Scalable and tunable Y2O3-MgO composite for infrared transparency applications

The process-structure-property correlationships in yttria-magnesia (YM) composite have been investigated. YM composite was synthesized using commercial powders via ball-milling route with three different grinding balls (Si₃N₄, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂) having two different sizes (2 and 5 mm diameter). The alteration in grinding ball material and size produces sintered ceramic having different grain sizes (420–560 nm) and degree of phase mixing homogeneity (0.40–0.70). The contamination induced by the milling ball resulted in changes in Y₂O₃ and MgO defect chemistry, which influenced the grain growth behavior in the YM composite. The hot-pressed composite prepared using 2-mm Si₃N₄ ball-milled powders exhibited the finest grain size (420 nm) and better phase mixing homogeneity (0.63). The subsequent impact was seen on transmittance efficiency (71%) over the 3–7-μm wavelength range, which is ∼85% of the theoretical limit. The findings show that the selection of the right size and type of grinding ball for milling commercial powder is a simple and cost-effective way for scalable production of YM composite with high transmittance efficiency for infrared windows and dome applications.     

Fabrication of highly dense Si3N4 via record low-content additive system for low-temperature pressureless sintering

Dense Si₃N₄ ceramics were fabricated by pressureless sintering at a low temperature of 1650°C with a short holding period of 1 h under a nitrogen atmosphere. The role of ternary oxide additives (Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃–MgO–SiO₂, Y₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂) on the phase, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Si₃N₄ was examined. Only 5 wt.% of Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃ additive was sufficient to achieve >98% of theoretical density with remarkably high biaxial strength (∼1200 MPa) and prominent hardness (∼15.5 GPa). Among the three additives used, Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃ displayed the finest grain diameter (0.54 μm), whereas Y₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂ produced the largest average grain diameter (∼0.95 μm); the influence was seen on their mechanical properties. The low additive content Si₃N₄ system is expected to have superior high-temperature properties compared to the system with high additive content. This study shows a cost-effective fabrication of highly dense Si₃N₄ with excellent mechanical properties.     

Tailored electrostrain and related properties in (1 − x)BaTiO3–xSrSnO3 Pb-free electroceramics

We report excellent electrostrain properties of (1 − x)BaTiO₃–xSrSnO₃ (BSTS) Pb-free electroceramics (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15), as well as the corresponding structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties. A tailored phase diagram of the pseudo-binary solid solution of BaTiO₃–SrSnO₃, which exhibits a nearly composition-independent orthorhombic–tetragonal polymorphic phase boundary close to room temperature, was obtained, and, in contrast to Ba(Ti_1−xSn_x)O₃, the appearance of the relaxor mode was accelerated in the phase transition of BSTS owing to the additional incorporation of Sr. Using these compositionally modified phase-related characteristics, desirable sets of electrostrain properties for actuator applications were obtained. Based on these results, we propose that BSTS is a promising candidate for Pb-free electroceramics for high-precision actuator applications near room temperature.     

Prenylated Flavonoids from Cudrania tricuspidata Suppress Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammatory Activities in BV2 Microglial Cells

In Korea and China, Cudrania tricuspidata Bureau (Moraceae) is an important traditional medicinal plant used to treat lumbago, hemoptysis, and contusions. The C. tricuspidata methanol extract suppressed both production of NO and PGE₂ in BV2 microglial cells. Cudraflavanone D (1), isolated from this extract, remarkably suppressed the protein expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, and decreased the levels of NO and PGE₂ in BV2 microglial cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide. Cudraflavanone D (1) also decreased IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-1β production, blocked nuclear translocation of NF-κB heterodimers (p50 and p65) by interrupting the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitor of IκB-α, and inhibited NF-κB binding. In addition, cudraflavanone D (1) suppressed the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK pathways. This study indicated that cudraflavanone D (1) can be a potential drug candidate for the cure of neuroinflammation.     

Protection of Historical Wood against Microbial Degradation—Selection and Application of Microbiocides

The aim of this study was to select effective and safe microbiocides for the disinfection and protection of historical wooden surfaces at the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. We tested seven active compounds against bacteria and moulds, of which didecyldimethylammonium chloride and N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine were effective even at 0.02%–2%. Subsequently, eight microbiocides containing the selected active ingredients were chosen and applied three times on the surface of wood samples colonized by bacteria and moulds. ABM-1 and ABM-2—6% solution; Rocima 101—8%; Preventol R 80—12%; Acticide 706 LV—15% and Boramon—30% were the most effective disinfectants. Under laboratory conditions, ABM-1, Boramon and Rocima 101 ensured antimicrobial protection of new wood samples for six months. In situ, 30% Boramon and 8% Rocima 101 applied by spraying effectively protected the historical wood from bacterial and mould growth for 12 and 3 months, respectively. Colour and luminance of the new wood were not altered after exposure to the biocides. Boramon and Rocima 101, applied by the spraying method, caused no significant change in the colour of the historical wood. Results from this study were used to develop a procedure for the protection of wood in historical buildings against biodeterioration.     

Demonstration of Copper Co‐Fired (Na,K)NbO3 Multilayer Structures for Piezoelectric Applications

A Li and Ta modified (Na, K)NbO₃ piezoelectric ceramic has been successfully co‐fired with inner copper electrodes in a reduced atmosphere. Highly dense NKN ceramics (95% relative density, 4.64 g/cm³) were obtained by sintering the samples in a low oxygen partial pressure (low pO₂) atmosphere at 1050°C. The poly(propylene carbonate) binder system was used to permit a clean burnout at low temperature in N₂ atmosphere, and also prevent the electrode copper particles from undergoing any oxidation. No interdiffusion of copper, chemical reactions, and/or carbon residues were observed in the grains, grain boundaries, or at the electrode–ceramic interface of the co‐fired samples from a detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties were characterized from those co‐fired prototyped samples. The samples displayed high relative dielectric permittivity above 800, with low dielectric loss about 3.6%. A normalized strain coefficient (max. strain/max. electric field) of = 220 pm/V was obtained under unipolar converse electromechanical measurement at 20 kV/cm. This paper presents the feasibility of co‐firing a Cu inner electrode with NKN ceramics toward multilayer lead‐free piezoelectric applications, providing an engineering route to narrow the performance differences between soft lead‐based piezoelectrics and lead‐free materials.     

The feasibility of using spent sulfidic caustic as alternative sulfur and alkalinity sources in autotrophic denitrification

Batch experiments using acclimated sludge to sulfur utilizing autotrophic denitrification were performed to determine the applicability of spent sulfidic caustic in autotrophic denitrification as alternative sulfur and alkalinity sources. Fluorescence insitu hybridization (FISH) analysis showed that the microbial community of β-proteobacteria/ Eubacteria increased from 45% to 69% during enrichment period and nitrate removal reached up to 84% under this enriched sludge condition. In thiosulfate utilizing autotrophic denitrification, the initial condition at a sulfur/nitrate (S/N) ratio of 1.5 showed higher nitrate removal with 95.9%, and nitrate removal could be expressed by a first-order function of biomass concentration if all parameters such as pH, alkalinity and S/N ratio were in the optimum range. In spent sulfidic caustic utilizing autotrophic denitrification, the sulfate formation ratios to nitrate reduction were lower than those in thiosulfate utilizing autotrophic denitrification with a range of 2.65 to 2.78, and nitrate removal was over 95% at 1.0 and 1.5 S/N ratios. For S/N ratios of 1.0 and 1.5, initial alkalinities were sufficient to maintain optimum pH range of autotrophic denitrification. Furthermore, well enriched seeding sludge showed good activity of autotrophic denitrification at pH over 10. Therefore, spent sulfidic caustic could be effectively applied to autotrophic denitrification as an alternative sulfur source and an alkalinity source     

Anomalous Behavior of 2D Janus Excitonic Layers under Extreme Pressures

Newly discovered 2D Janus transition metal dichalcogenides layers have gained much attention from a theory perspective owing to their unique atomic structure and exotic materials properties, but little to no experimental data are available on these materials. Here, experimental and theoretical studies establish the vibrational and optical behavior of 2D Janus S–W–Se and S–Mo–Se monolayers under high pressures for the first time. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown classical transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) monolayers are first transferred onto van der Waals (vdW) mica substrates and converted to 2D Janus sheets by surface plasma technique, and then integrated into a 500 µm size diamond anvil cell for high-pressure studies. The results show that 2D Janus layers do not undergo phase transition up to 15 GPa, and in this pressure regime, their vibrational modes exhibit a nonmonotonic response to the applied pressures (dω/dP). Interestingly, these 2D Janus monolayers exhibit unique blueshift in photoluminescence (PL) upon compression, which is in contrast to many other traditional semiconductor materials. Overall theoretical simulations offer in-depth insights and reveal that the overall optical response is a result of competition between the ab-plane (blueshift) and c-axis (redshift) compression. The overall findings shed the very first light on how 2D Janus monolayers respond under extreme pressures and expand the fundamental understanding of these materials.     

A Hierarchical Nanoparticle‐in‐Micropore Architecture for Enhanced Mechanosensitivity and Stretchability in Mechanochromic Electronic Skins

Biological tissues are multiresponsive and functional, and similar properties might be possible in synthetic systems by merging responsive polymers with hierarchical soft architectures. For example, mechanochromic polymers have applications in force‐responsive colorimetric sensors and soft robotics, but their integration into sensitive, multifunctional devices remains challenging. Herein, a hierarchical nanoparticle‐in‐micropore (NP‐MP) architecture in porous mechanochromic polymers, which enhances the mechanosensitivity and stretchability of mechanochromic electronic skins (e‐skins), is reported. The hierarchical NP‐MP structure results in stress‐concentration‐induced mechanochemical activation of mechanophores, significantly improving the mechanochromic sensitivity to both tensile strain and normal force (critical tensile strain: 50% and normal force: 1 N). Furthermore, the porous mechanochromic composites exhibit a reversible mechanochromism under a strain of 250%. This architecture enables a dual‐mode mechanochromic e‐skin for detecting static/dynamic forces via mechanochromism and triboelectricity. The hierarchical NP‐MP architecture provides a general platform to develop mechanochromic composites with high sensitivity and stretchability.