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Gamma-ray, charged particles and neutron-shielding properties of ternary alloy materials, (97.3 – x) Pb – x Cd – 2.7Ag (x = 10, 18 and 30) have been theoretically investigated. First, the effectiveness of gamma-ray shielding for the alloys was studied by using the Phy-X/PSD programme. Mass and linear attenuation coefficients (MAC and LAC), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic numbers (Zeff), effective electron densities (Neff) and effective conductivity (Ceff) were calculated for photon energy range 0.015–15 MeV. Second, the mass stopping powers (MSPs; dE/ρdx; MeVcm2/g) and ranges for electron, proton and alpha particle interactions were calculated at energy 0.01–20 MeV. Finally, the removal cross-section of fast neutron (FNRCS) for the alloys was calculated by the partial density method. Moreover, the neutrons and gamma-rays shielding effectiveness of ternary alloys were investigated using Monte Carlo (MCNP4b). The MCNP4b calculations were performed for neutrons in the energies 4 and 4.5 MeV. While the shielding parameters of gamma rays were done in the energy range of 0.015–15 MeV. The obtained results of radiation shielding showed that the P1 sample owns a good shielding effectiveness against neutrons and gamma rays compared to previously published studies. The comparison of the computed values has revealed a reasonable agreement between Phy-X/PSD and MCNP4b. This study gives essential data for potential applications of these materials in nuclear reactor core design and other industries for the evaluation of effective ionising radiation shielding materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrafine PtNiRu ternary alloy nanowires exhibit exceptional catalytic activity and durability for both oxygen reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. The incorporation of Ru modulates the d-band center of Pt atoms, facilitating the desorption of oxygenated intermediates and enhancing stability through the formation of robust Pt Ru metal bonds. [Display omitted] Direct methanol fuel cells rely on the efficiency of their anode/cathode electrocatalysts to facilitate the methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction, respectively. Platinum-based nanocatalysts are at the forefront due to their superior catalytic properties. However, the high-cost, scarcity, and low CO tolerance of platinum pose challenges for the scalable application of DMFCs. Herein, we report novel ultrathin ternary PtNiRu alloy nanowires to improve Pt utilization and CO tolerance. These novel electrocatalysts incorporate the oxophilic metal Ru into ultrathin PtNi nanowires, aiming to enhance the intrinsic activity of platinum while leveraging the long-term durability and high utilization efficiency provided by the bimetallic synergistic effect. The PtNiRu NWs significantly enhance both mass activity and specific activity for ORR, performing about 6.9 times and 3.9 times better than commercial Pt/C, respectively. After a rigorous durability test of 10,000 cycles, the PtNiRu NWs only exhibited a 25.2 % loss in mass activity. Additionally, for MOR, the MA and SA of PtNiRu NWs exceed that of Pt/C catalyst by 4.30 and 2.72 times, respectively, and exhibit exceptional resistance to CO poisoning. Theoretical insights from density functional theory calculations suggest that the introduction of Ru modulates the d-band center of the surface Pt atoms, which contributes to decreased binding strength of oxygenated species and an elevated dissolution potential, substantiating the enhanced performance metrics, and the durability enhancement stems from the stronger Pt M bonds than those in PtNiRu NWs resulted from Pt Ru covalent interactions. These findings not only provide a new perspective on platinum-based nanocatalysts but also significantly advance the quest for more efficient and durable electrocatalysts for DMFCs, representing a substantial stride in fuel cell technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) catalysts with anti‐poisoning ability and high selectivity are in high demand for the widespread application of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Here, the PdSnW ternary alloy nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile solvothermal method and exhibit an enhanced EOR catalytic performance. CO stripping experiment, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ Fourier transform infrared are employed to study the correlation between catalyst structure and EOR catalytic performance. The oxyphilic Sn and W not only provide dangling O−H bond, accelerating the subsequent oxidation of adsorbed intermediate CO species, but also moderate the electron state of Pd, enhancing the adsorption of CH3CH2OH, thus resulting in the promotion of C−C bond cleavage and an increased C1 selectivity. As a consequence, PdSnW alloy nanoparticle catalyst exhibit a better stability and a higher mass activity than those of Pd/C, PdSn and PdW, respectively. This work not only offers novel insights to strategically design highly efficient electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation, but also further clarifies the inherent structure‐activity relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring high-efficient and economical electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for the electrocatalytic water splitting technology to hydrogen production. Herein, we report a hierarchical nanoporous FeCoZn alloys with different Fe/Co atomic ratios in-situ constructed on bimodal porous NiZn intermetallic and Ni heterojunction over nickel foam (FeCoZn/NF) through a scalable electroplating-annealing-etching strategy. The synergistic effect between multi-elements, multiple interface coupling, and self-supporting seamless porous architecture is beneficial for enhancing the number of active sites but also promoting efficient mass transport and electron