Читать книгу Amorphous Nanomaterials - Lin Guo - Страница 15

Throughout the history of human science and technology, the breakthrough of new technologies is always accompanied by the discovery of new materials. From ancient bone, stone, porcelain, metal materials to modern high-performance plastics, alloys, micro–nanomaterials, which are still developing, all of them have left a deep imprint in the history of science development. Along with the progressing of scientific theory, the ways of exploring new materials have changed significantly (Figure 1.5). For example, it took thousands of years for human beings to distinguish and adjust the composition of substances. From original bone and stone tools to synthetic bronze and iron tools, we finally obtained engineering materials based on precisely controlled alloys and composites. All of them provide the strong support for the industrialization process of human beings. On the other hand, it took decades to achieve material design and control from macroscale to nanoscale, then to atomic scale, laying a structural foundation for discovery of modern high performance energy storage and conversion materials. This accelerated proceeding was strongly supported by various physical and chemical theories and methods and also supported by the rapid development of characterization methods. On the basis of these development, scientists continue to focus on atomic ordering of the materials, which was expected to further improve the mechanical or catalytic properties of traditional crystal materials. With the help of the most advanced characterization methods, such as spherical AC-TEM and synchrotron radiation X-ray fine absorption spectroscopy, scientists try to adjust the atomic arrangement to obtain new structural materials, such as metastable materials, high-entropy alloys, metallic glass, and amorphous materials.

Figure 1.5 The development of materials research in different research orientations.