Achieving superior radiation tolerance in ceramics via in-situ defect recombination

Congping Quan, Qingqiao Fu, Ruizhi Qiu, Guoliang Zhao and Chen Xu ()
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Congping Quan: China Academy of Engineering Physics, Institute of Materials
Qingqiao Fu: Shanghai University, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Genome Institute
Ruizhi Qiu: China Academy of Engineering Physics, Institute of Materials
Guoliang Zhao: China Academy of Engineering Physics, Institute of Materials
Chen Xu: China Academy of Engineering Physics, Institute of Materials

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Materials that can withstand high radiation doses are crucial for the development of various cutting-edge technologies, such as aerospace, next-generation fission, and future fusion energy. However, few materials can withstand intense radiation doses without suffering from irreversible materials degradation. Herein, we present a strategy to achieve high radiation tolerance by a dynamic in-situ defect recombination, where abundant solutes thermodynamically stabilized within the ceramic lattice combine with radiation-induced defects. We demonstrate that in high-entropy pyrochlore oxide (HEPO) based solid solutions, little microstructure damage is observed even after He2+ radiation with energy of 500 keV and 1 × 1017 ions/cm2 fluence. HEPO solid solutions exhibit a counterintuitive reordering transition: their structural ordering improves rather than degrades after irradiation. This can be attributed to an in-situ defect recombination, which not only annihilates the radiation-induced defects but also alleviates the lattice distortions. This strategy represents a promising approach for developing materials with high radiation tolerance.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65545-x

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