Qiang Siyu, Wu Fan, Liu Hualei, Zeng Sijuan, Liu Shuyu, Dai Jin, Zhang Xiaohua, Yu Jianyong, Liu Yi-Tao, Ding Bin
State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Apr 5;16(1):3265. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-58240-4.
The developing cutting-edge technologies involving extreme mechanical environments, such as high-frequency vibrations, mechanical shocks, or repeated twisting, require ceramic components to integrate high strength, large bending strain, and even plastic deformation, which is difficult in conventional ceramic materials. The emergence of ceramic nanofibers (CNFs) offers potential solutions; unfortunately, this desirable integration of mechanical properties in CNFs remains unrealized to date, due to challenges in precisely modulating microstructures, reducing cross-scale defects, and overcoming inherent contradictions between mechanical attributes (particularly, high strength and large deformation are often mutually exclusive). Here, we report a nucleation regulation strategy for crystalline/amorphous dual-phase CNFs, achieving an extraordinary integration of high strength, superior flexibility, and room-temperature plasticity. This advancement stems from the optimized dual-phase structure featuring reduced nanocrystal aggregation, increased internal interfaces, and the elimination of fiber defects, thus fully activating the synergistic advantages and multiple deformation mechanisms of dual-phase configurations. Using TiO, which is typically characterized by brittleness and low strength, as the proof-of-concept model, in-situ single-nanofiber mechanical tests demonstrate excellent flexibility, strength (1.06 GPa), strain limit (8.44%), and room-temperature plastic deformation. These findings would provide valuable insights into the mechanical design of ceramic materials, paving the way for CNFs in extreme applications and their widespread industrialization.
涉及极端机械环境（如高频振动、机械冲击或反复扭转）的前沿技术不断发展，这要求陶瓷部件具备高强度、大弯曲应变甚至塑性变形能力，而传统陶瓷材料很难做到这一点。陶瓷纳米纤维（CNF）的出现提供了潜在的解决方案；不幸的是，由于在精确调控微观结构、减少跨尺度缺陷以及克服机械性能之间的固有矛盾（特别是高强度和大变形往往相互排斥）方面存在挑战，CNF中这种理想的机械性能集成至今仍未实现。在此，我们报道了一种用于结晶/非晶双相CNF的成核调控策略，实现了高强度、卓越柔韧性和室温可塑性的非凡集成。这一进展源于优化后的双相结构，其特点是纳米晶体聚集减少、内部界面增多且纤维缺陷消除，从而充分激活了双相结构的协同优势和多种变形机制。以通常表现出脆性和低强度的TiO作为概念验证模型，原位单纳米纤维力学测试表明其具有出色的柔韧性、强度（约1.06 GPa）、应变极限（约8.44%）和室温塑性变形。这些发现将为陶瓷材料的力学设计提供有价值的见解，为CNF在极端应用及其广泛工业化铺平道路。
