Current state and Prospects of Materials Science Research - Phdassistance

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Current State and Prospects of Materials

Science Research

Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, Phdassistance [email protected]

Keywords: Research, materials science, publications,

materials research, perovskite oxides, Biomaterials,

polymers, bioplastics, metals and alloys, Ceramic

I. INTRODUCTION.

Materials is a vast and critical area of expertise and

techniques that is an integral cornerstone of

contemporary technical societies, not a particular

discipline. In this way, materials parallel other broad

fields like energy, electronics, and medical science,

where each spans several disciplines and is marked by

scientific ferment and societal influence. If materials

science is conducted on a small, moderate, or large

scale, the people’s quality is directly related to the

researcher doing it.

This report uses analysis to gain insight into the present

state and future possibilities of materials research.

II. RECENT RESEARCH TRENDS OF

MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH

i) Nanomaterials

lot of interest and anticipation in recent years.

Nanostructures are also suitable for computer

simulation and modelling because their scale is small

enough to allow for a high level of rigour in treatment.

In nanomaterials computations, the spatial scaling

ranges from 1 to 1 mm, and the temporal scaling ranges

from 1 fs to 1 s, with the precision limit exceeding 1

kcal mol-1

. Two examples of recent successes and

paradigm changes in this area are STM images of

quantum dots (e.g., a germanium pyramid on a silicon

surface) and the quantum corral of 48 Fe atoms

arranged in a circle of 7.3 nm radius. [1]. However,

tunable Superhydrophobicity from 3D Hierarchically

NanoWrinkled MicroPyramidal Architectures was

recently reported by Weixin Zhang and collaborators.

With a touch angle of 172° and a sliding angle of 5° in

a steady “Lotus” state, excellent Superhydrophobicity is

achieved due to multiscale structures. Furthermore, the

wear resistance and stability measurements indicate that

the material will outperform in simulated extreme real-

world applications [2].

Nanomaterials science and technology have sparked a

Table 1. Various nanomaterial synthesis and investigation approaches

Scale (approx.) Synthetic techniques Structural tools Theory and simulation

0.1–10 nm Covalent synthesis Diffraction methods,

Vibrational spectroscopy,

NMR, Scanning probe

microscopies (SPM)

Electronic structure

<1–100 nm Self-assembly techniques Self-assembly techniques Molecular dynamics and

mechanics

100 nm–1 mm Processing, modifications SEM, TEM Coarse-grained models,

hopping etc.

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ii) Energy materials

Stabilising a consistent and renewable electricity supply

to satisfy the world’s rising energy demands is one of

the biggest problems of the twenty-first century. With

the introduction of renewable energies, there is a new

market for energy storage facilities. Perovskite oxides

are valuable functional materials with outstanding

physical and chemical properties used in ferroelectric,

piezoelectric, dielectric, energy conversion and storage,

and other applications. Oxygen evolution reaction,

oxygen reduction reaction, electrochemical water

splitting, metal-air batteries, solid-state batteries,

oxygen separation membrane, and solid oxide fuel cells

are some of the newer uses of perovskite oxides. While

various behaviour descriptors for perovskite oxides

have been published, such as the number of d electrons,

Eg occupancy, bulk-forming energy, metal-oxygen

covalency, and the location of the O–p band gravity

core, there is still a need for the world and feasible

reactivity descriptor.

Furthermore, high-throughput DFT calculations,

machine learning, and artificial intelligence help speed

up exploring new materials. Perovskite oxides’

drawbacks include low electronic conductivity at room

temperature and instability in acidic environments.

Adding a certain volume of metals or creating

composites with strong electronic conductors, such as

carbon nanotubes, graphene, or Mxenes, is one efficient

way to increase electronic conductivity. Nanostructured

materials with higher surface area and more open

reactive sites usually perform better than bulk materials

[3].

iii) Biomaterials

Biomaterials have a lot of potential for addressing

COVID-19’s problems. Even though tissue engineering

and regenerative medicine have long dominated the

field of biomaterials, new research shows promise in

offering transformative solutions to viral outbreaks [4].

Clinical perspectives are exchanged to identify current

healthcare needs better than biomaterials technologies

can address. The most popular screening patient

samples for current SARS-CoV-2 infection is nucleic

acid testing via reverse transcription-polymerase chain

reaction (RT-PCR). Nanostructures may be built to

replicate living cells in a different nanomaterials-

centred approach. Nanodecoys constructed from cell

membrane-derived materials are used to trap and

sequester viruses. Biomaterials provide several

possibilities for overcoming the shortcomings of current

clinical techniques (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Treatment of COVID-19 using biomaterials.

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Nanodecoys engineered to capture and sequester virus

may be inserted directly into the bloodstream (top left).

In contrast, drug-loaded nanoparticles can be

formulated as inhalants to administer medications to

lung tissue locally (top right). Extracorporeal blood

therapies may replenish O2 (bottom right), modulate

immune signalling by removing or

supplementingproinflammatory cytokines, or eliminate

virus particles directly from the bloodstream (bottom

left) [4]

iv) Polymers and plastics

Plasticisers have long been recognised for producing

lightweight plastics in various industries, including the

automobile industry, medical devices, and consumer

goods. Because of the constantly evolving spectrum of

bio-based and biodegradable polymers and rising

interest in investing in the bioplastics market, global

bioplastics output capacities are difficult to predict and

are typically based on prediction. Natural polymers

such as cellulose derivatives, thermoplastic starch

(TPS), and their blends have the largest processing

potential, as these components are increasingly

replacing plastics in the lightweight film packaging

industry. Bio monomers-derived glucose fermentation

or lignin fermentation have also been used to produce

commonly used commodity polymers, including

polyethene terephthalate, polyamide, and

polypropylene, including polyethene terephthalate,

polyamide, and polypropylene for the revival of Bio-

PET, Bio-PA, and Bio-PP, respectively. Using

unaccounted biomass as a valuable resource and

rationally engineering bioplastics to impart optimal

versatility and recyclability would provide a sustainable

bioplastics production value chain [5].

