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Concentration-Dependent Tungsten Effects on Short-Range Order and Deformation Behavior in Ni-W alloys
Authors:
Shaozun Liu,
Zehao Li,
Hantong Chen,
Xingyuan San,
Bi-Cheng Zhou,
Dieter Isheim,
Tiejun Wang,
Hong Gao,
Nie Zhao,
Yu Liu,
Yong Gan,
Xiaobing Hu
Abstract:
Ni-W based medium heavy alloys offer a promising pathway to bridge the density-strength gap between tungsten heavy alloys and ultrahigh-strength steels. In this study, the effects of W concentration on short-range order (SRO), deformation behavior, and grain boundary chemistry of Ni-xW alloys in the range x = 0 to 38 wt% were systematically investigated using a suite of advanced characterization a…
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Ni-W based medium heavy alloys offer a promising pathway to bridge the density-strength gap between tungsten heavy alloys and ultrahigh-strength steels. In this study, the effects of W concentration on short-range order (SRO), deformation behavior, and grain boundary chemistry of Ni-xW alloys in the range x = 0 to 38 wt% were systematically investigated using a suite of advanced characterization and modeling techniques, including synchrotron X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and first-principles thermodynamic simulations. Our study reveals that strong SRO emerges when W content exceeds about 30 wt%, producing distinct diffuse scattering and significantly enhancing strain-hardening capacity. During deformation, the presence of SRO promotes planar slip and twin formation, leading to strong dislocation interactions and elevated flow stress. Hall-Petch analysis demonstrates an exceptionally high grain boundary strengthening coefficient (ky about 1100 MPa micrometer^(1/2)) in Ni-38W, underscoring the intrinsic strengthening effect associated with SRO. First-principles cluster expansion coupled with Monte Carlo simulations reveals that increasing W content enhances SRO tendency through the stabilization of Ni4W-type local configurations. These findings establish a mechanistic link between W concentration, SRO evolution, and mechanical response, providing new insights for designing high-density, high-strength Ni-W based alloys with optimized performance.
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Submitted 25 December, 2025;
originally announced December 2025.
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Ni-O-Ag catalyst enables 103-m$^2$ artificial photosynthesis with >16% solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency
Authors:
Yaguang Li,
Fanqi Meng,
Qixuan Wu,
Dachao Yuan,
Haixiao Wang,
Bang Liu,
Junwei Wang,
Xingyuan San,
Lin Gu,
Shufang Wang,
Qingbo Meng
Abstract:
Herein, NiO nanosheets supported with Ag single atoms are synthesized for photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to achieve 1065 mmol g$^{-1}$ h$^{-1}$ of CO production rate under 1 sun irradiation, revealing the unparalleled weak sunlight driven reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGS) activity. This performance is attributed to the coupling effect of Ag-O-Ni sites to enhance the hydrogenation of CO$_2$ a…
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Herein, NiO nanosheets supported with Ag single atoms are synthesized for photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to achieve 1065 mmol g$^{-1}$ h$^{-1}$ of CO production rate under 1 sun irradiation, revealing the unparalleled weak sunlight driven reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGS) activity. This performance is attributed to the coupling effect of Ag-O-Ni sites to enhance the hydrogenation of CO$_2$ and weaken the CO adsorption, resulting in 1434 mmol g$^{-1}$ h$^{-1}$ of CO yield at 300$^\circ$ C, surpassing any low-temperature RWGS performances ever reported. Building on this, we integrated the 2D Ni$_1$Ag$_{0.02}$O$_1$ supported photothermal RWGS with commercial photovoltaic electrolytic water splitting, leading to the realization of 103 m$^2$ scale artificial photosynthesis system (CO$_2$+H$_2$$\to$CO+H$_2$O) with a daily CO yield of 18.70 m$^3$, a photochemical energy conversion efficiency of >16%, over 90% H$_2$ ultilization efficiency, outperforming other types of artificial photosynthesis. The results of this research chart a promising course for designing practical, natural sunlight-driven artificial photosynthesis systems and highly efficient platinum-free CO$_2$ hydrogenation catalysts. This work is a significant step towards harnessing solar energy more efficiently and sustainably, opening exciting possibilities for future research and development in this area.
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Submitted 24 July, 2023;
originally announced July 2023.
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Unlocking the Structural Mystery of Vaterite CaCO3
Authors:
Xingyuan San,
Junwei Hu,
Mingyi Chen,
Haiyang Niu,
Paul J. M. Smeets,
Jie Deng,
Kunmo Koo,
Roberto dos Reis,
Vinayak P. Dravid,
Xiaobing Hu
Abstract:
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the most abundant biogenic mineral on earth, plays a crucial role in various fields. Of the four polymorphs, calcite, aragonite, vaterite, and amorphous CaCO3, vaterite is the most enigmatic one due to an ongoing debate regarding its structure that has persisted for nearly a century. In this work, based on systematic transmission electron microscopy characterizations, el…
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Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the most abundant biogenic mineral on earth, plays a crucial role in various fields. Of the four polymorphs, calcite, aragonite, vaterite, and amorphous CaCO3, vaterite is the most enigmatic one due to an ongoing debate regarding its structure that has persisted for nearly a century. In this work, based on systematic transmission electron microscopy characterizations, elaborate crystallographic analysis and machine learning aided molecular dynamics simulations with ab initio accuracy, we reveal that vaterite can be regarded as a polytypic structure. The basic phase is a monoclinic lattice possessing pseudohexagonal symmetry. Direct imaging and atomic-scale simulations provide evidence that a single grain of vaterite can have three orientation variants. Additionally, we find that vaterite undergoes a second-order phase transition. These atomic scale insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure of vaterite and offer new perspectives on the biomineralization process of calcium carbonate.
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Submitted 13 June, 2023;
originally announced June 2023.