transfer. FeCoZn/NF exhibits the superior electrocatalytic activity toward OER with a low overpotential of 440 mV at 1004 mA cm−2 and small Tafel slope of 84.8 mV dec−1. The as-made sample also shows exceptional long-term catalytic stability in alkaline media with 1.0 M KOH of remained under the overpotential of 350 mV for 100 h. Besides, the combined FeCoZn/NF and Pt/C/NF for overall water splitting needs the cell potential of 1.481 V at 10 mA cm−2, along with long-term stability. This work provides implications for the design and preparation of highly active non-noble metal-based multiple alloy electrocatalysts. • Multi-scale porous self-supporting FeCoZn alloy was easily made by dealloying. • In-situ building of FeCoZn alloy on NF greatly reduced the overpotential for OER. • FeCoZn/NF shows the high catalytic stability toward OER in basic medium for 100 h. • The synergy and interface effects facilitate superior OER activity for FeCoZn/NF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we investigated Al–[9 – x] at % Ni–x at % Co (x = 2 and 5) ternary alloy, which has a wide range of applications in terms of tribological properties and magnetic properties. The impact of grain size on the electrical, thermal, magnetic and mechanical properties of these alloys was investigated. Results demonstrated that a decrease in the average grain size of these alloys increases their electrical resistance and decreases their thermal conductivity. Moreover, mechanical properties such as strength, durability and hardness improved depending on grain size. The alloy composition that exhibits optimum properties is the Al–4 at % Ni–5 at % Co alloy. The magnetic properties, such as magnetic transition temperature and magnetisation curves were determined for both alloy compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni–Mo–W ternary alloy coatings were electrodeposited on mild steel substrate using citrate electrolyte for hardness and corrosion resistance applications. The influences electrolyte pH, electrolyte temperature and sodium molybdate concentrations on deposit qualities were studied. The sodium molybdate concentrations were varied from 0.025 to 0.1 M for obtaining alloy coatings with various molybdenum (Mo) compositions. The deposition condition such as electrolyte concentration, pH and temperature were optimized for obtaining good aesthetic (bright) appearance, surface stability and microhardness properties. The maximum Mo composition (47.71 wt %) in alloy deposit was achieved is 47.71 wt % using 0.1 M sodium molybdate concentration. The microhardness properties were increased from 850 HV to 946 HV by introducing molybdenum (47.71 wt %) as third alloying element in to Ni–W alloy matrix. The obtained mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of these ternary alloy coatings were compared with binary alloy and metallic coatings viz., Ni–W and Ni–Mo and metallic Ni coatings. The superior corrosion rate was observed for Ni–Mo–W alloy deposits (5.8 mpy) compared to Ni–W (9.04 mpy) and Ni–Mo (8.89 mpy) alloy.

Conventionally, nanograined metals and alloys can be stabilized through segregating foreign elements at grain boundaries (GBs). Yet such an effect may be offset by formation of second phase at elevated temperatures. In this paper, by introducing minor W into a binary Ni-Mo alloy, we found precipitation of intermetallic phases was suppressed, enhancing thermal stability of the nanograined structure. Characterized faceted GBs and a high-fraction of Σ3 coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries illustrate that GB structures are relaxed by formation of copious annealing twins. Adding W reduces stacking fault energy of the solid solution and facilitates the thermally-triggered GB relaxation. Suppressed precipitation of the intermetallic phases may be attributed to depletion of solutes at relaxed GBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of an active and stable hydrogen electrode for solid oxide cells (SOCs) using exsolved Fe-Co-Ni nanoparticles from Sr2FeCo0.2Ni0.2Mo0.6O6-¿ double-perovskite. The study compares the performance of the hydrogen electrode with and without Co addition and demonstrates that the addition of Co improves the performance of the electrode. The experimental results show that the cell with the Co-doped electrode exhibits higher performance in both solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) modes. The study also utilizes density functional theory (DFT) to predict the catalytic activity and adsorption behavior of Fe-Co-Ni nanoparticles. [Extracted from the article]

Sr2FeCo0.2Ni0.2Mo0.6O6-δ (SFCNM) and Sr2FeNi0.4Mo0.6O6-δ (SFNM) were prepared as the hydrogen electrode materials for solid oxide cells (SOCs) and comparatively investigated by density function theory (DFT) and experiments to demonstrate the benefit of Co addition. The reduced SFCNM (R-SFCNM) and SFNM (R-SFNM) contain exsolved Fe–Co–Ni and Fe–Ni nanoparticles, respectively. DFT indicates that Fe–Co–Ni has optimized combination of the d-band center (descriptor of catalyst activity) and adsorption behavior for H2O, H2, H, and OH. The cell with SFCNM hydrogen electrode, La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-δ (LSGM) electrolyte, and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) oxygen electrode (Cell-SFCNM) demonstrates a higher performance than that with an SFNM hydrogen electrode (Cell-SFNM) at temperatures between 700 and 850 °C in both solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC, 3% H2O-97% H2/air) and solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC, 20% H2O-80% H2/air) modes. At 850 and 700 °C, the peak power density is 1.23 and 0.48 ​W·cm−2 in SOFC mode, while the current density is 1.25 and 0.37 ​A·cm−2 at 1.3 V in SOEC mode, respectively. The performance degradation rates at 750 °C are 0.17 ​mV·h−1 in SOFC and 0.15 ​mV·h−1 in SOEC modes within 150 ​h, which are improved by Co doping.

