Passivation is a frequently used method to strengthen the surface of aluminum alloys. This study fabricated two zirconium-rich passive layers on the Al alloy. The morphology, thickness, and chemical composition of the prepared coating were analyzed employing XPS and TEM. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel polarization tests are also used to assess the anticorrosive performance. The passivation layers exhibit a dual-layer structure, with thicknesses ranging from 16 nm to 26 nm. Chemical composition of the two component layers is different. Electrochemical tests confirm a significant improvement in anticorrosive performance for both passivated samples compared to the untreated substrate. The study offers insights into the bonding mechanisms and layered architecture of the passivation film, contributing to the development of non-toxic, high-performance surface treatment technologies for aluminum alloys.

Chronic diabetic wounds represent a severe clinical challenge due to persistent oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, drug-resistant infection, and impaired angiogenesis. Conventional single-modal therapies often fail to simultaneously resolve these intertwined pathological barriers, resulting in poor healing and high amputation risk. Herein, we develop a biocompatible nanozyme-integrated hydrogel platform for synergistic catalytic and photothermal therapy toward diabetic wound repair. The hydrogel incorporates loofah-like CuCo2O4 nanozymes with quadruple enzyme-mimetic activities (GOx, POD, SOD and CAT), which initiate cascade reactions to regulate glucose, eliminate ROS, and generate oxygen. Under near-infrared irradiation, polydopamine further boosts antibacterial efficacy and catalytic activity. This system stably adheres to wounds, eradicates drug-resistant bacteria, promotes angiogenesis, and drives M1 to M2 macrophage polarization to reconstruct a pro-healing microenvironment. In vivo results confirm accelerated full-thickness wound closure in diabetic mice, demonstrating promising potential for treating diabetic wounds and other oxidative stress- and infection-related disorders.

The recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted considerable attention worldwide as a strategy for addressing essential metal shortages, particularly Li. However, the application of existing commercial methods is limited by the complexity of multi-step separation and the generation of harmful byproducts. Thus, exploring environmentally friendly and effective alternatives to traditional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical methods is crucial. In this study, a novel technique for efficiently separating and recovering Li from the cathode black powder of spent LIBs using ethylene glycol (EG) as a medium was proposed and developed. The dual-functional characteristics of EG were used to mitigate the effect of auxiliary sulfuric acid on the cathode black powder, thereby optimizing the leaching of valuable metals. Additionally, metal coordination was improved through solvation to promote hydrolysis-condensation reactions, followed by the selective precipitation of transition metals for efficient separation from the spent LIBs. The experimental results showed that the EG-assisted process achieved an approximately 100% leaching efficiency of valuable metals within a shorter time (50 min) and at an elevated solid–liquid ratio of 20 g/L than non-EG-assisted processes. In the co-precipitation stage, 96.01% of Mn, 98.72% of Co, and 99.62% of Ni were precipitated from 0.1 mol/L of leachate at 160°C, while Li was predominantly retained in the filtrate. The adaptability of this co-precipitation-separation approach to diverse mixed leachates was examined, resulting in satisfactory results. This study improved the separation process, optimized the recovery procedure, and minimized metal loss during recycling.

The valorization of agricultural waste represents a critical route toward pollution control, carbon mitigation, and the development of a circular economy. As a key product of thermochemical conversion, biochar has attracted increasing attention for high-value applications in environmental remediation, energy storage, and advanced functional materials because of its tunable pore structure, diverse surface chemistry, and robust carbon framework. From the perspective of multiscale controllable preparation and design, this review systematically summarizes how major conversion technologies, including pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and microwaveassisted treatment, act as fundamental platforms in determining the microstructural evolution and intrinsic properties of biochar. The mechanistic roles of post-modification strategies, such as activation, heteroatom doping, templating, and composite engineering, are further elucidated in terms of hierarchical pore construction, surface active-site regulation, and interfacial performance optimization. Recent advances and remaining challenges are then comprehensively discussed in cutting-edge application fields, including electrochemical energy storage (supercapacitors and batteries), environmental catalysis and adsorption, soil amendment and sustainable agriculture, and phase change thermal energy storage supports. Current biochar research still suffers from fragmented data, unclear structure-property relationships, and limited model generalizability. To address these issues, this review proposes a target-oriented inverse design paradigm and a computation-experiment closedloop optimization framework for AI-assisted biochar development. By integrating multiscale simulations, artificial intelligence, life-cycle assessment, and industrialization constraints, this review aims to provide theoretical insights and technical perspectives for the rational design, customized development, and scalable application of agricultural waste-derived biochar.

