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  • Chenjian Li, Wenlai Xia, Dangfeng Zhou, Gang Lu, Hongmei Qin, Shixian Zhang, Xueliang Jiang, Chuanxi Xiong
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 175-186.

    The composites composed of Carbon nanotube (CNT) and inorganic magnetic materials are candidates for broadband electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials (EWAM). However, poor interfacial compatibility between CNT and inorganic magnetic materials limits the enhancement of broadband EMW absorption performance. Herein, this study innovatively prepared the organic magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) with a zwitterionic structure and combined it with CNT to obtain the "Magnetic ionic liquid/CNT composite gel" (MIL/CNT). In the MIL/CNT, the energy of EMW is well attenuated through the multi-EMW dissipating routes, such as conductance loss, polarization loss and magnetic loss. Remarkably, attributed to the zwitterionic structure, the stronger ionic dipole polarization loss has been induced to dissipate the EMW, which achieved an effective absorption band (EAB) of 7.5 GHz (9.44-16.94 GHz) and minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -46 dB with 2.1 mm thickness at 15.8 GHz. The MIL/CNT composite demonstrated excellent broadband electromagnetic wave absorption, offering a novel strategy for fabricating EMW defense materials with a wide operational frequency range.

  • Xinkai Shen, Pengsheng Wang, Shusheng Qiu, Zhihui Liu, Junqi Guan, Hailong He
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 20-30.

    Mineral processing wastewater poses severe environmental risks due to its complex composition (high suspended solids, residual reagents, heavy metals), making its treatment critical for sustainable mining. This review systematically summarizes mineral processing wastewater treatment technologies, including conventional methods and emerging approaches. Conventional physical-chemical methods are widely used but suffer from sludge production and limited resource recovery. Advanced oxidation processes (e.g., plasma oxidation, photo-Fenton) efficiently degrade refractory organics and novel adsorbents (MOFs, selective resins) enable targeted heavy metal recovery and deep purification. Artificial intelligence and digital twin further promote intelligent process control. Future directions focus on integrating multi-technologies into "classification treatment-quality-based reuse" systems to achieve comprehensive recovery of water, salts, and valuable metals, advancing mining towards a circular economy and near-zero discharge.

  • Zhong Zheng, Mengyuan Ma, Hui Liu, Dong Chen, Shaonan Tian, Xiwei Qi, Jun Yang
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 168-174.

    Hollow noble metal nanostructures have broad applications in catalysis and other fields. Herein, we report that Ag@metal (Ag@M, M = Ru, Os, Ir, Pt, PtRu, PtRuOs) core@shell nanoparticles synthesized in oleylamine can transform into hollow AgM alloy nanoparticles via prolonged heating. The structural evolution mechanism is attributed to the Kirkendall effect, driven by unbalanced interdiffusion of Ag and M atoms: Ag atoms (with higher mobility) diffuse from the core to the shell more rapidly than M atoms, inducing vacancy flow and interface shift, ultimately forming hollow alloys with slightly reduced particle sizes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals binding energy shifts of Ag and Pt in hollow AgPt alloys due to electronegativity differences. Electrochemical tests show that despite the lower electrochemically active surface area of hollow AgPt alloys caused by Ag-induced Pt dilution, their methanol oxidation reaction activity and onset potential are comparable to the core-shell precursors. This is because the ensemble effect from Ag-Pt alloying weakens CO adsorption on Pt sites, offsetting the dilution-induced negative effect. This study provides insights for designing efficient Ag-based nanoalloy electrocatalysts.

  • Yiming Zong, Wenjiao Ke, Yang Xue, Rui Xiao, Sixi Zhu, Shuya Zheng, Yongen Shi, Li Feng, Xuefeng Ren
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 152-167.

    Nitrate () is a pervasive pollutant in industrial water treatment due to its widespread presence in industrial processes. Quaternary ammonium (R4N+) groups are key for removal, but their efficiency varies with water quality. This study developed a mixed-grafted ion exchange resin, CMIET-A, by grafting trimethylamine and triethylamine onto a poly (methyl methacrylate) backbone, with Ferromagnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles to enhance separability and recyclability. Experiments and DFT calculations showed that CMIET-A effectively removed across a broad pH range (4.0-10.0), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 82.79 mg/g. The adsorption behavior fit the Freundlich isotherm model, and the process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. After 20 cycles, the resin maintained a removal rate over 70 %. Both experiments on the influence of external ions and Molecular dynamics simulations indicated higher binding energy and diffusion coefficients for CMIET-A with , enhancing performance even in the presence of Cl-. Characterization revealed that ion exchange, pore filling, electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and metal bridging collectively drove adsorption. Overall, this novel resin offers an efficient solution for removal in industrial settings.

