A PDMS-coated CdS film has been deposited by screen-printing in glass and then used in the decolouration of organic pollutants and possesses superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties.

Nanomaterials with both superhydrophobic surface properties as well as photocatalytic activities could have important industrial applications. Herein, we synthesized CeVO₄ nanocrystals with hexagonal nanoplate structures from the reaction of decavanadate (K₆V₁₀O₂₈⋅9 H₂O) and CeCl₃⋅H₂O precursors via a hydrothermal method. This synthetic route has four advantages: 1) the reaction condition is relatively mild, 2) it doesn′t need surfactants or templates, 3) it requires no expensive equipment, and 4) products are of higher purity. During synthesis, solution pH, and reaction temperature were found to play important roles in determining the growth process and final morphologies of the CeVO₄ products. These products were characterized spectrophotometrically and via scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, the wettability of the as‐synthesized film CeVO₄ nanoplates was studied by measuring water contact angle (CA). The largest CA measured was at 169.5 ° for a glass substrate treated with 0.06 g mL⁻¹ CeVO₄ followed by 2 % 1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H‐perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane. Finally, the CeVO₄ nanoplates exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV irradiation and was stable even after repeated cycles of use.

F-Doped MnWO₄ nano-particles were prepared and showed superior lithium storage performance with a high theoretical capacity and a long cycle life, as demonstrated by a capacity retention of more than 85% after cycling for 150 cycles.

In this work, a novel photocatalyst of ZnIn₂S₄/Ni(dmgH)₂ was designed by a simple chemical precipitation method and used to enhance hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. Along with vigorous discharges of hydrogen bubbles, an optimal rate of 36.3 mmol/g/h was reached under UV-Vis light for hydrogen evolution, nearly 4.9 times of the one from pure ZnIn₂S₄. The heterojunction exhibits steady hydrogen evolution capability and owns a high apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 20.45% under the monochromatic light at 420 nm. By coupling ZnIn₂S₄ with Ni(dmgH)₂, an extraordinary photochromic phenomenon was detected and attributed to the active Ni-S component in situ formed between the nickel and sulfur composites under light irradiation. The emerging sulfide benefits light absorption of the system and separation of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Besides providing a promising photocatalyst for visible light hydrogen production, the present work is hoped to inspire new trends of catalytic medium designs and investigations.

Magnesium-ion conducting gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with different contents of nano-sized MgO have been prepared and investigated by various electrical and electrochemical techniques. The Mg²⁺ ion conduction in GPEs was confirmed from cyclic voltammetry and impedance analysis. It was found that doping appropriate nano-sized MgO in the GPE can induce significant improvements in both the electrochemical and the mechanical properties of GPEs. The composite GPE with 7% MgO shows a high ionic conductivity of 4.6 × 10⁻³ S/cm with electrochemical stability up to 4.7 V versus Mg²⁺/Mg at room temperature. Furthermore, it is free-standing and flexible with high tensile strength (9.7 ± 0.1 MPa) and elongation at break (91.7 ± 0.2%), further ensuring their potential applications as GPEs for rechargeable Mg batteries.