This review examines the application of aramid fiber-reinforced plastics (AFRPs) in the aerospace industry, highlighting their significance in enhancing aircraft performance. Aramid fibers, such as Kevlar^® and Twaron^®, have emerged as key materials due to their exceptional tensile strength, low density, and thermal stability. However, challenges persist in manufacturing, durability, and multifunctionality. This paper evaluates the latest advancements in AFRP, focusing on how molecular structure, interfacial engineering, and manufacturing innovations influence performance. It addresses questions on improving adhesion, efficient manufacturing methods, enhancing durability under extreme conditions, and developing multifunctional AFRP. By analyzing breakthroughs from 2020 to 2025 and proposing targeted solutions, this review aims to help AFRP meet the demands of future aerospace systems.

The core–shell nanostructures have the advantages of combining distinctive properties of varied materials and improved properties over their single-component counterparts. Synthesis approaches for this class of nanostructures have been intensively explored, generally involving multiple steps. Here, a general and convenient strategy is developed for one-step in situ synthesis of various carbon-encapsulated nanocrystals with a core–shell structure via a solid-state reaction of metallocene complexes with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ in an autoclave at 200 °C. A variety of near-spherical and equiaxed nanocrystals with a small median size ranging from 6.5 to 50.6 nm are prepared as inner cores, including Fe₇S₈, Ni₃S₄ and NiS, CoS, TiO₂, TiO₂ and S₈, ZrO₂, (NH₄)₃V(SO₄)₃ and VO₂, Fe₇S₈ and Fe₃O₄, MoS₂ and MoO₂. The worm-like carbon shell provides exclusive room for hundreds of nanocrystals separated from each other, preventing nanocrystal aggregation. The synergistic effect of ammonium and a strong oxidizing anion on the electrophilic oxidation of metallocene complexes containing a metal–ligand π bond contributes to the carbon formation at low temperature. It is considered that the cyclopentadienyl ligand in a metallocene complex will decompose into highly reactive straight chain olefinic pieces and the metal–olefin π interaction enables an ordered self-assembly of olefinic pieces on nanocrystals to partially form graphitizable carbon and a core–shell structure. The high capacity, good cycling behavior and rate capability of Fe₇S₈@C and Ni₃S₄ and NiS@C electrodes are attributed to the good protection and electrical conductivity of the carbon shell.

A simple and highly efficient method is developed for the one-step in situ preparation of carbon-encapsulated MoO₂ nanocrystals (MoO₂@C) with core-shell structure for high-performance lithium-ion battery anode. The synthesis is depending on the solid-state reaction of cyclopentadienylmolybdenum tricarbonyl dimer with ammonium persulfate in an autoclave at 200 °C for 30 min. The large amount of heat generated during the explosive reaction cleaves the cyclopentadiene ligands into small carbon fragments, which form carbon shell after oxidative dehydrogenation coating on the MoO₂ nanocrystals, resulting in the formation of core-shell structure. The MoO₂ nanocrystals have an equiaxial morphology with an ultrafine diameter of 2–8 nm, and the median size is 4.9 nm. Hundreds of MoO₂ nanocrystals are encapsulated together by the worm-like carbon shell, which is amorphous and about 3–5 nm in thickness. The content of MoO₂ nanocrystals in the nanocomposite is about 69.3 wt.%. The MoO₂@C anode shows stable cyclability and retains a high reversible capacity of 443 mAh g⁻¹ after 50 cycles at a current density of 3 A g⁻¹, owing to the effective protection of carbon shell.