The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein is important for protein research but remains a great challenge. Here, the hydrothermal method and calcination in a hydrogen-argon mixed atmosphere were used to obtain ordered mono-crystalline magnetic Fe3O4 nanorings with controllable size and uniform structure, which were applied to the adsorption of BSA protein. The results showed that the magnetic Fe3O4 nanorings prepared have the advantages of good crystallinity, controllable morphology, and excellent magnetic response. The Fe3O4 nanorings had an outer diameter of ~160–180 nm, inner diameter of ~80–110 nm, and height of 70 to ~110 nm. The amount of BSA adsorbed by magnetic Fe3O4 nanorings increased with increasing protein concentration; when the concentration of BSA was ~2.75 mg·mL-1 the adsorption amount approached saturation. When the pH value of the solution was ~5, the Fe3O4 nanorings absorption of BSA was greatest. With increasing adsorption time, the amount adsorbed increased gradually. Adsorption equilibrium was reached after 3 h. According to the formula, the saturated adsorption capacity of BSA per gram of magnetic Fe3O4 nanorings was 325.2 mg.

Graphical Abstract

This article presents a brief review of our case studies of data-driven Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) for intelligently discovering advanced structural metal materials, including light-weight materials (Ti, Mg, and Al alloys), refractory high-entropy alloys, and superalloys. The basic bonding in terms of topology and electronic structures is recommended to be considered as the building blocks/units constructing the microstructures of advanced materials. It is highlighted that the bonding charge density could not only provide an atomic and electronic insight into the physical nature of chemical bond of materials but also reveal the fundamental strengthening/embrittlement mechanisms and the local phase transformations of planar defects, paving a path in accelerating the development of advanced metal materials via interfacial engineering. Perspectives on the knowledge-based modeling/simulations, machine-learning knowledge base, platform, and next-generation workforce for sustainable ecosystem of ICME are highlighted, thus to call for more duty on the developments of advanced structural metal materials and enhancement of research productivity and collaboration.

The evolution behavior of Ni2(Cr, Mo) phase with Pt2Mo-type structure in the Ni–Cr–Mo alloy with a low atomic Mo/Cr ratio subjected to a long-term thermal exposure of 100–340 h at 600 °C was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and microhardness. Results demonstrate that there is a linear relationship between major axis cube (L 3) of ordered domain and thermal exposure time (t) followed by a coarsening regime described by the Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner model, as well as between the aspect ratio (D) of ordered domain and thermal exposure time. The volume fraction of ordered domain increases with increasing thermal exposure time, whereas the hardening of samples decreases due to growth-coarsening of ordered domain. Prolonged thermal exposure time led to the coarsening of ordered domain by rate of (3.39 ± 0.02) × 10−30 m3/s without changing their crystallography and ordering characteristics during thermal exposure. Plastic deformation before thermal exposure do not lead to decomposition of initial Ni2(Cr, Mo) phase, but both plastic deformation and thermal exposure affect their morphology and distribution.

Using facing target sputtering, crystalline magnetoplumbite-type barium ferrite (BaFe12O19 or BaM) thin films have been prepared in situ at a substrate temperature of 640 °C without postdeposition annealing. Using our facing target sputtering system, BaM thin films grow randomly if they are directly deposited onto Si or thermally oxidized Si substrates. However, deposited onto a sputtered ZnO layer (∼230 Å) on Si substrates, BaM thin films show excellent c-axis out-of-plane texture with a 0.2°c-axis dispersion angle, as indicated by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) reveals that the textured films epitaxially grow on a transition layer, which is formed between BaM and ZnO. No direct epitaxial relation between BaM and ZnO was observed. This transition layer is identified by TEM and XRD as ZnFe2O4, which, from a structure point of view, reduces the lattice mismatch between BaM and ZnO, and also enhances the c-axis out-of-plane epitaxial growth. ZnFe2O4 is a reaction product of BaM and ZnO, as indicated by both TEM and XRD. After ex situ annealing the film in air at 800 °C, the ZnFe2O4 layer becomes thicker at the expense of BaM and ZnO. The lattice parameters of both BaM and ZnO decreased as annealing time increased.

The stability of BaFe12O19 and BaFe2O4 was studied by the oxygen coulometric titration technique between 700 °C and 1000 °C using a solid-state electrochemical cell. This temperature range is technologically important for the deposition of BaFe2O19 magnetic thin films. The thermodynamic information obtained from the titration measurements was corroborated with structural identification of phases prepared under electrochemically controlled conditions. Accordingly, a section of the Ba–Fe–O ternary phase diagram around the BaFe12O19 composition was constructed in this temperature range. The standard Gibbs free energy change for the decomposition of BaFe12O19 into BaFe2O4, Fe3O4, and O2 is given by the expression ΔG°[J/mol] = 7.23 × 105 −480T. In the oxygen pressure-temperature domain, the thermodynamic stability limits of BaFe12O19 and BaFe2O4 are given by the expressions In[Po2(atm)] = 69.37 −1.04 × 105 T−1 and In[Po2(atm)] = 27.68 −7.12 × 104 T−1, respectively. The stability limits determined here help define the process conditions for the successful synthesis of these phases.

Using facing target sputtering, randomly oriented crystalline barium ferrite(BaFe12O19, BaM) has been deposited onto a Ultra Densified Amorphous Carbon® (UDAC) substrate, producing high quality films in-situ at a substrate temperature of 6400°C without any post-deposition annealing. Cross section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that the films have columnar structure. A ˜100Å thick interdiffusion layer between BaM and silicon nitride underlayer was observed. Films grown at low oxygen partial pressure have lower saturation magnetization (Ms), that may be caused by the formation of some amorphous phase at the grain boundaries as noticed by plan-view TEM. The existence of the Fe2O3 phase in the BaM was also revealed by electron diffraction.

Using facing target sputtering, crystalline magnetoplumbite-type barium ferrite (BaFe12O19 or BaM) thin films have been prepared in-situ at a substrate temperature of 640°C without postdeposition annealing. BaM thin films grow randomly if they are directly deposited onto Si or thermally oxidized Si substrates. However, deposited onto a sputtered ZnO layer (∼230Å) on Si substrates, BaM thin films show excellent c-axis out-of-plane texture with a 0.2° c-axis dispersion angle, as indicated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Cross section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that the textured films epitaxially grow on a transition layer, which is formed between BaM and ZnO. No direct epitaxial relation between BaM and ZnO was observed. This transition layer is identified by TEM and XRD as ZnFe2O4, which, from a structure point of view, reduces the lattice mismatch between BaM and ZnO, and also enhances the c-axis out-of-plane epitaxial growth.