TY - JOUR A1 - Shimada, Y. A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Yoshida, K. A1 - Sato, M. A1 - Chen, J. A1 - Du, Y. A1 - Inoue, K. A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Nagai, Y. A1 - Konno, T. T1 - In situ thermal annealing transmission electron microscopy of irradiation induced Fe nanoparticle precipitation in Fe–Si alloy N2 - The typical experimental conditions inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM), such as ultra-high vacuum, high-energy electron irradiation, and surface effects of ultrathin TEM specimens, can be the origin of unexpected microstructural changes compared with that of bulk material during in situ thermal-annealing experiments. In this paper, we report on the microstructural changes of a Fe–15%Si alloy during in situ TEM annealing, where, in its bulk form, it exhibits an ordering transformation from D03 to B2 at 650 °C. Using a heating-pot type double tilt holder with a proportional–integral–differential control system, we observed the precipitation of α-Fe both at the sample surface and inside the sample. Surface precipitates formed via surface diffusion are markedly large, several tens of nm, whereas precipitates inside the specimen, which are surrounded by Fe-poor regions, reach a maximum size of 20 nm. This unexpected microstructural evolution could be attributed to vacancies on Si sites, which are induced due to high-energy electron irradiation before heating, as well as enhanced thermal diffusion of Fe atoms. KW - In situ thermal-annealing experiment KW - Microstructural changes of a Fe Si alloy KW - Microstructural evolution PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0070471 SN - 0021-8979 VL - 131 IS - 16 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-54728 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - The Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM) – 150 Years of Enabling Scientific and Technological Breakthrough N2 - BAM! This issue of Advanced Engineering Materials celebrates 150 years of scientific and technical research at the interface between academia, industry and politics. Rooted in 1871 at the birth of the German Empire and at that time located in simple basements and barracks, the institutional development began around mechanical metallurgy of iron and steel and represents today a diverse portfolio of fore-front research that orients itself along tomorrow's societal challenges and long-term research horizons. KW - 150 Years KW - Adolf Martens PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202200648 VL - 24 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 3 PB - Wiley-VCH GmbH AN - OPUS4-55388 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Das, A. A1 - Dufresne, E.M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Structural dynamics and rejuvenation during cryogenic cycling in a Zr-based metallic glass N2 - Subjecting metallic glasses repeatedly to liquid nitrogen temperature has become a popular method to homogeneously rejuvenate the material. Here we reveal the atomic-scale structural dynamics using in- situ x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) during and after cryogenic cycling of a Zr-based metallic glass in two structural states (plate and ribbon). Heterogeneous structural dynamics is observed at 300 K that changes to monotonic aging at 78 K. It is found that cryogenic cycling homogenizes the relaxation time distribution. This effect is much more pronounced in the ribbon, which is the only structural state that rejuvenates upon cycling. We furthermore reveal how fast atomic-scale dynamics is correlated with longtime structural relaxation times irrespective of the structural state, and that the ribbon exhibits unexpected additional fast atomic-scale relaxation in comparison to the plate material. A structural picture emerges that points towards heterogeneities in the fictive temperature as a requirement for cryogenic energy storage. KW - Structural dynamics KW - Metallic glass KW - Relaxation KW - Rejuvenation KW - Cryogenic cycling PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.06.063 SN - 1359-6454 VL - 196 SP - 723 EP - 732 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51311 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abboud, M. A1 - Motallebzadeh, A. A1 - Duygulu, O. A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Özerinc, S. T1 - Microstructure and nanomechanical behavior of sputtered CuNb thin films N2 - We report on the mechanical properties of Cu–Nb alloys produced by combinatorial magnetron sputtering. Depending on the composition, the microstructure is either fully amorphous (~30–65 at.% Cu), a dispersion of Cu crystallites in an amorphous matrix (~70 at.%), or a dominant crystalline phase with separated nanoscale amorphous zones (~80 at.% Cu). Nanomechanical probing of the different microstructures reveals that the hardness of the fully amorphous alloy is much higher than a rule of mixture would predict. We further demonstrate a remarkable tunability of the resistance to plastic flow, ranging from ca. 9 GPa in the amorphous regime to ca. 2 GPa in the fully crystalline regime. We rationalize these findings based on fundamental structural considerations, thereby highlighting the vast structure-property design space that this otherwise immiscible binary alloy provides. KW - Deposition microstructure KW - Metallic glasses KW - Thin films KW - Mechanical properties KW - Nanocrystalline structure PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intermet.2021.107249 SN - 0966-9795 VL - 136 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-52777 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rizzardi, Q. A1 - Derlet, P. M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Microstructural signatures of dislocation avalanches in a high-entropy alloy N2 - Here, we trace in situ the slip-line formation and morphological signature of dislocation avalanches in a highentropy