by Ayumu Hirayama  , Mao Narita  , Shota Ito  , Daisuke Nakane  , Shimaa Hosny  and Takashiro Akitsu

Received: 30 June 2026;  Published: 13 September 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2603008

In this study, we assessed the reliability and limitations of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) in predicting the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of four azo-amino acid Schiff-base Cu(II) complexes by comparing calculated ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra and reduction potentials with experimental data obtained from spectroscopic measurements and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The optimized coordination geometries w [...]

by Nilesh Sankeshware  , Ayesha Mulla  , Shrikant Hulkane  , Asmita Prabhune  , Ibrahim M. Banat  and Surekha K. Satpute

Received: 26 April 2026;  Published: 25 August 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2603007

Since 1894, hydrogels (HGs) have advanced from simple water-swollen colloids to poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA)-based biomedical materials introduced in 1960. Further, the journey continued towards innovative, stimuli-responsive hybrid systems in 2025. Once limited to wound dressings and contact lenses, HGs have now formed a multi-billion-dollar market. Biohydrogels (BioHGs) are biomaterials with remarkable physicochemical properties, enabling their widespread applications. However, several challenges al [...]

by Terlumun Adagba

Received: 26 January 2026;  Published: 24 August 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2603006

The growing demand for sustainable, resource-efficient construction materials has heightened interest in agricultural waste-derived supplementary cementitious materials, among which cassava peel ash (CPA) has emerged as a promising alternative. This review critically evaluates cassava peel ash (CPA) as a potential pozzolanic material for cement and concrete applications, with emphasis on its physicochemical characteristics, fresh and hardened performance, and durability behaviour. The literature indicates that CPA, [...]

by Yandiswa Mabhude  , Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka  , Samantha Meyer  , Kwazikwakhe Bethuel Gabuza  , Abram Madimabe Madiehe  , Mervin Meyer  and Nicole Remaliah Samantha Sibuyi

Received: 20 January 2026;  Published: 16 July 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2603005

Food and water are essential resources for human survival; however, the increasing global population, urbanization, and climate change have placed a significant strain on their availability and safety, with major implications for public health and economic stability. Microbial contamination of food and water remains a critical global challenge, with bacteria responsible for more than 90% of foodborne illnesses. In the past decade, pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria have been the leading cause [...]

by Shahriar Abubakri  , Gilson R. Lomboy  and Douglas B. Cleary

Received: 10 February 2026;  Published: 15 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2602004

The use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) offers a sustainable alternative to traditional virgin aggregates in concrete production, helping mitigate the environmental impacts associated with mining and construction waste disposal. RCA is characterized by the presence of attached mortar from previous concrete applications, which significantly influences the mechanical properties of the aggregates, as well as mix design and the overall performance of new concrete incorporating these recycled materials. This paper [...]

by Ali A. Al-Allaq  , Abdullah A. Abdulhakeem  , Jwan Kh. Hammood  and Hassan Fouad

Received: 03 December 2025;  Published: 07 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2602003

The cartilage is avascular and has limited regenerative capacity, posing a significant clinical challenge. Conventional treatments often do not restore hyaline cartilage, leading to progressive osteoarthritis. Recent advances in tissue engineering have focused on integrating biomaterials, stem cells, growth factors, and gene-delivery approaches. In addition, in vivo models serve as critical platforms for translational validation. Biomaterial scaffolds, including polycaprolactone, silk fibroin, chitosan, and composi [...]

by Liubomyr Kozak

Received: 21 December 2025;  Published: 18 March 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2601002

The article presents a model that describes the shear of atomic planes in crystalline solids by accounting for their electronic structure. Previous studies have shown that an isotropic distribution of valence electrons leads to a spherically symmetric interatomic potential, which affects the stability of the crystal lattice against small shear deformations. Under these conditions, lattice stability is largely determined by the crystal's surface layer. As a consequence, the resistance to atomic-plane shear exhibits [...]

by Recent Progress in Materials Editorial Office

Received: 04 January 2026;  Published: 04 January 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2601001

The editors of Recent Progress in Materials would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2025. We greatly appreciate the contribution of expert reviewers, which is crucial to the journal's editorial process. We aim to recognize reviewer contributions through several mechanisms, of which the annual publication of reviewer names is one. Reviewers can download a certificate of recognition directly from our submission system. Additionally, reviewers can sign up t [...]

by Jude Alhaddad  , Hawra Alkhadad  , Fatima AlHannan  , Fryad Henari  and G. Roshan Deen

Received: 16 June 2025;  Published: 17 November 2025;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2504017

The study focuses on the rapid green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and alginate-silver nanocomposite (Alg-AgNc) beads using sweet basil or Mashmoom (Ocimum basilicum), a common household medicinal herb in Bahrain. The aqueous extract of mashmoom was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the reduction of the precursor salt, silver nitrate, and formation of stable AgNPs. The Alg-AgNc beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation of sodium alginate-AgNPs solution in calcium chloride. A strong surface pl [...]

by Junesh Gautam  , Praneel Acharya  and Zhong Hu

Received: 15 July 2025;  Published: 24 October 2025;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2504016

This paper investigates data-driven strain energy prediction for heterogeneous elastic materials using the Mechanical MNIST benchmark dataset (60,000 28 × 28 stiffness maps by precomputed finite-element results). The results by classical regression models (linear regression, random forest, and gradient boosting) using hand-crafted features were compared with the results by the deep learning models (Convolutional neural network (CNN) and residual network (ResNet)) trained end-to-end on images. In held-out tests, CNN [...]