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Homogeneous molecular catalysts and heterogeneous catalysts possess complementary strengths, and are of great importance in laboratory/commercial procedures. While various porous hosts, such as polymers, carbons, silica, metal oxides and zeolites, have been used in an attempt to heterogenize homogeneous catalysts, realizing the integration of both functions at the expense of discounting their respective advantages, it remains a significant challenge to truly combine their intrinsic strengths in a single catalyst without compromise. Here, we describe a general template-assisted approach to incorporating soluble molecular catalysts into the hollow porous capsule, which prevents their leaching due to the absence of large intergranular space. In the resultant yolk (soluble)–shell (crystalline) capsules, the soluble yolks can perform their intrinsic activity in a mimetic homogeneous environment, and the crystalline porous shells endow the former with selective permeability, substrate enrichment, size-selective and heterogeneous cascade catalysis, beyond the integration of the respective advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts.

A high-strength Mg-10Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.4Zr (GWZ1031K, wt.%) alloy was prepared by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as built, LPBF-T5, LPBF-T4, and LPBF-T6 states were systematically studied. The as built alloy is composed of fine equiaxed ɑ-Mg grains with an average grain size of 4.1 ± 0.5 μm, reticular β-(Mg,Zn)3(Gd,Y) eutectic phase and flaky Y2O3 oxide phase, and exhibits yield strength (YS) of 310 ± 8 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 347 ± 6 MPa and elongation (EL) of 4.1 ± 0.8%. A simple direct aging heat treatment at 175℃ for 64 h after LPBF leads to an ultra-high YS of 365 ± 12 MPa but a low EL of 0.8 ± 0.3% in the LPBF-T5 alloy. The solution heat treatment improves ductility by transforming the hard and brittle eutectic phase into the relatively soft and deformable lamellar long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure inside grains and X phase at grain boundaries without obvious grain growth. Moreover, the LPBF-T4 alloy solution-treated at 450℃ for 12 h exhibits YS of 255 ± 8 MPa, UTS of 328 ± 9 MPa, and EL of 10.3 ± 0.5%. Aging heat treatment after solution introduces numerous prismatic β′ and β1 precipitates, which help to increase tensile strength. The YS, UTS, and EL of the LPBF-T6 alloy are 316 ± 5 MPa, 400 ± 7 MPa, and 2.2 ± 0.3%, respectively. It can be concluded that the LPBF process when combined with specially designed post-processing holds great promise for the manufacturing of high-performance components of the Mg-rare earth alloys with significantly higher YS for various applications.

This paper investigated the effects of Gd and Y solutes on aging behaviour and corresponding mechanical properties of the extruded Mg–Gd(-Y)-Zn-Mn alloys at room and elevated temperatures. The results show that aging treatment provided significant improvement of ~100 MPa in strength by forming ellipsoidal β ′ nanophases in the as-extruded alloys. Partially substituting Y for Gd in the as-extruded Mg-Gd-Zn-Mn alloys can delay age-hardening response, but improve the strength increment after aging treatment. As the Y/Gd atomic ratio changed from 0 to 1, the Mg-1.75Gd-0.75Y-0.5Zn–Mn(at.%) alloy with a Y/Gd atomic ratio of 0.4 obtained the higher peak-hardness and mechanical properties. Enhanced age-hardening response and better mechanical properties were detected after separate additions of Y and Gd. The extruded-T5 Mg-2.5Gd-0.75Y-0.5Zn-0.3Mn alloy exhibited superior ultimate tensile strengths of 520 MPa at room temperature, 344 MPa at 250 °C, and 225 MPa at 300 °C. Fracture behaviours reveal that a change in predominant deformation mechanism from one based on dislocations to one mediated by grain boundary (GB) processes was found as the tensile temperatures arise from 250 °C to 300 °C. The activation of GB sliding of the fine grains partially resulted in the decrease of tensile strength at 300 °C.

The semisolid billets of Mg-10Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.4Zr (wt%) alloy were prepared by the strain-induced melt activation (SIMA) route, and the effects of isothermal heating parameters on the morphology and coarsening kinetics of primary solid grains were studied. It was found that the average grain size increased with the increase of isothermal time while the grain size showed different changing laws with the temperature at different isothermal times. The growth behavior of the primary solid grains was predominantly governed by the Ostwald ripening mechanism, although there is coalescence mechanism in some cases. As the isothermal temperature increased from 550 °C to 590 °C, the coarsening rate constant increased continuously and then declined when the temperature was further increased to 610 °C. Compared with other SIMA processed magnesium alloys, the present alloy showed a significantly lower grain coarsening rate constant due to the inhibiting effect of rare earth (RE) elements on coarsening. This research has provided an insight into the microstructural evolution of Mg-RE alloy under different heating conditions, and will provide valuable information for potential industrial applications.

A Mg-11.00Gd-1.77Zn-0.43Zr (wt.%) alloy named GZ112K was prepared by selective laser melting (SLM) with different processing parameters. The formability, element vaporization, microstructure and tensile properties of the SLMed samples at different scanning speed and hatch spacing were characterized. The process map at a constant laser power of 80 W for the alloy has been established. It shows that the optimum scanning speed and hatch spacing are 300–700 mm/s and 100 μm respectively. The SLMed samples have fine grains of about 2 μm and dispersed eutectic phase of β-(Mg,Zn)3Gd due to the very high cooling rate, high solid solubility of Gd and Zn elements in ɑ-Mg matrix owing to the effect of solute trapping. The SLMed GZ112K alloy with scanning speed of 300 mm/s and hatch spacing of 100 μm has yield strength (YS) of 325 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 332 MPa and elongation of 4.0% at room temperature. Compared with as-cast alloy, the SLMed GZ112K alloy has much higher YS (+162 MPa), UTS (+122 MPa) and comparable elongation (+0.4%).