alloy with the aim of revealing their microstructural degree of localization. Correlating the intermittent microplastic events with their corresponding slip-line patterns allows defining two main event types, one of which is linked to the formation of new slip lines, whereas the other one involves reactivation of already existing slip lines. The formation of new slip lines reveals statistically larger and faster avalanches. The opposite tendency is seen for avalanches involving reactivation of already existing slip lines. The combination of both these types of events represents the highest degree of spatial avalanche delocalization that spans the entire sample, forming a group of events that determine the truncation length scale of the truncated power-law scaling. These observations link the statistics of dislocation avalanches to a microstructural observable. KW - High-entropy alloy KW - Dislocation avalanches PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.043604 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 5 IS - 4 SP - 3604 PB - American Physical Society CY - College Park, MD AN - OPUS4-52458 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Honrao, S. J. A1 - Rizzardi, Q. A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Trinkle, D. R. A1 - Hennig, R. G. T1 - Split-vacancy defect complexes of oxygen in hcp and fcc cobalt N2 - One of the most ubiquitous and important defects in solids is oxygen. Knowledge about the solubility and diffusivity of oxygen in materials is crucial to understand a number of important technological processes, such as oxidation, corrosion, and heterogeneous catalysis. Density-functional theory calculations of the thermodynamics and kinetics of oxygen in cobalt show that oxygen diffusing into the two close-packed phases, namely α (hcp) and β (fcc), strongly interacts with vacancies.We observe the formation of oxygen split-vacancy centers (V-Oi-V) in both phases, and we show that this defect complex exhibits a similar migration energy barrier to the vacancy and oxygen interstitials. In contrast to the vacancy and oxygen interstitials, the oxygen split-vacancy centers exhibit an anisotropic strain field that couples to applied stress, making it possible to observe them through an internal friction experiment on quenched cobalt. KW - Split-vacancy defect complexes PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.4.103608 VL - 4 IS - 10 SP - 103608-1 EP - 103608-9 PB - American Physical Society AN - OPUS4-51582 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Mancias, J. A1 - Gan, B. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Evidence of room-temperature shear-deformation in a Cu-Al intermetallic N2 - Lamellar eutectics are known to evidence plastic shear in otherwise brittle intermetallics, if the lamella spacing is small enough. Here we pursue this idea of confined plasticity in intermetallics further and demonstrate room-temperature shear-deformation in a two-phase CuAl 2 -CuAl intermetallic nano- composite. The presence of a phase with a 3-fold symmetry is also revealed after deformation. Simula- tion of transmission electron microscopy images shows this to be monoclinic CuAl. These observations are made in the deformation zone underneath locations of nanoindents, of which the force-displacement curves exhibit an unusual response of continuously increasing pop-in sizes with load. KW - Nanoindentation KW - Intermetallic KW - Nano-composite KW - Shear bands KW - Plasticity PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2020.08.033 VL - 190 SP - 126 EP - 130 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-52455 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Derlet, P. M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Optimally rejuvenated model binary glasses N2 - Using the creation relaxation algorithm developed for the atomistic modeling of the high-dose irradiation limit of crystalline systems, we explore the limits of the structural rejuvenation of a highly excited model binary glass. This high-energy athermal amorphous structure exhibits a direct transition to homogeneous plastic flow and a microstructure that is largely insensitive to this flow, being characterized by a porous system-spanning network of minimally frustrated structural motifs. The observed homogeneous plasticity is mediated by the same string-like structural excitations, which mediate structural relaxation and microplasticity at finite temperature in more relaxed structures. This highly rejuvenated structural asymptote is not far from the structural state of regions, which have experienced athermal shear localization in more relaxed samples, suggesting an optimally rejuvenated glassy structure will always be limited by that produced by shear localization. KW - Metallic glasses KW - Creation-relaxation algorithm KW - Shear PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.125604 VL - 6 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - American Physical Society AN - OPUS4-56741 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kar, S. A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Lünser, K. A1 - Woodcock, Th. G. A1 - Nielsch, K. A1 - Reith, H. A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Fähler, S. T1 - Growth Twins and Premartensite Microstructure in Epitaxial Ni-Mn-Ga Films N2 - Magnetic shape memory alloys have been examined intensively due to their multifunctionality and multitude of physical phenomena. For both areas, epitaxial films are promising since the absence of grain boundaries is beneficial for applications in microsystems and they also allow to understand the influence of a reduced dimension on the physical effects. Despite many efforts on epitaxial films, two particular aspects remain open. First, it is not clear how to keep epitaxial growth up to high film thickness, which is required for most microsystems. Second, it is unknown how the microstructure of premartensite, a precursor