Search Results (49)

Fiber–matrix interface engineering plays a decisive role in determining the mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs). Despite extensive research on surface modification strategies, translating improvements in interfacial properties into reliable structural performance remains a major challenge. This review critically examines how surface chemistry, interphase architecture, nanomodification, and processing conditions collectively govern load transfer, interfacial shear strength, damage evolution, and overall mechanical behavior. Unlike conventional reviews that primarily summarize modification techniques, this work emphasizes the coupled relationship between interface design and manufacturing, demonstrating that interfacial performance is strongly process-dependent rather than an intrinsic material property. Reported improvements in interfacial metrics are critically evaluated against macroscopic structural performance, revealing persistent limitations arising from dispersion quality, resin rheology, processing defects, and scalability. A multiscale framework is proposed to connect physicochemical modifications with laminate-level failure mechanisms, including delamination, fiber pull-out, and fatigue degradation. The review identifies major research gaps in interphase characterization, standardized evaluation methods, and scalable interface engineering, and outlines future directions based on process-integrated design, predictive modeling, and multifunctional interphases for next-generation composite structures. Full article

In order to solve the bottleneck problems of zinc anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries, such as dendrite disorder growth, hydrogen evolution corrosion, and interface passivation, lard derivative coating (LDC) was fabricated on zinc anode using a coating–calcination process. The microstructure, surface physical, and chemical properties of LDC and its influence on zinc deposition behavior and interface stability were investigated using a combination of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The LDC-modified Zn anode (LDC@Zn) delivers stable cycling for over 3500 h at 1 mA·cm⁻²/0.5 mAh·cm⁻². In Zn||Cu asymmetric cells, an average coulombic efficiency of 99.8% is achieved over 2400 cycles, confirming highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behavior. Furthermore, the full cell maintains a reversible capacity of ~400 mAh·g⁻¹ after 800 cycles at 5 A·g⁻¹, demonstrating excellent rate capability and long-term stability. Overall, this work innovatively demonstrates that the LDC interphase integrates hydrophobic suppression of side reactions and zincophilic regulation of Zn²⁺ deposition within a single architecture, enabling a synergistic balance between interfacial stability and controlled ion transport, and providing a scalable strategy for stable Zn anodes and new insights into interfacial engineering. Full article

Silicon anodes hold great promise in high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity, appropriate operating voltage, and low costs. However, the drastic volume expansion, inferior electronic conductivity, and unstable solid electrolyte interphase of Si anodes severely restrict their practical application. Herein, a nest-shaped microporous silicon (NMPSi) is rationally designed via acid–base co-etching and then synergistically regulated by surface thin-film carbon coating and ZIF-67-derived hard carbon nanotemplate (NMPSi@THC) by an in situ liquid-phase coating strategy. The constructed unique architecture is capable of buffering the huge volume expansion of inner NMPSi during cycling and constructing an optimized electron/ion transport network, thereby stabilizing the SEI film and preserving the electrode’s structural integrity. When it is evaluated as a LIB anode, the NMPSi@THC exhibits typically improved initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) and outstanding long-life cyclic stability (622.7 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹ and 2 mg cm⁻²). Furthermore, the NMPSi@THC//LiFePO₄ full cell delivers an ultrahigh ICE of 94% and a capacity retention rate of 86%, demonstrating its practical application potential. Compared with most recently reported Si anodes, this report delivers better cycling stability and maintains more intact electrode structure under relatively high current density and areal mass loading in half/full cells after long-term cycling. This research offers a convenient and scalable route to fabricate highly stable microporous Si anodes toward high-energy and long-lifespan LIBs. Full article

