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The Journal of Materials Science awards the annual Robert W. Cahn Prize to recognize the best paper published in the journal each year. The winner of the 2023 Cahn Prize is a research paper titled "Molecular modelling of graphene nanoribbons on the effect of porosity and oxidation on the mechanical and thermal properties." The paper presents molecular simulation models of graphene nanoribbons and examines the impact of porosity and oxidation on their mechanical and thermal conductivity properties. The paper is well-written and provides valuable insights for researchers in this field. Two other papers were selected as runners-up for the prize. All the monthly finalists for the Cahn Prize can be downloaded for free on the journal's website. [Extracted from the article]

Influence of the ion irradiation at elevated temperatures on the novel preceramic paper-derived SiCf/SiC laminated composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering was investigated. The composites were subjected to high-dose simultaneous irradiation of silicon (Si) ions at 400 °C. Irradiation induces amorphization of the damaged area up to 30 dpa, and then recrystallization of amorphous regions with increasing dose occur. No evidence of cavities was found in SiCf/SiC composites irradiated by silicon ions up to 100 dpa. The irradiated composites pre-injected with 5000 appm He displays low swelling (~ 0.3%). The irradiation with Si ions may suppress the cavity nucleation and they growth in SiC layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The December 2023 cover paper of the Journal of Materials Science features a study by Xie and Luo from Chongqing Jiaotong University in China. The paper, included in the "Computation & Theory" Topical Collection, focuses on the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) for construction projects. The authors aim to provide insights into the transport behavior of liquids in epoxy-modified C–S–H pores in cement-based materials, combining MD simulations with experimental measurements. Xie is currently pursuing a master's degree in civil engineering, while Prof. Luo is an associate professor at Chongqing Jiaotong University and a researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark, with a focus on reducing the carbon and energy footprint of civil engineering materials and infrastructure. The paper is published open access and can be widely shared with readers using the provided link. [Extracted from the article]

Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogel in this paper is designed to do just that, by using controlled release from a hydrogel to deliver the drug quickly and at a relatively high concentration to the interior of cancer cells. The paper describes the synthesis and in-vitro testing of a hydrogel composite that is designed to maximize toxicity to cancer cells by both efficiently delivering the cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and overheating the cells with magnetically induced hyperthermia. This makes it highly desirable to develop a delivery system that can encapsulate the drug, bring the drug directly to the cancer cells then release the drug into the cancer tumor or cells. [Extracted from the article]

Professor Grimes summarizes the winning paper and the two runners-up:"Machine learning is certainly of great current interest to address the multivariable materials design challenge. 10.1007/s10853-022-07499-9 5 Wang Z, Lai A, Schuh CA, Radovitzky R. Phase transformation and incompatibility at grain boundaries in zirconia-based shape memory ceramics: a micromechanics-based simulation study. The winner of the 2022 Robert W. Cahn Best Paper award is "Machine learning guided alloy design of high-temperature NiTiHf shape memory alloys" by Udesh M.H.U. Kankanamge, Johannes Reiner, Xingjun Ma, Santiago Corujeira Gallo, and Wei Xu. [Extracted from the article]

A facile and cost-effective modified sol–gel synthesis is employed to synthesize flexible silica-cellulose hybrid aerogels (SCHA) using recycled cellulose fibers (RCF). The effect of cellulose fiber concentrations and ambient temperature conditions on the thermal, acoustic, and oil absorption characteristics was quantified comprehensively. The experiments were conducted by considering the range of weight fractions from 1–4 wt.% from waste tissue paper with a cross-linker and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as silica precursors. The SCHA aerogels were modified by a silylating agent with surface hydroxyl groups to achieve superhydrophobic behavior with a water contact angle (WCA) as high as 168°. The synthesized aerogels were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Test (BET) to identify the physical morphology. An excellent oil absorption capacity of 24.8 g.g−1 was also noticed with 4 wt.% of cellulose concentration in hybrid aerogel retained up to 5 cycles with an absorption capacity of 6.4 g.g−1. The average thermal conductivity of hybrid aerogels was estimated in the range of 0.038–0.032 W/m K. Slight enhancement in the thermal conductivity is noted with the increase in wt.% of cellulose to the silica aerogel. However, about 40–50 °C improvement in thermal degradability (as concluded from Thermogravimetric Analysis) with a minimum weight loss was observed in hybrid aerogel over cellulose aerogel. A comparatively high sound absorption coefficient of 0.453–0.628 at low frequency (1500 Hz) and 0.86–0.94 at high frequency (3600 Hz) was achieved with an average thickness of 8 mm compared to cellulose aerogel. The compressive Young's modulus of hybrid aerogels was also enhanced by 94.12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the development of dual-ion batteries (DIBs) is limited by the capacity of anions intercalation, we put forward an innovative design idea of DIB. Compared with the traditional graphite cathodes, few-layered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has a large specific surface area and can greatly improve the utilization ratio of carbon layers for fast redox reaction process. In addition, the carbon paper current collector with porous network structure facilitates the uniform distribution of active materials, rapid penetration of electrolyte and fast migration of ions, and also relieves the volume strain caused by PF6− intercalation/de-intercalation. Under the effects of the above two aspects, the lithium-rGO DIB demonstrates significantly enhanced electrochemical performance compared with conventional DIBs. It possesses an ultra-high discharge capacity of 405 mA h g−1 with a coulombic efficiency of > 98% after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1 in the voltage range of 3.0–5.0 V. The detailed mechanism of electrochemical performance enhancement is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of course, the paper complements the SEM imaging, which is intrinsic to the FIB, with imaging and diffraction in the TEM. The paper does also have a SharedIt link like all articles in JMS (https://rdcu.be/cWW0L) so it can be widely and immediately shared with readers; all papers published in JMS are free-to-read using the SharedIt link from the moment they appear online with their permanent DOI. The cover for the November 2022 issues of the Journal of Materials Science comes from the paper by Tunes et al. which appeared in issue #35 from September 2022 [[1]]. [Extracted from the article]

In-situ formation and integration of graphene into MoS2 interlayer spacing: expansion of interlayer spacing for superior hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic and alkaline electrolyte. The paper was handled by our Editor Mark Bissett and is entitled "In-situ formation and integration of graphene into MoS SB 2 sb interlayer spacing: expansion of interlayer spacing for superior hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic and alkaline electrolyte"; it is part of our "Energy materials" Topical Collection. The cover for the December 2022 issues of the Journal of Materials Science comes from the paper by Bui et al., which appeared in issue #40 from October 2022 [[1]]. [Extracted from the article]