Literature review on the mechanical properties of materials after surface mechanical attrition treatment(SMAT)

Most of the challenges experienced by many engineering materials originate from the surface which later leads to total failure,hence affecting the resultant mechanical properties and service life.However,these challenges have been addressed thanks to the invention of a novel surface mechanical attrition treatment(SMAT)method which protects the material surface by generating a gradient-structured layer with improved strength and hardness without jeopardizing the ductility.The present work provides a comprehensive literature review on the mechanical properties of materials after SMAT including the hardness,tensile strength and elongation,and residual stress.Firstly,a brief introduction on the different forms of surface nanocrystallization is given to get a better understanding of the SMAT process and its advantages over other forms of surface treatments,and then the grain refinement mechanisms of materials by SMAT from the matrix region(base material)to the nanocrystallized layer are explained.The effects of fatigue,fracture,and wear of materials by the enhanced mechanical properties after SMAT are also discussed in detail.In addition,the various applications of SMAT ranging from automotive,photoelectric conversion,biomedical,diffusion,and 3 D-printing of materials are extensively discussed.The prospects and recent research trends in terms of mechanical properties of materials affected by SMAT are then summarized.

Development of Bioimplants with 2D, 3D, and 4D Additive Manufacturing Materials

Over the past 30 years,additive manufacturing(AM)has developed rapidly and has demonstrated great potential in biomedical applications.AM is a materials-oriented manufacturing technology,since the solidification mechanism,architecture resolution,post-treatment process,and functional application are based on the materials to be printed.However,3D printable materials are still quite limited for the fabrication of bioimplants.In this work.2D/3D AM materials for bioimplants are reviewed.Furthermore,inspired by Tai Chi,a simple yet novel soft/rigid hybrid 4D AM concept is advanced to develop complex and dynamic biological structures in the human body based on 4D printing hybrid ceramic precursor/ceramic materials that were previously developed by our group.With the development of multi-material printing technology,the development of bioimplants and soft/rigid hybrid biological structures with 2D/3D/4D AM materials can be anticipated.

A hierarchical salt-rejection strategy for sustainable and high-efficiency solar-driven desalination

Solar steam generation(SSG)is widely regarded as one of the most sustainable technologies for seawater desalination.However,salt fouling severely compromises the evaporation performance and lifetime of evaporators,limiting their practical applications.Herein,we propose a hierarchical salt-rejection(HSR)strategy to prevent salt precipitation during long-term evaporation while maintaining a rapid evaporation rate,even in high-salinity brine.The salt diffusion process is segmented into three steps—insulation,branching diffusion,and arterial transport—that significantly enhance the salt-resistance properties of the evaporator.Moreover,the HSR strategy overcomes the tradeoff between salt resistance and evaporation rate.Consequently,a high evaporation rate of 2.84 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),stable evaporation for 7 days cyclic tests in 20 wt%NaCl solution,and continuous operation for 170 h in natural seawater under 1 sun illumination were achieved.Compared with control evaporators,the HSR evaporator exhibited a>54%enhancement in total water evaporation mass during 24 h continuous evaporation in 20 wt%salt water.Furthermore,a water collection device equipped with the HSR evaporator realized a high water purification rate(1.1 kg m^(-2) h^(-1)),highlighting its potential for agricultural applications.

Second phase effect on corrosion of nanostructured Mg-Zn-Ca dual-phase metallic glasses

Dual-phase metallic glasses(DP-MGs),a special member of the MGs family,often reveal unusual strength and ductility,yet,their corrosion behaviors are not understood.Here,we developed a nanostructured Mg_(57)Zn_(36)Ca_(7)(at.%)DP-MG and uncovered its corrosion mechanism in simulated body fluid(SBF)at the near-atomic scale utilizing transmission electron microscope(TEM)and atom probe tomography(APT).The 10-nm-wide Ca-rich amorphous phases allow oxygen propagation into the DP-MG,resulting in a micrometer thick hydroxides/oxides layer.This dense corrosion layer protects the DP-MG from further corrosion,enabling a corrosion rate that is 77%lower than that of Mg(99.99%purity).

Medical Additive Manufacturing: From a Frontier Technology to the Research and Development of Products

1.Research and development(R&D)and the challenges of raw materials for medical additive manufacturing Raw materials for medical additive manufacturing have a wide range of commonalities that are also seen in many other fields,making them an important basis in the field of three-dimensional(3D)printing.Problems and challenges related to material types,powder properties,formability,viscoelasticity,and so forth also share common features.For example,many metal materials are used in the field of aviation,while metals,polymers,and inorganic materials are used in the field of biomedicine.The most widely used materials in biomedicine are biocompatible.Various homogeneous and non-homogeneous composites are also available for 3D printing,and impose an additional challenge in additive manufacturing;the use of heterogeneous composites in 3D printing is particularly challenging.

Wet-chemical synthesis and applications of amorphous metalcontaining nanomaterials

In the past decades,metal-containing nanomaterials have attracted increasing interests owing to their intriguing physicochemical properties and various promising applications.Recent research has revealed that the phase of metal-containing nanomaterials could significantly affect their properties and functions.In particular,nanomaterials with amorphous phase,which possess long-range disordered atomic arrangements,and the amorphous/crystalline heterophase nanostructures comprised of both amorphous and crystalline phases,have exhibited superior performance in various applications,e.g.,catalysis and energy storage.In this review,a brief overview of the recent progress on the wet-chemical synthesis and applications of amorphous and amorphous/crystalline heterophase metal-containing nanomaterials has been provided.Subsequently,on the basis of different categories of metal-containing nanomaterials,including metals,metal alloys,and metal compounds,their synthetic routes and promising applications will be highlighted.Finally,current challenges and some personal perspectives in this emerging research field will be proposed.

Engineering the axial coordination of cobalt single atom catalysts for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Improving the catalytic activity of non-noble metal single atom catalysts(SACs)has attracted considerable attention in materials science.Although optimizing the local electronic structure of single atom can greatly improve their catalytic activity,it often involves in-plane modulation and requires high temperatures.Herein,we report a novel strategy to manipulate the local electronic structure of SACs via the modulation of axial Co-S bond anchored onto graphitic carbon nitride(C_(3)N_(4))at room temperature(RT).Each Co atom is bonded to four N atoms and one S atom(Co-(N,S)/C_(3)N_(4)).Owing to the greater electronegativity of S in the Co-S bond,the local electronic structure of the Co atoms is available to be controlled at a relatively moderate level.Consequently,when employed for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction,the adsorption energy of intermediate hydrogen(H*)on the Co atoms is remarkably low.In the presence of the Co-(N,S)/C_(3)N_(4)SACs,the hydrogen evolution rates reach up to 10 mmol/(g·h),which is nearly 10 and 2.5 times greater than the rates in the presence of previously reported transition metal/C_(3)N_(4)and noble platinum nanoparticles(PtNPs)/C_(3)N_(4)catalysts,respectively.Attributed to the tailorable axial Co-S bond in the SAC,the local electronic structure of the Co atoms can be further optimized for other photocatalytic reactions.This axial coordination engineering strategy is universal in catalyst designing and can be used for a variety of photocatalytic applications.

Additive manufacturing of metals:Microstructure evolution and multistage control

As a revolutionary industrial technology,additive manufacturing creates objects by adding materials layer by layer and hence can fabricate customized components with an unprecedented degree of freedom.For metallic materials,unique hierarchical microstructures are constructed during additive manufacturing,which endow them with numerous excellent properties.To take full advantage of additive manufacturing,an in-depth understanding of the microstructure evolution mechanism is required.To this end,this review explores the fundamental procedures of additive manufacturing,that is,the formation and binding of melt pools.A comprehensive processing map is proposed that integrates melt pool energy-and geometry-related process parameters together.Based on it,additively manufactured microstructures are developed during and after the solidification of constituent melt pool.The solidification structures are composed of primary columnar grains and fine secondary phases that form along the grain boundaries.The post-solidification structures include submicron scale dislocation cells stemming from internal residual stress and nanoscale precipitates induced by intrinsic heat treatment during cyclic heating of adjacent melt pool.Based on solidification and dislocation theories,the formation mechanisms of the multistage microstructures are thoroughly analyzed,and accordingly,multistage control methods are proposed.In addition,the underlying atomic scale structural features are briefly discussed.Furthermore,microstructure design for additive manufacturing through adjustment of process parameters and alloy composition is addressed to fulfill the great potential of the technique.This review not only builds a solid microstructural framework for metallic materials produced by additive manufacturing but also provides a promising guideline to adjust their mechanical properties.

Nanotwinned and hierarchical nanotwinned metals:a review of experimental,computational and theoretical efforts

The recent studies on nanotwinned(NT)and hierarchical nanotwinned(HNT)face-centered cubic(FCC)metals are presented in this review.The HNT structures have been supposed as a kind of novel structure to bring about higher strength/ductility than NT counterparts in crystalline materials.We primarily focus on the recent developments of the experimental,atomistic and theoretical studies on the NT and HNT structures in the metallic materials.Some advanced bottom-up and top-down techniques for the fabrication of NT and HNT structures are introduced.The deformation induced HNT structures are available by virtue of severe plastic deformation(SPD)based techniques while the synthesis of growth HNT structures is so far almost unavailable.In addition,some representative molecular dynamics(MD)studies on the NT and HNT FCC metals unveil that the nanoscale effects such as twin spacing,grain size and plastic anisotropy greatly alter the performance of NT and HNT metals.The HNT structures may initiate unique phenomena in comparison with the NT ones.Furthermore,based on the phenomena and mechanisms revealed by experimental and MD simulation observations,a series of theoretical models have been proposed.They are effective to describe the mechanical behaviors of NT and HNT metals within the applicable scope.So far the development of manufacturing technologies of HNT structures,as well as the studies on the effects of HNT structures on the properties of metals are still in its infancy.Further exploration is required to promote the design of advanced materials.

Synthesis of amorphous Pd-based nanocatalysts for efficient alcoholysis of styrene oxide and electrochemical hydrogen evolution

Amorphous nanomaterials with long-range disordered structures could possess distinct properties and promising applications,especially in catalysis,as compared with their conventional crystalline counterparts.It is imperative to achieve the controlled preparation of amorphous noble metal-based nanomaterials for the exploration of their phase-dependent applications.Here,we report a facile wet-chemical reduction strategy to synthesize various amorphous multimetallic Pd-based nanomaterials,including PdRu,PdRh,and PdRuRh.The phase-dependent catalytic performances of distinct Pd-based nanomaterials towards diverse catalytic applications have been demonstrated.Specifically,the usage of PdRu nanocatalysts with amorphous and crystalline face-centered cubic(fcc)phases can efficiently switch the ring-opening route of styrene oxide to obtain different products with high selectivity through alcoholysis reaction and hydrogenation reaction,respectively.Moreover,when used as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),the synthesized amorphous PdRh nanocatalyst exhibits low overpotential and high turnover frequency values,outperforming its crystalline fcc counterpart and most of the reported Pd-based HER electrocatalysts.

Recent Progress on Monoelemental Nanomaterials with Unconventional Crystal Phases

As an important parameter of crystalline materials,the crystal phase describes the periodic atomic arrangement in their structures.For some monoelemental materials,e.g.,carbon and phosphorus,they can exist in more than one crystal phase.The different crystal phases of monoelemental materials result in different physicochemical properties and functions.Therefore,engineering the crystal phase of monoelemental materials gives an effective strategy to modulate their properties and functions.Conventionally,the crystal phase of monoelemental materials can be altered under some harsh conditions,e.g.,high temperature and high pressure.Recently,with the rapid development of nanotechnology,various monoelemental materials with unconventional crystal phases have been well developed on the nanoscale.For example,our group has successfully achieved the synthesis of Au nanomaterials with unconventional hexagonal close-packed(hcp)2H and 4H phases by wetchemical methods,which exhibit distinct optical properties as well as outstanding electrocatalytic performance when compared to those with a thermodynamically stable facecentered cubic(fcc)phase.In this Account,we give a comprehensive overview of the recent development of monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases and their crystal-phase-dependent properties and applications.We first introduce the typical strategies for the synthesis of monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases.By using a wet-chemical reduction method,template-assisted method,and thermal annealing method,monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases can be directly prepared.Besides,unconventional-phase monoelemental nanomaterials can also be obtained via the phase transformation from materials with conventional crystal phases under specific conditions.In addition,some other methods have also been reported for preparing monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases,such as controlled crystallization of amorphous structure,the chemical vapor transport(CVT)method,electrodeposition,galvanic replacement,sputter-deposition,and so on.Subsequently,we summarize the unique structural stability and magnetic,electronic,optical,and other properties of the obtained monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases.We also highlight their promising applications in catalysis and batteries.Finally,we present our personal perspectives on the challenges and future opportunities in this important research field.

The combined effects of grain and sample sizes on the mechanical properties and fracture modes of gold microwires

Hall-Petch relation was widely applied to evaluate the grain size effect on mechanical properties of metallic material. However, the sample size effect on the Hall-Petch relation was always ignored. In the present study, the mechanical test and microstructure observation were performed to investigate the combined effects of grain and sample sizes on the deformation behaviors of gold microwires. The polycrystalline gold microwires with diameter of 16 ?m were annealed at temperatures from 100°C to 600°C, leading to different ratios(t/d) of wire diameter(t) to grain size(d) from 0.9 to 16.7. When the t/d was lower than 10, the yield stress dropped fast and deviated from the Hall-Petch relation. The free-surface grains played key role in the yield stress softening, and the volume fraction of free-surface grains increased with the t/d decreasing. Furthermore, the effects of t/d on work-hardening behaviors and fracture modes were also studied. With t/d value decreasing from 17 to 3.4, the samples exhibited necking fracture and the dislocation pile-ups induced work-hardening stage was gradually activated.With the t/d value further decreasing(t/d < 3.4), the fracture mode turned into shear failure, and the work-hardening capability lost. As the gold microwire for wire bonding is commonly applied in the packaging of integrated circuit chips, and the fabrication of microwire suffers multi-pass cold-drawing and annealing treatments to control the grain size. The present study could provide instructive suggestion for gold microwire fabrication and bonding processes.

Crystal phase-controlled growth of PtCu and PtCo alloys on 4H Au nanoribbons for electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction

Crystal phase can greatly affect the physicochemical properties and applications of nanomaterials.However,it stil remains a great challenge to synthesize nanostructures with the same composition and morphology but different phases in order to explore the phase-dependent properties and applications.Herein,we report the crystal phase-controlled synthesis of PtCu alloy shells on 4H Au nanoribbons(NRBs),referred to as 4H-Au NRBs,to form the 4H-Au@PtCu core-shell NRBs.By tuning the thickness of PtCu,4H-PtCu and face-centered cubic(cc)phase PICu(cc-PtCu)alloy shells are successtully grown on the 4H-Au NRB cores.This thickness-dependent phase-controlled growth strategy can also be used to grow PtCo alloys with 4H or fcc phase on 4H-Au NRBs.Significantly,when used as electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)in alkaline media,the 4H-Au@4H-PtCu NRBs show much better EOR performance than the 4H-Au@fcc-PtCu NRBs,and both of them possess superior performance compared to the commercial Pt black.Our study provides a strategy on phase-contolled synthesis of nanomaterials used for crystal phase-dependent applications.

An anti-freezing biomineral hydrogel of high strain sensitivity for artificial skin applications

Mineral hydrogels have caught a lot of attention for their strong competency as artificial skin-like materials.Nonetheless,it remains a great difficulty in fulfilling in one hydrogel system a range of key functionalities that are needed for practical artificial skin applications,i.e.,to be biocompatible,strain-sensitive,ion-conductive,elastic and robust,anti-swelling,and anti-freezing.Here we present a such type of versatile hydrogel that is not only capable to deliver all the above-mentioned key functionalities but also highly stable.This novel hydrogel is constructed by introducing a gelatinous and amorphous multi-ionic biomineral(denoted as Mg-ACCP,containing Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),CO_(3)^(2−),and PO_(4)^(3−))into the network of biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)and sodium alginate(SA).The presence of Mg^(2+)and PO_(4)^(3−)in this hydrogel helps prohibit the crystallization of the biominerals,leading to significantly improved stability.The hydrogel thus obtained delivers excellent mechanical performance due to the chelation between the mineral ions and the organic matrix,and high sensitivity even to subtle pressure and strain applied,such as slight finger bending and gentle tapping.Furthermore,the novel hydrogel features high ionic conductivity,high resistance to swelling,and extraordinary anti-freezing property,holding great promise for applications in different practical scenarios,particularly in aqueous or cold environments.

Two-dimensional material-based virus detection

Cost-effective, rapid, and accurate virus detection technologies play key roles in reducing viral transmission. Prompt and accurate virus detection enables timely treatment and effective quarantine of virus carrier, and therefore effectively reduces the possibility of large-scale spread. However, conventional virus detection techniques often suffer from slow response, high cost or sophisticated procedures. Recently, two-dimensional(2D) materials have been used as promising sensing platforms for the highperformance detection of a variety of chemical and biological substances. The unique properties of 2D materials, such as large specific area, active surface interaction with biomolecules and facile surface functionalization, provide advantages in developing novel virus detection technologies with fast response and high sensitivity. Furthermore, 2D materials possess versatile and tunable electronic, electrochemical and optical properties, making them ideal platforms to demonstrate conceptual sensing techniques and explore complex sensing mechanisms in next-generation biosensors. In this review, we first briefly summarize the virus detection techniques with an emphasis on the current efforts in fighting again COVID-19. Then, we introduce the preparation methods and properties of 2D materials utilized in biosensors, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs) and other 2D materials. Furthermore, we discuss the working principles of various virus detection technologies based on emerging 2D materials, such as field-effect transistor-based virus detection, electrochemical virus detection, optical virus detection and other virus detection techniques. Then, we elaborate on the essential works in 2D material-based high-performance virus detection. Finally, our perspective on the challenges and future research direction in this field is discussed.

Self-templated formation of twin-like metal-organic framework nanobricks as pre-catalysts for efficient water oxidation

Fabrication of single-crystalline metal-organic framework(MOF)hollow nanostructures with two-dimensional(2D)morphologies is a challenging task.Herein,twin-like MOF nanobricks,a quasi-hollow 2D architecture,with multi-metal nodes and replaceable organic ligands,are uniformly and firmly grown on conductive Ni foam through a generic one-pot approach.The formation process of twin-like MOF nanobricks mainly includes selective epitaxial growth of Fe-rich MOF layer and simultaneously dissolution of the pre-formed Ni-rich metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),all of which can be ascribed to a special self-templated mechanism.The fantastic structural merits of twin-like MOF nanobrick arrays,featuring highly exposed active sites,remarkable electrical conductivity,and hierarchical porosities,enable this material for efficient electrocatalysis.Using bimetallic NiFe-MOFs grown on Ni foam as an example,the resultant twin-like nanobrick arrays can be directly utilized as three-dimensional(3D)integrated electrode for high-performance water oxidation in 1 M KOH with a low overpotential,fast reaction kinetics(28.5 mV·dec^(-1)),and superb stability.Interestingly,the unstable NiFe-MOFs were served as an oxygen evolution reaction(OER)pre-catalyst and the single-crystalline NiFe-MOF precursor can be in-situ topochemically regulated into porous and lowcrystalline NiFeOx nanosheets during the OER process.This work extends the hollowing strategy to fabricate hollow MOFs with 2D architectures and highlights their direct utilization for advanced electrocatalysis.

Phase engineering of metal nanocatalysts for electrochemical CO_(2) reduction

The electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)offers a green and sustainable process to convert CO_(2) into valuable chemical stocks and fuels.Metal is one of the most promising types of catalysts to drive an efficient and selective CO_(2)RR.The catalytic performance of metal nanocatalysts is strongly dependent on their structural features.Recently,phase engineering of nanomaterials(PEN)has emerged as a prominent tactic to regulate the catalytic performance of metal nanocatalysts for the CO_(2)RR.A broad range of metal nanocatalysts with conventional and unconventional crystal phases has been developed,and remarkable achievements have been made.This review summarizes the most recent developments in phase engineering of metal nanocatalysts for the electrochemical CO_(2)RR.We first introduce the different crystal phases of metal nanocatalysts used in the CO_(2)RR and then discuss various synthetic strategies for unconventional phases of metal nanocatalysts.After that,detailed discussions of metal nanocatalysts with conventional and unconventional phases,including amorphous phases,are presented.Finally,the challenges and perspectives in this emerging area are discussed.

A universal method for rapid and large‐scale growth of layered crystals

Layered van der Waals(vdW)materials,consisting of atomically thin layers,are of paramount importance in physics,chemistry,and materials science owing to their unique properties and various promising applications.However,their fast and large‐scale growth via a general approach is still a big challenge,severely limiting their practical implementations.Here,we report a universal method for rapid(~60 min)and large‐scale(gram scale)growth of phase‐pure,high‐crystalline layered vdW materials from their elementary powders via microwave plasma heating in sealed ampoules.This method can be used for growth of 30 compounds with different components(binary,ternary,and quaternary)and properties.The ferroelectric and transport properties of mechanically exfoliated flakes validate the high crystal quality of the grown materials.Our study provides a general strategy for the fast and large‐scale growth of layered vdW materials with appealing physiochemical properties,which could be used for various promising applications.

In situ atomic-scale analysis of Rayleigh instability in ultrathin gold nanowires

Comprehensive understanding of the structural/morphology stability of ultrathin （diameter 〈 10 nm） gold nanowires under real service conditions （such as under Joule heating） is a prerequisite for the reliable implementation of these emerging building blocks into functional nanoelectronics and mechatronics systems. Here, by using the in situ transmission electron microscopy （TEM） technique, we discovered that the Rayleigh instability phenomenon exists in ultrathin gold nanowires upon moderate heating. Through the controlled electron beam irradiation-induced heating mechanism （with 〈 100 ~C temperature rise）, we further quantified the effect of electron beam intensity and its dependence on Rayleigh instability in altering the geometry and morphology of the ultrathin gold nanowires. Moreover, in situ high-resolution TEM （HRTEM） observations revealed surface atomic diffusion process to be the dominating mechanism for the morphology evolution processes. Our results, with unprecedented details on the atomic-scale picture of Rayleigh instability and its underlying physics, provide critical insights on the thermal/structural stability of gold nanostructures down to a sub-10 nm level which may pave the way for their interconnect applications in future ultra- large-scale integrated ciroaits.

Enriching the library of axial superlattice nanowires

Integrating functional materials to form heterostructures with novel,sophisticated architectures has attracted extensive interest in chemistry and materials science^([1]).Heterostructures are expected to exhibit superior electrical,thermal,optical and magnetic properties due to the synergistic effect of their different components.Therefore,the rational design and preparation of heterostructures with controlled compositions,dimensions.