  • Hui Deng, Lijuan Wang, Kunqian Zhu, Libing Liao, Guocheng Lv
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 42-51.

    More than 2 billion tons of coal-based solid wastes (CBSW) are produced annually in China present not only significant environmental hazards, including air pollution from dust, soil degradation, and water contamination from heavy metals, but also direct safety risks such as spontaneous combustion and landslides. Currently, soil degradation is becoming an increasingly serious concern. Artificial soil is a crucial green construction material. However, the current resource utilization of CBSW in artificial soil is confronted with difficulties such as low efficiency, high ecological risks, and obstacles to industrialization. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to develop a stable and eco-friendly approach for the construction of artificial soil. This paper reviews the physicochemical properties of CBSW and its adaptability to soil improvement. Considering the application directions of CBSW in ecological soil (such as remediating contaminated soil, improving poor soil quality, and promoting plant growth). It focuses on key methods for preparing artificial soil. These methods include pretreatment technology, optimizing the ratio of solid waste, additives, and soil, and evaluating ecological effects. This work provides insights into transforming coal waste into a valuable resource for ecological restoration.

  • Sang-il Yoon, Hyunseung Kim, Changyeon Baek, Seung Yong Lee, Tiandong Zhang, Gyoung-Ja Lee, Min-Ku Lee, Do Kyung Kim, Chang Kyu Jeong
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 195-204.

    In this study, the Fast Firing (Rapid Thermal Sintering, FF) process was applied to systematically analyze the microstructural, dielectric, and electrical properties of (Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O7 (BZN) ceramics. Through rapid heating, the target sintering temperature was reached within several minutes, effectively suppressing excessive grain coarsening and Bismuth (Bi) volatilization that commonly occur in conventional sintering (CS). As a result, BZN ceramics fabricated by the FF process exhibited a uniform fine-grained microstructure with grain sizes of 1-3 μm, relative densities above 94 %, dielectric constants (ε) of 145-155, dielectric losses (tan δ) below 0.005, and breakdown strengths (BDS) exceeding 400 kV/cm. Energy-storage performance analysis revealed that the FF samples achieved stable energy densities of 1.25-1.37 J/cm3 and efficiencies of 75-85 %, which are attributed to enhanced BDS induced by the fine-grained microstructure. Frequency- and temperature-dependent measurements also demonstrated excellent thermal stability, maintaining tan δ < 0.005 and dielectric variation within 3 % from room temperature up to 300 ℃. In addition, the FF process shortened the sintering time by more than 70 % and reduced energy consumption, offering significant advantages in processing efficiency. These results demonstrate that the FF method provides an effective fabrication strategy for achieving high-efficiency and high-reliability energy-storage performance in BZN-based pyrochlore ceramics and further suggests its potential extension to other lead-free high-permittivity dielectric systems.

  • Xiaochuan Long, Xiao Wen, Xiao Zhang, Zheng Lu, Feng Wei, Xiaopeng Liu
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 187-194.

    Fabricating TiO2 nanotube hydrogen sensors via anodic oxidation of sputtered Ti films on Si wafers enhances stability and facilitates integration/miniaturization. However, these sensors exhibit lower room-temperature responses compared to counterparts derived from anodized Ti thin sheets. In this work, Pt/TiO2/Ti sensors incorporating an unoxidized Ti film at the nanotube base and Pt/TiO2 sensors with completely oxidized Ti foil were fabricated on SiO2/Si substrates through magnetron sputtering and anodic oxidation. The Pt/TiO2/Ti sensor exhibited a response of 5.3 × 106 toward 200 ppm H2 at room temperature - four orders of magnitude higher than the Pt/TiO2 counterpart. Through SEM, Hall measurements, and I-V analysis, this enhancement is attributed to significantly reduced charge transfer resistance between Pt interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) due to the conductive Ti film in Pt/TiO2/Ti devices. The modulating effect of the Ti film on carrier transport pathways becomes more pronounced at lower operating temperatures. This study provides a straightforward yet effective approach for developing high-responsivity TiO2 nanotube hydrogen sensors on silicon wafers.

  • Yulai Zhao, Yuxuan Chen, Haoran Chen, Longqiang Xiao, Xuehui Ge, Xiangyu Yin, Linxi Hou
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 52-64.

    The urgent need for high-performance energy storage devices has been driving the quest for superior battery-type electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), however the relevant synthesis methods are usually tedious and poorly affordable. In this paper, a two-step route was elaborated to prepare Ni, Co hydroxide/N-doped porous carbon (NixCo1-x(OH)2/NPC) nanocomposites for hybrid supercapacitors. NPC with unique three-dimensional interconnected porous structure was obtained by HIPE high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization with subsequent pyrolysis. The NPC can act not only as a conductive network providing abundant accessible area and convenient charge transfer routes, but also as an anchoring platform for NixCo1-x(OH)2 growth via chemical bath deposition (CBD) without agglomeration. By tuning Ni2+/Co2+ ratio, the optimized NixCo1-x(OH)2/NPC nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with a capacity of 1392 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 in 6 M KOH solution. Furthermore, coupling with an activated NPC anode, the assembled hybrid supercapacitor possessed an appreciable energy density of 118.9 Wh kg-1 at 400.0 W kg-1 and a capacitance retention ratio of 80.7 % after 5000 charge-discharge cycles, showing considerable application prospects. This work provides new inspirations for the reasonable design and optimization of new electrode materials for first-rate hybrid supercapacitors.

  • Wenping Wu, Zijun Ding, Zhiqi Xue, Yuan Gao, Chao Yu, Guozheng Kang
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 205-214.

    In this paper, atomic simulation of the thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of Ni-based single crystal superalloys has been achieved, and the effect of Rhenium (Re) on the TMF properties are studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The reasons why 3%Re improving TMF properties of superalloys are explained from an atomic perspective. The results show that adding 3%Re to the superalloys can increase the cyclic stress amplitude and plastic deformation resistance, reduce the dislocation density and plastic strain energy density, and thereby improve the fatigue life of superalloys. The microstructure evolution reveals that the improvement of TMF properties in superalloys mainly depends on the pinning and dragging effects of Re on dislocation motion. Due to the pinning and dragging effects of Re, the stability of microstructure is significantly enhanced, leading to a reduction in plastic deformation and thus improving the TMF mechanical properties and fatigue life of superalloys. The research results will contribute to a deeper understanding of the TMF mechanisms and Re effects of superalloys.

  • Zhengguang Fu, Xin Zhang, Binghe Chen, Yiming Xia, Xinhao Wei, Ruqiang Yuan, Jutao Sun
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2026, 36(1): 76-83.

    Fast-charging sodium-ion batteries are severely constrained by sluggish Na+ diffusion, structural instability, and rapid capacity fading in layered anodes, representing a major challenge for high-power energy storage applications. Here, a Co and Se co-doping strategy is implemented on MoS2 (Co-MoS1.8Se0.2/C) to stabilize the metallic 1T-like phase, expand interlayer spacing, and introduce abundant defect sites, generating additional redox-active centers that facilitate rapid and reversible Na+ insertion and extraction. Cobalt doping serves as a catalytic regulator, promoting uniform SEI formation and enhancing interfacial stability, whereas selenium doping reduces Na+ diffusion barriers and alleviates strain induced by volumetric changes. A conductive carbon framework supports the nanosheet structure, prevents restacking, and buffers mechanical stress, ensuring structural integrity during extreme-rate cycling. The Co-MoS1.8Se0.2/C electrode achieves a reversible capacity of 250 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1, corresponding to full charge/discharge in approximately 15 s, and maintains long-term cycling stability over 1400 cycles at 5 A g-1. Structural analyses reveal partial electron transfer from Co and Se to Mo upon intercalation, triggering reorganization of Mo 4d orbitals and inducing a spontaneous 2H-to-1T phase transition, which enhances electrical conductivity. Reversible layered-to-metallic transformation occurs alongside the formation of a stable SEI layer, further promoting electrochemical kinetics and interfacial stability. The synergistic integration of dual-element doping and carbon framework design significantly improves structural robustness and sodium storage performance.