Solution-based Chemical Strategies to Purposely Control the Microstructure of Functional Materials

Micro/nanostructured crystals with controlled architectures are desirable for many applications in optics, electronics, biology, medicine, and energy conversions. Low-temperature, aqueous chemical routes have been widely investigated for the synthesis of particles, and arrays of oriented nanorods and nanotubes. In this paper, based on the ideal crystal shapes predicted by the chemical bonding theory, we have developed some potential chemical strategies to tune the microstructure of functional materials, ZnS and Nb205 nanotube arrays, MgO wiskers and nestlike spheres, and cubic phase Cu2O microcrystals were synthesized here to elucidate these strategies. We describe their controlled crystallization processes and illustrate the detailed key factors controlling their growth by examining various reaction parameters. Current results demonstrate that our designed chemical strategies for tuning microstructure of functional materials are applicable to several technologically important materials, and therefore may be used as a versatile and effective route to the controllable synthesis of other inorganic functional materials.

The action mechanisms and structures designs of F-containing functional materials for high performance oxygen electrocatalysis

Non-renewable fossil fuels have led to serious problems such as global warming,environmental pollution,etc.Oxygen electrocatalysis including oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)plays a central role in clean energy conversion,enabling a number of sustainable processes for future air battery technologies.Fluorine,as the most electronegative element(4.0)not only can induce more efficient regulation for the electronic structure,but also can bring more abundant defects and other novel effects in materials selection and preparation for favorable catalysis with respect to the other nonmetal elements.However,an individual and comprehensive overview of fluorine-containing functional materials for oxygen electrocatalysis field is still blank.Therefore,it is very meaningful to review the recent progresses of fluorine-containing oxygen electrocatalysts.In this review,we first systematically summarize the controllable preparation methods and their possible development directions based on fluorine-containing materials from four preparation methods.Due to the strong electron-withdrawing properties of fluorine,its control of the electronic structure can effectively enhance the oxygen electrocatalytic activity of the materials.In addition,the catalytic enhancement effect of fluorine on carbonbased materials also includes the prevent oxidation and the layer peeling,and realizes the precise atomic control.And the catalytic improvement mechanism of fluorine containing metal-based compounds also includes the hydration of metal site,the crystal transformation,and the oxygen vacancy induction.Then,based on their various dimensions(0D–3D),we also have summarized the advantages of different morphologies on oxygen electrocatalytic performances.Finally,the prospects and possible future researching direction of F-containing oxygen electrocatalysts are presented(e.g.,novel pathways,advanced methods for measurement and simulation,field assistance and multi-functions).The review is considered valuable and helpful in exploring the novel designs and mechanism analyses of advanced fluorine-containing electrocatalysts.

Application and mechanism of Fenton-like iron-based functional materials for arsenite removal

Between the two major arsenic-containing salts in natural water, arsenite(As(Ⅲ)) is far more harmful to human and the environment than arsenate(As(V)) due to its high toxicity and transportability. Therefore, preoxidation of As(Ⅲ) to As(V) is considered to be an effective means to reduce the toxicity of arsenic and to promote the removal efficiency of arsenic. Due to their high catalytic activity and arsenic affinity, iron-based functional materials can quickly oxidize As(Ⅲ) to As(V) in heterogeneous Fenton-like systems, and then remove As(V) from water through adsorption and surface coprecipitation. In this review, the effects of different iron-based functional materials such as zero-valent iron and iron(hydroxy) oxides on arsenic removal are compared, and the catalytic oxidation mechanism of As(Ⅲ) in heterogeneous Fenton process is further clarified. Finally, the main challenges and opportunities faced by iron-based As(Ⅲ) oxidation functional materials are prospected.

Intercalation Assembly and Chemical Product Engineering of Layered Intercalated Functional Materials Based on Efficient Utilization of Magnesium Resources in Salt Lakes

1 Introduction Magnesium salts are very important by-product of salt lake industry in West China.Nearly 200 million cubic meters of waste brine are released to the environment

High-throughput design of functional materials using materials genome approach

High-throughput computational materials design provides one efficient solution to accelerate the discovery and development of functional materials. Its core concept is to build a large quantum materials repository and to search for target materials with desired properties via appropriate materials descriptors in a high-throughput fashion, which shares the same idea with the materials genome approach. This article reviews recent progress of discovering and developing new functional materials using high-throughput computational materials design approach. Emphasis is placed on the rational design of high-throughput screening procedure and the development of appropriate materials descriptors, concentrating on the electronic and magnetic properties of functional materials for various types of industrial applications in nanoelectronics.

