Pub Date : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121301
Célia Clémentz , Serge Paofai , Sandrine Berthon-Fabry , Philippe Hapiot , Corinne Lagrost , Yann R. Leroux
Molecular grafting of carbon aerogels, made from the polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde, was studied in order to enhance their specific capacitance in electrochemical capacitors. Grafting of redox entities, anthraquinone, was performed via aryl diazonium reduction. While aryl diazonium salt to carbon aerogel molar ratio does not seem to have an impact on the number of chemisorbed or physisorbed anthraquinone, increasing reaction time, even up to 24 h, leads to an increase of chemisorbed anthraquinone moieties. Physisorption of anthraquinone occurs at the initial stage of the modification and does not evolve with time or molar ratio. Interestingly, physisorbed and chemisorbed anthraquinone moieties are all electroactive and despite an inevitable decrease of the specific surface area, an important increase of the specific capacity of anthraquinone functionalized carbon aerogel up to 84 mAh.g−1 is observed.
{"title":"Insight into molecular grafting of carbon aerogels for electrochemical capacitors applications","authors":"Célia Clémentz , Serge Paofai , Sandrine Berthon-Fabry , Philippe Hapiot , Corinne Lagrost , Yann R. Leroux","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molecular grafting of carbon aerogels, made from the polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde, was studied in order to enhance their specific capacitance in electrochemical capacitors. Grafting of redox entities, anthraquinone, was performed via aryl diazonium reduction. While aryl diazonium salt to carbon aerogel molar ratio does not seem to have an impact on the number of chemisorbed or physisorbed anthraquinone, increasing reaction time, even up to 24 h, leads to an increase of chemisorbed anthraquinone moieties. Physisorption of anthraquinone occurs at the initial stage of the modification and does not evolve with time or molar ratio. Interestingly, physisorbed and chemisorbed anthraquinone moieties are all electroactive and despite an inevitable decrease of the specific surface area, an important increase of the specific capacity of anthraquinone functionalized carbon aerogel up to 84 mAh.g<sup>−1</sup> is observed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121301"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025436","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121302
Fandi Kong, Ke Hua, Zhenkang Zhang, Yue Cao, Qing Zhou, Haifeng Wang
Ti60 high-temperature titanium alloys are widely used in the blades and fasteners of aero-engines, which often suffer severe high-temperature fretting damage, leading to crack initiation and reliability reduction. To address the issue, an effort of reliable protective coatings on titanium is essential. Thus, in this work, Ti2AlC-reinforced Ti-based coatings with inhomogeneous microstructure were designed and fabricated by laser direct deposition to enhance the fretting damage resistance and impact toughness. Special attention has been made to the plastic deformation mechanisms under the dynamic impact and high-temperature fretting damage. Results show that a continuous formation of gradient microstructures in α lath size, inner-strain and colony size, which are fabricated by the modulation of the laser energy density along building direction, contributes to a remarkable 170 % increase in the impact absorbed energy and a significant 54 % reduction in the fretting wear rate at 500 °C. Furthermore, the high impact toughness is attributed to the precipitation of α'' martensite and α to β phase transformation during the dynamic impact, which is induced by the high strain rate, activation of dislocations and severe deformation resulting from the inhomogeneous microstructure after the dynamic impact tests. For the anti-fretting damage, a formation of the nanocrystalline layer and plastic deformation layer in the inhomogeneous microstructure coating was detected during the high-temperature fretting. The kink structure generation and nanotwin formation result in the suppression of inner-strain concentration and crack initiation. This work can not only provide valuable insights into the deformation mechanisms of inhomogeneous microstructures under multi-loading conditions of dynamic impact and high-temperature fretting damage, but also offer a new strategy to improve the fretting damage resistance of the high-temperature titanium alloys.
