Numerous technological advancements in the 21st century depend on the creation of novel materials possessing enhanced properties; there is a growing reliance on materials that can be optimized to serve multiple functions. To efficiently save time and meet the requirements of diverse applications, high-throughput and combinatorial approaches are increasingly employed to explore and design superior materials. Among them, gradient thin-film deposition is one of the most mature and widely used technologies for high-throughput preparation of material libraries. This review summarizes recent progress in gradient thin-film deposition fabricated by magnetron sputtering, multi-arc ion plating, e-beam evaporation, additive manufacturing, and chemical bath deposition, providing readers with a fundamental understanding of this research field. First, high-throughput synthesis methods for gradient thin films are emphasized. Subsequently, we present the characteristics of combinatorial films, including microstructure, oxidation, corrosion tests, and mechanical properties. Next, the screening methods employed for evaluating these properties are discussed. Furthermore, we delve into the limitations of high-throughput preparation and characterization techniques for combinatorial films. Finally, we provide a summary and offer our perspectives.

Zinc ion batteries are expected to be the next generation of rechargeable aqueous metal ion batteries, but their application is limited by the severe dendrite growth caused by inhomogeneous plating during the plating/stripping process. Herein, we designed a zigzag Zn anode surface using a simple hydrochloric acid etching method to regulate the electric field distribution on the surface. Finite element simulations show that the zigzag Zn anode surface allows for a more uniform current distribution during cycling, and the symmetric cell can exhibit a small overpotential of 42.1 mV under 0.5 mA cm⁻²/0.5 mA h cm⁻² cycling conditions. Furthermore, the assembled zigzag Zn/V₂O₅ battery still delivers a high discharge capacity of 305 mA h g⁻¹ and shows 83.3% capacity retention after 3000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g⁻¹. The construction of special structured surfaces can offer a simple and effective method to regulate the electric field distribution on the surface of Zn anode, leading to a homogenized Zn plating process and suppressed hydrogen evolution reaction as well as inhibited dendrite growth, holding great promise for the application of metal anode based batteries.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) present a vast compositional design space, characterized by four core effects—high configurational entropy, sluggish diffusion, severe lattice distortion, and the cocktail effect—which collectively underpin their exceptional potential for both structural and hydrogen storage applications. This mini-review synthesizes recent advances in the compositional design of HEAs with emphasis on structural materials and hydrogen storage. Firstly, it provides an overview of the definition of HEAs and the roles of principal alloying elements, then synthesizes solid solution formation rules based on representative descriptors—atomic size mismatch, electronegativity difference, valence electron concentration, mixing enthalpy, and mixing entropy—together with their applicability limits and common failure scenarios. A brief introduction is provided to the preparation methods of arc melting and powder metallurgy, which have a strong interaction with the composition. The design–structure–property links are then consolidated for structural materials (mechanical properties) and for hydrogen storage materials (hydrogen storage performance). Furthermore, the rules for the combined design of control systems for HEAs and the associated challenges were further discussed, and the future development prospects of HEAs in structural materials and hydrogen storage were also envisioned.

Be-Al alloy is a type of in situ metal matrix composite composed of a primary Be phase for strength and stiffness and a continuous Al matrix for ductility and toughness. Be-Al alloy (AlBe-Cast^®910) has the characteristics of low density (2.17 g/cm³), high elastic modulus (193 GPa) and specific stiffness (88.94 GPa/(g/cm³)) as a preferred material for lightweight aerospace products. Investment casting technology can be employed to prepare the components with thin-walled complex structures for aerospace; however, the wide solidification range for Be-Al leads to difficulty in feeding a casting and results in extensive shrinkage and porosity in cast parts. In this paper, the characteristics of Be-Al alloy are introduced first. Secondly, the mechanisms of influence of adding elements on the casting process, mechanical properties (strength increases more than 20% by adding elements) and microstructure evolution are explained in detail. In addition, the heat treatment technology (strength increases at least 10% after heat treatment) and the repair of defects by electron beam welding are discussed. Finally, Be-Al alloy is a new type of composite material, and China is a major research and application country; this paper introduces its research status and analyzes existing problems and shortcomings and points out the direction of Be-Al alloy development in China in the next few years.

Here, we present a high ductility of the Be–Al alloy manufactured by investment casting. It was superior to most Be–Al based alloys reported so far, exhibiting high yield strength of 53∼58 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 111∼117 MPa, and high tensile strain of 14.1–18.8 %. The many < c + a> dislocations in the Be phase were primarily responsible for the exceptionally high mechanical characteristics . A high Schmid factor for pyramidal slip led to slip transfer between the Be grains and Al grains, which may contribute to relieving stress concentration and delaying early fracture. The profuse activated pyramidal < c + a> dislocations could render the unusual high tensile strain. The high strength was attributed to both the good interfacial strength and the constraint of hard Be phase, which makes the soft Al phase strong like the hard Be phase. It demonstrates the strong texture microstructure design of the Be phase had a synergistic improvement in the strength-ductility balance, suggesting that this could be a useful tactic for enhancing the mechanical characteristics of Be–Al alloys.