Enhanced erosion resistance and radiation stability of WC–WO₃ nanocomposite films under 100 keV Kr⁺ ion irradiation

• Shristi Bist,
• Parswajit Kalita,
• Ratnesh K. Pandey,
• Sejal Shah,
• Richa Krishna,
• Umapathy G. R.,
• Sunil Ojha and
• Devesh K. Avasthi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 922–934, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.65

• -facing materials; sputtering erosion; WC–WO3 nanocomposites; Introduction Tungsten carbide (WC) and tungsten trioxide (WO3) are two hard and high-temperature-stable compounds that have individually demonstrated exceptional properties, including high melting points, mechanical strength, and chemical

• , indicating dynamic microstructural evolution rather than amorphization under irradiation. These results highlight the potential of WC–WO3 nanocomposites as erosion-resistant and structurally resilient candidates for future plasma-facing applications in fusion reactors. Keywords: low energy ions; plasma