A working-state model is proposed for the MnOx–Na₂WO₄/SiO₂ catalyst in oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), where a Na₂WO₄-rich surface environment forms an adaptive interphase that buffers the effective interfacial oxygen chemical potential and stabilizes cooperative MnO_x/Na–WO_x/Mn–O–W motifs. A thermodynamic-kinetic scheme is developed that relates (1) reaction-induced surface enrichment (structural stabilization), (2) oxygen spillover (damping of local oxygen gradients), and (3) Mn ↔ W redox exchange as an electron-oxygen buffer channel. Ex situ XPS/EDS/EPR data indicate a dynamically stratified near-surface region with chemically heterogeneous environments of Mn, W, and O. The W 4f region remains dominated by the W⁶⁺ contribution in the presence of a minor reduced component after OCM. In oxygen-deficient mixtures (CH₄/O₂ > 4), interfacial reconstruction becomes more pronounced: Mn-centered Mars–van Krevelen chemistry determines CH₄ activation and oxygen exchange, while the Na₂WO₄-rich phase ensures fast ion/oxygen transport. Observation of the EPR signal from W⁵⁺ ions in the tungstate matrix indicates the existence of reduced W intermediates at low oxygen potential. Optimization of C₂ selectivity and stability is suggested to require maintaining the catalyst within the selective window of effective interfacial μO by adjusting CH₂/O₂ and contact time, as well as controlling the architecture of the Na–W–O/MnO_x interfacial region. Full article

Focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) provides site-specific access to buried interfaces, particle interiors, porous electrode architectures, and localized degradation regions in energy materials. This capability is particularly valuable for rechargeable batteries, solid-state ion conductors, alkali-metal electrodes, and reactive solid–liquid interfaces, where the structures governing transport and failure are rarely exposed at a free surface. However, the preparation and imaging steps that reveal these regions may also alter them. Ion milling, environmental transfer, vacuum exposure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cryogenic handling, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), and atom probe tomography (APT) can each modify local morphology, chemistry, or phase state. These effects are especially important when the intended evidence involves light elements, metastable phases, nanoscale coatings, reactive interphases, volatile species, or ion-conducting materials. This perspective develops a claim-specific framework for evaluating such results. Preparation- and imaging-induced changes are related to the material feature being interpreted and to the minimum control needed to distinguish the two origins. For porous electrodes, the relevant outputs include pore volume, connectivity, tortuosity, crack geometry, phase fraction, and active surface area. For reactive interfaces and solid electrolytes, the critical questions concern alkali-metal redistribution, surface amorphization, light-element contrast, implanted-species chemistry, and beam-induced phase formation. The discussion further compares conventional Ga-FIB, cryogenic FIB, Xe plasma FIB, low-energy Ar+ polishing, broad-ion-beam preparation, ultramicrotomy, and repeated particle-oriented FIB workflows. Reliable interpretation requires the preparation route, transfer conditions, imaging dose, analytical acquisition, and claim-specific controls to be reported together with the final microscopy result. Full article

Silicon (Si) is a leading anode candidate for next-generation lithium-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity (~4200 mAh/g), but its >300% volumetric expansion during lithiation causes particle pulverization, loss of electrical contact, and continuous solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) reformation, resulting in rapid capacity fade. Here, we report a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-templated porous Si/SiO₂ core–shell cylindrical hybrid anode synthesized by combining block copolymer-directed sol–gel assembly with controlled magnesiothermic reduction. SWNT bundles act as a three-dimensional structural template that directs the formation of a continuously interconnected cylindrical porous network, a geometry difficult to obtain by conventional particle-based compositing. The controlled, partial magnesiothermic reduction intentionally preserves residual amorphous SiO₂ within the porous shell as an electrochemically inactive mechanical buffer that suppresses Si volume expansion and stabilizes the electrode. A side-by-side comparison with a fully reduced, SiO₂-free counterpart of identical architecture isolates the role of the SiO₂ buffer in achieving long-term cycling stability. The SWNT-porous Si/SiO₂ hybrid delivers a reversible capacity of 1133 mAh/g in the first cycle and retains 90% of its initial capacity after 200 cycles at 1 C with 99.7% Coulombic efficiency, together with a rate capability of 482 mAh/g at 5 C. Post-cycling cross-sectional analysis confirms minimal electrode-level swelling (~2 μm) after 200 cycles, demonstrating the structural efficacy of the SWNT-templated porous architecture combined with the SiO₂ buffer for structurally stable Si anodes. Full article

Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are considered among the most promising high-performance energy storage systems because lithium metal possesses extremely high theoretical capacity and the lowest electrochemical potential among anode materials. However, their practical implementation remains severely limited by several critical challenges at the nanoscale, including uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth, unstable solid-electrolyte interphase formation, low Coulombic Efficiency, and large volume fluctuations during repeated lithium plating and stripping processes. In recent years, nanostructured porous framework materials have emerged as effective host structures and interfacial regulators for stabilizing lithium metal anodes due to their high surface areas, tunable pore architectures, and functionalizable chemical environments. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent progress in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), covalent organic polymers (COPs) and other organic framework materials for lithium-metal anode applications. First, the fundamental working principles of LMBs and the major challenges associated with lithium metal anodes are discussed. Subsequently, the structural characteristics and advantages of MOFs, COFs, COPs and other framework materials are compared, followed by a detailed discussion of lithium storage mechanisms in porous frameworks, including lithium adsorption and nucleation, regulation of plating and stripping, dendrite suppression, and stabilization of the solid electrolyte interphase. Key design strategies, including hierarchical pore engineering, lithiophilic chemical functionalization, and electronic conductivity enhancement, are systematically highlighted. Representative advances in COF-based, MOF-based, and COP-based materials for lithium metal stabilization are critically summarized and compared. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research directions for porous framework materials in LMBs are discussed. This review aims to provide fundamental insights and design strategies for the rational development of advanced porous framework materials toward safe, stable, and high-energy LMBs. Full article

Surface engineering strongly influences the performance, reliability, and safety of medical and biomedical devices, yet failures often originate at interfaces rather than in bulk materials alone. This review addresses the fragmented evidence base linking coating selection, interphase design, qualification testing, advanced characterization, and data-driven durability analysis. The objective is to provide an integrative, failure-mode-based framework for implants, reusable instruments, inhalation systems, diagnostics, wearables, and implantable electronics. A narrative synthesis of the peer-reviewed literature in coatings, biomaterials, electrochemistry, reliability, standards, and materials informatics was conducted, with qualitative tables used only when protocols were too heterogeneous for numerical pooling. The review compares physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD/PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), sol–gel/organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) hybrids, plasma polymers, parylene, bioactive or antimicrobial surfaces, and electronic encapsulation strategies. The main finding is that no universally superior coating exists; reliable performance depends on matching architecture and characterization to the dominant failure pathway, substrate compliance, geometry, sterilization or physiologic exposure, and the standards-constrained endpoint. The review further shows how electrochemical diagnostics, interfacial mechanics, multiphysics models, survival/reliability statistics, and carefully governed AI workflows can be combined to support service-life prediction and decision-oriented qualification. Full article

All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) couple the high theoretical energy density of sulfur (2600 Wh kg⁻¹) with the safety and polysulfide-shuttle suppression advantages of solid electrolytes (SEs). In practice, however, sluggish solid-state conversion kinetics, chemo-mechanical degradation in composite cathodes, and large solid–solid interfacial resistance remain the principal barriers to practical implementation. This review systematically examines recent progress across the three key components of ASSLSBs: cathodes, solid electrolytes, and interfaces. For cathodes, S/C composite design strategies and alternative active materials—including Li₂S, metal sulfides, and organosulfur compounds—are discussed. For solid electrolytes, inorganic (sulfide, oxide, halide, and hydride), polymer, and hybrid composite systems are compared. For interfaces, physical strategies (stack pressure, compliant interlayers, three-dimensional cathode architectures) and chemical strategies (cathode–SE and Li metal–SE interphase engineering, in situ stabilization) are evaluated. Outstanding challenges and design guidelines for next-generation ASSLSBs are discussed. Full article