{"title":"Deformation and damage mechanisms in architectured MAX phase reinforced Ti-based coatings fabricated by laser direct deposition under dynamic impact and elevated-temperature fretting","authors":"Fandi Kong, Ke Hua, Zhenkang Zhang, Yue Cao, Qing Zhou, Haifeng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ti60 high-temperature titanium alloys are widely used in the blades and fasteners of aero-engines, which often suffer severe high-temperature fretting damage, leading to crack initiation and reliability reduction. To address the issue, an effort of reliable protective coatings on titanium is essential. Thus, in this work, Ti<sub>2</sub>AlC-reinforced Ti-based coatings with inhomogeneous microstructure were designed and fabricated by laser direct deposition to enhance the fretting damage resistance and impact toughness. Special attention has been made to the plastic deformation mechanisms under the dynamic impact and high-temperature fretting damage. Results show that a continuous formation of gradient microstructures in α lath size, inner-strain and colony size, which are fabricated by the modulation of the laser energy density along building direction, contributes to a remarkable 170 % increase in the impact absorbed energy and a significant 54 % reduction in the fretting wear rate at 500 °C. Furthermore, the high impact toughness is attributed to the precipitation of α'' martensite and α to β phase transformation during the dynamic impact, which is induced by the high strain rate, activation of dislocations and severe deformation resulting from the inhomogeneous microstructure after the dynamic impact tests. For the anti-fretting damage, a formation of the nanocrystalline layer and plastic deformation layer in the inhomogeneous microstructure coating was detected during the high-temperature fretting. The kink structure generation and nanotwin formation result in the suppression of inner-strain concentration and crack initiation. This work can not only provide valuable insights into the deformation mechanisms of inhomogeneous microstructures under multi-loading conditions of dynamic impact and high-temperature fretting damage, but also offer a new strategy to improve the fretting damage resistance of the high-temperature titanium alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121302"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025435","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121295
Keye Bao , Tianwen Xie , Jian Li , Lin Ma , Rui Luo , Lansong Liu , Weiwei Zhang , Chenglong Hu , Meng Yan , Sufang Tang
With the proliferation of new-generation communication technologies, there is an urgent demand for multifunctional materials that combine efficient electromagnetic wave absorption with robust environmental durability. This study presents a novel nanoflower-like porous carbon composite composed of the Ni3ZnC0.7 phase and a porous carbon matrix, derived from a bimetallic metal-organic framework precursor, fabricated using melamine foam as a multifunctional sacrificial template. The synthesis achieves the integrated construction of a hierarchical nanoflower morphology, a core-shell microstructure, and a tailored chemical composition. As a result, the composite exhibits outstanding performance with a minimum reflection loss of −46.5 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.4 GHz at a low filler loading of 20 wt% and a thin matched thickness of 2 mm. This can be attributed to its synergistic loss mechanisms involving interface/dipolar polarization, magnetic and conductive loss, favorable impedance matching due to its unique structure and chemical composition. Furthermore, it demonstrates exceptional long-term corrosion resistance (≥360 h) in a NaCl solution due to the physical-chemical barrier effect afforded by the core-shell structure. This work provides a novel strategy for designing high-performance, corrosion-resistant electromagnetic wave absorbers for harsh environments.
