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Amorphous/crystalline high-entropy-alloy (HEA) composites show great promise as structural materials due to their exceptional mechanical properties. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dynamic nanoindentation response of HEA composites at the atomic scale. Here, the mechanical behavior of amorphous/crystalline HEA composites under nanoindentation is investigated through a large-scale molecular dynamics simulation and a dislocation-based strength model, in terms of the indentation force, microstructural evolution, stress distribution, shear strain distribution, and surface topography. The results show that the uneven distribution of elements within the crystal leads to a strong heterogeneity of the surface tension during elastic deformation. The severe mismatch of the amorphous/crystalline interface combined with the rapid accumulation of elastic deformation energy causes a significant number of dislocation-based plastic deformation behaviors. The presence of surrounding dislocations inhibits the free slip of dislocations below the indenter, while the amorphous layer prevents the movement or disappearance of dislocations towards the substrate. A thin amorphous layer leads to great indentation force, and causes inconsistent stacking and movement patterns of surface atoms, resulting in local bulges and depressions at the macroscopic level. The increasing thickness of the amorphous layer hinders the extension of shear bands towards the lower part of the substrate. These findings shed light on the mechanical properties of amorphous/crystalline HEA composites and offer insights for the design of high-performance materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strategy is proposed in this work to accelerate proton-coupled electron transfer via phase-engineered amorphous/crystalline interface for advancing overall water splitting. [Display omitted] • Co/Co 2 C crystals have been assembled on amorphous N, S co-doped porous carbon through hydrothermal and calcination process. • The stable biphase structure and amorphous/crystalline interface enhances the conductivity and intrinsic activity. • The adsorption ability of water molecules and intermediates is improved significantly. • This work has pioneered the crystalline/amorphous phase in electrocatalysts and provided new insights into phase engineering. Traditional phase engineering enhances conductivity or activity by fully converting electrocatalytic materials into either a crystalline or an amorphous state, but this approach often faces limitations. Thus, a practical solution entails balancing the dynamic attributes of both phases to maximize an electrocatalyst's functionality is urgently needed. Herein, in this work, Co/Co 2 C crystals have been assembled on the amorphous N, S co-doped porous carbon (NSPC) through hydrothermal and calcination processes. The stable biphase structure and amorphous/crystalline (A/C) interface enhance conductivity and intrinsic activity. Moreover, the adsorption ability of water molecules and intermediates is improved significantly attributed to the rich oxygen-containing groups, unsaturated bonds, and defect sites of NSPC, which accelerates proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and overall water splitting. Consequently, A/C-Co/Co 2 C/NSPC (Co/Co 2 C/NSPC with amorphous/crystalline interface) exhibits outstanding behavior for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), requiring the overpotential of 240.0 mV and 70.0 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, an electrolyzer assembled by A/C-Co/Co 2 C/NSPC-3 (anode) and A/C-Co/Co 2 C/NSPC-2 (cathode) demonstrates a low drive voltage of 1.54 V during overall water splitting process. Overall, this work has pioneered the coexistence of crystalline/amorphous phases in electrocatalysts and provided new insights into phase engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although XLPE cables are widely used in power transmission and distribution systems, their insulating properties are susceptible to degradation due to thermal aging. In order to clarify the influence law of the thermal aging process on the structural and dielectric properties of XLPE cables, this paper investigates the thermal aging characteristics of XLPE cables by using polarization and depolarization current measurement. Results show that when the XLPE cable is aged at 140 °C, the crystallinity of the insulation layer appears to increase and then decrease. With the increase in aging time, micron-sized microvoids appear on the surface of the XLPE. At the same time, the DC conductivity and 0.1 Hz dielectric loss factor of the insulating layer increase with the aging time. The average DC conductivity increased from 2.26 × 10−16 S/m for new cables to 4.47 × 10−16 S/m after aging for 432 h, while the dielectric loss increased from 0.11% to 0.42%. The polarization characteristics of thermal-aged cables were further analyzed using the extended Debye model. Results indicate that the time constant of the third branch of the model increased significantly with increasing aging time. A correspondence between this parameter and the thermal aging time of the cable was established. Thermal aging can damage the crystalline structure of XLPE, so that the number of interfaces between the crystalline and amorphous regions of the material increases, resulting in structural damages and a decline in the dielectric properties of the cable insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) consists of ultrafine cellulose structures in which the fibrils can have widths in the range from about 5 to 100 nm. NFC has been studied and developed in the paper industry, using bleached pulp from wood as the raw material. One of the issues in the application of NFC is their heat resistance to thermal degradation. The production process of NFC results in a decrease in their pyrolysis temperature during the nanofibrillation of bleached pulp; however, the details behind the reason and mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, NFC was prepared from bleached hardwood and softwood pulp by mechanical nanofibrillation using a grinder, and the pyrolysis behavior was investigated. For both bleached pulps, a decrease in the pyrolysis temperature was observed after nanofibrillation. The results suggest that the decrease in the pyrolysis temperature from nanofibrillation is not due to damage of the crystalline cellulose by nano fibrillation, but the damage of the hemicellulose components in the surface of the cellulose microfibrils or the interface between the crystalline cellulose and hemicellulose. If the hemicellulose on the surface of crystalline cellulose could be removed from the NFC, then the decrease in the pyrolysis temperature could be suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2H MoTe2 (molybdenum ditelluride) has generated significant interest because of its superconducting, nonvolatile memory, and semiconducting of new materials, and it has a large range of electrical properties. The combination of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and two dimensional (2D) materials like hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) in lateral heterostructures offers a unique platform for designing and engineering novel electronic devices. We report the fabrication of highly conductive interfaces in crystalline ionic liquid-gated (ILG) field-effect transistors (FETs) consisting of a few layers of MoTe2/h-BN heterojunctions. In our initial exploration of tellurium-based semiconducting TMDs, we directed our attention to MoTe2 crystals with thicknesses exceeding 12 nm. Our primary focus centered on investigating the transport characteristics and quantitatively assessing the surface interface heterostructure. Our transconductance (gm) measurements indicate that the very efficient carrier modulation with an ILG FET is two times larger than standard back gating, and it demonstrates unipolarity of the device. The ILG FET exhibited highly unipolar p-type behavior with a high on/off ratio, and it significantly increased the mobility in MoTe2/h-BN heterochannels, achieving improvement as one of the highest recorded mobility increments. Specifically, we observed hole and electron mobility values ranging from 345 cm2 V−1 s−1 to 285 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 80 K. We predict that our ability to observe the intrinsic, heterointerface conduction in the channels was due to a drastic reduction of the Schottky barriers, and electrostatic gating is suggested as a method for controlling the phase transitions in the few layers of TMDC FETs. Moreover, the simultaneous structural phase transitions throughout the sample, achieved through electrostatic doping control, presents new opportunities for developing phase change devices using atomically thin membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation resistance and tribological behavior of CrAlN/SiN x multilayer films with different interface structures were investigated. The multilayer film exhibited better oxidation resistance than the monolithic CrAlN film after oxidation at 900 °C and 1000 °C for 10 h. The crystalline SiN x sublayer was beneficial to oxidation resistance at 900 °C in contrast to the trend observed after oxidation at 1000 °C. The stacking faults generated in the multilayer film were induced by the oxidation of SiN x. The diffusion mechanism changed from the outward diffusion of cations to an inward diffusion of anions when the temperature was increased to 1000 °C. The multilayer film with a crystalline interface exhibited lower coefficient of friction (COF) and