To improve the hydrophilicity and imparting antibacterial properties to poly(lactic acid), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and silver particles (AgNPs) were simultaneously introduced onto the surface of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films by γ-ray irradiation. The morphology and structure of the modified films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The interaction between PAA and AgNPs was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirming the coordination between AgNPs and the oxygen atom on the carboxylic group of PAA. The contact-angle (CA) measurements and antibacterial tests showed that the modified PLA films with a low silver content (PLA-g-PAA-Ag) exhibited excellent hydrophilicity as well as antibacterial activity compared with the neat PLA film.

Fe₃O₄ decorated graphene was synthesized for electromagnetic wave absorption via a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared nanomaterials were systematically investigated. The graphene oxide (GO) was reduced and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were evenly decorated on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. The average particle size of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is about 15.3 nm. The as-prepared rGO-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites exhibited a good microwave absorption performance because of the combination of graphene and magnetic Fe₃O₄. When the thicknesses are 1.6 mm and 6.5 mm, the reflection loss (RL) values are up to −34.4 dB and −37.5 dB, respectively. The effective bandwidths are 3.8 and 1.9 GHz.

Fresh water scarcity has become a crisis affecting human survival and development. Atmospheric water capture with remarkable advantages such as energy-independence and low-cost is supposed to be a promising way to address the problem. Herein, a facile strategy is presented to design a membrane material with efficient atmospheric water capture capacity and high practical significancy. A hybrid Janus membrane with anisotropic wettability and morphology is fabricated by integrating electrospinning and in situ surface oxidation methods. Taking advantage of the anisotropic wettability and strong force provided by directional wicking to draw water drops from a hydrophobic to a hydrophilic layer, the Janus membrane exhibits novel directional water droplet transport and possesses efficient and excellent atmospheric water capture capacity. Janus membrane with larger pores in the hydrophobic layer shows higher atmospheric water capture capacity than that with smaller pores. Furthermore, the hybrid Janus membrane is successfully implemented in soil water retention in the plant cultivation process. This work provides an insight into the facile design of the Janus membrane for fresh water capture, which is important to extend its practical applications.

High-temperature pressure sensors can be widely used in industries with high-temperature working conditions, such as aerospace, automotive, petroleum industry and fire protection. Pressure sensors with excellent sensing performance and high-temperature tolerance will have broad application prospects in harsh environments. This review summarizes the research progress of high-temperature pressure sensors from aspects ranging from materials and working mechanisms to temperature compensation methods. Finally, challenges and trends in the field are briefly discussed. It is expected to benefit the scientific research community and promote further research and applications of high-temperature sensors.