Carbon materials derived from natural biomaterials have received increasing attention because of their low cost, accessibility, and renewability. In this work, porous carbon (DPC) material prepared from D-fructose was used to make a DPC/Co₃O₄ composite microwave absorbing material. Their electromagnetic wave absorption properties were thoroughly investigated. The results show that the composition of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with DPC had enhanced microwave absorption (−60 dB to −63.7 dB), reduced the frequency of the maximum reflection loss (RL) (16.9 GHz to 9.2 GHz), and had high reflection loss over a wide range of coating thicknesses (2.78–4.84 mm, highest reflection loss <−30 dB). This work provided a way for further research on the development of biomass-derived carbon as a sustainable, lightweight, high-performance microwave absorber for practical applications.

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials have shown great application potential in the fields of three-dimensional displays, bioimaging, and information encryption and decryption. The chirality enhancement of CPL by a physical chiral environment, involving the delivery of structural asymmetry from helical architectures to luminescent molecules through electromagnetic field resonance, represents an innovative approach for constructing high-performance CPL materials. Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), possessing helical superstructures, show great potential in constructing CPL systems. By modulating the chirality transfer from the helical structural environment of LCPs to luminescent sources via distinct strategies, the CPL properties of LCP-based composites are readily generated and tailored. This review summarizes the newest construction strategies of LCP-based CPL materials and provides a perspective on their emerging applications and future opportunities. This review can deepen our understanding of the fundamentals of chirality transfer and shed light on the development of functional chiral luminescent materials.

The as-cast Al-4.6Mg alloy was subjected to deformation and sensitization–desensitization heat treatment, and then the microstructure and the enhancement mechanism of Sr were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The precipitation phases of Al-4.6Mg alloy were mainly β-Al₃Mg₂, Al₆Mn, and Al₆(Mn Cr), and the nanoscale precipitation phases were Al₃Mn and Al₁₁Mn₄. The formation of β-Al₃Mg₂ was hindered by the addition of 0.1 wt.% Sr. In addition, the precipitate phase Al₄Sr and the nano-sized precipitate phase τ-Al₃₈Mg₅₈Sr₄ were uniformly distributed in the spherical matrix. The addition of Sr promoted the redissolution of Mg atoms in Al-4.6Mg alloy, increasing the solubility of Mg in the α-Al matrix from 4.7 wt.% to 5.1 wt.%. The microstructure analysis showed that Sr addition inhibited the recovery and recrystallization of the alloy because the Sr element elevated the recrystallization temperature. As a result, the grain deformation was intensified, the grain size was decreased from 6.96 μm to 5.39 μm, the low-angle grain boundaries were increased from 78.7 at % to 84.6 at %, and the high-angle grain boundaries were increased from 21.3 at % to 15.4 at %. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the alloy were significantly improved, and the plasticity degraded after the addition of the Sr element. The yield strength of the alloy was enhanced mainly through fine grain strengthening, dispersion strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and working hardening. The strengthening mechanisms were analyzed in detail.

In salt lake KCl cold decomposition–direct flotation for K-Na separation, octadecylamine hydrochloride (ODA-H) acts as a collector, reducing product purity and limiting high-end applications of salt lake KCl. To study KCl purification mechanisms and optimize crystal properties, this study investigates ODA-H aqueous systems. By regulating the cooling rate, stirring rate, and ODA-H concentration, the crystallization purification of KCl and precise control of its morphology were achieved, ultimately yielding three typical crystal morphologies: cubic, spherical, and ellipsoidal. Of the three crystal morphologies, spherical crystals have the best flowability but lowest purity. Ellipsoidal crystals have better flowability than cubic ones: their purity exceeds that of cubic crystals before washing but falls below it after washing. Cubic crystals, with poorer flowability, reach the highest purity post-washing. This study provides a theoretical basis for enhancing purity via crystal morphology regulation and industrial-scale purification of salt lake KCl.