Crystalline framework nanosheets as platforms for functional materials

The integration of organic and inorganic materials has been widely used in various applications to generate novel functional nanomaterials characterized by unique properties.Functional crystalline framework nanosheets and their synergistic effects have been studied recently for possessing the advantages of functional species as well as crystalline framework nanosheets.Hence,we have focused on the preparation methods and applications of functional crystalline framework nanosheets in this review.We introduced crystalline framework nanosheets and discussed the importance of integrating functional species with nanosheets to form functional crystalline framework nanosheets.Then,two aspects of the preparation methods of functional crystalline framework nanosheets were reviewed:in situ synthesis and post-synthesis modification.Subsequently,we discussed the properties of the crystalline framework nanosheets combined with various functional species and summarized their applications in catalysis,sensing,separation,and energy storage.Finally,we have shared our insights on the challenges of functional crystalline framework nanosheets,hoping to contribute to the knowledge base for optimizing the preparation methods,expanding categories,improving stability,and exploring potential applications.

Modulating properties by light ion irradiation:From novel functional materials to semiconductor power devices

In this review,the application of light ion irradiation is discussed for tailoring novel functional materials and for improving the performance in SiC or Si based electrical power devices.The deep traps and electronic disorder produced by light ion irradiation can modify the electrical,magnetic,and optical properties of films(e.g.,dilute ferromagnetic semiconductors and topological materials).Additionally,benefiting from the high reproducibility,precise manipulation of functional depth and density of defects,as well as the flexible patternability,the helium or proton ion irradiation has been successfully employed in improving the dynamic performance of SiC and Si based PiN diode power devices by reducing their majority carrier lifetime,although the static performance is sacrificed due to deep level traps.Such a trade-off has been regarded as the key point to compromise the static and dynamic performances of power devices.As a result,herein the light ion irradiation is highlighted in both exploring new physics and optimizing the performance in functional materials and electrical devices.

Metal Functional Materials and Their Industrialization on Turn of the Century

A brief introduction of the connotation and characteristics of metal functional materials was presented. The current research and development of several important materials and the difference between home and world advanced level were described. The latest trend of research and development was discussed. The industrialization and market for several new metal functional materials were commented and some opinions also were given.

Functional Materials To Drive RE Consumption Market

1. RE Permanent Materials Chinese demand for RE permanent magnets increases at 20% per year. The output of sintered NdFeB magnets will reach 70,000 tons in 2010, 75% of the world total, with sales value of RMB $26 billion. 2. RE Catalyst

Intercalation Assembly Method and Intercalation Process Control of Layered Intercalated Functional Materials

Layered intercalated functional materials of layered double hydroxide type are an important class of functional materials developed in recent years. Based on long term studies on these materials in the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering in Beiiing University of Chemical Technology, the orinciole for the design of controlled intercalation processes in the light of tuture production processing requirements has been developed. Intercalation assembly methods and technologies have been invented to control the intercalation process for preparing layered intercalated materials with various structures and functions.

The Influence of Mineral Functional Materials on Chloride Ion Penetration of Concrete

The mechanism of chloride ion penetration in high performance concrete was analy zed. The experimental results indicate that there are two important reasons that influence the anti-chloride penetration of high performance concrete. One is the function effect of mineral functional material, so that it increases conc rete's capability to resist chloride ion penetration. The other is combined acti on of mineral functional material's original capability of binding the chloride ion (physical adsorption) and physicochemical adsorption after hydration.

