This study investigates photocatalytic cells based on cocatalyst-loaded SrTiO₃:Al and nano-SiO₂ as a porous binder, immobilized on frosted glass. Comprehensive analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of aluminum into SrTiO₃, increasing oxygen vacancy concentration and enhancing charge transfer. The deposition of RhCr₂O₃ and CoOOH cocatalysts significantly improved photocatalytic activity, boosting hydrogen and oxygen evolution rates to 3.8401 and 1.6319 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. The introduction of nano-SiO₂ increased hardness (0.23–0.25 GPa) and Young’s modulus (5.27–5.40 GPa), reinforcing structural integrity. The development of efficient photocatalytic panels requires a multifaceted strategy that considers chemical, mechanical, and optical properties together with stability, durability, and energy efficiency. Future research should focus on optimizing these key parameters to enhance system performance for industrial applications.

Austenitic stainless steels serve as load-bearing structural materials in the divertor and vacuum vessel components of fusion devices, where they are shielded from the plasma by beryllium or tungsten. Local loss of that armour layer during off-normal events exposes the underlying steel to direct plasma contact, a condition for which surface degradation data remain limited. In this work, 08Cr16Ni11Mo3Ti (analog of 316 Ti) austenitic stainless steel was irradiated with helium plasma at 2 keV ion energy and specimen temperatures of 250, 400, and 550 °C for exposures of 500 and 5000 s. Surface degradation depended strongly on the irradiation conditions; temperature appeared to be the dominant factor, although it co-varied with the ion flux: exposure at 250 °C produced no resolvable change in surface relief, whereas grain-boundary etching appeared at 400 °C and gave way at 550 °C to pronounced preferential sputtering that exposed grains, twin boundaries, and subgrain cellular structure. Mass-loss measurements indicate removal of approximately 3.4 µm after 5000 s at 550 °C, corresponding to a mean erosion rate of ~0.7 nm/s. Microhardness increased by 30–40 HV 0.05 after 500 s at all three temperatures and remained at a similar level after 5000 s at 400 and 550 °C, whereas an unexplained decrease below the unirradiated value was found at 250 °C. The results indicate that under sustained low-energy plasma exposure, the structural integrity of the section is retained while degradation is confined to a surface layer whose properties are tailored by the balance between implantation and erosion.

Plasma-facing components of fusion facilities must withstand a wide range of operating loads. Their structural integrity is strongly affected by plasma particles, including deuterium (D), tritium (T), and helium (He), as well as by 14 MeV neutrons, steady-state heat fluxes, and recurrent intense transient thermal loads. In most current studies, the effects of individual operating factors—such as neutron irradiation, plasma exposure, and thermal loading—are investigated separately, allowing the contribution of each factor to changes in material properties to be evaluated. However, degradation mechanisms arising from the synergistic action of these factors require investigation using more sophisticated experimental methodologies. The present study aims to develop a methodology for the simulation testing of materials intended for fusion applications and at investigating the structural and phase stability of Be₁₂Ti, as well as its deuterium sorption behavior, following high-energy irradiation with 14 MeV D⁺ ions. Irradiation was performed at ion flux densities of approximately 8.6 × 10¹⁴ ions·cm⁻²·s⁻¹ and 1.06 × 10²⁰ ions·cm⁻²·s⁻¹. The irradiation-induced target temperatures reached approximately 400K and 1000K, respectively. An intermetallic Be₁₂Ti alloy produced at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Kazakhstan was used as the target material. The selection of Be₁₂Ti was motivated by existing fusion reactor concepts that consider this intermetallic compound as a neutron multiplier material, including the Japanese JA DEMO concept.

This paper presents a detailed study of the fracture surfaces of 12Kh18N10T austenitic stainless-steel specimens subjected to short-term mechanical testing at various temperatures: 24°C, 350°C, and 450°C. The specimens for the study were fabricated from spent nuclear fuel of the BN-350 reactor. The research was conducted within the framework of a multi-level approach to physical mesomechanics, which allowed for a deeper understanding of the complex processes occurring in the material under different temperature regimes. In particular, a thorough analysis of the changes in the steel's plasticity with increasing test temperature was carried out, revealing a significant dependence of this parameter on the conditions of deformation localization. It was shown that the reduction in plasticity with increasing test temperature is associated with a quasi-uniform distribution of stresses in the zones of deformation localization. These zones of local stress concentration were caused by processes that led to an increase in the material's porosity, which, in turn, was due to accommodation processes of the rotational type. Thus, the study demonstrated the importance of considering local changes in the material's structure, which can significantly affect its mechanical properties under varying operating conditions. The obtained results may contribute to a deeper understanding of the processes occurring in austenitic steels used in extreme conditions and aid in the development of more reliable materials for use in nuclear and other high-stress systems.