Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance
Abstract Stiffness-damping balance, high specific mechanical performance, and corrosion resistance are demanded for metals. Here, we developed an enamel-inspired ceramic (EIC) coating strategy involving hydrothermal growth of a tooth enamel-like ZrO₂ nanorods on Zr foil and amorphous ZrO₂ intergranu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61060-1 |
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| author | Shaojia Liu Jingjing Deng Hewei Zhao Tianbai Wang Junfeng Lu Baosen Ding Tianqi Guo Robert O. Ritchie Lin Guo |
| author_facet | Shaojia Liu Jingjing Deng Hewei Zhao Tianbai Wang Junfeng Lu Baosen Ding Tianqi Guo Robert O. Ritchie Lin Guo |
| author_sort | Shaojia Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Stiffness-damping balance, high specific mechanical performance, and corrosion resistance are demanded for metals. Here, we developed an enamel-inspired ceramic (EIC) coating strategy involving hydrothermal growth of a tooth enamel-like ZrO₂ nanorods on Zr foil and amorphous ZrO₂ intergranular phase formation via controlled hydrolysis. The EIC coated Zr foil (Zr-EIC) achieved a high viscoelastic figure of merit (4.6 GPa); as well as excellent specific stiffness and hardness owing to the lightweight of ceramics, surpassing the values of Zr and previously reported Zr-based alloys or Zr-based composites. This was due to the vertically oriented stiff nanorods and unique energy dissipation derived from deformation at the crystalline/amorphous interfaces. It demonstrated exceptional NaCl corrosion resistance. This approach showed universality across Ti, Zn, and Cu substrates, enhancing both mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. By constructing an enamel-like hierarchical structure on the metal surface, the strategy overcomes traditional metal limitations without causing an increase in density. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-27de220ca88e4cb6872191984a67f65b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-27de220ca88e4cb6872191984a67f65b2025-08-20T03:03:41ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-61060-1Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistanceShaojia Liu0Jingjing Deng1Hewei Zhao2Tianbai Wang3Junfeng Lu4Baosen Ding5Tianqi Guo6Robert O. Ritchie7Lin Guo8State Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityInstitute of Medical Technology, Peking University Health Science CenterState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityInternational Institute for Interdisciplinary and Frontiers, Beihang UniversityDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California BerkeleyState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang UniversityAbstract Stiffness-damping balance, high specific mechanical performance, and corrosion resistance are demanded for metals. Here, we developed an enamel-inspired ceramic (EIC) coating strategy involving hydrothermal growth of a tooth enamel-like ZrO₂ nanorods on Zr foil and amorphous ZrO₂ intergranular phase formation via controlled hydrolysis. The EIC coated Zr foil (Zr-EIC) achieved a high viscoelastic figure of merit (4.6 GPa); as well as excellent specific stiffness and hardness owing to the lightweight of ceramics, surpassing the values of Zr and previously reported Zr-based alloys or Zr-based composites. This was due to the vertically oriented stiff nanorods and unique energy dissipation derived from deformation at the crystalline/amorphous interfaces. It demonstrated exceptional NaCl corrosion resistance. This approach showed universality across Ti, Zn, and Cu substrates, enhancing both mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. By constructing an enamel-like hierarchical structure on the metal surface, the strategy overcomes traditional metal limitations without causing an increase in density.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61060-1 |
| spellingShingle | Shaojia Liu Jingjing Deng Hewei Zhao Tianbai Wang Junfeng Lu Baosen Ding Tianqi Guo Robert O. Ritchie Lin Guo Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance Nature Communications |
| title | Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| title_full | Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| title_fullStr | Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| title_short | Tooth enamel-inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| title_sort | tooth enamel inspired ceramic coating on metal surface for enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61060-1 |
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