Traditional organic lithium-ion batteries (LIB) often face serious safety issues. In this study, a novel intercalation-conversion lithium-halogen battery (LHB) system based on I−/I+ two-electron transfer chemistry was constructed by employing conventional LIB lithium-rich cathode materials as an intermediate layer between aluminum and the electrolyte, together with a Br/I synergy mechanism. The system delivers energy at two distinct discharge plateaus of 3.5 V and 3.0 V, achieving a specific capacity of 211 mAh g−1 and stable performance over 2200 cycles. After physical damage tests, the battery remained functional without safety incidents. Combined experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies elucidate the underlying redox chemistry involving interhalogen interactions and the resulting microstructures. Moreover, the selected electrode and electrolyte materials are cost-effective, facilitating commercialization. We believe this innovative system provides valuable insights for developing future lithium batteries that combine high safety and high energy density.

High-voltage aqueous zinc‑chlorine batteries (ZCBs) suffer from Cl₂ escape, resulting in a significant reduction in reversibility and serious safety and environmental concerns. Here, we employ tetramethylammonium pentaiodide (TMAI5/TMAPI) as a multifunctional host material for the cathode, combined with a high-concentration ZnCl2 and tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC) hydrogel-type electrolyte, to achieve a reversible and high-safety three-electron transfer Zn-Cl/I dual-ion battery. During charging, ICl3− polyhalide interhalogen compounds are generated at the cathode and are complexed with TMA+, thereby being confined within the cathode. Based on this reaction, the battery exhibits three distinct discharge plateaus at 1.85 V, 1.65 V, and 1.20 V, along with a discharge capacity of 665 mAh g−1. The battery retains 95% of its capacity after 900 cycles, with a Coulombic efficiency consistently above 96%, demonstrating exceptionally high reversibility. This study elucidates the complete pathway of the synergistic stepwise polyhalogen redox chemistry involving I/Cl with the participation of TMA+, thereby providing a new scientific mechanism for the stable realization of multi-electron halogen conversion reactions. The proposed all-aqueous battery system features low-cost raw materials, is free from combustion and explosion risks, and exhibits long-term cycling stability. These merits offer guidance for the design of mixed polyhalogen aqueous batteries. Furthermore, this work holds significant implications for promoting the industrialization of low-cost, high-safety aqueous energy storage technologies.

Lanthanide (Ln) elements have distinctive electronic structures and chemical behaviours that can be used to tune electrocatalytic performance when they are introduced as isolated atomic modifiers. However, their broader use remains limited because their high reactivity and ultralow reduction potentials make it difficult to develop general synthesis strategies that can atomically disperse Ln atoms on diverse substrates. Here we develop a molten-nitrite method that yields Ln single-atom catalysts, permitting the atomic isolation of multiple lanthanides on various supports, including metals, metal oxides and carbon materials. Mechanistic insights obtained from systematic control experiments indicate that Ln single-atom catalyst formation in molten nitrites is dictated by three factors: the Lux-Flood basicity effect, mass-diffusion resistance and molten-salt shielding. As a demonstration, Dy1/Pt shows an overpotential of 20 mV at a current density of -10 mA cm-2 in 0.5-M H2SO4 for acidic hydrogen evolution, which is superior to commercial Pt/C catalysts. This work establishes a framework for synthesizing Ln single-atom catalysts and positions molten-nitrite systems as a versatile platform for electrocatalyst synthesis.

Direct regeneration is considered a sustainable solution to the issue of resource recycling and the environmental pollution caused by discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the direct regeneration of spent LiFePO4 cathode materials still faces a formidable challenge that the irregular strains induced by the irreversible FePO4 phase after several charge and discharge cycles hinder the regenerative replenishment of Li+. This work proposes a lattice stress modulation strategy that reduces FePO4 phase into Fe2P2O7 phase (reduction of unit cell volume from 271.7 to 122.6 Å3), which releases the residual stress, paving continuous transport channels for Li+. In addition, the phase transformation reconstructs the FeO6 octahedra, significantly decreasing the migration energy barrier of ions within the lattice. Ultimately, the steric effect is synergistically weakened, facilitating the replenishment of Li+ and the elimination of Li-Fe anti-site defects. The regenerated LiFePO4 cathodes outperform commercial cathodes (80.2