{"title":"Nanoflower-like MOF-derived Ni3ZnC0.7-carbon composites with dual-functional electromagnetic absorption and corrosion resistance","authors":"Keye Bao , Tianwen Xie , Jian Li , Lin Ma , Rui Luo , Lansong Liu , Weiwei Zhang , Chenglong Hu , Meng Yan , Sufang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the proliferation of new-generation communication technologies, there is an urgent demand for multifunctional materials that combine efficient electromagnetic wave absorption with robust environmental durability. This study presents a novel nanoflower-like porous carbon composite composed of the Ni<sub>3</sub>ZnC<sub>0.7</sub> phase and a porous carbon matrix, derived from a bimetallic metal-organic framework precursor, fabricated using melamine foam as a multifunctional sacrificial template. The synthesis achieves the integrated construction of a hierarchical nanoflower morphology, a core-shell microstructure, and a tailored chemical composition. As a result, the composite exhibits outstanding performance with a minimum reflection loss of −46.5 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.4 GHz at a low filler loading of 20 wt% and a thin matched thickness of 2 mm. This can be attributed to its synergistic loss mechanisms involving interface/dipolar polarization, magnetic and conductive loss, favorable impedance matching due to its unique structure and chemical composition. Furthermore, it demonstrates exceptional long-term corrosion resistance (≥360 h) in a NaCl solution due to the physical-chemical barrier effect afforded by the core-shell structure. This work provides a novel strategy for designing high-performance, corrosion-resistant electromagnetic wave absorbers for harsh environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121295"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025427","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121297
Wenbin Wang , Kai Wang , Gui Yang , Zhu Shu
Poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), a crystalline carbon nitride featuring sub-nanometer ion channels, holds great promise for seawater splitting. However, its practical application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the structural instability caused by alkali metal ion leaching. Herein, we report a strategy where the saline environment itself triggers a dynamic cation reconstruction of the PHI framework, coupled with in-situ photodeposited NiS nanoparticles. The optimized NiS/PHI heterostructure achieves a H2 evolution rate of 0.789 mmol h−1 under visible light, representing an 8-fold enhancement over melon-type carbon nitride, thereby achieving noble-metal-like performance. Crucially, mechanistic studies combining depth-profiled XPS and ICP-OES reveal a dynamic “self-healing” mechanism: high-concentration cations (e.g., K+/Na+) in the electrolyte suppress ion leaching and, more importantly, re-intercalate into the PHI framework. This reconstruction of the ionic sublattice optimizes the local coordination environment and modulates the internal electric field, thereby accelerating exciton dissociation, as evidenced by shortened fluorescence lifetimes and enhanced EPR signals. Furthermore, the NiS cocatalyst forms a robust electron-extracting interface, enabling stable H2 production for over 60 h. This work unveils the critical role of dynamic host-guest interactions in ionic carbon nitrides and offers a new paradigm for designing seawater-tolerant photocatalysts.
{"title":"Saline-mediated dynamic cation reconstruction in NiS/poly(heptazine imide) heterostructures for durable solar hydrogen evolution","authors":"Wenbin Wang , Kai Wang , Gui Yang , Zhu Shu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), a crystalline carbon nitride featuring sub-nanometer ion channels, holds great promise for seawater splitting. However, its practical application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the structural instability caused by alkali metal ion leaching. Herein, we report a strategy where the saline environment itself triggers a dynamic cation reconstruction of the PHI framework, coupled with in-situ photodeposited NiS nanoparticles. The optimized NiS/PHI heterostructure achieves a H<sub>2</sub> evolution rate of 0.789 mmol h<sup>−1</sup> under visible light, representing an 8-fold enhancement over melon-type carbon nitride, thereby achieving noble-metal-like performance. Crucially, mechanistic studies combining depth-profiled XPS and ICP-OES reveal a dynamic “self-healing” mechanism: high-concentration cations (e.g., K<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup>) in the electrolyte suppress ion leaching and, more importantly, re-intercalate into the PHI framework. This reconstruction of the ionic sublattice optimizes the local coordination environment and modulates the internal electric field, thereby accelerating exciton dissociation, as evidenced by shortened fluorescence lifetimes and enhanced EPR signals. Furthermore, the NiS cocatalyst forms a robust electron-extracting interface, enabling stable H<sub>2</sub> production for over 60 h. This work unveils the critical role of dynamic host-guest interactions in ionic carbon nitrides and offers a new paradigm for designing seawater-tolerant photocatalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121297"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025425","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121312
Yan Cheng , Kai Zhou , Yongzhen Ma , Yufu Gao , Shuzhen Wang , Hongkui Li , Guochi Li , Huanqin Zhao , Tong Wang , Haibo Yang
Carbon-based microwave absorbers have been widely investigated due to the low density and tunable dielectric properties, but the limited loss capability and narrow absorption bandwidth are still remain to be solved. In this work, we present a novel structural design—mesoporous bowl-in-ball carbon microsphere (BIBC), composed of a hollow carbon ball encapsulating a mesoporous carbon bowl, to achieve lightweight and high-performance microwave absorption (MA). This unique configuration integrates symmetric-asymmetric structural combination to let microwave in and then being dissipated. By regulating the inner carbon shell thickness, the morphology evolves from double-wall hollow spheres to bowl-in-ball microsphere. The optimized BIBC-2 exhibited a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.1 GHz at 2.7 mm and a strong reflection loss (RL) of −54.0 dB, which is ascribed to the unique structure bringing about the balance between impedance matching and attenuation capability. Radar cross-section (RCS) simulations was further conducted to confirm its superior absorption performance in practical scenarios. This study paves a new way for designing lightweight and efficient microwave absorbers through structural engineering design.