Galloping of overhead transmission lines is a low-frequency, large-amplitude vibration hazard that poses a severe threat to power grid safety, yet existing monitoring approaches fail to simultaneously provide flexible deployment, quantitative measurement, and robustness under severe weather conditions. This paper makes three primary contributions. First, we propose a novel line-structure center adsorption algorithm that converts a single operator touch-point into a sub-pixel-precision conductor prompt, achieving prompt accuracy above 95% with one round of interactive correction. Second, we introduce—for the first time—SAM2’s streaming memory architecture for continuous zero-shot pixel-level tracking of galloping conductors under complex outdoor backgrounds including snow, ice, and poor illumination, achieving a segmentation IoU of 93.8% and zero identity switches over 500 consecutive frames, outperforming XMem (87.4%) and DeAOT (88.9%). Third, we develop a two-stage spatial correction framework combining vanishing-point-based inverse perspective mapping (IPM) with equidistant linear transformation (ELT), which eliminates perspective distortion inherent in non-orthogonal field imaging and enables quantitative measurement of galloping amplitude (error < 0.5 m), frequency (error < 0.1 Hz), and inter-phase spacing (ranging error < 1 m). The complete pipeline is implemented on a portable, tripod-mounted device (≤15 kg) integrating a monocular camera, laser rangefinder, and high-precision PTZ gimbal. Field validation at three 110/500 kV sites in Jiangsu Province under extreme winter conditions ($-4$ °C, Level 5 wind, continuous snowfall) confirms engineering-grade accuracy and practical robustness, providing a viable technical pathway for real-time non-contact galloping monitoring and disaster early warning. Full article

The polymer–filler interphase in filled elastomers is often represented by a single thickness, obscuring internal heterogeneity. Coupling coarse-grained molecular dynamics with dynamic mechanical analysis of EPDM/carbon-black compounds, we resolve a bimodal bound-rubber layer with a dense inner zone set by surface adsorption and a looser outer zone sustained by chain connectivity. Heating contracts the outer zone about twice as strongly as the inner zone (outer: 26.5%, 95% confidence interval 17.4–34.8%; inner: 13.3%). Per-layer mean-squared displacement analysis shows a modest mobility gradient between the 1–2 nm outer zone and the bulk. Dynamic mechanical analysis at 120–140 °C shows a flatter reinforcement factor at higher temperature, consistent with interphase-linked thermal contraction. Lengthening the chain at fixed filler loading markedly enlarges the bridging fraction and the cumulative excess thickness, signaling a transition from adsorption-limited to connectivity-limited reinforcement. These results show that a single interphase boundary can miss a dynamically active outer zone relevant to reinforcement and thermal aging in filled elastomers. Full article

Graphite remains the predominant negative electrode material in commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, its practical performance is increasingly limited by interface-driven degradation rather than bulk intercalation. This review examines the interconnected electrochemical, mechanical, and safety challenges associated with uncoated and coated graphite, with particular focus on how solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and evolution deplete cyclable lithium, increase interfacial resistance, and induce polarization that leads to lithium plating and dendritic growth during rapid charging and low-temperature operation. Electrolyte and solvation engineering are highlighted as coating-free strategies to mitigate these issues by reducing Li⁺ desolvation barriers and directing interphase chemistry toward thinner, more ion-conductive, fluorinated SEI films that inhibit plating while maintaining high-rate capability. Coated graphite approaches are compared, including carbon, inorganic, and polymer coatings that function as artificial SEI layers to minimize direct electrolyte contact, stabilize interphase composition, and enhance mechanical durability. Key trade-offs are discussed, including decreased first-cycle coulombic efficiency (FCCE) due to increased surface area, transport limitations arising from excessively thick coatings, nonuniform coverage leading to local current hotspots, and side reactions induced by the coatings. The discussion is further extended to sodium and potassium systems, explaining how larger ion sizes, unfavorable thermodynamics, and significant lattice expansion hinder their insertion into graphite, and summarizing strategies such as interlayer expansion and alternative carbon architectures that improve reversibility for larger ions. This review concludes that achieving durable, safe, and fast-charging graphite electrodes requires an integrated interfacial design that combines optimized graphite morphology, electrode architecture, and electrolyte chemistry. Full article

