Ordered graphane nanoribbons synthesized via high-pressure diels-alder polymerization of 2,2'-bipyrazine

Li, F.*; Tang, X.*; Fei, Y.*; Zhang, J.*; Liu, J.*; Lang, P.*; Che, G.*; Zhao, Z.*; Zheng, Y.*; Fang, Y.*; et al.

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 147(17), p.14054 - 14059, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c03116

We synthesized a crystalline graphane nanoribbon (GANR) via pressure-induced polymerization of 2,2'-bipyrazine (BPZ). By performing Rietveld refinement of in situ neutron diffraction data, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectra, and theoretical calculation, we found that BPZ experienced Diels-Alder polymerization between the stacked aromatic rings, and formed extended boat-GANR structures with exceptional long-range order. The unreacted -C=N- groups bridge the two ends of the boat, and ready for further functionalization. The GANR has a bandgap of 2.25 eV, with booming photoelectric response (/ =18.8). Our work highlights that the high-pressure topochemical polymerization is a promising method for the precise synthesis of graphane with specific structure and desired properties.

The Influence of structural dynamics in two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites on their photoluminescence efficiency; Neutron scattering analysis

Rajeev, H. S.*; Hu, X.*; Chen, W.-L.*; Zhang, D.*; Chen, T.*; Kofu, Maiko*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Chen, A. Z.*; Johnson, G. C.*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 94(3), p.034602_1 - 034602_14, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.94.034602

Concurrent neutron imaging and diffraction analysis revealing spatial lithiation phase evolution in an ultra-thick graphite electrode

Strobl, M.*; Baur, M. E.*; Samothrakitis, S.*; Molamud, F.*; Zhang, X.*; Tung, P. K. M.*; Schmidt, S.*; Woracek, R.*; Lee, J.*; Kiyanagi, Ryoji; et al.

Advanced Energy Materials, p.2405238_1 - 2405238_9, 2025/01

https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202405238

Solid-state Alder-ene reaction of 1-hexene under high pressure

Xu, J.*; Lang, P.*; Liang, S.*; Zhang, J.*; Fei, Y.*; Wang, Y.*; Gao, D.*; Hattori, Takanori; Abe, Jun*; Dong, X.*; et al.

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (Internet), p.2445 - 2451, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c03696

The Alder-ene reaction is a chemical reaction between an alkene with an allylic hydrogen, and it provides an efficient method to construct the C-C bond. Traditionally, this reaction requires catalysts, high temperatures, or photocatalysis. In this study, we reported a high-pressure-induced solid-state Alder-ene reaction of 1-hexene at room temperature without a catalyst. 1-Hexene crystallizes at 4.3 GPa and polymerizes at 18 GPa, forming olefins. By exploring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we discovered that 1-hexene generates dimeric products through the Alder-ene reaction under high pressures. The in situ neutron diffraction shows that the reaction process did not obey the topochemical rule. A six-membered ring transition state including one C-H bond and two alkene bonds was evidenced by the theoretical calculation, whose energy obviously decreased when compressed to 20 GPa. Our work offers a novel and promising method to realize the Alder-ene reaction at room temperature without a catalyst, expanding the application of this important reaction.

Anomalous dislocation response to deformation strain in CrFeCoNiPd high-entropy alloys with nanoscale chemical fluctuations

Ying, H.*; Yang, X.*; He, H.*; Yan, A.*; An, K.*; Ke, Y.*; Wu, Z.*; Tang, S.*; Zhang, Z.*; Dong, H.*; et al.

Scripta Materialia, 250, p.116181_1 - 116181_7, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2024.116181

Dual nanoprecipitation and nanoscale chemical heterogeneity in a secondary hardening steel for ultrahigh strength and large uniform elongation

Wang, S.*; Wang, J.*; Zhang, S.*; Wei, D.*; Chen, Y.*; Rong, X.*; Gong, W.; Harjo, S.; Liu, X.*; Jiao, Z.*; et al.

Journal of Materials Science & Technology, 185, p.245 - 258, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2023.10.048

Development of an Fe complex exhibiting intermolecular proton shifting coupled spin transition

Ji, T.*; Su, S.*; Wu, S.*; Hori, Yuta*; Shigeta, Yasuteru*; Huang, Y.*; Zheng, W.*; Xu, W.*; Zhang, X.*; Kiyanagi, Ryoji; et al.

Angewandte Chemie; International Edition, 63(25), p.e202404843_1 - e202404843_6, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202404843

Phase transformation and equation of state in Ti-45Al alloy under high pressure

Li, X.*; Zhu, R.*; Xin, J.*; Luo, M.*; Shang, S.-L.*; Liu, Z.-K.*; Yin, C.*; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Dippenaar, R. J.*; Higo, Yuji*; et al.

CALPHAD; Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry, 84, p.102641_1 - 102641_6, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.calphad.2023.102641

The BCC FCC hierarchical martensite transformation under dynamic impact in FeMnAlNiTi alloy

Li, C.*; Fang, W.*; Yu, H. Y.*; Peng, T.*; Yao, Z. T.*; Liu, W. G.*; Zhang, X.*; Xu, P. G.; Yin, F.*

Materials Science & Engineering A, 892, p.146096_1 - 146096_11, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2024.146096

Colossal barocaloric plastic crystals

Lloveras, P.*; Zhang, Z.*; Zeng, M.*; Barrio, M.*; Kawakita, Yukinobu; Yu, D.*; Lin, S.*; Li, K.*; Moya, X.*; Tamarit, J.-L.*; et al.

Barocaloric Effects in the Solid State; Materials and methods, p.7_1 - 7_30, 2023/10

https://iopscience.iop.org/book/edit/978-0-7503-4690-0.pdf

As Chapter 1 of the ebook entitled as "Barocaloric Effects in the Solid State", various plastic crystals (PC) showing colossal barocaloric (BC) effect are introduced. A method to determine the BC response in PCs, thermodynamic origin of BC effects, spectroscopic insights from quasi-elastic neutron scattering and application of PCs are explained.