Despite years of development, electrochemical water softening continues to face challenges in achieving high softening efficiency and maintaining long-term cathode stability. To address these issues, this study builds upon the characteristics of membrane-free electrochemical water softening and prior research by employing a large-pore stainless steel filter as the cathode. During extended operation, a fluffy, porous scale layer gradually forms on the cathode surface, transforming the stainless-steel filter into a metal framework-scale composite (MF-S) cathode. This composite cathode enhances OH⁻ enrichment and extraction, improving water softening efficiency. Additionally, the soft scale deposited on the cathode's pores and surface can be partially removed through simple backflushing, extending system's operational lifespan. Experimental results indicate that using a stainless-steel cathode with 15×10 mm pore size, the effluent pH exceeds 11.0 after 18 h of operation, with a Ca2+ hardness removal rate of over 97 %. To prevent clogging of the cathode pores during extended operation, backflushing is conducted every 25 h to remove scale. Remarkably, after 700 h of continuous operation, there is no observed decline in hardness removal efficiency, and the cathode remains functional, allowing the water softening process to continue. Electrochemical tests and finite element simulations reveal that the composite cathode significantly outperforms the stainless-steel filter cathode in generating and enriching OH⁻. The proposed composite cathode demonstrates strong practical potential, offering a new perspective for applying membrane-free, high-efficiency electrochemical water softening processes.

Aluminum alloys are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and workability. This study investigated the influence of surface roughness on the formation, composition, and adhesion of zirconium-based passivation layers on A356 aluminum alloy. Surface roughness was characterized using 3D laser confocal microscopy, and its correlation with passivation layer thickness, uniformity, and corrosion resistance was systematically analyzed. The passivation layers were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS, and their electrochemical performance was evaluated in a 3.5 % NaCl solution. The results revealed that surface roughness affects the thickness and adhesion of the passivation layer; meanwhile, excessive roughness introduced defects and discontinuities. These findings provided new insights into the microstructural mechanisms underlying passivation layer formation and highlighted the critical role of surface treatment in optimizing corrosion resistance.

The Ni-rich LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 cathode (NCM, x ≥ 0.6) suffers rapid capacity decay due to serious surface degradations from the corrosion of the electrolyte. The processes of the H2O- and O3-based Al2O3 atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the single-crystal LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 (NCM83) are investigated by in situ measurements to understand the mechanism of their different impacts on the electrochemical performance of NCM83. C2H4 is found only produced during the trimethyl aluminum (TMA) chemisorption on NCM83 while not produced during TMA chemisorption on LiOH and Li2CO3 impurities or deposited Al2O3. As an indicator, the disappearance of C2H4 indicates that NCM83 is totally covered by four monolayers of Al2O3 via the H2O-based ALD while seven monolayers of Al2O3 via the O3-based ALD, which is owing to the O3-based Al2O3 ALD undergoing a longer growth period from the nuclei to continuous coatings on NCM83 due to a lower nucleation and growth rate. At the same monolayers of Al2O3, the O3-based ALD-coated NCM83 cathode shows better rate and cycling performance than the H2O-based ALD-coated NCM83 cathode, which is attributed to higher Li+ diffusivity of NCM83 due to the more pristine surface of NCM83 exposed for the Li+ transfer and fewer surface and crystal degradations of NCM83 due to more robust coatings. The O3-based ALD-coated NCM83 cathode with four monolayers of Al2O3 achieves the best balance of the rate and cycling performance, which almost retains the rate performance of the pristine NCM83 cathode and remarkably improves the cycling stability of pristine NCM83 cathodes from 42.1 to 91.2% after 300 cycles at 3.0-4.5 V and 1 C.

With the increasing exploration and utilization of marine resources worldwide, the demand for high-performance marine materials continues to grow. While, increasingly strict restrictions on carbon emission, climate change, and increasing care about marine biodiversity raise the requirement for materials used in the ocean. The study of marine materials is crucial for advancing marine science and technology, ensuring the safety and reliability of marine engineering structures, improving efficiency, reducing CO 2 emission, and protecting the marine ecological environment. To solve the challenges of the marine engineering, this article comprehensively reviews the current research progress of various types of marine materials, including the composite structural materials, the surface strengthen materials, and the intelligent materials, with a particular focus on the development of high-performance, environmentally friendly, and sustainable aspect of materials. This review provides meaningful attempts of the new marine material development to meet the requirements of era background, it is hoped that researchers in this field can grab the latest achievements and get some inspiration to design better marine materials.

In lithium (Li)-metal batteries (LMBs), the functional electrolytes need to be compatible with both a high-voltage cathode and a highly reactive anode. However, the carbonate-based electrolytes in commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit insufficient reductive stability due to severe side reactions and the formation of lithium dendrites on the Li anode. In this study, the use of LiPF6 and lithium difluorobis(oxalato) phosphate (LiDFBOP) dual-salt electrolyte composed of ester and ether cosolvents (FEC/DME) enables the stabilization of the high-voltage LMBs through modulating the interfacial electrochemistry. Such an electrolyte design strategy is demonstrated to regulate the Li plating/stripping behavior by forming a robust anion-derived solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film on the anode and to improve the cathode/electrolyte interfacial stability under high-voltage conditions. As a result, the as-developed electrolyte exhibits stable cycling over 800 h in Li parallel to Li symmetric cells and ultralong lifespans with capacity retention of 66% after 2000 cycles in Li parallel to LiFePO4. Targeted electrolyte engineering is presented as a promising approach for practical high-performance Li-metal batteries.