Hydrogen is an essential vector for transitioning today's energy system. As a fuel or reactant in critical industrial sectors such as transportation and metallurgy, H2 can diversify the energy mix and supply and provide an opportunity to mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions. The pyrolysis of methane in liquid catalysts represents a promising alternative to producing hydrogen, as its energy demand is comparable to steam methane reforming, and no CO2 is produced in the base reaction. In this work, methane pyrolysis experiments were conducted using a graphite crucible filled with liquid ternary Cu-Ni-Sn alloys at 1160.0 °C. A statistical design of experiments allowed the generation of a model equation that predicts the achievable conversion rates in the ranges of the experiments. Furthermore, the experimental results are evaluated considering densities as well as surface tensions and viscosities in the investigated system, calculated with Butler and KRP equations, respectively. The highest methane conversion rate of 40.15% was achieved utilizing a melt of pure copper. The findings show that a combination of high catalytic activity with a high density and a low viscosity and surface tension of the melt results in a higher hydrogen yield. Furthermore, the autocatalytic effect of pyrolysis carbon is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to unravel the effect of alloying on the hydrogen adsorption mechanism, we perform a comparative analysis of the sequential hydrogen loading over Ti11, binary Ti10V, and Ti6VAl4 ternary alloy clusters. For each cluster, the variation of adsorption energy as a function of hydrogen atom coverage was calculated up to 20 hydrogen molecules. The results show that the adsorption of H2 on pure and alloy clusters occurs in a similar fashion including three phases; (i) three-fold and subsequent two-fold dissociative adsorption, (ii) non-dissociative hydrogen adsorption through the Kubas interaction, (iii) non-dissociative physisorption. Our calculations reveal that Ti11, binary Ti10V, and Ti6VAl4 can adsorb at least 20 H2 molecules with the adsorption energies in the range of chemisorption and physisorption. The gravimetric density of H2 adsorbed on these clusters exceeds the ultimate 7.5 wt% limits, recommended for practical applications. However, the magnitude of adsorption energies for Ti6VAl4 are much smaller than those of pure Ti11 binary Ti10V clusters that favor its operating as hydrogen storage media around ambient temperature and pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallenes are an emerging class of two-dimensional (2D) material with outstanding potential in electrocatalysis. Herein, we present a new PdMoSb trimetallene produced by a facile wet-chemistry procedure and tested for the alcohol oxidation reaction. PdMoSb shows an extremely high Pd utilization and superior performance toward ethanol, methanol, and glycerol electro-oxidation compared with PdMo and commercial Pd/C catalysts. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations reveal that the enhanced activity relies not only on the high surface area that characterizes the ultrathin 2D metallene structure, but also on the particular electronic configuration of Sb. Sb facilitates OH− adsorption in the reactive-intermediate pathway and strongly enhances the CO tolerance in the poisoning-intermediate pathway for alcohol oxidation. The excellent alcohol oxidation performance of PdMoSb trimetallene demonstrates the high potential of multimetallenes in the field of electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is considered as the most promising energy conversion technology, which is hampered by the unsatisfied activity and high loading of Pt. The performance of Pt‐based catalyst toward PEMFC depends on the surface bond length of Pt−Pt, which is closely related to the surface defect engineering. Here we firstly present a ternary alloy PtCoMo nanocatalyst with dual surface Co and Mo vacancy defects (VCo−Mo−PtCoMo) that compressed the Pt−Pt bonds, thus exhibiting an outstanding activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with a mass activity of 0.57 A mgPt−1 at 0.9 V (RHE, reversible hydrogen electrode), which is 5.2 times higher as compared with commercial Pt/C (20 wt %) in 0.1 M HClO4. The characterizations and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the Pt−Pt bonds are significantly compressed through the dual surface defects, thus weakening the binding energy and effectively enhancing the acidic ORR performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution precursor plasma spraying is used to produce catalytic trimetallic coatings containing Ni, Fe and Mo directly onto stainless‐steel mesh, Ni foam and carbon paper. The resulting material is mostly comprised of face centered cubic FeNi3 alloy forming a highly porous coating with nanostructured features. The addition of Mo (up to ≈14 at%) generates no new crystal phases but only an increase in the lattice parameter, indicating the formation of FeNi3Mox solid solutions. The FeNi3Mox solid solutions are used as electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. The addition of Mo increases the HER activity significantly reaching an optimum performance at ≈9 at% Mo (FeNi3Mo0.40) with an overpotential at −10 mA cm−2 of 112 mV and a Tafel slope of 109 mV dec−1. The enhanced HER activity is attributed to the formation of a FeNi3Mox solid solution with an increased work function that is correlated to smaller hydrogen adsorption energies. Theoretical activity maps reveal that sites near superficial Mo atoms forms catalytic hot spots and are responsible for the observed activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of predicting the binding energy for ternary metal nanoparticles and the construction of learning models based on structural descriptors are discussed. Regression dependences of the specific interatomic bond energy were constructed for the ternary Au-Ag-Cu nanosystem. A number of five radial features were used, depending on the pairwise interatomic distance of the nanoparticle structure descriptors. For a more correct assessment of the accuracy, cross-validation was applied, then the results obtained on the validation parts of the sample were averaged. The resulting model limitedly predicts the value of the specific interatomic binding energy within a group of data for nanoparticles of the same composition. For the entire sample the average error in modulus is 14 %. In this case, the model almost accurately determines the composition of a nanoparticle of several variants. The largest value of the coefficient of determination in the entire sample was obtained using an ensemble random forest algorithm. A negative correlation was found between the binding energy of the nanoalloy and the position of the first peak of the radial distribution function for copper atoms.

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The paper studies the magnetic properties of the ternary FeCoxNi1–x alloy with mixed spins Fe(S = 2), Co(σ = 3/2) and Ni(q = 1), using Monte Carlo simulations under the Metropolis Algorithm. Firstly, we explore the ground state phase diagrams in order to identify all possible and stable configurations based on the minimisation of the system energy in different physical parameters planes. In addition, the magnetisations and the magnetic susceptibilities as a function of the temperature have been studied. Moreover, the effects of the crystal field, the exchange coupling parameters on the magnetizations and the hysteresis loops have been investigated for different values of the concentration ratio x of the Co atoms. It is found that the ratio x affects strongly the magnetisation, the susceptibility, the transition temperature and the hysteresis loops of the studied system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is an essential vector for transitioning today’s energy system. As a fuel or reactant in critical industrial sectors such as transportation and metallurgy, H2 can diversify the energy mix and supply and provide an opportunity to mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions. The pyrolysis of methane in liquid catalysts represents a promising alternative to producing hydrogen, as its energy demand is comparable to steam methane reforming, and no CO2 is produced in the base reaction. In this work, methane pyrolysis experiments were conducted using a graphite crucible filled with liquid ternary Cu-Ni-Sn alloys at 1160.0 °C. A statistical design of experiments allowed the generation of a model equation that predicts the achievable conversion rates in the ranges of the experiments. Furthermore, the experimental results are evaluated considering densities as well as surface tensions and viscosities in the investigated system, calculated with Butler and KRP equations, respectively. The highest methane conversion rate of 40.15% was achieved utilizing a melt of pure copper. The findings show that a combination of high catalytic activity with a high density and a low viscosity and surface tension of the melt results in a higher hydrogen yield. Furthermore, the autocatalytic effect of pyrolysis carbon is measured.

