Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials最新文献

This review proposes a defect-driven framework to advance extrusion-based polymeric hybrid additive manufacturing, systematically addressing three intrinsic limitations: geometric inaccuracy and surface roughness, high porosity, and weak interlayer bonding. By integrating additive manufacturing (AM) with subtractive machining, dynamic compaction, and multi-energy field assistance, we establish a multiscale process–structure–property linkage that connects interfacial micro-mechanisms to macroscopic structural performance. Three representative hybrid paradigms are highlighted: (1) additive–subtractive hybridization combining FDM/DIW with milling or laser cutting to effectively minimize dimensional deviation and improve surface finish through geometric recalibration; (2) additive–equivalent compaction utilizing roller- or hammer-assisted pressure to activate polymer chain diffusion across interlayer interfaces, markedly reducing porosity and enhancing bonding strength; and (3) multi-energy-field assistance, where ultrasonic, thermal, and magnetic fields modulate crystallization behavior and anisotropic functionality. Experimental studies across various materials and geometries collectively demonstrate that hybrid process integration can suppress defect formation by coupling molecular diffusion dynamics with process optimization. With continuing progress in multi-field coupling and intelligent process control, hybrid additive manufacturing is evolving toward more adaptive, digitally driven, and multifunctional fabrication systems. This technological convergence is expected to provide greater design freedom and improved manufacturing efficiency for next-generation polymers and composites.

Electronic skin (E-skin) that is simultaneously antifouling, biocompatible, and capable of continuous motion monitoring is essential for preventing injuries in individuals with motor dysfunction. Balancing these properties in complex biological environments, however, has proven difficult. Here, we report a highly stretchable, porous hydrogel-based e-skin (SSC e-skin) modified with nanohesive-based, densified skeletal “solid-like” slippery coating (SSC). The SSC is formed through the functionalized nanoparticles capturing silicone oil, along with the encapsulation of epoxy resin, and the dense microstructure formed by cross-linked nanoparticles, ensuring the retention and mechanical stability of the lubricant. The resulting SSC imparts mechanically stable, “slippery” properties to the SSC e-skin without impeding its breathability. This covalent modification strategy enables SSC e-skin to effectively resist biofouling under stretching, friction, and sweat erosion, while also demonstrating exceptional biocompatibility and being physically imperceptible. Crucially, the SSC does not compromise the hydrogel’s intrinsic mechanical properties or its sensitivity to strain. SSC e-skin maintains stable strain sensitivity even after 24-hour exposure to sweat, protein, and bacterial environments. Due to its anti-bioadsorption capability which can effectively avoid the influence of biological substances on its conductive path, SSC e-skin provides continuous and stable joint flexion monitoring signals throughout the day in complex biological environments. It achieves high precision motion perception, comparable to the 3D motion capture system. Furthermore, integrating with wireless circuits realizes a personalized human-computer interaction system, paving the way for next-generation systems in sports risk management and rehabilitation.

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Sandpapers, also known as coated abrasives, have served as the most familiar surface finishing tools since their first invention in the 13th century. However, they remain unsuitable for advanced industries requiring nanometer-level precision due to limitations in abrasive uniformity and detachment. Here, we introduce a nano-sandpaper that employs vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) with high aspect ratios as fixed abrasives, achieving an unprecedented grit number of 258 billion, over 500,000 times higher than that of conventional sandpapers. The high aspect ratio and outstanding mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) allow for stable embedding within a polyurethane matrix, enabling atomic-level abrasion precision, long-term durability, and tunable performance through engineered micro/nano-scale surface architectures. This nano-sandpaper demonstrates superior polishing precision, material removal rate, and planarization performance across diverse materials, with outstanding durability and environmental sustainability. By integrating robust one-dimensional nanostructures into engineered surface architectures, this study advances nano-to-micro fabrication for atomic-level polishing, paving the way for scalable and sustainable precision manufacturing.