For the first time, it is discovered that copper acetylacetonate (denoted as Cu(acac)(2)) can be employed as an additive to significantly improve the long-term high rate performance of the commercial lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12, LTO) through sintering a tablet containing LTO and Cu(acac)(2). In this work, firstly, a mixture containing LTO and Cu(acac)(2) with a Ti to Cu molar ratio of 5:2 is pressed into a tablet, and then, the resultant tablets are sintered in air at three different temperatures. The specimens sintered at 510 degrees C, 610 degrees C and 710 degrees C are nominated as material a, b and c, respectively. And, LTO and CuO, as revealed by the XRD and XPS tests, are indicated to be the main components of all the sintering products. Above all things, as verified by the results of GCD (galvanostatic charge-discharge) experiments, the battery performances of all the sintering products are much better than that of the pure LTO (material o). In particular, the long-term high rate performances of all resultant materials are significantly superior to that of the commercial LTO, for instance, the discharge capacities tested at 20C after 500 cycles are about 46, 72 and 62 mAh g(-1) of material a, b and c, respectively, being about 1.2, 1.9 and 1.6 times that of the commercial LTO (38 mAh g(-1)). The significantly reduced charge transfer resistance (R-ct) as well as the improved reversibility of Li+ insertion and extraction process is analyzed to be the principal reasons giving all prepared materials, especially material b, an excellent long-term high rate performance. Preparing a novel lithium ion batteries (LIBs) anode material of CuO-containing LTO and showing a new approach to greatly enhance the long-term high rate performance of LTO are two main dedications of this preliminary work, which is very helpful to the further exploration of LTO.

This study proposes an innovative approach for fabricating a surface diffusion alloyed layer (SDA) - layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite coating on AZ61 magnesium alloy. By integrating powder thermal diffusion alloying with a subsequent hydrothermal process, a dense and uniform Zn-Al LDH film was successfully grown in situ on the Zn-rich SDA intermetallic layer. The micro-rough morphology of the SDA layer not only markedly facilitates the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of LDH but also allows for structural and compositional modulation (via Zn incorporation), leading to a unique composite architecture that cannot be achieved through conventional direct-deposition methods. The resulting composite coating exhibits superior corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, with the corrosion current density reduced by three orders of magnitude and the impedance modulus enhanced by nearly 50 times compared with the bare AZ61 substrate. Furthermore, the coating demonstrates a water contact angle of 109 degrees. This work achieves a synergistic enhancement of adhesion, corrosion resistance, and hydrophobicity in the SDA-LDH composite coating, offering both a novel design paradigm and an effective strategy for advanced surface protection of magnesium alloys.

Newly developed slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) exhibit highly effective anti-fouling performance without harming organisms, making them a promising solution for both environmental and material protection. However, previous studies have primarily understood the anti-fouling effects of SLIPS from a mechanical perspective, neglecting the atomic interactions involved in the anti-fouling process. In this study, we combined microbiological experiments with multi-scale simulations to elucidate the microscopic mechanisms behind the unique anti-biofouling effects of SLIPS. After developing SLIPS with robust liquid-repellency, we characterized its physical and chemical properties and demonstrated its superior effectiveness in preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa attachment. To probe the initial contact during bacterial attachment, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted, revealing that the liquid-liquid interface suppresses the effective pilin adhesion on SLIPS. Further analysis through steered MD, ab initio MD, and density functional theory calculations revealed that the flexible siloxane backbone and the non-polar nature of silicone oil molecules enhance the diffusivity of interfacial water and lead to the continuous nanoscale fluctuation of liquid-liquid interface, thus inhibiting the role of protein dynamics in promoting bio-adhesion. These novel insights into the characteristics of liquid-liquid and nano-bio interface during the anti-biofouling process of SLIPS may promote the future development of bio-inspired functional surfaces.