Ga2O3 is clearly emerging as an important wide band‐gap semiconductor. Band‐gap engineering is now highly demanded for expanding its applications. Alloying with the same group of metal oxides is a straightforward and effective way. In this work, by using hybrid density functional theory calculations, the structural, electronic properties, and phase stability of group IIIA (Al, Ga, In) metal oxides and their ternary alloys (MxGa1‐x)2O3 (M = Al, In) in the corundum and monoclinic phases are systematically investigated. The lattice constants, elastic constants, modulus, formation energies, band‐gaps, band‐gap deformation potentials, band‐edge alignments, band‐gap bowing, and ternary alloy formation energies are obtained. The basic relations between the geometric structure and electronic properties are discussed. It is found that the cation ordered structure is the most stable alloy structure in the monoclinic phase, rather than the random alloy structure as is commonly thought. A phase stability diagram of the (MxGa1‐x)2O3 alloys is established, showing that the stable phase of the alloy changes from the monoclinic phase to the corundum phase when the incorporation of Al2O3 (In2O3) is greater than 69% (76%). These results can be used to understand the relative experimental data and shed some light on the synthesis and device design efforts of Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PtRuCo@PtRu shows superior methanol oxidation performance to PtRu binary because CO ads adsorption on Pt sites is significantly intercepted as originated to the more favorable Pt d-orbital electronic configuration induced by extra electron donation from Co-enriched core. [Display omitted] • Strategies of ternary alloying and compositional profile engineering are integrated. • A strong 5d-4d-3d orbital coupling is induced in PtRuCo@PtRu. • Chemisorption strength toward toxic CO ads is significantly reduced on PtRuCo@PtRu. • D-orbital electronic configurations of Pt and Ru are tuned be more electron-rich. • PtRuCo@PtRu shows enhanced MOR activity and strengthened dissolution resistance. Simultaneously realizing ternary-component integration and compositional profile engineering are of great significance to promote the efficiency and service life of Pt-based eletrtocatalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Herein, a porous ternary alloy consisting of PtRu shell and PtRuCo core (PtRuCo@PtRu) is designed via a facile in-situ alloying strategy. Experimental and theoretical outcomes reveal that the incorporated Co atoms induce a strong Pt 5d-Ru 4d-Co 3d orbital coupling, significantly downshifting the d-band center of Pt and thereby reducing the chemisorption strength toward toxic CO ads. Moreover, the d-orbital electronic configurations of Pt and Ru are tuned be more electron-rich by the electron donation from Co, endowing the catalyst with more strengthened dissolution resistance. Additionally, the continuously leaching out of Co itself is largely inhibited thanks to the finely engineered composition profile in which less-noble Co is protected by the robust PtRu shell. Profiting by the electronic, compositional and architectural superiorities, the PtRuCo@PtRu exhibits significantly enhanced activity and superior long-term stability with respect to benchmark PtRu binary, holding great prospects in practical DMFCs devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary alloy InGaN made of III-V nitrides has attracted significant attention from many researchers in recent years due to its tunable energy band gap from far infra-red (0.7 eV) to deep ultra-violet (3.4 eV) parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This material offers the band lineup, which is one of the most important parameters ensuring the better carrier confinement along the quantum wells (QWs). In this work, we design a strained multiple quantum well (MQW)-based tunnel-injection transistor laser (TI-TL) using InGaN (emitter)/GaN (base)/InGaN (collector) grown on a GaN virtual substrate, followed by an investigation of the optimized optical performance of the designed device with the use of strained QWs. The estimated values of modulation bandwidth are compared with already existing theoretical and experimental values of InGaAs-GaAs TL. Higher optical modulation bandwidth ∼66.06 GHz and lower base threshold current ∼1.67 mA, using strained InxGa1−xN QWs, are obtained for the proposed structure, which makes it a potential candidate for high-speed optical devices employed in high bit-rate optical communication networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The band gap and carrier concentration of ternary tin dichalcogenides can be continuously controlled by changing the sulfur and selenium contents, which has large application potential in electric and photoelectric devices. In this paper, SnSx Se2-x (x = 0, 0. 2, 0. 5, 0. 8, 1. 0, 1. 2, 1. 5, 1. 8, 2. 0) single crystal nanosheets were controllably prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The prepared SnSx Se2-x nanosheets were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy. The results prove the controllable preparation of SnSx Se2-x nanosheets with adjustable elemental percentages in high monocrystalline quality. The elemental percentage dependence of the Raman spectroscopy from SnSx Se2-x nanosheets were especially studied, and the experimental results are well consistent to the simulation results by first-principles calculation based on the density functional theory. This study provides a reliable method for the preparation of ternary SnSx Se2-x single crystal nanosheets with adjustable elemental percentages. A definite and nondestructive method for the characterization of ternary tin dichalcogenides is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the authors designed a deposition process and prepared ternary Zn–Ni–Co alloy material over a mild steel substrate via direct current deposition using an acidic electrolyte for the development of good surface quality and corrosion resistance properties in metal finishing uses. The quality of coatings has been optimised, through implementation of different experimental conditions and parameters, respectively. The prepared specimens have been subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The XRD pattern revealed highly crystalline properties and FESEM revealed a bright and uniform deposit distribution with an aggregated spherical structure. Electrochemical studies through Tafel polarisation testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution. The Tafel analysis revealed that Zn–Ni–Co alloy deposited with the highest corrosion resistance property was observed at a practical currect density of 1 A dm−2. Thus, it can be possible to produce coated material for good corrosion resistance for machinery parts in automobile industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single source precursors are advantageous starting materials to the syntheses of nanomaterials. In this study, lead and bismuth piperidine dithiocarbamate complexes have been synthesized and used as efficient precursors for synthesizing PbS and Bi2S3 nanoparticles using hot injection techniques. The bismuth piperidine dithiocarbamate complex was then used as a dopant to form Bi-doped PbS nanoparticles. Alloys are functional materials for present day applications. In the energy sector, they allow for band gap engineering and size dependent quantum confinement effects. The p-XRD pattern of the PbS was indexed to a cubic rocksalt structure, whereas the Bi2S3 was indexed to an orthorhombic structure. The morphological studies using the TEM revealed the formation of cubes and rods for the PbS and Bi2S3, respectively. An interplay of these structures was observed for the alloy depending on the mole fraction of Bi doping in the injected precursor solution. The optical band gaps were blue-shifted to 0.72 and 1.94 eV for PbS and Bi2S3, respectively. The Bi-doped PbS nanoparticles displayed optical band gaps in between the binary materials.

