Journal of Materials Science最新文献

The tanning process significantly alters the physical and chemical properties of leather, making it durable and versatile for various applications. A comprehensive understanding of these transformations requires advanced characterization techniques to analyze the surface, structure, and chemical composition of tanned leather. This review provides a critical overview of the state-of-the-art methods employed to characterize tanned leather, including spectroscopy, microscopy, thermal analysis, and mechanical testing, as well as their applicability to investigate processing, quality control, characterization, and preservation of leather. Moreover, particular attention is given to innovative approaches that offer deeper insights into the structural and chemical modifications induced by tanning agents, processing and their potentialities in a broad-spectrum characterization of leather. Additionally, we discuss the applicability, advantages, and limitations of these techniques, highlighting their role in advancing leather science and enabling the development of more sustainable leather processing techniques. This work aims to serve as a reference for researchers and industry professionals, guiding the selection of appropriate characterization methods and fostering innovation in leather production and quality control.

To address the need for rapid desorption in protein adsorption applications, we developed and characterized magnetic core–shell nanoparticles composed of a zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) coating on magnetite (Fe₃O₄) cores (Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8). This nanostructure integrates the pH-sensitive properties of ZIF-8 with the magnetic responsiveness of Fe₃O₄, enabling rapid separation within one minute via an external magnetic field. In the synthesis of Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8, the particle size of the ZIF-8 shell was found to increase concurrently with the molar ratio of zinc nitrate hexahydrate to 2-methylimidazole. The resulting shells were uniformly distributed on the surface of the Fe₃O₄ cores. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between the ZIF-8 particle size and the adsorption capacity for histidine-rich proteins. In adsorption experiments using bovine hemoglobin (BHB) as a model protein, Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8 achieved an adsorption capacity of 1013.5 mg/g within 3 min, representing 87% of its maximum adsorption potential. Saturation adsorption, with a capacity of 1164.3 mg/g, was reached within 8 min. Importantly, the pH-responsive nature of the ZIF-8 component facilitated highly efficient desorption. A high release efficiency of 90% was achieved in just 1 min using a phosphate buffer at pH 5.2. This dual pH- and magnetic-responsive system demonstrates significant potential for applications requiring fast and controllable protein adsorption and desorption, positioning it as an ideal tool for targeted protein recovery in various biochemical and industrial processes.

The rising demand of advanced materials with significant features in the fields of optoelectronic as well as thermoelectric is essential. The prominent characteristics of spinels make them attractive for the researchers and to be extensively analyzed materials. This study focus to explore physical characteristics including mechanical, optoelectronic, transport and magnetic of MnY₂(S/Se)₄ by applying WIEN2k and BoltzTrap computational tools. These materials have space group Fd3̅m with cubic structure. The thermodynamic and mechanical stability is evaluated through their formation energy (∆Hf) and elastic stiffness constants. The Born stability criteria validates the mechanical stability, whereas negative formation energies confirm the thermodynamic stability of the studied materials. The density of states (DOS) and spin-polarized band structure corroborate direct bandgap along with semiconducting nature. The magnitude of static dielectric constants is observed as 6.5 and 8.5 for MnY₂S₄ and MnY₂Se₄, respectively. Maximum absorption of light occurs along a wide range from visible to ultraviolet range with peak value in the UV region of the investigated compositions. The existence of manganese (Mn) ions generates the ferromagnetic (FM) behavior in these materials along with strong local magnetic moment contribution. The transport analysis has been done within temperatures from 300 to 800 K. The increasing trend of electrical and thermal conductivities as a function of temperature along with high Seebeck coefficients within the range of 242–251 µV/K is observed for both examined materials but the figure of merit (ZT) remains almost constant within the temperature range. Overall, our findings suggest that suitability of these materials for thermoelectric as well as optoelectronic applications.

