests new opportunities for experimentally detecting local chemical order in complex concentrated alloys.
{"title":"Grain boundaries amplify local chemical ordering in complex concentrated alloys","authors":"Ian Geiger, Yuan Tian, Ying Han, Yutong Bi, Xiaoqing Pan, Penghui Cao, Timothy J. Rupert","doi":"10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122017","url":null,"abstract":"Local chemical ordering strongly influences the behavior of complex concentrated alloys, yet its characterization remains challenging due to the nanoscale dimensions and scattered spatial distribution of the ordered domains. Here, we study chemical ordering near grain boundaries, demonstrating that interfaces can act as microstructural anchor points that amplify chemical order and promote near-boundary compositional modulation. Atomistic simulations reveal the development of composition waves with ordering vectors normal to the boundary plane in two distinct material systems, CrCoNi and NbMoTaW. These waves manifest as periodic enrichment-depletion patterns that reflect the underlying chemical ordering tendencies of each system, with amplified contrast that can extend several nanometers into the grain interior before gradually decaying. By examining multiple grain boundary orientations and alloys, we show that both the interfacial segregation profile and the crystallographic terminating plane govern the extent and character of this amplification. This interplay between boundary-dictated directional ordering and the diffuse, untemplated chemical domain evolution within the grain advances our understanding of interface-mediated ordering phenomena and suggests new opportunities for experimentally detecting local chemical order in complex concentrated alloys.","PeriodicalId":238,"journal":{"name":"Acta Materialia","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jma.2026.101999
C. Liu, H. Yu, Z.X. He, W. Yu, H.Y. Ma, Q.Z. Wang, Y.L. Xu, Q. Xu, S.H. Park, F.X. Yin
{"title":"Damping behavior of as-extruded pure Mg and Mg-Bi binary alloys","authors":"C. Liu, H. Yu, Z.X. He, W. Yu, H.Y. Ma, Q.Z. Wang, Y.L. Xu, Q. Xu, S.H. Park, F.X. Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.jma.2026.101999","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2026.101999","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16214,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Magnesium and Alloys","volume":"133 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jma.2026.101990
Yuxuan Tu, Dongdong Zheng, Zhuo Li, Ze Xu, Deqiang Chen, Chenghang Zhang, Huaming Wang
{"title":"Discussion of the influence of Al content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-xAl-Zn alloys fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing","authors":"Yuxuan Tu, Dongdong Zheng, Zhuo Li, Ze Xu, Deqiang Chen, Chenghang Zhang, Huaming Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jma.2026.101990","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2026.101990","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16214,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Magnesium and Alloys","volume":"98 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Adhesive failure under the combined conditions of water and impact not only leads to the separation of bonded objects but can also trigger severe economic losses, structural collapse, and even life-threatening danger. Herein, we have developed an excellent impact-resistant adhesive suitable for underwater applications by hydrophobic protective B─O bonds. This design enables rapid energy dissipation upon impact while the hydrophobic components protect the dynamic B─O bonds from hydrolysis, ensuring reliable underwater adhesion. The resulting adhesive achieves an adhesive strength of 1.01 MPa under dry conditions and retains over 90% of its strength under water, significantly outperforming the 3 m commercial adhesive (0.49 MPa). It also exhibits an impact force attenuation efficiency of up to 83.3%; when configured into a sandwich structure, the efficiency maintains high levels of 85.9% and 87.7% under dry and water-immersed conditions, respectively, with excellent structural integrity. This work provides a straightforward and effective strategy for developing high-performance underwater impact-resistant adhesives.
{"title":"Impact-Resistant Underwater Adhesive Based on the Shear-Stiffening Effect via Hydrophobic Protective B─O Bonds","authors":"Minjie Cai, Wenyi Xie, Haitao Wu, Yue Huang, Hongle Liu, Qi Wu, Jinrong Wu","doi":"10.1002/smll.202514263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514263","url":null,"abstract":"Adhesive failure under the combined conditions of water and impact not only leads to the separation of bonded objects but can also trigger severe economic losses, structural collapse, and even life-threatening danger. Herein, we have developed an excellent impact-resistant adhesive suitable for underwater applications by hydrophobic protective B─O bonds. This design enables rapid energy dissipation upon impact while the hydrophobic components protect the dynamic B─O bonds from hydrolysis, ensuring reliable underwater adhesion. The resulting adhesive achieves an adhesive strength of 1.01 MPa under dry conditions and retains over 90% of its strength under water, significantly outperforming the 3 <span>m</span> commercial adhesive (0.49 MPa). It also exhibits an impact force attenuation efficiency of up to 83.3%; when configured into a sandwich structure, the efficiency maintains high levels of 85.9% and 87.7% under dry and water-immersed conditions, respectively, with excellent structural integrity. This work provides a straightforward and effective strategy for developing high-performance underwater impact-resistant adhesives.","PeriodicalId":228,"journal":{"name":"Small","volume":"63 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}