A medium-entropy alloy (MEA) of CoNiCu with a face-centered cubic structure was successfully obtained by electrochemical deposition. To achieve a nearly equiatomic composition, a water-in-oil emulsion was used as the solution for electrodeposition. Since the water droplets in the emulsion tended to be destroyed within 10 min under electrolysis, the emulsion was periodically irradiated ultrasonically to maintain its emulsified state in order to obtain a continuous film by electrodeposition. Characterization of the film deposited under a constant potential reveals that the deposit is metallic with a face-centered cubic structure. The nearly equiatomic composition suggests that the deposit is a CoNiCu medium-entropy alloy.

[Display omitted] • CdZnTe thin films of different Zn concentration is prepared by electrodeposition. • Crystalline stoichiometric CdZnTe films are produced at −0.7 V, pH 3 and 70 °C. • Zn concentration variation affected structural and optical properties of the films. • Band gap is varied between 1.67 and 2.15 eV depending on Zn concentration. • 4 M Zn concentration showed maximum efficiency in photoelectrochemical solar cell. Cd 1-x Zn x Te thin films of different zinc concentrations were prepared using simple and cost effective electrodeposition technique. The films were coated on FTO substrates using a chemical bath consisting of CdSO 4 , ZnSO 4 and TeO 2. In this deposition of Cd 1-x Zn x Te thin films electrodeposition potential, bath temperature, precursor concentrations and pH were optimized. The morphological, structural and optical characterizations of the films deposited with various zinc compositions are also reported. The grown films displayed a high-quality polycrystalline films with crystallites orientation along (1 1 1) direction. The deposited Cd 1-x Zn x Te alloy films showed direct band gaps varying between 1.67 and 2.15 eV depending upon zinc concentration. Photo electrochemical (PEC) solar cells fabricated using the grown alloy films of different zinc concentration showed increased efficiency for the increase of zinc concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophysical properties of the A169.1Cu12.8Agl eutectic liquid alloy are of particular interest for support of self-and inter-diffusion studies. In the presented work. A169.1Cu12.8Agl-samples were processed contactlessly by electromagnetic levitation under microgravity conditions using the TEMPUS facility. The measurements were performed onboard the Airbus A310 Zero-G in parabolic flight campaigns. The oscillating-drop-method (ODM) was used for measurements of the viscosity via oscillations damping and surface tension via oscillations frequency. These were determined for temperatures in the range of 900-1500 K by analysis of the oscillation spectrum obtained from the electrical impedance. The latter was measured using the Sample Coupling Electronics. An Arrhenius-law η(T) ηexp(EηR/T) was used to fit the temperature-dependent viscosity data. The resulting fit parameters were η = (0.632 * 0.160) mPas and activation energy of viscous flow Eη = (2.344 * 0.233) ·10+4 j/mol. A linear law γ(T) = γl +γT (T-Tm) was fit to the surface tension data yielding % = (0.9013 * 0.02625) Nm and γr = -(0.7462 zE 0.2675) · 10-4Nm-1K-1. The Kozlov-model was applied to determine the enthalphyofmixing as AHmix = - (18.576 20.018) Id/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mildly one-pot method is developed for the synthesis of quasi-networked Au1.5Pt1Co1 ternary alloy nanoparticles (TANPs) at room temperature through the co-reduction of AuCl4-, PtCl6- and Co2+ with hydrazine hydrate. Characterizations of XRD, XPS, HRTEM, EDS and SAED successfully reveal the crystal structure, composition, valence and morphology of Au1.5Pt1Co1 TANPs, respectively. The glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by Au1.5Pt1Co1 TANPs with good dispersion and multi-density surface defects occupies the optimal electrochemical active surface area (ECSA). After the coated poly-L-cysteine (P-L-Cys) film on the Au1.5Pt1Co1/GCE surface, the morphology, element mapping and surface roughness of the P-L-Cys/Au1.5Pt1Co1/GCE are investigated via FESEM and AFM to verify continuous electrode modification processes. The electrochemical behaviors of the composite electrode for hydroquinone (HQ) are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) with interfacial properties of adsorption and diffusion. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) for HQ electrochemical sensing at 0.10 V (vs. SCE) exhibits two linear response ranges from 0.1 to 30 and 30–200 μM, respectively. A low detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.045 μM is obtained with a sensitivity of 4.247 μA μM−1·cm−2. The resulting P-L-Cys/Au1.5Pt1Co1/GCE also presents ascendant selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility and stability. In addition, the established method is applied to the assessment of the HQ level in real water samples (mineral water, tap water and lake water) with the satisfactory results of spiked recoveries. The sensor may become a promising tool for the trace analysis of the electroactive substance in food or environmental samples.

