Phenolic resin pyrolytic carbons were obtained by catalytic pyrolysis of phenolic resin at 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C for 3 h in an argon atmosphere using copper nitrate as a catalyst precursor. The effects of copper salts on the pyrolysis process of phenolic resin as well as the structural evolution and oxidation resistance of phenolic resin pyrolytic carbons were studied. The results showed that copper oxide (CuO) generated from the thermal decomposition of copper nitrate was reduced to copper (Cu) by the gas generated from the thermal decomposition of the phenolic resin. Carbon nanofibers with tapered structures were synthesized by Cu catalysis of pyrolysis gas at 500–800 °C. The catalytic pyrolysis of phenolic resin with Cu increased the graphitization degree and reduced the pore volume of the phenolic resin pyrolytic carbons. The combined action improved the oxidation resistance of phenolic resin pyrolytic carbons.

Lead-free Mn²⁺-based metal halide materials are now being considered as clean candidates for backlight displays and lights due to the d–d transition, diverse components, and environmental friendliness. Therefore, efficient and stable Mn²⁺-based metal halide phosphors are in great demand for practical applications. In this work, adopting the mixed-ligand strategy, a series of [(CH₃)₄N]_2−x[(C₂H₅)₄N]_xMnCl₄ phosphors were synthesized by mechanochemical process. With the increase molar ratio of (CH₃)₄N/(C₂H₅)₄N, the phase of phosphors is transformed from orthorhombic to tetragonal. Compared to [(CH₃)₄N]₂MnCl₄ and [(C₂H₅)₄N]₂MnCl₄ phosphors, the mixed-ligand strategy significantly boosts the green emission intensity of Mn²⁺-based metal halide phosphors. The obtained [(CH₃)₄N][(C₂H₅)₄N]MnCl₄ phosphors exhibit a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 83.78% under 450 nm excitation, which is attributed to the modulation of the adjacent [MnCl₄]₂- distance by using the different chain length of organic cations, effectively suppressing non-radiative recombination. Additionally, the [(CH₃)₄N][(C₂H₅)₄N]MnCl₄ phosphors exhibit a green emission at 516 nm, narrow full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 45.53 nm, and good thermal stability. The constructed white light-emitting diode (WLED) device exhibits a wide color gamut of 108.3% National Television System Committee, demonstrating the suitability of the [(CH₃)₄N][(C₂H₅)₄N]MnCl₄ phosphors as a green emitter for WLED displays and lightings. This work provides a new way to modulate the PL performance of manganese-based metal halides for application in the optoelectronic field.

A novel method is introduced in this study for producing ceramisite coarse aggregates that are both lightweight and possess high strength. The process involves utilizing fly ash as the primary material, along with coal ash floating beads (CAFBs) that have high softening temperature and a spherical hollow structure serving as the template for forming pores. This study examined the impact of varying particle size and quantity of floating beads on the composition and characteristics of ceramisite aggregates. Results showed that the high softening temperature of floating beads provided stability to the spherical cavity structure throughout the sintering process. Furthermore, the pore structure could be effectively tailored by manipulating the size and quantity of the floating beads in the manufacturing procedure. The obtained ceramisite aggregates feature a compact outer shell and a cellular inner core with uniformly distributed pores that are isolated from each other and mostly spherical in form. They achieve a low density ranging from 723 to 855 kg/m³, a high cylinder compressive strength between 8.7 and 13.5 MPa, and minimal water absorption rates of 3.00 to 4.09%. The performance metrics of these coarse aggregates significantly exceeded the parameters specified in GB/T 17431.1-2010 standards.

Phenolic resin pyrolytic carbon is a key matrix phase in carbon-based refractories and carbon/carbon composites; however, its defect-rich glassy carbon structure exhibits poor oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures. In this work, we report a facile one-step thermal-treatment strategy using melamine as a nitrogen source to prepare nitrogen-modified phenolic resin pyrolytic carbon (NC). The structural evolution and oxidation behavior of samples carbonized at 500–800 °C were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, BET, and TG-DSC. The results reveal that melamine-derived nitrogen exists in two distinct forms: at 500–700 °C, a carbon nitride-rich phase consistent with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) forms sheet- and belt-like structures on the carbon surface and partially fills the internal pores; at 800 °C, its long-range crystalline signature disappears, while pyridinic, pyrrolic, and graphitic nitrogen remain in the carbon framework. From 500 to 800 °C, the relative N 1s fraction of pyridinic N decreases from 72.33% to 44.38%, whereas graphitic N increases from 0.47% to 24.09%. Meanwhile, the pore structure evolves from a mesopore-dominated architecture with a limited accessible surface area at 500–600 °C to a micropore-rich structure at 700–800 °C. Relative to unmodified PR-800, NC-800 exhibits an approximately 30 °C higher onset oxidation temperature and an approximately 40 °C higher complete oxidation temperature, together with a lower maximum mass-loss rate and a delayed, broadened exothermic response. These results show that melamine-derived pore regulation and skeletal nitrogen doping jointly retard oxygen transport and suppress oxidation-active defect sites, providing a simple and potentially scalable route for improving the high-temperature oxidation resistance of phenolic resin pyrolytic carbon.

Phenolic resin is widely used as a binder in high-temperature industries; however, its pyrolysis generally yields isotropic glassy carbon, which strongly influences its high-temperature oxidation behavior. In this work, cupric tartrate was introduced as a catalyst precursor to investigate its effects on the thermal decomposition behavior, microstructural evolution, and oxidation behavior of the phenolic resin pyrolytic carbon. Upon heating, cupric tartrate decomposed at 250–320 °C into nanoscale Cu/Cu₂O composites, which were then converted into metallic Cu nanoparticles through reduction by gaseous products generated during the pyrolysis of phenolic resin. The in situ formed Cu nanoparticles were associated with the growth of tapered carbon nanofibers (CNFs), reaching maximum lengths of 30–50 μm at 700 °C. Based on the observed microstructural features and established literature reports, a dissolution–precipitation pathway is proposed to rationalize the formation of these CNFs. The presence of Cu-catalyzed CNFs correlates with enhanced structural ordering of the pyrolytic carbon, as reflected by reduced I_D/I_G ratios, and with an increased apparent oxidation activation energy in the selected fitting region (from 103.73 to 137.45 kJ/mol). Overall, this work demonstrates a facile strategy in which cupric tartrate serves as an effective catalyst precursor that generates Cu nanoparticles in situ; these nanoparticles then catalyze CNF growth from phenolic resin, enabling the construction of low-dimensional carbon nanostructures.

Blue-excitable lead-free metal halide microcrystals (MCs) with high efficiency and narrow emission are highly desired for next-generation wide-gamut displays. Herein, an ultrafast self-assembly strategy is developed to prepare hybrid manganese bromide MCs with tunable alkyl-chain lengths. With increasing alkyl-chain length, the emission intensity of the obtained MCs first improves significantly and then deteriorates, accompanied by a gradual narrowing of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) from 46.37 to 41.97 nm. The optimized [(C₂H₅)₄N]₂MnBr₄ MCs exhibit strong narrow-band green emission at 518 nm with a FWHM of 43.30 nm and a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 98.70% under 455 nm excitation. This superior emission performance is ascribed to cooperative weak interactions, an appropriate Mn-Mn distance, and highly localized electronic transitions within isolated [MnBr₄]²⁻ tetrahedra. Moreover, the [(C₂H₅)₄N]₂MnBr₄ MCs show moderate thermal stability, retaining 52.03% of their initial emission intensity at 413 K. By integrating [(C₂H₅)₄N]₂MnBr₄ with K₂SiF₆: Mn⁴⁺ red phosphors on a blue chip, a white light-emitting diode with a high luminous efficacy of 134.60 lm/W and a wide gamut of 112.6% NTSC is achieved, demonstrating the great promise of ultrafast-assembled hybrid manganese bromides for efficient and wide gamut display backlighting.