Figure 2. A diagram depicting the technical methods used in the production of industrial bioplastics

(shaded in blue: biodegradable polymers derived from oil-based resources).

v) Metals and alloys

Stainless steel, titanium and its alloys, cobalt alloys,

and other metals and alloys have all been used

clinically as implant components. Still, contamination

or inflammation caused by the implant is also one of the

leading causes of implantation failure. Antibacterial

metals and alloys have recently gained popularity due

to their long-term antibacterial stability, strong

mechanical properties, and biocompatibility.

Antibacterial stainless steel, antibacterial titanium alloy,

antibacterial zinc and alloy, antibacterial magnesium

and alloy, antibacterial cobalt alloy, and other

antibacterial metals and alloys were defined in detail, as

well as recent advances in the design and manufacture

of antibacterial metal alloys containing various

antibacterial agents. Figure 3 indicates the number of

publications included in Web of Science searches for

antibacterial or antimicrobial study.

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Figure. 3. Web of Science was used to search for antibacterial scientific publications. a) antibacterial or

antimicrobial in the topic, b) antibacterial metal, antibacterial steel, and antibacterial titanium in the topic

[6]

vi) Ceramics

Ceramic-based energy storage materials have

significant benefits over polymer energy storage

materials, such as outstanding thermal stability, long

life span, and cycle time. Dielectric capacitors, which

have the fastest charging/discharging rate and the

highest power density for existing energy storage

devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, and

electrolytic capacitors, are allowing electric energy

devices. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is a common

piezoelectric material that enables the synthesis of

many materials with a broad range of properties due to

the formulation of solid solutions over a wide range of

Zr: Ti ratios. Also, this system accommodates a wide

range of dopants for modification of crystal structure.

This method also supports a wide variety of dopants for

crystal structure alteration. Because of its versatility,

PZT has become very popular with users and

researchers all over the world. Some lead-free piezo

material structures have been investigated, including

BNT, BKT, KNN, and BZT-BCT. However, the

advancement of lead-free piezo devices and their

success with PZT devices is still in the early stages.

III. FUTURE SCOPE

i) It is critical to developing cost-effective, cheaper, and

safer nanomaterials that will provide efficient drug

loading and managed drug release of certain difficult

drug moieties for which no other viable delivery

method exists.

ii) Despite the tremendous success, developing

effective and controllable approaches to the scalable

synthesis of nanostructured perovskite oxides remains a

challenge. It is critical for commercialising effective

oxygen electrocatalysts for electrochemical energy

storage and conversion technologies. A

multidisciplinary methodology involving conventional

electrochemistry, experimental solid-state chemistry

and physics, advanced characterisation, and multiscale

computational modelling will be needed for future

advances in this exciting area.

iii) To the environmental risk of potential pandemics,

masks made of biodegradable materials or used for

several purposes must be designed.

iv) Cells and tissues are unaffected by antibacterial

stainless steel, antibacterial titanium alloys, and

antibacterial cobalt alloys. Surface biomodification to

increase or enhance cell response is also needed,

resulting in decreased antibacterial activity. As a result,

the choice of surface biomodification and its effect on

cell reaction and antibacterial activity should be

thoroughly investigated. Even though many

antibacterial pathways have been thoroughly explored

so far, the antibacterial process remains a mystery. As a

result, the production and preparation of antibacterial

metal alloys are also heavily reliant on element

alloying, including the appropriate Cu or Ag element.

REFERENCES

[1] Nanostructure Science and Technology, National

Science & Technology Council Report, ed. R. W.

Seigel, E. Hu and M. C. Roco, Kluwer Academic

Publishers, Boston, 1999; M. C. Roco, R. S. Williams

and A. P. Alivisatos, Nanotechnology Research

Directions, National Science & Technology Council

Report, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 2000.

[2] Zhang, W., Gao, J., Deng, Y., Peng, L., Yi, P., Lai,

X., Lin, Z., Tunable Superhydrophobicity from 3D

Hierarchically Nano‐Wrinkled Micro‐Pyramidal

https://www.phdassistance.com/services/phd-research-methodology/


Architectures. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2021,

2101068. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202101068

[3] Sun, C. W., Alonso, J. A., Bian, J. J., Recent

Advances in Perovskite‐Type Oxides for Energy

Conversion and Storage Applications. Adv. Energy

Mater. 2021, 11,

2000459. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202000459

[4] Chakhalian, D, Shultz, RB, Miles, CE, Kohn,

J. Opportunities for biomaterials to address the

challenges of COVID‐19. J Biomed Mater

Res. 2020; 108: 1974–

1990. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.37059

[5] Saranya Ramesh Kumar, P. Shaiju, Kevin E.

O’Connor, Ramesh Babu P, Bio-based and

biodegradable polymers - State-of-the-art, challenges

and emerging trends, Current Opinion in Green and

Sustainable Chemistry, Volume 21, 2020, Pages 75-81,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2019.12.005.

[6] Erlin Zhang, Xiaotong Zhao, Jiali Hu, Ruoxian

Wang, Shan Fu, Gaowu Qin, Antibacterial metals and

alloys for potential biomedical implants, Bioactive

Materials, Volume 6, Issue 8, 2021, Pages 2569-2612.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.01.030.

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202101068

https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202000459

https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.37059

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2019.12.005

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