In the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), the coverages of * CO and * H intermediates on a catalyst surface are critical for the selective generation of C 1 or C 2 products. In this work, we have synthesized several Cu x Zn y Mn z ternary alloy electrocatalysts, including Cu 8 ZnMn, Cu 8 Zn 6 Mn, and Cu 8 ZnMn 2 , by varying the doping compositions of Zn and Mn, which are efficient in binding * CO and * H adsorbates in the CO 2 electroreduction process, respectively. The increase of * H coverage allows to promotion of the CH 4 and H 2 formation, while the increase of the * CO coverage facilitates the production of C 2 H 4 and CO. As a result, the Cu 8 ZnMn catalyst presented a high CO 2 -to-CH 4 partial current density (-418 ± 22 mA cm -2 ) with a Faradaic efficiency of 55 ± 2.8%, while the Cu 8 Zn 6 Mn catalyst exhibited a CO 2 -to-C 2 H 4 partial current density (-440 ± 41 mA cm -2 ) with a Faradaic efficiency of 58 ± 4.5%. The study suggests a useful strategy for rational design and fabrication of Cu electrocatalysts with different doping for tailoring the reduction products., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The Ni-W-P alloy coatings have been widely used in the fields of electronic, aviation and anticorrosion, owing to their high hardness, good wear resistance and strong corrosion resistance. Herein, we study the effects of complexants on the chemical composition, morphology and plating rate of the Ni-W-P ternary alloy coatings by developing a near-neutral plating solution with disodium edetate, sodium citrate and lactic acid as complex complexants. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) indicate that a flat and dense coating with the W content up to 11.75 wt.% is acquired by adjusting the composition of plating solution. Meanwhile, the plating rate of Ni-W-P coating can reach up to 22.4 µm/h. Furthermore, the characterization results indicate that the Ni-W-P ternary alloy coating possesses higher hardness, better wear and corrosion resistance compared to Ni-P coating. These findings may exploit a broader field for searching better complexants in electroless coating and for understanding the related mechanisms to provide guidance for the design of ternary alloy coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticorrosive deposits are a valuable approach to defending against corrosion from mild steel structures/machinery equipment. The Zn–Ni–Co coating has been deposited on low carbon steel surfaces using environment friendly optimized acidic chloride bath with ZnCl2·6H2O, NiCl2·6H2O, CoCl2·6H2O, sulphanilic acid (C6H7NO3S) and gelatin (C6H8O6). The standard Hull cell technique has been adopted for the optimization of bath components and experimental conditions, for the superior corrosion resistant coating. The corrosion test with potentiodynamic polarization method was performed to investigate the role of pH on the film quality and corrosion performances of the films. Further, the effect of current densities on corrosion resistance, thickness and hardness, have been investigated. Cyclic voltammetry technique has been used to test the electrochemical properties of the Zn–Ni–Co coating in acidic solutions. The results revealed that the increase in the current density favoured the increase in Ni and Co content in the deposit, showed higher corrosion resistance and higher cathodic current efficiency. The structural and morphological characteristics of the alloy coating have been obtained through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The atomic force microscope was used to examine the topographic structure of the coating. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition of alloy coatings and verified by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The results indicate that a new and low-cost chloride bath for Zn–Ni–Co coating exhibit superior corrosion resistance properties and can be implement in various industrial applications such as automobiles, machine tools etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymptotic method has been used to investigate the columnar crystals growth subjected to far-field flow in ternary undercooled melt under non-isothermal conditions, and approximate analytical expression of radius and interface growth rate of columnar crystals growth have been given. It is found that the flow causes columnar crystal to grow faster in the upstream direction and slower in the downstream direction, and the growth of columnar crystals in flowing ternary melt is also affected by impurity content, that is, the higher the impurity content, the faster the columnar crystal grows in the upstream direction and the slower the growth in the downstream direction. The growth problem of columnar crystals from multi-component melt under flow is more complicated than that of a pure melt because it involves both the heat transport process and mass transport in the solute. The results show that the deflection angle of columnar crystals is a result of interaction of flow and impurity content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt‐based alloy nanocrystals have shown great success in oxygen reduction electrocatalysis owing to their unique surface and electronic structures. However, they suffer from severe stability issues due to the dissolution of non‐noble metal elements, leading to the "trade‐off" between activity and stability. In this work, targeting the stability issue of a PtxCuy‐based alloy, Pt2CuW0.25 ternary alloy nanoparticles are synthesized by thermal reduction strategy based on wet‐chemical method using W(CO)6 as a reductant. Apart from the competitive activity, the obtained Pt2CuW0.25/C shows remarkable stability, whereby the area specific activity and mass activity maintain 89.5% and 95.9% of the initial values, respectively, after 30 000 cycles of accelerated polarization between 0.6 and 1.1 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode). By using vacancy formation energy of surface Pt as the descriptor, it is found that the enhanced stability of Pt2CuW0.25/C originates mainly from the stronger bonding between W and Pt/Cu atoms, acting as an "adhesive" to stabilize the atoms from dissolution, which is further verified by chemical stability experiments. This work demonstrates a rational design strategy for ternary alloy nano‐electrocatalyst that has high thermodynamic stability while maintaining high activity by employing high‐melting‐point metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is impeded by the lack of active and durable cathode catalysts in acidic environments. Binary or ternary platinum-based alloys have been recognized as one of promising candidates to decrease the utilization of