state during the martensitic transformation, manifests in films and differs from that in bulk. Here, we focus on micrometer-thick austenitic Ni-Mn-Ga films and explain two distinct microstructural features by combining high-resolution electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. First, we identify pyramid-shaped defects, which originate from {1 1 1} growth twinning and cause the breakdown of epitaxial growth. We show that a sufficiently thick Cr buffer layer prevents this breakdown and allows epitaxial growth up to a thickness of at least 4 μm. Second, premartensite exhibits a hierarchical microstructure in epitaxial films. The reduced dimension of films results in variant selection and regions with distinct premartensite variants, unlike its microstructure in bulk. KW - Alloy KW - Epitaxial films KW - Hierarchical microstructure Premartensite KW - Twinning KW - Magnetic shape memory PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.118902 SN - 1359-6454 VL - 252 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-57301 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Das, A. A1 - Ott, C. A1 - Pechimuthu, Dinesh A1 - Moosavi, Robabeh A1 - Stoica, M. A1 - Derlet, P. M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Shear-band cavitation determines the shape of the stress-strain curve of metallic glasses N2 - Metallic glasses are known to have a remarkably robust yield strength, admitting Weibull moduli as high as for crystalline engineering alloys. However, their postyielding behavior is strongly varying, with large scatter in both flow stress levels and strains at failure. Using x-ray tomography, we reveal how a strain-dependent internal evolution of shear-band cavities underlies this unpredictable postyielding response.We demonstrate how macroscopic strain softening coincides with the first detection of internal shear-band cavitation. Cavity growth during plastic flow is found to follow a power law, which yields a fractal dimension and a roughness exponent in excellent agreement with self-similar surface properties obtained after fracture. These findings demonstrate how internal microcracking coexists with shear-band plasticity along the plastic part of a stress-strain curve, rationalizing the large variability of plastic flow behavior seen for metallic glasses. KW - Shear-band cavitation KW - Metallic glasses PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.7.023602 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 7 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - American Physical Society AN - OPUS4-57042 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Riechers, Birte A1 - Ott, C. A1 - Das, S. M. A1 - Liebscher, C. A1 - Samwer, K. A1 - Derlet, P. M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - On the elastic microstructure of bulk metallic glasses N2 - Metallic glasses (MGs) are known to be structurally heterogeneous at the nanometer (nm) scale. In addition, elastic property mapping has indicated the presence of at least an order-of-magnitude larger length scales, of which the origin continues to remain unknown. Here we demonstrate the existence of an elastic decorrelation length of the order of 100 nm in a Zr-based bulk MG using spatially resolved elastic property mapping via nanoindentation. Since compositional modulations sufficiently large to account for this elastic microstructure were not resolved by analytical scanning-transmission electron microscopy, chemical phase separation such as spinodal decomposition cannot explain their occurrence as previously suggested. Instead, we argue that the revealed long-range elastic modulations stem from structural variations affecting the local density. These emerge during solidification and are strongly influenced by the cooling constraints imposed on bulk MGs during the casting process. KW - Metallic glasses KW - Nanoindentation KW - Elastic microstructure PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-573504 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2023.111929 SN - 0264-1275 VL - 229 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Amsterdam, Niederlande AN - OPUS4-57350 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kar, Satyakam A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Nielsch, Kornelius A1 - Reith, Heiko A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Fähler, Sebastian T1 - Multiferroic Microstructure Created from Invariant Line Constraint N2 - Ferroic materials enable a multitude of emerging applications, and optimum functional properties are achieved when ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties are coupled to a first‐order ferroelastic transition. In bulk materials, this first‐order transition involves an invariant habit plane, connecting coexisting phases: austenite and martensite. Theory predicts that this plane should converge to a line in thin films, but experimental evidence is missing. Here, the martensitic and magnetic microstructure of a freestanding epitaxial magnetic shape memory film is analyzed. It is shown that the martensite microstructure is determined by an invariant line constraint using lattice parameters of both phases as the only input. This line constraint explains most of the observable features, which differ fundamentally from bulk and constrained films. Furthermore, this finite‐size effect creates a remarkable checkerboard magnetic domain pattern through multiferroic coupling. The findings highlight the decisive role of finite‐size effects in multiferroics. KW - Epitaxial films KW - Finite-size effects KW - Multiferroics KW - Martensite KW - Magnetic shape memory alloys PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-637910 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202416638 SN - 1616-301X VL - 35 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-63791 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Derlet, P. T1 - Micro-plasticity in a fragile model binary