{"title":"Mesoporous bowl-in-ball carbon microspheres for lightweight and high-performance microwave absorption","authors":"Yan Cheng , Kai Zhou , Yongzhen Ma , Yufu Gao , Shuzhen Wang , Hongkui Li , Guochi Li , Huanqin Zhao , Tong Wang , Haibo Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon-based microwave absorbers have been widely investigated due to the low density and tunable dielectric properties, but the limited loss capability and narrow absorption bandwidth are still remain to be solved. In this work, we present a novel structural design—mesoporous bowl-in-ball carbon microsphere (BIBC), composed of a hollow carbon ball encapsulating a mesoporous carbon bowl, to achieve lightweight and high-performance microwave absorption (MA). This unique configuration integrates symmetric-asymmetric structural combination to let microwave in and then being dissipated. By regulating the inner carbon shell thickness, the morphology evolves from double-wall hollow spheres to bowl-in-ball microsphere. The optimized BIBC-2 exhibited a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.1 GHz at 2.7 mm and a strong reflection loss (RL) of −54.0 dB, which is ascribed to the unique structure bringing about the balance between impedance matching and attenuation capability. Radar cross-section (RCS) simulations was further conducted to confirm its superior absorption performance in practical scenarios. This study paves a new way for designing lightweight and efficient microwave absorbers through structural engineering design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121312"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075051","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121274
Yingyi Wang , Yangyilan Yuan , Xingru Fang , Ya Liu , Qiang Xiao , Leihong Zhao , Muslum Demir , Osman Safa Çifçi , Linlin Wang , Xin Hu
The persistent emission of carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), a potent greenhouse gas with a >50,000-year lifetime and ∼6630 global warming potential, poses a serious challenge to climate mitigation. Conventional abatement techniques such as thermal and plasma decomposition are energy-intensive and ineffective for dilute CF4 streams, making adsorption on porous carbons a more promising and sustainable alternative. In this study, hazelnut shell, an abundant agricultural waste, was employed as a carbon precursor to synthesize porous carbons via pre-carbonization followed by KOH activation under varying activation temperatures and KOH ratios. Comprehensive characterization revealed that the optimized adsorbent possessed a high BET surface area (1625 m2 g−1), a large narrow micropore volume (0.72 cm3 g−1), and a carbon-rich surface chemistry. These attributes resulted in superior CF4 adsorption capacities of 2.50 mmol g−1 at 25 °C and 3.61 mmol g−1 at 0 °C under 1 bar, along with fast adsorption kinetics (90 % uptake within 5 min), excellent CF4/N2 selectivity (∼9), and outstanding cyclic stability (>97 % capacity retention after twenty cycles). These findings demonstrate that biomass-derived porous carbons with well-tailored microporous architectures can efficiently capture CF4 under mild conditions, providing a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable strategy for mitigating emissions of this long-lived greenhouse gas.
四氟化碳（CF4）是一种强效温室气体，寿命为5万年，全球变暖潜势为~ 6630年，其持续排放对减缓气候变化构成严重挑战。传统的减排技术，如热分解和等离子体分解是能源密集型的，对稀释的CF4流无效，使多孔碳吸附成为更有前途和可持续的替代方案。本研究以丰富的农业废弃物榛子壳为碳前驱体，在不同的活化温度和KOH比下，通过预碳化和KOH活化合成多孔碳。综合表征表明，优化后的吸附剂具有较高的BET表面积（1625 m2 g−1）、较大的窄微孔体积（0.72 cm3 g−1）和富碳的表面化学性质。这些特性导致了优异的CF4吸附能力，在25°C下为2.50 mmol g - 1，在0°C下为3.61 mmol g - 1，同时具有快速的吸附动力学（5分钟内吸附90%），优异的CF4/N2选择性（~ 9），以及出色的循环稳定性（20个循环后容量保持97%）。这些发现表明，具有精心定制的微孔结构的生物质衍生多孔碳可以在温和条件下有效捕获CF4，为减少这种长寿命温室气体的排放提供了一种具有成本效益和环境可持续性的策略。
{"title":"Valorization of agro-waste into high-performance porous carbons for tetrafluoromethane adsorption","authors":"Yingyi Wang , Yangyilan Yuan , Xingru Fang , Ya Liu , Qiang Xiao , Leihong Zhao , Muslum Demir , Osman Safa Çifçi , Linlin Wang , Xin Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The persistent emission of carbon tetrafluoride (CF<sub>4</sub>), a potent greenhouse gas with a >50,000-year lifetime and ∼6630 global warming potential, poses a serious challenge to climate mitigation. Conventional abatement techniques such as thermal and plasma decomposition are energy-intensive and ineffective for dilute CF<sub>4</sub> streams, making adsorption on porous carbons a more promising and sustainable alternative. In this study, hazelnut shell, an abundant agricultural waste, was employed as a carbon precursor to synthesize porous carbons via pre-carbonization followed by KOH activation under varying activation temperatures and KOH ratios. Comprehensive characterization revealed that the optimized adsorbent possessed a high BET surface area (1625 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>), a large narrow micropore volume (0.72 cm<sup>3</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>), and a carbon-rich surface chemistry. These attributes resulted in superior CF<sub>4</sub> adsorption capacities of 2.50 mmol g<sup>−1</sup> at 25 °C and 3.61 mmol g<sup>−1</sup> at 0 °C under 1 bar, along with fast adsorption kinetics (90 % uptake within 5 min), excellent CF<sub>4</sub>/N<sub>2</sub> selectivity (∼9), and outstanding cyclic stability (>97 % capacity retention after twenty cycles). These findings demonstrate that biomass-derived porous carbons with well-tailored microporous architectures can efficiently capture CF<sub>4</sub> under mild conditions, providing a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable strategy for mitigating emissions of this long-lived greenhouse gas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121274"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024895","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121287
Lijuan Cai, Shengxiang Xiong, Jun Chen, Yu Su, Jiyuan Cong, Gang Chen, Chengjun Dong, Hongtao Guan
In response to the burgeoning challenge of electromagnetic wave pollution, the development of high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with strong attenuation capability is urgently needed. In this study, a MXene/NiO nanowire hybrid aerogel was constructed via electrostatic self-assembly, leveraging a multi-mechanism synergistic loss strategy to significantly enhance the electromagnetic absorbing performance. The three-dimensional conductive network of the material optimizes impedance matching, facilitating electromagnetic wave penetration into the interior for multiple reflections and scattering, thereby reducing surface reflection. Simultaneously, the highly conductive MXene contributes to substantial conduction loss, while abundant defects (graphitic defects, oxygen-containing groups) and heterogeneous interfaces (MXene-NiO) induce notable dipole and interfacial polarization losses. Furthermore, the nano-heterostructure formed between NiO nanowires and MXene enhances interfacial polarization through charge accumulation at the interfaces. Benefiting from these synergistic loss mechanisms, the optimized aerogel exhibits exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption performance, achieving a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −53 dB at a thickness of 1.6 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4 GHz. Our findings propose an innovative materials design doctrine enabling precise multi-scale regulation of electromagnetic wave absorption in aerogels.