Two-dimensional planar heterojunctions composed of single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides have great potential for the fabrication of low-power, high-performance, and flexible optoelectronic devices. The localized atomic structure and crystal defects at interface govern the electronic, magnetic, optical, catalytic, and topological quantum properties. However, precise characterization of interface atomic structure is still a challenge, so far. To determine the accurate atomic position, a spherical aberration-corrected electron microscope with segmented detector is employed, and the calculation by Integrated Differential Phase Contrast (iDPC) imaging algorithm has been performed. By using iDPC method, we have carried out characterization for the atomic structure of WS2-MoSe2 monolayer heterojunction interface, while imaging the W, Se, Mo, and S atoms simultaneously. Statistics show that the distribution of angle between the lattices on both sides of the WS2-MoSe2 planar heterojunction is around 29° and 35°. Additionally, we found that the lattice near the boundary experiences strains of approximately 4‰ and 2% in the two lattice vector directions, with significant distortion occurring only at the interface. In this work, several typical atomic configurations, including merge type, quadrilateral type, and pentagonal type, are found. The interface atomic configurations could help to release stress at the lateral interface. This study provides a useful method for the accurate structural characterization for planar heterojunctions of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide. It is of great significance for an in-depth investigation of structure-property relationships at single-atom resolution in various interface structures.

The development of high-performance all-solid-state ion batteries necessitates the design of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with high ionic conductivity and excellent electrochemical stability. Antiperovskite (AP) X3BA, as the electronically inverted derivative of perovskite ABX3, has garnered significant attention in the field of energy storage batteries due to its superior ionic conductivity. However, the relationship between their structure and ion diffusion behavior warrants further investigation. In this work, we constructed a machine learning (ML) framework for predicting and analyzing the ionic conductivity of the AP SSE, which encompasses data collection, feature selection, and training of various ML models. The optimal ML model demonstrated an exceptional classification performance, achieving an accuracy rate as high as 94%. Furthermore, we employed the ion substitution method to expand the sample size from 168 to 150,000 orders of magnitude. Based on this expanded data set, we examined and analyzed the mechanisms underlying high ionic conductivity from a big data perspective. The findings reveal a strong correlation between the ionic conductivity and atomic-scale characteristics at the A-site. The electronegativity, density, and ionic radius at the A-site are identified as the three most critical features influencing ionic conductivity. The interpretable ML model constructed in this study enables high-precision prediction of the ionic conductivity of AP materials, provides insightful design principles, and significantly accelerates the development and application of AP SSEs.

For the first time, a finding, that calcining the mixture having lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12, LTO) and CuBr in air is a feasible way to significantly boost the electrochemical performance of LTO, is presented in this work. Herein, a well-ground mixture having LTO and CuBr with a mole ratio of Ti to Cu equivalent to 5:1 is calcined in air generating a LTO-based anode material of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). LTO and CuO are indicated to be the main components of all prepared specimens. Unexpectedly, as demonstrated by the GCD (galvanostatic chargedischarge) test, the electrochemical performances of all prepared specimens are all significantly superior to that of the commercial LTO, for instance, the initial discharge capacities at 0.2 C of specimen a, b and c are measured to be around 202, 246 and 199 mAh g- 1, respectively, being about 1.19, 1.46 and 1.17 times higher than that of pure LTO (169 mAh g- 1). To note that, the discharge capacities of specimen a, b and c at 20C after 500 cycles are still maintained to be about 68, 89 and 66 mAh g- 1, respectively, significantly larger than that of LTO (52 mAh g- 1).

Microwave absorption materials have been engineered with a range of desirable properties, including lightweight, thin profiles, broad absorption bands, and strong absorption capabilities. However, the complex service environment is posing challenges on microwave absorption devices and equipment structure deformation sensing, necessitating innovative solutions to maintain safe operation. Herein, a 3D porous composite aerogel with magnetic fibers and reduced graphene oxide was designed and prepared via a freeze-drying method. This aerogel exhibits exceptional microwave absorption performance and effective structural deformation sensing capabilities. The composite aerogel containing 11.11 wt % magnetic fibers and subjected to heat treatment at 800 degrees C achieves remarkable microwave absorption with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -59.6 dB at a thickness of 1.9 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.48 GHz at 2.0 mm. Additionally, the radar cross-section (RCS) value of this aerogel coating on a perfectly electrically conducting (PEC) surface is reduced by 26.81 dBsm. The superior microwave absorption performance is attributed to the aerogel's 3D porous structure, which facilitates multiple reflections; the magnetic fibers, which contribute to magnetic loss; and the reduced graphene oxide, which enhances electric loss. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits notable piezoresistive properties, with a 60% reduction in resistivity at a 10% compression strain. The integration of optimized microwave absorption capabilities and advanced piezoresistive properties presents an innovative solution for radar stealth surface deformation sensing, significantly enhancing equipment survivability in demanding operational environments.