Anode-less battery architectures, which eliminate the host anode material, have attracted considerable attention as a promising approach to increase energy density, simplify cell manufacturing, and improve safety in next-generation energy storage systems. This review provides a structured and integrative overview on the current research landscape of anode-less cells, spanning both liquid- and solid-electrolyte technologies. It first introduces the fundamental principles, key advantages, and inherent challenges of the anode-less concept. Advanced characterization techniques, including electrochemical, interfacial, morphological, and operando approaches, are then discussed as essential tools for probing metal plating/stripping behavior and degradation mechanisms. The core of the review examines how system design governs performance, addressing strategies for liquid electrolytes, including current collector design, electrolyte formulation, and deposition control, as well as solid electrolytes, with an emphasis on interfacial engineering, fundamental limitations, and extensions to Na- and K-based batteries. By integrating insights across these systems, the review identifies critical challenges, including unstable solid-electrolyte interphases, dendrite formation, and interfacial contact loss. Finally, a development pyramid is introduced as a conceptual framework linking fundamental research to practical implementation, outlining key priorities from interface control and full-cell compatibility to long-term reliability while also highlighting industrial pathways toward hybrid and fully solid-state anode-less batteries. Full article

Hollow graphitic nanoshells (HGSs) are widely investigated as battery materials because their conductive shells and internal voids can simultaneously influence ion transport, electron percolation, and mechanical stress accommodation. Yet, the field remains largely morphology-driven, with performance often attributed generically to “hollowness” rather than to structural parameters. This review examines HGSs from a parameter-oriented perspective. It highlights key structural features, including graphitization degree, shell thickness, cavity size, pore architecture, and defect or dopant chemistry. These features collectively shape electrochemical behavior. We discuss how these features influence transport kinetics, interphase stability, volumetric efficiency, and mechanical resilience across insertion, metal anode, multivalent, solid-state, and halogen chemistries. Major synthesis approaches, including hard-templated, soft-templated, self-templated, and biomass-derived routes, are evaluated based on the structural control they provide and the influence of synthesis conditions on shell architecture, graphitic ordering, and pore structure. Special attention is given to how these structural features develop during processing and how they affect ion accessibility, conductivity, and stability. Finally, we outline a shift toward quantitative, parameter-driven engineering supported by operando diagnostics, electrode-level modeling, and standardized reporting. HGSs will only achieve practical relevance when structural optimization extends beyond particle morphology to transport uniformity, interfacial stability, network connectivity, and life-cycle responsibility. Full article

The performance of polymer nanocomposites is governed primarily by the structure and properties of the matrix–filler interphase. This study presents a quantitative Raman spectroscopy analysis of interphase evolution in epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with two-dimensional WS₂, whose surface chemistry was systematically tuned via grafting of aminoacetic acid (AA) at concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 wt.%. By tracking peak shifts, linewidths, intensity ratios, and integrated areas of the characteristic WS₂ phonon modes (2LA(M) + E₂g¹, A₁g, and defect-related bands), we establish a non-linear, concentration-dependent interfacial response. Minor spectral variations at 2.5 wt.% AA indicate limited interfacial interaction. At 5.0 wt.% AA, suppression of the A₁g mode and significant band broadening reflect increased structural disorder. At 7.5 wt.% AA, coordinated red shifts (~−1.8 cm⁻¹) and the appearance of an additional band near 432.8 cm⁻¹ suggest the development of a strain-mediated interfacial state. Overall, increasing AA concentration leads to a non-linear evolution of the WS₂–epoxy interface, as reflected in peak positions, linewidths and intensity ratios. These Raman-derived descriptors correlate directly with enhanced mechanical properties (flexural and tensile strength) and thermal stability (Vicat softening point) of the composites. The results demonstrate that effective interfacial coupling requires a critical surface coverage and that Raman spectroscopy serves as a powerful tool for non-destructively probing and optimizing interphase architecture in TMD/polymer systems. Full article