Yb₂Si₂O₇/ZrO₂ bilayer coatings have promising prospects as Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings (TEBCs), but the function degraded upon exposure to molten deposits comprising calcium, magnesium, aluminum, and silicon (CMAS). Here, we investigated the corrosion reaction, phase transformation, microstructure evolution, and mechanical behavior of TEBC when exposed to CMAS under isothermal conditions at 1450 °C in ambient air. The results indicated that CMAS strongly reacted with ZrO₂ to form ZrCaO deposits, which greatly delayed the corrosion of Yb₂Si₂O₇ until 20 h later. Subsequent, the mechanical properties of the coating at different corrosion time was systematically investigated. As the action time of CMAS to TEBC increases, the modulus and hardness performance of TEBC significant increased. This work renders a guidance for improving the service life of ceramic coating.

In this paper, we have successfully prepared orthorhombic phase cobalt phosphide by a facile one-step method. The synthesis reaction is carried out in an autoclave using cobaltic oxide as a Co-source and red phosphorous as P-source. The phase and the morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopes (SEM), transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM).

In telecommunication, optical signal control device is made of crystalline material, while optical fiber is made of glass material. In the latter case, the optical isotropy arising from disorder structure prohibits the Pockels effect, which is indispensable for the signal control. In this study, fiber-type glass-ceramics (GCs) with radially-oriented crystalline domain structure consisting of nonlinear optical crystal have been prepared using a silicate precursor glass, and optical modulation based on Pockels effect was demonstrated. The nonlinear-optical GC fiber is expected to be a new class of device with high affinity to optical fibers with long-term stability and reliability of lightwave control.

Despite the growing interest in hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) due to its deeper probing depth and potential for investigating bulk properties, studies exploring its application for understanding the interface between biomaterials and biological substances (such as proteins) remain limited. The adsorption abilities of proteins on hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics with preferred orientation to the a-plane (aHAp), together HAp ceramics without an anisotropic structure (iHAp) were evaluated using two complementary methods: Bradford-based quantification of adsorbed proteins and HAXPES-based analysis of their chemical binding states. aHAp had a significantly higher amount of adsorbed bovine serum albumin (BSA), normalized for a specific surface area, than iHAp from commercially-available HAp powder. The integrated intensity of C1s HAXPES spectra of HAp ceramics with and without anisotropic structure before and after BSA adsorption increased after BSA adsorption. This increase in integrated intensity was more significant for aHAp. This increase in integrated intensity was more pronounced for aHAp. Moreover, the C1s spectra of BSA-adsorbed aHAp ceramics attributed chemical information derived from COO and COOH, which are specific to proteins such as BSA, by peak fitting. The finding that aHAp specifically adsorbed BSA corroborated the results obtained from protein quantification. Overall, this study demonstrates the validity of HAXPES as a novel evaluation method for examining protein adsorption on biomaterials, particularly HAp ceramics.

Two types of the waste lithium batteries (Spent-LIBs) without crushing were heated in a batch furnace at 500–550 °C for 5 h, then crushed and the lump metals from outer package removed to obtain the powder sample “Black sand”. The simple substances of Ni, Co, Fe, Al, Cu, and C were mainly contained along with MnO, LiAlO₂, and LiF in the black sand. The carbon used in the anode would act as a reducing agent to obtain the simple substances in the sealed lithium-ion batteries. The minor metals of Li, Ni, Co, and Mn were abundantly contained in the sieved black sand of less than 500 µm size with the carbon. The metals of Al, Cu, and Fe from the package and the current collector of the batteries were contained in the large sieved particles. The average elution ratio for the lithium using deionized water was ca. 69–70 % from the black sand. The elution ratio was higher for the samples having a particle size smaller than 300 µm, and it decreased for the samples having a larger particle size. The formation of the insoluble LiAlO₂ phase in water affected the Li non-dissolution in the black sand. The metals and oxides in the black sand dissolved in a 4 M HCl solution except for the carbon.

Silicate-based ceramics have been used to repair bone because they are able to form bone-like apatite upon reaction with body fluids, and to bond directly to bone via the apatite layer. Organic–inorganic hybrids that comprise Ca²⁺ and organic polymers with Si–OH groups, i.e., the basic composition that induces apatite formation, are expected to have mechanical properties similar to those of natural bone. The authors have found that hybrids of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) with added calcium salts form apatite in simulated body fluid (SBF). However, the hybrid takes more than 1 week to prepare. In the present study, the authors synthesized hybrids with various MPS/(MPS + HEMA) ratios by visible light-induced photopolymerization, and investigated their ability to form apatite in SBF and their mechanical properties. Bulk hybrids were obtained within 3 days at any MPS/(MPS + HEMA) ratio, and they formed apatite in SBF within 3 days. The tensile strength of a hybrid with an MPS/(MPS + HEMA) molar ratio of 0.2 or less was approximately 0.2 MPa, and tended to decrease as the MPS content increased. It was noted that the strength increased up to 2.9 MPa when N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine was not added.

Single crystals of Ca₅(Sc_0.4Ti_0.6)₄Fe₂As₂O₁₁ exhibiting highly anisotropic properties compared to other iron-based superconducting materials were prepared by the self-flux method. Fundamental X-ray diffraction spots from a single crystal were indexed with tetragonal cell parameters of a = 3.8964(1) Å, c = 41.2890(12) Å, and weak diffuse streaks were observed along the c* direction at a period of a*/2. The fundamental diffraction data were analyzed using an average crystal structure model (space group I4/mmm). [FeAs] layers and perovskite-type block layers alternate in the crystal structure. Each block layer is composed of four sublayers: a central structure consisting of two individual perovskite-type [Ca₈(Sc/Ti)O₆] sublayers, and two outer oxygen-deficient [Ca₈(Sc/Ti)O₅] sublayers. In the [Ca₈(Sc/Ti)O₆] sublayers, the oxygen positions are split into four with equal probability. The chemical composition was determined to be Ca₅(Sc_0.4Ti_0.6)₄(FeAs)₂O₁₁, and the Ti content of greater than 0.5 suggests that the superconductivity can be attributed to electron doping.