glass N2 - Atomistic deformation simulations in the nominally elastic regime are performed for a model binary glass with strain rates as low as 10 4 /s (corresponding to 0.01 shear strain per 1 μs). A strain rate dependent elastic softening due to a micro-plasticity is observed, which is mediated by thermally-activated localized structural transformations (LSEs). A closer inspection of the atomic-scale structure indicates the material response is distinctly different for two types of local atomic environments. A system spanning iscosahe- drally coordinated substructure responds purely elastically, whereas the remaining substructure admits both elastic and microplastic evolution. This leads to a heterogeneous internal stress distribution which, upon unloading, results in negative creep and complete residual-strain recovery. A detailed structural analysis in terms of local stress, atomic displacement, and SU(2) local bonding topology shows such mi- croscopic processes can result in large changes in local stress and are more likely to occur in geomet- rically frustrated regions characterized by higher free volume and softer elastic stiffness. The thermally- activated LSE activity also mediates structural relaxation, and in this way should be distinguished from stress-driven shear transformation activity which only rejuvenates glass structure. The frequency of LSE activity, and therefore the amount of micro-plasticity, is found to be related to the degree to which the glassy state is relaxed. These insights shed atomistic light onto the structural origins that may govern re- cent experimental observations of significant structural evolution in response to elastic loading protocols. KW - Molecular dynamics KW - Bulk metallic glasses KW - Plasticity KW - Residual strains PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-523782 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2021.116771 VL - 209 SP - 116771 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-52378 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Yuan, R. A1 - Chakraborty, A. A1 - Ghassemi-Armaki, H. A1 - Zuo, J. M. A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Early stages of liquid-metal embrittlement in an advanced high-strength steel N2 - Grain-boundary degradation via liquid-metal embrittlement (LME) is a prominent and long-standing failure process in next generation advanced high-strength steels. Here we reveal, well ahead of the crack tip, the presences of nano-scale grains of intermetallic phases in Zn-infiltrated but uncracked grain boundaries with scanning- and 4D transmission electron microscopy. Instead of the often-reported Znrich Fe-Zn intermetallics, the nano-scale phase in the uncracked infiltrated grain boundaries is identified as the G-phase, and its presence reveals the local enhancement of strain heterogeneities in the grain boundary network. Based on these observations, we argue that intermetallic phase formation is not occurring after cracking and subsequent liquid Zn infiltration but is instead one of the primary nanoscopic drivers for grain-boundary weakening and crack initiation. These findings shift the focus of LME from micro- and meso-scale crack investigations to the very early stages immediately following Zn diffusion, after which secondary phase nucleation and growth emerge as the root-cause for failure. KW - Advanced high strength steels KW - Liquid metal embrittlement KW - Transmission electron microscopy KW - 4-Dimensional scanning transmission KW - electron microscopy PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-539716 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtadv.2021.100196 SN - 2590-0498 VL - 13 IS - 196 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-53971 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Beyond Serrated Flow in Bulk Metallic Glasses: What Comes Next? N2 - This manuscript is based on an oral contribution to the TMS 2020 annual meeting and is dedicated to Prof. Peter Liaw, who for decades has shown great interest in serrated plastic flow. Here we will focus on the case of bulk metallic glasses, and begin with briefly summarizing some aspects of serrated and non-serrated inhomogeneous flow—a phenomenon that has perplexed materials scientists for decades. Four directions of research are identified that emerged out of the desire to fundamentally understand the intermittent inhomogeneous flow response. These research directions gear away from the phenomenological stress–strain behavior but put the underlying shear defect into focus. Unsolved problems and future research topics are discussed. KW - Non-serrated inhomogeneous flow PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-513106 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05985-w SN - 1073-5623 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-51310 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zaiser, Erika A1 - Fareed, Adnan A1 - Manzoni, Anna Maria A1 - Paulisch-Rinke, Melanie C. A1 - Hsu, Wei-Che A1 - Yeh, An-Chou A1 - Murakami, Hideyuki A1 - Vogel, Florian A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - Pinning-dominated strengthening in high-entropy superalloys N2 - Hierarchical microstructural design of high-entropy superalloys offers novel strengthening pathways beyond classical superalloys. Here we assess the strength of isolated γ’ precipitates with and without an additional internal γ nanophase. The results show that nano-precipitation within the γ’ phase leads to a marked statistical reduction of the dislocation-nucleation limited yield strength. In concert with disorder-driven chemical weakening of the γ’ phase, these findings indicate that bulk strengthening due to hierarchical microstructural design in high entropy superalloys must primarily be pinning dominated. KW - High-entropy alloys KW - Superalloys KW - Dislocation nucleation KW - Plasticity PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-637590 