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The development of multifunctional antifouling films against extremely harsh environments should involve a specific material strategy that can comprehensively address critical challenges in chemical durability, mechanical resilience, and thermal stability. Herein, we present a surface-fluorinated ceramic nano-assembly approach to bridge the beneficial characteristics of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and ceramic nanoparticles. We designed a chemical scheme of synthesizing hollow SiO₂ nanoparticles with a low density of 2.07 g cm^− 3 (closely identical to the value of 1.8 g cm^− 3 for poly(vinylidene fluoride)) and subsequently built the sinter-free, hollow SiO₂ assemblies by introducing graphene oxide sheets as two-dimensional interfacial binders. A pH-controlled heterogeneous sol-gel reaction was also designed to deposit a chemically robust Al₂O₃ layer on top of cohesive ceramic frameworks. Then, we prepared highly uniform hybrid composites by promoting a strong electrostatic bonding between the positively charged PVDF-g-Q4VP (quaternary pyridinium-containing monomer-grafted poly(vinylidene-fluoride)) and the negatively charged low-density Al₂O₃ / hollow SiO₂ assemblies. Post-thermal annealing induces a synergistic surface chemistry reconstruction that generates terminal CF₃ and interfacial Al-O-F functional groups. Notably, the resulting surface-fluorinated ceramic scaffold films exhibit a low-surface energy property, with a contact angle as high as 145 °, along with a thermal tolerance of up to 450 ℃ and a mechanical hardness of 1.31 GPa, which have never been achieved in conventional fluorinated polymers. The films maintain a contact angle of over 140° after being exposed to 1.0 M hydrofluoric acid and pH 1.0 solutions, demonstrating the stability of their low-surface-energy characteristics under harsh chemical environments. It is believed that this combinatorial material design provides a scalable route for multifunctional antifouling films that are capable of thermal/chemical/mechanical stability while preserving structural integrity and superhydrophobicity.

Phenolic polymers are widely used for fire-resistant applications but suffer from high porosity and low fracture toughness, limiting their structural performance. To address these challenges, we propose a catalyst-free approach to crosslink phenolic with epoxy, forming hybrid polymers with denser networks, reduced porosity, and enhanced thermal–mechanical properties. A systematic study examined the influence of phenolic-to-epoxy resin ratios on curing kinetics, mechanical properties, and thermal stability. The optimal formulation, comprising 75 wt.% phenolic and 25 wt.% epoxy, achieved a dramatic porosity reduction (0.9% versus 52.5% for catalyst-cured phenolic) and a char yield of 52.5%, exceeding the rule-of-mixture prediction by 23.5% and approaching pure phenolic (54.4%). This hybrid exhibited a 158% increase in initiation fracture toughness (0.169 kJ/m²) and a 17% improvement in the flexural strength (406.8 MPa) of carbon-fibre-reinforced composites at room temperature. Moreover, after exposure to 50 kW/m² heat flux for 30 s, the composites retained 48% higher flexural strength (291.5 MPa) than those with pure phenolic (196.9 MPa). These significant improvements are attributed to the synergistic effects of reduced porosity and a stable epoxy-phenolic network, delivering superior mechanical performance without compromising flame resistance. The findings demonstrate the potential of phenolic-epoxy hybrids for high-temperature, fire resistant applications requiring robust structural integrity and low porosity.

Al-Li alloys, while offering low density and high specific strength, exhibit a pronounced trade-off between mechanical strength and solidification cracking resistance, significantly limiting their engineering applications. Traditional trial-and-error approaches prolong development cycles and incur high labor and material costs. Herein, we adopt a data augmentation-assisted machine learning (ML) strategy to accelerate the discovery of high-strength Al-Li alloy with enhanced cracking resistance. Given the scarcity of available data, various ML algorithms were compared, and linear regression (LR) was selected for its high predictive accuracy and robustness against overfitting. Based on this model, data augmentation was performed using SMOGN and CVAE methods. SHAP analysis identified that Cu and Sc are the most influential elements for strength, while cracking resistance is predominantly governed by Sc and Li. Under the constraint of low cracking volume, optimal compositions were predicted using LR, SMOGN and CVAE, followed by experimental validation. The alloy predicted by SMOGN achieves a superior yield strength of 412 MPa, exceeding that of current high crack-resistant Al-Li alloys. In contrast, the alloy designed by LR exhibits inferior mechanical performance due to a low Cu/Mg ratio (~ 0.8), which suppresses the precipitation of strengthening T₁- Al₂CuLi on the preferred {111}_Al planes and promotes the formation of coarse, coalesced S′- Al₂CuMg on {210}_Al planes. The latter not only provides limited strengthening but also induces local strain concentration at the interfaces, leading to early crack initiation and reduced ductility. The CVAE-predicted alloy exhibits a large discrepancy between predicted and experimental strength, attributed to insufficient Mg content that reduced the nucleation efficiency and stability of T₁-Al₂CuLi, resulting in a sparse distribution and diminished strengthening effect. These findings provide valuable insights for the design of high-strength and crack-resistant Al-Li alloys.

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS)-derived coacervates have recently attracted significant interest as multifunctional carriers, especially in sustainable agriculture applications. However, the intrinsic instability of these membraneless droplets hinders their evolution into advanced functional materials. Herein, inspired by the silica frustule architecture of diatoms, a bioinspired organic–inorganic composite coacervate system is reported. In this design, an in situ-formed silica network envelops each coacervate core, creating a robust core–shell microstructure analogous to a protective exoskeleton. Multi-modal characterization, including imaging flow cytometry, dynamic light scattering, and turbidity titration, demonstrates that the silica shells dramatically enhance droplet stability by preventing coalescence and withstanding environmental perturbations. Importantly, these silica-shell coacervates serve as efficient pesticide carriers, synergistically combining the high payload capacity and biocompatibility of conventional coacervates with markedly improved storage stability and longer-lasting insecticidal activity. This work establishes a new paradigm of compartmentalized coacervate droplets, offering a versatile bioinspired platform for developing application-oriented functional materials that integrate synthetic materials chemistry with biomimetic innovation.

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This study presents a novel strategy to enhance the thermoelectric performance of cement-based composites by incorporating hybrid clusters composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) and hollow glass microsphere (HGM), denoted as CNT@HGM. First, the formation and interfacial characteristics of CNT@HGM hybrid clusters were analyzed using SEM, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurements. Second, a range of CNT and HGM combinations were evaluated to identify the optimal composition for thermoelectric energy harvesting. Third, the influence of moisture ingress and cyclic moisture exposure on thermoelectric performance was assessed, leveraging the superhydrophobic properties of HGM to enhance durability. Finally, composites with optimized CNT and HGM contents were connected in series to construct modular systems, and their electrical behavior was further analyzed using lumped equivalent circuit modeling. The experimental results demonstrated that the incorporation of CNT@HGM significantly improved thermoelectric performance. The composite containing 0.1 wt% CNT and 20 wt% HGM achieved a Seebeck coefficient of 594.2 µV/K, a power factor of 9.85 × 10⁻¹¹ W/mK², and a dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of 5.02 × 10⁻⁸. When integrated into a series-connected modular system, the Seebeck coefficient, power factor, and ZT increased to 7009.6 µV/K, 1.73 × 10⁻⁹ W/mK², and 8.80 × 10⁻⁷, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of CNT@HGM hybrid clusters for developing high-performance, moisture-resistant thermoelectric cement composites, offering scalable and sustainable solutions for low-grade thermal energy harvesting in civil infrastructure.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitor applications owing to their high specific capacities and tunable compositions. However, poor conductivity, natural tendency to agglomerate, insufficient long-term stability, and high synthesis cost of LDHs limit their widespread adoption. A precise hybridization approach- integrating LDHs with a rigid, conductive, and electroactive surface matrix via a simple and low-cost synthesis technique, has emerged as an effective way to mitigate these challenges. Herein, we forwarded a superlattice engineering strategy to construct a nanohybrid composite by integrating the 3D superstructures of 2D CoMn-LDH nanosheets onto dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, (CH₃)₂-S = O) functionalized Ti₃C₂T_x (D-MXene) scaffold via room-temperature co-precipitation. The proposed CoMn-LDHs@D-MXene hybrid composite exhibited a specific capacity of 148 mAh/g at current density of 1 mA/cm², pronounced rate capability of 56.5%, and remarkable long-term cyclic durability of 92.78%. Moreover, a high-performance hybrid asymmetric supercapacitor device based on this proposed hybrid composite (CoMn-LDH@D-MXene//N-doped graphene hydrogels) was assembled which delivered a specific energy density of 37.34 Wh/kg at a power density of 212 W/kg and long-term durability with 92% capacity retention after 5000 cycles. This simple, economical, and efficient synthesis route paves a promising pathway for advancing next-generation supercapacitor technologies.

In this study, novel biocomposites based on sodium-bentonite (Be-Na) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) acid half-esters were developed through an environmentally friendly, aqueous-phase synthesis. A strategy combining solution blending, hydrothermal treatment, and freeze-drying was employed to promote the intercalation of anionic HEC derivatives into the interlayer galleries of Be-Na. The selected acid half-esters were chosen for their anionic and amphiphilic nature, enabling improved compatibility between hydrophilic clay and organic polymer matrices while enhancing dispersion and structural uniformity. A comprehensive morphological characterization was conducted on the synthesized materials, revealing an intercalated structure in the synthesized biocomposites, facilitated by the hydrothermal process. The incorporation of Be-Na nanofillers led to an enhancement in the thermal properties of the polymer chains, and a synthesis mechanism for the biocomposites was anticipated. Subsequently, these biocomposites were evaluated for their effectiveness in the separation of Ni(II) ions from complex mixtures. The Be-Na/HEC-AP biocomposite proved to be particularly promising, demonstrating increased adsorption efficiency compared to other biocomposites, even at acidic pH levels. Kinetic studies revealed an adsorption process consistent with PFO kinetics, while the Langmuir model with a chemisorption process better described the adsorption behavior of Ni(II) ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of the Be-Na/HEC-AP biocomposite was determined to be 3.27 mmol/g. Significant selectivity towards Ni(II) ions was observed, and the material remained stable even after 5 cycles of adsorption–desorption. The Be-Na/HEC-AP biocomposite, with its high Ni(II) adsorption capacity, stability over multiple cycles, and green scalable synthesis, shows strong potential for industrial wastewater treatment applications.

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