better tribological properties than the CrAlN film and multilayer with an amorphous interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous structure shows more catalytic active sites but poor conductivity towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we fabricated a novel three-dimensional (3D) self-supported NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDH) catalytic material with amorphous/ crystalline interface, aiming to obtain both excellent catalytic activity and conductivity. This homogeneous hierarchical structure exhibits a high catalytic activity and robustness, giving the industrially required current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at an ultralow overpotential of 359.8 mV with 240-hour stability in 1 M KOH. In-situ electrochemical tests reveal that the amorphous/crystalline interface boosts the intermediates evolution and OER kinetics, which might be ascribed to considerable active sites and fast charge transfer. Moreover, the 3D structure has unique superhydrophilicity and superaerophobicity, which can further accelerate the electrolyte penetration, facilitate the bubbles desorption from the electrode, enhance mass transport, and thus improve OER performance at large current densities. This work provides a feasible way to develop high-performance electrocatalytic material via constructing homogeneous amorphous/crystalline interface. • Amorphous/crystalline NiFe LDH heterostructure was successfully synthesized. • Heterostructure interface boosts the OER activity and stability of NiFe LDH. • Catalyst yields a low overpotential of 359.8 mV to drive 1000 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH. • Catalyst exhibits 240-h stability at 1000 mA cm-2 with retention rate of 98 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Al matrix composite reinforced by deformable metallic-glass particles was prepared. • Al matrix composite with the interfacial interlayer had a strength-ductility synergy. • Distinct Al-B bond in interfacial interlayer facilitated strong interfacial bonding. • Co-deformation of metallic-glass nanoparticles and matrix rendered high ductility. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are the materials-of-choice for a large range of important applications under harsh service conditions. However, owing to the high phase contrast between the matrix and the reinforcements, the strength-ductility conflict of MMCs is still outstanding. Here we fabricated a novel aluminum (Al) matrix composite reinforced by deformable, cobalt-zirconium-boron (CoZrB) metallic glass nanoparticles. The amorphous CoZrB/Al composite with only 2.0 vol.% particle reinforcements possessed a uniaxial tensile strength of 387.0 ± 1.2 MPa, showing over 80 % improvement over the unreinforced pure Al matrix at a similar uniform elongation. The strength-ductility synergy of the composite was also significantly superior to that of the composite reinforced by fully crystallized nanoparticles. These findings were rationalized by the unique multi-functionality of the amorphous particle/matrix interfaces, which effectively transferred the load from the matrix to the particles, coordinated the co-deformation of the nanoparticles and the matrix, and imparted a transgranular fracture mode in the composite with extensive matrix plastic deformation. The methodology developed in this study was shown to be generally effective for other matrix and metallic glass nanoparticle compositions, and our work may shed new light on the development of high-performance metal matrix composites for advanced structural applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The heterostructure was induced to enhance triple-functional electrocatalysis. • The surface reconstruction was revealed to enhance electrocatalytic oxidation. • The favorable adsorption of intermediates led to the improved electrocatalysis. Rational design of non-precious metal-based catalysts for value-added chemicals production is crucial but still challenging. Herein, a trifunctional electrocatalyst with heterostructures is developed via phosphating and NaBH 4 pretreatment of the pristine ZIF-L for overall water splitting and urea oxidation. The as-prepared CoBO x /NiCoP catalyst exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance with only overpotentials of 100, 283 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to reach the current density of 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, and the low potential of 1.35 V to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm−2 for urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Theoretical calculations show that the construction of amorphous/crystalline heterostructure can accelerate the charge transfer between the active site and intermediate, thus enhance the intermediates adsorption and reduce the kinetic barrier toward HER/OER process for enhancing electrocatalytic activity. Importantly, the in-situ Raman spectroscopy discloses that the rapid formation of oxidation-state transition metal oxyhydroxide species would provide more active sites for the oxidation reaction. This multiple electrocatalysis demonstrates the great potential of amorphous/crystalline heterogeneous interfaces for high-performing electrocatalytic conversions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on the Euler-Lagrange framework, a three-dimensional transient heat-mass transfer model of silicon particle melting/migration coupled with turbulent heat transfer in the silicon melt during CCZ monocrystalline silicon growth was developed using large eddy simulation method. • The heat exchange between silicon particles and their own melt, as well as the changes in particle size during their melting/migration were considered. • The influences of key feeding particles parameters such as the feeding temperature, feeding particle size, and feeding speed on the melting/migration characteristics of silicon particles and the melt temperature were firstly revealed in detail. The Continuous Czochralski (CCZ) is a promising approach for preparing low-cost high-quality monocrystalline silicon in the photovoltaic field. To investigate the coupled mechanism of silicon particles melting/migration and melt turbulent heat transfer during the CCZ monocrystalline silicon growth, based on the Euler–Lagrange framework, a three-dimensional transient heat-mass transfer model is developed using the LES method considering the heat exchange between the silicon particles and the silicon melt as well as the particles size change. In addition, we investigated the effects of key silicon particle parameters such as feeding temperature, particle size and feeding speed, on the silicon particles melting/migration and melt turbulent heat transfer. The results show that appropriately increasing the feeding temperature and speed contributes to achieve more concentrated particles distribution and weaken the movement of silicon particles towards the crystalline interface simultaneously, which conduce to eliminate the adverse impact of continuous feeding on monocrystalline silicon growth. And the feeding temperature has a great effect on the temperature fluctuation near the crystalline interface. In addition, when the feeding speed exceeds 1.5m/s, increasing feeding speed has no significant effect on the particles distribution and melting process. Besides, the feeding particle size has a significant effect on the maximum penetration depth of particles. The small silicon particles prefer moving to the crystalline interface driven by thermophoretic force, which is detrimental to the high-quality CCZ monocrystalline silicon growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which revealed the molecular details of the cellulose chain arrangements on the surfaces of individual cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Topics discussed include structural characterization of CNCs, 3D-AFM characterization of hydration structures at CNC-water interfaces, and frequency modulation AFM experiments.

Polymer materials with excellent physicochemical and electrical properties are desirable for energy storage applications in advanced electronics and power systems. Here, Al2O3@ZrO2 nanoparticles (A@Z) with a core-shell structure are synthesized and introduced to a P(VDF-HFP) matrix to fabricate P(VDF-HFP)/A@Z nanocomposite films. Experimental and simulation results confirm that A@Z nanoparticles increase the crystallinity and crystallization temperature owing to the effect of the refined crystal size. The incorporation of A@Z nanoparticles leads to conformational changes of molecular chains of P(VDF-HFP), which influences the dielectric relaxation and trap parameters of the nanocomposites. The calculated total trapped charges increase from 13.63 μC of the neat P(VDF-HFP) to 47.55 μC of P(VDF-HFP)/5 vol%-A@Z nanocomposite, indicating a substantial improvement in trap density. The modulated crystalline characteristic and interfaces between nanoparticles and polymer matrix are effective in inhibiting charge motion and impeding the electric conduction channels, which contributes to an improved electrical property and energy density of the nanocomposites. Specifically, a ~200% and ~31% enhancement in discharged energy density and breakdown strength are achieved in the P(VDF-HFP)/5 vol%-A@Z nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of accident-tolerant materials is of great significance for preventing the zirconium–water reactions and improving the inherent safety of nuclear reactors. In this study, ZrC/Ni multilayers with average layer thicknesses of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 nm were designed and successfully fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The characterization results of GIXRD, SEM, AFM, TEM, etc., show that the series of films are mainly composed of alternately deposited Ni crystalline layers and ZrC amorphous layers, and the interface is clear. The films were irradiated with 50 keV He+ with a fluence of 1.0 × 1017 ions/cm2 at room temperature, and the films with different layer thicknesses kept the original phase composition. It was found that an amorphous transition layer with a thickness of about 30 nm appeared between the amorphous and crystalline interface of the 100 nm film by TEM characterization. The analysis shows that this layer is formed by the mixing of Ni and Zr elements induced by irradiation, which is not conducive to He+ migration and produces large-sized helium bubbles. The appearance of the transition layer improves the irradiation stability of the amorphous/crystalline composite film, thus providing a theoretical basis for the application of this type of material in fuel cladding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the epitaxial semipolar (11–22) AlN was prepared on nonpolar m-sapphire substrate by combining sputtering and high-temperature annealing. According to our systematic measurements and analysis from XRD, Raman spectra, and AFM, the evolution of crystalline structure and morphology was investigated upon increasing AlN thickness and annealing duration. The annealing operation intensively resets the lattice and improves the crystalline quality. By varying the film thickness, the contribution from the AlN-sapphire interface on crystalline quality and lattice parameters during the annealing process was investigated, and its contribution was found to be not so obvious when the thickness increased from 300 nm to 1000 nm. When the annealing was performed under durations from 1 to 5 h, the crystalline quality was found unchanged; meanwhile, the evolution of morphology was pronounced, and it means the crystalline reorganization happens prior to morphology reset. Finally, the annealing treatment enabled a zig-zag morphology on the AlN template along the sapphire [0001] direction in the plane, which potentially affects the subsequent device epitaxy process. Therefore, our results act as important experience for the semipolar nitride semiconductor laser device preparation, particularly for the epitaxy of microcavity structure through providing the crystalline evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase‐change material (PCM) devices are one of the most mature nonvolatile memories. However, their high power consumption remains a bottleneck problem limiting the data storage density. One may drastically reduce the programming power by patterning the PCM volume down to nanometer scale, but that route incurs a stiff penalty from the tremendous cost associated with the complex nanofabrication protocols required. Instead, here a materials solution to resolve this dilemma is offered. The authors work with memory cells of conventional dimensions, but design/exploit a PCM alloy that decomposes into a heterogeneous network of nanoscale crystalline domains intermixed with amorphous ones. The idea is to confine the subsequent phase‐change switching in the interface region of the crystalline nanodomain with its amorphous surrounding, forming/breaking "nano‐bridges" that link up the crystalline domains into a conductive path. This conductive‐bridge switching mechanism thus only involves nanometer‐scale volume in programming, despite of the large areas in contact with the electrodes. The pore‐like devices based on spontaneously phase‐separated Ge13Sb71O16 alloy enable a record‐low programming energy, down to a few tens of femtojoule. The new PCM/fabrication is fully compatible with the current 3D integration technology, adding no expenses or difficulty in processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Crystalline Ni(OH) 2 /Amorphous NiMoS electrocatalyst were designed and synthesized by two-step hydrothermal process. • The as-obtained material shows excellent hydrogen evolution over all pH ranges. • The synergistic mechanism and the role of crystalline Ni(OH) 2 and amorphous NiMoS was elucidated. Designing and fabricating efficient electrocatalysts is a practical step toward the commercial application of the efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) over all pH ranges. Herein, novel Ti@Ni(OH) 2 -NiMoS heterostructure with interface between crystalline Ni(OH) 2 and amorphous NiMoS was rationally designed and fabricated on Ti mesh (denoted as Ti@Ni(OH) 2 -NiMoS). Acid etching and calcination experiments helped in accurate elucidation of the synergistic mechanism as well as the vital role on crystalline Ni(OH) 2 and amorphous NiMoS. In acidic solutions, the HER performance of Ti@Ni(OH) 2 -NiMoS was mainly attributed to the amorphous NiMoS. In neutral, alkaline, and natural seawater solutions, the HER performance was mainly determined by the synergistic interface behaviors between the Ni(OH) 2 and NiMoS. The crystalline Ni(OH) 2 accelerated water dissociation kinetics, while the amorphous NiMoS provided abundant active sites and allowed for fast electron transfer rates. To deliver current densities of 10 mA·cm−2 in acidic, neutral, alkaline, and natural seawater solutions, the Ti@Ni(OH) 2 -NiMoS required overpotentials of 138, 198, 180 and 371 mV, respectively. This paper provides general guidelines for designing efficient electrocatalyst with crystalline/amorphous interfaces for efficient hydrogen evolution over all-pH ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have garnered more and more attentions owing to the uneven distribution and increasing price of lithium mineral. Herein, BiVO 4 –V 2 C endogenous heterostructures as anode for SIBs are synthesized via one-step in situ hydrothermal method. The designed hydrangea-like heterostructure ensures a wide contact surface for the interaction of anode material with the electrolyte, and endows stable heterojunction interfaces between BiVO 4 and V 2 C MXene, the synergistic effect of which significantly improves the electrical conductivity, pseudo-capacitance and alleviates the volumetric change of BiVO 4 during charge/discharge process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations ulteriorly demonstrate that the electric field at the BiVO 4 –V 2 C interface contributes to the excellent Na ion diffusion kinetics and impressive sodium storage capacity. As a result, the BiVO 4 –V 2 C anode achieved outstanding performance with a high discharge capacity (480 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 0.2 A g−1), and impressive long-term lifespan (303 mAh g−1 over 2000 cycles at 1 A g−1). This work reveals a new design of novel V 2 C MXene heterojunctions which coupling with BiVO 4 combined with the analysis of amorphous/crystalline interface, developing a proper strategy for the effective energy storage of sodium. An endogenous heterostructure of BiVO 4 coupled with V 2 C MXene (BiVO 4 –V 2 C) is developed via a one-step hydrothermal method. The designed hydrangea-like heterostructure provides a large surface area for the contact of the electrode material with electrolyte, and endows stable heterojunction interfaces between BiVO 4 and V 2 C, which significantly improves the reaction kinetics. [Display omitted] • Hydrangea-like endogenous BiVO 4 –V 2 C heterostructure is firstly reported. • Internal micro-electric field for improving Na+ migration and reaction kinetics. • The electrode delivers superior specific capacity and excellent cycle stability. • Endogenous heterostructure offers new insights for MXenes heterojunctions design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amorphous/crystalline metallic composite (A/C-MC) integrates metallic glass with crystalline metals in one system. The amorphous-crystalline interface (ACI) in A/C-MCs under deformation absorbs dislocations and may fundamentally change the dilemma that the strength comes at the expense of the ductility of a material. However, the development of such materials is still at a trial and error stage due to the lack of a clear-cut understanding on how the amorphous component become instable when a dislocation-mediated plasticity flows into the glassy phases. To meet this need, here we focus on gaining the physical insights into the dislocation-ACI reaction in A/C-MCs through atomistic simulations. We have (i) digitally resembled an interface structure close to that in experiments by annealing melted metallic glasses at cooling rates as low as ∼ 104 K/s; (ii) correlated the dislocation absorption events with the activation of shear transformation zones (STZs) in A/C-MCs under a plastic shear; (iii) identified the mechanisms responsible for a continuous dislocation absorption-induced instability in glassy phases; (iv) calibrated a set of constitutive relations, kinetic rules, and model parameters that can be used in an effective temperature concept-based STZ theories at the continuum level; and (v) characterized the local stress states ahead of the instability band and lay the macroscopic-level glass instability criterion on a firm atomistic basis. Our major findings are: (a) there exists a nanoscale structure transition at the ACI when the cooling rate in the atomistic simulations is reduced to an experimentally-comparable level; (b) the number of atoms participating in the STZs exponentially increases with the number of dislocations arriving at the ACI at an early stage of the dislocation-ACI reaction, but is linearly proportional to the number of absorbed dislocations at a later stage; (c) the dislocation absorption-induced instability in metallic glasses occurs through a three-stage process, i.e., the activation of STZs in the region between icosahedral (ICO) clusters, the coalescence of newly formed STZs, and then the breakdown of ICOs; (d) the model parameters in the continuum-level constitutive relations and kinetic rules are found to be sensitive to cooling rates; and (e) the local stress states ahead of the instability band in glassy phases map surprisingly well with the Mohr-Coulomb criterion regardless of the applied stress at the macroscopic level. The gained knowledge may provide a pathway of connecting the atomistic deformation physics of an A/C-MC with its overall mechanical performance, which is currently difficult to achieve in laboratory experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High entropy alloys (HEA) are an unusual class of materials where mixtures of elements are stochastically arrayed on a simple crystalline lattice. These systems exhibit remarkable functionality, often along several distinct axes: e.g., the examples [TaNb]1-x(TiZrHf)x are high strength and damage resistant refractory metals that also exhibit superconductivity with large upper critical fields. Here we report the discovery of an f-electron containing HEA, [TaNb]0.31(TiUHf)0.69, which is the first to include an actinide ion. Similar to the Zr-analogue, this material crystallizes in a body-centered cubic lattice with the lattice constant a = 3.41(1) Å and exhibits phonon mediated superconductivity with a transition temperatures Tc ≈ 3.2 K and upper critical fields Hc2 ≈ 6.4 T. These results expand this class of materials to include actinide elements, shows that superconductivity is robust in this sub-group, and opens the path towards leveraging HEAs as functional waste forms for a variety of radioisotopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ni 11 (HPO 3) 8 (OH) 3 /Mn 3 O 4 (named as NiPi/Mn 3 O 4) composite with crystalline/amorphous interface was prepared by electrochemical activation, which exhibited high activity and well stability toward hydrogen evolution reaction. The design of electrocatalysts with cost-efficient, highly-efficient and stable for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is significant to alleviate energy crisis in the future. Herein, we prepared the Ni 11 (HPO 3) 8 (OH) 3 /Mn 3 O 4 (named as NiPi/Mn 3 O 4) composite with crystalline/amorphous interface by electrochemical activation based on Ni 3 P/MnOOH precursor. The precursor was synthesized by two-step method that firstly electrodeposited on nickel foam and then used anodic oxidation under the applied voltage. The XPS analysis manifested that NiPi/Mn 3 O 4 had a strong interface coupling between Ni 11 (HPO 3) 8 (OH) 3 and Mn 3 O 4 contributed to fast kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction. The morphology of the nanowires and nanoparticles were provided lager contact area between catalyst and electrolyte. Meanwhile, the obvious interface between crystalline and amorphous also resulted in NiPi/Mn 3 O 4 heterostructureted material with faster electron transport and superior stability. Owing to these characteristics, the NiPi/Mn 3 O 4 displays amazing HER activity with low overpotential of 84 mV at 100 mA cm−2 and a long-term stability of over 100 h at 200 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M NaOH solution. The surprising activity of NiPi/Mn 3 O 4 is better than that of most reported catalysts, similar to the state-of-the-art Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional crossbar technology has been of great significance for realizing high density and multiple terabytes of data storage in memory devices. However, to further scale down the size of memory devices, a selector exhibiting nonlinear electrical properties should be in series with a memory layer in case of unwanted sneak current disturbance. Conventional selectors usually utilize a complicated multilayer structure to realize the high nonlinearity of current, which might be incompatible with certain manufacturing processes or limit the scalability of memory. Herein, we propose a simple heterojunction diode using an n-type oxide semiconductor, specifically, InGaZnO4 (IGZO), and a p-type phase change material (PCM), specifically, N-doped Cr2Ge2Te6 (NCrGT), to realize self-selective performance. The electrode/IGZO/NCrGT/plug-electrode structure with an IGZO/NCrGT pn diode and NCrGT/plug-electrode Schottky diode can realize bidirectional, self-selective phase change random access memory (PCRAM) for either amorphous or crystalline NCrGT. The approximate equilibrium energy band diagrams for the IGZO/NCrGT pn junction and the IGZO/NCrGT/W hybrid junction were proposed to explain the possible conduction mechanism. We demonstrated that hybrid diode-type PCM memory exhibits both selectivity and resistive switching characteristics. The present findings offer new insight into selector technology for PCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Anthracene-appended poly(ʟ-lactide)s (AAP) were synthesized by ROP of ʟ-lactide. • The excimer emission was observed in the low molecular weight AAP. • The monomeric emission is observed in amorphous and single crystals of AAP. • In crystallized AAP, fluorescence arises from anthracene excimers and monomers. • In the gel state AAP (e form), only the excimer emission was observed. The design and development of solid-state excimer-emitters bear great potential for attaining efficient solid-state luminescent materials. In this study, we have synthesized anthracene-appended poly(ʟ-lactide)s (AAPs) to regulate the arrangement of anthracene moieties by controlling the crystallization and polymorphic form of covalently linked poly(ʟ-lactide) (PLLA). In the high molecular weight AAP, the fluorescence intensity mainly arises from the monomeric anthracene moieties, whereas in the low molecular weight AAP, the excimer emission was observed depending on the structure and morphology of covalently-linked PLLA. The monomeric emission is predominantly observed in amorphous polymer due to the molecular level dispersion of covalently-linked anthracene moieties throughout the polymer matrix. When the polymer was crystallized under different conditions, covalently-linked anthracene moieties were excluded from polymer crystals or crystalline lamellae and are located on the surface or at the interface, which is advantageous for regulating the geometry of anthracene moieties. In the case of single crystals of PLLA, covalently-linked anthracene moieties assemble on the surface and emit mainly in their monomeric state due to the lack of π-stacking. In the melt-crystallized sample (α form), covalently-linked anthracene moieties reside at the interface of crystalline and amorphous domains by either dipolar interactions or π-stacking and fluorescence arising from anthracene excimers and monomers. In the gel state (ε form), only the excimer emission was observed due to the effective interactions between the anthracene moieties in the presence of excess solvent in the amorphous domains. In this way, polymer crystallization played a significant role in determining the arrangement of covalently-linked anthracene moieties in AAP. This study reveals the role of polymer crystallization on the excimer evolution in fluorophore-appended semicrystalline polymers and provides new insight into the design and development of fluorophore-appended polymers for optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric (TE) devices were widely used in waste heat recovery due to their high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT), but the severe diffusion between Sn-based solder and TE pillar generated porous and brittle Sn-Te intermetallic compound (IMC), which seriously restricted the reliable service of devices. Ni-based coating was used but the thick Ni-Te IMC also impaired the properties of TE pillars. In this work, the crystalline Co-P coating was inserted between the p-type TE material Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 and the solder by electrodeposition, and the power generation sustainability of the TE pillar were significantly improved, and the mechanism was revealed. The microstructural characterization proved that the Co-P coating could effectively resist the diffusion of active Sn, Bi, Sb, Cu atoms. Co-P coating would provide support for the structural integrity and performance sustainability of TE pillars. It was worth noting that an ultrathin CoTe 2 IMC layer was formed between the Co-P coating and the Bi-Sb-Te pillar, which was much thinner than the Ni-Te IMC layer reported in the literature. This indicated that Co-P only consumed little thermoelectric elements, but also a good metallurgical bond was formed between the Co-P and the Bi-Sb-Te. After aging at 423 K for 150 h, the maximum output power and average Seebeck coefficient of the TE pillar without coating dropped significantly by 74% and 34%, respectively, and the internal resistance rose by 67%. Remarkably, the maximum output power and average Seebeck coefficient of the TE pillar protected by the Co-P coating only decreased by 14% and 5%, respectively, and the internal resistance only increased by 6%. [Display omitted] • Co-P coating showed a remarkable effect on the sustainability of TE power generation. • Co-P coating could effectively resist the diffusion of active Sn, Bi, Sb, Cu atoms. • An ultrathin CoTe 2 IMC layer was formed between the Co-P coating and the TE pillar. • Co-P coating consumed less thermoelectric elements than Ni-based coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-porosity in amorphous Ge formed by swift heavy ion irradiation displays a peculiar self-organisation process. Initially almost randomly distributed pores grow with increasing irradiation fluence and segregate in layers orientated parallel to the sample surface. This self-organisation mechanism depends on the ion energy, thickness of the amorphous Ge layer and the angle of ion incidence and shows a characteristic length depending on ion energy and irradiation angle. Molecular dynamics simulations of individual ion tracks show that voids form due to the transition from the low-density amorphous to the high-density liquid phase, which also gives rise to a flow directed away from large pores and surfaces. The flow results in a characteristic distance from surfaces and larger pores, below which new voids do not form, and supports the formation of voids at the amorphous/crystalline interface. Simulations also demonstrate that, while direct impacts can reposition small voids, partial or nearby impacts promote their growth at the same location. These processes are plausible drivers for the self-organization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Order/dis-order atomic arrangements in crystalline/amorphous structure possess a complementing effect in electro-catalysis as the former one can offer a long-range electronic conducting path, whereas the latter is rich with active sites. However, atomic level interfacing of crystalline and amorphous structures is extremely challenging and thus often end-up with uncontrolled secondary deposition one above another. Here, we are reporting second-scale atomic rearrangement of crystalline oxide nanowire surface into amorphous molybdenum sulfide shell that displayed excellent hydrogen evolution activity. Employing transient heating by microwave-activated graphene filament, surface atoms of molybdenum tungsten oxide (MoWO) nanowire can be arrested in either an amorphous or crystalline state during their sulfidation. Such a nanowire structure consisting of crystalline oxide core-amorphous sulfide shell shows excellent catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and exhibits an overpotential of 136 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in the acid electrolyte, which is much lower than the overpotential of parent oxide nanowire (356 mV) and its fully sulfurized crystalline counterpart (163 mV). As-developed catalyst also shows competitive HER performance with excellent alkaline and neutral electrolytes stability, thereby qualifying it as a pH universal catalyst. A detailed density functional theory calculation reveals oxide core promoted activation of multiple sites of amorphous sulfide phase, which provide key insights of electronic modulation via crystalline/amorphous interfacial structure for HER catalysis. This rapid and highly facile technique can lay the platform for the development of generic crystalline/amorphous core-shell nanostructure and their possible use as cost-effective and efficient catalysts. [Display omitted] • The unique microwave-induced second-scale surface amorphization is demonstrated. • Amorphous@crystalline core-shell nanowire of a-MoS x @MoWO structure was realized. • The a-MoS x @MoWO exhibits excellent pH-universal HER activity. • Synergy between core and shell for HER is studied by detailed DFT calculation. • Crystalline core turns multiple inactive sites of amorphous shell to highly active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunction device performance has strong dependence on its junction interface. ZnO deposition over GaN to achieve a heterojunction is challenging as it usually requires high temperature and vacuum processing. It is even more demanding to achieve a crystalline interface while making ZnO nanorod based heterojunction. Here we report simple solution process for epitaxial growth of ZnO nanorods over GaN. High resolution x-ray diffraction studies revealed highly crystalline c-axis oriented ZnO nanorod growth by a simple hydrothermal process. ZnO/GaN heterojunction device fabricated using hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorods showed superior performance compared to polycrystalline sputter deposited ZnO based heterojunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract WB 2 /CrN multilayer films with thick modulation periods over 50 nm (Λ = 1400, 315, 235, 150, 55 nm) were synthesized by direct-current magnetron sputtering, and the influence of modulation period on microstructure and mechanical properties for the multilayer films was systematically studied. In WB 2 /CrN multilayer films, CrN sublayers present the columnar microstructure. As Λ decreases, the structure of WB 2 sublayers evolves from (110) orientation to (001) orientation to amorphous structure, and critical crystalline thickness for WB 2 sublayers is over 150 nm here. A transition layer, which shows the columnar crystal with size of 10–11 nm high and 2.5–3.5 nm wide caused by the effect of the crystalline interface of the CrN sublayers, is detected in WB 2 sublayers. Additionally, a-BN, WB 2 , WB 2 (N), CrN, Cr 2 N and Cr 2 O 3 phase are formed in the multilayer films. Moreover, film hardness mainly obeys the rule of mixture. The maximum hardness of 31.2 GPa is obtained at Λ = 315 nm due to crystalline WB 2 sublayers with (001) preferred orientation, and amorphous WB 2 sublayers greatly reduce the film hardness to only 22.3–24.3 GPa at Λ ≤ 235 nm. Consequently, the poor hardness leads to the higher wear rates (5.7–7.8 × 10−7 mm3/mN) of multilayer films with Λ ≤ 235 nm compared with those (2.9–3.3 × 10−7 mm3/mN) of other films. However, both the fracture toughness and adhesive strength of the films present an increasing trend with decreasing Λ, resulting from the soft CrN and BN phases and a certain amount of interface. In conclusion, decreasing the critical crystal-thickness of the WB 2 sublayers, controlling the N content in WB 2 sublayers and getting sharp interfaces will play important roles in developing the higher-performance WB 2 /CrN multilayer films. Highlights • WB 2 /CrN multilayer films with different bilayer periods over 50 nm are prepared. • A transition layer with nano-columnar crystal exists between WB 2 and CrN sublayers. • Critical crystalline thickness of WB 2 sublayers is over 150 nm in this work. • Decreasing bilayer period to ≤235 nm causes a reduction in hardness and wear rate. • Multilayer architecture promotes the film toughness and adhesive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bismuth magnesium niobate (Bi 3/2 MgNb 3/2 O 7 , BMN) thin films were prepared on bare SiO 2 /HR-Si and Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /HR-Si substrates by using sol-gel spin coating technique followed by rapid thermal annealing process. The influence of the interface on crystalline structure and tunable dielectric properties of the two types of BMN films were investigated. It was found that the BMN films prepared on SiO 2 /Si substrate with a BMN/SiO 2 interface structure had higher orientation and better crystallinity. The deposited BMN thin films with a BMN/SiO 2 interface structure exhibited superior tunability of 52.5%, while it showed a relative small tunability value of the film with BMN/Pt interface structure. It suggests that the interface state between the films and substrates, electric field distribution, and orientation degree are responsible for the impacts on the microstructure and tunable dielectric properties of the BMN thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Triple-hierarchical nanoporous structure with superlarge ECSA. • Pt-like electrocatalytic activity towards HER and HzOR in alkaline solutions. • Synergistical regulation between the crystalline and amorphous interfaces. Replacing kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with hydrazine oxidation (HzOR) is an effective strategy for water electrolysis to achieve sustainable hydrogen production. Here we report triple-hierarchical nanoporous Ni(Cu)@NiFeP onto nickel foam (NM) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for HER and HzOR. The as-prepared catalyst with a 54-fold increased electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) presents remarkable HzOR activity, requiring a potential of 6 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH, which is comparable to commercial Pt/C. Assembling in an electrolyzer for HER and HzOR, the Ni(Cu)@NiFeP/NM cell requires a cell voltage of 0.491 V to offer 100 mA cm−2, far lower than that of overall water splitting. The superior catalytic performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect from crystalline Ni(Cu) alloy and amorphous NiFe P-derivatives, as well as structural advantages of the unique 3D hierarchical porous nanostructures. The study also presents a strategy for accurate design and construction of multiple hierarchy of nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nitrogen containing mesoporous carbon spheres act as a host for Se-S mixed cathode in Li-sulfur batteries. We prepare 50 and 60 wt% of active material (Se-S) containing carbon spheres using a single and two step infusion method individually. Loading of 60 wt% Se-S mixed active material in carbon spheres using a two step infusion method exhibits crystalline nature, whereas single step infusion method yields amorphous product. Interestingly, Se and S involve in the electrochemical reaction with Li. Among the products, 60 wt% Se-S loaded carbon spheres from a two step infusion method effectively suppresses the active material against shuttling and retains about 528 and 387 mAh/g of capacity at C/10 and 1C rate respectively due to the better electronic conductivity and polar nature of ∼5% nitrogen present in the carbon sphere. Further, Se-S@carbon sphere cathode demonstrates better electrochemical performance than S or Se@carbon sphere cathodes. The study deals with the effect of mixed active material loaded carbon spheres and the role of infusion method in improving the electrochemical behaviour of Li-S system both individually and in synergy. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Influence of infusion method in S-Se mixed cathode property in Li-S is studied. • Mesoporous carbon sphere with ∼5% N is exploited as Se-S cathode scaffold. • Both S and Se participate in the reversible electrochemical reaction with Li. • Better cycleability is observed with 60 wt% Se-S@C obtained from two step method. • Demonstrated 528 mAh/g up to 50 cycles and 273 mAh/g capacity at 2C rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Misfit dislocations at bimetal interfaces play a decisive role in determining various deformation behaviors by carrying the shear sliding, serving as a barrier for dislocation transmission and a source of dislocation nucleation. However, when the interface does not possess the distinct feature of misfit dislocations, the nucleation mechanism of lattice dislocations at the interfaces cannot be simply quantified by previously developed atomistic mechanisms based on characteristic misfit dislocations. Using crystalline/crystalline interfaces with a large lattice mismatch and crystalline/amorphous interfaces without local symmetry as prototypes, we show for the first time that the dislocation nucleation at such interfaces is attributable to the localized strain heterogeneities by modifying the volumetric and shear strain components at the atomic level to mechanically respond to different loadings. Using atomic strain tensor analysis, we found that in-plane localized shearing plays a critical role in the emission of lattice dislocations from interfaces, while the corresponding normal components of the volumetric strain tensor will dominate the character of the nucleated lattice dislocation by modifying the atomic excess volume at the interface to overcome the barrier to dislocation nucleation. Further exploration of various crystalline/amorphous interfaces by varying the chemical composition of the amorphous side indicates that chemical heterogeneity may substantially change the strain heterogeneity by forming a different clustered structure at the interface, resulting in the preferred choice of nucleation sites at the boundary regions that can be defined as nano shear traces (NSTs). These results provide a foundation to investigate the effects of strain and chemical heterogeneities in order to provide a realistic explanation of interface mediated deformation mechanisms and an efficient solution to tune interface dominated plasticity. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal borides have shown great promise as a supercapacitor electrode material. However, the amorphous structure of metal borides leads to the structural collapse of electrode material during electrochemical cycling, which seriously affects the stability of the material. In the present work, we successfully construct amorphous/crystalline NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 heterogeneous interfacial composites by introducing the outer layer of sulfide to improve the electrochemical performance. NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 shows a specific capacitance of 1562 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 and still possesses 58% specific capacitance even at a higher current density of 50 A g−1. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device assembled with Bi 2 O 3 @C as the negative electrode and NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 as the positive exhibits a high energy density of 98.75 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 750 W kg−1. The ASC also exhibits excellent cycling stability with capacitance retention of 118% after 10000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g−1, which fully demonstrates the practical applications value of NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 //Bi 2 O 3 @C. The amorphous/crystalline NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 heterogeneous interfacial composites were successfully constructed for the first time. The resulting amorphous/crystalline heterogeneous interface effectively improves the electron/ion transport rate and increases the electrochemical reactive sites. The assembled NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 //Bi 2 O 3 @C asymmetric supercapacitors exhibit a high energy density of 98.75 Wh kg−1 due to the high specific capacitance potential of NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 and Bi 2 O 3 @C. The introduced crystalline outer cladding metal sulfide effectively inhibits the oxidation of the metal boride core, thus exhibiting excellent electrochemical cycling stability. [Display omitted] • Amorphous/crystalline NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 interface structure was firstly constructed. • NiCoB@NiCo 2 S 4 showed 1562 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. • The ASC had a high energy density of 98.75 Wh kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Ni matrix composites reinforced with amorphous SiO 2 particles by in-situ pyrolysis of polycarbosilane (PCS) coated on Ni powders were studied in this paper. The submicron spherical amorphous SiO 2 particles instead of traditional SiC uniformly distributing in the composites result from the generated silicon source by PCS pyrolysis combined with oxygen impurity in the preparation. The prepared composites achieve high yield strength, 172 MPa, and ultimate tensile strength, 494 MPa, as well as outstanding ductility, total elongation 28.4 %, which is improved 13.9 %, 50.6 % and 160.6 % compared with those for pure Ni samples, respectively. The effects of solid solution strengthening, grain refinement strengthening, reinforcement particle strengthening and dislocations behavior of at amorphous/crystalline interface on the combination of high strength and ductility of the composites were discussed. [Display omitted] • Amorphous SiO 2 reinforced Ni matrix composites were fabricated by in-situ pyrolysis of polycarbosilane coated on Ni powders. • Amorphous SiO 2 instead of crystalline SiC formed by the combination of silicon generated in the pyrolysis with oxygen. • The composites exhibit a combination of excellent tensile strength and ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing earth-abundant, efficient and durable catalysts toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for the large-scale deployment of sustainable hydrogen production from renewable energies. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising candidates for the replacement of precious and state-of-the-art platinum-groups-metals, but their HER performance still needs improvement. Constructing crystalline/amorphous interfaces is effective in terms of creating abundant active sites for boosted catalytic activity. Therefore, in this study, defective crystalline vanadium disulfide/amorphous molybdenum sulfide/reduced graphene oxide (c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO) nanocomposites are fabricated via a combined hydrothermal-plasma method. The HER performance of c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO is optimized by tuning the plasma treatment duration and the amount of precursors, and the corresponding mechanisms were investigated by morphological and elemental analyses. Taking advantage of the high reactivity of low-temperature plasma, the strategy presented in this work is effective in terms of constructing crystalline/amorphous interfaces and introducing multiple defects, which creates abundant active sites and ultimately results in boosted HER performance. The optimal c-20VS 2 /a-40MoS x /RGO catalyst exhibited excellent HER activity (η@100 mA cm−2 = 193 mV and η@500 mA cm−2 = 244 mV) and good stability. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for promoting the HER performance of TMDs and sheds light on rationally designing efficient HER catalysts using earth-abundant elements. [Display omitted] This work describes a combined hydrothermal-plasma method for fabricating defective crystalline vanadium disulfide/amorphous molybdenum sulfide/reduced graphene oxide (c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO) nanocomposites toward hydrogen evolution reaction. The HER activity of c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO can be optimized by adjusting plasma treatment duration and the amount of precursors. Structural and electrochemical characterizations indicate that the optimal c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO catalyst possess abundant active sites, which can be attributed to crystalline/amorphous interface and multiple defects in the heterostructures. The c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO catalysts show excellent activity and good stability for the HER. • This work develops a method for constructing crystalline/amorphous interfaces. • Crystalline/amorphous interfaces are beneficial for boosting HER activity. • The level of lattice defects should be controlled for optimal HER activity. • c-VS 2 /a-MoS x /RGO exhibits boosted HER performance at high current densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • a/c-RuCoMo y O x /NF was synthesized by coprecipitation-microwave method. • Microwave time affects the transition from crystalline to amorphous structure. • a/c-interface and electron interaction make a/c-RuCoMo y O x /NF have mighty activity. • The η 10 value of a/c-RuCoMo y O x /NF is 39 and 166 mV for HER and OER. Due to the vast difference in structure and the unique electronic state at the heterointerface, the amorphous/crystalline (a/c) heterostructure exhibits excellent potential in electrocatalysis. However, there are great challenges in constructing the material with ample a/c-heterointerfaces and controllably modulated a/c-heterointerface region through a simple one-step method. Herein, the a/c-RuCoMo y O x /NF (nickel foam) electrocatalyst is synthesized by the coprecipitation-microwave treatment method. Notably, microwave time directly affects the ratio of amorphous region (RuCoMoO x) to crystalline region (CoMoO 4 and CoO). Surprisingly, the a/c-RuCoMo y O x /NF with abundant crystallinity/amorphous heterointerfaces exhibits the ultralow η 10 values of 39 and 166 mV for HER and OER, which are 0.5-fold and 0.63-fold lower than that of Pt/C-NF and RuO 2 -NF benchmarks, respectively. Overall, this work provides a novel idea and convenient method for the construction of amorphous/crystalline heterointerfaces with modulated interface region, and guides the direction for the preparation of superior electrocatalysts by regulating the a/c-heterointerface region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein a novel carbon nitride composite with triazine-based crystalline carbon nitride (tri-C 3 N 4 ) vertically aligned on tri- s -traizine-based crystalline carbon nitride (tri- s -tri-C 3 N 4 ) is first proposed for efficient visible light driven (λ > 420 nm) photocatalytic H 2 evolution. The well matched lattice fringes between (002) plane of tri- s -tri-C 3 N 4 and (102) plane of tri-C 3 N 4 characterized by TEM unambiguously demonstrate the successful construction of tight crystalline junction between tri- s -tri-C 3 N 4 and tri-C 3 N 4 . As a result, the crystalline carbon nitride phase junction (tri-/tri- s -tri-C 3 N 4 ) shows a high visible light photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity of 144 μmol/h, which is 30 times higher than that of pristine g-C 3 N 4 . This outstanding photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance could be attributed to the fact that the construction of crystalline tight junction can greatly enhance the transfer and separation efficiency of photoinduced carriers. This study may provide a new way for rational design of carbon nitride heterojunction for gaining high photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-area Cu/SS ribbed plate is very significant for the fusion engineering but is difficult to produce by regular cold or hot processing. This thesis takes Cu-alloy plate and 316L SS ribbed plate as materials and adopts a new form of charging to carry out the deepened study and optimization of the supporting formwork from perspectives of design, filling scheme and welding parameters. It prepares a large-area dual-metal ribbed plate by the explosive weld and conducts the shear strength test, metallographic observation, scanning electron microscopy and micro-hardness test of the weld interface. The result indicates that most weld interface is the wavy metallurgical bond interface of the direct transition of Cu/SS but “coronary” vortexes containing metallic oxide exist on both sides of the crest. Crystalline grains near the bond interface are lengthened and thinned, the micro-hardness is increased significantly and the bond strength of interface is even greater than that of copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum substitution by chromium in ZrCr 1-x NiMo x alloys produces the segregation of Zr x Ni y phases, ZrCr 2 and ZrMo 2 Laves phases as it was stated in Part I of this paper. In order to study the contribution of these phases in ZrCr 1-x NiMo x alloys performance, secondary Zr 9 Ni 11 and Zr 7 Ni 10 , together with ZrCr 2 and ZrMo 2 Laves phases were synthesized and their crystalline structures determined with XRD patterns. Zr 7 Ni 10 exhibits an orthorhombic structure, whereas Zr 9 Ni 11 depicts a tetragonal structure. ZrCr 2 presents a hexagonal structure (C14), while ZrMo 2 depicts a cubic structure (C15). ZrCr 2 shows zero discharge capacities, while ZrMo 2 exhibits a first capacity value of 245 mAh g −1 . Zr 9 Ni 11 and Zr 7 Ni 10 phases exhibit maximum discharge capacities of 119 and 157 mAh g −1 , respectively. Theoretical results show that the hydride stability for ZrCr 2 is larger than that for ZrMo 2 . However, the great hydrogen storage capacity yields a slower desorption kinetics since it requires a considerable de-hydrogenation energy. The opposite effect is observed for the proposed hexagonal structure ZrMo 2 . The 100% charge of the alloys shows different results for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Zr 7 Ni 10 phase depicts a better performance since the required potentials are lower than −1.05 V. There is a change in the rate determining step ( rds) from a chemical recombination of surface hydrogen (Tafel pathway) in Zr 7 Ni 10 to a fast first electron transfer (Volmer step) for Zr 9 Ni 11 . Thus, the rds is strongly affected by the type of secondary phase dominant in each sample, being Zr 7 Ni 10 the most favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the formation of epitaxial ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic MnGa(0 0 1)/Mn 4 N(0 0 1) heterostructures by using spin polarized first principles calculations. In particular, we have analyzed the stability of the surface and interface as function of the N content. Since the Mn 4 N(0 0 1) has two stable surface terminations with a (1 × 1) periodicity, we have used them as substrates to grow MnGa. The interface formation energy formalism has been applied to describe the stability of all proposed models. Our calculations show that Mn at the interface is energetically favorable. Moreover, stability of the MnGa surface has a direct nitrogen dependence. Specifically, without extra N, the Ga-terminated surface is stable in the whole range of chemical potential for both substrates. Once N is added to the surface, the MnN-terminated surface becomes stable in both substrates for different ranges of chemical potential. Although MnGa and Mn 4 N are not antiferromagnetic materials, they form a local antiferromagnetic-like arrangement at the interface. This thermodynamically stable system could have potential applications in the construction of new generation spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystalline homoepitaxial Nb doped TiO 2 (TiO 2 :Nb) films were deposited on rutile TiO 2 (r-TiO 2 ) (001) substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Effect of Nb doping on structural and electrical properties of the films were studied. The maximum Hall mobility of the obtained films reached as high as 14.0 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and the lowest resistivity of the films was 1.9 × 10 −1 Ω cm which was 7 orders of magnitude lower than that of pristine r-TiO 2 . The obtained films were single crystalline r-TiO 2 epitaxially grown along the (001) orientation. The relationship between the structural and electrical properties was discussed. TiO 2 :Nb films with high mobilities may have many potential applications in the field of transparent electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the influence of crystalline orientation on the plasticity of metallic amorphous-crystalline interface (ACI) has been investigated in a model system of crystalline Cu-amorphous CuZr multilayers by molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the ACIs with various crystalline orientations all show similar structure with a gradual transition from crystalline to amorphous. As a result, the energy of ACIs shows only a weak dependence on the crystalline orientation. Additionally, the ACI shows no stress concentration or area of high energy than the rest of the materials. Those findings are in contrast to other types of planar defects such as grain boundaries or free surfaces. However, the strength and the yielding behavior vary significantly among the different amorphus-crystalline (A-C) multilayers. Specifically, it is found that the yielding mechanism, e.g., through dislocation nucleation in the crystalline Cu or through shear localization in the amorphous CuZr layer, is mainly determined by the crystalline orientation. What is more, the simulations on ACIs with polycrystalline Cu suggest that the plasticity of A-C multilayers strongly depends on the texture orientation of the columnar grains in the Cu layer, which can be used to explain some of the experimental observations on similar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study both experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of chemically self-propelled Janus colloids moving atop a two-dimensional crystalline surface. The surface is a hexagonally close-packed monolayer of colloidal particles of the same size as the mobile one. The dynamics of the self-propelled colloid reflects the competition between hindered diffusion due to the periodic surface and enhanced diffusion due to active motion. Which contribution dominates depends on the propulsion strength, which can be systematically tuned by changing the concentration of a chemical fuel. The mean-square displacements (MSDs) obtained from the experiment exhibit enhanced diffusion at long lag times. Our experimental data are consistent with a Langevin model for the effectively two-dimensional translational motion of an active Brownian particle in a periodic potential, combining the confining effects of gravity and the crystalline surface with the free rotational diffusion of the colloid. Approximate analytical predictions are made for theMSDdescribing the crossover from free Brownian motion at short times to active diffusion at long times. The results are in semi-quantitative agreement with numerical results of a refined Langevin model that treats translational and rotational degrees of freedom on the same footing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NiCr-based composites with crystalline Cr 3 C 2 and amorphous SiO 2 dual-particles were successfully fabricated. • The composites exhibit a combination of excellent tensile strength and ductility. • The generation and annihilation behavior of dislocations at amorphous/crystalline interface contributes to improve tensile strength and ductility. • Introducing crystalline-amorphous dual-particles into metallic materials can simultaneously improve their strength and ductility. Strength and ductility of structural materials are mutually exclusive in general due to the strength-ductility trade-off. Using in-situ pyrolysis of polycarbosilane in NiCr powder green compacts, we fabricated NiCr-based composites with micro-sized crystalline Cr 3 C 2 and amorphous SiO 2 dual-particles. Tensile tests show that the NiCr-based composites have a combination of high strength and ductility with the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and ductility as 449 MPa, 838 MPa and 20.5%, respectively. The amorphous SiO 2 and crystalline Cr 3 C 2 particles exhibit plastic deformation and transgranular fracture, respectively, under tensile stress. Besides solid solution strengthening, the generation and annihilation behavior of dislocations at amorphous/crystalline interface and the strain hardening of the ceramic particles by hindering the movement of dislocations mutually contributes to the combination of excellent strength and ductility of our composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intrinsic feature of nearly all internal interfaces in crystalline systems (homo- and hetero-phase) is the presence of disconnections, namely topological line defects constrained to the interface that have both step and dislocation character. We demonstrate that elastic interactions between disconnections strongly affect the morphology and motion of interfaces, allowing for understanding and reconciling diverse key experiments. In particular, these elastic interactions strongly modify equilibrium interface morphologies compared with those solely determined by anisotropic surface energy, and affect the kinetics of migrating interfaces. They are also found to lead to a thermodynamic, first-order, finite-temperature, faceting–defaceting transition. We demonstrate these phenomena through numerical simulations based upon a general, continuum disconnection-based model for interface thermodynamics and kinetics applied to embedded particles/grains, steady-state interface migration geometries, and nominally flat interfaces. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond-structured grain boundaries (GBs) are important because they have notable effects on the performances of many functional devices. Previous studies have suggested that the most stable structures of some silicon GBs can be obtained by structural reconstruction from some meta-stable GBs explored at 0 K by atomic simulation. While GB reconstruction is possible to enable these meta-stable GBs to exist at elevated temperatures, reports on such behaviors are rare. This work unveiled a non-reported GB reconstruction from two degenerate ground-states of a well-known silicon GB which can be distinguished by an orientational feature of their unit structures. The reconstructing structures were verified stable by density-functional-theory (DFT) simulation. By thermodynamical and kinetical discussion, we have shown that the structural variation of this well-known GB at elevated temperatures is more likely to be dominated by this reconstruction mechanism rather than by transforming to other metastates. Such a reconstruction mechanism allows the whole GB system to be treated as an Ising model with a second-ordered phase transition. By applying harmonic transition state theory, we predicted the possible concentration of the defects induced by reconstruction at elevated temperatures and discussed their effects on the band structure of the GB by DFT simulation. An explanation was made on the cause of the difference between the phase transition behavior of this silicon GB and that of a reported copper GB. Our research made new insights into understanding the behavior of reconstructing interfaces in covalent-bonded crystalline materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-carrier transport process and mobility in the different phases including crystalline and isotropic phases of a liquid crystalline photoconductor material from the 2-phenylnaphthalene derivative, 2-(4’-octylphenyl)-6-dodecyloxynaphthalene (8-PNP-O12) was re-investigated as function of electric field and temperature by using time of flight (TOF) transient photocurrent technique. Charge carrier transport is discussed in different phases from the measurement of the transient photocurrent. In the mesophases, experimental data, in agreement with previous results, highlight electronic and ionic conductions. Moreover, were revealed electronic transport in isotropic phase of a liquid crystalline material and crystalline phase of this compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pitting corrosion resistance has been evaluated for a powder-processed Al-Cr-Mn-Co-Zr alloy which contains ≈35% by volume of an icosahedral quasi-crystalline phase and a little Al 9 Co 2 in an Al matrix. ASTM standard salt fog exposure tests show that the alloy exhibits far lower corrosion pit densities and depths than commercial high-strength aerospace Al alloys under the same conditions. Electron microscopy data show that the salt fog exposure leads to the selective oxidation of the face-centered cubic Al matrix around the other phases, and to the development of a porous outer oxide scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to summarize studies conducted by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) on polymer crystallization. This technique can provide several advantages for the analysis of polymers with respect to conventional differential scanning calorimetry. Crystallizations conducted by TMDSC in different experimental conditions are analysed and discussed, in order to illustrate the type of information that can be deduced. Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallizations upon heating and cooling are examined separately, together with the relevant mathematical treatments that allow the evolution of the crystalline, mobile amorphous and rigid amorphous fractions to be determined. The phenomena of 'reversing' and 'reversible' melting are explicated through the analysis of the thermal response of various semi-crystalline polymers to temperature modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Innovative passivating contact using quantum well at poly-Si/c-Si interface. • Efficacy of quantum well on large-area TOPCon device is discussed. • The quantum well improves the V oc by 20 mV. • The quantum-well device achieves an efficiency of 23.91%. Polysilicon/crystalline silicon (poly-Si/c-Si) passivating contact is attracting attention as a promising passivation technology for c-Si solar cells. Recently, we have proposed a quantum-well passivating contact (QWPC) that uses a quantum-well at the poly-Si/c-Si interface to suppress recombination, such as Auger and/or Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, due to deep dopant-diffusion problems from poly-Si into the c-Si absorber and, as a result, promote the passivation quality. Herein, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the QWPC in a large area (272.13 cm2) of c-Si photovoltaic devices. A reference device, featuring a front boron diffusion emitter and normal rear poly-Si/c-Si passivating contact without QWPC, achieves a certified 22.99% conversion efficiency. The QWPC significantly reduces recombination losses within the device, as demonstrated by bias external quantum efficiency and dark I-V characteristics. The QWPC improves the open-circuit voltage (V oc) by 20 mV. An antireflection magnesium fluoride coating applied at the front along with the QWPC improves the short-circuit current density by 1.27 mA/cm2. The QWPC device achieves a conversion efficiency of 23.91%. The QWPC demonstrates an innovative passivating contact for promoting c-Si solar cell performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GdPO 4 is a promising thermal barrier coating (TBC) candidate owing to its excellent resistance to calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate (CMAS) and molten salt corrosion. In this study, the corrosion behavior of GdPO 4 in CMAS + molten salt (CN) was investigated and compared with that in CMAS. At 1200 and 1250 °C, interface reaction layers rapidly formed on both the CN and CMAS attacked GdPO 4 pellets, and many crystalline products were generated in the melts. This effectively increased the melt viscosity and suppressed its penetration. As compared to CMAS, CN was more aggressive to GdPO 4 at 1200 °C but less at 1250 °C. [Display omitted] • CMAS + NaVO 3 (CN) and CMAS corrosion behavior of GdPO 4 was studied and compared. • The interface reaction layers on the CN and CMAS attacked GdPO 4 pellets had different phase compositions. • The reactive crystalline products in CN and CMAS melts on GdPO 4 pellets were different. • The formed crystalline products and interface reaction layers increased the melt viscosity and inhibited melt penetration. • As compared to CMAS, CN was more aggressive to GdPO 4 at 1200 ℃ but less at 1250 ℃. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]