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.116874 SN - 1359-6462 VL - 268 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-63759 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ikeda, Yuki A1 - Han, Seungchang A1 - Wallis, Theophilus A1 - Darvishi Kamachali, Reza A1 - Maaß, Robert T1 - On the preference of liquid-metal embrittlement along high-angle grain-boundaries in galvanized steels N2 - Focusing on the early stages of liquid-metal embrittlement (LME) of Zinc (Zn) coated advanced high-strength steels, we show that the Zn infiltration path prior to grain-boundary decohesion and therefore cracking distinctly follows high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). This selective transport prior to LME-induced microcracking rationalizes the experimentally observed post-mortem cracking along martensitic HAGBs. We discuss the selective Zn transport and GB-weakening in terms of an misorientation-angle dependent atomic density and diffusivity, and its effect on GB-segregation. KW - Liquid-metal embrittlement KW - Advanced high-strength steels KW - Grain boundaries PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631103 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.116723 SN - 1359-6462 VL - 265 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-63110 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Riechers, Birte A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Beyond conventional calorimetry: Unlocking thermal characterization with fast scanning techniques N2 - Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) has emerged as a transformative technique in thermal analysis, enabling the investigation of rapid and kinetically driven thermal transitions that are inaccessible to conventional differential scanning calorimetry. This review highlights the capabilities enabled by FSC for studying a wide range of materials under extreme thermal conditions, including polymers, pharmaceuticals, metallic glasses, nanocomposites, and hydrogels. By employing ultrafast heating and cooling rates, FSC allows for the suppression of crystallization, resolution of weak transitions, and analysis of thermally labile or size-limited samples. The technique is particularly valuable for probing glass transitions, relaxation phenomena, and phase behavior in systems with complex morphologies or confined geometries. Case studies demonstrate the use of FSC in characterizing vitrification, physical aging, and interfacial dynamics, as well as its application in emerging fields such as additive manufacturing, supramolecular systems, and neuromorphic materials. Together, these examples underscore the role that FSC plays in advancing the understanding of structure-property relationships across diverse material classes. KW - Flash DSC KW - Calorimetry KW - Glass transition PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647405 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2025.180177 VL - 754 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64740 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hickel, Tilmann A1 - Waske, Anja A1 - Tehranchi, Ali A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Stawski, Tomasz M. A1 - Fellinger, Tim-Patrick A1 - Mehmood, Asad A1 - Witt, Julia A1 - Ozcan, Ozlem A1 - Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Kumar, Sourabh A1 - Mishra, Rajesh Kumar A1 - Holzer, Marco A1 - Stucchi de Camargo, Andrea Simone A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Manzoni, Anna A1 - Fantin, Andrea A1 - John, Elisabeth A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Bührig, Sophia A1 - Murugan, Jegatheesan A1 - Marschall, Niklas A1 - George, Janine A1 - Darvishi Kamachali, Reza A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Chemically complex materials enable sustainable high-performance materials N2 - Chemically complex materials (CCMats) 􀀀 including high-entropy alloys, oxides, and related multi-principal element systems 􀀀 offer a paradigm shift in materials design by leveraging chemical diversity to simultaneously optimize functional, structural, and sustainability criteria. The vastness of the compositional and structural space in CCMats propels the field into an expanding exploratory state. To reconcile functional and structural performance across this immense parameter space remains an open challenge. This Perspective evaluates the opportunities and challenges associated with harnessing chemical complexity across a broad spectrum of applications, such as hydrogen storage, ionic conductors, catalysis, magnetics, dielectrics, semiconductors, optical materials, and multifunctional structural systems. It is delineated how three central design strategies: targeted substitution (SUB), defect engineering (DEF), and diversity management (DIV) enable the reconciliation of high functional performance with long-term structural stability and environmental responsibility. Advances in computational thermodynamics, microstructure simulations, machine learning, and multimodal characterization are accelerating the exploration and optimization of CCMats, while robust data infrastructures and automated synthesis workflows are emerging as essential tools for navigating their complex compositional space. By fostering cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer and embracing data-driven design, CCMats are poised to deliver next-generation materials solutions that address urgent technological, energy, and environmental demands. KW - Chemically complex materials KW - Structural stability KW - Functional performance KW - Design strategies KW - Sustainability PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655598 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359028626000033?via%3Dihub DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2026.101256 SN - 1359-0286 VL - 42 SP - 1 EP - 26 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-65559 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -