In order to investigate the relationship between phase/microstructure and various properties of Ti–xAg alloys, a series of Ti–xAg alloys with Ag contents ranging from 5 to 20 wt% were prepared. The microstructures were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All of the Ti–xAg alloys showed a massive transformation from the β-Ti to α_m phase, which has a different crystal structure from that of the matrix phase, but it has the same composition as the matrix α-Ti phase. As a result of solid-solution strengthening of α-Ti and massive transformation phase, the Ti–xAg showed better mechanical properties than the commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti). Electrochemical results showed that the Ti–xAg alloys exhibited improved corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance than cp-Ti.

One dimensional (1D) metal sulfide nanostructures are one of the most promising materials for photocatalytic water splitting reactions to produce hydrogen (H₂). However, tuning the nanostructural, optical, electrical and chemical properties of metal sulfides is a challenging task for the fabrication of highly efficient photocatalysts. Herein, 1D CdS nanorods (NRs) were synthesized by a facile and low-cost solvothermal method, in which reaction time played a significant role for increasing the length of CdS NRs from 100 nm to several micrometers. It is confirmed that as the length of CdS NR increases, the visible photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity also increases and the CdS NR sample obtained at 18 hr. reaction time exhibited the highest H₂ evolution activity of 206.07 μmol.g⁻¹.h⁻¹. The higher H₂ evolution activity is explained by the improved optical absorption properties, enhanced electronic bandstructure and decreased electron-hole recombination rate.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely available commercially and attempts to extend the lifetime of these batteries remain necessary. The energy storage characteristics of NbO₂ with a rutile structure as a material for the negative electrode of lithium-ion batteries were investigated. When negative potential was applied to the NbO₂ electrode during application of a constant current in a nonaqueous solution containing lithium ions, these ions were inserted into the NbO₂. Conversely, upon application of positive potential, the inserted lithium ions were extracted from the NbO₂. In situ X-ray diffraction results revealed that the variation in the volume of NbO₂ accompanying the insertion and extraction of lithium was 0.14%, suggesting that NbO₂ is a zero-strain (usually defined by a volume change ratio of 1% or less) active material for lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, the highly stable structure of NbO₂ allows the corresponding electrode to exhibit excellent cycling performance and coulombic efficiency.