Recent Advances on the Development of Functional Materials in Microbial Fuel Cells:From Fundamentals to Challenges and Outlooks

Microbial fuel cells(MFCs),as a sustainable and promising technology to solve both environmental pollution and energy shortage,have captured tremendous attention.The conversion efficiency of chemical energy contained in organic waste or wastewater to electricity via microbial metabolism strongly depends on the performance of each functional unit,including the anode,cathode and separator/membrane used in MFCs.Therefore,significant attention has been paid toward developing advanced functional materials to enhance the performance of each unit or provide new featured functions.This review paper provides a comprehensive review on recent achievements and advances in the modification and development of functional materials for MFC systems,including 1)the development of functional anode materials for enhanced microbial compatibilities as well as electron transfer capabilities,2)the development of cost-effective separators/membranes such as ion exchange membrane,porous membrane,polymer electrolyte membrane and composite membrane,and 3)the development of functional cathode catalysts to decrease the over-potential and enhance the electrocatalytic efficiency for oxygen reduction reaction in order to substitute the common costly Pt catalyst.The challenges and outlooks of functional materials for MFC applications are also discussed.

Atomic-level quantitative analysis of electronic functional materials by aberration-corrected STEM

The stable sub-angstrom resolution of the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope(ACSTEM)makes it an advanced and practical characterization technique for all materials.Owing to the prosperous advancement in computational technology,specialized software and programs have emerged as potent facilitators across the entirety of electron microscopy characterization process.Utilizing advanced image processing algorithms promotes the rectification of image distortions,concurrently elevating the overall image quality to superior standards.Extracting high-resolution,pixel-level discrete information and converting it into atomic-scale,followed by performing statistical calculations on the physical matters of interest through quantitative analysis,represent an effective strategy to maximize the value of electron microscope images.The efficacious utilization of quantitative analysis of electron microscope images has become a progressively prominent consideration for materials scientists and electron microscopy researchers.This article offers a concise overview of the pivotal procedures in quantitative analysis and summarizes the computational methodologies involved from three perspectives:contrast,lattice and strain,as well as atomic displacements and polarization.It further elaborates on practical applications of these methods in electronic functional materials,notably in piezoelectrics/ferroelectrics and thermoelectrics.It emphasizes the indispensable role of quantitative analysis in fundamental theoretical research,elucidating the structure–property correlations in high-performance systems,and guiding synthesis strategies.

Functionally gradient materials for sustainable and high-energy rechargeable lithium batteries:Design principles,progress,and perspectives

Rechargeable lithium batteries with high-capacity cathodes/anodes promise high energy densities for nextgeneration electrochemical energy storage.However,the associated limitations at various scales greatly hinder their practical applications.Functional gradient material(FGM)design endows the electrode materials with property gradient,thus providing great opportunities to address the kinetics and stability obstacles.To date,still no review or perspective has covered recent advancements in gradient design at multiple scales for boosting lithium battery performances.To fill this void,this work provides a timely and comprehensive overview of this exciting and sustainable research field.We begin by overviewing the fundamental features of FGM and the rationales of gradient design for improved electrochemical performance.Then,we comprehensively review FGM design for rechargeable lithium batteries at various scales,including natural or artificial solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)at the nanoscale,micrometer-scale electrode particles,and macroscale electrode films.The link between gradient structure design and improved electrochemical performance is particularly highlighted.The most recent research into constructing novel functional gradients,such as valence and temperature gradients,has also been explored.Finally,we discussed the current constraints and future scope of FGM in rechargeable lithium batteries,aiming to inspire the development of novel FGM for next-generation high-performance lithium batteries.

A machine learning-based crystal graph network and its application in development of functional materials

An active area of MGI(Materials Genome Initiative)/MGE(Materials Genome Engineering)is to accelerate the development of new materials by means of active learning and“digital trial-error”using a prediction model of material property.Machine learning methods have widely been employed for predicting crystalline materials properties with crystal graph neural networks(CGNN).The prediction accuracy of the state-of-the-art(SOTA)CGNN models based on big models and big data is generally higher.However,for the development of some classes of materials,the datasets obtained by experiments are usually lacking due to costly experiments and measurement costs.The lack of datasets will impact the accuracy of CGNN models and may result in overfitting during training models.This paper proposes a simplified crystal graph convolutional neural network(S-CGCNN)which possesses higher prediction accuracy while reducing the vast amount of train datasets and computation costs.The S-CGCNN model has successfully predicted properties of crystalline materials,such as piezoelectric materials and dielectric materials,and increased the prediction accuracy up to 12%-20%than existing SOTA CGNN models.Furthermore,the distribution map between properties and compositions of materials has been built to screen the latent space of candidate materials efficiently by principal component analysis.

Sound Transmission Loss Analysis of a Double Plate-Acoustic Cavity Coupling System with In-Plane Functionally Graded Materials

In this paper, the isogeometric analysis (IGA) is employed to develop an acoustic radiation model for a double plate-acoustic cavity coupling system, with a focus on analyzing the sound transmission loss (STL). The functionally graded (FG) plate exhibits a different material properties in-plane, and the power-law rule is adopted as the governing principle for material mixing. To validate the harmonic response and demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of the isogeometric modeling, ANASYS is utilized to compare with numerical examples. A plane wave serves as the acoustic excitation, and the Rayleigh integral is applied to discretize the radiated plate. The STL results are compared with the literature, confirming the reliability of the coupling system. Finally, the investigation is conducted to study impact of cavity depth and power-law parameter on the STL.

Functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries

The synthetic routes of porous carbons and the applications of the functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries are reviewed. The synthetic methods have made great breakthroughs to control the pore size and volume, wall thickness, surface area, and connectivity of porous carbons, which result in the development of functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials. The effects of porous carbons on the electrochemical properties are further discussed. The porous carbons as ideal matrixes to incorporate active materials make a great improvement on the electrochemical properties because of high surface area and pore volume, excellent electronic conductivity, and strong adsorption capacity. Large numbers of the composite electrode materials have been used for the devices of electrochemical energy conversion and storage, such as lithium-ion batteries （LIBs）, Li-S batteries, and Li-O2 batteries. It is believed that functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials will continuously contribute to the field of lithium secondary batteries.

Macroscopic Regulation of Hierarchical Nanostructures in Liquid-crystalline Block Copolymers towards Functional Materials

The great potential of liquid-crystalline block copolymers(LCBCs)containing photoresponsive mesogens toward novel applications in photonics and nanotechnology has been attracting increasing attention,due to the combination of the inherent property of microphase separation of block copolymers and the hierarchically-assembled structures of liquid-crystalline polymers(LCPs).The periodically ordered nanostructures in bulk film of LCBCs can be acquired by supramolecular cooperative motion,derived from the interaction between liquid-crystalline elastic deformation and microphase separation,which are able to improve physical properties of polymer film toward advanced functional applications.Moreover,various micro/nano-patterned structures have been fabricated via light manipulation of photoresponsive LCBCs with good reproducibility and mass production.Thanks to recent developments in synthesis and polymerization techniques,diverse azobenzene-containing LCBCs have been designed,resulting in the creation of a wide variety of novel functions.This review illustrates recent progresses in macroscopic regulation of hierarchical nanostructures in LCBCs towards functional materials.The existing challenges are also discussed,showing perspectives for future studies.

Advances and challenges of cellulose functional materials in sensors

As the most abundant natural polymer material on the earth,cellulose is a promising sustainable sensing material due to its high mechanical strength,excellent biocompatibility,good degrada-tion,and regeneration ability.Considering the inherent advantages of cellulose and the success of modern sensors,applying cellulose to sensors has always been the subject of considerable investigation,and significant progress has been made in recent decades.Herein,we reviewed the research progress of cellulose functional materials(CFMs)in recent years.According to the different sources of cellulose,the classification and preparation methods for the design and func-tionalization of cellulose were summarized with the emphasis on the relationship between their structure and properties.Besides,the applications of advanced sensors based on CFMs in recent years were also discussed.Finally,the potential challenges and prospects of the development of sensor based on CFMs were outlined.

Two-dimensional functional materials:from properties to potential applications

Two-dimensional(2D)materials have been extensively investigated since the exfoliation of graphene.Due to the excellent and versatile properties,the promising applications in novel nanodevices have been proposed in the last few years.Here,we chose three stable 2D materi-als which have been experimentally synthesized and have potential to be used for next-generation nanodevices,namely semiconducting MoS2,Janus MoSSe,and magnetic CrI_(3),to review their electronic/magnetic properties,and reveal the relationship of the propertiesapplications in devices.The showcase review on property-application is expected to provide new research insights into the investigations of 2D materials.