{"title":"Electrostatic self-assembly of hierarchical MXene-NiO nanowire aerogels: Multi-mechanism synergy for high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption","authors":"Lijuan Cai, Shengxiang Xiong, Jun Chen, Yu Su, Jiyuan Cong, Gang Chen, Chengjun Dong, Hongtao Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121287","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121287","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to the burgeoning challenge of electromagnetic wave pollution, the development of high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with strong attenuation capability is urgently needed. In this study, a MXene/NiO nanowire hybrid aerogel was constructed via electrostatic self-assembly, leveraging a multi-mechanism synergistic loss strategy to significantly enhance the electromagnetic absorbing performance. The three-dimensional conductive network of the material optimizes impedance matching, facilitating electromagnetic wave penetration into the interior for multiple reflections and scattering, thereby reducing surface reflection. Simultaneously, the highly conductive MXene contributes to substantial conduction loss, while abundant defects (graphitic defects, oxygen-containing groups) and heterogeneous interfaces (MXene-NiO) induce notable dipole and interfacial polarization losses. Furthermore, the nano-heterostructure formed between NiO nanowires and MXene enhances interfacial polarization through charge accumulation at the interfaces. Benefiting from these synergistic loss mechanisms, the optimized aerogel exhibits exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption performance, achieving a minimum reflection loss (<em>RL</em><sub>min</sub>) of −53 dB at a thickness of 1.6 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4 GHz. Our findings propose an innovative materials design doctrine enabling precise multi-scale regulation of electromagnetic wave absorption in aerogels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121287"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024896","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}
Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a nanomaterial of considerable interest owing to its unique physicochemical properties, including excellent water dispersibility, ease of functionalization, and favorable biocompatibility and safety profile. These features position GO as a promising and tunable platform for a wide range of technological and biomedical applications. Accordingly, as GO-based systems continue to advance toward real-world applications, considerations around long-term storage and stability are gaining relevance. Lyophilization is a widely adopted strategy to preserve the structural and functional integrity of nanomaterials to be reconstituted on demand, yet GO suspensions exhibited poor stability upon reconstitution following lyophilization. We present a simple and effective method using trehalose (T) as a lyoprotectant to stabilize GO during lyophilization. The resulting dried GO + T formulations exhibit improved reconstitution behavior at physiological pH, and characterization confirms the preservation of the nanosheet structural integrity. More specifically, such approach can enable the long-term storage of GO, facilitating its further development as a biopharmaceutical agent.
{"title":"Graphene oxide nanosheet trehalose-assisted lyophilization with enhanced stability and facile aqueous reconstitution for biopharmaceutical use","authors":"Gloria Garcia-Ortega , Neus Lozano , Kostas Kostarelos","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a nanomaterial of considerable interest owing to its unique physicochemical properties, including excellent water dispersibility, ease of functionalization, and favorable biocompatibility and safety profile. These features position GO as a promising and tunable platform for a wide range of technological and biomedical applications. Accordingly, as GO-based systems continue to advance toward real-world applications, considerations around long-term storage and stability are gaining relevance. Lyophilization is a widely adopted strategy to preserve the structural and functional integrity of nanomaterials to be reconstituted on demand, yet GO suspensions exhibited poor stability upon reconstitution following lyophilization. We present a simple and effective method using trehalose (T) as a lyoprotectant to stabilize GO during lyophilization. The resulting dried GO + T formulations exhibit improved reconstitution behavior at physiological pH, and characterization confirms the preservation of the nanosheet structural integrity. More specifically, such approach can enable the long-term storage of GO, facilitating its further development as a biopharmaceutical agent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":262,"journal":{"name":"Carbon","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 121254"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024898","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 : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121310
Z.E. Brubaker, D.H. Moseley, J. Neu, L. Kearney, A.J. Miskowiec, J.L. Niedziela
Although oxidation mechanisms have been exhaustively studied for graphite, similar analyses of carbon fibers are comparatively sparse. Most prior work has focused on quantifying weight loss or assessing protective surface coatings designed to slow oxidation. The use of optical spectroscopic techniques for oxidation analyses is comparatively unexplored, but such techniques could provide an early indicator of fiber oxidation that would undermine carbon fiber performance. In this work, we applied Raman spectroscopy to study oxidation-induced spectral alterations in 16 carbon fiber types from 7 manufacturers oxidized at 300 °C for 72 h, 400 °C for 8 h, and 500 °C for 1 h. We connect these results with structural properties of the carbon fibers obtained through wide-angle X-ray scattering, identifying a linear dependence between the reactivity of carbon fibers and the crystallite size of the unperturbed fibers. We then demonstrate that substituted hydrogen defects are likely removed from the fiber surface during oxidation and use the relative defect concentration to predict the Raman spectral change as a function of temperature and time, assuming Arrhenius behavior.1
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Pub Date : 2026-02-20Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121266
Haoran Wu , Zikang Yu , Lijie Liu , Jiawei Xu , Hongchuan Zhang , Jiaru Fan , Yingying Wang , Xiaofei Gong , Lei Zhao , Huatao Wang
As the primary gas diffusion layer (GDL) substrate in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), carbon paper must provide mechanical support, efficient thermal and electrical conduction, and effective mass transport. However, conventional carbon paper often exhibits limited mechanical strength and inadequate electrical and thermal conductivities, which restricts overall cell performance, ultimately making modification essential. Herein, we fabricated a modified carbon paper consisting of an interwoven skeleton of mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers (MPCFs) and polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers (PAN-CFs), with graphite nanoplates (GNPs) anchored onto the fiber surfaces. The hybrid carbon felt was prepared by rapid filtration, in which MPCFs bridged adjacent PAN-CFs or penetrated vertically into interlayer voids, establishing additional pathways that enhanced both electrical and thermal conduction. GNPs were subsequently introduced through impregnation with a GNP dispersion, adhering to both fiber types and forming nanoscale protrusions. These protrusions increased fiber surface roughness, strengthened the fiber/resin carbon interface, and improved the mechanical properties of the carbon paper. Moreover, GNPs filled interstitial voids within the skeleton, forming finer branched networks that further augmented electrical and thermal conductivity. When loaded with 24 g/m2 of MPCFs and impregnated with a 2 wt% GNP dispersion, the modified carbon paper exhibited a flexural strength of 22.91 MPa and a tensile strength of 25.99 MPa, representing increases of 67 % and 89 %, respectively, over the unmodified material. The in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities reached 37.09 W/(m·K) and 8.83 W/(m·K), respectively, while the in-plane electrical resistivity was reduced to 3.74 mΩ cm. These values signify a notable improvement compared to the unmodified carbon paper, which exhibited an in-plane thermal conductivity of 12.20 W/(m·K), through-plane thermal conductivity of 0.04 W/(m·K), and in-plane electrical resistivity of 8.80 mΩ cm. In fuel cell tests, the modified carbon paper achieved a peak power density of 1.33 W/cm2, outperforming the unmodified reference by 125 %. This work demonstrates a synergistic modification strategy using MPCFs and GNPs to simultaneously enhance the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of carbon paper. The proposed approach offers a promising pathway toward developing high-performance GDLs for advanced PEMFC applications.
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