platinum amounts, while the activity and stability of the ternary catalysts require further improvements. Herein, we report a novel approach to prepare PtCoNi@NG composite structured catalysts anchored by graphene N/O functional groups via in-situ growing multi-metal-organic-framework (multi-MOF). The introduction of Ni motivates strong interaction among the Pt-Co-Ni alloy and the N/O functional groups on the graphene carrier, conferring high catalyst activity and excellent stability towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media. The optimal PtCo30Ni10 @NG catalyst shows superior performance in an acidic medium, exhibiting a half-wave potential up to 0.9322 V and high mass activity of 1.3567 A mg Pt −1 (9.87 times higher than commercial Pt/C catalyst). A high peak power density of 0.866 W cm−2 at H 2 /Air (150 kPa abs) and 2.031 W cm−2 at H 2 /O 2 (250 kPa abs) condition is achieved in a PEMFC with PtCo30Ni10 @NG as the cathode catalyst (0.1 mg Pt cm−2). Hence, this work provides critical sights into constructing efficient catalysts by ternary platinum-based alloys strategy and anchoring effect by graphene N/O groups. [Display omitted] • Pt-Co-Ni alloy derived from MOF is firmly anchored on functionalized graphene. • The optimal catalyst demonstrates outstanding activity and stability toward ORR. • The PtCoNi@NG exhibits a mass activity nearly 10 times higher than that of Pt/C. • Mass activity retention over 80% in acidic media after 10,000 durability cycles. • A high peak power density of 0.866 W cm−2 is realized in the H 2 -Air fuel cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their potential promise, multicomponent materials have not been actively considered as catalyst materials to date, mainly due to the massive compositional space. Here, targeting ternary electrocatalysts for fuel cells, we present a machine learning (ML)-driven catalyst screening protocol with the criteria of structural stability, catalytic performance, and cost-effectiveness. This process filters out only 10 and 37 candidates out of over three thousand test materials in the alloy core@shell (X 3 Y@Z) for each cathode and anode of fuel cells. These candidates are potentially synthesizable, lower-cost and higher-performance than conventional Pt. A thin film of Cu 3 Au@Pt, one of the final candidates for oxygen reduction reactions, was experimentally fabricated, which indeed outperformed a Pt film as confirmed by the approximately 2-fold increase in kinetic current density with the 2.7-fold reduction in the Pt usage. This demonstration supports that our ML-driven design strategy would be useful for exploring general multicomponent systems and catalysis problems. [Display omitted] • ML identifies efficient electrocatalysts in the vast ternary alloy space. • ML filters promising ternary candidates from 3180 for fuel cell electrodes. • Cu 3 Au@Pt: an experimentally validated ternary core-shell catalyst outperforming pure Pt at lower cost. • A catalyst design protocol for multicomponent systems for general catalysis problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd-based sensors are important gas sensing materials and possess a significant potential to improve many other engineering systems. Several Pd-based single and binary alloy systems have been reported in the past few decades. Some ternary additions of transition elements in the binary systems have been successfully added recently to further improve various aspects of sensitivity, response and mechanical stability of Pd-based sensors. Ternary alloys have shown promising mechanical stability and sensing behavior towards gas sensing behavior and are potential candidate materials for next-generation gas sensors. In addition, it is expected that a ternary alloy system possesses significant tolerance towards toxic H 2 S gases, especially for the chemical and food industries applications. However, it is inherited with a problem of surface segregation which must be improved further. Various research activities are in the emerging phase and need further improvement towards ternary alloy systems. In the present work, a comprehensive review of the various Pd-based ternary system is presented in terms of sensing behavior, segregation phenomena, microstructural features, mechanical stability, and the important factors to improve the sensing performance of these alloys. Various factors that control these sensing alloys are also summarized as a future reference guide in this field. • Pd-based sensors are important gas sensing and potential to improve other systems. • Ternary alloys have shown promising mechanical stability and sensing behavior. • Ternary alloys are potential candidate materials for next-generation gas sensors. • A comprehensive review of the various Pd-based ternary system. • In terms of sensing behavior, segregation phenomena, microstructural features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed thermodynamic parameters were extended to the liquid ternary alloy system, and a prediction model of the viscosity for liquid alloy was proposed. The viscosity of the ternary liquid lead-free solder alloy was calculated using the thermodynamic parameters and the prediction model for viscosity of ternary liquid alloy. The results show that the calculated viscosity of the ternary liquid lead-free solder alloy is consistent with the reported experimental values, and the prediction model has good rationality. At the same time, compared with the complex Seetharaman model, Moelwyn-Hughes model and Kaptay model, the prediction model for viscosity of ternary liquid alloy depends only on the element's basic physical parameter (density, melting temperature, absolute atomic mass, electro-negativity, electron density, molar volume, and Pauling radius). The entire calculation process is relatively simple. Additionally, the proposed prediction model of viscosity can be applied to system calculations having similar physical and thermodynamic properties as ternary liquid Tin-based lead-free alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, SmCo 3 B 2 ternary thin films of manifold thickness were fabricated via e-beam evaporation technique. All the as-deposited SmCo 3 B 2 thin films were subjected to electron beam rapid thermal annealing (ERTA). The X-ray diffraction studies showed amorphous nature for all the as deposited thin films and a highly crystalline hexagonal structure for all ERTA subjected thin films. The elemental composition, purity and surface morphology of the samples were analyzed using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and High-resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM). Furthermore, the study investigates the magnetocaloric properties of SmCo 3 B 2 thin films, with significant changes depending on the thickness and annealing time. The thin films exhibited a magnetic phase transition around the Curie temperature (T c) within the range of 40–46 K, attributed to the indirect exchange coupling of Sm–Sm sublattice interactions. Moreover, a significant shift in T c towards higher temperatures with respect to thickness and annealing were observed in both as deposited and ERTA subjected thin films. The Arrot plots in the positive quadrant suggested the second order magnetic phase transition (SOPT) for all the films. The maximum magnetic entropy change (− Δ S m) of 1.172 Jkg−1K−1 accompanied by a relative cooling power of 5.33 Jkg-1 was achieved for 240 nm ERTA subjected thin film under a change in magnetic field of 5T. The study reveals the effect of ERTA and thickness dependent magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of SmCo 3 B 2 thin films. • Crystalline SmCo 3 B 2 thin films were fabricated by e-beam evaporation followed by rapid thermal annealing (ERTA). • Magnetocaloric properties of SmCo 3 B 2 thin films can be tuned by varying the thickness and annealing of the films. • SmCo 3 B 2 thin films exhibited second order magnetic phase transition (SOPT). • ERTA subjected thin film with 240 nm thickness showed maximum efficiency ( Δ S M max = 1.172 Jkg−1K−1and RCP = 5.33 Jkg-1) for a change in magnetic field of 5T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite oxides are promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), while the rational modification on their surface may further improve the performance. Herein, through facile in situ exsolution, CoFeNi ternary alloy nanoparticles exsolved on Sr 0.9 Co 0.5 Fe 0.35 Ni 0.15 O 3-δ (SCFN) parent with embedded and well-anchored structure is proposed as an excellent electrocatalyst for OER. The strong metal-perovskite interaction caused by the exsolution generates the unique synergistic coupling effect, activating the surface oxygen to achieve oxygen species (O 2 2-/O-) and inducing abundant oxygen vacancies and multiple active sites. The electrocatalyst SCFN350, which was reduced in 10 % H 2 /Ar at 350 ℃ for 1 h, exhibits remarkable OER performance with an overpotential of 282 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte and good durability for 10 h in practical operation. The low Tafel slope (36.53 mV dec−1) and small charge transfer resistance (8.50 Ω) indicate its good charge transfer kinetics and electrical conductivity during OER. Our work not only reveals that a nanostructured ternary alloy phase can be exsolved from the perovskite matrix but also confirms that in situ exsolution is an effective strategy for designing OER catalysts. [Display omitted] • CoFeNi particles are exsolved on Sr 0.9 Co 0.5 Fe 0.35 Ni 0.15 O 3-δ by in-situ exsolution. • A unique synergistic effect is formed between perovskite and alloy nanoparticles. • Strong interactions cause increased oxygen vacancies and active sites. • SCFN350 shows excellent catalytic OER performance (282 mV @ 10 mA cm-2) and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Data of glass-forming ability (GFA) for 840 ternary alloys were collected. • Five machine learning models were built to predict GFA of ternary alloys. • Support vector regression model exhibits a good prediction performance. In this paper, six machine learning (ML) models including k -nearest neighbour, adaptive boosting, gradient boosting regression tree, extreme gradient boosting tree, support vector regression (SVR) and random forest were built in the frame of ternary alloys to predict the critical size of glass formation (D max) based on 840 alloy data. Composition, atomic size difference, enthalpy of mixing, electronegativity difference, and valence electron concentration were selected as input features. The features were selected by Pearson correlation analysis and target value of D max was transformed into the logarithmic form. The determination coefficient and root mean square error were used to evaluate the prediction performance of models. The result showed that the SVR model has a good generalization ability. Additionally, the prediction ability of SVR was verified in Zr−Al−Co and La−Al−Co alloy systems. It is thus suggested that ML has great potential in predicting and pinpointing the amorphous composition with good glass-forming ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective atomic number (Zeff) of SixPb0.7-x(Fe2O3)0.3 ternary alloys was obtained for photons. Rayleigh to Compton scattering ratio (R/C) has been determined to obtain the Zeff of SixPb0.7-x(Fe2O3)0.3 ternary alloys of varying Si and Pb (10 %-60 %) content for scattering of 59.54 keV g-rays at an angle of 130°. The theoretical R/C ratios of elements were plotted as a function of the atomic number and fitted to a polynomial equation. Experimental R/C values of alloys were then used to obtain Zeff using this fit equation. Also, Zeff values of these alloys were determined for the first time by interpolating the R/C of the material using the R/C data of adjacent elements in between the R/C of the alloy lies. The agreement between the interpolation method and the fit equation was quite satisfactory. The obtained Zeff for photon scattering were then compared to the Zeff for total photon attenuation obtained using the Auto-Zeff program. Significant variations were observed between the Zeff for scattering and the total attenuation of gamma rays.

Binary alloy of metals is an effective catalyst for hydrogen evolution using water electrolysis. The development of non-noble and low-cost material is very promising used as catalysis. Here, this work focuses on the electrodeposition of Ni-Fe-Zn as electrocatalyst for alkaline water electrolysis. Ni-Zn-Fe was deposited using co-deposition method at various potentials and plating times. The produced electrocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to characterize the electrochemical behaviour of the alloy in 1.0 M KOH. The metaphase of Ni-Zn-Fe alloys showed in XRD spectra which present the electrodeposits of metal alloys. The SEM spectra captured the agglomerates particle with rougher morphology and larger surface area which highly desirable for solid catalysts. Electrodeposition of the alloy showed that for every increase in voltage corresponds to an increase of 0.12 607 on the mass deposit. CV scan showed the hydrogen oxidation process. The forward and backward passes follow the same trace which indicates that no other reaction is taking place during the first CV scan. These results indicate the excellent catalytic activity of Ni-Zn-Fe electrocatalyst for bright prospect of hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis.