MetaStore reviews recent progress in metamaterials for energy storage, highlighting their potential to revolutionize electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical energy storage systems. This review covers design principles, material selection, and applications of metamaterials in supercapacitors, batteries, thermal energy harvesting, and mechanical energy storage. We discuss advantages, challenges, and future directions, providing a comprehensive overview for researchers and engineers.

A document by A S Bhattacharyya. Click on the document to view its contents.

A document by A S Bhattacharyya. Click on the document to view its contents.

Bismaleimide (BMI) is a high-performance thermosetting resin widely used in the aerospace, automotive, and mechanical and electronics industries due to its chemical and mechanical stability. It can act as a protective barrier against for steel and other metallic components which serve as magnets, aircraft components. Carbon Nanofibre (CNF) reinforced BMI has shown improved performance as advanced material which has been shown here with surface morphological changes along with the chemical protection imposed by BMI.

The positive drift at the end of nanoindentation P-h plot in case of hard titanium diboride (TiB2) films was ascribed to swelling taking place due to strain gradient plastic deformation with the sample contacting the indenter. The indentations performed at lower loads based on the positioning however suffered resistance towards any plastic deformation as per GTN theory. Although the formation of nanocrystallites inside larger grains were observed, indentation performed at grain boundaries or area having comparatively lower atomic density caused plastic deformation.

The mechanical properties of hard thin films need meticulous and precise inspection for their efficient applicability. SiCN hard coatings deposited on silicon substrates underwent Vickers indentation and fracture analysis was performed with the help of images of fractured regions under the microscope. The fractured regions were matched with geometrical patterns and the mechanism of the occurrence of delaminated and regions subject to brille failure was studied. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were carried out to study the elastic-plastic as well as ductile to brittle transition in the indentation process. The novel features in the fracture process identified will add to the knowledge in the field of fractographic studies of hard coatings. The findings shall be helpful in fracture analysis of components subject to loading used in heavy-duty equipment as well as MEMS.

Nanoindentation is used for the determination of mechanical properties of thin-coatings comprising a mixture of hard phases. The load-depth plots represent minor fracture (energy ~ pJ) taken place due to assorted crystallization on the surface. The tip movement during the fracture is influenced by strain hardening due to brittle to ductile transformation and the amount of tip-bluntness as evident from the fractorial normal stiffness.

Mixed transition metal oxides with adjustable composition and structures are widely used in electro chemical cell applications such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors their high theoretical capacity, high energy density, high cyclic durability, and environment friendliness compared to mono metal oxides. Different routes like sol gel, combustion, solvothermal, sonication, hydrothermal are used for their synthesis. This chapter gives an overview of some of the key MTMOs in different structural and forms like layer, core-shall, nanorods, nanosheets etc and in the forms of composites with materials like PANI, rGO, CNT, CNF etc

Stannic oxide , Sn (IV) O2 synthesized by the sol-gel method showed heterogeneous crystallinity involving traces of stannous oxide, Sn (II) O as well which were studied based on the nucleation sites and aggregation of crystallites. The height to width ratio (HWR) was found to be an effective means of analyzing the growth process which involved lateral atomic diffusion and reversible phase transitions. The crystallinity and aggregation to larger crystallites is beneficial for electron transfer layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells. The structure and morphology were determined by XRD and SEM-EDAX

The dielectric and optical properties of materials are important when creating biomedical prototypes utilising additive manufacturing or 3D printing. For high-frequency devices, characteristics such as dielectric constant, resistivity, and dielectric loss are used. Piezoelectric materials, such as polymer ceramic composites, have a significant impact on diagnostics and bone healing. 3D printed lenses and other metamaterial-based optical elements are employed in imaging and sensing applications incorporating polarisation and plasmonic characteristics.

Carbon-Nitride (CNx) coatings deposited by means of plasma vapour deposition led to the formation of g-C3N4 phase in a mainly amorphous matrix, Nanoindentation was performed on these coatings deposited on 304 SS (stainless steel) substrates. The positioning of the indentation i.e inside the grain formed and at the boundary showed prolific features pertaining to the understanding of extension of plastic volume and variations in interfacial fracture energies and the role played by ductile substrates in preventing damage to a component. The amorphous nature of the gain boundary is detrimental to the overall performance of the system as confirmed by the strain rate variations and has been suggested to get rid of by post deposition treatment

Sliding tests both in micro and nano level were done on hard coatings developed on silicon substrates and 304SS substrates using magnetron sputtering. Different types of failure morphologies manifested themselves and were found to be a function of substrate, indenter, loading nature apert from the coating. Linear profiles of the failed segments along with analysis of the scratch track were done which provided a qualitative depiction of adhesive, wear and abrasive properties of the coatings useful for their heavy duty and microelectronic applications