In biomedical applications, precise monitoring of oxygen (O₂) is crucial, as abnormal oxygen levels can lead to severe physiological conditions such as respiratory failure and oxygen toxicity. Optical oxygen sensors have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional electrochemical sensors due to their non-invasive nature, high sensitivity, and rapid response. Oxygen-sensitive fluorophores, such as Ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(dpp)₃]²⁺, known for their excellent photostability and distinctive red emission, are widely employed in fluorescence quenching mechanisms within these sensors. However, traditional polymer-based matrices often exhibit poor mechanical stability and limited oxygen permeability, highlighting the need for advanced materials and structural innovations. To enhance its photoluminescent properties, a cellulose acetate (CA) matrix doped with Ru(dpp)₃²⁺ was integrated with anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), resulting in a novel optical oxygen sensor. AgNPs amplify fluorescence through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects, while AAO provides a highly porous structure that facilitates efficient oxygen diffusion and the immobilization of fluorophores. Photoluminescence measurements under 405 nm LED excitation revealed a distinct red emission peak within the 580–610 nm range. Exhibiting a sensitivity factor of 34, the sensor demonstrated a linear response to oxygen concentrations from 0 to 100%, indicating strong interactions among oxygen molecules, AAO, AgNPs, and the CA matrix. This design provides excellent stability, fast response, and minimal variation in excitation intensity, ensuring consistent performance. The proposed sensor delivers a dependable, non-invasive solution for real-time oxygen monitoring, highlighting its significant potential for applications in the biomedical field.

Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of cell death that offers unique advantages in various cancer therapies. Gene therapy, on the other hand, involves transferring therapeutic genes into cancer cells to regulate related proteins and exert therapeutic effects. Nanomaterials that combine the ability to induce ferroptosis in cancer cells with gene delivery functionality hold great potential for tumor therapy. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of ferrocene-containing (Fc) cationic lipids (NFC-1~4) based on the Ugi reaction. Fc, as a typical Fenton reaction catalyst, can effectively trigger ferroptosis in cancer cells. The results showed that NFC-1~3 lipoplexes could be efficiently taken up by A549 cells and exhibit excellent gene transfection capabilities, with the best transfection efficiency surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection experiments revealed that NFC-2 possesses Fenton characteristics, enabling it to induce the Fenton reaction and produce ROS. In vitro antitumor experiments demonstrated that NFC-2 LNPs could inhibit tumor cell growth to some extent, with its efficacy significantly enhanced after DNA encapsulation. Mechanistic studies indicated that the Fenton reaction mediated by NFC-2@DNA lipoplexes converted endogenous H₂O₂ into highly toxic ·OH, leading to increased intracellular ROS levels, glutathione (GSH) depletion, and inactivation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). The disruption of the cellular redox balance caused excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPOs), ultimately inducing ferroptosis. NFC-2 holds promise as an efficient ferroptosis agent and a dual-function lipid for co-delivering DNA, offering potential for combined gene therapy and ferroptosis-based cancer treatment.

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Traditional lithium-ion batteries suffer from poor cycle and rate performance due to low structural stability and the sluggish charge transfer kinetics of cathode during the lithiation and delithiation processes. Polyimide (PI) electrode, known for high theoretical capacity, structural tunability, inherent safety feature and sustainability, have garnered significant attention, offering a promising solution in addressing these issues. Nevertheless, the intrinsic insulation characteristic restricts the capacity of PI material. The emergence of two-dimensional layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene with low charge transfer resistance and high electrocatalytic activity is highly suitable for enhancing the electrochemical performance of PI. Therefore, integrating PI with few-layered MXene would combine PI’s abundant redox-active sites with MXene’s excellent conductivity, creating a robust electrode with high capacity, ultrafast kinetics, and cycle durability. Based on this strategy, the hybrid material composed of naphthalene-based PI (NPI) with stable molecular structure and few-layered MXene, denoted as NPI@MXene, has been successfully designed and fabricated through the eco-friendly solid-state polycondensation approach. By adjusting the feed ratio of reactants, the hybrid electrode with 10 wt% MXene (NPI@10%MXene) demonstrates the layer-plus-island-like stable structure and good interaction between NPI and MXene, which delivers the highest rate capacity. Even subjected to a high-current density of 8 A g⁻¹, the NPI@10%MXene composite maintains 74% (~ 84 mAh g⁻¹) of its initial capacity. It also exhibits long-life cycling stability with ~ 77% retention after 5000 cycles (1 A g⁻¹). Moreover, the NPI@10%MXene composite reveals enhanced capacitive effect and fast Li⁺ diffusion coefficient during the discharge/charge process (1.43 × 10^–9/1.43 × 10^–9 cm² s⁻¹, respectively), outperforming those of pristine NPI. The above experimental results highlight remarkable potential of NPI@10%MXene for application in ultrafast Li⁺ storage. Thus, NPI@10%MXene cathode offers a viable strategy to reconcile rapid electrochemical reaction with long-term stability in sustainable rechargeable batteries.

Compared to traditional polyolefin separators, cellulose-based separators have garnered increasing attention in recent years due to their superior electrolyte wettability, excellent thermal stability, biodegradability, and overall environmental friendliness. This review provides an overview of the research progress in cellulose-based separators, covering material sources, preparation techniques, modification strategies, and their applications in different types of batteries. Regarding source materials, bacterial cellulose (BC), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate (CA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) all demonstrate great potential for fabricating battery separators, yielding membranes with remarkable mechanical and electrochemical properties. Cellulose-based separator preparation techniques primarily include vacuum filtration, phase inversion, freeze drying, and electrospinning. Cellulose-based separator modifications mainly include chemical (e.g., chemical bonding, redox reactions, and graft polymerization) and physical (e.g., adding inorganic nanoparticles, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), lignin) approaches to improve electrochemical and mechanical performance. Regarding battery applications, nanocellulose separators show promising potential in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, owing to their exceptional thermal stability and electrolyte wettability, offering possibilities for further improving battery performance and safety. Furthermore, this review outlines critical challenges that need to be resolved for the future development of cellulose-based battery separators and provides perspectives on future research directions.

This study investigates the deformation mechanisms and failure behavior of the high-entropy alloy (HEA) AlCoCrFeNi, fabricated via binder jetting and subjected to various heat treatments. The alloy’s microstructure is analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), while the deformation mechanisms are probed through macro- and nano-indentation testing. The results reveal several novel insights: (i) second-stage heat treatments significantly alter the morphology of nanoprecipitates within the B2 matrix, (ii) the FCC/B2 interphase at grain boundaries influence intergranular deformation, (iii) aging treatments activate greater slip and shear band formation enhancing hardness and toughness, and (iv) sigma-phase precipitates formed by spinodal decomposition promotes transgranular failure. Collectively, these findings offer a mechanistic basis for tailoring failure resistance in AlCoCrFeNi HEAs via optimized multi-stage heat treatment strategies, thereby advancing their mechanical reliability in demanding applications.

Organic phase change materials (PCMs) are considered one of the critical thermal storage materials in medium and low-temperature solar thermal conversion and storage technologies. However, PCMs face challenges such as low photothermal conversion efficiency and liquid leakage, which significantly hinder their practical applications. This study developed a novel paraffin wax/3D graphene-Cu nanowire (PW/GCu) porous composite PCM. Copper nanowires (CuNWs) were embedded as thermal bridge within the GCu aerogel framework. The addition of copper nanowires markedly enhances the photothermal conversion performance and thermal conductivity of the composite material. Specifically, the thermal conductivity of PW/GCu_1.5 reached 0.85 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, increasing by 347.3% compared to pure PW. The latent heat value reached 165.8 J·g⁻¹, approximately 90% of that of pure PW. After 100 thermal cycles, the enthalpy value decreased by only 1.17%. The leakage rate remained below 7%. Under a solar irradiance of 120 mW·cm⁻², the photothermal conversion efficiency of PW/GCu_1.5 reached 89.5%. Even after 200 photothermal cycles, it maintained excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and rapid thermal response behavior. This combined strategy offers a viable approach for fabricating structurally stable, highly absorbent, efficient heat conversion and storage materials, demonstrating significant application potential in solar thermal utilization.